Author Interview & Giveaway: Maya Banks

I’ve enjoyed several of Maya Banks’ novels so I’m truly excited to have her on the blog today to answer some of my most pressing questions! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom and enter in the rafflecopter for a chance to win a Paperback copy of three of Maya's titles: Keep Me Safe, Giving In and Taking It All! 

Hi Maya! Thanks for coming onto the blog today!

Q: You have quite a few genres of romance that you write in from romantic suspense to historical romance. What is your favorite genre to write in and which one has required the most research?

I honestly don’t have a favorite. What I love MOST is the ability to write in multiple genres. It keeps me from ever writing two books in the same genre or series back to back so it keeps it fresh and exciting for me!

Q: What kind of *ahem* research did you have to do for your BDSM erotic romance series, the Surrender Trilogy?

    

Honestly most of it is just plain common sense and being able to see both sides of the coin and imagine how people would react in certain circumstances. I don’t like taking too clinical an approach with my  books because then the stories seem sterile and a regurgitation of facts.

Q: If you could switch places with any of the characters from one of your many books, who would it be and why?

Oh goodness no I would never want to be in ANY of my characters’ shoes! I torture them relentlessly lol. I don’t like conflict or drama in MY life so I wouldn’t survive five minutes inside one of my stories haha

Q: Never Seduce a Scot is one of my all-time favorite stories.  I listened to the audio version narrated by Kirsten Porter, which was brilliant by the way!  Do you have any say in the selection of narrator for your stories?

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t! It’s entirely dependent on which audio publisher is recording the books. Sometimes I’m sent several samples from various narrators and then asked which one I prefer. While others, the choice is solely up to the publisher. I did, however, choose Kirsten Porter to narrate my Scottish historicals. I thought she had a fabulous voice.

Q: What inspired you to write your latest paranormal romantic suspense series, Slow Burn?

    

Honestly this has been a series that has lived in my head for YEARS, particularly the first and third stories in the series. The stories literally just popped into my head randomly and then I couldn’t stop thinking about them!

Q: There are a lot of creepy elements in KeepMe Safe (Slow Burn #1) such as serial killers and physic abilities. Did you base any of that on real life cases?

Not real life, no. Not the psychic part anyway. I’m addicted to crime shows, though, and I find them fascinating and so it was easy to imagine certain elements of the story.

Q: You are a prolific writer. I’m amazed at the amount of books you’ve written and are working on now!  How long does it usually take you to write a book, and how does your typical writing day play out?

It varies. I’ve written a shorter novel in as little as two weeks. More typically it takes 4-6 weeks for the 100k + stories but I put in a LOT of hours a day and a lot of words so it’s not really as hard as it may appear.

I try to meet a certain word count per day and in doing so it makes finishing the book in a relatively short period of time quite possible.

Q: I see you’ll be touring in Australia soon, which sounds lovely! Do you travel a lot for book events?

My “work” travel has picked up significantly in the last few years. I’ve been to some amazing places and am fortunate to have such wonderful readers who make it possible for me to not only have a career I LOVE but also to travel to some awesome places.

Q: When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?

I love hanging out with my family and taking spur of the moment trips. Like literally deciding a day before hand, hey let’s go here! We also really love to hunt and fish or just have quiet family time at home with everybody.

Q: What kind of books do you read for fun?  Favorite author?  Last book you read?

  

I honestly can’t tell you what the last book I read was :(  It’s been too long since I got the OPPORTUNITY to read for fun! But most often when I DO get a spare moment I typically indulge in a re-read of old favorites. I call them my comfort reads. They are stories I know won’t disappoint me!

Some of my favorite comfort read authors are Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, Julie Garwood, Christine Feehan, Sharon Sala, and Elizabeth Lowell just to name a few.

Thanks again, Maya, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions!!

Connect with Maya Banks:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The wonderful people at Sullivan and Partners have graciously provided a Paperback copy of Keep Me Safe, Giving In and Taking It All to one Waves of Fiction follower.  The giveaway it limited to US residents only.  Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win!

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