Author Interview & Giveaway: Assumed Calling by Lila Munro

Today I have the pleasure of having  Lila Munro here with me. Let's get to know her a little better.

 Lila, tell us a little about  yourself...

I grew up in rural America via the mid-west route and have known I wanted to be a writer since I understood what words were. In fact, I think I wanted to be a writer before I could spell. The Little Red Hen was my favorite childhood story and I was eight when Santa brought me my first toy typewriter. Once the nest was empty, the idea of becoming published was resurrected and here I am a few releases later and loving life. The love of my life is a US Marine currently stationed in Okinawa—I miss him like crazy but am getting lots of writing done in his absence. We have two grown children and two four-legged kids running around here. Currently I live on the coast of North Carolina in Marine Corps Central, although I’ve learned over the years that can change on a dime and I never completely  unpack after a move as I’ve decided what’s the point? J I was once a journalism student and now have a few degrees one of which is in sociology. Needing to know why and how and what comes naturally to me and as a result I LOVE research.

Do you prefer:

Milk chocolate or Dark? dark

Coffee or tea? coffee

Vodka or tequila? vodka

Romance or a Thriller? Combo pack J

Mystery or Horror? mystery

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?

Oh my have they changed over the years. Some of my first loves were Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books, Carolyn Keene and the Nancy Drew novels, and Donald J Sobol with his Encyclopedia Brown books. Then during the high school years Stephen King and later Anne Rice took center stage. Yes, I had a period where I was a parascary fan. J

Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? (teacher, family member, friend)

Absolutely. It was in sixth grade my first mentor encouraged me in the form of my creative writing teacher who proudly told the class I had a flair for carrying a story-line…I guess! I was the only student who wrote a chapter book for the final project as opposed to the few pages he assigned. What can I say? My muse was in charge even then though I had yet to understand who or what she was.

What is your writing atmosphere like?

I have a home office my husband helped me put together, although it’s changed locations a couple of times. When I first started writing we lived aboard Cherry Point and we had a den which was converted and turned into my writing space then we got orders back to Camp Lejeune and we were given the luxury of a four-bedroom house although we’re now empty-nested. Plenty of space to work with so I made my office home in a spare bedroom. But that was upstairs and sort of isolated, so I’ve since moved into the room just off the family space downstairs so I feel like I’m still part of the world. J I have plenty of windows to look out, plants, books shelves, and my Rhino beany baby to remind me to be rhino tough.

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your Least Favorite?

My favorite aspect is building a plausible world my readers can immerse themselves in and connect with my characters is such a way they feel as though they are real people. Least favorite? Well, I’m not sure there is a least favorite. I enjoy all aspects of my career. And it is a career for me as I’m one of the few writers who enjoy the luxury of being able to writer full-time. If I had to choose a less than favorite thing, I’d say marketing can get a bit tedious at times and I really hate the drama social media creates although it seems to be a necessary evil.

Your current book your promoting is:

Assumed Calling which is the fifth and final book in the Identity series.

How did you come up with the story line?

Being as it’s part of the series, the story line was already there. I just had to listen to what Allen had to say about his life. What I didn’t expect was for the story to develop mid-way through by a few characters resurfacing from previous works through True Identity, book two, and the Force Recon novels. That also set the stage for some upcoming works to include my new series Steele Image set to debut next summer.

Thanks for having me by today, Tamaria! I’ve enjoyed being here with you and your readers. J

~Assumed  Calling~

Like the beat of a primal drum whispering the rhythm of an ancient dance, the lifestyle calls…

At the seasoned age of fifty-six, Allen Bourke has resigned himself to the fact he’ll probably never find someone to top he can also love. While he’s had wives and lovers, none of them endured and he’s come to the conclusion the clock’s ticking and age is working against him. Then a very intriguing Nicki Cartwright pings on his radar at what Allen determines will be his last house party. He can’t help but notice while he and his friends are getting older, the players emerging on the scene are forever getting younger. Nicki's no exception. Determined to resist the vibes humming between them, he only agrees to service her after his old friend, Kyle Montgomery, convinces him it's entirely feasible. Then it’s brought to Allen’s attention who Nicki really is. Knowing their pasts are forever intertwined, as hard as he tries to ignore his heart, he finds himself yielding to the tides of fate.

Born to senatorial royalty, Nicki Cartwright has spent her entire life trying to shield her mother from her father’s wrath while drifting further and further into a world where panic is normal and anxiety is always on the edge of her reality. Tired of burning the candle at both ends and forever trying to live up to the picture of All-American perfection her father James Cartwright touts as his ace in the hole during election cycles, Nicki finds herself on the path of self-discovery in search of relief from the stressors continually swamping her mind. What she doesn’t expect is to find who she thought she was is truly just a shadow of the person she really is. And what scares her most is the fact Allen, the only person she thought she could trust, has been holding a secret since before she was born which could destroy her entire family.

Excerpt:

“You jackass,” Nicki hissed, rising from her position and turning, shrugging the two men at her sides off, more spark in her eyes than Allen had ever seen. “You used me. I trusted you and you used me. It’s why you changed your mind about me isn’t it? And you were in on it, weren’t you Kyle? You two played me for a fool. For what? I don’t know anything about my father’s dealings. What did you think to gain from stringing me along?”

“No, doll. Neither of us knew who you were until you signed in at Steele Image that night. And I didn’t put two and two together until you told me who you were,” Allen tried to appease. A kernel of suspicion started to plant itself and he crushed it before it dug in too deeply. The fact that Kyle had all but pushed Allen into a relationship with Nicki was a pure stroke of chance he was going to have to come to terms with. Kyle couldn’t possibly have known what the result would be. “I know it’s seems too much to believe, but trust me. Everything has been one long series of coincidences.”

“You’re a liar,” she screamed.

“He’s not lying, Nicki,” Kyle told her, shooting her a glare which seemed to bank her fury. “I’ve known Allen for thirty years and I’ve never known the man to lie. He may have held secrets for that long or longer…” Kyle shot Allen a look that told him he wasn’t happy with the fact he didn’t know as much about his friend as he once thought he did. “But he’s never lied. Now if everyone could put their emotions to the side for a few minutes, we’ve got a lot to discuss. First of all, are we all in?”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lila Munro currently resides on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and their two four-legged kids. She’s a military wife with an empty nest and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance that spans everything from the sensual to BDSM and ménage. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, Salvation, Three for Keeps, the Force Recon series, the Slower Lower series, and the Identity series. She’s a member in good standing of RWA and Passionate Ink. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2012-2013 and has a brand new line scheduled for winter 2012-13. Ms. Munro loves to hear from her readers and can be found at:

Realmantic Moments:   http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LilaMunroAuthor#!/ 

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4200524.Lila_Munro

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilaMunro

You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com ,

and you can find all her works at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lila-Munro/e/B0055KK140/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Are: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=lila+munro&searchBy=author&qString=lila+munro

Nook:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lila-munro?keyword=lila+munro&store=allproducts

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lila-munro

~Giveaway~ 

Lila will be awarding a Godiva Chocolates gift basket worth at least $35.00 to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a Godiva Chocolates gift basket to a randomly drawn host. (US ONLY)

 For a chance to win please leave a comment with your email address. For more chances to win follow her tour (link below)!

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/10/nbtm-tour-assumed-calling-by-lila-munro.html