Hi Ava! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us.

In your story The Boys of Summer, your characters endure a long distance romance. Where did you get the inspiration to write such an emotionally driven short story?

I’ve been asked that question a lot, and I’m so happy that readers of the story feel it’s emotionally engaging. All of the stories I write tend to have a great deal of emotion in them. I love to get inside the heads and hearts of my characters and weave their deepest emotions into the story. For The Boys of Summer, I took a classic case of good girl falls for bad boy, but then put a twist on it by having Jesse be so emotionally engaged in the relationship he absolutely can’t hold back his feelings for Sara – or his need to tell her he loves her. I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a big heart…aren’t most women?

Per your website, I see that you have an upcoming release titled Summer Temptation. Can you give us a hint about this story and when you think it might be out?

I wrote both The Boys of Summer and Summer Temptation while I was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas – hence, the summer themes! The Boys of Summer was selected for the special Phaze Sparklers feature, but Summer Temptation will be released by Venus Press – soon, I believe! Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific date as of this time. (But check my website for updates!)

Summer Temptation is a contemporary erotic romance that takes place on a small island in the Caribbean. Jewel Capriati has been an island girl since the age of sixteen. Having been burned before, she’s sworn off dating vacationers… until sexy J.T. Hollander arrives for a summer respite on the island. He and Jewel hit it off, but Jewel holds fast to her “island girl rule.” J.T. is persistent in his pursuit of her, though… and too sexy to resist! Unfortunately, J.T. has a life elsewhere, and Jewel fears he’ll take her heart with him when he returns to it.

J.T. is a bit different than my other heroes. He possesses the depth of emotion I require of all my heroes, but his demeanor is a bit more causal. I usually write about alpha males; however, J.T. is the opposite. He’s very laid back. He’s super sexy in the most basic, natural way and he’s also incredibly sweet. I fell in love with him instantly!

What is your favorite type of genre to write?

I don’t know that I really have one favorite. I’m so fascinated by everything under the sun that ideas come to me all day long and none of them are similar in nature. I love romantic suspense, paranormal, mainstream, action/adventure, etc. I write all of these. The main thing all of my stories have in common is romance. I’m a hopeless romantic – so naturally, I like helping my characters fall in love! Their relationships are always very emotional and sexy… I like to add a little spice to my romances!

From what do you derive the most inspiration for your writing?

Real life. I’m a people watcher and I’m curious about other people’s lives. I also have an overactive imagination, so I can come up with all sorts of scenarios and characters.

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?

I used to think so, but then I realized that I’m always in the mood to write! Actually, I like to write in the evening. I usually light some candles in my office and I always select a particular CD or song for each story that helps me to get “into” the book. Every story has its own personality. For instance, when I wrote The Boys of Summer, I listened to Don Henley’s song of the same title. (Okay, that was an easy one!) I have an erotic romance/suspense titled Intimate Rendezvous that has a very seductive heroine in it. I played one of Gato Barbieri’s CDs whenever I worked on the story. I wore the CD out, but since it’s just background music, I didn’t get tired of it. The songs are very sensual and sexy, and I sort of channeled that into the story.

Now, for Simon’s Wicked Web – a story about a sexy billionaire bad boy – I listened to Madonna’s Erotica CD. It was just fitting of Simon’s wicked ways…

How do you like to spend your time when you are away from writing?

I have a really bad habit of taking my laptop or Pocket PC wherever I go, so I’m always writing. I love to travel and I do quite a bit of it – either to the beach or the mountains.

Tell your fans something about you they would never guess.

That’s a tough one… Hmm. Well, most of my readers are shocked to find out I used to write congressional testimonies and speeches for a CEO. I managed communications and PR in my past life, so I wrote strategic- and business-related documents. Nothing sexy about that… Maybe that’s why I embraced erotic romance!

Of all the things you have accomplished, is there one accomplishment you are most proud of?

Hands down, it’s getting published. I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was a kid, but I didn’t actually try until recently. I quit my job, wrote a few books over the course of a year, then sold on my first query to Red Sage Publishing. (That’s not to say I haven’t received a rejection or two – or more! – in my short career!)

My first book, In the Heat of the Night, by Calista Fox (Secrets, Volume 13) was released this past July and it was one of the most exciting things to ever happen to me!

Can you tell us who is your favorite character in television or movies and what it is about that character that make him/her your favorite?

My absolute favorite hero is Han Solo. He’s sexy, daring, and cocky – but he’s got a huge heart. He’s larger than life, but he’s also very tender. Oh, my… Yep. He’s my favorite.

How do you know what to name your books or the characters?

Title names are so hard for me. I agonize over them. I Google every possibility because I want them to be as unique as possible. Inevitably, I find myself fixated on one facet or theme of the story, and it works its way into the title. For Summer Temptation, I liked the suggestion of a summer fling – because that’s what Jewel thinks is going to happen with J.T. He’s got a life elsewhere and she’s certain he’s eventually going to return to it. But he’s just too tempting to pass up, regardless of how sure she is that he’s going to break her heart.

Do you have a character that is especially close to your heart? One that you might be interested in writing a sequel about.

Oh, heavens, yes! I am so in love with Simon Jones from Simon’s Wicked Web (which hasn’t been released yet). I can definitely see putting him in a sequel, because he’s so charismatic. The heroine in the story is also very dear to me.

What appeals to you the most about this character?

He’s hot! Okay, other than that, he’s just got this “energy” about him. He’s a little misguided at first; definitely a daring, cocky sort who walks a fine line between good guy/bad boy. He wants to be a bad boy (and he’s really good at it!), but he’s got a soft spot for the woman writing his biography, the very studious Kate Preston.

What appeals to me about Kate is that she’s very real. She’s strong and she’s smart, but she’s very unsure of herself and her sexuality. She’s very guarded and she carries past pains with her. I can certainly identify with her and understand how difficult it is to give her heart to a scoundrel like Simon!

Can you tell us a little about some of your other upcoming works?

I think I wove them in pretty well with the other questions! Actually, I’m hoping for a Rendezvous series (erotic romance/suspense) that will include Intimate Rendezvous, Midnight Rendezvous and Secret Rendezvous. They are all centered around a dating service that’s run out of an upscale nightclub in Manhattan.

I’m also working on two action/adventure stories – The Thrill of the Chase and The General’s Spy. Both feature female spies who have a lot at more at stake than just their hearts.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I appreciate all the great feedback I receive from my readers. Their thoughts mean a lot to me. The best thing about writing is that you have the opportunity to spark someone’s emotions or entertain them. I feel blessed to even have readers!!

Thank you so much for stopping by Ava. We appreciate you taking some time to visit with us today and look for forward to speaking to you again in the future. For anyone looking for a tantalizing tale stop by the Ava website, http://www.calistafox.com, to see what you are missing.


Interviewed by: Jessica