Please welcome Ava Rose Johnson to the blog, author of Coming Home, Beauty and the Beasts and Lucy’s Neighbors.  Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and offering a copy of Coming Home to one lucky winner today!
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A: First of all, thank you so much for having me here today! I write erotic romance in a number of sub-genres including contemporary westerns, paranormal and sci-fi. I love mixing it up, it keeps things interesting!

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A: Well I’ve been writing since I was a kid, little bits and pieces. I started focusing on writing with the intention of getting published about two years before I received the first contract. It was a wonderful feeling!

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A: That’s like asking me to choose between my children!!! I honestly don’t have a favorite, they all have a special meaning to me.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

A: I need silence. Peace and quiet really gets my juices flowing. I can just lose myself in the story.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

A: I have a golden rug in my bedroom that inspired

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?

A: Keep going, don’t give up and find a critique partner who you can trust with your work!

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?

A:  Ah, the evil day job. It’s a necessity in my life, mainly because the vast majority of my writing gets done at night! If I didn’t have a day job, I’d probably sleep all day and turn into a recluse. Evil as it is, the day job prevents that from happening. J

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?

A: Oooh, only 3? Okay, Jake Gyllenhaal would be top of the list. Also in there would be the very delicious George Clooney. And a little bit of Robert Pattinson to satisfy the cougar in me!

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?

A: Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough hits the spot every time.

Q: If you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?

A: Well, I’m actually working on a couple of sequels at the moment. The next in the ‘Beauty and the Beasts’ series from Loose Id needs to get finished.  It will tell Rowena’s story and I’m loving it so far! I’m also working on Ethan’s story. He was a character in my book ‘Breaking’ Ground from Ellora’s Cave.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)

A: My latest release was actually my very first release with Samhain! Coming Home is about two young men who are brought together by a shared grief. It takes place on a sprawling ranch in west Texas. And one of today’s commenters will win a copy! Hope you all enjoy the excerpt and thanks for having me here!

Excerpt:

He strode out of the kitchen and through the foyer and groaned. On the other side of the screen door stood Cade, a six pack of Bud at his side. Damn.

Summoning all the patience he could muster, he took another step forward and pulled open the door. Cade looked up from where he’d been studying the porch floor and visibly jumped. Brett raised an eyebrow and waited.

“Thought I’d stop by,” Cade finally said, pulling himself together. “Guess we have a few things to talk about.”

“Guess so.” Leaving the door open, Brett headed back into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter-top. He folded his arms across his chest, watching Cade as he followed him in. At least he’d taken the damn suit off. Dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, the kid almost looked like he belonged on a ranch. Even the dark blonde curls that had been perfectly slicked back at the funeral were hanging loose, almost reaching his collar.

Cade held up the beers and then placed them on the table. Without waiting to be asked, he sat on one of the chairs and slung his arm over the back of another. “Busy day?”

“We’re always busy.” Brett glanced at the remains of his sandwich that were sitting in the middle of the table and felt another stab of annoyance. With this guy sitting in his kitchen, he’d lost his appetite.

“Saw Jimmy on my way up here. Looked pretty tired.”

Brett narrowed his eyes. Arrogant son of a bitch. What was he trying to say? That he worked the old man too hard? “Jimmy’s tough as nails,” he bit out. “If he thought I was working him too hard, he’d say so.”

Cade frowned. “Did I say you were working him too hard?”

“Forget it.” He pushed away from the counter and stood in front of Cade. Why did he always have to get so defensive around this guy? As kids they’d always gotten along okay, though they’d moved in different circles. A two-year age gap was a big deal in high school and he hadn’t wanted Cade following him around every second of the day. He still didn’t want that. “Could you get to the point already? I need to take a shower.”

Cade seemed to stiffen in his chair and his blue eyes dropped to Brett’s sweat-covered torso. Brett didn’t know why but he felt a sudden urge to cover himself up.

“Take a shower,” Cade said, his eyes returning to Brett’s. “I can wait.”

He scowled. What could he say to that? Besides, despite the fact that he wanted this kid out of here, they had a lot to figure out first. And he didn’t want to be shirtless and sweating while they did it.

“Fine,” he said, grabbing the remnants of his sandwich and throwing it in the garbage. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

Leaving Cade lounging in his chair, he headed upstairs, unbuckling his belt as he went. He removed his socks and pants in the bathroom and then stepped into the shower. For five minutes, he let the hot water blast the tension from his muscles, but as soon as he turned it off the tension hit back full force.

This was going to be a long night.

Cade didn’t know what he’d expected when he’d rung the Miller doorbell ten minutes ago, but he definitely hadn’t expected to be greeted with the sight of Brett’s naked chest. As he’d stared openly at the expanse of sweat-slick muscle, he’d barely been able to string a sentence together and he could only thank the Lord Brett had been too pissed off to notice the thickening bulge in his pants.

Always the sucker for punishment, Cade glanced at the wooden counter-top where Brett had leaned against minutes before with his arms crossed over his solid chest. The position had made his well-formed biceps bulge and the angle he’d rested his hips against the counter had pushed his pelvis forward, accentuating the lines of muscle that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.

Cade shook his head. The way his mind worked, no wonder he was still hard even though Brett had been out of sight for more than five minutes.

Clamping his left hand over his balls, he reached for the long-neck he’d opened with his right. He brought it to his lips and drank long and deep, letting the cold beer wash down his throat and soothe the burning within him. If he could just pull himself together before Brett came down…

Too late. Brett’s footsteps on the staircase echoed in the foyer. Cade gripped his bottle, focusing on the label as Brett stalked into the kitchen. The clean, soapy scents of shampoo and shower gel swirled around him. Nothing fancy, simple and masculine. A perfect match to Brett’s personality. Cade’s grip on the beer bottle tightened as he held it up and forced a smile.

“Couldn’t help myself.”

---

To learn more about Ava Rose Johnson, please visit her website: www.avarosejohnson.com