BP NOTE: Today is the second part of Maya Banks’ Highlander Most Wanted blog tour. Our review went up on Thursday and today we have an interview and giveaway. Information on the giveaway will be at the end of this post.
BP: Thank you for joining us today Maya.
Thanks for having me! 🙂
BP: Given the broad range of your writing within the Romance genre is there any one subgenre that appeals more to your writing side?
It goes in stages which is why I like the ability to write serveral different genres. If I had to write just ONE I’d get bored and restless and I wouldn’t want to do it! I don’t have ONE favorite, though, because I enjoy the diversity so much. By the time I write a KGI book then a historical then an erotic contemporary I’m always EAGER to get back to KGI. Switching it up keeps each story fresh and exciting for me.
BP: When I looked at your Coming Soon page you have five different series with at least one installment coming out this year. How do you switch between characters, worlds, and time periods given the amount of writing you accomplish in a year?
For me it’s one book at a time and I never look beyond the current book I’m working on. So when I finish a book and it’s time to move to a different series, I always go back and read the last several books in that series to catch up and to re-immerse myself into that “world” and those characters.
BP: You have provided glimpses of how proud you are of your family to those who follow you on social networking. Is there anything besides time with them that you use to recharge your brain?
For me spending downtime with my family IS the ultimate “recharge” There’s no one else I’d rather spend time with. We’re a very close-knit family and we do EVERYTHING together, whether it’s travel or just hang out at home. I DO like to take a trip after several back to back deadlines and when I come off a really long writing stint, I often tell my husband “I want to go somewhere” This usually precipitates a last minute scurry to figure out WHERE we want to to and to book tickets etc and figure out everyone’s work and school schedule. But we usually make it work even if it’s just for a few days.
BP: Most people have a gateway author into romance as a whole and sometimes into specific sub-genres. Who were your gateway authors?
For paranormal stories it was definitely Christine Feehan. She was the first “vampiresque” book I ever read. I would have never dreamed that I would enjoy vampire stories but I read one of her Dark series book and was hooked! For historicals it was definitely Julie Garwood. She may not have been the “first” but she was the first historical author that I LOVED and several of her titles are “comfort” rereads for me even years after having read them the first time.
For romantic suspense I don’t really have one and really it’s because I don’t consider the KGI to be true romantic suspense. They are more contemporary action adventure but the emphasis on “home” and “family” almost makes for a slightly more dramatic “small town romance” haha. But of course there isn’t a “label” for publishers for what I write so it gets shoved into the RS realm. But I don’t consider them to be gritty romantic suspense like so many thriller writers pen.
BP: Thank you again Maya for stopping by. We also want to thank TLC Book Tours and Ballentine Books for including us on this tour. If you want to find more information on Maya and her books you can visit her website. This giveaway is open to US and Canada only. To enter leave a comment talking about your gateway authors. The winner will be announced on Saturday April 4th and will receive a copy of Highlander Most Wanted. Good luck!
NOT ENTERING. Just wanted to say, thanks for the interview, I got the book this week and look forward to reading it. And to seeing you again in Berlin soon Maya!
For me it was Georgette Heyer, then years later Amanda Quick/JAK.
I would like Maya to be my first gateway author! Thanks for this interview post!
Interesting because for me my gateway authors are Christine Feehan for paranormal, Julie Garwood for historical’s as well. For romantic suspense i would say Roxanne St Claire and Cindy Gerard, Contemporary Jill Shalvis. If i want a comfort read in any of those genre’s that’s where i go. My ultimate is Julie Garwood though overall.
Nice interview.
Lisa B
Virginia Henley was my gateway author
My gateway author was Jeaniene Frost and I still absolutely adore all the books she writes! 🙂
I guess I’m showing my age by saying that Kathleen Woodiwiss was my gateway author.
J.R. Ward is my gateway author, but I think I’ve picked up others along the way and Maya is definitely one of them… can’t wait to read her latest!
yadkny@hotmail.com
My “gateway” was Julie Garwood. Her book For the Roses was made into a hallmark hall of fame movie of the week and I remember picking the book up b/c it had the movie cover on it. Well, one sleepless night later and I was hooked 🙂
Meljean Brook was the first steampunk author I read.
My gateway to romance was Kathleen Winsor’s “Forever Amber”, and I also loved Judith McNaught’s “Witney My Love”. Two brilliant books, and I’ve just adored romance books ever since.
I love anything that Maya writes, and eagerly await any new book release of her’s.
My gateway to romance in general and contemporary in specific was Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Lisa Kleypas was my gateway to historicals and Nalini Singh to paranormals both genres I resisted trying initially.
My first gateway author is Heather Graham in her historical romance.
Janelle Taylor among others for historical and Christine Feehan for paranormal. Thanks 🙂
lorih824 at yahoo dot com
My gateway authors were Judith McNaught, Jude Devereaux and Kathleen Woodiwiss. Christine Feehan and Amanda Ashley were the first paranormal authors I read.
I think mine would be Sherrilyn Kenyon for Paranormal Romance and Stephanie Laurens for Historical Romance.
Thank you for the great interview with Maya Banks 🙂 Love her!
sandersknc@yahoo.com
Mine will be: lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Maya Banks and Jaci Burton
Gena Showalter, Kristen Ashley
I don’t know if the giveaway is still open but to answer the question: as an adult, Elizabeth Lowell was my gateway author with her medieval trilogy. I found Untamed and fell in love. While I have stopped reading Ms Lowell’s novels, I’m still a committed romance reader.
Great interview, y’all! I’m looking forward to starting this series– love me some Highlanders! 😉
Great interview. My gateway author was Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong for paranormal and UF
I was a late to romance reader. A few years back, I picked up a copy of VAMPIRE, INTERRUPTED by Lynsay Sands. After I then bought & read the whole series that had been released at that time, I read a couple of her historicals. From there on, I fell in love with lots of different paranormal & historical authors. Then, a couple of years ago, I read my first BDSM story by Cherise Sinclair and that started my erotic addiction too =)
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