Interview with Lara Lacombe and 3 Books to Give Away!

Please welcome Romantic Suspense author Lara Lacombe, who is giving away 3 print books (US Only). Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below!

Lexi: Which authors inspire(d) you?

Lara: So many!  One of my favorite authors is Diana Gabaldon (best known for the Outlander series).  I love her descriptive language, and the way she immerses you in a scene so you can practically smell and taste what’s going on!  And her characters are so three dimensional and real.  I also love Joanna Bourne for her dialogue (and Julia Quinn as well!) and when I want something action-packed, I reach for Karen Marie Moning or J.R. Ward.  But really, I could spend all day talking about books and Authors!

Lexi: Everyone has their own writing process…how they come up with ideas, how they name their characters, how they choose the setting. Can you describe your writing process?

Lara: I usually start with a question—normally, it’s a ‘what if?’ thought.  As I mull it over, details and pieces of information come to me, and I begin to picture scenes and characters.  Once I ‘meet’ a character, I listen to them, learning more about them as I imagine them in different scenes.

Generally, as I write, I’m what you call a pantster, in that I don’t create a detailed outline of what’s going to happen in the book before I get started.  I know the general story arc, but I give the characters a lot of latitude to tell me what happens.  It’s fun to see what kind of trouble they get into, and how they respond!

Lexi: What are you working on now? 

Lara: I’m working on a Colton novella for the next installment of the Coltons of Shadow Creek miniseries from Harlequin Romantic Suspense—it will be released this November.  I’m also writing a few proposals for some new books I hope to write later in the year.

Lexi: Why did you choose this sub-genre of romance?

Lara: When I started writing, I initially intended to write contemporary romance.  But as I worked on the manuscript, dangerous scenarios kept popping up.  Eventually, I realized I don’t know how to write a book without some element of suspense!

Lexi: What are your favorite traits of the two main characters?

Lara: I love Avery’s determination.  She’s been hurt very badly by Grant, but she refuses to let that be the defining point of her life.  She picked herself up and has tried to move on with her life.  It hasn’t always been easy for her, but I love that she wakes up every morning willing to fight for her happy ending.

As for Grant, I love his loyalty.  He knows he messed things up with Avery, but he’s never forgotten her or the life they had planned.  When he sees her again, he realizes he’s been given the gift of a second chance, and his efforts to earn back her trust show that he never stopped loving her.

Lexi: What is your favorite treat? Why?

Lara: I love an ice-cold Coke.  I’m from Texas, so when I say coke, I really mean Coca-Cola (when we say coke here, the next question is usually ‘which kind?’)  I also love really good chips and salsa.  Queso doesn’t hurt, either. :-)

Lexi: What has been the best piece of advice you ever received for your writing career?

Lara: Don’t stop!  Everyone has their own process, but the most important thing is to keep going, even when discouragement sets in.

Lexi: Does your pet help with your writing or distract?

Lara: I have two cats, and they are far more interested in sleeping on my bed than in disturbing me.  Unless it’s dinner time.  Then they turn into yowling beasts who can only be silenced by a full bowl of kitty food.

Lexi: What does your family think of your writing career?

Lara: My brother thinks it’s hilarious I write romance novels, but he and the rest of my family are very supportive and proud of me.  I’m lucky to have such a great family!

Dr. Do or Die buy links:

Amazonprint         AmazonKindle

Barnes and Noble print           Barnes and Noble Nook

iTunes Harlequin      Books-A-Million

IndieBound   Walmart        Kobo

Dr. Do or Die blurb:

Two doctors are on thin ice as they race to save the world from a deadly disease.  

Epidemic researcher Dr. Avery Thatcher has studied countless illnesses…but nothing prepares her for what she finds at a remote Antarctic base: the man she never wanted to see again and a mysterious ailment ravaging inhabitants. Avery will do whatever it takes to discover the illness's cause, and she vows to keep her heartbreaking history with Dr. Grant Jones in the past—even if reignited passion brings them dangerously close.  

For Grant, ending this outbreak and regaining Avery's trust are vital. As their hunt to contain a lethal pathogen escalates, he'll put everything on the line to avert disaster. But will another insidious threat stop them both cold?

About Lara:

I earned my Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. My day job as a college science professor gives me time to pursue my other love--writing fast-paced romantic suspense, with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. I love to hear from readers! Find me on the web, or contact me at laralacombewriter@gmail.com.

Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Dr. Do or Die!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NEW RELEASE and A GIVEAWAY!!!

Woo Hoo!  Today is release day for my new book, Barn Burner, which is part of the Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World.  It is an Amazon exclusive, so you can only find it there, and it is Book One of the brand new Dallas Bradshaws Series...Book Two coming out in May-2017.

So be sure to get your copy today!!!

And be sure you read to the end of this post because there is a giveaway at the end.  YEAH!

To Buy Your Copy of Barn Burner NOW, click here.

Release Party:  All day today (1/19) on Faceook...JOIN US

Here's the new cover...

Story Blurb:

Fire fighter Tripp Landers has returned to Dallas, only to discover he’s still in love with Laney Bradshaw.  But Laney is buried under a mountain of life-gone-wrong.  She lost her parents in a plane crash, her feed store has gone up in smoke, and now she’s about to lose part of her ranch.

Will Laney come up for air long enough to realize she has a second chance at love with Tripp?

Will Tripp and Laney finally find their happily-ever-after?

Or are they destined to screw things up yet one more time?

Excerpt - Barn Burner:

Laney watched the firemen as they began to roll up hoses and pack up equipment.  When she spotted Tripp coming through the gate, headed in their direction, her stomach did a flip.  She was annoyed at the little shiver of excitement that speared through her, and she stiffened her back to brace herself.

As he approached Laney and Joe, Tripp removed his helmet and speared his hand through his wet hair, which she noticed was now cut much shorter than the way he wore it in high school.

She opened her mouth slightly to draw a quiet, steadying breath, annoyed at the way her body always seemed to react to her handsome childhood friend.

Tripp smiled and held out his hand toward Joe.  “Hey, how you doin’, old timer?  Good to see you again.”

Joe’s smile widened as he gripped Tripp’s hand.  “Well, I’ll be hornswoggled.  I thought you’d done planted roots in Arizona.”  He pulled the younger man close and clapped him on the back with one hand.  “It’s damn good to see you again, son.  How long you been back?”

Tripp beamed, and Laney had to will her body to be still.  This young man was a far cry from the tall, lanky boy she’d been infatuated with in high school.  He stood about six-two, with broad shoulders and muscular arms and legs.  With his piercing dark blue eyes and crooked grin, he put to shame the centerfold for the firefighter calendar she’d had hanging on the wall of her office.

She could almost hear the gulp as she swallowed the saliva gathering in her mouth.

Holy hell, settle down.  This is just your childhood buddy, Tripp Landers.  Not like it’s Ryan Reynolds. 

Her mind screamed, “To hell with Ryan Reynolds.  This is Tripp-freaking-Landers!”  Her heart was about to beat out of her chest, and she struggled to keep her breathing even.

Contest:

For a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card, be sure you leave a comment here, and the sexy Mr. Random will choose a lucky winner randomly at 5pm EST tomorrow.  So be sure to check back tomorrow night to see if you are the winner...'cuz I'll need your email address to send your prize.

This contest is strictly the shenanigans of Kayce Lassiter!

To Buy Your Copy of Barn Burner NOW, click here.

Thanks for stopping by.  That's my story, fun and fantabulous, and I'm stickin' to it.  Hang on tight now, 'cuz we're gonna go real, real fast!!!

Love ya,

Kayce

Until Dark by Mariah Stewart

Kendra Smith has experienced the old adage of “you can run, but you can’t hide” from your problems.

Her problems include an emotionally distressing past in the loss of her family members one at a time ranging from murder, suicide, and just plain unexpected death. 

Kendra took herself and her work as an FBI sketch artist from the west coast to the east, back to the scene of the (former) crimes.

As soon as she moves to her original home space she’s called in to sketch for a serial killer.  Not only is she in the scope of the killer, but she’s on the team of an old flame, Special Agent Adam Stark.  They have a short history that never evolved.  As the reader, I hope it does this time!

And I have to keep hoping because Kendra has so much going on with the loss of her brother then her mom, that it’ll be hard for her to separate mixed messages from their graves, her current work, and a man she wants, Adam, and doesn’t know if it’s still reciprocated.

The story moves along rapidly with many twists.  Although, my mind may have been unusually sharp to Stewart’s writing because I had the plot figured out in advance and the romance, well let’s say it was an add-in and could’ve been more complete at the end.

Sometimes a light romance with a heavier suspense plot is in order, and then this is the book for you!

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

January's Hodgepodge

The first failure of the year:

I had good intentions. Really, I did. I downloaded The Miracle Morning and gave it my best shot. Maybe just a half shot. The title should have clued me in as to why I would fail. Mornings. I don't do mornings. I set the alarm clock to have enough time to feed and clothe my kid before the bus comes. Sometimes I greet the bus fully dressed for the day, other times I might be in pajamas.

When it came time to setting the alarm a little earlier, I was either swatting at the snooze, or actually waking up. It was the latter that had me yawning for the rest of the day. My confused internal clock protested. So, after two weeks of fighting with myself, I tossed in the morning towel. Instead of performing miracles at the crack of dawn, I've set out to do them at night when my son is asleep and I'm on my second wind.

We'll see how it goes. I'm not asking for many miracles. Just to keep writing, plotting, and publishing. Everything else is just a bonus.

What I'm reading:

I'm half way through Dawn Kunda's Presidential Purchase: A President's Confession. It's an intense fictional look behind the political curtain. Shifting from past to present, it takes the reader on a journey of how's, why's and oh-my-gosh's. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and can't wait until I can sit down and read the rest. Interested? Here's the link:

Amazon Link

What I'm working on:

I'm in the home stretch of Critical Point. It's the second book of the Metal Girls Trilogy. Following in her sister Morgan's footsteps, it's now Piper Brennan's turn. Have you ever had a crush that you couldn't shake from your heart? Meet Van, Piper's first love and the man she can't have. Since he is a long-time employee of Brennan Metal Works, her family business, she can't avoid him either.

Coming in March: Critical Point

Want to start at the beginning? Melting Point