Author Interview: LEAH BRAEMEL

Welcome back, party people! It's the day before tax day... so the perfect time to procrastinate and win cool stuff, right? Today we're joined by the charming Leah Braemel who's here to pimp the print release of her red hot contemporary romance Personal Protection. Welcome, Leah! (Applause!)

If you could pick the actors to play the hero & heroine in the movie of your current release, who could you cast?

Oooh ooh! I know this one! For Personal Protection, I always envisioned Dwayne Johnson as Sam, but he’d have to play it serious, minimum smirking allowed. For Rosie, I’d cast Rosie Perez (yes, I named my character for her) because I see my Rosie having the same sort of fast talking, take-no-backtalk-from-anyone type attitude. If not Rosie Perez, then Eva Langoria who can also bring out the self-assured kick-ass side of Rosie Ramos’ character.

What three things do you absolutely need in order to write?

1) My computer/laptop. I cannot write with a pen and paper—my hand can’t keep up with my brain, so I need that keyboard to type into. At the very least give me a typewriter (if it has one of those spellcheck features built in even better, although I learned to type on an old-fashioned 1950s standard/non-electric typewriter so I don’t HAVE to have that.)

2) a solid handle on my characters—who they are, what motivates them, an idea of where they’ve come from/done and where they want/hope to go. If I have those down, the story can almost tell itself (although I still have to do the research side of it–location/gadgets, etc.)

3) Confidence. I don’t trust myself most days, and so I’ll write a scene, then go back the next day and second guess what I’ve written and over-edit it. Then my critique partners will say “You know, you need XXX” and I’ll groan because XXX is the part I cut out. If I had the confidence in my writing, if I learned to trust my instincts, I could write so much faster.

Who was the last author whose writing wowed you?

Patricia Briggs. I just finished her Bone Crossed. I love both her Mercy Thompson series and her Alpha and Omega series. She can pack so much action into a scene, while advancing your understanding of the character and setting the scene for the future. I also love how she can weave a romance through the various books. Plus who can help but love Bran, Charles, Samuel and Adam? (Yes, I freely admit I love her werewolves, her vampires, not so much.)

What book is your comfort read?

Wow, I have to choose just one? I have several I go to – if it’s a comfort read, that means I’m usually upset about something, so that means I tend to go to romances with their Happy-Ever-After endings. Favorites of those? Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I – the first of her Bridgerton series is always a book I know i can pick up and enjoy, as is Stephanie Lauren’s Devil’s Bride (the first in her Cynster series). When I need a pick-me-up, then I grab Lynsay Sand’s Single White Vampire always gets me chuckling. Deidre Knight’s Butterfly Tattoo is a recent addition – I think I’ll be going to that one when I need a good cry (because sometimes you need a reason to be emotional and let it all out.)

What’s next for you/what are you working on now?

I’ve got several projects on the go – a contemporary paranormal/urban fantasy that’s set out in the Rockies involving possession and shapeshifters and … well, I’ll let the readers decide if there are demons or witches. (If I can ever finish the thing, LOL) And I am in the middle of a never-ending wrestling match with the sequel to Personal Protection, the next in the Hauberk series. It’s been tough trying to concentrate on these two while I’ve been promoting the print release of Personal Protection and preparing for the release of my contemporary erotic romance Texas Tangle that’s going to be published by Harlequin’s new digital-first Carina Press in June.

Thank you, Leah, for joining the party! Today, one lucky commenter will take home a pdf copy of Personal Protection. So get commenting!