Hello, Lila

Today's guest is Lila Munro. Lila, welcome to the blog. Could you tell us a little bit about you and your work?

I’d love to. I write contemporary erotic romance that spans from the sensual all the way to alternative lifestyles. I currently reside on the coast of North Carolina. I’m a military wife and take much of my inspiration for my heroes from the marines I’ve lived around for the past fourteen years. I coined the term realmantica to describe my style and I strive to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading everything I can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Currently I’m working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2010-2011. I also work as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Rebel Ink Press.

It doesn't sound like you have a lot of free time! What event spurred you to become an author?

There wasn’t a single event that led me down this path, instead it was a series of encouraging happenings. I’ve always loved the written word, in fact since before I could read it for myself. At age 8 I asked Santa for a toy typewriter, and in the sixth grade my creative writing teacher stoked the embers of an already smoldering passion. He told me I held the ability to carry a story line forward. After that write was all I ever wanted to do, but due to life and all its twists and turns I never pursued it until I was 40.

I started early too. I dictated my first story when I was five. What do you think is the hardest part of writing? The easiest?

The hardest part. Paying attention while driving because I have a character talking so much and so quickly I can’t keep track of both things at once. I say that because I recently caught myself nearly running a stop sign while Kurt—my hero in book two of the Delaney Brothers series—was rambling on about what he wanted to do with Dee. And they say texting and driving is bad. Try internal character dialoguing and driving. The easiest thing. Wow. Is any of it easy? It’s a lot of work yet so fulfilling. I’d say the most enjoyable part is seeing and hearing people enjoying my stories and understanding my characters.

What makes a book a page turner? A solid plot and well developed characters. When the characters are two dimensional the story falls flat. When I can relate to the characters and their plight, the writer has done his/her job.

What are 3 things that would surprise the readers to learn about you?

I’ve moved 8 times in 14 years due to my husband’s occupation, I’m a naughty novel writing grandma, and I have a double B.S. and an A.S none of which I’ve ever pursued a career in. The degrees are in psychology, sociology and English.

You're an interesting person! I taught some classes in sociology last year and loved the subject. Would you share your links with us?

Absolutely. Your readers may find me at: my website http://lilamunro.weebly.com , my joint effort website http://www.wickedmuses.blogspot.com or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro You can also contact me via email at lilasromance@gmail.com For more information about Rebel Ink Press please visit their website at www.rebelinkpress.com

We’d love to read an excerpt. Do give us a buy link.

Please enjoy this small sample from A Slower Lower Love now available at:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-slowerlowerlove-506546-148.html

The sound of seagulls screeching like nails on a chalkboard pulled Cait out of the peaceful place somewhere between sleep and wake she’d been dozing in and out of most of the morning. The raucous cacophony was far too close for comfort. Pushing up on her forearms in the warm soft sand, she peeled her eyes open. A summer browned boy that looked to be around ten or eleven stood a few yards away with a clear plastic bag full of bread crusts. The band of ivory and gray birds dipping and swooping behind him cast shadows over her and her fluffy yellow beach towel. Did the boy have no sense at all? Probably the offspring of interlopers, he obviously didn’t realize the scavenging birds would never leave if you fed them even once.

“Hey, kid,” she shouted. “Go somewhere else with your bag of bread.”
She didn’t want to share her space with a child and his flock of motley birds. Why wasn’t he back in school anyway? It was well past Labor Day.

He glanced over at her, pulled a piece of crust from the bag, and waved it in the air blatantly ignoring her wishes to be left alone.
Hating to be taunted, she started to get up. “I said get down the beach you scrawny urchin, this isn’t public access so go.”

After watching him dart away with the gulls not far behind, she lowered herself back on her towel and closed her eyes again. She’d come here to rest and try to piece her life back together, not deal with truants.

It was her mother’s suggestion that she take a week at the beach house after the last holiday weekend of summer and Cait had only agreed after giving the idea serious pause. After all, there were memories here she didn’t particularly care to rehash. At the time her mother called however, the beach seemed like a better alternative than being secluded in her townhouse for one more day, sitting all alone. But if Cait's first morning home was any indication as to what her stay was going to be like, she might well change her mind and go back to Baltimore before sundown.

For now, though, she was here. The very place that eight years ago she’d absconded like it was infested with the plague, fleeing for a life outside the confines of small town life to anywhere bigger, USA.
It just so happened that anywhere bigger at the time was Pittsburg. Cait found a job and earned a degree at the university. Then she’d gone on to land a gig at one of the nation’s biggest marketing firms in Baltimore. After working her way up from the mail room, she’d been in charge of some very affluent client accounts. Always looking for more though, the climb hadn’t been enough fast enough for Cait. No. She wanted everything. But, unfortunately, everything came with a price.

Lila, Thanks so much for coming. Good luck with your book.