Please welcome my author friend, Cristal Ryder. She has a new print book releasing today! I asked her a few questions about herself, her habits and, of course, her book. Take a look.
Tell us about your latest book.
Hot Fusion! This book is about reunited love. Set in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, it will tempt your pallet
for food, wine and ….wait for it….sex!
It’s one of two stories in Canadian
Connections with Ellora’s Cave Author Katheryn Wallis Both Hot Fusion and Letting Jack Watch are contemporary erotic romance originally
released under the Oh! Canada line.
After fleeing her hometown years ago, Kara Sinclair has returned to
breathe life back into the bakery her deceased grandmother left behind. She has
a history in this town—one that involves her one true love. A boy she’d thought
she’d give her life to before circumstance got in the way. She needs to focus
on her task, but one look at Maxwell Stone and all the old feelings return. And
it isn’t long before she can think of nothing else but reigniting the passion
they once shared.
Max never understood what drove Kara away all those years ago, and once
she returns to their Canadian hometown, he’s hell bent on getting her back into
his life…and his bed. But when he uncovers the reason she left him behind, he
must decide if he can move on from the past and trust his heart with the only
woman he’s ever loved.
Plotter or
Pantser?
Panster. All the way. I’ve tried to plot but it just doesn’t
work. Although, I have started to write a synopsis after I get an idea and then
jump right into the story. Mainly, because I abhor synopsis and want to get it
out of the way asap!
Do you have
anything in common with your characters?
Last night I was told I bring my own insecurities to some of my
characters. I’d never thought of it before, but I can see it now. I’m curious
after this revelation to see if my characters may change to a little bit now.
Coffee of tea?
Coffee, but I do love a good cuppa.
Wine or beer?
OMG, BOTH. But, a caveat is the kind of beer and I’m a little
fussy on my wine. Not saying I’m a sommelier or anything, but I do have a
specific pallet. Love a good pinot grigio or a chateauneuf du pape
What’s the strangest(neatest, coolest, etc) thing you’ve ever
done?
Hmmm, lets see....I’ve piloted a plane, scuba’d in the Caribbean
and South Pacific, gone up in a fire truck lift bucket at full extension, and a
really cool one was sit in the cockpit of a 767 for the last hour of flight and
final approach into San Francisco airport, been in a 5.4 earthquake, been on a
boat that caught a 6’ shark. Ultimate, given natural birth to my two sons :)
proud mama.
What are you
currently working on, or what’s on the horizon?
I have numerous on the go. Two more Ellora’s Cave stories have
been contracted, Plus one and Keep ’em coming. I have a release from Sybarite
Seduction on November 14, Playing through. And working on two full length
novels - one a womens fiction. So, busy busy busy.
You can find me at:
An Excerpt From: HOT FUSION
Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
“Max.
A-are you still marr…” He shook his head and Kara let the word trail away.
Relief flooded through her and she didn’t want to press it further right now,
or know the reasons he was now single. Time for that later. The fact he was no
longer married was all she needed to know.
He gazed at her intently and raised his
eyebrows. “Do you want to know why?”
This time Kara shook her head and wagged her
finger back and forth. “Not really. At least right now. I just needed to know
your, um, situation.”
He sat back and smiled. “Don’t want be the other woman, eh?”
Kara laughed and covered her mouth with her
hand, a little embarrassed. “No, definitely not on my bucket list!” She also
felt a little ashamed being so thrilled by the news he wasn’t married. Divorce
was never easy.
The rest of the afternoon fell to mindless,
comfortable banter and Kara’s contentment grew. The stress and hectic days
prior began to fade away and she relaxed more as the afternoon wore on.
Kara’s mind began to wander. What would come
next? How would they part? Should she ask him to come back and open another
bottle of wine? Worry furrowed her brow and she jumped when his hand cupped her
shoulder. His fingers traced up the column of her throat and pushed into the
curls at her nape, massaging gently. The movement chased the worry from her.
“Mmm, that feels nice.” Kara smiled and faced
him. She shivered in delight and he chuckled at her involuntary reaction.
“Cold?”
She shook her head and without a second
thought leaned toward him. He encouraged her with a gentle pull. Their gazes
stayed connected and just before their lips met, Kara’s eyelids fluttered
close.
Her breath caught when he kissed her—chaste
and gentle, but with an underlying power she longed to unleash. Kara craved it
and kissed him back, opening her mouth to dart her tongue out and taste his. He
met her with a sudden ferocity that liquefied her insides. She was helpless to
him, her muscles slack and weak. If he didn’t have his arm around her, she
would have dissolved into a puddle of passion at his feet.
Kara forgot where they were, all sense of
place and time vanished. Her hand crept up to the back of his neck and her
fingers played with his hair at the nape. Sound faded and Kara was only aware
of him, nothing else. She sensed the sexual tension building in him and knew
they should slow down before they embarrassed themselves in public. But she
couldn’t stop and moved closer to him, needing the feel of his body next to
hers.
The sharp ring and vibrating buzz of her cell
phone on the metal table pierced the moment and she jolted away, almost
panting. Kara couldn’t catch her breath and fumbled to grab the phone and flip
it open. It was the bakery number.
“Hel—” Kara cleared the roughness from her
throat and glanced at Max, who was flushed and watching her intently. His dark
gaze made promises she wanted him to keep. Kara looked away to try to rebalance
herself. “Uhm, hello?”
“Hi, Kara.” It was Jilly, one of her co-op
students. “Hey, are you all right?”
“Uh, sure. Why?”
“You sound kinda weird.”
Weird? No, just incredibly horny. “What do
you need?” she asked a little too harshly and immediately regretted it.
“Oh, anyway, the health inspector is here.”
“What? Holy shit, I completely forgot.”
Kara’s passion extinguished as if a bucket of cold water had been sloshed on
her. “I’ll be right there.”
Kara quickly gathered her bags and turned to
Max. “I gotta go. Totally forgot an appointment.” She cupped his cheek in her
palm. “Thank you, it was a great afternoon.”
She stood and ignored the curious looks from
the other patrons and dashed from the patio. As she rounded the wall of
flowers, she glanced over her shoulder at Max. He leaned comfortably in his
seat, his arm once again draped across the back of the chair she had been
sitting in. He winked and smiled at her.
Holy
crap.
That one simple and utterly sexy look totally
reignited her passion for him. How could she possibly concentrate on a boring
old health inspector now?
Welcome to another installment of 
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