On select Saturdays I host guest authors from fellow publisher Siren-Bookstrand. Today I'll be interviewing Tonya Ramagos, author of a whopping two dozen Siren Titles, including the SUNSET COWBOYS and HEROES OF SILVER SPRINGS series. JRA: Welcome to The Power of Passion and thank you for joining us here today!You have an awesome website tagline: “Trained to Protect, Willing to Die, Prepared to Serve (in bed and out).” This definitely reflects the flavor of much of your work. What draws you to the idea of writing alpha males who are true heroes in the world outside the love relationship?
TR: When I started writing true hero books there really wasn't many on the market, especially in ebook. I was also married to a former firefighter at the time and spent lots of time on fire scenes. There are so many men and women out there who put their lives on the line everyday to keep our country safe from so many different evils. Their private lives are affected greatly by the work they do and it often puts a real strain on love relationships. Showing these struggles as well as the action and challenges heroes face in their careers is what started the ideas forming and has kept them going.
JRA: That’s an excellent point! And I’m sure that provides lots of the yummy conflict readers like myself love to read about. Your backlist contains an amazing and exciting mix of contemporary, fantasy, western, and paranormal titles. Do you find yourself writing one genre for a while before switching changing? Or do you skip back and forth constantly? Do you find it difficult to write cowboy flavor into a tale when you’ve been delving strictly into fantasy?
TR: I go in spurts. Sometimes I find myself writing two or three of one genre before I move to another and other times I'll skip back and forth. The characters who talk the loudest in my head get the attention first, no matter the genre. I don't find it difficult at all to swap from one genre to another. Probably because I don't do it until my mind is ready for the change. If I'm focused on cowboys and can't buck them out, then we ride the rodeo for a while before moving on. It's all about the characters and who comes to life first. The bottom line for me is the characters rule. I'm just their human puppet putting their stories on screen. LOL
JRA: LOL! Ride ‘em, cowboy! ;) I see that you’ve got some new books coming out with Siren that look very intriguing! Would you share a bit about them?
TR: Book 7 of The Heroes of Silver Springs series, TAKEN BY SURPRISE, came out in late December featuring a cast of characters that series fans have been waiting for. Rhonda Ramsey and DEA Agent Michael Cosmos take the lead in TAKEN BY SURPRISE. Rhonda's future plans didn't include a man until she met temptation in a set of exotic eyes and a six foot package of pure sex appeal. When Rhonda falls to the mercy of a drug lord, DEA Agent Michael Cosmos will put his career and his life on the line to save her.
On the cowboy side, book three of the Sunset Cowboys series titled KEEPTING TARYN'S COWBOYS is another newbie at Siren. Eight years ago, Royce Shelton convinced himself sweet, innocent Taryn Aldean wasn't ready for the rough, controlling sex he and his brother Clint crave. Now, the blonde spitfire is taking care of business and dialing their number. But the first touch leaves the Shelton brothers wondering if they're ready for her.
JRA: Sounds like a lot of hot scenes and delicious tension is in store for your readers! Speaking of tension and hot scenes, that can be such a challenge to write. You have two boys at home. As a busy mom, what are some tricks you’ve learned for how to fit romance writing into a family-filled day?
TR: Embrace every moment of silence and use it wisely. Sometimes those moments last only a few sentences and sometimes I manage paragraphs or even pages. The file for my current manuscript stays open and the computer stays on until bedtime so that any spare second I find can be used to pound out as much as I can before interruptions drag me away. Of course, when school is in or the summer days are beautiful for playing, I get a lot more writing done in a stretch of time. Then there's always the, "Mommy has to work, so take an extra hour with the Xbox and leave me alone," that works in a pinch.
JRA: LOL Mine is getting old enough now for me to use that Xbox trick, too! Speaking of which, I understand that you’re known to unwind with a few computer games. (I’m right there with you!) What are your favorites? What else do you find yourself doing lately to recharge?
TR: I'm not as big on computer games as I used to be. I had to crack down on myself because I wasn't getting any work done! AOL's Club Pogo games used to be my weakness. Since I gave up the games I've gotten really boring. LOL I tend to kick back with someone else's book. I often tell people I live in a fictional world, whether it's of my creation or someone else's.
JRA: Boring? Well, that depends on the book, doesn’t it?! ;) If I were to sneak a peek at your works in progress, what would I find?
TR: Two super hot cowboy cops on a case of claiming a very hot woman while trying to protect her from herself and a town threat. I'm one scene away from completing the first draft of book two of the Service Club series titled Marissa's Rights. Marissa, Justin and Ben make cameo appearances in book one of the series, Forty-Eight Hour Burn. Now they're getting their story.
JRA: Can’t wait! Thanks for taking time from your busy day to hang out with me here at the POWER OF PASSION. And just so readers know, you can find out more about Tonya’s work on her website: http://tonyaramagos.com.
About the host:
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