Guest Post & Giveaway with Lia Davis

Today we have a first timer here to The Book Pushers, paranormal romance author Lia Davis. Lia is here to talk to us about her newest release, A Mating Dance. Take it away Lia.

Writing a series

I love reading series. I love seeing characters from the other stories make an appearance and continue to be a part of the back story. I get to see them after the happily ever after and continue to grow into the relationship.

So when I set out to become an author there wasn’t any other choice for me other than write a series. Oh I wrote a single stand alone story. It was my 1Night Stand for Decadent Publishing, Ravished Before Sunrise.

Although I had a blast writing my 1NS, I enjoy my series because I’m in the world longer. Not only do I get to hang out with all that sexiness, I get to explore the world and uncover secrets and twists as the characters reveal them to me.

I especially love writing a series like Ashwood Falls where sexy shifters roam. I’m a nature lover so I get to incorporate my love for the outdoors and the mountains into Ashwood Falls. And did I mention that there are sexy shifters involved? Oh, yeah. Tee hee. Big strong shifters are always a plus. The mix of human and animal just takes romance to another level for me. There’s an element of danger, and possessiveness surrounding my felines and wolves.

However, writing series isn’t all about the characters and the romance. It takes a great deal of organization to get the desired outcome. Before I can start writing the first book in the series, I plan and plot.

First I have to find my characters and their GMC (goals, motivations, and conflicts). My next step varies. Sometimes I have to plot out the big bad side of things to see how it will affect the main characters. Other times I can plot out the main love story first. Either way, I have to organize everything. I keep everything in an excel workbook, with a tab for the list of character descriptions, another for the series timeline, and a tab for each book with notes that I add as I write. I’ll get ideas for a future book as I write the current one.

Once the main plots points are down and the series, or at least the first few books, are mapped out, I start outlining that first book. Now, if you follow me you’ve heard me say this before, but my muse has ADD so the outlines can’t be too detailed. She’ll toss them out and will always deviate from the outline more than once. I let her because, one, it keeps her happy and writing, and, two, she is usually right.

Even with all the hard work and planning that goes into a series I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love everything there is about my job.

What do you love about reading a series?

 

A Mating Dance, Ashwood Falls #2

Senior enforcer, Cameron Nickels has found her perfect mate. Blaine Andrews, leopard Pack Marshal, is strong, dominate, loyal, and passionate. He knows all her strengths and weaknesses—not to mention her pleasure points. Cam’s known Blaine most her life, but she’s always felt like something was missing and her jaguar refuses to fully accept him. Yet, she can’t walk away from him. When architect and sexy mountain lion shifter, Graham Griffin, comes to town to design the new den nursery and school, Cameron finds herself in a mating dance that throws her and her jaguar into flight mode while Blaine must decide if he cannot only share his mate, but welcome another.

After his lover walked out on him a year ago, Graham has no intentions of entering another relationship any time soon. But he realizes that the fates have other plans for him when he meets Blaine and Cameron. When his ex-lover’s children are chased into Ashwood territory by a group of rogues, he discovers the male he shared a life with had died freeing the kids from the Onyx Pack. Graham must work side-by-side with the two enforcers to uncover lies from the past while his heart opens to his true mates.

Warning: Contains one-hot headed leopard, a man who thought he’d lost it all, and a woman who is about to rub up against both in the best possible ways.

 

 

Other Ashwood Falls books:

Winter Eve (prequel)

A Tiger’s Claim (book 1)

Excerpt:

Cameron sat at Dani and Nevan’s dining table with Max balanced on one knee as she helped him cut his waffle, dip it into the syrup, and bring it to his mouth. When he dropped the fork and stuck his hand in the syrup, she squeaked and grabbed his wrist. Graham came over with a wet cloth to clean him up. Max grunted his frustration then gripped Cam’s hair with his sticky fingers, tangling his fingers around the strands. “Oh, Max.” Cameron stood, only to come nose-to nose with Graham.

Her skin heated and her heart skipped a few beats. His blue eyes darkened slightly, then a flash of bright blue told her that his puma wasn’t far from the surface.

Graham gripped Max’s hand and tried to unwrap her hair from his sticky fingers. Cameron laughed, trying to ignore the heat blooming between them. “You’re making it worse.”

Graham drew his brows together, making him even more handsome. She let her gaze travel over the masculine lines of his face. His skin was tanned, as though he worked long hours in the sun. He had high cheekbones and an average size nose that was just right for him. When her gaze fell on his lips, she wondered what they would feel like against hers. His lips were slightly full, the bottom one begging for her to bite it. When his blue gaze met hers, a wash of desire rushed through her, heating her skin even more.

Good Lord, what the hell was wrong with her? She had a mate, or could have one if she’d get past her commitment issues. She damn sure didn’t need another.

The front door opened, drawing her attention to Blaine as he walked in and shut the door behind him. Cameron immediately met his glare with one of her own.

Damn possessive male.

She stepped away from Graham and went to the kitchen sink to wet her hair and untangle Max’s hands. A moment later Blaine was at her side, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and then took Max from her. Her heart lurched as the little guy started crying and kicking his feet.

Graham appeared and took the wailing child from Blaine, and Cameron swore she heard a growl come from one of them.

Drying the ends of her hair with a kitchen towel, Cam stepped between them, giving Blaine a narrow-eyed glare. “Are you done?”

His leopard flashed in his eyes, and he leaned in to growl, “Not with you.”

 

About the Author

Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, a paranormal romance author, graphic designer, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!

An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very activity imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing and designing are stress relievers that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.

Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

 

Author website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | G+

 

 

GIVEAWAY!

As part of the tour-wide giveaway, TWO lucky commenters will be chosen to win $10 Amazon GC and a swag pack. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions to enter. Giveaway ends 8/03/13.

 
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