Under the covers with Olivia Ventura

Olivia, welcome to Under the Covers with Lynne. First important question. Silk, satin, cotton, flannel. What is your sheet of choice and why?

Cotton. But not any old cotton. It has to have a really high thread count, so it’s super soft with that gorgeous sheen…you know what I mean. The kind of cotton that could buy groceries for a month 

Oh yeah… *happy sigh* Cotton it is. I’ll scoot over *pats mattress* Let’s get comfortable. It’s a slumber party! We’ll be up all hours of the night. Calories don’t count. What snacks will we be munching on at midnight?

Why are we waiting until midnight? Let’s see, we’ll start with the ice-cream. I couldn’t choose just one flavor, of course, so we have about a half-dozen tubs. And chocolate. Cinnamon rolls, assorted pastries. Tim Tams—ever tried them? Something we Aussies proudly lay claim to.

Good question. Let’s start now. I’ll try some of those Tim Tams… never had em. ; ) Truth or dare?

Truth. I’m a big old coward.

Tell us something not very many people know.

Ooooh boy, this is tough. I’m not a good secret-keeper because I like to talk. A lot. Ummmm, when I was a kid I used to eat sugar directly from the bowl. And sometimes I relapse.

When I was little, I used to drip coffee into the sugar bowl, let it harden and eat it like candy. What are you usually wearing at three o’clock in the morning?

In winter, flannel pjs. I get cold, and there’s no one to warm me up!

Then we need to get you out there! What would you consider a romantic date?

No adventure outings, please! I’m happy with a nice quiet restaurant where the food is REALLY good. And the dessert is orgasmic. Are you seeing a trend here?
It also helps if the company is good.

There is nothing wrong, and plenty right, with orgasmic dessert. What is the best pick-up line someone has ever tried on you? Did it work?

This one is pretty visual, so hopefully I can get the image across.
Guy walks up and stands to my right.

“Did you know that the distance from here (touches his right shoulder) to here (touches his left shoulder) is the same as the distance from here (touches his left shoulder) to here?” (suddenly his hand is on my left shoulder. Does this mean…? yes, his arm is around me.)

It didn’t work, mainly because he had terrible B.O. Lifting his arm was a mistake.

LOL. I love it! What is your favorite season?

Summer. I hate being cold. And I love the long days. And I hate being cold.

I think I do spot a trend here. ; ) What is a movie you could watch over and over?

The Princess Bride. And believe me, I have. How can anyone resist True Love?

But what the bananas was Mr. Goldman thinking naming her Buttercup? Bleh.

As you wish. I love the Princess Bride too. Let’s watch it after the interview. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

Daiquiri. Strawberry is the best, but I’ll take anything. And then of course there’s the Pina Colada, the Fruit Tingle, and a perennial favorite, Sex on the Beach, which my mother for many years thought was called ‘Sitting on the Beach.’ We’re not sure why.

Maybe she didn’t want to order SEX on the beach. ; ) I’ve been craving a Pina Colada. I’ll mix some up.
How would you describe your writing style?

Rollicking . I tend to run on a bit. I like to write fun stories, and sometimes fun means getting sidetracked.

LOL And sidetracked isn’t always a bad thing. If you could have lunch with one writer, who would it be?

Nora Roberts. It wouldn’t even have to be one-on-one, I’d be happy to just sit there and listen to her talk to someone else. I could absorb her wisdom silently. And silence for me is not common.
Seriously, the woman is amazingly disciplined to be so prolific. Discipline is my main weakness—I don’t have any.

Nora has lessons for us all. I agree. What is your favorite part of being a romance writer?

Happy endings. I can torture my characters as much as I like, but in the end I leave them happy.

I’m a sucker for HEA too. Least favorite part?

Actually sitting down to write. The words are there, but for some reason it’s so hard to type them out. I’m the world’s best procrastinator.

Tell us about your newest release.

MISS FIX-IT stars Veronica (always Vee, never Ronnie) an outgoing, girly, funky and fashionable woman. She has regular manicures, fabulous clothes, a shoe fetish, and a love affair with the color pink. And she’s a handyman—woman—person—I always get stuck with this word!

She’s on a job when her client’s husband gets frisky, and because Vee is soooo not into adultery, she threatens him with her (pink) hammer to make him back off. Next thing you know, she’s at the local police station, being questioned about the ‘attempted assault’.

Her questioner, sexy detective Cole Samuels, isn’t sure what to make of her, especially when she demands her right to a room with one-way glass. There are sparks between them from the beginning, just not necessarily romantic ones! Still, things heat up pretty quickly, and they’re well and truly into each other when the threatening notes start coming…

Coming soon is INTER-OFFICE RELATIONS, an erotic novella written under Louisa Masters and published by The Wild Rose Press. Jeannie quits her job and decides to leave with a bang—literally. She seduces her colleague Tim in one of the conference rooms, secure in the knowledge that she’ll never have to see him again. Then suddenly she’s offered a management role and decides to stay. But she’ll make it clear to Tim that their relationship is going to be strictly professional. Tim disagrees, and tries to change her mind in one of the most interesting places…

They both sound excellent! Do you have anything else in the works?

A few projects. One Night in a Bar, an erotic novella by Louisa Masters, is being shopped around at the moment. I’m working on a full-length contemporary, as yet unnamed, about a football player and a cleaner/children’s storyteller. Nathan and Jess are fast becoming my favorite characters ever. And I have another erotic novella half done, starring a ‘professional companion’.


Thank you so much Olivia! Now I’ll get on those Pina Coladas and but Princess Bride in the DVD player! You make the snacks.

Learn more about Olivia and her work:

http://www.oliviaventura.net/

http://www.louisamasters.com/

www.facebook.com/oliviaventura

Twitter: @OliviaLVentura

http://www.oliviaventura.wordpress.com/