Author Interview: TITANIA LADLEY

Hello, party people! Today we're joined by hot erotic romance author Titania Ladley! She's here to chat with us about her latest release You've Got Irish Male. (Now available from Ellora's Cave!) Welcome, Titania! (Applause!)

What inspired you to write You've Got Irish Male?

Well, first let me explain that You’ve Got Irish Male (which is actually a reissue of a single title taken from a previous anthology) involves the heroine opening a “virus” email that brings forth a hunky mutant leprechaun. So with that in mind, it started with the publisher’s internal call for proposals from its current authors for a planned Irish-themed anthology. I was new to Ellora’s Cave but excited about the possibility of being included in an anthology with some of my favorite authors. At the time, I had *that* ISP, the one with the male voice that informs you you’ve just received mail in your inbox. I still had his voice in my head when I opened the call-for-subs email. I think I might have had the flu at the time too (or maybe it was one of my kids), and then combining that with the “mail vs male” idea, and bam, it hit me so fast, I had the story’s skeleton down in minutes. My proposal was accepted and You’ve Got Irish Male became part of the Enchanted Rogues anthology, which is now only available in print. Each single story, however, can be purchased in e-book format at much more affordable prices.

Oh wow, you had me at hunky mutant leprechaun! ;) What was your path to publication?

It started in grade school with a voracious appetite for Nancy Drew books and quickly evolved into an addiction to any historical romance I could get my hands on as a teen. In high school I began to pen some of my own romances (which didn’t even make it to a dusty spot under my bed—they went straight in the trash), and then in college, my English teacher took me aside and insisted I should pursue writing. I was flattered, but didn’t quite know how to go about it, so instead I got married, had kids and kept reading romances. Eventually, that teacher’s encouragement reemerged and sowed the dormant seed for me to write again. I attended a convention where I met one of my future editors, who invited me to submit a pitched idea. Weeks later, it was accepted. The rest, as they say, is history.

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

Coffee, my thesaurus, and peace and quiet. I’m easily distracted, so for optimal writing, I can’t listen to music, watch television or have voices or noise of any sort in the background like some writers can.

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

In addition to waiting on word of submissions in the pipeline, I’m writing the sequel to Kabana Heat, my Samhain Hawaiian ménage. I’m also working on the final book(s) in three other series, as well as a light BDSM contemporary, a sci-fi and a vampire erotic romance. I tend to go in spurts, working on several projects at once and then having a number of releases close together.

Do you have anything else you'd like to share?

I would like to add that readers can find me on the Web at http://www.titanialadley.com/ if they’d like to learn more about me and my books. From there, links are available to follow me on Twitter or Myspace, and to join my newsletter where I feature members-only contests in every issue. Thanks, Vivi, for inviting me to play at your April Blog Party. I enjoyed my visit with you and your readers!

Thank you, Titania! It's great to have you here today!

Today one lucky commenter will win a free download of Titania's new reissue release, You've Got Irish Male! (Or if the winner has already purchased YGIM, reader's choice of any one of her backlist titles.) Good luck!