Interview with Author Karen Erickson and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome author Karen Erickson back to RFTC. Karen is celebrating the release of her newest book in her Worth It series, Worth the Challenge and has stopped by to answer some questions. Please give Karen a warm welcome.

Romance author Karen Erickson writes what she loves to read — sexy contemporary romance and sensual historical romance. Digitally published since 2006, she currently writes for Samhain Publishing, Entangled Publishing’s Bliss Imprint, Avon Impulse and Carina Press. A native Californian, she lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children.

Places to find Karen:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest |

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
Professionally, I’m a full time romance writer and I write mostly contemporaries for Samhain Publishing and Entangled Publishing’s Bliss line. I also write historical romance for Carina Press and coming in December, Avon Impulse.

Personally, I’ve been married for eleven years, I have three children and I’m a native Californian who lives about an hour away from the gates of Yosemite. Oh, and I own too many cats. I’m a cat lover (could cross into crazy cat lady if I don’t watch it LOL).

Did you always want to be a writer?
When I was in junior high my best friend and I (hey Linda!) wrote a few books over the summer (kinda like a serial) involving the members of Duran Duran and us. It’s a real page-turner. She claims when I hit it big, she’s going to sell it on eBay for millions. *winks*

I was a journalism major in college and always secretly dreamed of being a romance writer but life got in the way. Only when I became a stay-at-home mom did I consider trying this writing thing again. I was first published in 2006 and haven’t looked back!

What kind of writer are you? Pantster or Plotter?
Originally, I was a complete and total pantster. I still sort of am but I have to plot too, especially when I sell on proposal. The editor sort of wants that synopsis so she knows what she’s getting.

But I don’t like to know every detail because it tends to take the fun out of it for me. So I’m a combination of a pantster and a plotter. I like to have a road map so I know where they need to go but I love those little surprises that pop up as I’m writing.

Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. Something I see on TV, an article I read in a magazine, a celebrity I see on the Internet, whatever. Heck, I saw a post a friend liked on Facebook yesterday that happened to pop into my news stream and I immediately thought, “That’s a great idea for a book.”

Thank goodness the ideas do keep coming. I need them!

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
Bad boy hero, good girl perfumer, must work together & fight the chemistry brewing between them. Tropical breezes = sexy nights + love?

6. What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?

Oh, so tough. I do love a good contemporary. Or a sweeping, sexy historical. Erotic romance, sweet romance, I’m all over the place. I like true crime fiction and the occasional YA. And research books!

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
Ack, no. There are way too many good books out there, I could never single out just one!

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
Hmm, sometimes those black moment scenes are tough. Especially when I don’t want to do any damage to my beloved characters. I’ve learned over the years the more you put them through the ringer, the sweeter their coming together at the end can be.

In fact, the latest book I just turned in had me crying a lot. I was an emotional wreck! My family thought I was crazy, I’m sure. Sitting at my computer, listening to my book’s playlist, tears rolling down my cheeks. LOL

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Hmm, this is tough (so many fabulous authors out there I would want to meet!) but I think I’d have dinner with Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux and Lavyrle Spencer. These three authors are the ones who kept me up late into the night reading their books when I was in my late teens. They’re the ones whose backlists I glommed onto when I discovered them. And they’re the ladies who made me realize I wanted to do exactly what they were doing. They are my inspiration!

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
I feel like I’m always working on something! Actually, I just came off of a back-to-back deadline. Turned in the fourth book in the Worth It series, Worth Everything, in September. And I just turned in Cameron’s Homecoming to my editor at Entangled for their Bliss line. Cameron’s book is the second in my new Lone Pine Lake series (small town contemporary), and the first book will be out at the end of October (Jane’s Gift).

I must confess—Cameron really stole my heart while I was writing his book. Just as I was incredibly excited for everyone to meet Rhett from Worth the Challenge when I finished his book back in the spring, now I’m dying for everyone to meet Cam! But his book won’t come out until spring 2013 so there’s some time there (but you’ll catch a glimpse of him in Jane’s Gift – whee!).

Together, they’re magic. Now to capture it in a bottle…

For once in his errant life, Rhett Worth is ready to prove to his older brothers he’s more than good looks and a woman-melting smile. Except he’s screwed up. And it’s about to hit the fan as he prepares to tell them he’s failed to deliver the master perfumer, Michel Durand, to create Worth Luxury’s signature scent.
Then salvation walks through the boardroom door, all wrapped up in a petite, seductive package.

Gabriella Durand is prepared to beg the Worths to give her capricious father another chance. Instead, she finds the devastatingly handsome Rhett Worth offering it to her as if he’d planned it all along. And Gabriella, hungry to emerge from her father’s shadow, jumps at it.

Soon they’re in Maui to hunt for the perfect scent…and find it in the tropical breeze that washes across their entwined bodies. Now the pressure is on to capture that passion in a bottle—before they let love complicate the delicate mix. Before a whiff of betrayal threatens to destroy everything.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Samhain Publishing |

Check out the Worth It series: 

Click for info.

Want to win some goodies from Karen? Check out whats up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 lucky winner from the ENTIRE tour will win a $50 Amazon/Barnes & Noble Gift Card

To Enter:

• Leave a comment answering the question: Which Worth brother is your favorite?
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

Good Luck =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway