Interview
This is a little tricky because I don’t give out too many private details about my life. I will say that I live in Atlanta with my teenage daughter. I’m a very private person and try to keep my author life completely separate from my personal life. With a teenage daughter I can never be too careful. I know several erotic romance writers who have received phone calls at their home from men wanting to discuss particular erotic scenes in their books. Also my daughter is the only person in my family who knows what I write. My family, especially my Mama and sister-in-law are very religious and wouldn’t be pleased with the erotic nature of my books. They would probably be shocked and appalled no matter how successful the books may be. So to keep peace in the family and my sweet Mama happy I let them keeping believing that I am still freelance writing about parenting topics, etc.
2) How long have you been writing?
Since I was fifth grade. I would spend summers locked in my room writing out historical stories.
3) Do you have a favorite place to write?
On my back deck with my laptop.
4) Why did you decide to write Burned by Passion?
I decided to write Burned by Passion because I wanted to do a book with a little more in depth characterization. It’s not as light as some of the others I written such as Gents 4 Ladies but covers some topics I feel many women go through. The steamy, sex scenes are still there though!
5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
Blake is my favorite of course. He loves Kira and is determined to win her over no matter how long it takes.
6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
Terrence for sure. He is the smooth, likeable guy that we’ve all known who behind closed doors can turn into a very jealous and potentially dangerous man.
7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
Oh wow! Editing and proofreading is such a long and tedious process and sometimes we still don’t catch every error. I hire an editor who helps me tremendously. Plus I have several beta readers that do line-by-line edits. The problems usually arise because once I receive a clean copy back from my editor then I keep messing around with it and create more errors. She hates it when I do that!
8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love to cook. I’m also an avid birdwatcher. I have bird feeders of every kind in my yard. Hummingbirds are my special thing and I currently have at least 40 hanging in my yard right now. Every summer and fall there are hundreds of hummingbirds in my yard.
9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
Honestly lately I don’t have time to read as much as I would like to. I seem to be working all the time. The only time I can read is when I’m at the beach or on a cruise. I read every genre and couldn’t name a specific favorite author.
10) What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, and then answer it.
This question is not necessarily about my book but about the publishing process in general. The question would be, “What is my biggest pet peeve with ebook publishing these days?”
My answer would have to be paid reviews. Readers don’t realize how common paid reviews are and how much it hurts the writers who don’t use them. I can spot paid reviews right off the bat. If there are five reviews on a book and four of them have also reviewed the exact same vitamin supplement, children’s book and a cake decorating book then you know they’re paid reviewers. Recently there was a very popular book in the Amazon Top 100 with over 50 paid reviews. For a little while, Amazon was cracking down on them but they’re back in full force now.
Author: Dez Burke
Genre: African American Romance/Interracial Romance
Publisher: Pink Lotus Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: Aug 8 2013
Blurb/Synopsis:
Even good girls make mistakes.
Kira was shocked to meet her boss’s handsome, long-absent son and find him even more lethal in the flesh. He’d always been just a face in a photo - and nothing had prepared her for the way they clashed and burned when they finally met.
Blake Carter returned to America for a reunion with a father he hadn’t seen since he was ten. But Blake had never bargained for falling for his father’s sexy secretary, the beautiful and impressionable Kira Taylor…
Blake caught one glimpse of the gorgeous beauty from across the crowded room and felt the primal taste of desire like he’d never known. The sparks were more antagonism than attraction on her part as they collided over differences about the way he treated his father. But Blake had very strong persuasive skills when it came to bringing the vulnerable Kira to bend to his carnal passions…
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Excerpt:
“Blake Carter! Wait up; I want a word with you!”
From behind him, Blake heard Kira call angrily to him but he walked on, crossing the wide foyer and headed for the study wing of the ground floor. He’d just about reached the right turn leading to his destination when he felt her hand grab his shoulder. He let her jerk him forcefully round to face her even as he suppressed his temper.
“I said, I want to speak to you,” Kira gritted out, glaring up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes surrounded by thick, spiky lashes. He was getting used to seeing the gleam of anger blazing back at him.
He quenched a smile. “I heard you, lady. I just can’t stand to listen to another lecture right now.”
“Well, you’d better. Because I’m not backing down until I let you know what an unfeeling, disrespectful brute you are.”
Blake’s lips tightened in anger at that. “Why? Because I let him know he couldn’t push me around?”
“No. Because you displayed to the world how little respect you have for your father. Those are his most important friends and associates in there. And after he took all the trouble to put together such a nice welcome party for you. How could you be such a-”
“Jerk?” Blake put in before she could find the word to finish. “I wonder why it’s just my father’s feelings you seem so worried about. What about mine, hmm? Do you have any idea how it feels when every time I try to act civil he lets me see how much he enjoys controlling other people’s lives - and without a care for what they really want? I don’t think you understand what’s going on here, Kira,” he said dismissively.
His words seemed to calm her a little as she said with far less venom, “Oh yes I do. I don’t think you realize how much he loves you. Yes, he does try to stick his nose in sometimes. That’s how he is. You don’t know how lucky you are to have a father even remotely concerned about your welfare. Why, if I had someone like him for a father, I…” She stopped abruptly, her voice choking as tears stung her eyes.
“Oh please,” Blake said cuttingly. “Do you really think I’ll believe that all he is to you is some “father figure”? You must take me for a fool to think I can’t see that you’re his pretty little plaything on top of everything else.”
Kira’s eyes blazed with fury and she lashed out to slap him but he easily grabbed her wrist. So she raised the other one and he caught that too.
“Don’t even think about it,” Blake warned, jaw clenched. “Or you’ll realize what a jerk I really am.”
Her big, brown eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, surprising him. Her voice was filled with hurt when she finally choked out words. “How dare you! You really don’t think much of him – much less know him, if you think he’s capable of what you’re suggesting.”
Blake was staring fixedly down at her, at the tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her gaze held anger and a look of injustice. Damn; he hadn’t meant to be mean to her or make her cry. But she should have known better than try to get in the middle of this. His family had issues no one could even begin to understand. And that only made him madder.
Author Information
Dez Burke grew up in rural Alabama and spent most summers reading worn copies of her Grandmother's Harlequin Romances. Even as a young girl, she noticed the absence of African American characters. So today, she writes hot, steamy romance books featuring black women and gorgeous men of all races.
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