Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Author Interview with Aleah Barley + Giveaway
Today I’m happy to introduce you to the author of another one of Entangled Publishing’s new releases: Aleah Barley, whose novel Too Hot to Handle featuring a sexy car-thief heroine and an irresistible police detective was released just a couple of weeks ago. I got to interview Aleah and besides learning a lot about her and the novel I enjoyed her quirky sense of humour, read on, I hope you’ll do too! Please give Aleah a warm welcome and if you answer her questions you could even win a copy of her book!
Stella: Hi Aleah, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Aleah: Sure, I can’t go into much detail because I’m currently being licked to death by a giant fluffy cat. Makes it hard to type. I’m a humorous (I hope) romance writer living in Detroit, Michigan, and wishing it was Friday so there’d be fireworks. I like fireworks.
Stella: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?
Aleah: I’m a little bit of both. I start with a rough outline then throw it through the nearest window, anything I can remember goes in the book.
Stella: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?
Aleah: Some might say it’s a matter of volume, I think it’s a matter of taste. Readers have very specific taste. Book Lovers will read anything that comes there way, at least once.
Stella: Your novel Too Hot to Handle was released recently by Entangled Publishing in their new Indulgence imprint. Would you like to tell us the story how you got THE Call and how the story you dreamt up became a published novel?
Cover #1 of Too Hot to Handle
Aleah: Well, for me ‘the call’ was actually ‘the email’ and it was amazing! I was having a bad day, week, month, year, and ‘the call’ really perked things up for me.
Stella: Can you tell our readers what they can expect of Too Hot to Handle?
Aleah: They can expect a spunky, spicy, sexy, good time full of hot cars and a hotter hero. As a Los Angeles native, I think I really captured some parts of the city that don’t usually show up in romance novels. Although now that I live in Detroit, I’m thinking of writing something set in the Motor City. Do the readers have any preferences? Favorite settings? Settings they haven’t seen but would like to?
Stella: Can you please give a short profile introduction of the hero and heroine of Too Hot to Handle?
Name: Honey Moore
AKA: One of those Moores
Height:
Physical Characteristics: Strawberry blonde hair, emerald eyes, raspberry lips
Distinguishing Marks: Freckles, scar on her hip bone.
Biggest Secret: There’s only one thing that gets her blood racing more than a hot car and that’s sexy Jack Ogden, the boy she went on a few dates with. Only, now he’d all grown up and all man. For more information, see her LAPD arrest record.
Name: Jack Ogden
AKA: LAPD Detective Ogden
Height: Six feet two inches
Physical Characteristics: Brown curly hair, bowed lips, and blue eyes
Distinguishing Marks: Badge, gun, professional attitude.
Biggest Secret: Honey’s not the only woman he’s ever arrested, but she is the only one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
Stella: If Too Hot to Handle was made into a movie, who would you like to play Honey and Jack?
Aleah: I’d like Clive Owen to play Jack. Only, Jack’s an all-American man, so it’ll have to be Clive Owen with a bad American accent. Honey would have to be someone funny, and awesome, with great comic timing. A young Debra Messing or Jenna Elfman. Amy Adams would also be awesome.
Stella: Honey Moore, the heroine of Too Hot to Handle is not a heroine like others: she is a car thief and convicted felon! *gasps* How did you have the idea of having not a bad boy character but rather a bag girl one?
Aleah: Too Hot to Handle started out as my attempt at a noir mystery. It failed, but I did have a great opening with a rough and tumble police detective, so I thought to myself: ‘What kind of woman would really challenge and excite him?’
Stella: Since Honey makes/made a living of stealing cars she must have known her stuff. Are you also a fan of cars and know their types and specifics? What is your dream car? Any car related story you’d like to share?
Aleah: I’m learning more about cars every day. The two main cars in Too Hot to Handle are a Dodge Super Bee and a Volvo Sport (only 68 made between 1956-1957). If I were going to buy a classic muscle car for myself it would definitely be the first generation Ford Mustang… or an El Camino… or the Dodge Dart coupe… or… can’t decide. Sigh. Sigh. Any suggestions for a great American car? (Okay, the Volvo was made in Europe, but I’m trying to stick to American cars these days. Even in my fantasy life.)
Stella: Can you summarize Too Hot to Handle for us twitterstyle (140 characters or less)?
Aleah: I really love the tagline that my fabulous editor, Ruth, helped me come up with: “He stole her heart, she stole his car.”
Cover #2 of Too Hot to Handle
Stella: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read Too Hot to Handle?
Aleah: You should read Too Hot to Handle if you like fast paced, sexy romances with lots of all-American muscle (cars and men) and a side of fiery mystery.
Stella: Too Hot to Handle is a romantic suspense story, in your opinion what is the ideal ratio of romance vs. suspense in a story? Or what is your preference?
Aleah: I like romance and suspense equally. When I grow up I want to be Robert B. Parker and Jennifer Crusie. Mixed. In a blender.
Stella: What shall we expect from you, what is next on your schedule?
Aleah: I’m not sure, but I’m thinking more sexy suspense.
Stella: Can you share with us some little secret trivia, something that not many people know about you?
Aleah: Let’s see, I hate frosting, my cat drools, and I got my driver’s license less than three months ago.
Thank you so much for having me! I just want to remind everyone to check out Too Hot to Handle and follow me on my blog and Twitter.
She was playing with fire…
Honey Moore has made her pledge: no more stealing cars and no more lusting after Jack Ogden. But when an arsonist torches her house and chases her all over Los Angeles, she’s forced to throw herself on Jack’s mercy. No one will look for a convicted felon in an LAPD detective’s apartment, right?
…and he didn’t want to get burned
Jack doesn’t need a woman like Honey in his life. She might be sexy, but trouble follows her everywhere. But it’s hard to walk away from someone who lives at full throttle—and even harder to keep her safe. Now he’ll have to sacrifice everything to protect Honey from the arsonist determined to kill her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Entangled Publishing has generously offered an ebook copy of Too Hot to Handle to a lucky commenter!
All you have to do is leave a comment answering one of Aleah’s question:
Do readers have any preferences, favorite settings? Settings they haven’t seen but would like to?
Any suggestions for a great American car?
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
This giveaway is open to everyone!
Giveaway ends on Saturday 30 June 2012, and we’ll announce the winner on Sunday!
Good luck!
Share This Post
Related Posts
Subscribe and stay up-to-date
12 Comments
« Review: Untouched by Jus Accardo Next Post
ARC Review: Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt »
Unfortunately Google Friend Connect will stop working for non Blogger blogs at the start of March.
To stay up-to-date use one of the other options above to subscribe to the newest Book Lovers Inc. action.Thank you!
| |||||||||
| 5 Stars: Perfect! I Love It! | |||||||||
| 4 Stars: Awesome Book! | |||||||||
| 3 Stars: I Liked It! | |||||||||
| 2 Stars: Not bad, but maybe not for me. | |||||||||
| 1 Star: Didn't like it! Did Not Finish it. | |||||||||
 | | | | | |||||
Blog RSS Feed
Follow Me on Twitter
My Facebook
No favorite setting though seeing a different setting through someone else’s eyes is always a bonus when you can’t afford to travel. And cars? So long as it runs I’m happy!!!
I don’t have any favorite settings. I really like them to match the tone of the story. And, I read so much that I have read books in just about every setting. For instance, I read one series that is about cowboys. You would think western states. But, the author opted for the southern portion of Virginia. It was great and a perfect fit to the tone of the story. As far as cars go, I can’t think of any awesome American cars that make me all tingly. Of course, my car died so I am currently shopping around for a new one. That’s enough to turn anyone sour to cars in general!
I like unusual settings – which means any place that is not the bedroom… 🙂
I don’t know about American cars but I love Audis 🙂
I like settings I would love to visit. I also think a 1965 Mustang rocks!
I don’t have any preferences for settings. How about a Viper?
I don’t have any favorite settings. I would love to read settings any place when i can’t afford to travel.
I’d like to see more books set in London or generally England. But I don’t really complain about the current settings in contemporary romances, they generally work for me.
I’m easy on settings but do love to read about far away exotic places. A Cadillac sounds good.
My favorite settings include a beach in them. my American car is the Ford Mustang- I love driving mine and it has performed like a champ
Thanks for a great post! I’d love to see more of a nautical, tropical setting 🙂 But then again, I’d want that for me! I don’t know much about cars… as long as it works!
Congrats on the newest release!
Love the cover for Too Hot to Handle! Very hot 🙂
I don’t really have a preference for a setting, but I do like to read about places I’d like to someday visit (Italy, Hawaii, Ireland, France.) I like reading about New York, too.
I love reading different settings and different plots. It makes the book more interesting. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read the book. It sounds very good.