Do you write in different genres?
No and yes. No, in the
sense that I write romance novels. I see myself as a romance writer, but I kind
of vacillate between suspense and comedy.
If yes which is your favorite genre to write? I don’t
really have one, actually. I enjoy
writing about the more violent sides of human interaction as much as I do the
ridiculous.
Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s
complete?
I generally don’t title a work until I’ve finished the rough draft.
If you looked on my computer, you’d see files called ‘Book 4’ or ‘Bk7 Take 2’,
incredibly generic things like that. I don’t want to jinx myself by having a
super cool title and then not finish the book (which has happened a hundred
pages into the work), or not have the book live up to the title. Call it one thing
and then have it be about something else.
Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life
experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?
I love dropping the
people in my life into my fictional worlds, though always with permission. I
don’t know why, but I get a little bit of perverse pleasure from it. Josh,
Ellie’s best friend in The Ex File, is based on a real person in my life, as
well as Dane, the firefighter. Also, since the story is set in my hometown, the
reader will get a local’s view of Indy, at least parts of it.
What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading City of
Toys by Lindy Hudis and enjoying it greatly.
What books are in your to read pile?
This pile keeps
growing! It’s a neverending thing. My TBR is currently populated with Michelle
Clay’s series, A Little Sex and Magic, as well as the last two in Ranae Rose’s
Lock and Key series, Officer in Pursuit and Officer Out of Uniform.
What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming
projects?
I just finished a novella called No Such Thing, which is a
contemporary take on a regency romance with comedy running through its core.
Next up for publication, however, is the follow up to The Ex File, Dead and
Disorderly, which is a semi-paranormal romance involving a sexy detective the
reader meets in The Ex File.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Of
course! Here’s a snippet:
“Joshua,” she used his full name to convey the importance of the
situation, “I need to see you. Now.”
“Eleanor Rose. Do you have any idea what time it is?” he hissed,
letting her know he was still in bed with whatever-his-name-is-today.
“Really? Both names?” She stared at her phone even though she
was on the earpiece. The only people to call her that had been her foster
parents, and even that was only when she had been in serious trouble. “It’s
9:30 on a Sunday morning. Look, kick whomever he is out of bed, I’m coming
over. ETA less than ten.”
“I’m on my day off and he’s a firefighter, dammit!” He sounded
desperate after she gave him the timetable. She heard shuffling and thumping in
the background, as well as muffled voices.
“One whom I’m sure you can pencil back into your busy schedule.”
She loved Josh, truly, but his was a revolving door of unbelievably pretty men.
She’d be jealous if they weren’t all gay.
Some things just couldn’t be helped. “I need your help, Josh, I
wouldn’t be calling if I didn’t.”
“Fine!” In her mind, the words went with him throwing up his
hands in frustration. “I’ll see you in a few.”
Josh’s house was a cute little tan two-story on a cul-du-sac
with meticulous landscaping and a hot tub out back. It would have looked silly,
sliding sideways into a driveway in a hybrid Ford, but she was tempted, so
tempted. She parked like a normal person, however, and was out of the car and
up the walkway just in time to be on the receiving end of the hairiest of hairy
eyeballs from Mr. Firefighter, quite possibly the biggest man she’d ever seen.
Short blond hair, t-shirt thrown around his neck and emphasizing his massive shoulders,
which really went with the massive and perfectly-sculpted rest of him.
She could see why Josh wanted to keep him around for an
afternoon romp. He looked like he could carry her, her fictitious dog and three
pieces of furniture out of a burning building. At the same time. A touch of
guilt flared, but she shoved it down. She didn’t like the time either, but
damn, this was an emergency. Capital E.
Josh flung open the front door for her and stood there, also
shirtless, with his arms crossed. “Oh, by all means, come on in.” If he didn’t
look so pissed, she’d have admired his well-chiseled form. The way it was, she
supposed she should consider herself lucky that he’d deigned to wear pants.
“Can I get you something? A drink? A snack? A definition of the word
‘emergency’, perhaps?”
His sarcasm fell on deaf ears as she strode into his house and
deposited her purse on the kitchen table as she wilted into the nearest chair.
“This definitely qualifies, but I’m sorry for interrupting your morning.” It
was obvious from the smells of bacon and coffee that his morning had been very
differently planned from how it was playing out.
He waved off her apology as he prepared plates of waffles and
sundry. When he finally came to the table, he had one arm loaded up with plates
and silverware in the other hand like the most practiced of waiters, even
though he hadn’t done that in a few years since joining the police department.
“Here, eat something so I’m less tempted to choke you.”
She laughed and dug into the plate in front of her, “You’re
always so cranky before you get your caffeine.” His response was a grunt,
either of agreement or menace, she didn’t know, but the bacon was perfect, and
that was all she cared about. He nudged the syrup in her direction with his
elbow, but she shook her head. “No thanks, I prefer them naked.”
He snorted as he sipped his coffee. “As do I, and yet, here you
are. So are you going to tell me why you made me roust the hottest firefighter
in the city or are you going to make me guess?”
Ellie chased the last bite of waffle around her plate with her
fork while she rested her chin on her palm. She didn’t want to look him in the
eye, because while she hadn’t gotten to ashamed yet, it had been several miles
since she’d seen proud. “It starts at the party last night.”
“How’s that possible? I saw you right after you got there.”
“Well, not quite right after,” she hedged with a cringe. “See, I
walked in and everybody was there, and you know I don’t do crowds well. So I
ordered up a couple shots, you know, just some liquid social graces. Well,
while I’m waiting for my shots, he shows up. We talk for a little bit, and then
he goes, and then I see you. After that, I go over to talk to Tommy and
Meredith, and then he comes back and says, ‘Why don’t we go to my place and
drink some more?’ So I do. I mean, I haven’t seen him in a while, we’ve got
some things to catch up on, whatever. Then we’re at his place, drinking rum,
hanging out with his dog, then we’re kissing, and—”
“What in the entire hell are you on about? And who is this ‘he’
you keep mentioning?” From the look on his face, it appeared she’d lost him
after the first couple sentences.
Hell, this was going badly. Usually her friend was swifter on the
uptake. “Did you happen to notice anyone interesting at the party last night?”
Josh graced her with a pitying look before slowly sliding into a
predatory grin. “Oh sweetie, you know I did. I’m just asking you to be more
specific.”
“About six, six-one, shoulder length black hair—”
“Oh,” he said as his eyebrows shot up with understanding, “that
type of ‘anyone’.”
As she replayed the evening in her mind, she found herself
getting grumpy again, despite the waffles and bacon. “Yeah, that type of
anyone.”
“Well, that explains why I didn’t see you again last night.” He
sat back in his chair, pondering over sips of coffee until he sat up all at
once and slammed the mug down on the table.“Wait, wait, wait. You went home
with Sean. You spent the night with Sean. The Sean you haven’t seen in three
years.”
“Yeah, and it was awesome, actually. Very cathartic for both of
us. We talked for a while, kissed—”
“Had hot monkey sex on every available flat surface…” Josh
interjected.
She wrinkled her nose at him in annoyance. “Yeah, that too, but
after we talked.”
“And you told him?” He took a sip of his coffee and grimaced
when he found it to be cold.
She shrugged like she was trying to physically avoid the
question. “Why I left? Kind of.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Either you did or you didn’t.”
Ellie pushed her plate away. “I told him I left so he didn’t
have to choose. I figured that was enough of the story without getting all the
way into the whys and wherefores.”
“And he obviously accepted that, for now.”
“He did.” At least, it had seemed so at the time. Her memory was
somewhat fuzzy and still floating in the rum.
“So?” Josh opened his arms wide. “What’s the problem? Why are
you here? Why are we not both enjoying breakfasts with our respective
conquests?”
“It’s not that simple.” She stood and began to pace behind the
chair. “See, I slept over, which is not my usual MO, and then his phone started
ringing.”
Josh looked like he’d been slapped. “Before you called me? I
take back almost everything I said about your manners.”
“Hush! Anyway, I kinda woke up, and I kinda heard him talking to
someone about his ex-wife, and now they’re getting together this afternoon.”
Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?
I
don’t have to travel, but I do
absolutely love to travel, and the wanderlust tends to fuel my work.
Bulletproof Princess (coming August 8th, 2015) takes place in Vegas and the
high desert south of the Navajo Nation, so when I had the opportunity to go to
Las Vegas, I absolutely took notes on sensory input and tiny tidbits I noticed,
and the desert is a lot like my church, a part of my soul. Also, oddly enough, the books that
I’ve queued up to put out this year and next were all plotted out while on
trips (Girls Week!) in various and sundry US locales, such as Savannah, GA,
Tuscon, AZ, and Albuquerque, NM.
Who designed the cover of your latest book?
My extra awesome
book cover was the brainchild of Laura Hidalgo of BookFabulous Designs. I knew
it was perfect for the story the moment I clapped eyes on it.
Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you
think represents this book?
I have playlists broken down by book and scene. I know how
obsessive that is, but it’s how my brain feels the story.
The Ex File Playlist
Don’t Look Any Further-Dennis Edwards
Yellow Moon-The Neville Brothers
Lover, You Should Have Come Over-Jeff Buckley
In Your Eyes-Jeffrey Gaines
Only Love-Ben Howard
Come Over-Kenny Chesney
Kiss Me Slowly-Parachute
Nothing Left to Lose-Mat Kearney
Samson-Regina Spektor
I Will Follow You Into the Dark-Death Cab for Cutie
You Give Me Something-James Morrison
The Ex File
Behind the Blue Line Series
Book 1
Alexis D Craig
Genre: Erotic Suspense, Police Procedural, Hot Romance
Publisher: Hot Ink Press
Date of Publication: 2/7/2015
ISBN:
ASIN:
Number of pages: 148
Word Count: 59,931
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo of BookFabulous Designs
Book Description:
Second Chances Can Be Lethal
Narcotics Officer, Sean O’Leary is bitter after a messy divorce that has reinforced his solitary nature, leaving him only with his dog and a sword collection. He could never imagine that his former best friend may be the only woman to bring happiness into his lonely life.
Ellie Gardner knows loss; especially after she was banished from her best friend/crush's life by his jealous wife. Although the regret of walking away from the love of her life still stung, a chance encounter with Sean may change everything.
When Ellie and Sean reconnect, they could never expect it'd be in such an explosive way, leaving them both to gain the fulfillment of their 'what if's.
Finding love is hard enough without the past breathing down their necks, especially when said past has no intention of letting go. When Sean's ex, Pia Mastriani returns, Ellie must face her nemesis' relentless tactics to get Sean back, including eliminating Ellie if necessary.
Sean and Ellie’s relationship is put to the test but will they fare well while they go rummaging through The Ex File?
About the Author:
Alexis is a writer with a couple of day jobs. Working for two different police agencies, it's a juggling act to find time to write.
She is also an aunt, godmother, avid cyclist, serial hobbyist, ghost hunter, and collector of stray animals. Her husband is a loving, patient man.
The author of Imminent Danger, Undercover Seduction, and Give Me Shelter with Lachesis Press, and she has three more novels coming out in 2015, The Ex File on February 7th, Dead and Disorderly on May 23rd, and Bulletproof Princess on August 8th from Hot Ink Press.
@Dispatchvampire
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