Anniversary Shenanigans: Author Visit and Giveaway: Leta Blake


We have the awesome Leta Blake visiting us today! Check out what she has to say about fire breathing dragons and the 'Jake Bass Phase' (<- Ha! I love this). Plus, enter to win an ebook copy from her backlist!

BMBR: What are your favorite M/M themes?
Leta: Well, I'm not sure these themes are m/m only, but I do enjoy them in m/m books as well as m/f books. I enjoy friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, and opposites-attract. Something I really want to see more of in m/m because it is a favorite trope of mine is "arranged-marriage-to-love" scenarios. That's pretty specific, isn't it? I've found maybe one or two like that, but I'd love more.

BMBR: What books do you consider Desert Island Keepers?
Leta: Oh, wow! *rubs hands together* Where to start! Let's make a list!

1) The Rifter Series by Ginn Hale. Absolutely would need to have this one with me on my desert island. And, if given enough time alone there, I have no doubt I'd scribble fanfiction for it in the sand.
2) The Administration Series by Manna Francis. Hopefully I won't be stranded on that desert island before books eight and nine come out! *bounces* Eeeee!
3) The Ganymede Quartet by Darrah Glass. Again, I'd have to time my shipwreck on the desert island to be after her release of the final books in the series. I'd be a mess if I was on a desert island with no access to the extra stories I know she's planning!

Basically, these are three series of books that left me playing with the characters in my head after I read them. That's a desert island read for me--a book that takes me on a journey past the pages themselves.

BMBR: The Rifter series! Oh yes!
What's your go-to tasty beverage?
Leta: Non-alcoholic? Club soda and lime. Alcoholic? I'm on a big Old Fashioned kick right now.

BMBR: Do you have any secret talents? Inquiring minds want to know.
Leta: I do a pretty good astrology reading, but it takes a lot of time and effort, so I don't do it much (at all) anymore.

BMBR: That's a pretty cool secret talent. *jealous*
If you had to choose to be one magical beast, what would it be and why? (you don't have to say unicorn...but we won't say neigh either) 
Leta: A fire-breathing dragon with a heart of gold. I'd use my flame to ward off intruders (but not actually roast them!) so that I could be alone with my dragon-sized typewriter to dash off romantic stories of gallant knights and their devoted squires. That fire-breathing thing would be super handy even in human-form, I tell you.

BMBR: Who's your favorite porn star?
Leta: Oooooh. Well, I'm a bit fickle and have a new one every few months, but I'm pretty into Colby Keller at the moment. He just really seems into it in all of his scenes, and a guy being into it is the sexiest part of porn for me. I've gone through the usual Jake Bass phase, too, and there was a Falcon guy whose name I never found out that was super hot as a top, but less hot as a bottom, and, alas, he started bottoming all the time. As far as straight porn goes, I'm going to be boring and say James Deen for basically the same reason that I like Colby Keller. He always seems super into it. Though there is a newish young guy I've seen in a few het porn scenes lately and he is unf-so-great, but since I only watch the free stuff, I've never discovered his name. When I do, I'll let you know. ;) 

BMBR: Jake Bass phase! Ha! Yes, I believe we have all experienced that at some point.
Do you have author envy? Whose words do you read and think, "GAH, I wish I wrote that!"?
Leta: Hmm. I think everyone experiences some form of author envy. Interestingly, my desert island reads don't really trigger author envy for me. Mainly because I know I will never write like that. Those kinds of stories don't show up in my head. I won't be writing some epic fantasy or sci-fi tale ever, ever, ever. I experience author envy less in the form of "GAH, I wish I wrote that!" and more about other author's time for writing. I have a great deal of envy for full-time authors, and especially those who are good at time management and crank out four to six books a year. I see some of those full-time writers with new release after new release and I just feel like I'll never catch up and never be able to make a real go at this writing thing because I just don't have the time. So, that's where my author envy comes from--a sense that these other people are so crazy-lucky to have tons of writing time...and I'm not. (At the same time, I need to acknowledge that I have a ton more writing time than some other folks, so I need to STFU, yo, and just write. :) )

BMBR: Any new projects you're currently working on? 
Leta: Yes! My next book, Smoky Mountain Dreams, is hopefully on track to come out in late November or early December. I'll have more news on that front shortly, I hope.  I'm working on a sequel to Training Season that I'd like to have out this spring, and then I've got a four book Coming of Age series with three books mostly complete and the fourth book to write. I hope to have the first book in that series out in Fall of 2015.   

BMBR: Training Season sequel, you say? EXCITED! <-ME.  
    
Thanks so much for visiting & chatting with us today, Leta! 

About Leta Blake:
While Leta Blake would love to tell you that writing transports her to worlds of magic and wonder and then safely returns her to a home of sparkling cleanliness and carefully folded laundry, the reality is a bit different. For as long as Leta can recall, stories have hijacked her mind, abducting her to other lands, and forcing her to bend to the will of imaginary people. This absence from reality results in piles of laundry and forgotten appointments. In between abductions, Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.
 
Author Links:



To enter to win an ebook copy of your choice from Leta Blake's backlist, please leave a comment on this blog post and let us know (1) your name and a means of contacting you (e.g., email, Twitter handle, link to Goodreads account, etc.) and (2) What are your Desert Island Keepers?

The giveaway is open until 10:00PM (Pacific time) on November 9th. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner whom we will select using a highly scientific "names in a hat" method (or, you know, an internet randomizer). Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner.

Thanks for celebrating with us and GOOD LUCK!
 
 

22 comments:

  1. I'd have to take Pride and Predjuice, Wyborne and Griffin series, Magpie Lord series - they're all historicals!. Also Morrigans Cross trilogy (NR)

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    1. I have the first W&G on my kindle! Need to read it soon! Thanks for participating! I hope you have good luck in the drawing!

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  2. I'm still discovering authors and favorite books. Possibly The Cut and Run Series, The Nice Guy's Series once complete and Flight of the Kiwi, which only the first have been released.

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    1. flutterfli01 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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    2. I need to check out all of those! Thanks for participating and good luck in the drawing! :D

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  3. Don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you :D

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  4. A few mf's that we won't mention here, mm-wise, Special Delivery and Double Blind, (mmf) Victorious Star, Fortune's Star.

    You can find me on GR at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4259223-lei-reading-is-an-adventure

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    1. So many to add to my TBR pile! :D Good luck no the drawing!!

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  5. And I loved Training Season, Leta!

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    1. Aw, thank you! That makes me so happy to hear! <3

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  6. I would take The Enclave Series by Jessica Lee and The Handsome Hero series by James Cox and BDB series! Always room for new favs!
    shirleywilliamson13(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. If your gonna be stranded, you're right, it would be a good idea to have some COX around.

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    2. So many great books to add to my TBR pile!! Wow! Gotta get on that! Thanks, Shirley! Good luck in the drawing!

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  7. I would enjoy having the Sackett series by Louis L'Amour, any/all books by TJ Klune, and the Firsts and Forever series by Alexa Land.
    Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!
    aegger.echo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. So many books to add to my TBR pile! :D Thanks Alaina! Good luck on the drawing! :D

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  8. So hard to narrow down, but just a few would be Megan Derr's Dance with the Devil series, Changing Worlds by Cari Z, Earthy Desires, some Amy Lane books, etc.
    BTW, I really loved your Tempting Tales series.
    strive4bst(AT) yahoo(Dot) com

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    1. Jbst, thank you! So few people mention the Tales! How gratifying to hear that! <3 Good luck on the drawing!

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  9. rojoroaors@yahoo.com

    Desert island keepers
    1) A complete set of Andrew Grey's A taste of Love series.
    2) Training Season my intro to bdsm novels
    3) Kendall McKenna's The Tameness of the Wolf Series.

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    1. Roger, aw, man, that makes me happy that you'd like to have Training Season with you. Good luck on the drawing!

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  10. Desert Island Keepers
    1) Lord of the Rings series (Including The Hobbit)
    2) SM.Stirling's Change World Series
    3) Anne McCafferey's anything

    alishead1@yahoo.com

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  11. The winner for this giveaway is Alaina! You will be contacted via email soon. :)

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