Welcome Gianna Bruno! We are so glad to have you here. I'm eager to hear about this new book. So let’s get down to business shall we?
You have a new book coming out in January 2010, entitled Hot Chocolate Kiss, from Eternal Press. Set in the ski-hills of Vermont, with two lead characters that sound like quite a handful. Could you tell us a bit more about Keela and Rick?
Gianna: Keela is forty and feelin' it. Her husband dumped her, and the kids opted to live with him. She's lonesome, angry and feeling very inadequate. But she's a real good skier and hopes getting on the slopes will work some magic on her mood.
Rick is divorced, and his daughter lives with his ex-wife in Florida . He notices Keela in the lodge and likes what he sees. Trouble is, during their first conversation he comes across as a jock and that's too much like her ex.
She's sworn off that type and came to ski, not hook up.
In Hot Chocolate Kiss, the scene is set with backcountry skiing, incredibly icy temperatures, and challenging trails. Why did you choose this particular sport?
Gianna: There is nothing more exhilarating to a skier than braving the weather and facing the challenge of steep terrain amidst all that natural beauty. The storm in this story is based on some personal experiences I've had with extreme weather while skiing. When I heard EP was planning a themed release to celebrate the Winter Olympics, I suspected they might be interested in Hot Chocolate Kiss. And they were.
What inspired you to become a Erotic Paranormal writer? What about the genre do you enjoy or find challenging?
Gianna: I write urban fantasy, parnormal romance and science fiction. All my stories have witches, ghosts, aliens, and/or fairies in them...But some are naughtier than others. Those with extreme content lend themselves well to erotic themes. If you are going to ply the dark depths of a character's being, the sex has to be more than just chocolate and vanilla. It has to be rocky road.
I love combining fantasy themes with erotica while keeping the story reality based. Sort of like a human being's thought process: You imagine something and fantasize it could happen. I get to make it happen. Sometimes the sex evolves from the story, and sometimes I have a scene in my head and have to figure out how to get the characters into it.
Erotica is challenging because you have to make the sex scenes part of a story. I also insist that my female characters not be exploited or victimized. (Too much experience with battered women and sexual assault survivors). I try to portray that women can be strong and capable, know what they want and go for it. But that doesn't mean they can't show their feminine side.
I personally have a much harder time reading (and writing) graphic violence than graphic sex. I never understand why people can read about women having their hearts ripped out without any concern but flip out when she participates in BDSM or ménage.
Are there any more stories planned?
Gianna: I've been brainstorming a seasonal series where Rick and Keela have adventures in the fall, spring and summer.
Okay, a random question for you; what are the three things you cannot live without? And why?
Gianna: LOL.
Coffee-I'm totally addicted, especially to the flavored kind. I can't wake up at 5:30 a.m. and keep going all day without the two cups I allow myself. Too much caffeine and I'd fly a broomstick off my balcony.
Carbs-Pasta is my ultimate favorite food (I'm Italian and was fed egg pastina as an infant), with a bagel being my second favorite (I live in NYC, and we're addicted to good bagels.). Without that fuel I can't keep my jets burning and get all my work done.
Hot Baths-Every night I soak in the tub. It helps me relax and de-stress before bed. Showers just don't do it for me.
Where can your readers find you?
Gianna: They can start at my website http://giannabruno.com
I have links there to my blog where Rick and Keela plan to hang out to yak about themselves and their adventures.
Readers can join my Yahoo Group for ongoing discussions and news about my writing projects. They can follow me on Twitter to keep up with news about upcoming events and the release date for Hot Chocolate Kiss.
And they can email me through the website if they'd like to be informed directly about any of the blogging, book tours, trailers, and chats I have planned for January.
Any final words?
Gianna: A big thanks for having me. I'm really excited about the release of Hot Chocolate Kiss, tentatively scheduled for January 7, 2010. I'll be at the Eternal Press Reader's Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EternalPressReaders/join release party and chats where I'll be giving away an electronic copy or two.
http://twitter.com/Gianna_Bruno
3 comments:
Hi Gianna,
Hot Chocolate Kiss sounds like a delicious read!
www.maggiedove.net
Congratulations on your upcoming release Gianna!
So, I thought I left a comment earlier today but it never got posted. Didn't want anyone to think I hadn't been checking in.
Thanks for the welcome from everyone at Eternal Press. I'm very excited about this story. Keela turned out to be a very strong character, very rough, but sweet deep inside. Rick seems to bring out the best in her. Will that continue throughout their other adventures? Not sure if they'll behave themselves.
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