Tina Reber ~ *SIGNED* GIVEAWAY & Interview

Tina ~ I originally had intended to end the LOVE series with the second book, but during the development of Love Unrehearsed the relationship between Marie and Mike took on a life of its own. Readers have asked for a third book and frankly I don’t want to torture Taryn and Ryan for another 400 pages, so the logical progression would have me writing Mike and Marie’s story instead. I have not written anything for Love Unguarded (LU3) nor have I even drafted an outline, but it is impossible for me to write Mike and Marie’s love story without Ryan and Taryn being a large part of it. So far all of LU3 is just maintained in the back of my head and is on simmer. I can tell you that LU3 will be written from Marie’s point of view and will delve into life as a celebrity bodyguard couple, but beyond that, I have no clue until I start writing it.

I am currently working on a three book spin-off from the Love series stemming from devious bodyguard Kyle Trent’s character. The “Trent Brothers Series” will feature Kyle’s three brothers: Adam, Jason, and Michael. Adam’s book will be the first to be published, and I expect that to be finished sometime in 2013. All are romances, of course! I can’t divulge too much of Adam’s story but he is a cop and Erin Novak, his love interest, is a third year resident in the trauma unit. Oh, and Erin’s last name also happens to be the last name of my son’s pediatrician, so it’s a bit of a shout out to the man who’s been tending to my son since birth.

I also have the first of my sci-fi adult romance series featuring the Nevari Warriors well underway and expect to release that in 2013 as well.

I am completely flattered that my readers are demanding another Love book but honestly, from a writer’s point of view, I’m just a wee bit burned out on them and need a break. Besides, Adam and my first warrior, Taz, are screaming much louder in my head than Mike and Marie are.

You know most authors are crazy people with imaginary friends in their heads, right? Okay, unfair to lump them all together. Maybe it’s just me that’s crazy – but the good kind of crazy.

Tina ~ Four times? Wow! Thank you, Veronica! After than many reads, we should be either related or at least cell mates ;).

No, I did not have one particular actor in mind. Yes, I’ve admitted publicly before that there was a bit of RPatz channeling going on but there is also a bit of Zac Efron, Ian Smoooolderhalder, some Matt Damon, and a whole host of up-and-coming actors in there. Funny story – when I write, I tend to chew on those little plastic drink swizzle straws. I know – yuck, but it beats chowing down mass quantities of potato chips so I have to do it. Okay, back to the story… When I was drafting the poker scene from Love Unscripted I had Ryan chewing on a straw. I thought it would be sort of sexy cute that he was sitting there at the table being all down to earth and maybe even a bit nervous to be around Taryn again, so as I chewed on straws and lived his emotions, so did Ryan. About two weeks after I finished chapter 3, Rob P. was on the set of Remember Me and he was photographed gnawing on a coffee stir. I immediately fired off an email to my dear friend, Janelle (who was beta reading each paragraph), and I freaked out that Rob was copying me! I still have the emails and the dates of when I wrote the passages in comparison to when Rob was photographed. I mean Rob was never photographed or filmed chewing on a damn straw! So I want you all to know – despite what you may think – those actors copied me. I have every email Janelle and I fired back and forth as proof just in case!

Even if you take someone like Taylor Lautner as a case study, going from unknown to overnight celebrity is mind-blowing. Do you think he could meet some random girl and not think she’s just enamored with “Jacob Black?”

Matt Damon had his level of celebrity when he met and fell in love with his non-actor wife. It happens.

Tina ~ I don’t know if I have one particular favorite part. Writing both novels was an emotional journey for me and I had a blast the entire time. I think I enjoyed the parts that made me cry while writing, actually. It was like a cleansing to be writing and bawling at the same time. I think one of the hardest parts came for me in Love Unrehearsed after Taryn has her major “discovery.” Trying to balance having everything you’ve ever known to be true and factual in your life without Taryn turning into an annoying character was tasking. I tried to have her seek understanding and closure rather than lamenting and doing the “woe is me” for the rest of the novel. Character growth from major setbacks without having them become pathetic is a daunting task.

Tina ~ I have to say that “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran fits them perfectly. The love that Ryan has for Taryn, the “I’m falling for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet” is just so darn close to home.

Well, it appears that I’m out of reader questions to answer, so I’d like to just end this with saying that I am truly blessed and thankful that so many readers have given my words a chance. After all, without wonderful readers like you, I’m nothing but words on a page.

I hope you and your families are having a very merry holiday and I wish for you all health, love, and happiness for the year to come. Thank you for making 2012 one of the most memorable years of my life. Bless you all.

Hugs and happy reading,
Tina