A Giveaway with Jean Hart Stewart!

Today meet one of Romance Books '4' Us 20 Author Members...author Jean Hart Stewart!

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Someone who leaves a comment will receive a Romance Books '4' Us size XL tee-shirt! Be sure to leave your email address in the box with your comment! Note: We only ship to US or Canadian addresses!

Latest Book: Fearless Pursuit
Buy link...Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, http://www.jeanhartstewart.com/

BIO:
Married a good long while to the same man! Two children and two grandchildren. When my husband died three years ago my world changed. Bought a smaller house, which he approved of and I love. Yes, he sometimes talks to my head. My kids are terrific and I’m fortunate and know it. I’ve always written, but finally felt a deep compulsion to quit my real estate career about fifteen years ago. Now I wish I’d done so sooner, as I’m never happier than when starting a new book. Or better yet, finishing it. Or deep in the research or plotting, as I do a lot of research and love it. Would love questions from anyone about me or my writing. And if you see a CA car with the license plate “DRUIDS 1”, that’s me. Flag me down!

Q: How did I celebrate publishing my first book?
A: I got the acceptance news, screamed and ran to tell my husband, who was almost as pleased as I was. I sent e-mails to everybody I knew when it was actually published. That was 34 books ago and I no longer scream, but it’s always a great big thrill.

Q: Dream cast if any of my books were made into a movie?
A: Colin Firth, for sure. He’s the epitome of a handsome, sexy leading man. The female lead would have to vary by the book, but Colin could do them all as far as I’m concerned.

Q: What is your writing schedule like?
A: My writing generally comes at the end of the day. Now that my husband has died I don’t have to stick to a schedule, unless I’m going out to dinner with friends. I write between three and ten in the evening. Television no longer tempts me, except for a few programs. Ideas for the plot I’m working on often come to me during the night, and I keep a pad and pencil by the bed to jot them down. Or I memorize key words, but that doesn’t always work. Sometimes by the time I wake I remember the words but I’ve forgotten what they mean.

Q: Most important thing I do for my career?
A: Promo, although I’m terrible at promoting myself and don’t like it. I know I should do much more. I did none when I first started, so I guess anything’s an improvement.

Q: How do I choose names for my characters?
A: Very carefully indeed. I research the year involved and the country. Sometimes it takes me a long while to decide and once in a while the name starts feeling wrong as I type along and I go back to my research and choose another. I also have learned to be careful not to have sound-alike names or names starting with the same initial as another character. I go for unusual names that fit the character and hopefully the reader will remember.

Q: Covers I don’t like?
A: Of course there are one of two. With over thirty books I can’t be enthusiastic about all of them. I must say that several I didn’t think I liked turned out to be the favorite of readers and eventually me.. My latest one, for the sixth book in my Passionate Pursuits series, shows a fully clothed couple and this is for an erotica…Not at all appropriate, at least in my viewpoint. I used to have one go at correcting a cover, but now Ellora’s Cave has gotten so big you take what you get. They are a terrific publisher, though, and I feel lucky to be with them.

Q: One advice tip to an aspiring writer?
A: Put your butt in a chair and write something every day. Even if it’s nonsense and you later erase it. Don’t get in the habit of not writing.

Q: Genre I haven’t tried I’d like to?
A: Steampunk.

Q: The part of the book that drives me crazy when I’m writing?
A: The blasted soggy middle. I asked Mary Balogh once what she did when she hit that wall and she said, ‘Make it worse’. Really, really good advice.

Q: Comfort food or music when writing?
A: No, no comfort food for me when I’m writing. And no music.. Gotta have silence and no distractions.

Fun Questions:
Q: Favorite holiday?
My favorite holiday? Xmas, hands down.

Q: Two things that might surprise people?
A: Well, let’s see. I have a truly irrational fear of spiders. Big time. Second strange fact, my father was killed by an errant golf ball (the other golfer was unbelievably careless). I was only six, and this changed my life. I grew up pretty ignorant of men, and with little money.

Q: What did you want to be when growing up?
A: As a child, I knew I wanted to be a writer. No question.

Q: Favorite food?
A: Ice cream, unless vodka counts.

Q: Favorite happy memory?
A: This is really hard, I’ve been so lucky and have so many, Perhaps when I met my husband to be for the first time and told the girlfriend I’d come to the library with that I’d just met the man I was going to marry.

Q: Favorite drink?
A: I’ve already given this away… Vodka on ice, with two big olives. Just one please, that’s all I want or can handle.

Q: Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?
A: Hot summer days. Love them!!!!

Q: What super power would you like to have?
A: The superpower I’d pick is to be a time traveler. Would like to drop in on some of my favorite authors in their time period. I’d also like to visit heaven once in a while and just look at beloved faces. Don’t really want to visit the future. That’s a scary thought.

Where can you be found?
You can find me at http://www.jeanhartstewart.com/
Ellora’s Cave, erotica, sensual and historical, Passion in Print, MuseitUp.
I blog at Romancebooks4Us and Seven Sexy Scribes.
I’m at Amazon, Kindle, Nook, Barnes and Noble and other book sites. Google has about 20 or so pages under my name, so you can always check there. Or course I’m on Facebook and Twitter.

BLURB:
When the handsome, sexy elf gets serious about love and his heritage all kinds of trouble explodes. A particularly nasty villain who craves both Reina's body and the income from her singing uses a young child to compel Reina to his will. It was take all Rurik's skills, elfin and otherwise to rescue them both.

Even so, it might not be enough.

EXCERPT: Warning: Adult Language
When Reina left Tommy’s room her emotions were in turmoil. She wasn’t stupid, damn those protective elves. They’d refused to let her see Tommy until he’d recovered enough so as not to shock her. He was still desperately thin, his eyes shuttered so as not to reveal too much of the horror he’d been through. She could only guess at the shape he’d been in when brought here, and she could barely endure her suspicions.

By all that was holy, she’d bring down Bartolini. Certainly she’d never sing for him again, no matter his threats. It sounded dramatic, even to her, but she’d rather die first. It would not be simply singing. Once she returned she was certain he’d rape her. Just as soon as he got the chance.

She needed to see Rurik. He alone could make things right.

She found him in the hall, seeking her. The moment he saw her he looked deeply into her eyes and swept her into a tight embrace, holding her to him so tightly she gasped for breath. Before she could say a word he turned her face up and kissed her with an ardency that twirled her brain to mush. Backing her up against the wall he pressed his instant, rock-hard erection against her soft mound.

“I have only to see you and I become a raging beast. I can’t even say I'm sorry. If we were anywhere but the hall of my parents’ home I’d keep you against the wall, peel off your panties and teach you about love here and now. Feel how you affect me, my love.”

Reina looked at his bulging trousers and could think of nothing else but she’d found the one man she could love. She closed her fingers around his erection, lightly massaging his cock through his trousers as he ground into her clenched fingers.

His groan was heartfelt, but his beautiful smile lit up his face. “You’ve accepted me. Thank all the elves, you’ve accepted me. You know in your heart we belong together.”

He turned her face up to his and kissed her with all the love in his heart.

“We have to stop, Reina. I could come on the spot but that would leave you unsatisfied. You’ll need to visit with Tommy for a while to make him feel more secure, and I have to check in at the clinic. There’s a patient there I’ve neglected for far too long.”

He pushed up her blouse enough to kiss each breast with multiple kisses along the sloping sides of the perfect globes. He didn’t dare touch her nipples. Then he smoothed down her clothing.

“Until later, my love. I’ll wake you so don’t try to wait up for me.”

He ground his cock against her again, but held her off when she put her arms around his neck.

“Just wait, love,” he whispered. “I’ll show you how much I love you later. You’ll never be in doubt of my love after tonight."