Larissa Ione Interview and Contest!

I would like to welcome Larissa Ione, to my blog!

Thanks so much, Cindy! It’s great to be here!

I’d like to congratulate you on your latest release, Unleashing the Storm. Can you tell us a little about this book?

Well, like all of the Croft novels, it’s an erotic paranormal action-adventure romance set in and around a supersecret paranormal agency (ACRO) staffed by people with special abilities. In Unleashing The Storm, the second in the ACRO series, ACRO agent Tom “Ender” Knight, is sent to capture the heroine, who is a powerful animal whisperer wanted by an enemy agency. Unfortunately, the enemy agency is one step ahead of Tom (even though his gift is super speed,) and a pursuit ensues, made worse by the fact that Kira is as much animal as human, and she goes into a heat cycle that requires Tom’s attention at regular intervals…or she dies.

Of course, she’s in just as much danger from Ender, though she doesn’t know that…

Who is Sydney Croft?

Sydney is the pen name for me and my writing partner, Stephanie Tyler.

For those that are new to your books…How long have you been writing and what was your first published book?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. My first completed novel was finished when I was thirteen. It didn’t sell. *g* My first sale was Flesh To Fantasy, in Secrets Volume 18, which was my first published work, out in late December 2006.

Do you plot out your stories first or do you let the characters lead you?

A little bit of both. I’m actually a recovering plotter.  I’ve learned that my stories work the best if I plot loosely and then let the characters take the story where it needs to go. Too much strict and unbendable plotting made my stories stiff. I sold once I loosened up a bit.

Of all your published books, do you have a favorite? If so, which one and why?

Wow—this is a tough question! LOL Well, I think it’s a tie. I ADORE Unleashing The Storm. Kira is my favorite heroine I’ve ever written, and I think that she and Ender have such amazing chemistry. Plus, I’m an animal lover, and the book is chock full of animals. So that’s my favorite Sydney Croft story.

My favorite Ione story is Pleasure Unbound, the first book in my new Demonica series, which releases in July. With that book, I truly found my voice. My editor told me to be as dark and gritty and sexy as I wanted, and I took her at her word. *g* Plus, I got to combine the natural darkness in my voice with my favorite things – emergency medicine and the paranormal.

Of all your published books, do you have a least favorite? If so, which one and why?

Again, a tough one. I think it’s funny, because as I’m writing a book, it’s almost always my least favorite because it’s giving me hell. But once it’s finished, revised, and polished, I love it. I don’t think I truly have a “least favorite,” but I will say that Snowbound is the book that is the most distant, in both voice and content, from where I am now in my writing. I couldn’t write another book like it if I tried!

What are you currently working on?

I just turned in Shadow Lover, the second in my paranormal Demonica series, and am working on the third, title TBA. The hero is half incubus, half vampire, and he’s giving me fits! He’s very tortured, but he’s also a laid-back smartass to cover it up, so he’s got the dark, broody factor, but it’s buried deep inside. He’s very complicated, very hard to write.

When you’re not writing, what genre do you enjoy reading and who are some of your favorite authors?

I pretty much read everything, from romance to historical fiction to fantasy. Some of my favorite non-romance authors include Sharon Kay Penman, Robert Jordan, Stephen King, Ken Follett, and George R.R. Martin.

Describe a day in the life of Larissa Ione.

Oh, geez, be prepared to be bored to tears! I get up about 7:45 AM. Get my son ready for school. By 9:30 I’m in front of the computer and writing until 2. At two, I get on the elliptical and watch an episode of something on DVD (currently, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.) Shower. Do some light cleaning. Start dinner. Eat dinner. Do a little more writing/emailing. Watch TV. Go to bed.

See how exciting that wasn’t? *g*

Favorites…

Favorite Season?

Winter. Love the cold and snow.

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl

Favorite movie?

WAY too many to list. But I adore the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Galaxy Quest, Independence Day, While You Were Sleeping, Ever After, Jurassic Park…I could keep going and going…

Favorite song?

Again, too many to list. The one I’m listening to right now that I love is Long Black Train by Josh Turner

Favorite color?

Blue

Fun Questions…

If you had a shrinking device, what’s the one thing in your house you’d miniaturize first?

Coffee table. It’s a window from an old battleship, and it weighs 300 pounds and is HUGE. Takes 3 people to move it. If I could shrink it I could put it where I wanted! 

If you were a superhero, what would your super power be?

There are SO many that would be great! Someone brought up teleportation at another blog recently, and yeah, I think that sounds awesome!

If you could build your own robot, what would it do?

Clean my house.

Instead of leaves or money, what do you wish would grow on trees?

Beer.

If you had to smell like one thing for the rest of your life, what scent would you pick?

Vanilla

Larissa, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and doing this interview with me!

Thank YOU! It was a lot of fun!

If you would like to know more about Larissa and her books, be sure to visit her website and her blog.

Contest time!

To be eligible for a copy of Unleashing the Storm, all you have to do is comment to this post!

Want an extra “chance” in the hat? Then send me the answer to the question below to cindy@lilcinny.com with Contest in the subject line.

What else has Larissa written? (Hint: Check out the *Extras* on her site )