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Thursday, June 19, 2014

SPOTLIGHT: Author Lyssa Layne



Title: Love is a Fire
Series: Burning Lovesick, Book 1
Author: Lyssa Layne
Genre: Romance, Chick-Lit
Release: May 28, 2014
Word Count: 51,000
Cover Artist: Denny Blackwell
“Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn your house down, you can never tell.” –Joan Crawford

SYNOPSIS
Dr. Katy Malone has sworn off love after losing those she loves most in her life including her father, a member of the FDNY. She has decided to spend her time focusing on her medical research. Her ex-fiancĂ©, and fellow doctor, isn’t ready to give up on loving her though.
Firefighter Nick Garrity is on a search for the future Mrs. Garrity. As he pushes thirty, with no prospects in sight, he’s afraid he’ll never find her. A devoted member of FDNY, he loves the thrill of his job and the satisfaction it brings him. He strives to teach the proby firefighter the ropes and pass on his passion to him.
When the proby tries to impress the guys on the crew, he ends up in the care of Dr. Katy Malone. One look at Dr. Malone and Nick knows he’s found his future wife, but can he convince her to love again?

EXCERPT
At mile four, Katy turned around as he lagged fifty feet back. She was going to ask if he wanted to push their run to seven miles, but seeing him huffing and puffing, she figured she already knew the answer. She jogged in place until he caught up. He saw her waiting and slowed to walk. Smirking, she questioned, “Thought you could hang for five miles?”

In between breaths, he mumbled, “I...didn’t...know we were...going to be...running record pace.”

Katy laughed. “Come on, macho man, it’s barely a seven minute mile.” She playfully punched his arm giving him a hard time.

Nick stood up having caught his breath. “Macho man, huh?” He reached out and in one swipe picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Katy giggled as he carried her down the path then set her down. It was the second time in the span of a few hours that she’d laughed like a schoolgirl which was two times more than the past two years.  As her feet touched the ground, he let his hands linger on her waist. Even though they’d just met, the chemistry between them was undeniable.

Standing almost a foot taller than her, he leaned down to get a better look at her face. Katy’s heart did a somersault as she thought that he was going to kiss her. She jumped back stepping on a patch of ice. She looked like a cartoon character as her feet skidded and she ran in place trying to get her balance. Nick reached out to steady her and as she leaned into him, he caught the ice patch too. They both landed in a puddle of ice cold water.

Nick landed on his back with Katy on top of him. He had his arms wrapped around her tightly and despite the fact that the water was Arctic temperatures, she felt warm all over as she lay on him. She enjoyed the safety of his arms around her and her hormones were going crazy as she took in his scent. He was definitely wearing Paul Sebastian, it was a scent she had grown accustomed to since it was the cologne Jeremiah wore. As Katy lay on top of him reminiscing, she felt him shake her frantically.

“Katy, Katy, are you okay? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. That was my fault.” Katy snapped back to reality. She realized she had him pinned down in the freezing water, although he was twice her size and could have moved her at any time he wanted.

She jumped up and offered her hand to him apologizing. He stood up laughing and pulled her into his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her arms trying to warm her up. “Was that your plan? Bring me to the park and take advantage of me?” he teased.

She stood in their embrace thinking she could get used to being in his arms and then pulled back. “I’m sorry, Nick, but I can’t do this.”

He looked at her confused. “Do what?”

“This. It’s just that...I don’t date. Especially not firefighters.

AUTHOR
Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.
Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.
SOCIAL LINKS
Twitter: @layne_lyssa
Don’t forget to add Love is a Fire to your bookshelf on Goodreads!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Welcome, we are so excited to have you here at Just One More Romance. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us for an interview. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 
Thank you for having me! Hmm, a little bit about myself….Well, first off, I’m the proud mom of a two-year-old that keeps me on my toes. How I find time for writing after chasing her around all day is a huge mystery to me! I also work full-time, teach a college class part-time, and writing is my hobby. I wish I had more time to devote to it but I squeeze it in when I can.
Tell us about your work.  What are you writing now? 
I’m currently working on the sequel to Love is a Fire which is the first book in the Burning Lovesick series. The sequel, Burst Into Flame, picks up right where the first book left off which I know readers will appreciate because there were some unanswered questions at the end of Love is a Fire.
I’m also participating in a Romance in a Month class so I have an entirely different story that will be a stand-alone book. Instead of hot firemen, you’ll get hot baseball players in The Right Pitch.

Where do you draw your inspiration for your writing? 
Is it bad to say from watching too much television? The stories in the Burning Lovesick series are a cross between a couple of my favorite t.v. shows with my own spin.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 
I’ve been blogging for about six years so that was my main forum for writing. However, I never got to “creatively” write other than making my race stories sound much more entertaining than they actually were. Last fall, I started doing product and book reviews. It was then that I was introduced to the world of indie writing and I decided to try my hand at it.
What was the first romance novel you read that made an impression on you?
The first one I read that I remember, or that at least sticks with me, is Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. It had it all…friendship, boys, betrayal. For some reason, that’s always my go to book when I’m in need of a good story.

What do you do while you write? Do you listen to music, watch TV, eat snacks, etc.? 
Oh geez, I’m horrible. I have to have absolute quiet and even then I can find ways to distract myself…checking Facebook, Twitter, my email…I should really disconnect for the Internet when I write.

Tell us 3 surprising things about yourself.
Well, I’m not sure these are going to cause a lot of surprise, but here are a couple things about me.
1.  I met my husband in line for a Port-A-Potty. Hey, it’s proof that you can find love anywhere, right?
2. When I was in high school, my mom and I set a goal to visit all seven continents. So far we have three: North America, Europe, and Africa.
3.  I am an infertility survivor. It took two years of trying including one failed IVF and then finally a successful one for our daughter to be born. I wouldn’t have it any other way though because she’s my world now.

What’s the last movie you watched and loved?
Is it bad that I can’t even remember the last movie I watched???
What’s your idea of a perfect date?
I’m a total tomboy so I would have to say that a date to a Cardinals or Blues game would be great.
If you could take a romantic trip anywhere, where would it be?
The beach…I’m a fan of Couples Negril.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
It can definitely happen…just ask Nick Garrity!
Top three things on your bucket list:
1.  Set foot on all seven continents.
2.  Take my daughter to Europe
3.  Finish the Burning Lovesick series!

Fun Quickies
Boxers or Briefs?  Boxer briefs
Alpha or Beta?   Alpha J
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos-on nicely sculpted arms!
Brains or Muscles?  Brain, what good are muscles if you can’t carry a conversation?
Planner or Wing it?  I’m a total planner!
Favorite feel good drink?  Angry Orchard but it doesn’t make me angry at all!  
Favorite naughty dessert? Elvis Pretzely
Tea or Coffee? Sweet tea please!
Laptop or Desktop?  Tough one! I do most of my writing on a laptop though, I want to be comfortable at home.
Beach or Mountains? Another tough one! Both are great to relax but at the beach you can get a tan so I say beach.

Thank you so much for taking the time to let us interview you and we look forward to having you back again on Just One More Romance.


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