Interview with Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon...and CONTEST!

This past week, Northern Exposure, the first book in Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon's Compass Brothers series released from Samhain. I've got my copy and I can't wait to read it! And because I've read almost all of Mari's books and a huge chunk of Jayne's, I know I'm going to love it. I mean, check out that sexy cover done by the awesome Valerie Tibbs...and then go drool over the blurb and excerpt HERE. See what I mean?

And because I know YOU want a chance to read Northern Exposure too, I'm giving away a $5.00 Samhain Gift Certificate to a random commenter. All you have to do is leave a comment and you're entered! Easy peasy, right? Contest will end March 28th, 2011 and the winner will be announced soon after.

Until then, here's Mari and Jayne!

Jayne's questions and answers:

1) If I've never read Mari Carr's books before, can you give me a blurb of why I should read her work? Sort of a back cover blurb that covers the goodies I'll always find between the covers of a Mari Carr story.

OMG.  If you've never read any of her books before stop reading my answers.  Right. Now.  Run to the nearest ebook store and buy all her stories.  Mari Carr books are the perfect blend of humor, sarcasm and lovable characters layered with lots of heat.  You can't read one without having at least a handful of Awwww moments usually followed by Ohhhh-that's-hot moments :)

Mari's books are true romances about everyday people who make extraordinary things between them.  I sort of think that's a reflection on Mari in general.  She has that quality in real life.  People gravitate to her, she's the life of the party and her unbelievably annoying habit of always having a positive outlook leads to her own brand of unflagging good luck.

I'd vote for starting with Sugar and Spice or Tequila Truth.  Two of my favorites.  After that you'll have to read them all so make sure you set aside lots of free time (she writes like lightning!).

2) I think the idea of two authors sharing a series is awesome! How did you decide how to split up who wrote what in the Compass Brother series?

Great question!  Mari and I are pretty independent writers so co-authoring is not something I would have really envisioned for myself.  But with Mari it wasn't a big leap to go from the brainstorming and dialog we always have back and forth daily to collaborating on one vision for our characters, the story arc, their environment and the driving forces that move the story forward.

Once we had all the big strategic stuff buttoned up we decided that tactically it made sense for each of us to write two of the brothers.  I write Silas and Sam in all the books and Mari is the genius behind Seth and Sawyer.  When all the brothers come together (in some of my favorite scenes) it's kind of weird cause it's like Mari and I talking to each other but while pretending to be two different guys at once.  Sort of schizophrenic and odd but it works for us :)

3) You're given your choice of a menage with any two guys in the Compass Brothers series. Who and why?

Hooooooey, that's a difficult question.  I'd like to pick JD Compton, the patriarch of the family but I suppose that would rule out the four Compass Brothers.  There are a few other ranch hands that come to mind like Jake so I'd go with him or... no...  Colby!  Yeah, definitely JD and Colby (the third from Northern Exposure).  Although, I suppose of all the brothers, Silas is the most like his dad so the menage in Northern Exposure would do. Then again, there's always the twins Sam & Sawyer.  Dang, clearly the choice is too hard.  They're all great :P

Mari's questions and answers:

1) If I've never read Jayne's books before, can you give me a blurb of why I should read her work? Sort of a back cover blurb that covers the goodies I'll always find between the covers of a Jayne Rylon story.

Jayne Rylon captures her readers with characters who are so real you feel like you know them, stories so creative you can't stop turning the pages and sex scenes so hot you need to take a cold shower after closing the cover. I pretty much fall into a depression after every book I've ever read by her because I know I'll never be able to write like that. She takes every story she tells to the next level and she is easily one of my all-time favorite writers.

Jayne's not afraid to take risks with her stories, sometimes putting her characters in some pretty interesting situations. She doesn't pull punches and I respect and admire that quality. I think it's what makes her the phenomenal author she is.

My favorite books by her are Dream Machine and the Star series at Ellora's Cave. Through My Window is one of the most beautifully written stories I've ever read and Star is a character that will stick with me forever.

2) What's the deal with cowboys? Why do you like them as a writer and why do you think readers find them so irresistible?

Aw heck. What's NOT to love? There's something a bit untamed and wild about a man who lives off the land, who has a soft-spot for horses and who comes by his six-pack naturally through working hard with his hands. As a reader, some of my favorite books have been about cowboys. I love writing about cowboys because you can make them a little rougher, tougher, more protective. All of these characteristics speak to my alpha-male loving heart! Plus there's just something about a southern drawl that melts my butter!

3) You're given your choice of a menage with any two guys in the Compass Brothers series. Who and why?

Hmmm...as Jayne said, we each sort of took the lead on a couple of the Compton brothers. As a result, I know Seth and Sawyer better than Silas and Sam. In order to write my heroes, I pretty much have to create a guy I'd fall in love with. Typically, I give them attributes that I find appealing. Seth is a fun-loving guy with a great sense of humor and fun, but he's also romantic. He reminds me a lot of my husband. Sawyer is also fun, but he has a darker, more serious side. He's also the type of guy who will never let a girl down. When he falls, it's hard and forever. I find that very sexy, very hot!

Thanks so much for stopping by, ladies!

Have you read Mari or Jayne's books? Do you have a favorite? My favorite book by Mari is a tie between Tequila Truth and Ruby Tuesday. And for Jayne, it's Driven. I'd recommend their entire backlist!

Now go forth and comment!