I am tickled pink to welcome the lovely and talented Calisa Rhose for my first blog interview evah!

And I’m thrilled to be your first to interview on your lovely blog, DB! Thank you for having me today for the official kickoff party tour for Risk Factors, which released March 4th!

Calisa is not only a sister author with Lyrical Press, she is now a content and acquiring editor for Lyrical Press. Today, she’ll be telling us about her upcoming release, Risk Factors, a contemporary romance that features veterinarian Vivian Dane, a heroine who has something to prove, and Connor McKay, an EMT and dedicated father who is afraid to risk his heart and his daughter for the sake of attraction.

Calisa, you have a penchant for wounded heroes, like Sam Callahan from Home (Wild Rose Press Publishing) and Connor in Risk Factors. Can you tell us a bit about Connor’s history and why he’s afraid to fall for Vivian?

Oh, Connor. As a small child he was abandoned by his biological mother and later on his young wife walked out on him a their infant daughter Janna. Other than his adopted mother and father, everyone he’d known growing up left him, so naturally he’s a little relationship shy. Vivian is not an easy woman to ignore, however. LOL

Thanks goodness for strong heroines! Vivian must not only win over Connor, but she has to prove worthy of the most important lady in his life, his daughter Janna. Applause for taking on the issue of single parenthood in romantic fiction! How do you balance Connor’s role as father with his role as romantic hero?

 Oy- he was not happy with me. He had to make some difficult decisions or risk losing both women. For instance, when Janna approves his date with the doctor, he has to work not to mess it up or risk hurting his daughter. Can he? I’ll let you read the book to find out how he manages.

Looking forward to reading all about their journey. Your love of horses and Oklahoma roots no doubt influenced character development for Vivian. Can you tell us what inspired EMT and paramedic Connor?

My roots definitely helped shape Viv. As for Connor, First Responders are H.O.T. That was pretty much it for me. I chose his particular line off rescue because originally there was going to be a forest fire and I needed a hero who could get in and out of a fire zone to save people and a helicopter allowed for that. The fire didn’t happen in the end, but his career stayed.

I’m glad the career choice stuck. There is something so very appealing about men who risk their lives in order to save others. Between writing, being an editor, and a wife/mother/grandmother, you wear a lot of hats! How do you find balance?

Hahaha Balance? You missed care-giver for my elderly father in-law. J My hubby spends a lot of time cooking. Bless his heart! I’m lucky he loves to cook because we’d both starve if he didn’t. I don’t think about food much when I’m working. Being a mother is the easy part as all three of our daughters are out on their own with their families. We are raising the oldest granddaughter right now, though. She’s a fun almost-8-year-old who refers to my writing as “sitting on the couch, doing nothing” (don’t I wish!) and she aspires to be just like me! LOL

Oh goodness, my almost-8-year-old has accused me of the same thing! Congratulations on becoming a Lyrical Press editor. Can you tell us what you’re looking for in submissions and authors?

You sneaky girl! LOL Thank you, Dana. As is with most editors, I want a love story I can get lost in, craft that shows the author knows their business with tight writing and unique plots. Specifically I like to see contemporary, suspense or paranormal stories with heart. I’m not into blood and gore or erotic or demonic, so sweet to steamy, sensual stories can find a home with me. What do I look for in authors? Someone who isn’t afraid to write outside the box, who is willing to work with their editor and build a solid relationship and will delve into the process of editing fearlessly.

Thank you so much for the wonderful interview. To learn more about Calisa, please visit her website. Risk Factors will be available March 4, 2013, from Lyrical Press, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble.

BLURB:

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.”

I’ve enjoyed this so much, DB! I’d like to invite everyone to join my party to a few blogs and help me celebrate Risk Factors’ release. Here’s the link to follow my tour and the more you comment, the better chance you’ll have to win either a GC or a rose rock from me and a PDF copy of RF and maybe even some swag. I’ll select a winner at the end of the tour, so be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you!