In the Author Spotlight & Contest

EVE LANGLAIS

CONTEST: Eve will give one lucky commenter a copy of Chance’s Game. She's going to make it super simple to enter. Just leave a comment with your email address. No trivia, no hoops to jump through, just a simple hello and a way to contact you if you win. Using a random number generator on the web, she’ll then draw a number to see who wins on February 6^th. Thanks in advance for participating. :-)

AL: Hi Eve! Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Eve: Thanks for dragging me out of my writing cave to visit lol.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Eve: It seems like my life is a never ending hustle and bustle. The kids are definitely keeping me hopping this winter, between school, sports and other activities, it seems like our family is always on the go. And to mix things up, each week they’re bringing home some new illness from school. Thank goodness for my hubby who helps me keep my sanity.

AL: Do you have a current, or upcoming release you’d like to tell us about?

Eve: I’d love to tell you about my fantasy romance, Chance’s Game, scheduled to release with Champagne Books on February 7th. A little different from my more erotic pieces, Chance’s Game is a sensual fairytale type story with lots of magic, some meddlesome gods and tons of adventure. Oh, and sexual tension. The heroine is determined to avoid marriage and men, but she didn’t count on a wizard making her decision hard to uphold. If you enjoy humor and lots of build up to the main event, then this full length piece will be a definite treat for romance lovers.

AL: What other spicy tales are you weaving for us?

Eve: I’m always hard at work on creating entertaining stories that veer off in new and naughty directions. Right now, I’m working on my third installment in my Princess Of Hell books. It’s a hilarious series following the life and adventures of Satan’s daughter. I’m also mentally fleshing out a new werewolf piece featuring a delicious alpha .

AL: How do you decide upon your settings? What about the names of characters? Do you ever change either mid-stream into a story?

Eve: I actually spend little time on settings, concentrating more on character interaction via dialogue and action. I tend to try and keep my settings generic so readers can picture the story happening wherever they happen to live. That is unless I’m somewhere fabulously unique like Hell. When my story demands we leave the mortal plane, I love to let my creative juices flow to create a unique world that has twisted parallels to earth.

AL: What was the defining moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

Eve: I always wanted to be a writer from the first time I penned a story in grade school. However, the bills had to be paid and reality pushed that dream aside for a long time. Just under two years ago after almost 20 years of writing nothing, the urge to try my hand at writing hit. Since then, I’ve been typing furiously with great result. In retrospect, I don’t consider those 20 years wasted though as I think life experiences have given me the maturity I needed to create believable characters not to mention the perseverance to write.

AL: What do you feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know?

Eve: Write. And then write some more. I see a lot of newbie authors worrying about who they’ll submit too, should they use an agent, did they use the word was or just or seems too many times. The thing they forget it seems is that the most important thing is to finish that story. Get it down in its entirety, then revise. But don’t overdo it. Send it out once it’s cleaned up so you can start on the next piece. A person could spend months or years editing and agonizing over their work, but they’ll never know if it’s any good until they send it out to some publishers and get some feedback.

AL: It’s time to get personal! When you have time just for you (if only) what do you do?

Eve: I read. LOL. I am a huge book worm and devour paranormal romance when I get the chance. I also enjoy playing video games and watching reality shows like Hoarders, Survivor, Big Brother and Property Virgins.

AL: What decadent delight must you have no matter what?

Eve: Chips, and if I can dip. My husband calls me a chip-aholic. I don’t like to share and I have been known to groan in delight when munching on them.

AL: What annoys you enough to be considered a pet peeve?

Eve: I hate being late. I would rather be stupidly early than even one second late. My husband drives me nuts because he’s the kind of guy who thinks a minute or two late is no big deal.

AL: Can you share some of your plans for 2011 and beyond?

Eve: Lots and lots of writing :-) I’ve got some series begging for sequels, a couple of awesome ideas kicking around in my head, and a hand itching to get it all typed. Writing is like an obsession and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.

AL: Fun question! You have just won five thousand dollars! But...you have to spend it all today. What will you buy?

Eve: OMG, can I be responsible and say pay off the mini van? LOL, I am debt obsessed. If I had to splurge though, I’d have to go with a hot tub. A good long soak that leaves me boneless like jelly and wrinkled like a prune would be heavenly.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Eve: Here’s a giggler from Last Minion Standing:

“Cursing technology but wondering who could be calling at this hour, I let go of Bob--it’s not like I was getting anywhere--and grabbed my cell. A glance at the display showed a number I didn’t recognize. Maybe if I was lucky it would be an obscene caller who’d have suggestions on how I could get off.

I answered in my sexy voice. “Hello.”

“Are you touching yourself?”

I almost dropped the phone in shock. I hadn’t actually expected a naughty caller. Things were looking up.”

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with us, Eve.

Eve: My pleasure, Ann. I’d also like to thank anybody who took the time to pop by and read. It’s nice to meet you :-) I do hope you’ll leave a comment and enter for a chance to win an e-copy of Chance’s Game.

AL: If you’d like to find out more about Eve please visit:

http://www.EveLanglais.com

FEATURED TITLE: CHANCE'S GAME

Blurb:

The God of Chance is bored--mortals beware!

Breanna is a rare sort of shapeshifter, even for a world where magic is rampant. Rare enough that she catches the attention of the God of Chance who sends her on a quest to free magic. Simple you say? Not for this girl who has to keep avoiding the men who would claim her, while getting to know a twin she just discovered. Then to make things even more fun, Chance throws in a super sexy wizard to go on the quest with her. As you can imagine, the outcome ends up magical.

Lots of magic, danger, meddlesome gods and romance await and when the quest is done, the world as we know it, will never be the same again.

Excerpt:

“You will be mine,” said a self assured voice from behind her--a hated, nasal voice belonging to one who followed his words with a grab for her ass that she quickly dodged. She’d had enough practice in the last few years. It still pissed her off though. All men are pigs!

Breanna spun around furious. “Get your filthy hands away from me, Cedric. For the hundredth time, I will never be yours. Go bug someone with no taste.”

The young man named Cedric, narrowed his eyes and sneered at her rebuke, making his unattractive, angular face even uglier. Yuck–imagine waking up to that nasty face every morning? Not!

“Who said you had a choice in the matter, Breanna? I’ve already spoken to my father; he’s willing to give your father a sizable dowry. It won’t matter what you want. If your father accepts, you will be my wife.”

Breanna laughed, a throaty sound that sent more than one admiring male look her way. “My father has a lot more sense than you and your father combined. He won’t be bought, so you and your father should shop elsewhere for a bride. Now go away. Can’t you see I’m busy?” She shooed him away with an irritated sweep of her hands. I wonder if you can call browsing odd and ends looking for something interesting, busy? Still better than wasting breath talking to an idiot though.

“When we are married,” Cedric continued obstinately. “I will beat that sharp tongue out of you. Your father obviously did not do his duty by you and teach you the proper manners required of a woman. I’ll teach you how to act respectfully with great pleasure. It’s time you learned your place in the world--on your knees in front of me.” Cedric brayed in laughter at his own poor jest.

Breanna just gaped at him in disbelief. The Higher Powers save her from stupid men, which in the last couple of years seemed to have multiplied, judging by the obscene number of pick-up lines she’d been subjected to. Like “Hey baby, I’ve got a sausage you can chew on.” Or how about, “I'd like to wrap your legs around my head and wear you like a feed bag!” And finally the most common one, “I know you want it, so stop playing hard to get.” Eew! Seriously, do any of those actually work?

And what was with this subservient crap they all seemed to expect from her. If she ever did marry, which at this point seemed less and less likely, she’d want someone who would respect her as an equal. Just because she lacked something between the legs did not make her stupid or weak. Unfortunately, though she kept pointing out this most obvious fact, her would-be suitors seemed deaf and persisted in their belief that she would eventually swoon at their crude attempts to coerce and bully her into marriage and their beds. Not bloody likely.

“Go away, Cedric. You’re boring me. I am not going to marry you. Why don’t you crawl back to the hole you came from?” Breanna knew she shouldn’t have said it. Her father always told her that her smart mouth would get her into trouble one day. But she’d had quite enough of Cedric, actually of all men in general.

Being an idiot though, Cedric couldn’t grasp the idea that she just wasn’t interested and he latched an iron grip, stronger than she would have credited him with, around her wrist and started yanking her towards the alley between the shops.Oh come on, he can’t be that stupid. Breanna opened her mouth to give him a chance to let her go before she hurt him, when a deep voice spoke from behind her. “I believe the lady is unwilling.”

Cedric stopped pulling and sneered at her would be rescuer over her shoulder.

“Mind your business stranger. The lady will be willing enough once I get her skirts high enough. I mean to have her one way or another. Now go about your business before things go badly for you.” A knife appeared out of nowhere in Cedric’s free hand and Breanna gasped.

Now this is going too far and she opened her mouth to say so, but before she could say a word, her unseen saviour chuckled in amusement and the deep throaty sound sent a shiver through her. Mmm, does the rest of him look as hot as he sounds? Breanna almost gasped aloud at the direction of her thoughts. Since when do I care what a man looks like?

"Did your father never teach you to respect women? Or an even better, a lesson about not threatening wizards?” said her would-be hero in a sexy menacing tone and Breanna held back a giggle at the look on Cedric’s face which turned quite green when he heard the word wizard.

Breanna felt a tingle of power from behind her and the blade in Cedric’s hand turned cherry red as it heated up. Cedric dropped it with a yelp and shoved his blistered fingers into his mouth.

Nice trick, Breanna thought, but unfortunate as resorting to magic probably means my rescuer is going to be some pale, gangly youth with knobby knees. A real hero would have known how to disarm a poor excuse for a man like Cedric. Hell, another minute and I’d have had him crying for his mother.

“Bloody wizard,” Cedric said, finally letting go of Breanna and backing away. “This is not over, Breanna,” he threatened, still unbelievably stupid given the situation, then he shape-shifted into the rat that he truly was and scurried away.

She made a mental note of Cedric’s shifting animal for the next time--knowing there would a next time, his brain apparently couldn’t comprehend the word ‘No’. She looked forward to his next attempt for she knew a certain feline that would delight in pulling off his pink rat tail. Meow!

Breanna whirled to thank her hero, even though she hadn’t really needed rescuing, and her eyes went wide when she beheld him.

Wow, he most definitely does not have knobby knees.

Tongue tied, she could only gape at him, for the first time in her life stunned by the looks of a man. And what a man!

Towering over her was the epitome of masculinity. Over six feet with shoulders that must surely brush doorways, he had a lean body that tapered at the hips. Nothing weak looking here. His entire being oozed power from his snug breeches hugging his heavily muscled thighs to his square jawed, rugged face. Thick, wavy blond hair brushed his shoulders, silky looking, enough that Breanna had to fight an urge to run her fingers through to see if it the texture was as soft as it looked. He had perfectly arched brows, and even though he was light haired, he had long dark lashes to frame the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Wow.

Breanna mentally shook herself. What the hell had come over her? Since when does the sight a man--even one this gorgeous--strike me dumb? And the tingles in my tummy.... Must be hunger, never mind the fact she’d had lunch less than an hour ago. She must be hungry again already, there could be no other explanation for the way she felt.

As those gorgeous eyes crinkled at her perusal, Breanna gathered her wits and said, “Thank you sir wizard for your timely intervention.” Although if he’d given me just another minute I would have handled the situation myself. Just like a man to assume a woman needs saving.

“’Twas my pleasure,” he drawled, the corner of his lips lifting in a half smile. “Perhaps you could thank me by joining me for lunch.”

Men, they’re all the same, thought Breanna huffily. First he saved her, now he wanted lunch. What next, a roll in the hay? Although her tummy still tingled. Maybe a small bite...

REMEMBER: Eve will give one lucky commenter a copy of Chance’s Game. She's going to make it super simple to enter. Just leave a comment with your email address. No trivia, no hoops to jump through, just a simple hello and a way to contact you if you win. Using a random number generator on the web, she’ll then draw a number to see who wins on February 6th.