Loose Corset by Christine Raines - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christine will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly selected winner during the tour via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Hello and thanks for stopping by and visiting with us at It's Raining Books. Where do you get your ideas?

I get most of my ideas from asking the “what if” questions. What if the monsters under children's beds were real? What if dragons still lived today but in the form of humans? The questions I have are endless. I'll never be at a loss for inspiration.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way growing up or as an adult?

Growing up, the first author to really make an impact on me was Stephen King. I loved the way his stories could chill me to the bone. These days, I admire his amazing characters and fantastic world building skills. I still dream of being the next Stephen King.

How do you market your book? What avenues have you found that work best for your genre?

Marketing is the aspect of being a writer that I have the most trouble with. I have a blog and website, and I use many forms of social media. It's crazy some days trying to keep up with it all. We only have so much time to devote to marketing. We have to pick what works best for us. My blog is my number one tool. I also had great success in gaining exposure when I did an international Goodreads giveaway.

Do you write under a pen name?

No. I seriously gave it consideration when I sold my Dice & Debauchery series to Ellora's Cave. I write mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Contemporary romance and erotica is new to me, but I truly believe in the stories. I also think that they're representative of the romantic and geek in me.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I had to answer this question because ice cream is my most favorite food in the world! I love chocolate chip cookie dough. My particular favorite was this flavor put out by a chain called Bruster's. The cookie dough balls were wonderfully soft and the ice cream had a light maple flavor. It was divine.

What is your favorite thing to eat/snack on while writing?

Cookies and chocolate. I have an incorrigible sweet tooth. Writing to me feels like doing a thorough work-out. I get really snacky and only sweet stuff will do.

Tell us about the first story you ever wrote and how old you were.

I have a poem I wrote about the moon when I was five years old. It won a prize at the local fall festival. The first stories I wrote were about the kids in my neighborhood. We would go on great adventures, and there would always be a corny joke at the end. Everyone loved to read them. To this day, the people I grew up with still ask if I'm ever going to publish those stories.

When it comes to writing, what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

My strength is in my characters. I'm a character driven writer. I love all the layers each individual has and peeling them back slowly as the plot moves forward. My dialogue flows well and allows me throw in some humor. My weakness lies in self doubt. Am I good enough? Will anyone get my characters? Will they think I'm funny? I'm lucky to have phenomenal critique partners and beta readers. Their support and encouragement helps me overcome my weakness.

Are you self-published or traditionally published?

I'm a hybrid author. I have books that are traditionally published and self-published. I believe this is the way of the future for most authors. Traditionally publishing takes a long time, and to stay in the minds of readers, you need to keep producing. Self-publishing is much quicker and it satisfies your readers with new material.

What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

The most difficult part is revising. I love the thrill of writing a first draft, but revising can be tedious. It's slow torture for someone who would rather be working on a new story. Yet I know how necessary revisions are to producing the best story you can possibly create.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Never give up. Patience and perseverance will take you much farther than you think. Even when you're only selling a few books or if you've been rejected time and time again, don't give up.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on the final revision for an urban fantasy novel called OF BLOOD AND SORROW. My protagonist is a sorrow phage. She works at a funeral home and feeds on the grief of mourners. One night in the morgue, a fledgling vampire awakes and she cannot stop him from escaping, loosing him on an unsuspecting city. Her desire to right this wrong leads to a much more terrifying problem. I hope to have this book out by mid-February or early March.

Has becoming a published author been everything you envisioned?

Not at all! I think all authors have an idealistic fantasy of what it is like to be published. It has not improved my ego, and I feel like I have to work harder to improve and writer better stories. It's a challenge I'm happy to take, though. Just one good review from a reader makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today, Christine. It's been a pleasure having you.

Dice and Debauchery, Book 1

A weekend away at a convention is exactly what overworked student Morgan needs. Dressed as her character from her favorite online game, Morgan is braced—seriously, could her corset be tighter?—to meet the other players. As Lady Gyrfalcon, she’s ready for everything—except her intense attraction to Dean. A clandestine meeting in the hallway of the hotel and Morgan’s corset is looser but now she can’t breathe for entirely different reasons.

Utterly charmed, Morgan decides to roll the dice and indulge in a fantasy-worthy weekend of sexy roleplaying, scorching sex and life-altering orgasms. Still, through it all Morgan is too smart to believe the chemistry constantly stripping her of costumes and control can last more than the length of the convention. But if she wants to keep a relationship so intense she thought it only existed in fiction, she’s going to have to let go of her cool-headed logic and allow herself to fall far and fast for the perfect guy.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Stomping out of the bathroom, I froze upon seeing Russell standing in the alcove between the drinking fountains across from me. Dressed as Snidely Whiplash, he had the perfect sneer for the character.

“Come to kidnap me and tie me to the train tracks?” I folded my arms and stepped out of the way of a group of girls going into the bathroom.

“Don’t tempt me. It would save us all a lot of trouble.” Russell’s sharp and bitter tone carried a phantom slap.

I hesitated, weighing the situation. He obviously didn’t like me, but why? I hadn’t felt such hate when we first met, no matter that we were playing enemies. Did something so horrible happen between him and Emily, he was taking it out on me? But why did it feel more personal than that?

“Okay.” I took in a deep, slow breath and let it out. “Clearly you wanted to talk to me since you’re waiting here. What did you want to say?”

“End this thing between you and Dean now. Today at least. Don’t drag it out. You’ll only cause more damage if you do.”

Not what I expected in the least. What did he have against me and Dean? Did he not think I was good enough for his cousin?

“What’s between Dean and I is our own business.” There. A mature and reasonable reply. I wasn’t going to resort to growling back at him.

“And what is between you, hm?” Russell raised his comical eyebrows. It looked silly and somehow foreboding. “Girlfriend and boyfriend? Or just a con fling?”

About the Author:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. As an avid gamer, she's either going on adventures with her son or rolling dice with friends. Christine is a proud member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. She has several short stories and novellas published. Loose Corset is the first book of her geeky and hilarious Dice & Debauchery series.

Website: http://christinerains.net
Blog: http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorchristinerains
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRainsWriter
Goodreads: Goodreads

Buy the book at Ellora's Cave.

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