Getting to know Author EM Woods

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Em Woods. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What you do, either for a living or for fun or both.

Not so long ago, I was an Army brat, which lends to my imagination (Oh, the places I have seen…lol) and I am the mother of two energetic little boys, which gives me my sense of humor. I should mention that I’ve been married to the most wonderful and understanding man for 14 years.

I have lived everywhere thanks to the travel bug I inherited from my parents, but currently am push-pinned in southeast Michigan. A typical day is a little crazy but I always work in writing time (though sometimes I sacrifice sleep!).

I am multi-published with Total-e-Bound Publishing as well as Breathless Press…and every week I am working hard on one blog story or another that I offer on my website each Monday as part of The Story Orgy.

Q: Are you a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use an outline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of common sense?
Oh my gosh. I such a plotter I scare myself sometimes. LOL. I plot right down to finding floor plans for houses of my characters, pictures/options of their cars, etc. All of it I do before hand. Some things I keep hanging in front of me and others are just things that I want to keep in the back of my mind while I’m writing.

Q: Tell us all about your latest or upcoming release. What inspired it?
My upcoming release is actually a part of an anthology by a writing group I belong to called The Story Orgy. Each Monday we use prompts to write a story or segment of a story. We took a collection of our recent stories and subbed them to Breathless Press – who accepted (yay!). My story is Harper’s Discovery. 

To say where it came from is hard to say since there were so many prompts involved! LOL. But I could say that my fellow authors inspired me to create a lengthy blog story and I owe it to them. 

Short blurb:

When Harper Evans discovers his boyfriend in yet another bar with yet another Joe, he makes the final break and kicks him out. More relieved than heart-broke, Harper turns his attention to the letter burning a hole in his pocket that could mean a fresh start across the country.

Pitt Mullen has been looking for just such an opportunity and pounces on it - and Harper - when it shows up. But not everything is as it appears. When Pitt gets a late night call and rushes to another, will Harper understand or cut his ties before he listens to the truth?

Q: If you had super powers, what would they be? Why?
Is time management a super power? Because I soooo need that!

Q: What genre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?
Ironically, the genre that I held out there like a carrot dangling from a pole is horror. Don’t ask me why. Probably because it is the furthest thing from what I usually write that it intrigues me. And because it would be the most work for me. 

Q: What’s a fun fact about you? Something unique, a particular talent?
Oh! I am deathly afraid of heights…but I love to fly. Go figure.

Q: What is one thing readers might be surprised to know about you?

My muse is a real person – JR Boyd. He’s amazing and funny. I adore him. *waves to JR* … other than that…no surprises here.

Q: Were your stories secret projects or were you able to be open with your family and friends about your writing?

Surprisingly enough, I started this out with the intent that I wouldn’t hide in the closet to write. My desk is in my living room and I don’t hide my book collection away (except those completely inappropriate for small children, of course). When people ask what I’m doing, I tell them. My mother-in-law owns a copy of the Saddle Up ‘N Ride anthology where my first story came out in print. And she read it. *grin* She rocks. 

Q: Do you have any weird writing habits?

Of course…not. LOL.

Q: What's your favorite genre to read?

Romance of any kind. I am such a junkie.

Q: What type of book have you always wanted to write?

One longer than twenty-thousand words. Seriously. J

Q: What authors can be found in your library of books (print, audio or e-books)?

Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan, Anton Chekhov, Ryssa Edwards, Stephani Hecht, Ava March, JK Rowling, Hank Edwards, Lee Brazil, DC Juris, Cameron Dane - among many, many others.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world (money is no object), where would you go? Why? And for how long?

Can I stay at home and hire a maid and cook instead?

Q: Do you have any obsessions? What are they?

There is only one I can think of…and it sounds a bit ridiculous when I say it out loud – My dishes have to be a certain way, and in a certain place, in the dishwasher.  I know.

Q: Is there anything you’re currently working on that you can give us a taste of?

Here’s a nibble of the Christmas story that I wrote for a completely awesome reader of the Story Orgy that he submitted a prompt for:

Two steaming mugs of hot chocolate slid onto the table. “I’ll be back in a bit to see how you’re doing, boys.” And the waitress disappeared as quickly as she arrived.

Gave picked up his cup and blew on it to cool it down. Chris did the same, but instead of blowing, he inhaled the steam rising from the foamy drink. His eyes drifted shut and Gave stole the opportunity to drink in the peaceful expression on Chris’s face.

His skin was smooth, pale and freckled, with a nose that seemed to arrow down to slender lips. He was masculine without being muscular or shadowed and even now Chris appeared completely at ease in his own skin.

The perfect man.

If Gave were looking for one.

Blue eyes snapped open and met Gave’s stare, stealing his breath with their intensity. Gave was mistaken. Chris wasn’t just at ease in his skin, he was at ease with the world around him and what he wanted from it. Shifting in his seat, Gave dropped his gaze to his drink. He didn’t care for being the insecure one on a date. He hastily tipped the hot mug to his lips and gulped a mouthful. Maybe this wasn’t as simple as he liked after all.

Maybe it wasn’t worth the risk this time.

Gave heard a tsking noise from Chris. “I see I need to start at the beginning.”

“What does that mean?” His voice cracked.

“Hot Chocolate 101.” Chris sounded entirely too amused.

Gave slowly raised the mug again, taking another sip. “I know how to drink hot chocolate.”

“No. You don’t.” Chris inched his chair closer to Gave. “Let me demonstrate.” He lifted his cup to his lips, keeping his eyes locked with Gave’s. In long, slow draws he drank the rich cocoa, letting each swallow flex the muscles in his neck, pulling Gave’s attention to the slender column of flesh.

Gave wondered what it would feel like to have those lips wrapped around him, to have that throat working him like Chris lived to drink Gave down.

Q: When creating your characters, do you have models in mind or are they totally fictional?

I usually start with the character himself or something about him. Once I started with the guy’s job and worked out from there. Then I find a picture that best fits them so that I can keep that visual in my mind.

Q: Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I don’t know that they control me, but they certainly have a say in what happens. Every now and then, they can get really stubborn if I try and do something they don’t like.

Q: If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Okay, so honestly, I had no clue what to say here. So I asked a friend and he said : Beware of low caffeine levels AND Beware of the truth. I’m guessing that means I’ll blurt my opinion out at the drop of a hat, and I’m a touch bit crabby when I don’t get my coffee! LOL

Q: Please tell us where we can find you on the web.

http://authoremwoods.com  (my website!!)

http://www.facebook.com/emwoodsauthor

http://goodreads.com/emwoods

http://twitter.com/emwoodsauthor

http://facebook.com/SOGroup

Coming December to Breathless Press, The Story Orgy Collection that includes Harper's Discovery by EM Woods

When Harper Evans discovers his boyfriend in yet another bar with yet another Joe, he makes the final break and kicks him out. More relieved than heart-broke, Harper turns his attention to the letter burning a hole in his pocket that could mean a fresh start across the country.

Pitt Mullen has been looking for just such an opportunity and pounces on it – and Harper – when it shows up. But not everything is as it appears. When Pitt gets a late night call and rushes to another, will Harper understand or cut his ties before he listens to the truth?

 Sneak Peek Excerpt:

“What did I say the last time I caught you out?” Cold realization simmered in Harper’s belly, hardening into resolve. He wasn’t anyone’s pawn. If the man didn’t want to be in a relationship, Sly just had to fucking say so.

Of course, with Harper paying for everything, why would Sly want to lose that?
“That we’d be through if I did it again.”

Harper waved a hand between them. “This is over. Get your shit out of my apartment.”

The wounded look on Sly’s face would have given Harper pause if he’d really given a shit about the other man. Instead, Harper found he was more relieved than anything else to be rid of this particular bit of baggage.

Sly nodded, hanging his head in what he would have called a suitably remorseful fashion. “I’ll swing by tomorrow.”

“Good.” Harper turned away from his ex, wanting nothing more than to put tonight’s events behind him. Ten steps later he found his path blocked. There weren’t many men who would chance him walking over the top of them. Really, only one that Harper knew made a habit of it.

Pitt Mullen. 

Harper took his time to look over the shorter man in front of him. Sky blue eyes and dark blond hair, tanned skin, a pert nose and cheeks that would dimple completed the prettiest face Harper had the privilege of knowing. He’d dreamed of Pitt more times than he cared to admit but he’d been dating Sly which made him unavailable. Until now.

Pitt continued to stare up at him, a slight quirk to his full lips.

Harper’s gaze dialed in on them, watching as a pink tongue darted out to lick those lips. He stifled a groan as his cock hardened in his jeans. Jesus.

Pitt’s gaze slid off in the direction Harper just came from as he jerked his chin in Sly’s direction. “You finally get your head out of your butt?”

Harper’s lip curled up. “Just because we’re friends, don’t think I won’t kick your ass, Little Bit.”

Quick as a flash, Pitt pressed his body against Harper’s, shifting just a bit to leave no doubt how turned on he was by Harper. “Sure that’s what you wanna do with my ass, Harp?”