Interview with Lacey Alexander

Added July 6, 2004

Today we're talking with the very talented, Lacey Alexander. With her romantica debut novel, Hot for Santa!, she caught readers' attention and hinted at a many more wonderful books to come. Her most recent release, Hot in the City: French Quarter, has proven she is one author to be on the look-out for in the future.

Sharyn: When did you first start writing?

Lacey: I've been writing for most of my life, but began to pursue publications around ten years ago.

Sharyn: Who or what compelled you to take the first step to become an author?

Lacey: The fear of waking up when I was 80 and having to ask myself: What if ...? What if I could have succeeded at that? I'm glad I don't have to do that now : )

Sharyn: What's it like when a reader tells you what they thought of the book and how it made them feel?

Lacey: When a reader tells you they love something you've written, it's the best feeling in the world. To know you've succeeded in entertaining them, moving them, making them laugh or cry - that you've made a connection that mattered to someone - that's what it's all about! : )

Sharyn: Let's talk a minute about your newest series, Hot in the City. What's it about?

Lacey: Thanks for asking about Hot in the City. Each book of the trilogy features one of three sisters having her own thrilling, erotic adventure in a city that's "hot," both in terms of weather and wild atmosphere. The books were great fun to write and I really enjoyed shaping the trilogy.

FRENCH QUARTER is eldest sister, Liz's story - she's mature, straight-laced, and sensible - until she meets sexy Cajun, Jack Wade, who helps her loose her erotic side.

Next is Diana, in SIN CITY. Diana is the family wild child, but she's trying to change her evil ways and settle down. Enter Marc Davenport - executive by day, dominant bad boy by night - and Diana's quest to be a good girl is quickly dashed.

Finally, readers will meet little sister Carrie, the family good girl. But when a trip to KEY WEST introduces her to sexy beach boy Chris McCann, the good girl in Carrie is quickly replaced by a woman eager to set her sexual inhibitions free.

Sharyn: Now, the first book in the series, French Quarter is already available and the remaining books will be available soon. You've already received many amazing reviews for French Quarter. How well do you think the rest of the series will go over?

Lacey: I can only hope readers will respond as well as they did to FRENCH QUARTER. I've been awed by the response FRENCH QUARTER has received - it's really outdone my wildest expectations! I think both SIN CITY and KEY WEST actually *surpass* FRENCH QUARTER in terms of pushing the envelope of sexual fantasy, so I hope readers will enjoy the adventures of *all* the Marsh sisters : )

Sharyn: What was it like participating in the Twelve Quickies of Christmas? I mean Hot for Santa! (Book 10) was your debut as a romantica author.

Lacey: I was thrilled when my editor asked me to take part in the series! Simply put, writing HOT FOR SANTA!! was great fun! And it provided some terrific exposure for me earlier than I expected it.

Sharyn: Having read Hot for Santa! I was amazed at the emotion and depth Amy and Cole possessed. Was it hard to flesh out their characters and their love in> such a short space?

Lacey: Thank you so much : ) That's wonderful to hear! And although I *thought* it would be a challenge, it ended up being a lot of fun. I simply knew I had to dive right in and make the readers feel they already knew these two, so we could move quickly to the good stuff ; ) Incidentally, Amy and Cole make a sizable appearance in KEY WEST! : ) So fans of HOT FOR SANTA! will get to revisit this couple and see where they are now. They'll find Cole has continued to nurture Amy's submissive side, and that Amy couldn't be more thrilled with her commanding lover ; )

Sharyn: On your website, home.insightbb.com/~laceyalexander/, you mention your novels coming in 2005. Can you tell us anything more about them, especially your new series Brides of Caralon.

Lacey: Sure! First up in 2005 will be my Mardi Gras novella, which is set to appear in an anthology with a masquerade theme. When my editor invited me to participate, it seemed a natural choice to return to my FRENCH QUARTER setting and cast. This story will belong to Ty, who readers may remember from a hot menage scene in FRENCH QUARTER. In the novella, tentatively titled MISTRESS MINA'S MARDI GRAS, Ty finds a love of his own in a very unexpected setting, with an even more unlikely woman ; )

As you mentioned, the Brides of Caralon series will also be released in 2005. These books will be my first futuristics, so I'm excited about tackling something new and different. A prequel quickie to the series, SEdUCTRESS OF CARALON will be released sometime in the spring, with the books slated to follow in summer. The Brides series is another set of three sisters, in this case the daughters of a great ruler in a post-apocalyptic society on the East Coast of North American around 3500 A.D. This society is *very* sexual - *unless* you're a royal daughter who must keep her virginity in order to garner a husband of worth. So the girls have no choice in who they marry - it's all up to their father, and the marriages come with very little warning. The men in Caralon are all of the Alpha variety, but before it's over, each of the their brides will teach them a thing or two about erotic passion - and love : )

Sharyn: What is the best part of being a writer?

Lacey: Working in my pajamas ; )

More seriously, though, it's a joy to get up every day and do the one thing I love more than anything else.

Sharyn: LOL. That's what I love about being a reviewer. *g* Do you have a memorable moment in your career? One that no matter how far you go, you'll never forget?

Lacey: Oh gosh, there are many! But I guess the moment each writer probably remembers best is the first sale. Mine came after a few years of frequent rejections, so it was hard to believe it was finally happening! It's so gratifying and thrilling - nothing else can really compare : )

Sharyn: According to the biography on your site, you've been published for many years now. What changes have you seen in the publishing industry and have they affected the way you write?

Lacey: Wow, that's a great question.

For a while, the romance market felt very stagnant to me - until just recently, when there began a huge explosion of new publishing opportunities. Ellora's Cave definitely falls under this umbrella : ) So does Chick Lit and all the new Harlequin imprints. I think these new venues also force other publishers to start thinking outside the box, perhaps considering different kinds of books than they have up to now.

As for affecting the way I write - in one sense, yes. For intance, I would not have ventured into romantica if I hadn't seen a strong market for it starting to take shape. But on the other hand - you can only write what appeals to you and what you feel you have some sort of innate understanding of or connection with. I write sexy - always have, always will. The only real question for me is *how* far I push that envelope, which depends on what publisher/market I'm writing for at the moment.

Sharyn: The past few years have seen a rise in the popularity of romantica. Do you think its popularity will continue to increase? Why?

Lacey: I *do* think it will increase. Maybe it's phenomenons like Sex and the City, or maybe it's just the natural progression of the romance market slowly getting hotter and hotter over recent years. Either way, though, I think women are really coming into their own in terms of feeling it's "okay" to love sex and want sex and to indulge themselves in that desire. And when I write a romantica book, that's what it's about for me - encouraging women to indulge their sexual fantasies and embrace their sexual selves. I don't actually endorse doing a great many of the things I write about ; ) but again, it's all about fantasy. If a woman reads one of my books and it causes her to seduce her husband when he comes home from work that night, then my job is well done : )

Sharyn: What advice do you or would you give to aspiring authors?

Lacey: Simple - never give up. Those who never give up eventually succeed.

Sharyn: How does your family feel about your chosen career path? Are they supportive?

Lacey: My family is extremely supportive and very proud of me. Now, it's only fair to mention that my family doesn't read my romantica - only my mainstream sexy romance - but that's just a matter of personal preference. They're thrilled that I've succeeded in carving out a career doing what I love.

Sharyn: Lacey, before I let you go I think it's time for some fun. what are some of your favorite places to visit?

Lacey: Well, not surprisingly, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Key West are all three tops on my list of great places to visit. I've had vacations at all three spots in the last couple of years, so that really helped comprise the settings for the Hot in the City books : )

Sharyn: Your favorite way to relax?

Lacey: I'm actually not the most relaxed person in the world, but I guess I'd say I find reading relaxing, or just vegging in front of the TV. Taking walks with my husband is great, too. Oh, and sitting on the beach. Can't do that every day, certainly, but when I'm there, listening to the sound of the tide and feeling the sand beneath my toes definitely relaxes me : )

Sharyn: Final question.now we've all heard that chocolate can be as good as sex. There's not enough time in the world to debate that *gg* so what's the best chocolate or chocolate dessert you've ever had?

Lacey: A question near and dear to my heart, because I adore chocolate. My answer is a simple one, though. Thanks to friends who know I love dark chocolate, I've sampled dark chocolates from all over the world - and you just can't beat a good Dove dark : )

Sharyn: One of my favorite dark chocolates. Be sure to visit Lacey's website, home.insightbb.com/~laceyalexander/, for the most recent updates regarding her books.

Return to top of page.

This page was last updated on January 1, 2008

This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.