Author Spotlight + Giveaway--Rhea Regale

Welcome to Author Spotlights on Mondays! Rhea Regale is my guest this week. Check out her interview and an excerpt from her latest cowboy erotic romance! She's also giving away an e-book copy of Brianna's Sinful Cowboys to one lucky commenter!!!

Author Bio:
Growing up, I was always the quiet girl who knew everyone but never quite fit in. I kept busy with dance, cheerleading, and numerous other activities. I was an overachiever, a hard worker, and very dedicated to anything I pursued. When I decided that I loved writing enough to follow along the writer’s career path, nothing deterred me from reaching my goals. I didn’t go to college straight out of high school, but rather focused all my free time and energy into my stories. Negativity could not steer me off the path of my dreams. It only made me more determined to succeed as a writer. Now, with a loving family, I continue to do what I love most: write from my heart and share my stories with the world.

Links:
Website: www.rhearegale.com
Siren Author Page: www.bookstrand.com/rhea-regale
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhea.regale
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RheaRegale

Me: Do you prefer to write single title or series? Why?
Rhea: I love series. I love the idea of incorporating characters from earlier stories and future stories into each book. The break-up at the end of a book isn’t so bad when you know you’ll be seeing those characters again.

Me: I love a good conflict. What draws your main characters to each other and keeps them apart?
Rhea: Conflict. Oh my. Conflict can be anything with my characters, from something external, such as my heroine trying to hide from a murderous ex, to something buried deep inside that a character struggles to overcome or at least deal with, like Carter suffering from PTSD or Rylan suffering the loss of his girlfriend in a car wreck. There is always combination of internal and external conflict in my stories, but I tend to focus more heavily on one over the other. Brianna’s Sinful Cowboys is a good example of how I focus on Rylan's internal conflict, the driving force through this book, and his journey to a happily ever after with Brianna and Jackson. Of course, I have to throw a little bit of external danger into the mix. I do enjoy a good external conflict to turn up the suspense :)

Me: What’s your favorite sub-genre (contemporary, sci-fi, etc.) to write? To read?
Rhea: My favorite sub-genre to write has always been paranormal/fantasy, but I have developed a deep enjoyment of writing contemporary with my Casanova Cowboys series. Believe it or not, next to reading paranormal/fantasy, my favorite sub-genre is historical.

Me: I usually get plot ideas in the shower and while driving. When/where does inspiration strike you?
Rhea: Inspiration is a wonderful, and spontaneous, thing. I honestly get ideas from everywhere, whether it’s a verse in a song that is matched perfectly to the tune (this happens quite often), to driving down the road and an idea sparks out of nowhere. I developed a story idea after admiring a ruby in a necklace. My latest run-in with inspiration happened a few days ago while I was trying to sleep. I pictured an encounter between two characters, heard them speaking these strange names, and a book idea flourished. After a few minutes of fighting the idea, I finally resorted to curling up in my closet and jotting down notes for the next hour while the family slept! My emotions tend to be a driving force for inspiration too.

Me: What new stories are you working on?
Rhea: Ah, currently I am working on a new contemporary series that will hopefully be coming out by the middle of this year. I have the last two books in the Casanova Cowboys series in progress. In addition, I’ve been plagued with the insistent idea of that book that drove me to my closet a few nights ago. I have a feeling it’s headed down the Urban Fantasy road, but it’ll have a ton of romance in it :-D. I do have a couple other series ideas, but right now, they’re hanging out on back burners.

Blurb:
Brianna Cabot has one goal coming to Ryder, Kansas, with coworker and boyfriend, Jackson Morrell. Contract land for their boss’s new luxury resort to lock in a golden promotion. A brutal car accident puts a dent in her plans. So does Ryder’s handsome sheriff and partial owner of the prime property, Rylan Ryder.
Nine months ago, Rylan lost his girlfriend to Crosslane. Rescuing Brianna draws on painful memories of having been helpless to save the woman he had loved, but stirs awake long forgotten desires. Their ongoing feud over her boss’s proposal fuels the escalating attraction between them. Unfortunately, the woman is his closest pal’s girlfriend, and therefore off-limits. Little does he know, Jackson has a plan of his own to lure Rylan into their relationship and share a woman neither man can do without.
Even the most carefully laid plans are threatened when someone from Brianna’s past arrives, who has no intention of leaving without his prize.

Excerpt:
“Rylan, I’m not askin’ you, or your family, to abandon your town,” Brianna started.

“Listen to me, Miss Cabot—”

“Brianna, please.”

Rylan held her gaze steady for a long, heart-pounding moment. Time might’ve slowed, she couldn’t be sure, but her thoughts came to a halt. Rylan became the only being of her focused attention, as did his encouraging words in those moments she thought she was dying. Jackson opened a door last night, one she was scared to death to cross. He read her as clear as crystal, knew she held something for the sheriff, and offered them a chance to invite Rylan into their relationship.

“You okay?”

Brianna blinked the haze from her eyes. Rylan’s arm stretched toward her, and when she looked down, he was holding her coffee cup upright. Occasional ripples swept along the top of the drink, a giveaway to her trembling fingers.
“Brianna.”

Oh. My. God.

Her name rolled off his tongue smooth, silky, filled with a raw edge of command. This man had a voice that raked down her body like the teasing scrape of teeth and nails in the throes of foreplay. Each letter of her name spoken in his deep, sexual husk flicked along her pussy, a phantom tongue playing across her clit.

Miss Cabot. Call me Miss Cabot again.

Brianna carefully placed her cup on an empty section of his desk and loosened the scarf around her neck. She worked up a forced smile, cleared her throat, and nodded.

“I’m fine. Probably just some aftereffects of medication and the surgery and whatnot.” She flicked her hand in a nonchalant fashion and unbuttoned her coat. She laughed, shrugging out of the insulating item. “As we were sayin’.”
Rylan’s penetrating gaze didn’t lighten up, even as he eased back into his chair, perched his elbows on the arms, and folded his hands below his chin. His index fingers tapped together, a subtle furrow creasing his left brow. No matter what, this man knew how to wear every expression in the sexiest way.

“You’re still pressin’ the topic, are you? As I was about to say, there will be no further discussion. Colt and I own that property jointly. If I am not willin’ to sell, it won’t be sold. And I’ll tell you this much. You think I’m bein’ stubborn, wait ’til you confront Colt. This is a dead end for you. I’m sorry about your promotion, but your motivations do not align with mine. Ryder is a town rooted in our ancestry. We’re country folk. Farmers, ranchers, rodeo competitors, cattle herders. We have absolutely no interest in promoting a five-star resort and spa in conjunction with the ranch. That is not what this town represents.”

Balling up her courage, she placed together her business ego and took to a dangerous tactic. “I understand Colt might be facin’ civil charges in the murder—”

“I’m sorry, I’m not discussin’ that with you.” Hot to cold, like a damn switch. Rylan rolled his chair to her with a single, strong kick against the floor. One fluid twist, he had his legs on either side of hers, hands wrapped tightly around the metal arms of her chair, and he leaned closer to her. Brianna kept her shoulders straight, but her blood was threatening to melt through her veins and leak into her body. Nothing about Rylan offered comfort or kindness as he hovered close. Everything about him was wild, raw, a predator with his eyes on his prey. The fine line of threat and passion blended.

Jackson said he was a passionate man. If this is what he brings to bed, god help me.

“You have no business castin’ assumptions about my cousin’s predicament when you can’t even get the facts about your promotion-promisin’ deal right. You toss another sucker punch like that, Miss Cabot, and I will chase you out of this town faster than a bull in an arena ever could. Do I make myself clear?”

Oh he did, except for the slip of his gaze lowering to her mouth that turned up the heat between them to an explosive degree. She fought to keep each breath steady and even, praying he didn’t notice the frantic thumping of her heart that filled her own ears and hit her chest wall so viciously she thought her sweater was thumping in time. She held her ground, challenging him as he held tight to the chair. Slowly, she leaned into him, bringing her face dangerously close to his. Her knees fell open, resting against the insides of his powerful thighs. She watched his pupils expand, swallowing the amber-brown of his eyes. His nostrils flared and his breath hitched.

Brianna folded her hands around the arms of her chair, her fingers reinforcing Rylan’s grip. “You’re threatenin’ me, Sheriff. I don’t take lightly to bein’ threatened.” She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. “Would this be considered a form of restraint? I thought restrainin’ a person without probable cause was illegal.”

“This is nothin’, Brianna.”

Link: www.bookstrand.com/briannas-sinful-cowboys

I sense some conflict and just a bit of sexual tension. How about you??? :D Remember to comment before midnight (EDT) on Wednesday, April 9, for a chance to win an ebook copy of this hot cowboy ménage!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!