Hello my friends! I hope you all had a delicious, family-packed holiday. Today I have a special treat: an interview with Denise Townsend, a new writer of paranormal erotica. Her subject is…wait for it…selkies. Exciting! Her book launches tomorrow, and since she and I have such a special relationship, I wanted to encourage you all to buy it.

Nicole: Welcome, Denise!

Denise: Thanks for having me, Nicole.

Nicole: Did you know my middle name is Denise?

Denise: I did! That’s great. It’s a great name.

Nicole: And my mom’s maiden name is Townsend. Isn’t that crazy?

Denise: Yes. Crazy.

*silence*

Nicole: Anyway, can I just tell you that I really loved your book.

Denise: Well, I love yours!

Nicole: I just think you’re really talented. And that we have a lot in common.

Denise: I know, right? It’s like we could be the same person.

*silence*

Nicole: So, tell us about Ocean’s Touch.

Denise: Ocean’s Touch is about a woman, Meredith, who is bound up by grief, having been widowed at a young age. Meredith feels like her only purpose is to live for her dead husband’s legacy, but a visiting selkie, Dylan, knows better. Dylan helps her rediscover herself, her sexuality, and her real desires–which include the local artist, Alex. Alex challenges her in every way imaginable. Eventually, Dylan brings the three together, in every possible way.

Nicole: Every way?

Denise: Well, most ways that will fit in a novella. I’m sure there are more, but I had space limitations.

Nicole: Rawr. So what do you think makes your book different from other erotic romance?

Denise: This book and my next book, Ocean’s Surrender, are very much romances and very much have that HEA. But it’s really about the woman learning to be happy with herself, and becoming open to love through that process, rather than someone coming in and just making her happy. So it’s really about female empowerment and women learning to love themselves and to embrace their sexuality. I think there are a lot of forces in this world that still try to keep women from feeling comfortable in their own skins, and I want my books to address that.

Nicole: That’s so weird. I have very similar philosophies.

*silence*

Nicole: Well, moving on, what else can you tell us about the book?

Denise: It’s very hot, very much something that will make you blush on the subway, and I’ve heard from a few sources it might even spark a few tears. You can read a sexy excerpt, here.

Nicole: Wow, that is hot.

Denise: That’s just the third chapter.

Nicole: And there will be more in the series?

Denise: Yes, hopefully. The second is already finished, I just need to do some edits based on beta readings and get it off to my marvelous agent, Rebecca Strauss.

Nicole: Oh, wow, my agent is Rebecca Strauss!

Denise: Yes. Yes she is.

*silence*

Nicole: Well, that’s awesome you have more lined up. Are they with the same characters?

Denise: Oh, no. Different characters all the time, but there’s always an empathic selkie willing to help the suffering humans.

Nicole: That’s very generous of the selkies.

Denise: I think they enjoy it. 😉

Nicole: I think we will, too. The books sound great and it was lovely to finally meet you.

Denise: You too. We should hang out more.

Nicole: I think that’ll happen, for sure.

So thanks again for coming by and now for a GIVEAWAY! For no interview can be complete without a giveaway. For +1 entry, just comment below. And you’ll get extra entries for the following: follow Denise on Twitter or Facebook for +2 entries EACH, retweet or share this interview on facebook for +2 entries EACH, blog about Denise for +2 entries, and if you review Ocean’s Touch on Samhain’s website, Amazon,  Goodreads, etc., or your own blog, I’ll give you +5 pts EACH! 

Just post your initial entry and follow it up with everything else you’ve done (+2 followed on Twitter and FB, +10 review at my site http://yourmama.com, etc) and tally up your points for me. This is partly because I can’t add, and partly because I’m lazy. 😉

What will you get for winning? I’ll pre-order you a digital (it’s digital only, but can be read on a PC) copy of my upcoming Trueniverse short story, “Something Wikkid This Way Comes,” starring the fine ladies of Triptych, to be released mid-January, and I’ll also order you ANY TWO paperbacks or kindle e-books for $15.99 or less off Amazon.

So that’s any two books at $15.99 or less, each, and my own upcoming digital short story.

The contest will run until Friday, January 13th, to give people lots of time to review. And because it’s appropriate, I think. 😉

Good luck and see you back here Friday, when I will be blogging the toast cups that go with that Peeler Family Crab Dip. I know you’re excited!