Meet Diane Escalera

Dangerous Desire

Sienna Diaz is desperate to find her missing beagle, no matter what it costs. She hires Cruz Santino, the best—and hottest—in the business. He’s an ex cop, dangerous on many levels, which comes in handy when all evidence indicates her beloved pet was snatched to use in a dogfighting ring.

Cruz will do whatever it takes to find Sienna’s lost pet, but he also wants results from the smokin’ hot attraction between them—and he isn’t above breaking his own hands-off-clients rule to get there. However, until he brings her beloved beagle home safely, he won’t have Sienna's undivided attention...and affection.

Diane's book is available at Lyrical Press http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=357 and Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Desire-ebook/dp/B005CII926/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1323041802&sr=1-1


We also asked Diane a few questions...

Writing is like the perfect solitary sport. I believe that writers, like athletes, need to be prepped and ready before they can write. What are your routines/preparations before you sit down to write?

I like to wake up early because I appreciate quiet time. It’s when I get the most done. Once I’m off the internet, I’ll plan out my day. After breakfast, I try to get in a good workout (Yep. I actually enjoy exercise). Then it’s time to get to work. Oh, and I play with my cute little dachshund every chance I get!

Do you have habits as a writer? Always outlining? Never outlining? Keep a notebook with character information?

While I’m more of a pantser, I do need to have a few things in place such as a working title, my main characters, and the premise of the story. I like to have an idea where I’m going, but I’m never sure how I’m going to get there until I start writing.

What was the inspiration behind this book?

When I set out to write Dangerous Desire, I wanted to do something different, a little more edgy than my previous books. I chose to make the hero a pet detective (No. He’s nothing like Ace Ventura!) because frankly, I hadn’t seen many tough guys with this profession. A love for animals softened his hard exterior. I found it attractive, and thought my heroine would too.

I knew who my hero was. How would he utilize his special skills? While I was brainstorming ideas, pro football player Michael Vick’s dogfighting scandal made headlines. Believe it or not, it spurred the plot for Dangerous Desire.

I’m an animal lover, and I had strong feelings about dogfighting. Still, the story called out to me. I like to write about real life issues. Bad things happen, and I try not to shy away from something just because it might be unpopular.

But I digress… After all, Dangerous Desire is a sizzling hot romance! It’s a story about a second chance at love. The road to a happy ending may have some bumps along the way. It doesn’t stop us from trying to reach our destination.

Being that we’re now in full-out holiday mode, what would you like to ask Santa for this year? (And if you say world peace, we’re allowing the reindeer to eat your chocolate).

I just relocated to North Carolina. What I really want for Christmas is a house!

What would a reader discover in your book that excites you? (Such as, I always have characters based on us old farts but usually they’re the strangest or crudest ones. Carolyn usually includes a dinosaur or two as a small memento of her childhood.)

I try to create characters that everyone can relate to, people I’d want to hang out with in real life. It’s about character, integrity, compassion and heart. Oh, and a sense of humor! Nothing beats a good laugh.

Did you always dream of being a writer when you grew up?

Unlike most authors, I didn’t know I was destined to write. In fact, I worked in banking for several years, but deep down knew that it wasn’t my dream job. At the young age of thirty-five, my sister died of an illness. I realized the same thing could happen to me. There are no guarantees. I couldn’t waste another moment doing something I didn’t love. Writing was one of my greatest joys when I was growing up. I decided to enroll in an intensive course where I learned everything I could about the craft. It didn’t take long before I left the bank to pursue a writing career.

Any words of advice to aspiring writers?

Keep writing no matter what anyone tells you. Write from your heart. Believe in yourself!

Happy Holidays! And thank you, Lori, for the awesome opportunity.

Please visit DianeEscalera.com to learn more about my sexy tales. I love to interact with readers! “Like” my fan page on Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial. Follow me on Twitter.com/DianeEscalera.

** small note, you all know how bad we Farts are with links so apologies for the shape of them.