Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Tempting the Cowboy by Elizabeth Otto -- Interview and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Elizabeth will be awarding a $25 gift card to either Amazon or B&N and a boutique river stone bracelet to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Elizabeth stopped by to answer a few of our questions.

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I love romance, plain and simple. I really enjoy the challenge of bringing two people together and working out their kinks and problems, while they fall in love with each other. Maybe because I feel like I’m falling a little bit, too, each time. It gives me that “new-guy” breathless feeling without going through the work of training him in real life. My leading lady gets that job.

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

I write both paranormal and contemporary romance, and both require some degree of research. My paranormals have complicated worlds and character backgrounds, so I’m always digging into the latest scientific research, or looking for lost pearls of history, to bring into those worlds. For my contemporaries, I really love researching new states and towns because I’m a travel-junkie at heart.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

That letting go of pain is essential, no matter how long it takes you to do so. You can’t really move forward until you’ve let go of what holds you from your past.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I, uh, never wash my coffee mug. Is that weird? It’s seen me so through many hours and words that it would be like washing the luck off it or something.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Both. I plot an outline—not a very in depth one, but just enough that I know what the main structure of the story is going to be. Then I pants my way through the rest. I love being surprised by what comes out of my brain! Sometimes my characters go all willy-nilly and it turns out great. Other times, I have to rein them in and go crazy with the delete button.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A container of Chobani apple cinnamon yogurt. And a pair of flip flops. LOL

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Hopefully! I have a couple of book proposals in front of publishers right now, and hope to get signed to new contracts soon. In the meantime, the second and third Paint River Ranch books will be out in January and April, 2014.

Do you have a question for our readers?

I get asked frequently how I feel about trends in books, like erotic romance and New Adult trends. I’m curious, what trends do you think are on their way out?

After personal tragedy and taking a job on a quiet Montana dude ranch, ex-cop Rylan Frederickson finds herself surrounded by unbelievably sexy cowboys. Too bad the one she’s attracted to is her boss...and the single dad of a four-year-old. It doesn’t matter anyway; there’s simply no more room in her heart.

Letting a new woman into their lives is the last thing Cole Haywood wants for himself and his daughter, Birdie. But as Rylan’s presence at Paint River Ranch breathes new life into his family he can’t ignore his growing attraction.

When the sparks between them turn into fireworks in bed, Rylan’s torn between the family she’s lost and the one she may have found. Now she must decide if something that feels this good is worth the risk.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Rylan’s fingers followed Cole’s shoulders to the curve of his neck, up, until the bare skin heated under her tender caress. Her fingers found his hair. “Are you coming on to me, Mr. Haywood?”

He bristled a little at the title but shoved it aside as hard as he could. There wouldn’t be any “Mr. Haywood” bullshit. Not right now. His lips dipped behind her left ear. He let a little stream of breath wash over her flesh, making her tremble, before he pressed his mouth to her skin.

“That would be deliciously, wickedly inappropriate, don’t you think?” He nuzzled the soft column of her throat, his hands going another inch higher toward her hips.

“Oh, yes.” Her breathy words were more of a moan. Tonight, he wasn’t her boss. He never wanted to be her boss again—hell, he’d quit if it meant one no-strings night with Rylan, to be her lover and get it out of his system. A tremor went through him at the promise of that, a deep realization flagging him.

“Say my name.” She’d never said it, and he couldn’t go another moment without hearing it. Cole licked the sensitive skin just below her ear before capturing her lobe between his lips as his fingers squeezed her thighs. She jumped a little before sinking into his touch.

Her smoky voice shook. “Mr. Haywood.”

“Is that how you really think of me?” Cole held back a growl at the formality, his fingers digging a little harder into the delectable flesh of her thighs. He nipped her ear just enough to make her gasp. Rylan turned her head and broke free, her hands palming his cheeks and positioning his mouth in line with hers. Their breath mingled, hot and sweet.

“That’s how I should think of you.”

His fingers slid under the bunched skirt, over bare flesh to grip the bones of her hips. Her legs quivered, her eyes going heavy with desire.

“But is it?”

Without hesitation, she shook her head. Cole brought his lips to hers, tasted her with a quick slide of his lips from one corner of her mouth to the other. She shuddered, leaned in just as he pulled away.

“Say it. I want to hear your sexy voice say my name.”

Her eyelids fell halfway, her lips parted just enough to show him the small tip of her tongue as she wet them.

“Cole.”

Fucking. Christ. His cock squeezed and throbbed with fury. Cole nudged her legs wide with his hip and settled between her thighs as he pulled her hips down to his pelvis. Her bottom slid to the edge of the stool, her center joining him in a soft, hot caress against every inch of his aching, demanding erection. Her hands assumed a vise grip on his face, her lips grinding against his with a fire he needed more of. Wanted more of. Right damn now.

“Say it again,” he demanded. She slanted her head to take his mouth fully, the dance of her tongue creating amazing friction against his. God, his head was swimming, and it was so, so good.

“Cole.” The gravel in her voice nailed him. “I’ll say it all night if you want me to.”

About the Author:
Elizabeth Otto grew up in a Wisconsin town the size of a postage stamp, where riding your horse to the grocery store, and skinny dipping after school were perfectly acceptable. No surprise that she writes about small communities and country boys. She's the author of paranormal, and hot, emotional, contemporary romance, and has no guilt over frequently making her readers cry. When not writing, she works full-time as an Emergency Medical Technician for a rural ambulance service. Elizabeth lives with her very own country boy and their three children in, shockingly, a small Midwestern town.

Connect with Elizabeth:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EAOtto
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElizabethOttoAuthor
Blog: elizabethottowrites.blogspot.com
Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

28 comments:

  1. Lol! I'm not sure what I feel about that coffee cup thing! I'm a bit of a germaphobe and while I'm not opposed to refreshing my cup throughout the day...and maybe into the next day...I can't imagine NEVER washing! Awesome quirk :D

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Every writer has at least one funky quirk. ;)

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  2. I'm with Andra on the whole coffee cup thing, but I'm sure some of my quirks would seem odd.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Maybe I should have stuck to the, 'I have to write sexy scenes while wearing in my Green Bay Packers sweatpants' quirk instead. LOL

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  3. I agree! Not washing the coffee mug is a bit too quirky!

    Love the excerpt.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. I'm not a total slob--I promise! LOL

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  4. *rubs hands together* Ahhh, yes, my evil plan to gross you all out with my coffee mug confession has worked! Haha. Really, though, it's not as gross as it sounds. It sits on my desk, and I rinse it out each night. It just hasn't gone in the dishwasher. No mold or critters growing on it! I promise. Thanks for taking part in my blog tour. :)

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  5. Thanks, Rita! I'm glad you liked it. :)

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  6. Thanks for the excerpt and the great interview!
    Sounds like a really good read!!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  7. Thanks for the interview and chance to read part of the book. jonesjnd (a) yahoo (dot) com

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  8. Thanks for sharing the great interview and excerpt. Sounds like a great book. evamillien at gmail dot com

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  9. Interesting research info

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  10. What a wonderful book! Thanks for sharing the great excerpt.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. Oh, I never discount a trend. Wouldn't want to jinx one I really want to see go ;-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  12. Sandra Durden ThrowerNovember 3, 2013 at 4:05 PM

    Thanks for the smexy cowboy Elizabeth! :) Keep them coming, as I do so love a cowboy.

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  13. Love the excerpt. Looking forward to reading the book

    Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net

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  14. Can't wait to read this one. Cole sounds yummy

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  15. Trends on the way out? I'm tempted to say vampires, but then another twelve books will pop up somewhere. I'd like to think there's a home for all kinds of books in the world ;)

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  16. Trends never really seem to die out completely. They might cool for a while, but they always have a way of coming back scorching hot. Sorta like the excerpt you gave us! Love it!

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  17. I can't wait to meet Cole myself. sounds so yummy

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  18. I can't think of any trends that I would say are on their way out. Trends such as vampire romances and BDSM might not always be as much in the forefront, but I think they will always have an audience.

    Tempting the Cowboy looks awesome and it's going on my wish list!

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So... inquiring minds want to know: what do you think?