Geared for Pleasure by Rachel Grace (Interview)

Hi, Rachel, and welcome to Reading Between the Wines. I’m so happy that you could join us today!

Can you start off by telling our readers a little something about yourself please? 

Hi there. I’m Rachel Grace…but I’m also R.G. Alexander. As R.G., I’ve written erotic paranormal and contemporary romance since 2008 for Berkley Heat, Samhain Publishing and Ellora’s Cave.

As Rachel, I’ve just celebrated my debut release of Geared for Pleasure, Book One in the Elemental Steam series.

I’m a bit of a split personality, though both of them are very excited to be here.

How did your love for steampunk begin? 

I loved steampunk before I knew it was called steampunk. Those science fiction fantasy movies with altered histories and strange gadgets etc? Couldn’t get enough. And HG Wells rocks, that is all. However, I think I became interested in the idea of writing a steampunk romance (well, my style of steampunk, which I’ve dubbed “clockworky steampunkitude”) around the time I and a few of my dear friends and fellow erotic romance authors formed a group blog called The Smutketeers. We talked about it on the phone, got together before a conference over three years ago to do a photo shoot, and by the time they were pointing their steampunk guns at the camera, corsets tightened and boots covered in dust…I knew I was writing this story. And I knew they would be the foundation for the strong, complex heroines in Geared. 

Is there anything that you must have in order to write? Music, coffee, lucky rabbits foot, ect.? 

Coffee! Yes. Must have coffee. I used to need fuzzy socks and a tiara, but now I have this super soft blanket thrown over my shoulders. My cocoon  J  I also have to have my phone nearby, taking breaks a few times a day to play Words With Friends with my mother, and to touch base with Smutketeer Eden Bradley. If I don’t, I can’t concentrate on the rest of the day. Yes. My life is very exciting. *grin*

What are the top three things you love about writing erotic romance?  

#1 The readers #2 The readers and #3 The freedom (and the readers). My husband, who we all call The Cookie, has said of erotic romance authors at the various conferences and gatherings, that we are like the bikers at a church picnic. We stand out  J  He means it as a compliment.

Personally, I love romance in all its forms, erotic or not. From every Scottish kilt and stuffy Duke to every cynical vampire or shifter in need of a mate. I love romance BECAUSE of all its forms. Yes, I’m a sucker for a happy ending, but I also love being able to give my characters room to find that happy ending wherever and however they choose. I love romance readers because they are, in my opinion, the most open-minded and accepting readers on the planet. They will in one week read a book in a science fiction genre, a book set in the regency era, and a paranormal with Fae set in the 1920s…and everyone else thinks they’re just reading romance. The same is true for those who prefer erotic romance…their Fae just may have an extra partner *wink*

Congratulations on your new release, Geared For Pleasure, can you please tell us a little bit about it?

Well, like I said before, it started out as a fun steampunky homage to The Smutketeers. What it became was an entire new world that baffled and enchanted me. Theorrey drew me in with one mystery after another. Here’s the blurb:

The world of Theorrey runs like a well-oiled machine. The

elements are in balance, passion is tamed and the young queen

is the heartbeat of it all. But in these two all-new stories of

elemental steam, nothing is ever as it seems…

Earthly Desires

Demeter “Dare” Senedal is the Queen’s Chalice-her protector and closest companion. So when the queen goes missing, Dare rushes to locate her, even though the search leads her straight into trouble.

A gentleman who trades in secrets and sin, Bodhan revels in carnal delights, but when a naked and bound woman appears on his shore, he finds his hunger to possess at odds with his need to protect. As Bodhan shares his knowledge of pleasure, Dare must decide if she can trust him, both with her mission and her heart.

Fiery Temptations

Seraphina always lands on her feet. After all, she is a Felidae-more feline than human-and an excellent thief. There has never been a job Phina wouldn’t take or a man who could tame her…until she meets Cyrus Arendal.

As the Queen’s Sword, Cyrus should have known better than to fall victim to a beautiful bandit. Now, to find and retrieve the moonfire dagger, he’ll need to convince Phina not to judge a man by his station, but rather by how completely he can satisfy her desires.

Why should readers pick up this book?  

Because I have cookies?  J  I think readers who want to lose themselves in an adventure would really enjoy this book. Theorrey is a whole new world to explore, and the characters are larger than life and dark and slightly unhinged and…fun. At least, I hope they’ll think so. Beneath it all, it is a story of friendship and loyalty and love. Things you can never have enough of in my opinion.

Geared For Pleasure is broken up into two different stories, can you tell us about the couple in Earthly Desire, Dare and Bodhan? What makes these two so good together and why will readers love them?

Demeter “Dare” Senedal is the Queen’s Chalice. One of a set of seemingly symbolic personal guards for Queen Idony. At the start of the story Dare is insulated and naïve, unaware of the harsh realities of the world below Queen’s Hill. She is by no means helpless, however. And she has a gift that allows her an edge no one else has. She is also Wode, as all guards must be, and trained to protect herself when she needs to.

Bodhan knows what truly hides in the hearts and minds of the men who run things. The government and science ministry of the Theorrean Raj. He runs the gaming den and brothel aboard the Siren, the perfect vessel for secret gathering…among other things.

When these two get together, Bodhan will shatter Dare’s illusions and show her a brand new world. She will surprise him with her very existence, ensnare him with her innocence, and stun him with her courage.

I think readers will love Bodhan. He’s witty and fascinating and beautiful. He’s a knight in rogue armor  J  And Dare? She continues to grow throughout both stories. And Bodhan is a big part of why she is able to do that. Her connection to the queen, and the many mysteries surrounding her, will make her interesting to readers.

Next, please share with us three characteristics each that you think will endear readers to your next couple, Seraphina and Cyrus, from Fiery Temptations.

3 characteristics?

For Seraphina I would say #1 Shameless #2 Dangerous #3 Vulnerable-I would add that I have a feeling Phina will surprise the readers, because she surprised me.

For Cyrus? #1 Duty #2 Determination #3 Frustration –When the reader meets Cyrus he is not at his best. Everything he is has been stripped away because of what he’s been through. And in the midst of that identity crisis he reunites with a woman who brings out a side in him he can no longer rein in.

Sparks fly.

From 1-5, 1 being 'It's getting warm in here' and 5 being '5 Alarm fire, grab ice and your significant other stat!', how would you rate Geared for Pleasure and why? 

If I looked at the history of my other pen name and used that as a comparison, I would say 3.8-4 on that alarm scale. It is erotic and passionate. The characters demanded it. But its not so hot you’ll miss all the flavors, if that makes sense.

What’s to come in the world of Theorrey? Will there be any more novels set in this world and if so, can you share with us some tidbits about them and how many we can expect? 

That is my plan. In my mind and post-it notes? It started out with four stories. The next two being Captain Amaranthe and Aurora Steele’s stories.

But it has grown. A lot. We’ll have to see what happens.

Thank you for stopping by for an interview, Rachel, and congrats again on your release!

Thank you so much for having me! I hope everyone enjoys Geared for Pleasure!

To find out more about Rachel Grace and Geared for Pleasure please visit: http://rachelgraceromance.com/

You can purchase Geared for Pleasure today at: Amazon Paperback, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble and The Book Depository!