SERIES: Ellora's Cave author - Gem Sivad

I've run series on science fiction romance and DownUnder paranormal romance, and the wonderful authors who've been my guests have provided fascinating insights into the genres. They've also given us some great titles to add to our To be Read piles.

So I thought it might be fun to feature another genre I enjoy reading - paranormal erotic romance. Or more specifically, authors who write paranormal erotic romance for Ellora's Cave. :-)

Please welcome my latest guest...Gem Sivad.

Hi, my name is Gem Sivad. If you’ve seen me on Twitter, Facebook or a romance loop, it was probably only a quick glimpse.

I lurk a lot, say “hello” to the authors I know, read the daily updates and enjoy humanity from a distance. Because I have hermit tendencies, I live in a country setting near a small unincorporated town with a population of five hundred (give or take a wild turkey or two).

I’ve been writing for Ellora’s Cave since 2010 when they contracted my historical western, Eclipse Heat series. Three books, Quincy’s Woman, Perfect Strangers and Five Card Stud are now available. Wolf’s Tender, Breed True, Trouble in Disguise and Whispering Grace are scheduled to release in 2012 and 2013.

In my first paranormal story, I’ve currently ventured from the 1800’s to a place in the 21st century where old magic prevails.  Call Me Miz features heroine, Missouri Hess, a witch/healer living in Bitter Creek Holler.  My hero, Thomas Hunter is a shape-shifting government Special Forces Operative who spends half his time in jaguar form. I enjoyed these two so much, a second story wrote itself. Hexual Healing will release from Ellora’s Cave October 12th and is currently available for pre-buy at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Title:  HEXUAL HEALING
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave.

What do you think the readers will like about this book/series?
Hot sex combined with fast paced action, humor and intriguing paranormal possibilities.

HEXUAL HEALING

Harvest the magic of Samhain and sex

Heal the beast, rebound the hex

Burn, witch, burn…

Incantations, scryings and hexes abound when hedge witch Missouri Hess breaks out her rough magic. The Autumn Solstice is days away, Bitter Creek Holler is pulsing with mountain mysticism, Miz is burning up with enough sexual energy to light up Fenway Park and her lover is MIA. She…is…pissed.

Nothing in his military, shapeshifting, Special Forces background has prepared Thomas Hunter for the torture of jaguar mating heat or the wrath of a furious witch. Though he’s on a mission in DC, his beast wrests control, returning them to their mate.

After Thomas delivers his own brand of sexual healing, it’s back to DC, with Miz. There’s twisted magic at work. Someone has unleashed a snake-eyes death hex. Good thing Miz is all about hexual healing. And Thomas stands ready to take all the heat from her sexual burn.

Buy links:
Ellora's Cave     Amazon     B&N

What themes or tropes appear in your books?
I think you’ll always find determined women who have a strong sense of self-worth in each of my books.

What is the single, most important thing about writing for you?
Time to play with the voices in my head. *wink*

What new project are you working on now?
BARE CLAWS (working title) the third book in my Bitter Creek Hollow series.

How do you balance writing, family and other commitments?
I have a husband to help.  Mr. GS is proud of my success and urges me on, volunteers to “test” the erotic aspects of each book, and smiles at me over take-out.

What three authors would we find you reading once you finished writing a book?
Christina Dodd, Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews.

When I'm alone, I... write.
I love eating pizza with... friends ...and... like anything on it but garlic.
I would never... quit writing ...because... I can’t.
My secret vice is... long log pretzels with heavy salt. *yum*

You can find out more about Gem on her website, Gem's Place (blog), or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or sign up for her Dreamcatcher eZine newsletter.

My Holiday Reading List

I'm knocking off some of my To Be Read pile these holidays.

Nothing I like better than to curl up (in air conditioning) with a good book or five. Here are some of the books I plan on diving into over the Christmas break...

NEW AUTHORS 

OLD FAVORITES

What's on your holiday reading list?

The Christmas Shopping List

There is nothing I like more than being let loose in a bookstore (virtual or real) and filling a bag with books to take home and read.

Christmas time is my excuse to hit bookstores with my gift list of family and friends to buy for and guaranteed I DON'T come out of a bookstore empty handed. I swear I must have been a librarian or literature professor in a former life.

Anyhow, if you're wondering what books to buy someone who loves the romance genres I can make some personal recommendations (just try and stop me! - heh, heh).

A lot of my recommendations belong under the paranromal romance umbrella, but I've thrown in a handful of other genres as well.

Paranormal Romance
Nalini Singh -  (NZ author) her Psy/Changeling. Once tasted you'll kill anyone who gets in your way to devour...umm, I mean, buying the rest.

 Larissa Ione - if you like alpha demons/slayers, end of the world plots and twisty storylines set in modern times, then try the Demonica series.

Mel Teshco - her Winged & Dangerous series is my favorite. I love that she's used gargoyle shapeshifters as her characters (makes a change from the vampires & werewolves).








Urban Fantasy
Nalini Singh - the Angel series. Refer to my comment above.










Fantasy Romance

Kylie Griffin - (Aussie author) totally bias here, I know :-). Demons, half-breed demons, humans, magic, political intrigue & secrets set in a fantasy style world.

M.J.Scott - (another Aussie author) SHADOW KIN has been nicknamed a gas-light romance. I recently read this book and loved the complex world-building, not to mention the characters.

Denise Rossetti - (Aussie author) - the Four-Sided Pentacle or Phoenix Rising series are both great reads. For anyone who loves alpha heroes and wonderful world-building.

Elizabeth Vaughan - the Warprize series. I don't know how many times I've read the first three in this series. I've worn out the spines and need to buy a new set.








Post-Apocalyptic Romance

Joss Ware - Some of you might know she's been a guest here on my blog a couple of times now as I've really taken a shine to her Envy Chronicles series.
Not only does she give readers a Mad-Max meets zombies style setting, there's romance, mystery and are plenty of pop-culture references to giggle over in these books.


Science Fiction Romance

Sara Creasy - Her Scarabaeus series. Solid, engrossing SF with an element of romance where her characters fight to survive with the odds well and truly stacked against them. Techies will love the flavor of her bio-cyph & terra-forming world-building.

Linnea Sinclair - any of her Dock Five series. For anyone who likes their SF and romance mixed.

Lauren Dane - the Federation or Phantom Corps series. They're SF with an erotic heat level (fan the face stuff).




Western Romance

Sarah McCarthy - I've just discovered her Hell's Eight series. Phew-ey!!! Texas Rangers, bonded through a bloody past, determined to carve their place out of the wilderness, who take on heroines as challenging as the land itself.
I love a good western but these are hot (aka erotic) as well.

Lorelei James - more cowboys, this time bull-riders & ranchers in the Blacktop Cowboys series. Again, the heat level is hot, so don't go reading them in a barn.






Romantic Suspense

Jo Davis - like firefighters? Then check out the Firefighters of Station Five. Stuff them into your stocking and be prepared for a hot Christmas.









Historical Romance

Anna Campbell - (Aussie author) Regency romance at its best.

Bronwen Evans - (NZ author) her debut Regency romance is nominated for a Romantic Times Awards.

Anne Gracie - (Aussie author) more Regency romance. Anne's humor makes me keep coming back for more.