Interview & GIVEAWAY with author Wynter Daniels

Ellora’s Cave Feature Month

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Reader’s Edyn

Interview & GIVEAWAY with author Wynter Daniels

Holla to my Lovelies! Continuing Ellora’s Cave Feature Month today and we are into Week 2. Yay! I has excitement! Remember, the author may have been previously published with EC or is currently published with EC. Either way you will be learning an awful lot about the Ellora’s Cave authors this month. I hope you will continue to join us for this exciting adventure! You are sure to find it very entertaining!

My next EC author is Wynter Daniels. Here is her bio from the EC website.

**BIO**

Wynter Daniels lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She hopes you enjoy her steamy stories. Find her on the web at: http://www.wynterdaniels.com/, http://wynterdaniels.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Google+ as Wynter Daniels.

Please help me welcome:

**WYNTER  DANIELS**

**INTERVIEW**

I read that you have a background in marketing. I have had several authors tell me that marketing is likely the most difficult part of being in this industry. Does your experience help you in any way?

In general term, it helps a little. But when I got my degree there was no such thing at the Internet, which has completely changed the game. These days the best marketing strategies rely almost completely on social networking and the Internet.

I see that daily. With this day and age an author wouldn’t have much of a choice except to have a virtual presence. What is your best piece of advice as related to marketing and the romance writing industry?

Don’t just have a presence on a bunch of social networking sites. Choose one or two and engage your audience rather than just throwing tidbits of shameless self-promotion at them.

Fabulous advice! There is nothing like connecting to an active author! Your kids are grown according to your bio. What do they think of Mom’s writings?

Overall they are proud, but they don’t want to read the stuff I write any more than I want them to read it!

LOL. How has your life changed since becoming published?

The biggest change is that I no longer hold a day job. I love, love, love working at home on my own schedule.

I bet! What is your typical day like?

Most morning begin with a trip to the gym, then errands, then writing. I take breaks and do really exciting things like laundry. I get to have lunch with friends a couple times a week, which is one of the awesome benefits of the job! I try to write a few hours in the morning then a more in the afternoon. And I write every single day, even if it’s just a little.

I would think a little is better than not at all. Sounds like your life as an author is all glamour, yes? *grins* Tell us a little about your current release.

Desert Island Delight is the third book in my Wanton Weston Women series. It’s a castaways story with a twist at the end. Here’s the blurb:

New York advertising hotshots Diana Weston and Chase Cunningham have had a thing for each other since they met, but they are always at each other’s throats. Yet again in competition, the find themselves in the Middle East vying for a sheik’s ten-million-dollar account. When they share a water taxi to go to the sheik’s private island, they’re hijacked, robbed, then dumped in the Persian Gulf. After barely making it to a deserted island, they must work together to stay alive.

Alone on the private island, they set aside their competitive tendencies and give in to the powerful attraction drawing them together. But their bliss is short lived when they find out there are sinister forces at work threatening to tear them apart.

I love stories like that – they fight the attraction and eventually succumb. Any upcoming projects you would like to tell us about?

I just sold Book 4 in this series, tentatively titled The Very Best Man.

Congratulations! How do you keep in contact with your readers?

I am always on Facebook! I’m not super active on Twitter, but you can find me there sometimes. I try to check in on Goodreads as much as I can and I have a blog.

What is your favorite thing about this book?

I’ve always loved a good castaways story. What would it be like to be shipwrecked with a super hot guy? The possibilities are endless;-)

Word! What’s next?

I am working on my first true paranormal romance, a book about a witch. It’s got suspense, hot romance and some real witch stuff, about which I’ve taken several classes. I wanted to infuse lots of what it’s like to be a modern witch.

Sounds fun! I bet learning about “witch stuff” was interesting. When did you begin your journey as an author and what pulled you in the direction of writing?

I was in a job I’d grown bored in and I started writing a semi-autobiographical account of my early relationship with my now husband. When the job got worse, I quit, made the story less personal and started subbing it around. Then I joined my local RWA chapter and things took off for me.

How awesome! So your first book was loosely based on you and your husband? That is great! Any special quirks or habits when writing?

Well, I can’t work without my muse (my cat) by my side. She’s more dog than cat and follows me everywhere.

LOL I have a friend with a cat like that. How do you celebrate when you finish a novel?

When I finish a full length novel, I always treat myself somehow. Either I buy myself something to wear or DH and I go to one of our favorite restaurants.

That is sweet. I would go for both! *thumbs up* What are you reading now? Any favorites you tend to go back to?

I am almost done with If I Told You Once by Judy Budnitz, which isn’t romance, but a family sage that I highly recommend. I’ve gone back over and over to Lorna Landvik’s books - namely Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons and Patty Jane’s House of Hair. Wonderful books that make me laugh and cry every time.

Recommendations! Love it! Was there something in particular that gave you the idea for this book (series)?

I love related books and I have only sisters, so I wanted to do a series about several sisters who overcome adversity or trauma from their childhood, in this case, growing up in an abusive environment.

Wow! That must have had some rough spots. It must have been difficult to write at times. What about Diana and Chase made you want to put them together?

Diana and Chase start out bitter rivals competing for the same advertising account. Don’t you just love watching sworn enemies fall for each other?

*jumps up and down* Absofrickinloutely! Any advice you’d like to share for aspiring writers?

Learn everything you can. Network with other writers by joining an RWA chapter or another writing group. I wouldn’t be published if I hadn’t.

Good advice! Tell us one thing that readers wouldn’t know about you.

I have a touch of OCD about cleanliness. My house is always perfect. I even wrote an OCD heroine in my book, Emotional Baggage.

Wish my house was always clean but alas the cleaning fairies have yet to appear. *sighs* What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing?

I wish someone had told me how to deal with rejections and how to use them to improve my writing. At first, I just got upset. Until I learned to pick them apart to find the compliments and the advice in them.

That would be really hard. But how great that you can look past the rejection to find something positive to improve from. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and who would you meet?

Oh, I’d much rather go forward in time! I’d want to meet my descendants, my children’s grandchildren and their children. We know what happened in the past. I want to find out what the future holds!

Interesting answer.  Think it is a first. Do you have any other hobbies or interests besides writing?

I love doing crafts. I am currently working on decorating bottles for a bottle tree we’re putting together in our yard.

You MUST tweet pictures of that! I want to see it! Salty or Sweet?

Sweet - definitely!

What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween. I love playing dress-up.

Favorite place you have ever visited?

The American Southwest. We fell in love with Sedona, Bryce Canyon and Moab.

Ha! I live in Williams – about 90 minutes from Sedona and it is beautiful! Boxers or briefs?

Usually boxers, but they have to be black and silky;-)

*raises brow* Oh really? LOL M&M’s or Skittles?

Pretzel M&M’s - yum. Now I want some.

Those are good. I recently tried coconut and loved them, but my fave is Peanut Butter. E-reader or Paperback?

Usually e-reader.

Long hair or short hair on a guy?

Definitely short - I love a military or law guy.

Mens in uniform. Oh, yeah! Do you have any hidden talents?

Yes, but if I told you, I’d have to kill you.

LMAO! Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Definitely an extrovert.

Surprising. I almost always get introvert. Are you a night person or morning person? Morning all the way. I can’t stay awake past midnight.

I want to thank Ms. Daniels for appearing today and for taking the time to answer my questions. Ms. Daniels has several books out with Ellora’s Cave. If you visit her website at the link included in the interview, you can check them all out. But for today, I would like to share just a few of her Ellora’s Cave titles with you.

**DEAR  ANNIE**

**Wanton Weston Women Series, Book 1**

**BLURB**

Sex advice columnist Dear Annie—aka Suzanne—shuns relationships after growing up in a dysfunctional family. She takes care of her sisters and her mother but refuses to indulge in pleasures of the heart. When she meets a man who makes her toes curl, she’s terrified of letting him hang around long enough for her to start caring about him.

All Alan wants is a chance, but the blonde beauty keeps putting a time limit on their relationship. He charmed his way into her bed, but now must convince her to let him into her heart.

**DECEPTIVELY  YOURS**

**Wanton Weston Women Series, Book 2**

**BLURB**

Shy bookworm Laura Weston agrees to take her very pregnant sister’s place and speak at a hedonist conference at a Caribbean resort. Since no one knows what sex-advice columnist “Dear Annie” looks like, she prays she can pull off the ruse.

Private Investigator Guy Pritchard is on Pleasure Cove Island to find drug kingpin Harry Turiano. What he hadn’t counted on is the hot blonde advice columnist at the villa next door to Harry’s, who proves to be way too much of a distraction.

Laura decides to use the break from her ordinary life to succumb to Guy’s advances. But after a taste of their sizzling-hot chemistry, she’s not sure if she’ll be able to return to ordinary and leave the sexy hunk behind.

**DESERT  ISLAND  DELIGHT**

**Wanton Weston Women Series, Book 3**

 

**BLURB**

New York advertising hotshots Diana Weston and Chase Cunningham have had a thing for each other since they met, but they are always at each other’s throats. Yet again in competition, the find themselves in the Middle East vying for a sheik’s ten-million-dollar account. When they share a water taxi to go to the sheik’s private island, they’re hijacked, robbed, then dumped in the Persian Gulf. After barely making it to a deserted island, they must work together to stay alive.

Alone on the private island, they set aside their competitive tendencies and give in to the powerful attraction drawing them together. But their bliss is short lived when they find out there are sinister forces at work threatening to tear them apart.

**EXCERPT**

She glanced toward shore and her throat thickened with emotion. The towering buildings faded to Tinker Toys as the boat sailed farther out to sea, away from the safety of the city.

Will I ever see land again?

Would she ever get to apologize to her mother for the silly argument they’d had last week or wear the ugly yellow bridesmaid dress for her sister Wendy’s wedding? Tears welled in her eyes. No. She couldn’t think that way. She’d get out of this. The men would probably just rob them then let them go. But where?

The azure sea stretched to infinity ahead of them but there were no other boats anywhere in sight. She clasped her hands to keep them from shaking.

What could they gain by killing them?

Eliminate the witnesses.

The local authorities executed criminals for all types of crimes here so what did the kidnappers have to lose? They had to get rid of her and Chase. She forced the terrifying notion from her mind and licked her suddenly dry, un-glossed lips.

Why hadn’t she hired a bodyguard to ensure her safety until she’d arrived at her client’s private island? But the sheik’s assistant had assured her she’d be fine on her own. And why in hell had she agreed to share a water taxi with Chase when they’d run into each other in the hotel lobby this morning? She should have insisted on them taking separate transportation. Guilt poked at her for the mean thought. Regardless that she and Chase were bitter rivals, he was still a human being.

God, would she die out here? With Chase Cunningham of all people, the man who’d stolen accounts out from under her and badmouthed her to more than one client, or so she’d heard through the advertising grapevine.

Their disastrous date last year should have been enough of a sign for her to stay the hell away from him. But there was that kiss at the end of the night—that one heart-stopping, mind-blowing kiss. The moment they’d stepped off the elevator back at her place—after arguing all evening about whose ad campaigns were better—Chase had cornered her in front of her door and surprised her by scooping her into his arms and covering her mouth with his.

There was nothing soft or gentle or sweet about it like most first kisses she’d had. That kiss had been all about possession and control. And she’d loved it. She wished she could get it out of her head, but dissecting that amazing kiss was a hell of a lot better than imagining what the kidnappers would do to her.

Buy Links

Ellora’s Cave        Amazon        Barnes and Noble

So what do you think? If you liked those blurbs, or you want to know more about Ms. Daniels, please visit her website. And if you are interested in the books, support these awesome authors and buy their books. You can find out more about the mentioned Ellora’s Cave titles by clicking here: Wynter Daniels.

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about Ms. Daniels and her EC titles. Please feel free to leave a comment or question for Ms. Daniels in the comment section below. We love hearing what you think and finding out what you want to know! AND Ms. Daniels has generously offered a digital copy of:

ALL THREE OF HER WANTON WESTON WOMEN SERIES!!!

 to one lucky commenter. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to be entered! How frickin fantastic is that? You know you want all of these books!

**DA  RULEZ**

One commenter will be drawn at random to receive a digital copy of The WANTON WESTON WOMEN Series, (Dear Annie, Deceptively Yours, and Desert Island Delight) by Wynter Daniels. Must be 18 or older to enter. Contest open to international so  long as you have a valid e-mail address! Reader’s Edyn and participating author are NOT responsible for lost or damaged items. Anyone may be disqualified at any time so be sure to follow directions to avoid disqualification. No substitutions allowed. Contest ends July 1^st at midnight MST. That means you will have through June 30^th to enter. When the clock strikes midnight on the 1^st, the contest will be over. Winner will be contacted by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. Odds of wining depend on the number of entries received. Be forewarned! *serious face* Those who enter and do not follow the tasks properly will have their entries removed. *peers closer* Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I. Will. Check. Them. Not trying to be a pain, Sorry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Until next time …

HAPPY READING!!!