I am delighted to be speaking with Kaylea Cross today. Thanks for chatting with us today Kaylea and welcome to FAR!

Thank you, I'm thrilled to be here!

To start, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure can. I'm a Canadian that happens to have an obsession with the US military : I'm also a rabid Civil War buff (no one's sure how that happened) and a former nationally-carded softball pitcher. My day jobs are being a mom and working part time as a Registered Massage Therapist, and in my "spare time" I write romantic suspense novels. I love being an author.

Relentless, the fourth book in your military romantic suspense series was released this month. Can you tell us about it?

Sure can!

Blurb: Former Delta Force operator Rhys Sinclair defied the odds by recovering from a traumatic brain injury that should have killed him. Given the chance to repay the beautiful doctor who saved his life by guarding hers, he can't say no--even if it means facing an unknown threat from the cunning terrorist his CIA-sanctioned team had been hunting in Afghanistan. The catch is, she can't know about it without blowing their cover.
Trauma surgeon Neveah Adams is finally putting her life back together after her horrific experience in Afghanistan. Giving the keynote speech at a medical conference in Vancouver is her starting point. With Rhys there to watch over her she feels safe for the first time in months, and her biggest problem is trying to hide her intense feelings for him.
But Rhys knows something Neveah doesn't. The terrorist who targeted her in Kabul is coming after her again, and he's relentless enough to ensure all his past mistakes are erased with one final strike. Now that the nightmare from her past has resurfaced, Neveah has no choice but to put her trust in the one man who has the ability to break her heart, never knowing an assassin is closer than they realize.

This book picks up on the story threads woven through books two and three, but it's set in Vancouver instead of the Middle East. I also switched gears in this one, because it's lighter on the suspense than the previous two, and focuses more on the relationship between the hero and heroine. And, it's rated HOT. My hottest book to date.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming release Absolution, the fifth book in your series and when we can expect to see it?

It's coming out December 10th, and I can't wait because the storyline is wrenching. Luke (former SEAL-turned-CIA operative) is the hero in that one, and he's been through hell. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's him.

Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?

I greatly admire military personnel, and love researching special ops. I get inspired by watching the news reports and documentaries, plus reading books like Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.

Do you have a character that is especially close to your heart?

Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure all my readers know it. It's Luke, hands down. I have a major crush on him. Apart from being my tortured hero, he's the kind of man I'd want with me if I was ever stranded on a deserted island. I might not even mind being marooned if I had him with me :) (Don't tell my hubby!)

If you could go anywhere, be anyone, do anything for 24 hours, what would it be?

You know what? I'd love to be a CIA analyst, working on a terrorism case. I think I'd be pretty darn good at it, too!

I've been seeing a number of discussions on the Yahoo groups about Happily-Ever-After. Do you feel that HEA is necessary to a romance novel?

Not at all. I do believe there has to be a happy ending in romance, but Happy-For-Now is just fine with me as long as the possibility for Happily-Ever-After is there.

To you, what makes a great romance hero?

Well, I'm probably a teensy bit biased, but I love a military or former military alpha male that's not afraid to go after what he wants. When a hero with that kind of training and discipline falls for a woman, he falls hard, and will do whatever it takes to protect her. He might be hard-headed and he might not be easy to live with sometimes, but in my opinion a great hero will always be there for his woman, his friends and his family. He's tough when he needs to be, but he's not afraid to let his softer side show with the woman he loves.

What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?

I'd like to reliably have two releases a year and keep writing series featuring military personnel (shocking, I know) that highlight some important aspect of what's going on in the world today. I love to learn, and I hope my books inspire readers to think about the issues I highlight.

What is the biggest misconception about being an author?

I think it's the myth that once you're published, things get easier. They don't. In fact, things can get harder.

While writing, how does the story develop for you? Do you go from start to finish or create scenes as they come to you?

I like to plot everything out, because I'm an anal-retentive control freak, just to make sure the bones are there before I start writing. I can change things as I go, but generally I do up a scene outline and go from there. If I get stuck I move onto the next scene where I know what I want to say, and then fill in the blanks afterward. I get into real trouble if I stop and spin my wheels on a particular scene that is puzzling me. For me, forward momentum on a book is critical.

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

I hope some of my efforts at research will shine through in my stories. I know I write fiction, but I want to teach my readers something they didn't know before. Something about the history or political situation in the Middle East perhaps, or maybe the training or skill set of a particular branch of special operations. I do my best!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us today Kaylea! Readers can learn more about Kaylea and her books on her website http://kayleacross.com/

Thank you for having me! I love hearing from readers, so if you love military romantic suspense and alpha male heroes, drop me a line and say hello.

Interviewed by: Tammy