Friday, July 26, 2013

Vicki Batman asks Whose Hot? It's #HotMamaFriday with Susan Royal


Hi, Lara, welcome to Hot Mama Friday. Tell us about yourself.

Hey, Vicki. Thanks for inviting me. My name is Lara, and I work downtown in the Metropolitan Building. I’m not really all that good at talking about myself to someone else. Just ask my good friend, Carrie. She’s forever trying to get me to be more social, especially since my dad died. Sometimes I give in and let her drag me to some party, just so she’ll get off my case for a little while. Once we get there, Carrie circulates the party like the social butterfly she is, and I lurk around the edges of the crowd, observing and never participating. She’s always threatening that she’s going to give up on me, but we both know that’s never going to happen.
 
 

The quick-fire stuff!

Short or Tall?   When people tell me I should have been a model, I always assume it’s because I’m 5 foot 10 in flats. Even when I’m slouching, that’s tall enough to intimidate some men. I guess it bothers them if their date is on the same eye level with them. It’s funny. That’s one of the first things I noticed about Rhys. My height didn’t seem to bother him a bit. 

Hair color?   My hair is a dark coppery red that refuses to cooperate. No matter what I do, it’s determined to crawl out of any kind of order, and do its own thing.

Jeans or LBD?  I’m pretty much a jeans girl when I’m not working, but I’ve realized something about myself that surprised the heck out of me. I love wearing pretty dresses, especially the kind that make me feel…I don’t know…like a girl.

Favorite color?  Normally I’d give you a half a dozen different answers depending on my mood. (any color that looks good on a redhead, naturally), but lately? Well…I would never mention this where Rhys could hear me, but his eyes are the clearest shade of green I’ve ever seen. I could get lost in them. That is, when he’s not glaring at me like I was the source of all his trouble.

Car? I’ve got a nice little economy car that suits me fine most of the time. Thank God it’s a standard, though. I had the tires squealing when we left the parking lot the night I met Rhys. We were trying to get away from tattooed ninjas that attacked us before they had the chance to regroup.

Flipflops, sneakers, or heels?  I used to wear running shoes a lot, back when exercise was an activity only done in my spare time. Nowadays I spend all my time in boots. Heels are out of the question, unless I’m forced to another fancy reception at the citadel or one of Sameer’s parties in the City of Tents. With all the running I find myself doing in this world, flip flops are out of the question. It wouldn’t be practical, considering the Rock lizards we came across. Makes me shudder to think.

Favorite music?  Music has always been a large part of my life.  A guitar soothes me. The beat of a drum fills me with the urge to move. Cellos and violins make me want to cry. I love the new and the classic. I’d be hard pressed to pick any one type of music. Until I heard Cobal play. His music was unlike “anything I’d ever heard, the melody seemed to penetrate deep into my innermost self, awakening strong emotions that triggered memories of my father and happy times.  His smiling face and his laughter were vivid scenes within my mind.   Tears and laughter welled up inside, filling me like liquid pouring into a container.  How serene.  Every unpleasant thought in my mind melted into nothingness. How peaceful.”

Favorite drink?  I’ve been wanting a double expresso macchiato for quite a while. A grande. Thing is there aren’t any Starbucks in Rhys’world…not anywhere…or any fast food places for that matter.

Favorite meal?  I’m not one of those dainty little things that picks at their food like a bird. I love to eat, especially Mexican, Italian or Chinese. Even if we weren’t on the run most of the time, I’m not likely to be able to indulge in any of my favorite dishes. See above.

Bestfriend?  That’s easy. Carrie. We’ve been BFFs for a long, long time, even though we are total opposites. She’s cheerful. I’m sarcastic. She’s outgoing. I’m a loner. We went to school together, and now we work in the same building. She worries about me, especially since my dad died. She knows I blame myself for his accident. She’s always been there for me. I just wish she’d quit trying to fix me up with some guy she thinks is my Mr. Right.

Blurb from In My Own Shadow:

     Talk about the worst day ever! Lara lets her friend Carrie talk her into a blind date, only it turns out the handsome stranger waiting for Lara after work isn’t Carrie’s cousin after all. And, when they’re chased through a portal to another world, Lara realizes Rhys really is out of this world.

     Lyra, her alternate in another dimension, has left clues to the whereabouts of the Book of Secrets that explains the mystery of time travel in Lara’s subconscious.  Or so Rhys thinks. Power-hungry telepaths pursuing them will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means breaking Lara’s mind. To complicate matters, Lara gets tangled up in her feelings for Rhys while exploring her connection with Lyra.

     With Rhys as her guardian, a bear of a man named Azle to guide her, and the spirit of Lyra haunting her dreams, Lara must find the Book of Secrets before it falls into the hands of those who want its power.  Only then can she return to her world safely.



Who is Susan Royal?

Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town that comes complete with a female ghost who has been known to harmonize with her son when he plays guitar.  

Her newest book, In My Own Shadow, is a Fantasy adventure/romance. Her first book, Not Long Ago, is a time travel adventure/romance. She is currently working on a sequel to Not Long Ago, because her daughter insisted there was still more of Erin and Griffin’s story to tell, and she was right.

Buy link for In My Own Shadow: http://tinyurl.com/bqbxm4l
Buy link for Not Long Ago: http://tinyurl.com/85vgye3
Blog: 
http://susanaroyal.wordpress.com/

 

 

Thank you, Susan, for being on Hot Mama today!

7 comments:

Susan Royal said...

Thanks for having me today, Vicki. I had lots of fun with Lara's interview. I'm on a road trip and won't have access to a computer again until around noon, so I'll check back then!

Rayne said...

A refreshing blog, somebody who strikes me as different from the usual interviewee. She's interesting because she dares to be who she is, like "what you see is what you get."

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Thank you, Rayne, for visiting with Susan's friend Lara and me today.

Melissa Keir said...

What a fun interview! I loved Lara and think she'd be a great friend!

Unknown said...

Susan, You've lived in west, south and east Texas, you only have north and central left to do! Very unique interview, thank you Susan and Vicki!

Pamela Stone said...

Hi Susan,

Great blog. Sounds like an interesting book.

Pamela Stone
Fellow Texan and redhead

Susan Royal said...

First, let me thank you all for your kind comments. Rayne, you have Lara pegged. It gets her in trouble at times, but that's what made writing the book so much fun. And my thanks to Vicki for such a delightful way to allow you to get to know Lara better.