Guest Author: Inara Scott

Inara ScottI am excited to welcome author Inara Scott, who is celebrating the release of her new novel, Radiant Desire.

The object of every man’s fantasy just lost her wings…
Kaia Verde is one of the four Faerie Handmaids of Zafira, Queen of the Fey. To redress an ancient wrong done to Zafira by a human king, the Handmaids make sport of mortal men, seducing and humiliating them. When Kaia sets out to seduce Garrett Jameson, but ends up being the one surrendering to pleasure, Zafira is furious. Kaia’s punishment is simple: make Garrett fall in love with her by the summer solstice, then break his heart, or face eternity without her wings—or her soul. To make the task harder, Zafira tells Kaia she cannot use her faerie magic or charm to lure Garrett into her bed.

…and now she’s losing her heart…
Kaia thinks her task will be relatively easy—as a faerie, she understands lust, and can love be much different? But once she is living among the humans, Kaia discovers the race she once disparaged is far more complex and beautiful than she imagined. She learns before she can break Garrett’s heart, she must find a way to heal it. And eventually, discovers that losing her wings may be a far easier price to pay than losing her heart.

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away an ecopy of Radiant Desire.
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Café Cubano and A Writer’s Life

There is an old saying that a writer should, “write what you know.” Some writers take this to heart, particularly when it comes to setting. They embed in their stories real details of a city or place that they know, perhaps even the place where they live. They might include real restaurants, bars, and even street names.

The benefit of doing this, obviously, is that you don’t need to do a lot of research. Figuring out how long it takes to drive from one location to another is as simple as getting in the car. The downside for me, however, is that it’s boring. I don’t write to capture things I already know about – I write so I can travel to new places. Metaphorically, and, well, literally.

Take Miami. An incredibly diverse, culturally significant major metropolitan area in Southern Florida. To the west of Miami you find Everglades National Park, wilderness preserves, and wildlife areas. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Go south and you’ll hit Cuba. Turn a little corner and you’re in the Gulf of Mexico. Miami is the fifth largest urban area in the United States, and in 2008 Forbes called it America’s “cleanest city” thanks to its excellent air quality, green spaces, and clean drinking water.

Did you know all that? I sure didn’t. I grew up on the east coast, but I didn’t know a darned thing about Miami. And that’s why I set my book Radiant Desire there. Because I wanted to learn about it, fill up my writerly brain with details about it, and most of all, have an excuse to visit.

I took a trip to South Beach in the spring of 2009, while I was still writing the book. I took long walks along the beach, swam in the warm ocean, and drank a lot of café cubano (a thick, sweet espresso drink). I visited the neighborhoods I’d researched. I visualized my characters walking the streets, eating at the restaurants, and sitting in the parks. I ate Cuban food and spent hours watching the amazing diversity of the Miami residents. I soaked up the sun (a wonderful thing, when you’re from Portland, and it rains for six months of the year).

Basically, I fell in love. Which is what you want to do – fall in love with a place, and hope that readers feel that love oozing from the pages of the books. I have a habit of setting my books in places I want to visit, so the journey of the reader matches my own journey as I explore a new location.

So if you were writing a book, and were looking for an excuse to travel, where would you set it? Let’s pretend money is no object – you can go anywhere!
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Meet Inara Scott!

Inara Scott grew up in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, she spent much of her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW. She loves it there — they get occasional snow, tons of rain in the winter, and lots of sun in the summer. The forests are huge, and the old Douglas Fir trees and thick ferns make you think you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. She would be surprised if there weren’t fairies and elves living there. Seriously.

She loves to hike, canoe, and play outside. She is addicted to yoga. She has a deep affinity for water (she used to believe she could learn to breathe underwater, if she stayed down there long enough).

Inara is a geek through and through. She fears deep, intellectual books and loves romance and fantasies. She listens to cheesy, happy music. When she was in high school, her friends considered having a clothing intervention for her because she insisted on making her own clothes and shopping at thrift stores. Somehow, she survived.

IScott-Radiant DesireContact Info
Website: www.inarascott.com
Blog: http://www.inarascott.com/blog/
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Want to purchase Inara’s novel?
Delcroix Academy

  1. The Candidates at Amazon | Book Depository
  2. The Marked at Amazon | Book Depository

Handmaid’s Seduction

  1. Radiant Desire at Amazon

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Contest Time!

Thank you Inara for taking the time to stop by Literary Escapism!

Contest Time! Inara is giving away an ecopy of Radiant Desire. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: If you were writing a book, and were looking for an excuse to travel, where would you set it? Let’s pretend money is no object – you can go anywhere! Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered.

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until October 20th at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the snazzy new plug-in I have.

I have not been contacting winners, so you will need to check back to see if you’ve won.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

11 Comments

  1. I spent my teenage years in South Florida. It was too hot for me, but gave me a lifelong love of Cuban food. I’ve traveled quite a bit throughout the world, but one place I would love to visit and research is the Canadian Rockies. If I were writing a shifter story, that’s where I’d set it.

  2. OOOOH. I’d set it in Australia *and* Ireland. Completely opposite sides of the globe, I know, but those are the two top spots for me :)

    Thanks for the wonderful interview and giveaway! This book sounds fantastic!

  3. I’d set it in France or Australia because those are the two places I have always wanted to visit.

  4. Hi all! I love all these travel ideas. Sandy, Erin, and Tanya, I am dying to go to Australia someday! Maybe we can get a group rate. :-)

    Stephanie and Kayla, I’d love to see Scotland and Ireland someday. In fact, for someone who writes about faeries, it’s practically REQUIRED!

    Jen, I’d also love to check out the Canadian Rockies — actually, I’m thinking about setting the next Handmaid book in Whitehorse, Canada — just for an excuse to visit! :-)

  5. I would definitely go to the UK. I watch a lot of British television, and it makes me want to move there. I’d like to go eat in one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and visit Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s place.

  6. Hey :) thanks for the contest, this book sound amazing…i would have to say Ireland too…it really has this peaceful nature…either that or just a quite, peaceful little town out in the middle of nowhere :)

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