I’m delighted to welcome fellow Wild Rose Press author Lilly Gayle here today. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win in Lilly’s giveaway!
Hi, Lilly. Tell us a little about your new release, Embrace the Darkness:
Embrace the Darkness is a paranormal romantic suspense featuring a sexy vampire named Gerard. It’s available now on Amazon and will be available in print and ebook from other venders on June 21.
Blurb:
An experimental vaccine gives vampire Gerard Delaroache hope for the first time in two centuries–until two people are brutally murdered, and he suspects a conspiracy between vampires and mortals. To solve the crime, he must put his trust in a beautiful detective. But is former soldier and MP turned detective, Amber Buckley, a threat to his existence? Or the answer to his prayers?
Amber Buckley and her partner are assigned to do follow up interviews in the Lifeblood of America slayings. Amber believes she and Reid are just new eyes on a cold case. That is until she meets Gerard Delaroache. Something about him teases long-buried memories Amber would rather not chase. However, the two join together, falling into more than resolution of a murder case. It seems Amber has some dark secrets of her own.
To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS
What inspired this story?
Embrace the Darkness is the sequel to my 2010 vampire romance, Out of the Darkness. While writing OTD, one of the secondary characters, Gerard Delaroche, demanded his own story. And I just couldn’t ignore him.
What are you working on now? Do you have any releases scheduled for this year?
I currently have two WIP’s. I’m about ten chapters in to the third book in the Darkness Series, which features a secondary character from OTD and ETD. I’m also working on a historical romance featuring a secondary character from my British-set historical, Slightly Tarnished. Embrace the Darkness is my latest release.
Do you have any good news you’d like to share?
My stereotactic biopsy was negative. Woohoo!
In December, I hit the five-year mark as a breast cancer survivor. Then in February, I had my yearly mammogram. There were some new calcifications and subtle changes at the site of the original tumor. So, the doctor recommended a stereotactic biopsy. I had the procedure in March. It involved inserting a hollow needle into the breast and “sucking” out samples of the calcifications for pathology examination. Then the doctor inserted a metallic clip to mark the biopsy site. If the pathology showed cancer cells, a surgeon would have used the clip as a marker to go back in and remove more tissue to ensure all the cancer was gone. Thank God, my results came back negative. I get the keep the clip in my breast, but I don’t have to have more surgery and thank God, no more chemo or radiation!
As a mammographer and breast cancer survivor, I’d like to remind all women over 40 to do monthly self-breast exams and have yearly clinical breast exams and mammograms. My cancer was discovered on a yearly screening mammogram. I had no symptoms, no lumps, and no family history. It was an aggressive, invasive cancer and had I waited another year before having my mammogram, my prognosis would not have been as positive. So check those ta-tas ladies!
What are your writing goals for this year?
Two years ago, I set a goal to publish at least one book a year. My new goal is to finish at least two books a year. I just don’t know if that’s possible. I work full time and like to balance life with writing. Sometimes, writing takes a backseat.
Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, character, or…?
Usually, a spark or just a gem of an idea will fester in my head until I have to get it down on paper. When writing Out of the Darkness, I got this idea to create a vampire who didn’t want to be a vampire. And then I decided to make vampirism a virus. Next, came the research. If vampirism was a virus, I had to know how it worked and if it would be possible to cure it. I tried plotting out the entire story, but about midway through, the characters took the story in a totally different direction and I had to roll with it. And that’s usually what happens when I plot. I get to the middle and my characters start to complain and fuss and they eventually take over the story.
What is the best thing about being an author?
I get to talk to the people in my head without feeling like a crazy person.
Do you have a favorite time of day for writing?
I like to write anytime I have the house to myself and a couple of hours to just delve into the story without distractions.
What do you like to read?
I read everything from Nora Roberts to John Grisham to Dean Koontz, but romance novels are my favorite genre whether they’re contemporary, historical, or paranormal. I just don’t read erotica. Maybe it’s my age, but it’s just not my thing.
These are few of my favorite things:
1. My daughters
2. My husband
3. The beach
Excerpt:
He rolled his eyes and huffed. “Stop pretending ignorance. You know what I am.”
“A vampire. Really?” She wanted to scoff, but a chill shivered over her skin. He wasn’t dead. And she’d shot him.
Maybe he was wearing Kevlar. But wouldn’t Kevlar show through that tight-fitting shirt?
Perhaps not. Still, there had to be a logical explanation.
Ignoring the warning bells clanging inside her skull, she shoved the Glock back in its holster and reached for the beer she’d deposited on the counter. She took another long, hard pull on the bottle, hoping to douse irrational thoughts.
Gerard inhaled sharply. His eyes devoured her.
Despite renewed fear, she managed to set the bottle back on the counter without dropping it.
He’s not a vampire. He’s not a vampire. He’s not a vampire.
“I’d give anything to drink beer again,” he said in a reverent voice.
Amber nearly laughed aloud. Her shoulders sagged. Gerard Delaroche wasn’t a vampire, and he didn’t want to drink her blood. He wanted a beer. Like a normal guy.
Hell, he probably was normal. She was the one off her rocker.
“Want one?” She forced herself to meet his intense stare.
He smiled. “Can’t. Vampire. Remember?”
Like that was something a girl could forget. It wasn’t every day a hot guy claimed to be a vampire.
Hell, maybe he was a vampire. The man could stop bullets with his chest.
He took a hesitant step closer. She stiffened and took another cautious swallow of beer. He stopped three feet away. Good. Sexy and crazy was a dangerous combination.
A Giveaway!
One random commenter will receive a digital copy of Out of the Darkness or Embrace the Darkness. Just leave your email address with your comment and I’ll pick a winner on Friday, April 19.
In Out of the Darkness, Vincent was dark and brooding. Gerard had a sharp wit and sense of humor. So, do you prefer your heroes to be dark and brooding, or do you love a man who can make you laugh?
Bio:
Lilly Gayle writes paranormal and historical romance. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and has two grown daughters and a son-in-law. When not reading, writing, or working as a mammographer at a local hospital, she likes to spend time with her husband at the beach.
You can find Lilly at:
Website: lillygayle.com
Blog: lillygayle.blogspot.com
Twitter: @lillygromwriter
Facebook: facebook.com/lillygayle
Facebook: facebook.com/lillygaylebooks
You can find Embrace the Darkness at: Amazon.com
babettejames.com 
Hi Lilly,
Great interview. Congratulations on being a cancer survivor, it is wonderful that the latest test was clear. I worked for years typing out mammograms and breast ultrasound reports, so I know how important it is for women to have regualr checkups.
Your story sounds wonderful. Mega sales I hope.
Cheers
Margaret
Thank, Margaret! Some of those mammo reports get Looooong. Don’t they? lol!
Hi, Lilly: I lost a sister to cancer that wasn’t diagnosed early enough, so I understand the need to be pro-active. And what a wonderful day that must have been when you received the good news. As for dark or light, I love my early morning coffee dark, and I really enjoy those dark, surly alphas. Although, in life It’s great to be around a man who can make me laugh. Conflicted much?
I’m so sorry you lost your sister. My oldest sister died last Feb. She had a neurological genetic condition known as Frederick’s Ataxia. It wasn’t diagnosed until she was 13 and she went down hill ever year after that. It was hard watching her slow decline over the years, but she kept her sense of humor and positive attitude until the end. By the time she died, she was unable to feed, dress, or toilet herself and she was confined to a wheel chair she had to be strapped into with special straps and a head rest. She was more than ready to leave this earth, but I still miss her.
It is terribly sad to lose a loved one and I wonder if we ever stop missing them. The best we can do is remember the good times we shared.
Lilly,
My husband’s a leukemia survivor, so I can relate…at least as a spouse. Hero ‘type’ depends on the novel. Depending, I love both. My mom always said I was too serious and that I should marry my now-husband ’cause he made me laugh. She was right 🙂
Stay well!
My mom said something similar.My dad’s been making my mom laugh for 57 years this month. And my husband’s been making me laugh for 32 + years. So, I used to tell my daughters: “wealth can vanish, looks can fade, but personality is for keeps. So marry a man who can make you laugh.”
So happy your husband is a survivor!
What a great interview! And I’m so happy your test came back negative. I just lost a friend to BC 2 months ago. She was 28. It still makes my head spin. Wishing you many, many sales with your new book!
I’m so sorry. Twenty eight is terribly young (and rare) for breast cancer, but sadly, it does happen–more often than it should. 😦
Congrats on the test result. As for your question I want both in my hero – unless of course I get two guys. Teehee
Lol! Those brooding alphas make great heroes, but I think that once the book ends and they find their HEA, the heroine isn’t going to put up with too much of that brooding nonsense. lol! I don’t think I would. I’d be more likely to tell him to stop grumbling and take out the trash. lol!
Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Babette. So sorry I was late “getting” here. I worked ten hours at the day job today, “squishing” boobs. 🙂
Hi Lilly and Babette!
I love this story and know everyone else will too. And BIG congrats on the negative biopsy!
Thanks Donna and Andris. Love my HCRW ladies!
Looking forward to #3 – they’re old friends now. Excellent news on the boobs, little sis!!
Congrats to Mary Curtis, winner of an e-copy of either OTD or ETD. I’ll be sending out an email shortly asking which she prefers.