Elisabeth Naughton

Thanks for having me here today! It’s great to be with you all at Get Lost In a Story during release week for my new book, BODYGUARDS IN BED!

Yeah, it’s a hard job,
but someone’s gotta do it.

There’s just one cardinal rule when it comes to being a bodyguard: no matter how tempting it may be, never, ever get romantically involved with the person you’re supposed to be protecting. But as these sensual novellas prove, even the most important rules are made to be broken–again and again and again. Join acclaimed authors Lucy Monroe, Jamie Denton, and Elisabeth Naughton as they open the files on an undercover operative who finds a sexy surprise under his covers, a hot case involving mixed messages and mistaken identities, and a mission impossible protecting a provocative beauty who lives to love dangerously.

And super sexy, faced-paced novella is called Acapulco Heat:

Sun, sand, skin and plenty of sex. That’s the name of the game in beautiful Acapulco.

Bodyguard Finn Tiernay’s new gig in the sultry city is nothing short of perfect. Too bad he can’t stand it. Hired to protect supermodel Lauren Kauffman during her very public, very sexy cosmetic shoot on the beach, Finn’s itching for a serious assignment and the chance to get away from the hot bod who’s set her sights set on him. Their mutual attraction has been brewing for some time, but he’s got no use for the super wealthy, isn’t about to become another diva’s boy toy. His no-fun-at-work motto might get him booted out of her bed, but when danger strikes, she won’t be able to shake him. And when he discovers things aren’t what they seem and that she’s more than a pretty face and smokin’ body, all bets are off. Lauren Kauffman’s about to take Finn for a ride he never saw coming. And there’s no telling who will survive.

To read an excerpt from Acapulco Heat, go here: http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/bodyguards-in-bed/

Okay, okay. Get your minds off bodyguards and let's get to know Elisabeth Naughton.

DONNELL: Are you a big city or small town girl?

ELISABETH: I would say I’m a small town girl. Though the city I live in now is more medium than big or small. I grew up in a small town, however (Does anyone else hear John Mellencamp singing Small Town?), so that’s how I generally identify myself.

DONNELL: What/Where’s your favorite room in your house?

ELISABETH: Our great room. Even though it’s usually the noisiest room in the house. We added on a few years ago and I got to design the room just the way I wanted it. It’s 20x24, with a floor to ceiling stone fireplace, a gorgeous cherry mantle, and bookshelves that run the entire length of the wall on both sides of the fireplace. When we first built the room my husband said, “There’s no way you’ll ever fill all those bookshelves.” Of course, I did. J Pretty quickly, too.

DONNELL: Have you ever written a character who wasn’t meant to be a hero/heroine but he/she wouldn’t go away?

ELISABETH: Of course! Lisa Maxwell, the heroine in my debut, STOLEN FURY, was a secondary character in an earlier unpublished manuscript who definitely wouldn’t go away. I eventually gave in and wrote her book and it ended up being the first book I sold.

DONNELL: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

ELISABETH: I do. I’m always curious what people are saying about my books. I’ve had glowing reviews and then I’ve had awful ones. My favorite awful one was a reader who said she wanted her money back on the free ebook download. When I first started out, reading that would have crushed me, but I’ve grown very thick skin. Not everyone is going to love everything I write, just as I’m not going to love everything other writers write. It’s easy to forget the praise and focus on the negative, but when I have those moments of doubt (which all writers have) I pull up my saved fan mail file and flip through a couple of emails to remind me that for every person who doesn’t like my books, there are ten more who love them.

DONNELL: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

ELISABETH: Oh, man. I’m afraid to look. I’ve been on deadline and just turned in a book yesterday. My twelve-year old daughter has been doing a lot of the cooking and while she’s getting good at it (she made the most amazing brie en croute the other day), she’s not so great about cleaning up.

DONNELL: What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

ELISABETH: Reading my books is like talking to me. Friends tell me all the time they had trouble reading my first few books because I write the way I talk and they could literally “hear me” as they were reading. For an author, that’s an incredible compliment. Means my voice is definitely me. When I first started writing one criticism I remember receiving was that I was trying too hard to emulate other authors’ voices. Even now, remembering that feedback makes me laugh because anyone who knows me knows my books are all me. Every single one of them.

DONNELL: Is Elvis really dead?

ELISABETH: Yes. Though I’m thinking he might have been reincarnated into Justin Bieber.

DONNELL: If you could drive any car made, what would it be?

ELISABETH: Jeep Wrangler. Of course, then I’d need to live on a Hawaiian island so I could enjoy it.

DONNELL: What makes you happy? Then reverse this question. What turns you off?

ELISABETH: I make me happy. Happiness comes from within, not from the environment or those around me. When I’m accomplishing my goals, when I’m spending time with my family, when I’m taking time for me, I’m at my happiest.

As for what turns me off…stress. Nothing ruins my day more than a stressful event that’s completely out of my hands.

DONNELL: What do you do to unwind and relax?

ELISABETH: My favorite relaxation spot at home is a bubble bath, a glass of wine and a good book. My favorite relaxation spot elsewhere is a warm beach, a cool drink and a good book. (Hmm…I see a pattern here.)

DONNELL: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

ELISABETH: I think all writers get stuck now and then. For me, I don’t know that it’s writer’s block so much as it is procrastination block. I’m a major procrastinator. Writing, for me, is habit forming, and once I get out of that habit it’s very hard to get back into it. When I do get stuck while writing, it’s usually because I’ve veered off in a direction the story shouldn’t have gone. Reevaluating my plot always gets me back on track.

I have had true writer’s block, though, so I know it’s real. The real writer’s block—the kind where there is nothing happening in your head—is frightening. I experienced that after a two week stay in the hospital and an episode of sepsis. My body was working so hard to heal from an infection that there was nothing left for creativity. For months I thought I’d never write again. And then one day, the stories and voices and everything came back. I can’t tell you what a relief that was. I’ve since talked to other authors who have been through their own health issues like cancer and heart conditions, etc—even the emotional turmoil of a family death—and they told me they’ve experienced the same. True writer’s block is not easily overcome and it’s scary as hell for an author. But the good news is that eventually, it does pass. The body—especially the mind—is an amazing thing.

DONNELL: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

ELISABETH: Holding my first published book was a dream come true. Seeing it on the shelf in a book store kicked that dream up a major notch. Double finaling in the RITAs in 2010 was a dream I never expected, but was thrilled to experience. But honestly, every step along the way is a new dream realized. I’ve learned to enjoy the victories, not sweat the small stuff, and worry only about the things I can control – like writing the next book and making it the best it can be.

DONNELL: Are you superstitious?

ELISABETH: Not really. I believe everything happens for a reason. Even when bad things happen, I try to see the good in them. We learn from every experience, even the trying ones.

DONNELL: What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing/researching a book?

ELISABETH: EVERY book surprises me in one way or another. With this latest book, the biggest surprise was that I thought the theme was one thing, but when I reached the end and reread what I’d written, I realized the theme was something entirely different. I didn’t have to change anything to make the new theme work, it was right there all along. I just hadn’t “seen” it yet. In every book there’s a little magic…something I didn’t expect but which makes the book that much better. Its those moments of surprise that make writing—for me—so much fun.

DONNELL: Which era would you least liked to live in, fashion-wise? Most?

ELISABETH: Civil War era. The gowns were lovely but ack! Can't imagine squeezing into them. Or carting around all that extra weight of petticoats and hoops.

DONNELL: Dog or cat person?

ELISABETH: Dog person. We just got two Dalmatian pups. They're four months old now and into everything. (And eating everything too. . .including my baseboard molding.)

DONNELL: How much money does it take to be happy?

ELISABETH: No clue. I do know money doesn't make a person happy. It only eases financial stress.

DONNELL: What's the first thing you do when you finish a book?

ELISABETH: Hm…it’s never the same. But usually I finish in the dead of night so the FIRST thing I do is drop into bed and pass out.

As for celebratory things…when I finish a book I try to do one fun thing I’ve been putting off. Since I turned in a book yesterday, my reward today is catching The Hangover. Can’t wait to see it!

DONNELL: If you could interview anyone for a day (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?

ELISABETH: Indiana Jones. I just want to pick his brain about all things adventure related. (He isn’t bad to look at either.)

What wonderful answers, Elisabeth. Now it's your turn. Do you have anything you want to ask our readers?

But—of course—the most exciting news TODAY is that I’m giving away an autographed copy of BODYGUARDS IN BED here! To be entered into the drawing, all you have to do is answer a question for me:

This is a two parter: 1) What is Finn Tierney’s nationality? (Hint: You MIGHT be able to find the answer on my website.) And 2) Are you a fan of bodyguard stories?

And for those that are interested, I’m hosting a release week party on my blog through Saturday, June 4, 2011. Stop by to join the fun and enter to win some fabulous giveaways at www.elisabethnaughton.com/blog.

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/ to learn more.