Welcome special guest: author S.J. Maylee ( @SJMaylee @evernightpub #erom #BDSM )

Today we have author S.J. Maylee visiting. S. J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time.

So, S.J. Maylee, what inspired you to become a writer?
* My characters, they wouldn’t leave me alone. :) I’ve always loved to read, but it was my brother who was the writer, not me. I’ve always day dreamed scenes though. A couple years ago the scenes started building up from the same story and I couldn’t get them out of my head. I finally sat down and wrote. I was hooked immediately.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
* I started seriously writing in early 2011. I did finish the story. It’s about 220 pages and it’s in a secret, never to be disclosed location.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* TAKING CHANCES is the 2nd story I’ve written, but I’ve also completed two other stories while waiting for this first sale.

What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
* My favorite genre is erotic romance. I read lots of different genres, including: contemporary romance, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy. Basically, I just need the story to have some romance, preferable heat too, but it has to have romance.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* One of the best things you can do for your manuscript is to read it several times and then read it some more. Of course, breaks between read throughs are helpful. By the time you submit the manuscript, you should now those scenes like the back of your hand.
* The worst advice is anything that tells you to do something a certain way. Even the advice I just mentioned needs to be done in your own way. There is no one way to write a book, only your way.

How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
* Both need to be celebrated in my opinion. I definitely enjoy the acceptance letter a lot more, but rejections are helpful. They are a signal your manuscript isn’t right for that publisher or that it isn’t ready yet. Both insights are useful and both can push you forward and closer to the one we want … sweet acceptance, it’s so good and worth the wait.

In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
* Sophia Bush would make a great Lydia Taylor and Taylor Kinney could make a great Jake Reed.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
* TAKING CHANCES is the first book in a four part series I’m calling The Love Projects. Each story will take place at the same place of work. I’ve worked in a similar setting before and I’ve always thought it could be made a lot more interesting with some hot romance mixed in.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
* I love peanut butter fudge ice cream. Yum!

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* I’d love to live in Italy. I’d spend my days drinking strong coffee, reading, writing, and eating plenty of pizza and gelato.

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* 1. My eReader 2. My Laptop so I can write and listen to music 3. Internet, so I can buy more books 4. A Coffee Machine to feed my other addiction 5. A coffee bean grinder because the key to the perfect cup is freshly ground beans.

*** About S.J. Maylee’s book ***

~ Blurb ~ * Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he has the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies, and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.
* The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. But together they can find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed love.
Be Warned: spanking, BDSM, public exhibition

***Buy S.J. Maylee's book here***
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand

***Find S.J. Maylee here***
Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest

Thank you for joining us here today, S.J. Maylee! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

GIVEAWAY: To celebrate her debut, SJ’s hosting a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card. a Rafflecopter giveaway