Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The interview I didn't even have to prepare- Stephanie Queen Guest Blogging!




Today, author Stephanie Queen guest blogs on Storm Goddess Book Reviews.  Stephanie is answering questions that are normally asked. Hey, I didn't even have to prepare this little interview :). Not that I mind doing so, but let's get to the post, shall we?




Answering questions I’m often asked.
How long have you been writing?
At least ten minutes. Soon I’ll need to jump up from my chair and pace a while. To think. And to wear off some of the chocolate I’ve been eating…while writing. What? I’m a multi-tasker.
Oh, wait… you didn’t mean how long have I been writing today? You were talking about how long since I was born? I don’t have an answer for that. My memory doesn’t go back as far as my writing apparently.
What made you start writing? Did anyone inspire or encourage you to write?
The nuns made me start writing. You could call it inspiration… Sure. Let’s go with that.
Plotter? Pantser? Or something in between?
(I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it sounds too obscene when I try. Especially the in between option.)
Please tell us about your current release.
I love my latest release, PLAYING THE GAME. The game is seduction, although there’s some basketball in the background. I love my characters, but I put them in such awful trouble I’m not sure they love me!
How about if I let the story speak for itself – here’s an excerpt:
Chapter 1
“Damn it,” Roxanne muttered. Her drink had splashed on her dress. The crowd was dense. Looking right, and then left, at the partygoers around her, she took a surreptitious glance down to inspect the damage.
A very large, dark, wet spot spread over her left breast. Luckily it was only ice water. Or maybe not so lucky, on second thought. She watched in horror as the red silk material clung to her skin.
“Double damn. My nipple is showing!” This time she forgot to keep her comment under her breath.
“Now that I’d like to see.” The man appeared from nowhere, towering beside her. He watched her reflection in the floor to ceiling window.
The heat of embarrassment ignited her face. The man was no gentleman. Her embarrassment turned to anger in a flash. She jutted her breast out for him to see.
“You can look all you want,” she dared, wanting to shift the discomfort to him.
She thought she’d succeeded, until the signature dimpled half-grin split his face.
“I’m Barry Dennis.” He held out his free hand for her to shake. He held a bottle of beer in the other. The famous lopsided smirk remained in place.
“Must be my lucky night.” She ignored his hand.
He laughed.
Biting her lip, she reminded herself to behave professionally. He was the star attraction at this gala and they were both there to raise money for a good cause.
“I’m Roxanne Monet.” She shook his hand. She eyed him, wondering if he’d dare to say something about her nipple.
“I know who you are. I watched you get fired from your job at the TV studio a few days ago. You were supposed to interview me.” Unrestrained amusement shone in his eyes now and his grin widened. She was really starting to dislike this guy.


I got a copy of Playing The Game for review, so I'm including the review in this post :)






BLURB: Can a woman bring down a legend by distracting him from his game? 

Since her disastrous marriage ended, Roxanne Monet has sworn off serious relationships with men. She has more important things to worry about, like accusations of murdering her wealthy husband, no money and no job. But when she meets superstar Barry Dennis and he challenges her to a game of seduction, she decides to play ball. When the game turns serious, she unintentionally exposes the legend to be a flawed man. 

Barry Dennis picked the wrong woman to play games with when he decides to flirt with the enigmatic Roxanne. Being the best takes all he has. He can’t afford to let anything or anyone interfere with his first and only priority--Basketball. But as the attraction between them heats up, he finds himself losing sight of his life’s game plan. 

While the sports world’s microscope is trained on Barry’s game and the media hounds Roxanne about her husband’s mysterious death, the stakes are ratcheted up even higher when Barry’s young daughter, Lindy is injured. Roxanne gives Lindy the attention she needs while Barry struggles to cope with the demands of his new priorities.

Can Roxanne rely on Barry to do more than play ball? She takes the risk and gives him the last thing she owns--her heart.


My Thoughts:  He's the image of perfection, she's a woman playing it safe and cool after a disastrous marriage.  But for Roxanne and Barry, the passion ignites and the intent to keep away keeps getting harder and harder.

Roxanne is at a crossroads. There's so much going on in this woman's life, it's like everything is hanging in limbo. But I admire her, she is strong and fights back and keeps her attitude positive. She's focused, and she knows what she does and doesn't want. Until Barry enters the pictures, and her emotions and libido go a little haywire.

Barry is perceived as a legend. The expectations that he's supposed to uphold are pretty high, and only get worse as time goes on. He has a love of the game,  and is sticking to playing basketball while everything else in his life takes a backseat. Including family. My emotions are mixed on Barry. He's not the perfect hero, doesn't always try hard enough, but there's just something about him that kept him likable. Sometimes his attitude towards Roxanne bothered me, and I also didn't like the way he handled things in situations.

The pace is fast, always something going on. The characters had a strong reaction out of me, whether it was a strong like or dislike. It seemed like every man fell at Roxanne's feet and worshipped her as if she was a goddess or something, and the way Barry talked to her at times so coldly really angered me.  But the two together definitely created sparks, whether they were loving or fighting.

All in all, I enjoyed Playing The Game. I feel the title has  a double meaning, but that's just my thought. Stephanie Queen has a really strong voice and I liked it.  The book is contemporary with small mystery elements that kept me reading from page one. If you're a fan of fast paced contemporaries, Playing The Game delivers one heck of a story.



Amazon Buy link:Here



Thanks for stopping by! Stephanie, I wish you many sales and look forward to more books from you in the future. I hope 2012 bring you many successes.



Until next time,

Storm Goddess





8 comments:

  1. I'd love to hear what readers think about the excerpt! Honest comments are a pleasure--honest!
    Thanks,
    Stephanie Queen

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  2. Sounds like a fun read. Congrats on the release.

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  3. LOL...fun interview! And the book sounds great too...loved that excerpt!

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  4. LOL, loved the interview and your chap 1.

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  5. Great excerpt and the interview was great.

    Marika Weber

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  6. GREAT excerpt! LOL sounds like a good read.

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  7. That is an awesome excerpt. You build a lot of chemistry in a really short piece and I was sad to see it end. A definite hook!

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