Welcome to Talkin' Tuesday! Today I have the ever sexy  

Tina Donahue sitting down with me.  

We're enjoying coffee, tea and pastries while I grill her on the craft of contemporary/erotic writing where she stirs up fantasies and feelings you'd long forgotten, or didn't know you had! I've enjoyed reviewing some of her stories and can tell you first hand...damn she's good. :) 

So, sit back and enjoy the down to earth and funny award winning author, Tina Donahue! 

 

WINNER – BEST EROTIC ROMANCE 2010

BLUE MOON REVIEWS                                     Second Place Winner - NEC RWA Contest

-Soooo, how's it feel to be an award winning author? Please gush if you need to!

TD- LOL. It feels great, Rebecca. It’s wonderful to know that my stories have engaged readers. That I’ve been able to make them sigh, cry and laugh. Moving someone deeply is the greatest reward any writer can experience.

RR-I have to say...your stories have done more than that for me. They've made my husband a very happy man!

-What's your favorite read when you're not typing away your own stories?

TD- I have so many of them it would be hard to choose just one. I adored Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty is still one of my favorite reads. Hearts by Hilma Wolitzer and Love Songs by Lawrence Sanders are right up there too.

RR-The Exorcist? Really? Wow, I would never have expected that! The movie still gives me nightmares.

-Who got you into reading and what's your favorite series?

TD- I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read. My family used to tease me that if I didn’t have a book, I’d be reading cereal boxes.

Again, picking a favorite series is hard. As a kid, I loved Nancy Drew. I’ve enjoyed Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Series and of course, I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

RR-I used to pretend I was Nancy Drew! Stephen King gives me nightmares. lol Have a trend going, don't I?

-When becoming an author, was it a natural step or one you had to consciously make?

TD- It wasn’t a conscious move for me to write. I just had to. This may sound corny, but it was a burning need. Still is. For me to stop writing is as impossible as it would be for me to stop breathing.

-Plotter or Pantster?

TD- Definitely a plotter. My outlines are often over a hundred pages long.

RR-Dear Lord! Really?

-When writing, must you hide from anyone in the house? Or, are they scared and naturally leave you alone?

TD- They’re scared. LOL. No one bothers me when I write.

RR-My children fear for they lives! lol

-When coming up with your sexy plots, what are some of the fun ways they take shape?

TD- Well, for Deep, Dark, Delicious I got the idea while watching an Iron Chef competition on The Food Network.  J

And for Lush Velvet Nights, a news show about male escorts got that one cooking.

RR-LOVED THOSE BOOKS!!!

 
FOR FUN

-Red or black? Red
-Wine or beer? Wine
-paperback or ebook? Both
-cat or dog? Both
-Cook or takeout? Takeout

BACK TO WORK

- Are you an organized writer, or are there notes written on everything?

TD- A little of both. I have a detailed plot, but during the night if I think of something that will improve the story, I write it down on a sticky note and paste it to my computer.

RR-Tina, I love you but you're way to organized for me! :)

 
-What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your craft?

TD- That it’s easy. Nothing is harder than putting emotion on the page and conveying it to a reader.

RR-Amen

 -Do you ever get so overwhelmed you want to take time off?

TD- About once a day.  J

RR-LOL

 
-What's your biggest pet-peeve?

TD- People who don’t read romance, but trash it as fluff, inconsequential, easy to write. Believe me, it’s not. Moving an audience with words, getting readers to cry, laugh, sigh and to root for your characters is unbelievably hard.
RR-I can't agree more! 

-Advice for the aspiring authors out there?

TD- Read everything you can get your hands on – not only the genre you want to write in.

Learn your craft.

Write – don’t make excuses – write. If you make excuses you don’t want to write.

Never give up. Never.

RR-True words from a phenomenal author! 

Thank you soooo much for being here, Tina! Happy writing and wishing you much success. 

Now, here's a sneak peek at her latest award winning story, The Yearning.

BLURB:

To break this curse, they’ll have to turn the heat up. Way up.

Jasmine Dante prowls Key West’s nightlife, fighting a losing battle against a jealous rival’s curse that forces her to seek carnal pleasure, no matter the danger. Weakened from lack of sleep, driven by insatiable lust, she spots a man who stirs her desperate craving, and begins yet another dance of seduction.

Except the dark stranger who returns her direct stare is no ordinary lover. Inside his powerful body lies a raw sexuality that just might be enough to break her curse. There’s only one way to find out: imprison him in her bed and feed on his passion.

Former U.S. Marshal Mike Stearn is many things, but he’s no woman’s sex slave. The deadly telekinetic power he ruthlessly suppresses comes alive again at Jasmine’s touch. Beneath her bold, potent sensuality he senses vulnerability and desperation. He may be in handcuffs, but she’s the one who’s enslaved.

As Mike resurrects his power to free himself so he can find the curse’s source and defeat it, Jasmine revels in his masterful rule. Her ravenous yearning evolves into rapture as she surrenders to his hunger, her darkest needs—and the emotional connection that lies beyond. Unless the curse takes her life first…

Warning: Tons of steamy sex, smoldering passion and a to-die-for love story with a hot Alpha hero who finds himself imprisoned by one sultry and desperate babe.

Tina Donahue's website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/blog/   

Have a Sparkling Day!

Rebecca Rose