Author Interview with Calisa Rhose + GIVEAWAY!
RISK FACTORS
Love, like life, is not without risk.
Veterinarian Vivian Dane has purchased her uncleâs practice in the tiny town of Wales, Missouri, where most residents still doubt her ability to treat their pets. But Viv is used to being considered less-worthy than her predecessors. After all, her parents are world-renowned wildlife vets, and most everyone is unimpressed sheâs chosen to not follow directly in their footsteps. Now Connor, a patientâs owner, and is hot for Viv, but clearly doesnât think sheâs dating material because he has a daughterâŚwho he believes no woman is good enough for.
Being a perfect dad is EMT paramedic Connorâs life focus. He canât seem to stay away from sexy Doctor Viv, but attraction is as far as heâll ever let it go. His mother abandoned him, leaving him to be raised in the foster system, and then his wife abandoned both him and their daughter. He absolutely will not risk bringing another woman into his little girlâs life and having her feel the hurt of being leftâŚagain.
Forfeiting is easier than attempting and failing. So why does Viv feel compelled to prove sheâs a sure bet for Connor and his daughter? Can Connor trust Viv–and himself–enough to play the possibilities?
CONTENT WARNING: Happy-ever-after mixed with four-legged friends.
I hope youâll all join me in welcoming author, Calisa Rhose, to my blog. Her latest book Risk Factors released March 4th with Lyrical Press. And wow, isn’t that a fabulous cover. Love it.
Calisa also has a giveaway, and those details are at the end of the post. She has some cool prizes up for grabs, so check them out.
Hey Calisa, so I’m going to start with a fun rapid fire question round.
– Nicknames? Lisa.
– Where do you live? Oklahoma, USA.
– Have you ever traveled abroad? Only in books. đ
– Tea or coffee? Coffeeeeee!
– Favorite dessert? Fruit with cottage cheese.
– Dog or cat? Dog (but I love my cat).
– Beach or skiing? Definitely beach.
– Chocolate, or vanilla, or rocky road ice-cream? Black Walnut.
– Lemons or lemonade? Lemons.
– Whatâs your favorite time of the day to write? Late morning.
– Do you write on holiday? Absolutely!
– Last book you read? Currently reading âThe Drake Houseâ by Kelly Moran.
– Plotter or pantser? Pantser all the way.
– What three things would you take to a desert island? My laptop, stereo, a comfy blanket.
I would so take my laptop too, and then hope for some form of power to run it. đ
– So, tell us what started you on your journey to being a writer? My love of music, actually. I began writing surreal stories around rock bands when I was fifteen. Also, my earliest writing was poetry.
– If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be? Why? Anything with horses. I love horses and want to open a sanctuary for the beautiful creatures.
– Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world? Somewhere in Ireland or somewhere warm.
– If you don’t mind, state a random fact about yourself that would surprise others? I canât sleep in a bed that isnât made right before I get in it. Last night I woke up and had to make the bed so I could sleep. I guess itâs OCD, but bed wrinkles bug me to distractionâŚliterally. đ
– Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? Donât listen to everything you hear. Rules are meant to be broken and trends to be ignored.
– What are you working on now? Haha! Which one? I have a fireman story I want to finish, a series, and other paranormal WIPs are in perpetual progress. Right this moment though, Iâm working on something totally new for me. A ghost story with a twist.
EXCERPT:
âI guess Iâll get home.â
Viv barely nodded an acknowledgement.
Annoyance turned to anger. Without looking back, he went to his car, and pulled the door open with more force than was necessary.
It wasnât as though heâd given Viv a reason to want to include him in her personal life. He didnât want anything personal from her. Hell, heâd gone out of his way to prevent any closeness between them. Except when she was in his arms, and at those times they both seemed to forget who they really were. In fact, he didnât know who the real Vivian was. Clumsy but cute veterinarian, stiff upper-class woman, or the sexy woman out to steal his heart?
âConnor?â
He looked over his shoulder. Viv was alone, no parents in sight that he could see. âThey went to my place.â
âThen, you should go.â
One shoulder flinched in a light shrug. She smiled up at him, and damned if it wasnât the most beautiful thing heâd ever witnessed. She indicated the cemetery. âI told them this is about your family pet and that Iâll be along in a while.â
Her presence soothed away any lingering anger. Then the guilt hit. Sheâd already done such a selfless thing for him, and he repaid her with disregard. âWhat happened? Where did you go back there?â
Viv shook her head, her soft hair brushing over her coat collar, and he wanted to slide his hand under its silkiness, pull her to him, and kiss her. Then she was talking and he focused on her lips.
âItâs nothing. I didnât have anything to say andâŚI was surprised by their unexpected arrival was all.â
She was lying, or at least unwilling to share that part of herself with him. Not that he blamed her. It wasnât like heâd gone out of his comfort zone to share his family with herâŚand they lived ten minutes from him.
âYou were saying something when they got here.â Her soft voice gently drew him back to the present.
Looking at her made him forget too many things, too easily. What had he been about to say? It was easier to recall their kisses of two nights ago; the softness of her lips on his. He searched through his mind and dragged the earlier conversation back out. Right, heâd been about to ask her to dinner. Well, she had company waiting for her, so that wouldnât be polite now. But, in light of that, he had another idea. âWhy donât you let me take those chairs off your hands?â
Viv narrowed her eyes, then frowned. âThatâs not what you were going to say.â She was smart as a judge, if not as steady as one, at times.
He grinned. âNo. But it doesnât matter. Go visit your folks. Iâll be here when they leave.â
âWill you?â
âI do live here, remember?â
She stared out into the growing dusk and nodded, then met his gaze. âItâs not likeâŚsh–â
Her stammering told Connor more than any words could. She didnât trust his intentions. Why should she? He hadnât given her any reason to. He leaned against his car and pulled her between his legs, into his arms. The uncertainty in her face was new. He felt it, too. Somehow last night had changed things between them. He slid a hand under the pale veil as heâd craved, resting on her shoulders to massage her neck. Gently, slowly he dragged her close. He wanted to give her the opportunity to refuse, but he would kiss her.
BUY THE BOOK: Lyrical Press/ Amazon / Barnes&Noble
GIVEAWAY: Calisa will be picking at the end of her tour one winner to gift either a signature rose rock for a USA winner or a $10 GC of choice (Kindle or Nook) for one overseas or in Canada. Either winner will also get a PDF copy of Risk Factors. All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post, and you’ll be in the draw. Calisa will announce the winner on April 10th, and get in contact with that person.
BIO:
Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose has been writing since she was a teen in Oklahoma.
It wasnât until 2005, while living in California, that she realized if âtheyâ can do it thereâs no reason why she couldnât write and get published, too. That realization began her journey into the world of publishing. With a fun attraction to those rugged heroes in cowboy hats, she began writing contemporary cowboys first. Then Calisa discovered how romantic firemen and first responders are, and how truly dedicated they are to saving lives, helping people. She was âbought and paid forâ as she dug into research on Risk Factors. Sheâd love to hear from her readers at calisa.rhose@gmail.com and you can visit Calisaâs website at http://calisarhose.wordpress.com Find out about her books on the Bookshelf page. Twitter @Calisa_Rhose, Goodreads and Facebook
Â