Shara! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews. Thank you for stopping by and chatting with us.

Liquid Silver Books just released your book, PRIMITIVE PASSION. Can you tell us a little about this story?

When Sylvia is stranded in the middle of a Mexican jungle, she expects the man on horseback to rescue her, not hold her hostage, but that’s what Heath does. He has his reasons, of course, and he makes her a deal. He’ll return her to town, if she spends three days obeying his every carnal demand.

I had a lot of fun writing this story, because I knew Heath had a great backstory that explained his less-than-heroic treatment of Sylvia. This is a very erotic story, but also very emotional. And who wouldn’t want to be held captive by a man like Heath?

You also recently released ENLIGHTENED LOVE. Can you give us a little background and tell us how you came up with the idea for this story?

Kerry has never been so frightened or down on her luck in her life. Her murderous fiancé is after her, and her father has betrayed her. When she meets Rick at a bar, he seems kind, and she hopes, at the very least, he’ll offer her a meal and a place to stay.

Rick is an ex-monk and a virgin. He’s confused by his new place in the world. He wants to have sex, but once he learns the truth about Kerry’s past, he knows he has to protect her. He can’t fail another woman, as he has in the past.

ENLIGHTENED LOVE morphed from a completely different story that I started years ago. I think the original idea was to look at how someone could wind up homeless. The reasons are not always as obvious as they may seem. The sex scenes and almost-sex-scenes were a lot of fun, because of Rick’s inexperience in that area. But inexperience does not equate to weakness, so that was fun to explore as well.

These two works are seemingly very different. Are they? And if so, how do you get your ideas for a story?

The settings are very different, but I think some elements are very similar, such as the heroines ending up in dependent positions. I think both stories also focus on the characters’ pasts and what they have to overcome to find love.

My ideas come from many places. For PRIMITIVE PASSION, I pulled from my experience as an exchange student in Mexico, but then I researched for a more secluded locale, since I’d lived in busy Guadalajara. ENLIGHTENED LOVE was partially inspired by all of my dad’s books on Buddhism and my sister, who lived in a tent for a while in California.

How long have you been writing?

Forever. Well, since I could write words, at least. I studied journalism in high school as well as wrote short stories. I studied film during college, and wrote screenplays and short stories. After college, I really started reading and writing romances.

How did you feel when your work was published? Did you celebrate and if so, how?

I was ecstatic! Somewhat disbelieving too—wow, not another rejection. Someone really liked what I wrote—yahoo! It’s a real confidence booster.

My writing buddies took me out for drinks. My hubby and son took me for dinner and sundaes.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your writing?

I love to escape into my stories, craft a world with great sex and happy endings. But now that I’m published I’d have to say that one of the most rewarding things has been getting emails from readers saying they couldn’t stop reading my book, that they were really moved by some aspect of it, that the sex was really hot. I’ve written for so long where just my hubby and crit partners got to read my writing, it’s great to know I now have a wider audience.

Your book, GEMINI: DIRECTING CLAIRE, will be available May 2005 from Liquid Silver Books. Can you give us a hint on this work?

Claire is a wannabe-writer who’s hired to work as a secretary at a film production company. The place seems a bit shady since she never sees any actual filming being done, but they let her sit around all day typing her novel on her laptop and pay her anyway, so she’s happy. Then Devon tells her that her life depends on how well she plays the role of a porn star. Luckily, sexy Devon is not only the director and her boss, but also her co-star. Unfortunately, their impromptu audience is a bunch of mobsters with guns. Can she pull off this act to save her life? And when things get really hot, how much is acting and how much is real life?

DIRECTING CLAIRE is part of LSB’s Zodiac series. MacKenzie Reed has written the other Gemini story, HEART’S DESIRE, which I can’t wait to read. LSB is also running a writing contest to fill a few of the Zodiac slots.

What else do you have in the works?

THE LION’S DEN is a HeatWave Tingle story that will be released during HeatWave Romance’s launch, April 17, 2005. FANTASY ON A BUS: NUMBER ONE is my second HeatWave Tingle, which will be released late May. I’ve also written a light paranormal romance, which I’m currently submitting to publishers, and I’m working on a new romantic suspense.

Most of your work seems to be in the contemporary genre. Have you tried any others? Why or why not?

Actually one story that I’ve had on the back burner for quite a while is a time travel, where a Regency hero comes forward in time to modern day Virginia. It requires a bit more research and some plotting kinks have not ironed themselves out in my brain yet.

I love to read Regencies and Paranormals, so I’ve got some ideas rolling around in my head. Hopefully they’ll make it to paper soon.

One last question that I stole from Fallen Angel Reviews Chatters Chat, if you were stranded on a deserted island, what three books would you have with you?

Romancing the Stone by Joan Wilder (aka Catherine Lanigan)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (because it’s the last in the series, a long one, and I’ve yet to have a chance to read it.)

Feel free to share your wonderful website with the readers. I enjoyed it and I know they will too!

Thanks! Here’s the url . I also have a newsletter called Shara’s E Zone, which includes a free Just for Sizzle story each month as well as excerpts from my current works. And, check my News Page for current contests and giveaways.

Interviewed by: Trang