RHIANNON ELLIS --

My guest today is debut author, Rhiannon Ellis. Rhiannon is a delightful online friend and represented by the same agent as I. She is also a gutsy young lady to appear on my blog on April Fool's Day. She has to know I'm going to...well...she's got to know...I mean, it's April Fool's Day, the traditional day of playing tricks. Right?

Rhiannon, with 2 preschool children, how do you find time to write? Do you write everyday?



I’m like a butterfly (which is a prettier, nicer way of saying spaz). My kids are my life; they’d have it no other way, I assure you. So I flit from one thing to another throughout the day. I rarely get a solid chunk of time for anything that doesn’t involve the precious angels, and that includes writing. Did you watch any of the famous Charlie Sheen rants?


“I have one speed. I have one gear. Go.”


I hate comparing myself to this lunatic, but that’s me. My husband says I wake up in the morning—sometimes after getting little to no sleep—and I’m in “go” mode until bedtime. It’s a fault, really, because I allow myself little time to relax. But I get stuff done! Even writing. And yes, I write daily, but I try my best to limit writing time to when the hubby is at work. The menfolk need attention, you know? Needy little suckers.


What draws you to the romance genre?



They say sex sells. Well, I guess “they” are right because I’m sold! Genre romance is fun and sexy to read and WRITE. It’s also the only genre I can think of that allows total flexibility. There are many misconceptions out there regarding the genre. One of them is that the stories are formulaic and that writers are stuck penning the same tired plotlines over and over again. But any romance writer/reader out there knows this is simply false. Look at how many sub-genres there are! Romantic fantasy, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance…the list goes on. And on.


I love not being constrained into one subject or style. Not only can I write freely within romance and all its sub-genres, but I can do so under one name. My real name. I think that’s pretty stinkin’ cool.


Tell us a bit about your own personal romance. For instance I met my husband on match.com. He sayshayed into my mailbox on a jazzbeat and a smile.


We have a lot in common, Mrs. Davis. I, too, met my hubby online. I love telling this story because it truly is movie material. Ready? Here goes…


BlondBombshell_0 (don’t laugh) logged into an AOL friend’s chat room after being dumped by an ex. There, she saw ChadEllis7. BlondBombshell_0 worked with a guy named Chad Ellis! She clicked chat room guy’s profile. No pic. Bummer. BUT he was the same age and had the same job title as the Chad Ellis with whom she worked.


She chatted up ChadEllis7, only to discover he wasn’t her co-worker. Instead, he was a gorgeous, single man who also happened to live over 2,000 miles away. They chatted and talked on the phone often over several months. After 10 months, BlondBombshell_0 and ChadEllis7 were crazy about each other and decided to meet.


ChadEllis7 flew from the west coast to the east coast in February of 2003. By the way, he hadn’t seen a picture of BlondBombshell_0, so he was a little nervous. But I’m head hopping now, sorry.


Obviously, everything went well. They shared their first kiss right at the airport and were married less than 6 months later.


It’s been 8 years and still teases her about her stupid screen name.


You are so right, that would make a great movie and an even better romance novel. What element or step of the writing process do you struggle with most as a writer?


It varies from manuscript to manuscript. If I had to pick one thing that…worries me with each story I write, I’d pick the sexy scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing the steamy stuff. My struggle comes from not wanting to write the same sex over and over. It’s important to mix it up with every book, and that isn’t as easy as it sounds. My goal is gain readers who will want to pick up all my books, and I don’t want them to get bored in the bedroom, so the speak.

Tell us, do you set the mood when you're writing the sex scenes...or are you able to get 'there' on your own?

Oh, you naughty girl! I definitely do not set the mood, especially when that mood is bound to be broken by fighting kids or dirty diapers. It sounds fun, though!

When I know a love scene is approaching, I literally think about it for days, which makes for some pretty hot daydreaming. ChadEllis7 benefits *wink, wink*. Once I know how I’m going to get things started for my characters, the rest flows. My writing, however, slows down considerably at this point. It might take me 3 or 4 days to get the action right, but I think it’s worth the extra time.


Tell us about your 2 new upcoming releases.


Goody! As you mentioned, there are two.

Bonded In Brazil is a sensual, contemporary vineyard romance set in two fabulous locations—exotic Brazil and beautiful Napa Valley. The sexy Brazilian heroine, Eliana Menino is full of spunk and sure to knock your socks off. And I hope the love scenes will knock your knickers off.

Dark Wolf Protector is a paranormal romance, featuring one of my favorite heroines that I’ve written so far, Jaci Waters. She’s being stalked by a wolf and protected by another. My hero, Dolton Freye, is as sexy as they come. And talk about sparks when these two finally hook up! Whew. I was a little embarrassed to let my mother read this one. FYI—Mother loved it.


More on both of my new releases, including excerpts and book trailers, can be found on my website. http://www.rhiannonellis.com/

Ooops, Rhiannon dear, you've got brocolli on your tooth.

I do? Where???   

    APRIL FOOL!!!

Oh, Pooh, and I was going to do something nice, too. Four winners will get their choice of either Bonded In Brazil or Dark Wolf Protector at the end of my book tour. E-copies will be delivered on April 9th via email, so commenters PLEASE leave your email addresses.