Friday, March 21, 2014

Hotter than Texas by Tina Leonard -- Interview and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tina will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops in the tour.

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

I began writing contemporary romance when an agent suggested I try them—I’d started out in historicals. I love writing paranormal and romantic suspense, too. That agent’s advice turned out to be very good!

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Sugar Cassavechia is strong—she’s had to be! She doesn’t put up with any crap from her new landlord who’s rented her a house, which is fondly known in Pecan Creek as the Sex Shack, among other nicknames. This isn’t the dream home she and her mother, Maggie, and sister, Lucy, hoped they’d find at the end of their journey from Florida to Texas. Each room is decorated like a sex-fueled Hollywood movie set—with themes like the Best Little Whorehouse room. Sugar’s pretty sure her new landlord should have been more forthcoming about the house he was leasing to them and she’s ready to hit the road to find better digs for her family, until Jake talks her into staying. Small-town Pecan Creek is a town that thrives on sex—secretly!

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

I like to write—a lot! I write as many books as I can a year—I’m sort of a use-it-or-lose-it kind of woman!

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a hybrid—I love to have an outline, but I want to let the characters do the moving and shaking! Sometimes the outline bails me out when I’ve gotten to a sticky place. I write the synopsis and then never look at it again—only if I get to a place where my characters aren’t talking to me!

Look to your right – what’s sitting there? My dad is on my right—my husband is on my left, and the Golden retriever is at our feet, as usual!

Anything new coming up from you? What?

In June look for Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys, the first of the Hell’s Outlaws series, available from Random House Loveswept!

Do you have a question for our readers?

Which kind of books do you like best—ebooks or print?

Special feature: Tina shared with us some things you'd never guess about her: You’d never guess . . . that I love to grow veggies organically!
You’d never guess . . . that I knew my husband in the first grade!
You’d never guess . . . that I once allowed the girls on my floor where I was an RA to bring two famous rock bands back to the floor—after curfew! The university was not happy! I never got to meet the guys or even see them, alas.
You’d never guess . . . I dream of owning my own line of soups!
You’d never guess . . . my happiest time is when I’m at the beach with family!

Perfection takes time, but desire waits for no man. Or woman…

Pecan Creek, Book 1

With more than one skeleton rattling in her closet, Sugar Cassavechia hopes “The Most Honest Town in Texas” will be the perfect place to start an online business. As soon as her mother remembers the family recipe that’ll get hotterthanhellnuts.com off the ground.

In the meantime, no way is Sugar letting their new landlord get away with renting them a run-down house that’s decorated like a rich widow’s orgasm. Even if he’s the biggest hunk of hot she’s ever laid eyes on.

Jake Bentley would love to do nothing but sit back and be amused as the Cassavechia women unwittingly stir up trouble in his uptight town. But something about them thaws out his frozen rescue complex. Especially Sugar’s long, chestnut hair and sassy mouth.

Right about the time Sugar figures one steamy night in Jake’s bed won’t hurt, another skeleton joins the party in the form of a dead body in the “Belle Watling” room. And Sugar must decide if her family’s reputation—and her own heart—are safe with Jake.

Product Warnings

No sex in this book. Nope. None. Nada. Honest. Now, if you believe that, the author has an iceberg in Texas to sell you. Better hurry before there’s none left to cool the fevered dreams generated by this book.

About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard has sold over 2.6 million copies of her titles. She has made the USA Today Bestseller, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook lists, and has written and contracted seventy-one books and special projects. Her work has been published by Harlequin, Samhain Publishing, Robinson Scarlet, and most recently Random House Loveswept contracted for a single title trilogy project, Hell’s Outlaws. Leonard was chosen to be among the first authors published for Robinson’s Scarlet line, writing four single title novels for that imprint. Not long after, she sold on proposal to Harlequin American, where she has since written several popular series, most notably the Cowboys By The Dozen, Morgan Men, and Callahan Cowboys series. Her newest single title project, HOTTER THAN TEXAS, was published in March 2013. Leonard is known for her fun sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters.

Join Tina at www.tinaleonard.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Tina_Leonard

15 comments:

  1. Thank you for having me at your lovely blog! :)

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  2. I never would have guessed the soap thing. Hot and Steamy soaps :-)

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  3. Loved this interview! Thanks for sharing. Hubby and I love to grow our own organic veggies, too . . . lots of canning and freezing for us! No soup line for me, but I *make* a lot of soup. LOL

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful books with us. Happy Friday!! ~ Kimberly

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  4. Great interview Tina. It sounds like you owe that agent some soup (LOL) because these Texas romances are spot on! Thanks for sharing.

    ilookfamous at yahoo dot com

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  5. Enjoyed the interview. I'm sort of an old-fashioned girl and love the print book in my hand. I do have a Kindle and I like it as well....but not as much.

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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  6. What a terrific interview, but then you always give such great ones Tina.. I enjoyed the insight to you... I have a kindle, and I do enjoy it, but I must admit to like to hold a book in my hand...
    superauntkx9_(at)live(dot)ca

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  7. You know I have this book. Been crazy busy with Girl Scout stuff and I still need to read it. Maybe tonight :-) Thanks for doing what you do. It keeps us happy and entertained.

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  8. Great interview, thank you.
    I have a Kindle but prefer print books.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  9. Nice to learn more about one of my favorite authors! Soup, indeed! :) I, too, prefer an actual book, even though I have a Kindle. But, I'm trying to cut down on paper waste, so I've been trying to go more ebooks.

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  10. You knew your hubby in 1st grade?! How interesting. And do you make a lot of soups now?

    I'm also happiest at the beach and am fortunate to live near the beautiful NC beaches. I'm about 20 minutes away from the beach and we'd love to be even closer.

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  11. Good interview. Thanks for the chance.

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  12. In answer to your question, I still prefer print.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  13. What is your favorite kind of soup you make?

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  14. I like both ebooks and print, but print is my favorite.
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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