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Monday, July 2, 2012

Guest Post with Author Lila Munro and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome author Lila Munro to the blog. Lila is currently on tour promoting her book Assumed Master. Lila is here today to talk about her inspiration behind the book but before I give the floor over to Lila, lets get to know her a bit.

Lila Munro currently resides on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and their two four-legged kids. She’s a military wife with an empty nest and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance that spans everything from the sensual to BDSM and ménage. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, Salvation, Three for Keeps, the Force Recon series, the Slower Lower series, and the Identity series. She’s a member in good standing of RWA and Passionate Ink. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2012. And has a brand new line scheduled for winter 2012-13.

Places to find Lila:
| Site | Facebook |


Good morning! And thank you for hosting me today, Danielle. It’s an honor and joy to be here. Nice digs and plenty of eye candy floating around. I like it!

So…inspiration behind Assumed Master. Well, I have to admit, one of the characters from Assumed Identity actually encouraged the writing of this tale. Assumed Master is book four in my Identity Crisis series and is the only first one in the series to directly follow some of the characters forward and is in fact a continuation of book three, Assumed Identity.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Identity Crisis series, it might be helpful to know it was never supposed to be a series at all and was in fact a stand-alone novella in book one, Identity Crisis. I wanted to write something less vanilla than I had been and boy did my muse go hog-wild at the idea and packed everything but the kitchen sink into that little 25K word story. Whew! Happy and content, I thought I was finished. But it would seem that once you start writing in a less than vanilla world, it sort of holds you captive and just plain won’t let go. So, a second set of characters started talking and I came up with the idea of joining them as a series linked not by common characters but by a common theme. Everyone in the series would have some type of identity issue. Book three came along and by golly I figured I was done…

Who said writers have control of their muses and characters? Well, whoever did was wrong. At least concerning my muses. The little vixens ganged up on me and not only broke my rule of threes, but also broke the mold on my no characters would carry over the whole thing was centered on the identity theme.

Dante Larson told me at some point during edits of Assumed Identity he and Julie had more story to tell, which was odd because he wasn’t even her Master or anything more than her friend. Well, he was in love with her, but that was beside the point. What more was there to the story? She married Mason. The End.

Not quite.

He posed a very interesting question. What happens to a slave that has been left adrift by her previous Master? What happens if she’s in fact been willed to another in the event of her Master’s death?

Inspiration in hand, I broke my rule of three and wrote a sequel…Now it would seem the muse isn’t satisfied with four books and book five is in the works, Assumed Calling, due out this summer. Allen is finally getting his turn and Julie and Dante’s predicament is weighing heavy in his decision making concerning one Nicki Cartwright…lollypop lover and thirty years his junior…

Stay tuned and caution…inspiration lurks.

Thank you again for having me over!
~~Lila Munro


We may be born to the lifestyle,

Julie Stevens and Dante Larson always knew their tastes were a bit more eccentric than those of the average person, but acknowledgement of their chosen paths came at different times. While their lives have run parallel for the last twenty years, destiny always came knocking at the wrong time. Julie was a closeted edge player and before Dante could pull her free of her fears, Mason came along and dragged her kicking and screaming from her self-inflicted darkness, leaving Dante wanting. Although Dante’s been in love with Julie since the day he first laid eyes on her, he's happily married to Blake. But the tides are turning.

But Lady Fate dictates how it should be lived…

Still mourning the death of the only Master she’s ever known, Julie finds herself forced to live with the one man she’s been terrified of for years, Dante. While she has to admit something between them feels right, just as many things feel very, very wrong, starting with the fact he’s married to her gay best friend. Before she even has time to sort out her current predicament, another man catches Julie's attention. But after losing her mother, her sister, and her husband, can Julie come to grips with the fact that Keegan McKettrick jumps out of perfectly good helicopters for a living, rescue diving for the Coast Guard? And where exactly does that leave Dante, who knows for sure he needs a woman to complete his unconventional marriage? Quite frankly, he's tired of waiting.

Places to Purchase:

“Shhhh…Love, it’s okay. I know. I understand. I suspect Mason will have quite a grip on you for quite a while in that respect, and I get it. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He stood and pulled her to her feet, turned the water off, then moved to the vanity where he retrieved another towel and started squeezing water from her hair with it. “But you need that anchor. Do you understand that? You need to get settled into a routine. It’ll help bring you back center.”

“I know,” Julie whispered.

She didn’t know how this would ever work. Dante wasn’t the emotional Master that Mason had been. He was more a physical Dom and very stringent. That he was being so easy on her right now defied reason. That was almost more confusing than being here to begin with. If anything, she’d have expected Dante to turn her over his knee immediately for back talking and shutting him out.

“Let’s just use Sir for now,” Dante told her, tossing the wet towel onto the hamper. “Yes?”

“Yes,” she said, still clutching the towel around her middle and peering up at their shared reflection in the foggy mirror.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Check out the other books in the Identity Crisis series:
Click on cover for more info.

Want to win some goodies from Lila? Check out what's up for grabs.

Up for grabs:
  • 1 lucky commenter from the ENTIRE tour will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

To Enter:
  • Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Lila. 
  • Please leave your email address along with your comment to be entered. 
  • Giveaway ends July 30th.

Good Luck =)

30 comments :

  1. Good morning! Thank you for hosting me today. I'll be in and out throughout the day and will stop by as often as I can to answer questions and talk to the readers. I hope everyone is okay this morning in the storm areas, and if you happen upon us later this week due to lack of power, don't worry, I'll be back by a few times...Have a great morning all!

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  2. Do you do research for the Identity Crisis series or do you live the lifestyle?

    books4me67 at ymail dot com

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  3. This book sounds really good, I shall check it out. :)

    Becky01x@gmail.com

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  4. Sounds like an exciting series! Will a Domme's story be part of it?

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  5. Hi books4me...I have several friends that do practice and they are very open with me when I have questions. In another post I have up I talk about that a bit. I've seen most of what I write up close and personal, but keep my sources close to my vest. Hi Rebecca! So glad to see you here, and happy reading. Hi vitajex! Good to see you out and about today..I've tossed around the idea of a Domme's story, but the right woman hasn't started talking to me yet. I have a spin off series planned that takes us back to Steele Image from Book two, True Identity and there is a Mistress Anne that has always intrigued me there...

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  6. Hi Lila..I have the first 3 in the series and I am glad that you are keeping them going. I look forward to this next one as well!
    Yvette
    yratpatrol@aol.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Yvette! So glad to hear that. I hope you've enjoyed the stories. The characters sort of made me keep going with these. I had originally decided to stop at three but now here I am working on number five and a spin off series.

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  7. I have seen Lila's books and the amazing reviews. I don't have them yet, but I really need to just get them. I have been wanting them for a while now.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Melissa! I have a few excerpts up here and there and at my website that might further entice you. ;) And honestly, the reviews blow me away when I get them, they are icing on this wonderful cake of life I have a big slice of. :)

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  8. This story sounds different than any I have read before. It really sounds interesting. I will have to check it out.

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  9. Hi MomJane! It really is a bit different, but I'd suggest reading book three, Assumed Identity first as this is a direct sequel and one of the things I've seen people post on comments is they felt dropped in the middle of a story by reading Assumed Master first. The first two books are completely stand alone, but a few of those characters will make reappearance in a future series of their own. Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. Hi Lila, I was going to ask if there was going to be a book after Assumed Master, and in reading the post today I found out. :) I've put this series on my TBR list, it intrigues me a lot. I can't wait to get started reading. But I'm most looking forward to reading Assumed Master.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julianne! I'm glad to hear I'm on your list. I'm not sure if there will be anymore past book five, Assumed Calling, but the characters from book two, True Identity are going to get their own series eventually. Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I have been wanting to read this series for quite a while, every since I first read about one of the books. I love a good series, it allows you to really get into the world and learn more about the characters. Hopefully even get updates on them after their HEA/HFN endings. Congrats on the release.
    manning_2004 at yahoo dot com

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    Replies
    1. Hi June! I didn't start out a series writer to be honest. It was during the editing of book one of another of my series that my editor suggested I try my hand at it because she thought I had the drive and story lines to make it work. I'm very glad now she did. That series, Slower Lower, will get its last installment, finally, sometime this year. Thanks for coming out!

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  12. Hi lila,
    I'm not much into BDSM genre actually. The 1st BDSM I've ever read is the trilogy of 50 shades. I have to say that're good stories aside from the critics. So, I'm gonna make myself familiar with that genre since your excerpt tempts me.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julianna! In spite of all the mixed feelings, reviews and opinions surrounding 50 Shades, it has drawn attention to the genre, which has been good for us all.Have fun getting familiar. ;)

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  13. I haven't waded into BDSM yet but I might be likely t try a Domme story. Maybe the "right woman" will start speaking to you soon.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Catherine! I've got a new secret project going with Rebel Ink Press that involves a new line and in outlining the first three stories, a Domme is coming to the forefront. I hope more of these women speak to me as I've discovered many of my readers would like to see more stories in that direction. Keep watching my website for news on this new project. :)

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  14. Congrats on the release. I am adding them to my TBR list right now! I just started reading BDSM books and have found myself to be a sponge. When you are not writing, who do you enjoy reading? Is there any genre you would not write and why? When writing/reading what do you enjoy eating/drinking? Thanks Lila.

    your1chef at aol dot com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Christine! I'm so glad you've found an interest in the genre and very happy to hear I'm on your list. ;) I have a wide variety of things I read. Women's fiction, historical fiction, I love Regency romance, you name it there's probably a title or two from that on my Kindle right now. I'm not sure there's a genre I would avoid writing, but I can tell you I tried my hand at paranormal a couple of times and it's just not my cup of tea. I'll leave that one to the experts. I think everyone has a niche and it's a matter of finding it, or them. For me the BDSM and military stories are a good fit. Eating and drinking. LOL Honestly I try to avoid eating at the desk. Health concerns have me trying to be healthier in my choices and eating and writing just don't mix. And I always have a big cup of water sitting nearby. Thanks for stopping by and all the questions. :)

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  15. Nice excerpt. Thanks for sharing about the inspiration for the book. What's your favorite book cover of your own book?

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Hi there! Oh gosh, favorite cover...Carl always does such a good job with them. I would have to say the most recent cover is my current favorite--the cover for book five Assumed Calling. It's posted at my website. After that, I really love Assumed Master and The Executive Officer's Wife.

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  16. When the muse beckons it's wonderful for readers. What do you do when the muse escapes for a time?


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. If my muses have one thing, it's a mind of their own. They do go on hiatus occassionally and that's when I buckle down and catch up on marketing and blog posts and do web maintenance. That's also when I go through my idea book, weed and jot notes for new projects. One thing I learned very quickly when I first started was this business of writing is actually only 5% writing and 95% other stuff. :)

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  17. Can't wait to read this one and i have to say i love the cover of assumed master lol it really catches the eye :)

    amy2read89@gmail.com

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  18. this series sounds great. I love the covers. Is it the same artist for all the books?

    mythic021@gmail.com

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  19. I love the excerpt, I can't wait to read the book.
    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  20. In your spare time, what kind of books to you enjoy reading.
    4 spokane at gmail dot com

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