Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews Sylvia! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today.

I’d like to start by asking you about your Kensington Brava, Bad Boys Ahoy! What can you tell us about this story?

Bad Boys Ahoy! is a collection of three intertwined stories.

“Stolen Pleasures” - Sebastian’s tale was thought up on a whim when I heard about the Novella Contest. I knew I wanted to write a historical, and I’d always wanted to write a proxy marriage story, so that was the leaping off point. Then I added in a pirate and made him completely unawares that he’d been married without his consent.

“Lucien’s Gamble” - For Lucian’s story, I wanted a really bad boy who wasn’t a nobleman. He appears in all three stories, and his gentlemen’s club is frequented by many of my characters. Lucien is very naughty, which has made him the readers’ favorite of the three men.

“Her Mad Grace” - Hugh’s story came to mind because of the resurgence of gothic’s. I wanted to take the standard gothic and spoof it. Some elements are must-haves, like the creepy mansion, so I kept that. But instead of a tortured or scarred hero, it’s a mad duchess with a household of misfit servants.

How did you celebrate selling your first book, Bad Boys Ahoy! In 2004?

I didn't. *g* BAD BOYS AHOY! was sold based on "Stolen Pleasures"--the Readers' Choice Winner of the Lori Foster/Brava Novella Contest. I had a deadline to write the other two stories and it was a short one. So I just started working. No dinner, champagne, etc. Just work.

Why do you think erotic fiction is so popular right now?

I think the eroticism adds extra layers to the story. There's more emotion. It also opens the characters to new scenarios and allows the author to go beyond traditional boundaries. Readers who were bored with the same old, same old, now find themselves startled and intrigued by the unknown.

Almost every author at some point or another suffers from writer's block. Have you ever had that problem? How do you deal with it?

It does happen to me, unfortunately. The reasons are usually: 1.) Something in the last few scenes I wrote is "off", and it's making everything else derail, or 2.) I just haven't figured out where I'm going yet.

I'm a pantser, so when I run out of pre-planned scenes, I may end up getting nothing done for a while. Since my deadlines are so tight, I can't afford to spend days without working, so I'll open a different manuscript and start on that. I usually have several MSWord docs open at any given time, and I hop back and forth between them.

How important is research in your writing?

If I don't know firsthand what I'm writing about, then I have to research it. It's very hard to describe something if I don't understand it. :)

Can you tell us a little about your upcoming release, Ask For It, that’s due out in August from Kensington Brava?

Ask For It is a Georgian-set historical. The main protagonists once courted and became betrothed, but the heroine didn't follow through. Instead, she eloped with another man. The story begins four years later. Her husband is dead and her mourning is over. But her husband had unsavory business dealings that have now endangered her, and Marcus--the man she jilted--comes to help her. But he's not quite a knight in shining armor. He's been tormented the last four years without her, and he expects her to pay restitution for that.

How many books have you published to date?

Seven--in both print and e-format.

I can see on your web site the many awards you have won. Is there one that means the most to you?

Well, the Readers' Choice helped get me published, and editor and reviewer's choice awards are just wonderful. I think the Golden Opportunity might be a favorite, though. It gave me hope, and told me that someone else thought I wasn't a complete hack.

What can your fans look forward to in the next twelve months from you?

This year I have the following releases:

Feb - BAD BOYS AHOY! - Brava

June - DREAMS OF THE OASIS II (print antho) - Ellora’s Cave

July - DECLASSIFIED: DARK KISSES (print antho of my DANGEROUS series) - Ellora’s Cave

Aug. - ASK FOR IT - Brava

Sept. - WHITE HOT HOLIDAYS (print antho) - Ellora’s Cave

Then I have 6 releases in 2007 (two are tentative for now):

Jan - THE STRANGER I MARRIED - Brava

Mar - unnamed anthology - Avon Red

May - MY IMMORTAL - Avon Red

July - Brava

Sept - Brava

Dec. MY IMMORTAL II - Avon Red

When did you first start writing? What made you want to become a writer?

I began writing at the end of October in 2003. I love that mushy *sigh* feeling you get when you finish a great romance. I wanted to create that, in my own way.

What would a perfect romantic evening or weekend constitute for you?

A presidential suite in a hotel, room service, a bunch of big-dumb-blow 'em-up action movie DVDs, and lots of sex. ;-)

What kinds of things do you do to prepare to write a love scene or what gets you in the mood to write one?

I write linear (usually), so by the time I get to a love scene I'm excited to be there. I'm attached to my characters at that point and I want them to be happy together.

How many hours a day do you spend writing?

I'm at my desk most waking hours of every day. However, only a small amount of that time is actually spent writing. The rest of the time is spent doing all the business things that result from being an author. I'm trying to cut this extra stuff down, though. I'd like to get stories written faster. *g*

Thank you so much for answering my questions today Sylvia! Readers, be sure to check out Sylvia’s web site at www.sylviaday.com.

Interviewed by: Tammy