An Interview with Romance Bestseller Grace Marshall

Today I’m delighted to welcome best-selling erotic romance author Grace Marshall back to Beyond Romance, as part of her blog tour for her new release Interviewing Wade. Appropriately, Grace has agreed to let me interview her.

So let’s get started.

Lisabet: I know that in addition to erotic romance, you also write erotica under the pen name K.D. Grace. Do you feel a tension between your two author identities? Do you find that you tend to stray into erotica territory when you are writing romance (or vice versa)?

Grace: Thanks so much for having me over, Lisabet. It’s always a pleasure to be at your place whether I’m Grace or K D. Of course the lines between erotica and erotic romance get blurred all the time. Even my most raunchy KDG stories tend to lean heavily toward the romantic, though they are much more explicit. I can’t imagine romance without sex, and I’ve never liked closed bedroom doors in romance novels, so it’s only natural that my open bedroom door policy as Grace Marshall is going to lean a little more toward the explicit at times. I think one of the biggest difference in writing as Grace is that I’ve got a lot more space to unfold the story, which means there’s room for a more plot-heavy, more character-driven romance with sex at a more leisurely pace. The burn can be slower, which sometimes makes it even more intense.

Lisabet: When the idea for a new book hits you, do you know right away whether this will be a book for Grace or K.D? Or does it take a while for you to figure this out? Have you ever started writing a book in one genre and then switched it to the other?

Grace: I usually know immediately whether Grace or K D will be turning that idea into fiction. Anything in the Executive Decisions world, of course, will be Grace’s province. So far that world is the only world Grace has ever written from, with Interviewing Wade written by popular demand as … well as the 4^th book in the trilogy. There are several ideas in my head right now that will be more up K D’s alley, and there are usually roughly two K D novels to one Grace novel. Grace novels, generally speaking, demand a lot more out of me, though I might actually enjoy them slightly more for being such harsh task masters ;-)

Lisabet: At this point, there are hundreds of thousands of erotic romance authors churning out books. What distinguishes your work in the genre? Why should a reader choose one of your books as opposed to one of the millions of other romance novels available?

Grace: I like to think that my books take the more traditional romance ideas and twist them to the unexpected. I also am drawn as much to strong heroines as I am strong heroes. All of my novels are about alpha females as much as alpha males, and they are plot-heavy enough that it takes the strength of both of the characters to overcome the obstacles in order to reach an HEA. My novels have a lot more action and a lot less navel gazing, and the sex, whether in a K D or a GM novel is NEVER gratuitous. It’s always there to drive the story in some way or to help the reader become better acquainted with the characters.

Lisabet: Can you tell my readers a bit about the genesis of Interviewing Wade? What was your initial inspiration and how did it develop?

Grace: Actually, I’m SO excited to be able to share Wade’s story at last! Ever since An Executive Decision, the first of Grace Marshall’s Executive Decisions books, came out with Ellis and Dee’s story, readers, who loved the novel, were clambering for reclusive, nerd genius, Wade Crittenden’s story. To be perfectly honest, I seriously doubted that Wade would allow me to tell his tale. But even though the series was only supposed to be a trilogy, readers kept asking for Wade, so I relented. And frankly, after three novels in which Wade was always there, always being his reclusive surly self, always just enough to tease and intrigue, I wanted to know Wade’s story too. It had to happen, and the concept of having reporter, Carla Flannery hound him for an interview seemed to be a very good metaphor for me hounding him for his story.

Wade is the creative genius behind the fabulously progressive, green company, Pneuma, Inc, which he and Ellison Thorne founded together with the late Beverly Neumann. He is socially challenged and he could teach most recluses a thing or two. While Ellis and Dee work in the light-filled, glass and steel executive suites of the Pneuma Building, which Wade designed, Wade’s realm is the extensive basement and sub-floors of the building affectionately called by everyone else Wade’s Dungeon. A Red Room of Pain this ain’t. But it’s a totally fabulous, sometimes really scary place to hang out.

What happens when the Northwest’s most intriguing, and richest recluse reluctantly agrees to be interviewed by the Northwest’s most talented investigative journalist, Carla Flannery? Carla always gets her story, but sometimes that means making enemies. Wade’s ulterior motive for allowing the interview is to keep her safe by keeping her close when her life is threatened by an unknown stalker. And OMG, do the sparks sizzle when the two are forced into each other’s space up close and personal!

Thanks so much for having me over, Lisabet, and everyone, please remember to enter the giveaway and tell us who you’d like to interview!

Interviewing Wade Blurb

The Executive Decisions Trilogy may be over, but the story continues. Intrepid reporter, Carla Flannery, wants to interview Wade Crittenden, the secretive creative genius behind Pneuma Inc. But when, against all odds, Wade actually agrees to the interview, Carla suspects ulterior motives.

Carla has made a lot of enemies in her work and when Wade discovers she’s being stalked, he agrees to the interview to keep her close and safe. As the situation turns deadly, lives and hearts are on the line, and the interview reveals far more about both than either ever expected.

Interviewing Wade Excerpt

The dining area smelled of Chinese food. Lynn had spread the feast on the coffee table in front of the ratty sofa. For a moment, Carla stood staring at the food, feeling slightly nauseated. ‘I’m not hungry,’ she said.

‘Come on, you need to eat. With your metabolism, being what it is, if you don’t you’ll have wasted completely away by morning.’ He settled her onto the least lumpy part of the couch and then sat down next to her. When she made no effort, he opened the waxed cardboard containers and surveyed their contents. Then he ladled up a spoonful of egg flower soup and totally surprised her by bringing it, with a steady hand, to her lips. ‘A little bit,’ he said. ‘You don’t want to hurt Lynn’s feelings, do you?’

She opened her mouth, and he carefully spooned it in and watched while she swallowed. ‘Since when have you cared about hurting anyone’s feelings,’ she said. The soup had felt good against her throat, and it wasn’t so difficult to open her mouth when he spooned up the next bite.

‘I don’t, really, and just for the record, Lynn doesn’t care about mine either, but I’m not above lying to get my way.’ He ladled another spoonful into her mouth and this time she made an mmm sound at the back of her throat as she swallowed.

‘And are you getting what you want?’

‘You’re eating, aren’t you?’

He gave a little gasp of surprise when she took the spoon away from him, dipped up a nice fat egg drop and pointed the utensil in his direction. When he stared at her like she had two heads, she laughed softly. ‘Come on Crittenden, open up. Here comes a choo-choo.’ She wasn’t sure if he opened his mouth for the soup or because he was about to say something rude. Either way she took advantage and shoved the spoon home. When he took the bite, holding her gaze as though he didn’t quite understand what kind of creature had assaulted him with a soup spoon, holding her gaze with absolutely no sexual innuendo, but her insides trembled and hollowed anyway.

‘It’s good,’ he said, his cheeks turning a warm shade of pink, as he took the spoon back and returned the favour, and this time he didn’t protest when it was his turn– even as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and brazenly served up a sloppy mouthful of Singapore noodles while he sat with his mouth slightly open, making her think of a hungry nestling waiting for a worm. The thought made her giggle at the last instant, and he barely caught the end of an escaping noodle in time to slurp it off his chin and into his mouth. ‘You’re sloppy, Flannery,’ he said, licking his lips with two flicks of his tongue that made her breath catch and her nipples ache.

Dear Christ, he had no idea whatsoever what he did to her. This time, as she waited open-mouthed for her bite of soup, his hand was far less steady and at least half of it ended up in her cleavage. She yelped. ‘You did that on purpose.’

‘Did not’ he said. Handing her a napkin and watching wide-eyed as she dabbed away chicken broth.

‘Did so.’

‘Did not,’ he said. Then he filled the chopsticks dangerously full of noodles and brought them toward her mouth. ‘This –’ he fumbled the chopsticks and the whole bite slipped off the ends and right down between her breasts ‘—I did on purpose.’

Buy Links:

http://kdgrace.co.uk/books-2/an-executive-decision-novel-interviewing-wade/

About K D Grace/Grace Marshall

Voted ETO Best Erotic Author of 2014, and a proud member of The Brit Babes, K D Grace believes Freud was right. In the end, it really IS all about sex, well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than she is, otherwise, what would she write about?

When she’s not writing, K D is veg gardening. When she’s not gardening, she’s walking. She walks her stories, and she’s serious about it. She and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears out a pair of walking boots. She also enjoys martial arts, reading, watching the birds and anything that gets her outdoors.

KD has erotica published with SourceBooks, Xcite Books, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and others.

K D’s critically acclaimed erotic romance novels include, The Initiation of Ms Holly, Fulfilling the Contract, The Pet Shop. Her paranormal erotic novel, Body Temperature and Rising, the first book of her Lakeland Witches trilogy, was listed as honorable mention on Violet Blue’s Top 12 Sex Books for 2011. Books two and three, Riding the Ether, and Elemental Fire, are now also available.

K D Grace also writes hot romance as Grace Marshall. An Executive Decision, Identity Crisis, The Exhibition are all available.

Find Grace Marshall/ K D Grace Here:

Websites: http://kdgrace.co.uk/

http://www.thebritbabes.co.uk

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KDGraceAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KD_Grace

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kdgraceauthor/

GIVEAWAY!

Grace Marshall is giving away a $50/£30 Amazon gift card. All you have to do to enter is use the Rafflecopter widget below.

Be sure to follow the entire tour – as the more posts you comment on, the more chances you’ll have of winning:

http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/grace-marshall-5/

a Rafflecopter giveaway