Author Spotlight: Calisa Rhose

Hi Melissa! It’s great to be here today. Thank you for reading Risk Factors and I (really!) hope you loved it as much as I do. I’m ready when you are. <grin>

Calisa, No worries! As always, your stories are wonderful. I loved Risk Factors! Everyone be sure to stop back by on Thursday for my review. 

Calisa, please tell us about yourself and your writing.

I write romance because that’s what I love. I read other genres, but my writing is strictly romance at the moment.

What does your writing space look like?

I used to have a lovely cluttered room with pictures and trinkets and books all over. Since moving to the new house and having my FIL to care for, I hang out on the sofa to write. That’s where I am now.

How long have you been writing?

I began writing when I was about fifteen and decided to get serious in 2005. I wrote my first full length cowboy story with intent to publish between June of that year and June 2006 and sent it to Harlequin on July 3^rd. It hasn’t been published yet.

Do you have a process for coming up with character names and book titles?

I’d love to be able to say I have this whole ‘thing’ I do to title my books or name my characters, but-- Nope. The title will come to me once I begin writing usually and all my characters pick their own names, even the secondary characters.

How do you come up with your book titles?

They usually come to me on their own once I get into the story good. Except for Risk Factors. This book title got a change request by my editor. Originally it was Perfect Dr. Viv. And though Home is the title of my first book- it’s mostly because that was the only title I could come up with while writing and it just fit. Thankfully my editor agreed.

How do you name your characters?

I don’t name my characters. They tell me who they are when they are ready to. I actually had one hero I identified as XX through half the book until he finally decided I needed to know his name. Talk about awkward.

Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?

I do. Put on good country and I can write for hours to it. When I wrote Home for The Wild Rose Press I lived in 1960s music to keep me in the era because writing those characters in Vintage America didn’t come natural to me.

What is your favorite book genre? Who are your favorite authors?

It depends on the book and my mood but I love contemporary first responder stories and paranormal wolf shifters. I can’t name my favorite authors because there are too many, but I read Amazing Gracie and that introduced me to Sherryl Woods- beautiful story if you haven’t read it, anything by Vonnie Davis, (some) Nora Roberts, and every Brenda Novak book I’ve read so far, oh, and Sarah Grimm and AJ Nuest-- everything from these two! There are too many more to name, but pretty much any WRP or LPI author grabs my attention.

Is there anything else you'd really like our readers to know?

I’m also an editor and avid reader when time allows, but I’m a writer first and always. I’m huge on family and love animals.

Quick quiz:

Favorite food? Mexican

Favorite color? Dk green

Favorite animal? Horse

Biggest pet peeve? People who don’t try before asking for help

Dream car? 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS

Love, like life, is not without risk.

Veterinarian Vivian Dane has purchased her uncle’s practice in the tiny town of Wales, Missouri, where most residents still doubt her ability to treat their pets. But Viv is used to being considered less-worthy than her predecessors. After all, her parents are world-renowned wildlife vets, and most everyone is unimpressed she’s chosen to not follow directly in their footsteps. Now Connor, a patient’s owner, is hot for Viv, but clearly doesn’t think she’s dating material because he has a daughter…who he believes no woman is good enough for. Being a perfect dad is EMT paramedic Connor’s life focus. He can’t seem to stay away from sexy Doctor Viv, but attraction is as far as he’ll ever let it go. His mother abandoned him, leaving him to be raised in the foster system, and then his wife abandoned both him and their daughter. He absolutely will not risk bringing another woman into his little girl’s life and having her feel the hurt of being left…again. Forfeiting is easier than attempting and failing. So why does Viv feel compelled to prove she’s a sure bet for Connor and his daughter? Can Connor trust Viv–and himself–enough to play the possibilities?

Excerpt:

 Viv’s smile and throaty laughter burrowed deeper by the second, mutating into hot want that seemed to draw him to her at every opportunity. But her invitation shook him back to level ground. Dinner. With her. Vivian Dane, the woman who seemed to freely access his dreams lately, was asking him out.

Her voice fell to a low smoky grade that slid like satin over him, tightening around his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He wanted to kiss her.

Period.

There was something about her in the lab coat he couldn’t put his finger on. She appeared

so fragile and delicate in pink that matched her lips…china doll perfect. Kissable.

He opened his mouth to refuse. He couldn’t afford to get close to anyone, wouldn’t risk Janna. He knew his daughter already liked the vet, had said so. If he got involved and it all nosedived south, he couldn’t stand to have Janna hurt. Even if she didn’t know it, Viv was their veterinarian now and he’d have to see her, Jelly Bean would notice the tension--

“Connor?”

“I’d like that.”

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Also, Risk Factors is on Authorgraph! Get your copy signed.

Author Bio: 
Calisa Rhose is an Okie, born and bred, through and through, and proud of it. While growing up, when she wasn’t on the back of a horse, she could be found with pen and paper in hand. Her writing career began with poetry in her younger days. Then she discovered Rock-n-Roll and cute musicians. Poetry turned into stories of romance and dreams. These days she lives with the same man who convinced her to take a romantic journey with him almost 30 years ago. After raising three strong daughters she spends her days loving their granddaughters, hoping for a boy someday, and writing. 

When she’s not writing, you can find Calisa putting on her editor hat and working to help other published and aspiring writers. She is working on more projects with her favored contemporary cowboys, first responders  and firemen.

Find Calisa Rhose at: 
Website/blog  
Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads 

Amazon Author Page

Thanks again for having me here, Melissa. I had a fun time.

Calisa, thank you for being my guest today. It was a blast!