Interview with Vallory Vance - Erotic Romance Author!

Steve and I are very pleased to introduce Vallory Vance to you. Vallory was a guest on A Naughty Reader's Boudoir a few months ago and we wanted to spot her on our blog as well. 

Vallory lives in Dallas and is here this week to share her 'sweet & spicy' stories. Help us give Vallory a warm welcome!

Brenda & Steve: Vallory, welcome to our blog! We’re so excited you could join us for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Vallory: I turned 40 last year and wanted to see if I could actually be a published author. That has always been a dream of mine. It was a scary experience and the rejections are tough, but in the end it has been worth it.

Brenda & Steve: Please tell us a little about your new release Music for Her Soul without giving too much of a spoiler away.

Vallory: In this book working musician, Ethan Holden tries to reclaim the heart of his ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter. But as Ethan finds out, Lena Spencer may be the one woman immune to his charms. 

Brenda & Steve: We are very familiar with the skyline in the intro image. Steve and I lived in Plano outside of Dallas up until last November - too bad we didn't meet before we moved. Bummer, well on to the questions. Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Vallory: That’s a little of both. I write character studies before I start actually writing the book. But when I start writing the story, I’m often surprised by new details in the character’s lives.

Brenda & Steve: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

Vallory: I am researching a lot more since I began writing longer works. It is usually various floor plans, current clothing styles and trendy restaurants in the city I’m writing about. For this book, Ethan is a working musician and I found companies that employ musicians on a contract basis. These guys get to travel all over the country and the world, but sometimes there is not a lot of notice. Imagine that factored into a relationship! Honey, I’m leaving for a tour across Canada. See you and the kids in three months.

Brenda & Steve: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Vallory: I write an outline and character studies. It works better when I can see where I’m going. One thing I don’t do is write in a straight line. I may work on Chapter Three then skip to Chapter Ten. 

Brenda & Steve: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Vallory: I work in HR and only write as time permits. I look forward to vacations and holidays so I can write more.

Brenda & Steve: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Vallory: There a few things I have to have – Dr. Pepper for evening writing, coffee for morning writing and music all the time.

Brenda & Steve: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Vallory: I pick a playlist for the evening writing and write for one hour each weeknight. Sunday is my big writing day, I’m in my little corner with a few cans of Dr. Pepper and I’m writing for six hours.

Brenda & Steve: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Vallory: I have a self-published novella entitled, Cheers to be released on December 14, 2012.

Brenda & Steve: Oh, your covers are so sexy!! What is your favorite genre to read and who is your favorite author?

Vallory: I love mystery and romance. For mysteries two of my favorites are Jonathan Kellerman and Walter Mosley. For romance, I like so many, it’s hard to choose. I’ll have to say the last two I read – Shara Azod and Lyric James.

Brenda & Steve: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

Vallory: I love hearing from readers and other writers, so feel free to connect with me online.

Brenda & Steve: Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?

Vallory: Music for Her Soul can be found on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble,  All Romance, and Smashwords. You can connect with me on my blog, Vallory V ~ A Romance Author Blog or on Twitter @ValloryVance.

****CONTEST****

Giveaway of one eBook copy of Music for Her Soul to a lucky commenter. Drawing will be held on Saturday, Dec 1st. 

Good Luck!

About Vallory Vance

This new author is a color inside the lines Human Resources professional living in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex by day. After her family consisting of a husband of almost twenty years, three kids and two dogs have filled her evenings with laughter, she sits down to her laptop to write tales of the first moments of falling in love when nothing else seems to matter.

As a fortieth birthday present to herself, she decided to share her stories. Vallory Vance is the pen name she uses to write contemporary romances that range from sweet to spicy.

Music for Her Soul Blurb

Lena Spencer is a practical woman whose world is carefully ordered by schedules and timelines and she doesn’t like surprises. So when she receives a call from a beautiful model detailing an affair with her boyfriend, her world is thrown into chaos. With the help of her boisterous sister and niece, Lena manages to pick up the pieces and resume her role as a single working mom with the added bonus of a few slinky dresses to show off the figure she’d always hidden.  Feeling sexy and confident, she is almost prepared for Ethan’s return from a European tour. Almost.

Musician, Ethan Holden, realized too late that he’d miscalculated the level of Lena’s fury. A ten month tour through Europe and a crazed fan had proven too much for the both of them. Returning to his hometown, he is determined to win her back despite her resistance. But can he give up the music he loves if that’s the only thing she wants?

Music for Her Soul Excerpt

A sharp pain jolted down her spine to the center of her back, but she managed to hold her weighted eyes open in a squint. A dull, throbbing ache in her head kept her still. Somehow, she knew it was better not to move.

“Lena?” Ethan came into blurry view, his heavy brows holding his eyelids down in a drowsy stare.

“What happened to your hair?” She reached her hand up to the short buzzed sides of his face. Why had he cut his beautiful hair?

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. The stubble above his lip tickled her palm. “Mmm.” He kissed her hand again.

She wanted to kiss him back, but she was so sleepy. And a constant screech whining in her ears made it difficult to move. “What happened?” Her memory failed her.

“It looks like you hit a tree branch and skidded off the road. You’ve been in and out of it for about twelve hours.” The crescent shapes darkening his eyes said that he’d been awake for most of those hours.

He smoothed back a strand of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear then followed the trail of his finger with soft kisses. She giggled and curled her hands around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her lips. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.” She wondered why there was necessity in his voice. Was she hurt? She ruffled her fingers through his hair and wiggled her legs. A sharp tingle spread down to her toes. Her limbs worked. She pushed his head up and looked into his worried eyes, searching his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I love you.” A smile graced his tired face and he nuzzled into her neck. He murmured something sweetly, but it was drowned out by the screech that had intensified in her head and sped like lightning down her spine, causing her to groan and her body to twist suddenly in pain.

Ethan was shouting far away from her and a mechanical whir of indefinable sound spun around her mind.

A kind-faced woman spoke softly above her, but her eyes were focused on Ethan as a warm, soothing liquid flowed into her veins, quieting her mind. She remembered why she shouldn’t have told him that she loved him.

Catryn. How could he let her believe that? How could he leave her alone for eight more months? “Why didn’t you come for me?” She mouthed the words and wondered if he’d been able to hear. For her, there was only sleep.