Welcome Ivy Bateman today

Welcome to my Reading Nook, Ivy Bateman. Please make yourself at home and let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink.

Well, isn't this lovely? Thanks for having me over!

Comfortable? Wonderful. Now let’s get started.

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

My favorite character from my books is Lily Sinclair, the lead character in my current release. Perhaps readers may be confused as to why she is my favorite since Lily is an extremely cold person who treats people badly, uses people and pretty much does as she pleases, but she was a lot of fun to write! She is so different than me; almost polar opposite in a lot of ways and it was a challenge to write someone like that. A lot of my characters have tiny aspects of me in them, but Lily doesn't. Ok...maybe a little. Some of the things she actually says to people, I may think, but never say!

Tell us about your current/upcoming release. What inspired this story?

My current release is called Baby, You're Cold Inside. It was released from Breathless Press back in December. Like my second release with BP, The Fifth Story, which came out in September, 2012, it's a paranormal erotic tale. However, this one is a holiday tale inspired by the classic "A Christmas Carol". My husband helped me come up with the idea after I answered a call out from Breathless Press for holiday tales. Lily is the Scrooge character and she is taken back in time by an ice creature who wants to melt her icy nature and release the warm soul he believes lurks inside. It's nice that he tries...

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

I'm not a terribly disciplined writer. I don't have a set time of day to write or a length of time. If I have an idea, I'll find the time to do it and I'll write until my hands hurt, the ideas stop coming or I have dinner to make.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

I find starting the hardest part. The idea may be there, but getting those first words down is often very difficult for me. I'm usually plagued by doubt and have to beat it aside before I can get started.

What does your family think of your writing career?

The ones who know about it are very proud of me. Most of my close family members know I write, but they know my family friendly writing. Only a few of my family members know about Ivy, but have never read my work. Except for my mother; she read my second release The Fifth Story. I warned her about the erotic sections and she managed to get through them without thinking less of me.

What do you think makes a good story?

Personally, what I look for in any story are characters that have depth. I love a book that has characters that are so believable that you can imagine a life for them beyond the page or you can figure out a back story for them even if the author doesn't tell you what that is. However, I may be that way because I have a theatre background and we had to figure out our characters back story whenever we picked up a script.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

I am a minor plotter, major pantser. When I write a story I usually have the basic plot worked out and even some of the plot points, but how to get from a to b to c, no idea! I write this way because I like to learn about my characters as I write them and see where they want to go. Actually what's kind of funny is that whenever I'm writing a story I'll tell my husband "I'm going to do this, and this and this..." and then when he reads my story he always ends up saying "So...I see you went a different way than you intended...". He's used to that by now.

How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?

This too could have something to do with my theatre background, but, as I said above, I usually let me characters dictate where they want to go. Once I've gotten to know my characters a bit, I think to myself "What would (character) do in the situation?" and go from there. I have no formula at all.

What book are you reading now? Any favorite authors/books you want to do a shout out for?

I'm currently reading the 4th book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. I've really got to get cracking though as my husband is waiting for his turn to read it. And as for favorite authors, I love Sharon Shinn. She sets her books in alternative worlds that are imaginative and complex and she always has strong female leads. I find her to be very inspiring.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like to dance around the house with my daughter, chat with friends and family, read and watch TV shows on DVD with my husband.

Morning Person or Night Person? 

I think I'm a late morning, early evening person. My energy gains momentum around 10 or 11am and then peaks again around 7pm.

Coffee, tea or other drink to get you moving in the morning? 

Coffee, with a side of coffee and more coffee to go. I'm a total mess until I get that first cup into me.

What is coming up from you in 2013? Anything you want to tease us with?

So, far, I've got a whole lot of nothing on the horizon. I'll be actively promoting my latest book for a while followed by working on some personal writing projects. I'll still be blogging, but at the moment, I don't have any irons in the fire. However, you never know when inspiration will strike...I think your cabana boy is giving me the eye...

Anything else you want to add? 

Why sure! Here's where I can be found.

Ivy's Blog: Ivy B Misbehavin'

Twitter @IvyBateman.

Book trailers on You Tube:

Baby, You're Cold Inside & The Fifth Story

Write Ivy at ivybmisbehavin@gmail.com.

Ivy's books available at Breathless Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca,

All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand, Barnes & Noble and more.

Thanks for taking the time to be here today. I wish you many sales and wonderful reviews.

Thanks very much again Dawn. It's been fun! I think I'll take a drink and a cabana boy to go! 

Sneak Peek into Baby You're Cold Inside

Lily Sinclair isn't in the Christmas spirit.

Successful, sexy and headstrong; being nice is too overrated when being naughty is so much more fun. However, there are those who believe that her cool interior stands in her way of true happiness. On the night when something a little bit colder than Lily takes her on a journey to her past, she goes along for the ride, but...

Will her guide show her just what it will take to melt her icy soul?

Excerpt from Baby, You're Cold Inside By Ivy Bateman

"Oh yes, my dear, just a little bit further...come on honey...just bend over a little further. Come on now—just a little bit lower, that's it." I bite my lip to keep from screaming. "That's right keep it up, keep it up...I'm so close, yes, baby keep it up—no, no, no! Not now!"

I lean over my desk and punch the intercom. "Phillip! Get your ass in here now!"

He doesn't respond to my holler. Maybe he has the volume turned down. He's done that before, the bad boy, trying to ignore me. What kind of assistant does that to his boss? One that doesn't last that long, that's who.

I punch the intercom button again, harder even though it won't make a difference, but I'm desperate and my buzz is quickly fading away.

"Phillip! Don't ignore me! I need to see you in my office now!"

Again, he isn't doing anything! Okay that's not true. He's still doing something. He is still filing and bending over, which is a marvel to behold, but his moves are being wasted! I open my desk drawer and pull out a squishy ball. I chuck it at the mirrored glass that stands approximately twenty feet from the front of my desk. Phillip jumps and screams like a girl. He glances at the mirrored glass looking slightly shamefaced. He can't see me, but he knows I can see him. Wow, he's a good looking guy...who isn't moving!

My morning good time feeling is being quickly defeated by the anger that is starting to build up in my system. I throw a second ball against the glass. Another girlish scream erupts from Phillip, but this time he springs into action. He hot foots it to my door and opens it at top speed. He's breathless and nervous which is perfect; it's the way I like my men.

"Yes, Ms. Sinclair? Is there something I can help you with?" He runs a hand through his shiny brown hair and steps into my office.

"No, Phillip, I just like to throw things at my wall to hear you squeal. Thank you for being so obliging." I am sarcastic to the point of it being farcical, but my lovely yet sometimes a little dim assistant doesn't pick up on it even a little.

"Oh, that's fine, Ms. Sinclair. I-I-I like to squeal for you." He blushes and looks at his large, polished shoes. "I'll go back to my desk and listen for another ball. Thank you for making me aware that you like my noises." He backs toward the door, his face now the shade of a ripe tomato. It's adorable, but I don't have time for adorable.