Shelli Stevens is in the hut!

Please join me in welcoming author Shelli Stevens to our humble island! Shelli writes steamy love stories for Kensington Publishing, Samhain Publishing, and Cobblestone Press. She also finds time to be a fabulous president of the Seattle RWA chapter, where she mentors young, impressionable, aspiring authors to write hot, write often, and reach for the stars.

Ciara: In SEXY BEAST VII, your novella features a shapeshifter hero. What is so sexy about shapeshifters? What makes a shapeshifter hero bigger, badder and hotter than other species of hero?

Shelli: Hmm that's an excellent question! I think what makes them so sexy, is the fact that there's finally a reason behind that 'primal, alpha, animalistic' mentality some heroes get that we may not understand. When they're actually part animal and have those tendencies born within them, well it's just kind of hot. Plus it's the unknown, the paranormal element, that just adds to the fascination factor.

Ciara: Edward or Jacob?

Shelli: Oh, God, Jacob all the way. Vampires gross me out (that whole blood and puncture wounds thing). Jacob is hot, kind of a coming into his own alphaness and total jailbait, but I'd be all over him.

Ciara: What kind of heroine is the ideal mate for a shapeshifter? What characteristics should she possess?

Shelli: Well obviously she needs to be open minded, or she just may never get over the 'my boyfriend is a wolf half the time' bit. She should also be strong willed and not easily pushed around, because shifters can be alpha to the boot, so she should be able to hold her ground against him. And of course she's gotta be passionate to satisfy the beast within him! ;)

Ciara: If you could live in any world/series, which would you pick?

Shelli: Hmm, let's see. If we're choosing paranormal, I'm going to go hang with the werewolves in the Twilight Series (they are so yummy!). If we're going for the normal boys, I think I'll plop myself into Lora Leigh's world of Navy Seal boys.

Ciara: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring 6 books, which would they be?

Shelli: Wild Card, by Lora Leigh
New Moon, by Stephanie Meyers (Jacob factor again!)
Mark of the Assassin, by Daniel Silva
Master of Surrender, by Karin Tabke
Hide and Seek, by Cherry Adair
Spying in High Heels, by Gemma Halliday

Ciara: If you could bring 6 heroes, which would you pick?

Shelli: Sir Rohan du Luc, from Master of Surrender
Nathan/Noah from Wild Card
Jacob from New Moon
Roark Navarre, The Innocent's Dark Seduction
Clint Evans, Just a Hint Clint
Jack Ramirez, Spying in High Heels

Ciara: Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party?

Shelli: a yummy, dry red wine (trying to get more into wine!)

Ciara: What can we look forward to next from you?

Shelli: I have the third novella, Protecting Phoebe, in my Chances Are series coming out with Samhain in November. Then in July 2010 I have both the release of Need Me from Kensington Aphrodisia, and Chances Are are (all three novelllas in print!) from Samhain. Other stuff is out pending in submission land, but hopefully there's some hot, suspenseful shape shifter ideas and some light and hot romances in the future too!

Ciara: Thank you so much for joining us!

TAKE ME
After years as a slave to the pleasures of the powerful, Talia knows how to make a man mad with lust. But her pleasure counts for nothing—until a handsome, ruthless stranger appears. Ryder dares to look at her... to touch her... to awake in her a desire she's never imagined. When he kidnaps her to learn her secrets, Talia vows not to let her passion take control. But soon she discovers that her captor's intense gaze and searching hands can perform their own kind of interrogation, a sweet torture she finds impossible to resist...