WATCH OUT: Lainey Reese Interview

SC: I want to welcome you all to another edition of Watch Out. This week I’m excited to bring you a great author by the name of Lainey Reese.
Welcome Lainey, it is so great to have you here this week.

LR: Thank you. I’m thrilled that you wanted to interview me.

SC: For the readers out there who might not know about you or your work, can you please tell them a little about yourself.

LR: I’m new to the writing world so I’m surprised when anybody knows who I am. A Table for Three is my first published novel. I have been writing or making up stories ever since I can remember. I always wanted to be an author, I just didn’t know it until I hit my teens. You see, until I was thirteen or so I thought I wanted to be an actress. Then I figured out that in all of my day dreams of fame and glory I was always starring in movies that I wrote. It was always more about the story than me being in front of the camera. It took me a lot of years to work up the courage to submit a book. I’ve written at least a dozen, but it wasn’t until A Table for Three that I was brave enough to risk rejection and submit.

SC: Can you tell us a little about your current Table for Three?

LR:A Table For Three is a story about a young girl named Riley who moves to New York. On her first night in town she meets Cade in an upscale nightclub and it’s instant, undeniable attraction on both sides. He’s powerful, drop dead gorgeous and he is also a Dom. He explains to Riley that she’s stumbled into a dangerous club and offers her two options; submit or leave. Riley thinks about it and decides that all her life she would wonder what would have happened if she walked away, so she takes a deep breath and stays. Little does she realize that submitting to Cade means submitting to his best friend Trevor too.
It doesn’t take long for the men to know that Riley is the one woman they can not live without and they set out to prove to her that she can have a true and lasting love with not just one but two men.
There is danger coming at them though that they never see coming until it’s almost too late. Then it’s up to Cade and Trevor to find and stop the killer before the killer takes Riley.

SC: I saw on your web site that you were 12 when you wrote your first romance story. What inspired you to write romance at such a young age?

LR:I have always loved love stories. I used to sit with my mother and watch all the classics like Love Story with Ali Mcgraw and Ryan O’Neil. It was that movie that inspired my first full length story. My starring couple was doomed and both died oh so tragically since I was ticked that poor Ali had to die while Ryan got to live. Hey, I was twelve all I cared about was fair. I still look back on that and smile.

SC:What has been the hardest part for you in the publishing world?

LR: I have been very fortunate, for which I am exceedingly grateful. Samhain was the first publisher I submitted to and my editor has been a God send. Every step of the way she has been helping me learn the ropes and telling me what to expect. I have been lucky enough to find the publishing world full of generous and kind people willing to give advice and lend an ear every where I turn. So, I guess if I had to pick something, I’d say it was the time it takes to get from submission to release, only because I am so darned impatient.

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

LR:I can’t type. It’s true. I never took a typing class. I can type pretty fast, but only if I look at my fingers. I go at a snails pace unless I’m writing from my imagination. If I have to type something from a document that I have to look at, forget it…I’ll be there all week.

SC:I see you are a fan of Serenity. Were you part of the browncoat army? Who was your favourite character on Firefly, serenity?

LR:Now, that’s just not fair! Asking me to pick a favorite? That whole show is a favorite. How can you ask me to pick between Wash’s humor or the Captain’s charm? Or the Shepard’s devotion and the quirkiness of River and Kaylee? Now Jane and Zoe are too opposites of the same coin of bad-ass-ness (is that a word?) And let’s not leave out the biting wit of Anara either, she was one great character. And the doctor was the ultimate sweet yet unfailing boy next door. When it comes to the movie? Have you ever seen a better villain? Nope, can’t do it…just too hard. The closest I can come is to tell you that I have a HUGE crush on Mal and never miss an episode of Castle. He’ll always be the Mal to me. Same goes for Chuck, Casey will always be Jane. I’m hopeless.

SC: Is there anything you are currently working on that you can give us a taste of?

LR:I have two books in the works right now. One is a short called SnowFall. The other is the sequel to A Table for Three called Damaged Goods. Here’s a sneak peak that I have not shared with any one else:

Damaged Goods, excerpt

“Now,” He began, “I need to know what you’ve done before and what you want to do. You said you haven’t been with anyone in the club, but have you ever tried BDSM with a boyfriend?”

“No.” The answer filled him with what he called his ‘Captain Kirk glee’. May not be modern but it was what it was. He loved going where no man had gone before.

“Ever been tied up or restrained?” When she shook her head no he said, “We’ll start there.” He scooped one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees then stood and headed to the equipment area. Her eyes were opened wide in her anxious face. He could tell she was torn between her fear of biting off more than she could chew and excitement about what was about to happen. He spoke to her as he set her on her feet in front of a St. Andrews cross. “We are just going to try restraints for now. I want to see how you react to that before we take it any further. Tell me, have you already decided on a safe word?”
She nodded and said the last thing he could have imagined. “Pickles.”
With a laugh and a mental note to himself to find out why she chose that word he continued. He saw that her breathing had increased and she was back to clenching her fists. “Terryn,” he said softly and ran a finger along her collar, “tell me why you have a yellow collar.” She swallowed and gave him a look before answering, “Because I’m not new anymore.”
“That’s a start. Go on.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tell me why the collars are colored and what the colors mean. I need to know how much you know.”
“Oh.” She looked like she’d just been given a pop quiz. “The red is only for your first couple visits. The yellow is for after that and then you get a green one.”
“And what do those colors represent?” He asked while slowly running his hands up and down her bare arms.
“Um, the red one means that no one can touch you, you’re still learning and the yellow means you’re ready to try. The green means you’re up for grabs.”

He slowly shook his head and lifted first one arm and then the next into it’s restraint. “Not exactly. The yellow tells the Dom to be cautious, go slow and don’t assume this sub knows everything she should. The green tells him, this sub is confidant and knows what the rules are. That allows him to go forward without having to break character, so to speak.” Both her arms were secure now and he knelt down to place her feet. As he positioned each one in turn he removed her shoes. Heels may do wonders for a woman’s legs, but for him during a scene nothing was sexier than bare feet.

The restraints were leather. Lined with thick cotton they safeguarded against injury, even so he checked the fit on all four before standing back. “Any collar, even a green one doesn’t mean a sub is up for grabs. The sub always has the true power. Did you know that?” His eyes wondered over her slowly, from her bare spread feet to the tips of her wide spread fingers.
When he met her fascinated gaze she shook her head and said in a whisper, “How could this be power? I’m trapped. You could do anything right now.” From the look on her face he could tell that thought was equally arousing and frightening to her.
“Ah, I could, huh?” He stepped close, until his chest was against her breasts and his lips brushed her cheek as he spoke. “I could flog you?” She caught her breath and held it. “Or, perhaps, I could strip you and share you with some of the men watching from the bar?” Her head whipped to stare in horror at the bar and the people that were watching them instead of the show going on behind the bartender. “Wait, I’ve got a better idea, how about I just lift this charming dress out of my way and take you were you stand?” He slid a palm up one perfect trembling thigh and just as he was expecting, as soon as he reached the hem of her gold skirt she panicked.

“No! Pickles! Pickles!” Every muscle in her body strained against the restraints. Before the words had even left her lips he was two feet away from her with his hands up in front of him. For a moment she still looked frightened and then the fear gave way to understanding.
When he was sure she was no longer scared he stepped back into position. “The sub always has the ultimate power, because with one word, no matter how ridiculous that word may be, she can stop everything.” He brought his hands up where she could see them and slowly lowered them until they were on her waist. “It’s a dance Terryn.” He said and took a nip at her ear lobe. “A dance on a high wire suspended over shark infested waters. I have to know how far to push.” His hands slid up and cupped both breasts. “Where you like to be touched.” His thumbs feathered across nipples that turned hard as granite. “And just how much pain is pleasure to you.” He pinched down on the hardened tips and felt like a rock star when she arched and let out a cry. “Mmmm, that was a nice sound.” He praised, “Can I make it happen again?” With his thumbs and the first knuckle of his forefingers he grasped her nipples and tugged until her breasts lifted and elongated, then he pulled in small forceful pulses. He watched her face for signs of true pain, but she only arched and panted for him. He pulled a little harder and, “Ahhh, there it is.” He let up and leaned down to lay a kiss on her cheek, “I do love that sound.”
Then he stepped back and reached for the zipper he’d felt hidden in the side seam of her dress. “This gold color looks amazing on you, but for a sub, you are extremely overdressed.”

SC: What are you currently reading?

LR: I am addicted to Karen Marie Moning’s Fae series and The Vampire Queen series from Joey W Hill. They have been keeping me bouncing.

SC:Some authors when they write they need total quiet. Do you write with music or a TV on? If you do, does it help the creativity flow?

LR: I do need quiet or else I get too easily distracted. But I developed a ‘trick’ that puts me in writer mode. I love candles and I have a specific one for each book. Damaged Good’s is fresh linen by Yankee Candle. A Table for Three was Mulberry and every time I smell it Riley, Cade and Trevor swim to the forefront of my mind. For my short, SnowFall, it was birthday cake. Scent is a strong sensory trigger and it helps every time to put me in the mood to write.

It’s a nice deal for me. A quiet home, a dog at my feet, a kitten on my lap and the yummy comfort of a good smelling candle and I’m ready to go.

SC:What’s your remedy for writers block?

LR:I have the good fortune of having a mother in law who loves me and also happens to have a time share on the beach. When I just can not focus or tune out the demands of daily life, she is always ready willing and generous with a weekend away to focus.

SC:What is the one thing that surprised you in this industry?

LR:The generosity of the people in it. I had books ready to publish ten years ago but the fear of being rejected or laughed at kept me from even trying. Then after I finally worked up the courage to try, I find people willing to help every time I turn around. Every author I have asked for advice has been detailed and full of practical tips. No, “oh just keep at it” or “read writing for dummies” it’s been “this is how you do this” and “try this out” and “here is what worked for me”
I feel like kicking myself for not trying sooner, the writing world feels like home to me and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

SC:If you were not an author what would your dream job be?

LR:Well, my secondary dream has always been acting. If I couldn’t write I would love to act.

SC:What is the biggest misconception you think people have about authors?

LR:That we are what we write. I’m sure Steven King is not a psycho killer and JK Rowling isn’t a witch. Just as I’m not writing from experience when I’m crafting my steamy love scenes. Romance readers never blink an eye, they know it’s not a biography. It’s only been the people who haven’t read my work that give me strange looks when they hear I write steamy novels. It does get a little discouraging having to tell people over and over, “I write from my imagination, not personal experience.”

SC:Is there one specific genre you would like to be well known for?

LR:I have two. Romance is my first love and it would be awesome to be counted among the greats of the romance world. A close second is fantasy/adventure. I am working on a series of angels vs. demons adventure stories that I hope to have out within the next year under the name of Ashley Riven. It would be incredible to be seen as a serious author in both those genres.

SC: What is the one pet peeve you have when it comes to publishing?

LR:In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, “I hate waiting.” It seems to take forever to get from submission to release and I get so excited once I type ‘the end’ that the waiting feels like torture.

SC: What advice do you have for new writers out there?

LR: “Never give up…never surrender!!” (another movie quote, can you guess which movie?) Seriously, just take the plunge and submit. Also, reach out, I have found from personal experience that there are tons of people out there willing to help and offer encouragement.

SC: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

LR: I have a FaceBook page listed simply as Lainey Reese and you can also visit my website www.laineyreese.com . I’d like to offer a free copy of A Table for Three to the first person who goes to my website and submits the correct answer to my movie quote from the previous question. Good luck!