Tag Archives: Wild Love

Wild Love by Meg Benjamin – a Review

Posted on by
11

Wild Love by Meg Benjamin – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Book Depository / Google Play / Apple

 

Description:
After one bad relationship too many, Peaches Guidry came to the mountain resort town of Antero, Colorado to start over. Now, she’s manager of a great restaurant and on her way to bigger and better things without anyone complicating her life. The upcoming grand opening of the local brewery’s new pub is the perfect opportunity to introduce more customers to her menu. A partnership with Antero Brewing could bring her business to a whole new level.

But then Colin Brooks strolls into town. Rugged, yet charismatic. The bad boy with a heart of gold—the kind of man she can’t resist.

Her friends at the brewpub, though, are quick to tell her Colin isn’t exactly new in town. He’s the black sheep of Antero and disappeared years ago without a word. Now he’s back and hoping to prove he’s changed, but the welcome they give him is harsher than the winter winds.

She knows she shouldn’t be falling for someone that everyone says can’t be trusted. And getting tangled up in his wild past could ruin the future of everything she’s worked so hard to build… So why can’t they stay away from each other?

Each book in the Brewing Love series is STANDALONE:
* Love on Tap
* Saison for Love
* Wild Love

 

Review:

Wild Love by Meg Benjamin is book three in the Brewing Love Series.

Colin Brooks has come back to Antero, Colorado. And this times things are way different. Colin was here before, but abruptly had to leave for family issues, leaving his hood friends in a bind. Colon was part co-owner in Antero Brewing Company. And now with nothing left to his name but his dog Wiseass, he is back wanting to start brewing again. Wanting the life he had before, the one where he was truly happy. But co-owners Bec and Liam, who were left to pick up the pieces, are not happy to see him again.  His first stop in town is the Salty Goat, the town diner. And that is where he meets Peaches Guidry. She came to Antero to start over. She is the manager and head chef of The Salty Goat. She is finally in a good spot in her life and does not need anyone messing that up.  Her friends at the local brewery are quick to let her know exactly how they feel about Colin. She knows to be cautious of the new guy in town. But she just can’t stay away from him. Will he cost her everything she has worked so hard for? Can they even have a relationship with how half the town feels about him? 

I absolutely loved the characters of Colin and Peaches. Each one has had their own share of knock downs. But I love how that despite that, they were drawn to each other. Peaches has a giving and loving heart, she is exactly what Colin needs. The tension that grows between them is wrought with longing and need! 

Wild Love can be read as a stand alone, but this series is quite wonderful and worth the time to read!  Great background story of a brewing company   , with lots of information and interesting facts! The only thing that could have made this series better would be to list all the delicious recipes used at The Salty Goat!!

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

Share

Mine for the Week (Wild Love #2) by Erika Kelly-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted on by
10

MINE FOR THE WEEK (Wild Love #2) by Erika Kelly-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Mine for the Week Banner

MINE FOR THE WEEK
Wild Love #2
by Erika Kelly
Release Date: October 3, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Mine for the Week

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 3, 2017

As the top collegiate shortstop in the country, Ryan O’Donnell’s life is about discipline. But a growing restlessness causes him to bail on his baseball team over spring break to join his buddies at a singles resort. He just needs one week to escape his life, and then he’ll get back on track. But moments after arriving he meets HER, and the world as he knows it changes irrevocably. It should only be a hookup—that’s what spring break’s all about—but one taste of this sexy, vibrant woman isn’t enough. He has to have her. Even if it’s only for a week.

Sophie Valentine—yes, that Valentine—just found out her siblings want to sell off Crazy Hearts—the Peeps of the Valentine’s Day world. Upset, she takes off with her friends on their spring break vacation. She only wanted an escape—she never imagined meeting HIM. But he’s about to start a Major League Baseball career, and she’s launching a fight for her family legacy. They have no future. It’s just…she’s never felt this way for anyone before.

Are they really going to walk away from this kind of connection…this passion?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: MINE FOR THE WEEK is the second installment in Erika Kelly’s contemporary, new adult WILD LOVE erotic, romance series focusing on the O’Donnell siblings. This is top collegiate shortstop Ryan O’Donnell, and Crazy Hearts heiress Sophie Valentine’s story line. MINE FOR THE WEEK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. We were first introduced to Ryan in book one MINE FOR NOW.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ryan and Sophie) MINE FOR THE WEEK follows the building but acrimonious relationship between two college seniors-professional baseball prospect Ryan O’Donnell, and cookie company heiress Sophie Valentine. It’s prospect week for college baseball, the scouts are in attendance, and our hero Ryan O’Donnell is about to spiral out of control. On the verge of panic, Ryan’s best friend suggests an island retreat to Santa Grenada wherein our hero will walk away from his future, and meet the woman with whom he will fall in love. Enter Crazy Hearts heiress and college senior Sophie Valentine, a woman on the cusp of a future that is about to be pulled out from under (her). What ensues is the acrimonious relationship between Sophie and Ryan, and the fall out when Ryan’s ex-girlfriend comes back looking to rekindle what’s left of their failed friendship and love.

MINE FOR A WEEK is a story of family, friendships and facing the future. Ryan knows he is destined for the major leagues. Baseball is his life but our hero is looking for something different; something more. A past mired in heartbreak, a dysfunctional family where addiction and drama followed in its’ wake, Ryan has always fronted the epitome of perfection; the perfect son and student; the perfect boyfriend and star athlete but a man whose inner turmoil pulls our hero in another direction-a direction he is unable to decipher until the end. Sophie Valentine is in the battle of her life as her family considers selling her beloved Crazy Hearts cookie factory in the hopes of a lucrative payout and retirement. Sophie’s attempts to dissuade her siblings are met with derision, and a family unable to come to terms about the future.

The relationship between Sophie and Ryan is one of immediate attraction but from the start Sophie is unable to let go. Ryan’s seduction of Sophie begins as an island adventure, and our heroine wants nothing to do with what she believes is a $ex craved athlete letting go on Spring Break in Santa Grenada. Ryan’s pursuit of Sophie is off-putting; she is unable to look past the ‘hook up’ of spring break. Trusting Ryan grows more difficult as their ‘friendship’ blossoms letting Ryan in will cost Sophie her heart and her self-esteem. The $ex scenes are seductive and intense. Throughout the story our very independent heroine had a habit of running; misinterpreting signs and conversations; and had a difficult time accepting the truth for what it was. She is constantly looking for faults including those in her relationship with Ryan O’Donnell.

We are introduced to Ryan’s best friends Dixon and Jake; his ex girlfriend Emma, as well as the reappearance of Ryan’s father Bill, sister Nicole and her boyfriend Dylan (Mine For Now) and his troubled brother Brandon; Sophie’s friends Kat and Laura, and Sophie’s ex-boyfriend Richard aka King.

MINE FOR THE WEEK was a bit of a struggle for me. I didn’t like the heroine. Some would call her strong and self-reliant but it is this part of her personality that I battled because of the way it is presented-an over the top need to be independent, and separate from the whole. Neither character was perfect; their personality quirks made for some uncomfortable situations. The premise is entertaining; the romance is passionate and intense; the characters are colorful and charismatic. MINE FOR THE WEEK is a well written, and engaging story line.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-MINE FOR NOW.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Mine for the Week Teaser

excerpt

Where had Sophie gone? Didn’t she want her keycard? He didn’t see her anywhere but, damn, he could feel her clutching him, feel the press of her body against his. Desire burned through him. She’d been so responsive last night. That’s what it was, really, what had made him so wild. Her response to him.
It was them. Combustible.
He remembered tucking his face into her neck, being surrounded by her scent, her silky hair. Her hands reaching under his shirt—her touch so hungry. Oh, Christ.
His heart pounded. Need burned a fiery path through his limbs. Where the hell had she gone?
He scanned the empty pool, the chaises, and the path to the terrace grill. Stalking towards the hotel, he peered through the glass doors but didn’t see anyone inside. She couldn’t have made it to the elevator that quickly.
The sound of water hitting pavement snapped his attention to the side of the building. To the outdoor showers.
An image sprang to mind. Sophie, naked, water glistening on that peachy skin.
Desire charged through him. Don’t do it. If he went in there, he’d touch her. And he couldn’t do that. She didn’t want it.
Go to your room.
To hell with that. Go to the gym. Work this crazy energy out of you.
He stood outside the hotel, every muscle tensed. A worker rolled a cart of clean towels out a side door and wheeled it toward the wicker towel stand.
But all he could focus on was the water splattering on concrete. Had she taken off her bikini?
None of your damn business. He turned away from the worker, but instead of opening the door to the hotel, he found his feet eating up the path, taking him toward the row of outdoor showers.
He’d just give her the key card and cover-up, and then he’d go. Leave her alone.
Water pooled outside a stall. “Soph?” He knocked, and then called for her again.
The door swung open, and she stood there in her red bikini, soap suds streaming down her gleaming body. Her features softened when she saw the cover-up and phone he held out to her.
Taking them out of his hand, she set them on a wooden shelf. “Thank you.” Then, she stepped under the spray and tilted her head back, her long dark hair streaming over her shoulders.
Desire rushed him so hard his breath went choppy, his knees weak. He closed and locked the door, heading right for her. Her eyes flared with surprise, but she didn’t stop him. The look in her eyes set his blood roaring. Heat, need, want burst inside him.
(can stop here if too long)
Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing. He moved toward her, crowding into her space, needing to touch her more than he needed air.
“I can’t believe you pirated my boat.”
Water splattered his calves, and his spine tingled with a lust so crazy he could barely control it. “It was too windy to be out there.”
She gave him a defiant look. “I don’t like people telling me what to do.”
Or she wasn’t used to it. No one in her family seemed to bother with her. “I’m not going to apologize for worrying about you.”
“Why?” Her voice sounded thin, shaky. Water beaded on her skin.
He wanted her so badly he hurt, but even though he could barely think, he knew she deserved an answer. “Because I like you.”
She let out a shaky breath.
“Sophie.” Leaning in, he watched the desire in her eyes turn fiery. Her fingertips traced a path down his chest, making him shudder. He licked the water droplets off her lips, and she sighed into his mouth.
He kissed her—yes—tongue stroking into her mouth, fingers sliding into wet hair, shoving it off her face. Cupping the back of her head, he shifted her so he could kiss her more deeply. Her mouth, so lush and hot, opened to him, and he lost himself in all the lusciousness that was Sophie Valentine.

about the author

Erika KellyAward-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life–she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

 

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

 

rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Inkslinger 2

Share

Mine for Now (Wild Love #1) by Erika Kelly-Review and Book Tour

Posted on by
9

MINE FOR NOW (Wild Love #1) by Erika Kelly-Review and Book Tour

Mine For Now Banner

MINE FOR NOW
Wild Love #1
by Erika Kelly
Genre: New adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: October 4, 2016

Mine For Now

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /

About the book: Release Date October 4, 2016

The pull of wild love is irresistible.

She’s had enough drama in her life.

Nicole O’Donnell is more than ready for the fresh start college offers. After a lifetime of trying to help her alcoholic mom and ex-boyfriend get sober, she’s finally learned her lesson: people don’t change. They certainly don’t change for her.

He can never leave his drama behind.

Thanks to his mom’s substance abuse issues, Dylan McCaffrey’s persona non grata in his hometown of Gun Powder, Colorado. So when he scores a free ride to the top university in the country, he’s determined to make something of this fresh start. But his mom has always relied on him, and she’s not handling his absence well at all. If he can just keep up his grades, pay her bills, and come home every break, he might be able to pull off this opportunity.

True love won’t be denied.

No matter how determined they are to steer clear of each other, their combustible connection explodes, especially when Nicole offers Dylan the one thing he can’t bear—hope. Once he has a taste of it—and the irresistible force of her—there’s no going back.

But when he falls too deeply, when he loses sight of his priorities, he might just lose it all.

•••••••••

REVIEW: MINE FOR NOW is the first installment in Erika Kelly’s contemporary, new adult WILD LOVE erotic, romance series focusing on the O’Donnell siblings. This is eighteen year old college students Nicole O’Donnell, and Dylan McCaffrey’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nicole and Dylan) MINE FOR NOW follows the building romance between college students Nicole O’Donnell, and Dylan McCaffrey. When her roommate Caroline Thayer goes ballistic, Nicole finds herself sleeping across the hall in Dylan McCaffrey’s room, and along with his roommate James, they discover that the trio has quite a bit in common. But when Dylan’s addicted and alcohol dependent mother shows up at school, Dylan is forced to look for a new place to live, and Nicole and James go along for the ride. As Dylan and Nicole’s relationship begins to grow, Dylan’s co-dependent relationship with his mother begins to affect his life at school and his relationship with Nicole.

MINE FOR NOW is a story about addiction, co-dependency, toxic relationships, betrayal and loss. Dylan and Nicole come from families with a history of addiction, and in this our leading couple are kindred spirits in body and mind. Their earlier years are filled with horrendous neglect and abuse but each has ventured down a different path of acceptance and denial. Dylan is unable to walk away whereas Nicole has pushed her past behind her.

The relationship between Nicole and Dylan is fraught with a lack of communication and mistrust. Dylan keeps secret much of his past including a former girlfriend who is in constant connection with our story line hero. Nicole’s path towards a future includes a professor who inadvertently pushes our heroine a little too far, and she is worried about acceptance into a specialized program.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many college students but especially James, Caroline and Sydney. We are introduced to Nicole’s supporting and loving family-father Bill, and brothers Brandon and Ryan. Dylan’s Uncle Zach is his rock and support system; while Dylan’s ex girlfriend Kelsi and his addicted mother are destroying Dylan’s life.

MINE FOR NOW is a story about one man’s emotionally destructive relationship with his addicted mother. Dylan is unable to walk away and his need to protect his mother is harmful and enabling, and affecting his relationship with the woman he loves. The premise is heartbreaking and emotional; the characters are broken, charismatic and animated; the romance is a struggle between two people caught in a world of addiction and pain. MINE FOR NOW looks at a classic scenario of co-dependency, enabling and addiction that is destructive for everyone involved.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Mine For Now Teaser

excerpt

 

Desire tore through her, and for a few moments, she didn’t pull away. Because, God, she wanted him so badly.
But then she remembered she wasn’t doing drama. She wasn’t going to pine for a guy she couldn’t have. And Dylan had made it clear she couldn’t have him. His life was not his own, he’d said, and he wasn’t open to seeing things any differently.
How many years had she hoped for Jonathan to change? People don’t change. Her mom hadn’t, Jonathan hadn’t. And if she wanted to be sane, she had to make the choices that were right for her.
She couldn’t help Dylan any more than she could help her mom or Jonathan. She started to get up, but he clamped a hand down, holding her in place. His breathing changed, and his gaze drifted to her mouth.
“Nicole.” His hand went around the back of her neck and brought her down to meet him in a hard kiss. It grew urgent immediately, his tongue brushing hers, sending sparks along her nerves. His hands reached around her back and pressed her tightly against him.
No one had ever kissed her like this—with so much urgency and need. Like he had to have her.
But then she remembered the two girls he’d brought home tonight.
She pulled away from him and got off his lap. “I’m not one of your party favors.”
He looked confused, eyes still glazed, mouth still wet. “My what?”
She motioned to the archway, where his girls had flanked him. “The girls you bring home with you. If you want to be my friend, I guess that’s fine.” They lived and worked together, so it was unavoidable. “But anything else…” She shook her head. “Keep your hands off me.”
His mouth shut, jaw muscle working. He stood, crowding her in the small space, forcing her to step back. “What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do?”


 

 

About The Author Black and Red

Erika KellyI’ve been spinning romantic tales all my life–I just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, I didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, I’ve been devouring the genre and have found my true voice as an author. Over three decades I’ve written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of my life and raising four children, I’ve lived in two countries and seven states but give me pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and I can make my home anywhere.

Follow: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Inkslinger 2

Share

Wild Game / Wild Love (Wilding Pack Wolves 1-2) by Alisa Woods-Reviews & Interview

Posted on by
8

Wild Game / Wild Love (Wilding Pack Wolves 1-2) by Alisa Woods-Reviews & Interview

Wilding Pack Series

••••••••••••••

Wild GameWILD GAME
(Wilding Pack Wolves #1)
by Alisa Woods
Genre: adult, contemporary,paranormal, romance, wolf shifters

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 152016

Her pack is being hunted. He’s a bodyguard with a secret. The Wolf Hunter is targeting them both.
GAME ON.

Owen Harding hasn’t shifted since he was in Agent Smith’s experimental cages—the only thing this ex-Army Texas boy is afraid of is what kind of beast he’s become. But with a hate group issuing more threats against the Wilding pack than you can shake a stick at, Owen’s doing what he can as a personal bodyguard. If only the Wilding girl he’s tasked with keeping alive wasn’t so damn sexy… and completely off limits.

Nova Wilding’s father was assassinated, leaving her a gaming company to run, a new game to release, and a pack full of wolves who want her for a mate… including a beta who’s determined to have Nova and her company. Choosing someone outside the pack will tear it apart, but Nova can’t stop watching the hot shifter who’s keeping watch over her.

When Nova barely escapes an attempt on her life, she finds herself in Owen’s arms… but her sexy new bodyguard is absolutely the wrong man at the wrong time. While Nova fights to keep her father’s business afloat, and Owen fights to keep her alive, the Wolf Hunter is playing a dangerous new game that might destroy them both.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW : WILD GAME is the first installment in Alisa Woods’s adult, contemporary WILDING PACK WOLVES paranormal romance series-a spin off from her River Pack Wolves Series. This is former soldier and shifter Owen Harding, and computer game developer /wolf shifter Nova Wilding’s story line. WILD GAME can be read as a stand alone with out any difficulty although it is recommended to read the River Pack Wolves Series first for some background and history into the characters and their stories. Some of the characters cross over between the two series.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Owen and Nova) WILD GAME focuses on the threats against Nova Wilding by the ‘Wolf Hunter’ who has chosen to destroy and out all of the shifters starting with the Wilding Wolf Pack using Nova’s latest release into the video gaming world. Enter Owen Harding- a former US soldier who months earlier found himself a prisoner of his own kind and used for experimental purposes to create a team of the world’s greatest super soldiers (River Wolves Series). What ensues is the hunt for the people responsible for the threats against Nova and her Pack, and the building but forbidden relationship between Nova and the man who guards her body and her heart.

The romance between Nova and Owen begins as a professional business arrangement. Owen is hired as Nova’s personal body guard, and his inner wolf is drawn to his latest assignment from the very start. When Nova is forced to pledge submission to another wolf in order to saver her company, Owen believes he has lost the woman he loves not only to another male but from the unknown possibility of what he now has become. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense. Owen is a bit of a ‘beast’ in the bedroom.

Many of the secondary and supporting characters have crossed over from Alisa Woods’s RIVER PACK WOLVES series. We are introduced to Owen’s competition and adversary, in the form of wolf shifter and alpha Brad Hoffman whose attempts to woo Nova are not necessarily with the purest of intents; and Wilding Pack wolf Noah Wilding whose own story continues in WILD LOVE (book #2).

WILD GAME is a fast paced, entertaining and suspense filled romantic story line. There are moments of heartbreak and betrayal; romance and love; intrigue and magic. The premise is addicting; the characters are inspiring; the romance is spirited and seductive. WILD GAME is an intoxicating look at the supernatural world of the shifters.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

__________________________

Wild LoveWILD LOVE
(Wilding Pack Wolves #2)
by Alisa Woods
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, wolf shifters

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

About the book: Release Date January 2, 2016

SWIPE RIGHT FOR WILDLOVE!

She programs a dating app for shifters.

He’s an ex-Army shifter with a dark secret.

The human and shifter worlds are about to collide…

Noah Wilding’s family is being targeted by an anti-shifter hate group—so he took a medical leave from the Army to return home and help out. At least, that’s the story he’s told everyone… and he hopes his dark secret will stay buried in Afghanistan.

Emily Jones is the lead programmer for WildLove, the new app that hooks up shifters and humans for a night of hot sex and no commitments. Only she hasn’t had a date herself in years… ever since that dark day when her family didn’t protect her when she needed them most. She figures one magical night with a hot wolf will help her finally move on with her life.

When Noah swipes right for Emily, she thinks her dream one-night-stand is about to come true. But with a hate group planting car bombs during WildLove hookups, Noah and Emily are on the front lines of love. They have to hunt down a killer before he strikes again… and before they do more than heat up the sheets. Because humans and shifters might get “Wild for a Night”… but they’re not supposed to fall in love.

WILD LOVE is a complete novel with HEA, the second in the Wilding Pack Wolves series. All stories are standalone, but for maximum reader enjoyment, they’re best read in order. Contains scorching hot shifters, alpha military heroes, and sexy female programmers. Only readers over 18 should dive into the dangerously hot world of the Wilding Pack Wolves.

•••••••••

REVIEW: WILD LOVE is the second installment in Alisa Woods’s contemporary WILDING PACK WOLVES paranormal, romance series. This is wolf shifter Noah Wilding, and human computer programmer Emily Jones’s story line. WILD LOVE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and back story I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Noah and Emily) WILD LOVE follows the investigation into that attack against shifters during WildLove hookups coordinated through the new Seattle Shifters Dating Agency. Emily Jones is a programmer for the new dating app WildLove, and one of their potential clients. Emily is a bit of a shifter fan; a woman who is determined to forget about her past and hook up with a shifter from the Seattle area. But a number of recent hookups through the new app have resulted in serious injuries and car bombs intent on taking down any and all shifters. Enter Noah Wilding, a US army soldier on leave, who places himself in harms way to take down the person(s) responsible for the attacks against the Seattle shifters.

Noah is a shifter with secrets from the war. Along with his fellow soldier Owen Harding (Wild Game) Noah was held in captivity in Afghanistan by Noah’s father who experimented upon his own son, and Noah’s comrades in the US army. Noah is no longer the same shifter he was born to be, but something more magical with power from an unknown source.

The relationship between Noah and Emily is one of insta-lust that quickly turns to fated mates. Although Emily is human, and Noah has been warned off of mating with a human female, our hero cannot deny the attraction and pull towards Emily Jones. The $ex scenes are erotic, romantic and seductive.

Several of the previous story line characters play secondary and supporting roles included Owen Harding and Nova Wilding, and several members of the River Pack Wolves who were first introduced in the RIVER PACK WOLVES series. The requisite evil is an unknown player from the anti-shifter hate group who is determined to destroy the shifters-once and for all.

WILD LOVE is an intimate, captivating and impassioned story line about shifters and the discrimination they face in the world of man. The premise is intense; the characters are exotic and charismatic; the romance is a quick build to a happily ever after-sometimes love is magical. Alisa Woods invites you into a world of passion and intrigue; determination and hope; romance and love.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview white:black

TRC: Hi Alisa and welcome to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the release of WILD LOVE and WILD GAME.

Alisa: Thank you!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Alisa: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter /

Alisa: I’m a married woman with children who writes sexy romances from the corner of my livingroom in the Midwest. Alisa is actually a penname, so I’m not super open about my personal-life details, but suffice to say, I *adore* writing these sexy romances, and I’m so glad I started almost a year and a half ago with this genre. It really lets me unleash a side of my writerly self that I don’t get to use in my “other” writing.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Alisa: All the brave authors who put their writing out there and GO FOR IT with their stories.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

Alisa: My biggest challenge is balancing life and writing – I’ve got so many stories I want to tell, it’s really hard to get them all written while still having a life with my kids! But I’m getting better at it. 🙂

TRC: Would you please tell us something about :

Wilding Pack Series

Alisa: Wild Game: I had so much fun with this story – not only is it steeped in Gamer Culture, but it’s also got a sexy Texas accent in our hunky shifter Owen. I had great fun playing with that!

Alisa: Wild Love: This is another one that brought in some fun technology stuff – WildLove is a dating app for humans and shifters to “hook up”. The story revolves around the app developer and the sexy shifter who’s investigating an anti-shifter bomber, but I keep thinking I’d love to bring the WildLove app back for another story. So many possibilities there! I’ve had readers say they wished that WildLove was a real-life app!! I have to say, I agree. 🙂

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the WILDING PACK WOLVES series?

Alisa: Originally, five. I’m writing the fourth one now, and I’m debating whether we might need a sixth book in the series. There’s a certain character that might need his own story… I’ll decide once I get this one written. 🙂

Wild HeatTRC: Do you have a release date for Wild Heat-book three in the series?

Alisa: I’ve uploaded it! WILD HEAT should be live by the time this interview goes to press! In general, I’m shooting for a new release on the first Monday of every month. This month was delayed a bit because I had a big sale on Jaxson, the first book in the River Pack Wolves series.

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Alisa: I always have an outline so I know where the story is going, but I also explore as I write – sometimes the story surprises me! I think that helps keep it surprising for the reader as well.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic, and erotica in many of today’s popular contemporary fiction. What do you believe accounts for the differences between the sub-genres in today’s romantic stories?

Alisa: I think of my stories as sexy romance – they’re doors-wide-open with the sex scenes, but those scenes are always integral to the evolution of the romance. In fact, that’s often how my characters discover their true feelings and become willing to open up to their partner – intimacy has a way of doing that, opening our hearts as we share our bodies with another person. So my “erotic romance” is really very sweet in a way. I think that’s the main difference between my sexy shifter romances and some of the harder-edged erotica that’s out there – erotica is more about the character’s sexual awakening/exploration. Romance, even the ones with open-door, explicit sex, have the emotional part of human relationships at its core.

TRC: Who or what was your inspiration to write paranormal romantic suspense?

Alisa: Funny, I don’t think of it as suspense! But of course it is – I have almost thriller-like elements in my paranormal romances. These are just the stories I like to write, but I also think that people/characters are revealed by the situations and choices they have to make. I like high-stakes plots that force people to make hard choices… and that reveal who they really are in that crucible. And when that series of life events brings a romantic pair together… all the better.

And it’s just fun. 🙂

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Alisa: Absolutely. Cover always conveys genre (or at least it should). My covers are always sexy (because my stories are), plus it helps draw in the type of readers who will enjoy them.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Alisa: I’m always in charge, but sometimes they still surprise me!

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Alisa: The challenge is to have the reader bond with the character – and given that readers come in all flavors, it’s almost impossible to have a character that everyone will love! But that being said, I think creating characters with depth that feel like real human beings is key. We are all empathetic creatures – if the character feels real to us, we’ll want them to succeed… and find love!

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Alisa: No – I need silence! Even the cats annoy me. 🙂

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Alisa: I’m pretty much my own idea generator, but sometimes I “research” among friends and family. My kid is big into gaming, so I asked him some questions about the field when I was writing Wild Game. But mostly I’m on my own.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Alisa: That we’re glamorous! Um… no. Really, really no. I’m doing good to get out of my PJs most days.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Alisa: That Alisa is a penname? Yup, that’s probably it.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Alisa: Wild One (Wilding Pack 4)! Just started. SO EXCITED – we’ll be looking at shifter gangs in this one.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Alisa: Thanks so much for sharing my books with your readers!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – baked potato; weird, I know.

Favorite Dessert – chocolate cake!

Favorite TV Show – I pretty much don’t watch TV.

Last Movie You Saw – Star Wars!

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk

Secret Celebrity Crush – I pretty much don’t crush on celebrities either. But if
pressed… Joseph Gorden Levitt. Because YUM.

Last Vacation Destination – I don’t vacation either (man, I am Booorrringgg!!).

Do you have any pets? Two demons in the form of cats.

Last book you read
I’m reading Hard To Let Go by Laura Kaye – soooo good!

TRC: Thank you Alisa for taking the time to answer our questions, Congratulations on the
release of WILD LOVE and WILD GAME.

Alisa: Thank you!!

Share