@GoddessFish Interview: Fire Down Below by Andrea Simonne

Fire Down Below

Andrea Simonne

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Liebe Publishing
Date of Publication: August 22, 2014
Number of pages: 345
Word Count: 123,000
Cover Artist: LBC Graphics

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     ARe     iTunes

Choosing between two hot guys? Not a bad way to turn thirty-five….

Running into an old boyfriend is bad enough, but why does it always happen when you look your worst?

Kate Alexander is wearing gray sweats, no makeup, and feels as glamorous as a pile of dirty laundry when she runs into her hunky ex, Ben Mathews. Ben is the only man who’s ever asked her to marry him. And now still single, and closing in on her thirty-fifth birthday, Kate suspects her shelf life is nearing its expiration date. Though Ben once broke her heart she’s convinced fate has brought them together for a second chance at love.

The problem is Declan O’Connor, a sexy Irishman. Kate considers him a friend—except she’s been having some very un-friend like thoughts about him. They shared a hot kiss one night, before Ben reentered her life, and now she can’t stop thinking about it. Despite the attraction with Ben, Kate is remembering her old resentments of him all too well. But then Ben asks her to marry him again and her second chance has finally arrived. Is this what she really wants though?

From Seattle to Dublin, from the old to the new, Kate is caught between playing it safe or playing with fire.

Excerpt: 

“I’m glad we’re together again,” he murmurs, kissing me softly. His fingertips trail down my body creating little sparks on my skin.

I’m still aware that we’re outside naked. Ben obviously doesn’t care though and I wonder if he sleeps out here a lot. It would be just like him. He’s like a dog that refuses to be kept indoors.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks, sensing my distraction.

“You. I was wondering if you sleep out here a lot.”

He chuckles softly. “I do. Crazy huh? Sleeping on my deck. You’re finding out all my secrets tonight. I love sleeping under the stars.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept under the stars.”

“Are you serious?” Ben looks shocked. “Never?”

“I was a Girl Scout when I was a kid and went camping with them once, but that’s the only time.” What I don’t add is that I hated it. All the bugs and dirt. It was awful.

“You were a Girl Scout? I’ll bet you were cute. But I can’t believe you haven’t gone camping since then.” He buries his face in my neck. “We’ll have to fix that. I’d love to go camping and sleep under the stars with you in my arms every night.”

“Sounds great.”

“Really?” He strokes my cheek. “Let’s do it. We’ll go when I get back from California.”

He kisses me slow and deliberate. I wrap myself around him, dizzy from wanting him again. The past fades away in a smoky haze and the present is bright and clear. There are stars overheard, and I have to admit, the view is beautiful. I decide that I’m even looking forward to going camping with Ben.

Sort of.

Interview: 

Today, we welcome Andrea Simonne to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a big Geeky welcome!

Thank you for having me. It’s great to be here.

Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with a round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?

Iced coffee? Check. Theo’s chocolate bar? Check. I’m ready for anything!

Writing Specific

Is your writing style more plotter or pantser?
I’m definitely a pantser though I wish I was a plotter, since it seems way more efficient. After pantsing my first book, I was determined to plot the next one with the precision of an army general. In fact, I wrote a thirty page outline ready to do battle. Guess how much of that outline I used? Nothing. I never even looked at it! The only plotting I do nowadays is that I keep a running list of notes about characters and ideas as I write. I like to have a vague notion of where I’m going and then let the surprise of the story pull me forward. 30 page outline!? I have read novellas shorter than that. lol You could probably just about turn that one into a novella.

When is your favorite time/place to write? Do you write structured or patchworked?
I have two kids that I homeschool and they also take classes, so things are generally chaotic at our house. I basically tote my laptop from room to room and write whenever I can. I know that sounds nuts, but for some reason I’ve been blessed with supernatural powers of concentration. In fact, it’s a running joke that no matter how many duck quacking or humpback whale noises my husband and kids come up with to try and distract me, it doesn’t work. I can tune them out completely (yes, it’s a gift). The only time I need to be alone is when I’m writing sex scenes, but that’s mostly because I don’t want anyone to see what I’m typing! I can get like that while reading a good book. I once missed my bus stop I was so engrossed in a book!

How involved are you with Social Media and self-promotion?
I’m somewhat involved with Social Media in that you’ll find me at the usual haunts. I prefer Twitter over Facebook, so I tend to hang out there more often. I also started a blog recently. It’s an odd little blog with fattening recipes and pictures of hot guys—two things I apparently never seem to grow tired of. Feel free to come visit me there! I love hearing from my readers. Beyond that I’m your classic introvert writer. 2 things that I am sure we can all get excited about! *wink* (The link to the blog is at the end of this post)

Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.
I’m terrified of spiders. Not in the normal, “Eeek, a spider,” kind of way, but more in a “You need to get her some therapy,” kind of way. I even tried hypnosis. Unfortunately the hypnosis didn’t work and all I got from the experience was a splitting headache. It turns out I’m difficult to hypnotize. I suspect it has something to do with my supernatural powers of concentration. There is something incredibly unnatural about those 8 legs moving all independently. *shiver* Gah, I am freaking myself out a little bit.

How did you choose the genres you write in?
I didn’t start out writing romance. When I was younger I wrote mostly literary fiction and some sci-fi. I also wrote what I called literary erotica. One day it finally dawned on me that a romance lay at the heart of all my stories and what the heck was I doing writing anything else? Actually my book Fire Down Below came out of that freeing ah-ha moment. Romance lies at the heart of all my favorite books :)

Fun Stuff

What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?
My husband and I recently saw Jack White in concert. It was the first real rock concert I’ve been to in years, and it was fantastic. I love Mr. White. His music always makes it onto my writing playlists. For some reason, I have never really listened to him since the big White Stripes hit Seven Nation Army.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Invisibility. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I am a terrible voyeur. In fact, invisibility might be a dangerous superpower to give me! But aren't all authors to a certain extent?

What was the name of the last book you read?
I just started reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I know it sounds strange, but I’ve never read it before. I watched the television version with Colin Firth recently and thought, why haven’t I read that book? Mr. Darcy obviously sets the standard for brooding bad boys with a heart of gold. I haven't read it either. But then I have never been a huge fan of the period.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
I hate it when there are crumbs in the mayonnaise jar or jelly in the peanut butter and will painstakingly pick out every tiny fleck. I also don’t like an unmade bed and will sometimes make it right before I go to sleep. Beyond that I’m pretty mellow. Oh I agree, crumbs in/on the butter makes me go *grrrrr*

What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
It’s Christmas time right now, so too much rich food! My older son and I are both addicted to hummus. There’s currently three flavors to choose from in our fridge—spicy hummus, tomato basil, and roasted garlic hummus. Yes, we shop at Trader Joe’s a lot. I also make fantastic hummus. My secret is I add a little bit of smoke flavoring to it. Mmmmmm, Hummus. I like the one with roasted pine nutes, using pretzel chips. YUM!

Think Fast

Elvis or Sinatra? Elvis, baby.
AM or PM? PM, I am not a morning person.
Mountains or Sea? Sea, I think. That’s a tough one.
Meat or Veggies? Veggies.
Italian or Chinese? Italian, yum. The hero in my next book Year of Living Blonde is an Italian astronomer. He’s yummy too.
Summer or Winter? Both. I like strong seasons.
Coffee or Tea? Iced grande latte
Cake or Pie? Cake
Car or Truck? Car—I love my car.
Dead Tree or Electronic? Electronic. I’m such a readaholic that I need my Kindle in my purse and packed with books at all times. (What if I’m trapped in a public place for hours with nothing to do? That’s my next biggest fear, after the spiders.) Doctor's offices, right? Or any government building (tag office/driver's license/etc) Right there with ya!

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

Thank you for having me as your guest. This has been a lot of fun, and since the hero of my book Fire Down Below is Irish, I’ll end by saying Slán libh!

Giveaway: 

Andrea will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Andrea Simonne grew up as an army brat and discovered she had a talent for creating personas at each new school. The most memorable was a surfer chick named "Ace" who never touched a surf board in her life, but had an impressive collection of puka shell necklaces. Eventually she turned her imagination towards writing. Andrea still enjoys creating personas, though these days they occupy her books. She currently makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

To connect with the author online:

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