I'm always thrilled to have sister roses from my publisher The Wild Rose Press in the Tavern. So please welcome the fabulous Laney Kaye! Her upcoming book, HOOK, The Lure of the Mer, Book 1 is hot! I can hardly wait to dive into this story. The Tavern is serving margaritas, so grab a glass and let's hear what Laney has to say...

MM: Welcome, Laney! So happy you could join us today. Describe a typical writing day. Are you a morning, afternoon, or night-owl writer?

LK: This is going to sound a little indulgent, but if I’m not with clients, I tend to be an all-day (and often in pajamas) writer…though realistically, that actually means I spend a lot of time in front of my screen, chatting to readers and writers on social media.

If I’m at an editing stage, I’ll hit my treadmill—which I’ve jerry-rigged as a desk—and get in a few hours of simultaneous walking and reading.

The ‘real’ writing tends to happen about 11pm, just when I should be heading to bed (with a change of pajamas!)

MM: Interesting, Laney. Would love to see your treadmill/desk. Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?

LK: I’m currently working on a contemporary romance series, set on a fictitious cruise line plying the Hawaiian Islands. Does anyone remember The Love Boat TV series? (hey, I’m not dating myself— there are reruns, I’m sure!) Well, add a LOT of steamy times to that basic premise, and you have the tentatively-titled ‘Spirit of Ohana’ series (and if anyone wants to hit me up with a better title, if I use it, I’ll write you in as a character!)

Because I have a very short attention span, I’m also simultaneously writing a new series with my co-author, Christina Wilder, to follow up our successful ‘Cat Shifters of Aaidar’ series, and working on some women’s fiction under my ‘other’ name, for my agent.

MM: OMG! I remember The Love Boat! And it's out there in the rerun universe, too. What inspired you to write this book/series?

LK: There was that cruise I took the other year….and the possibility that I may need to take another, to refresh my memory for the final book in the trilogy. That would be a tax deduction, right?

MM: Absolutely! What’s your favorite item on your writing desk?

LK: I wrote a YA time travel book, set in Australia in the 1870’s. As part of the research for that project, my then twelve-year-old and I excavated a twelve-foot deep lime kiln and a buried blacksmith’s forge. We unearthed countless treasures, many of which adorn my desk and cover an entire table running beneath the windowsill (check Twitter for more pictures, I’m always bragg—oops, I mean, considerately sharing images!)

My favorite item is a tiny glass jar, which I choose to believe is an old inkwell.No, don’t try and tell it’s just a pill bottle from the 1960’s. I have my fingers stuck firmly into my ears!

MM: Perhaps on your next visit you can show us a picture of this inkwell. ;) You’ve been given a golden ticket to time travel into the past. Whom would you meet and why?

LK: Ironically—considering erotic fiction is one of the genres I write in—Enid Blyton. She evoked such a deep love of reading in me, from well before I was school-aged. I’ll never be able to set aside the beguiling magic of the Enchanted Wood, and freely admit I still search for The Magic Faraway Tree every time I venture into the woods on my parents’ property.

MM: Lovely. Now for some fun questions. Do you prefer...

Champagne or Beer? Definitely champers.

Southern drawl or Scottish burr? Scottish burr – because KILTS!

Kilt or Leather pants? Are we talking on or off the guy, now? Though, with kilts, I guess it’s irrelevant…therefore, KILTS FOR THE WIN! (So laughing here...)

First romance you read? I don’t honestly recall, but it would have been something forbidden, from my mother’s extensive library. Brought up as a country kid, with no TV, I easily devoured ten books a week.

Print book or e-reader? Print, though I do all my critiquing and mentoring on screen. But nothing beats curling up with a book. Well, except curling up with a man. And cats. Cats are pretty good, too!

Wishing you all the best with your upcoming release, Laney! Come back and visit us anytime.

Backcover blurb for HOOK:

~ Would you trade immortality for love? ~

Marine biologist, Jayde Collins, has a love affair with the ocean. Lucky for her, because lately, swimming is the only way she can get wet without investing heavily in rechargeable batteries. While out diving, she's caught by the crew of a trawler, beaten, and dumped as shark bait. Rescued and magically healed by a hot lifeguard, she's not sure if she's dreaming, but with the erotic fantasy he offers—sex with two men—she's not sure she wants to wake up.

Trent Okeanós leads an elite group of Australian lifeguards who hide a secret; they are the last of the Mer. His law forbids sex with humans unless another Mer joins them, but when he saves Jayde, he's unprepared for the jealousy warring within him. Yet if he dares let his lust turn to love, Jayde will be bonded to him for life and he'll be stripped of immortality.

A Sneak Preview from HOOK:

Jayde’s throat burned as she vomited the water she’d inhaled. Hand clutched to her abdomen, she didn’t know whether she was holding her insides in or trying to keep the hook still, each fractional movement of the metal deep inside her belly spearing through her like a hot brand. “What the hell are you doing?” she gasped. Pain and adrenaline combined to tinge her fury with hysteria, the words sounding crazy even before they’d left her mouth. “You can’t fucking fish here. It’s a no-take zone.” If she focused on her anger, maybe she could ignore her pain.

“No kidding,” drawled the man who stood over her as she huddled, hand pressed tight to her stomach. His eyes as hard and dark as any shark, he snatched her camera, yanking the cord from her neck. Slammed it onto the deck rail. Tossed it overboard. The cigarette glued to his lips barely moved as he spoke. “Goddamn greenie. Dispose of the rest of the evidence, boys.”

The man who’d hauled her aboard was crouched beside her and jerked his gaze up to his boss. “Dispose? Are you serious?”

The skipper shrugged. “We’re sure as hell not taking her in to a hospital, are we? You fancy explaining how she got a shark hook through her guts? No?” He flicked his fag end into the ocean. “She’s already bleeding plenty. Mess her up a bit more, toss her back in. The sharks will take care of the rest of the job. And make sure to scuttle her tinny over there,” he jerked his head toward her dinghy, bobbing placidly at anchor. “If any remains wash up, it’ll be clear it was an accident. Damn tourists drown all the time.”

Buy Links: (Release day: 2.04.19)

AMAZON | THE WILD ROSE PRESS

About the author:

Laney Kaye: HEROES, HEART, & HEAT

A professional counselor, Laney messes with heads by day and imaginations by night. Living in the wilds of Australia...okay, not so much the wilds, as in a country town...her property is inhabited by a generous mix of bitey, stingy, poisonous, and furry varieties of Australian wildlife, as evidenced by her twitter feed. Laney writes steamy contemporary and slightly-supernatural romance. Under her "real" name, she also pens women's fiction, adult contemporary, and young adult titles.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Laney-Kaye/e/B07HDQS1HD