Interview of Chandra Ryan, Author of Ulterior Motives by Chandra Ryan

Today I have the great pleasure of having Chandra Ryan, the author of Ulterior Motives joining me today on A Little Bit of Naughty.  In a rare interview *for me*  I'm going to get to learn a bit more about this lovely lady and her book.  So pull up a seat and I promise to keep Livvy in line (not hard considering she's AWOL today) as we welcome Ms. Ryan to my blog! 

Dakota: How long have you been writing in the romantic/erotic genre? And why is it your favorite genre?

Chandra: I’ve been writing romance for the past four years and erotic for the past year or two. I wanted to make sure I was writing good stories before I cranked up the heat level. I love erotic romance but I’d read enough bad erotic romance to know I didn’t want to write one if I couldn’t get the story and characters right. It’s my favorite genre because there’s always a happy ending. It’s simple, I know. But with the chaos of life, it’s nice to have a guarantee that every thing is going to work out when you sit down with a book. 

Dakota: That's too true. I write it for the same reason and there has to be HEA or at least a HPN ending.  Speaking of writing...there’s a gazillion clichés out there when it comes to writing in this genre, but which one would you say makes you cringe the most when you read it? 

Chandra: That it’s easy to write. It’s not. There’s a belief out there that anyone can write a romance. And maybe anyone can. But to get a romance accepted and published is hard. But it takes perseverance and dedication to finish any story and then courage and strength to submit it. It’s heartbreaking when you get rejections and edits can sting. It’s not an easy business to be in. 

Dakota:  Oh, yes those rejection slips hurt, and there are days when you get edits and wonder how you wrote this crap. Publishing isn't for the faint of heart. Especially when you struggle to pour your heart and soul into a story. Some scenes can be real tear jerkers. When writing Ulterior Motives which scene did you find to be the most challenging to write? 

Chandra: The climax of the story was the hardest for me to write. Without giving too much away, I had the hero in a very difficult situation. To do the “right” or “noble” thing would put the Kat’s life in continued danger. The other option, however, was so daring that I was concerned the story would be rejected because of that scene alone. In the end, I had to write what I thought was true for the characters. I worried about my decision the entire time it was in submission but my editor accepted the story. And in the email, she referenced my decision. She told me that the hero was damn close to being an anti-hero in that scene but that it worked. It was a huge relief to hear her say that.

Dakota: Ugh, those difficult heroes. Which brings me to my next question. We write our characters to be relate-able, so character flaws slip in. So what would you say is the most irritating thing about your hero, Jasper? 

Chandra: He’s so focused on his goals that he often loses sight of the big picture. When he first meets Kat, he only sees her as a ranch owner. When he finally sees her as a woman, he’s kind of blown away by it. Then he’s so focused on fixing her life that he almost throws away his own. He needs to be a little less focused and kick back and enjoy life more.

Dakota: Of course we can't forget, your sexy heroine. If you had three adjectives to describe Kat what would they be? 

Chandra: Stubborn, smart, and passionate. 

Dakota: All wonderful things to be when you're the heroine of a story like Ulterior Motives. Well, I need to thank Ms. Chandra for coming by and letting me pick her brain, but I think we've taken up enough of her lovely time--

*ENTER ANGRY MUSE*

Livvy: "Slave, you promised!"  

Dakota: *jumps*  "Ah, I'm sorry, Chandra. Meet Livvy, my pita Muse. *turns to Livvy* I thought you were going to be over pestering Lucien at the Wicked Muse Tavern today?"

Livvy: *shrugs* "I showed up, but they wouldn't let me in. Something about you agreeing that I had to be supervised. It's like they don't trust me."

Dakota: *groans*  "Cause they don't. You cause havoc where ever you go.  Anyway, our guest is getting ready to leave and we don't have time for your silly questions...."

Livvy: "They're not silly!" Turns toward Chandra, giving her a grin. "Surely you have a minute to answer my questions?" Without waiting for the author to respond, she started. "Reading Books: Print or E-book?"

Chandra: Ah, E-book 

Livvy: Music: Can’t Write Without It or Dear Lord I Need Quiet 

Chandra: Couldn’t write a single word without it. As a matter of fact, I have music on right now J 

Livvy: Favorite Wake Up Drink: Coffee or Tea

Chandra: I love coffee but tea is almost always my wake up drink. Irish breakfast with milk and sugar. My husband makes me a cup every morning. As crazy as it may sound, I usually drink coffee in the evening. 

Livvy: Chocolate: Milk or Dark 

Chandra: If it’s solid chocolate I prefer milk. But if it’s got something in it like nuts, sea salt, caramel, orange, or chili peppers I prefer dark. 

Livvy: Pets: Cat or Dog 

Chandra: We had a cat for fifteen years that we lost about a year and half ago, since then my youngest son has developed really bad cat allergies. That kind of makes us a dog family. We still love cats, we just can’t have them anymore. 

Livvy: Heroes: All-American Boy or the Bad Boy 

Chandra: I love to read bad boy heroes but when I’m writing my heroes are almost always all-American. Something about a good guy who lives by the rules bending, or even breaking, them in the name of love that makes it that much hotter. 

Livvy: Lingerie: Corsets or Bras

Chandra: Nothing is sexier than a woman in a corset. That being said, I don’t exactly have the figure for one so I tend to wear bras…if I’m wearing anything at all.

Livvy: "Thanks, hun. Now that wasn't painful, was it?" *glares at Dakota* "See, I told you."  *flounces off to playroom* 

Dakota: *shakes head* "Thanks for playing along, Chandra, and stopping by today to chat with me." 

Chandra: "No problem, it was great to be here." 

Dakota: Okay peeps, now that we've tortured Ms. Chandra enough, check out the info below about her new book and don't forget to comment. There's a $20 Amazon gift certificate up for grabs. And don't forget to follow the tour, the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

BUY AT PUBLISHER

BLURB:

Universal Defiance, Book One 

On a rural settler planet, Kat must resort to putting out an ad to find a husband. She doesn’t expect to find love—that’s a dream in these parts—just a partner to help work her ranch. Then the devastatingly handsome Jasper answers her ad and turns her on in ways she never dreamed possible. Too bad he’s not who he says he is. 

Jasper doesn’t know what he’s getting into when he ventures undercover to investigate a legal claim against Kat’s ranch. But after a toe-curling night under her roof and in her bed, he’s willing to do anything to stay there. He can’t say no to the tough-as-nails businesswoman who makes his body come alive. 

When people start getting hurt, though, both Kat and Jasper have to decide how valuable one piece of land is. And the ranch that brought them together might be the very thing standing between them. 

EXCERPT:

“Excuse me, sir.” Her calm words broke through the chaos of the port station and gained his undivided attention. This close to him, staring into his rich, brown eyes, her stomach began to churn with nerves. She quickly pushed through the sensation, though. She didn’t have the time for silliness. And it was the height of absurdity for her to be uncomfortable around her soon-to-be husband. “I’m Katarina Maxim. My friends call me Kat.” 

She held her hand out to him in casual greeting as she tried not to fidget. She’d debated how to greet him as she’d driven to the station. A kiss seemed rather forward. But she did want him to feel welcomed. A handshake seemed like the best idea at the time. Now, as she waited for him to take her hand, she started second-guessing herself. 

“Katarina, that’s a lovely name.” 

She noted that he’d called her Katarina but tried not to let that color her first impression of him. She didn’t hate the name nor did she hate being called by it. It just didn’t fit her. Not anymore. Katarina sounded soft, delicate—refined, even. Like she’d been before her family had moved here. She could only hope that he didn’t see her as any of those things. If he did, he would be sorely disappointment when he got to know her better. “Kat. Only my mother called me by my full name,” she pressed. 

“Kat it is.” His smile seemed genuine but his palm was as soft as new leather when he finally took hers. If he stayed, that would change. This planet demanded calluses and blisters. Her hands were proof of that.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Being from a rather nomadic family, Chandra Ryan loves to travel and meet people. But she’s found that sometimes, like when you’re stuck inside because of a good old-fashioned Southwestern heat wave, you have to make do. Fortunately for her and her loving family, who don’t like seeing her suffer from cabin fever, she’s found creating new people and places equally as fascinating. Also, you’re a lot less likely to spill your ice tea. 

Find Chandra on the Web:

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