Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn't writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.
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First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
Sure! Thank you for having me today I’m a twenty-nine-year old living in Brooklyn, New York. I had my first book (PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS) published this past February, three total since then, and I’m now trying valiantly to balance being a new mother, an author, a wife and part-time officer worker at my family’s construction company. It’s a challenge but totally worth it!
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes. I just never thought I had the discipline to write a book. Once I’d proven to myself I had the ability to do that, it became a (sort of) reality. The real work actually came when I tried to get published. That’s the tough part.
What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
PANTSER. To an annoying degree. I’ll get to a point in the story, after everything has been going smoothly, and the character will say “I would never do this,” and because they’ve developed beyond my original concept as I wrote the book, they’re usually right. I wish I wasn’t so accommodating to them – it creates more work for me!
Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. A lot of the female relationships in my books are inspired by the real-life adventures of my group of crazy girlfriends. Oftentimes I can hear a line from a song and an idea pops into my head – that happens frequently. Some are just products of my imagination.
A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
Alpha, dirty-talking cops meet their matches in feisty, take-no-prisoner heroines.
What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
I love wrong-side-of-the-tracks stories. Whether it’s a rich girl who falls for the hell-raiser or vice versa, it gets me every time. Something really sexy about the taboo relationship – the way they can’t stay apart no matter how many people disapprove of them being together.
Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
All of Julie Garwood’s books are my favorite books. I was having a discussion with some friends this weekend and I realized I could basically summarize the plot of every one of her books, down to the little quirks each heroine possesses. I’ve read all of her historical romances numerous times. My favorite book recently was Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec. Romantic and hysterically funny.
What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
When one of my characters makes a bad decision. I want to stop them, I know that they know better, but…people make bad decisions. It’s part of life. And without a few bad judgment calls, there wouldn’t be much of a story, in my opinion.
If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
There are three authors I can’t live without (well, their books, at least). Karen Marie Moning, Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. I really wouldn’t mind splitting an order of fries and picking their brains for an hour or two.
Last question, are you working on anything right now?
Yes – always! I’m working on a secret project at the moment for Brazen that won’t come out until summer 2014. I’ve already written the next Line of Duty book (aka Brent’s book) and I’m going to start Willa’s book very soon (for readers who don’t know Willa, she is one of everyone’s favorite secondary characters - from Protecting What’s His).
What is your least favorite thing to read in a contemporary romance?
His need to possess her is non-negotiable.
Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn’t bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.
Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.
Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel’s already forbidden relationship survive?
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OOo secret project? Can't wait to hear what it is and so excited to hear the next book is already on it's way. Love the series!
ReplyDelete~Anna
herding cats & burning soup
I'm not a fan of love triangles. If someone can't decide between two people, then the love isn't that soul-shaking, magnet pulling, can't live without you type of love which is what I want to read about. :)
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite thing to read in a contemporary romance is love triangles. I never read books where is love triangle.
ReplyDeleteI don't like when there is no sexy stuff in the book. I read a book once, got to the end and realized the most they ever did was hold hands. I find out later it was a Christian type of romance. I don't need the book to be smut, but a little sexy is nice.
ReplyDeleteOn the extreme, I will never read a book that has rape in it. In the lighter area I avoid books with lots of angst.
ReplyDeleteI don't like a love triangle.....I want the connection to be with the h/h!
ReplyDeleteSurprise children
ReplyDeleteI don't like a lot of back and forth, or angst, for the heroine. If she's having trouble deciding between 2 guys and keeps changing her mind, that bothers me.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the secret project. I don't like it when the heroine is really whinny and wishy washy about the hero.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it when the characters have to lie to each other to keep a secret.
ReplyDeleteI don't like a hero or heroine with a true terrible past, especially if it's descriptive. I read for escapism, not to feel bad.
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite thing is a hero who lost a wife, fiance, etc to death or cheating and that is all he thinks about.
ReplyDeleteEither main character smoking - it's a real turn off for me.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like it when there is cheating except when the innocent party isn't so innocent (they're awful - make him a bad guy - then it's ok). dsr002(at)gmail(dot)com Damaris
ReplyDeleteBDSM, I'm getting tired of that story line. I think the romance market is saturated with books about BDSM.
ReplyDeleteMost love triangles make no sense. It's always obvious who is going to pair up. If the girl can't decide and strings two guys along - shame on her.
ReplyDeleteI don't like any sort of cheating.
ReplyDeleteI don't like cheating of any sort. And I have to have a HEA or HFN ending.
ReplyDeleteI dont like cheating. Its a deal breaker in a book, i hate cliff hangers, and i must have a HEA. :)
ReplyDelete