Today it’s my pleasure to have A. S. Fenichel as my guest. She’s the author of MAYAN AFTERGLOW and MAYAN CRAVING, with the third book in this exciting series, MAYAN INFERNO,  coming out September 19th. We met through Six Sentence Sunday, where over 100 authors post just six enticing sentences from their WIPs or published books weekly. I was so intrigued by her snippets that I went out and put the first book on my kindle, read it in a day and had to have the next book immediately LOL. Now I’m impatiently waiting for MAYAN INFERNO…but in the meantime, we’ll do the interview and A. S. will give away one copy of MAYAN CRAVING to a randomly selected commenter. So don’t forget to comment on the interview or leave her an answer to her Question (see below!).

Here are the blurbs for blurb for MAYAN CRAVING and then MAYAN INFERNO:

Book 2 Mayan Destiny series.
Mayan Craving:
Surviving the End of Days was only the beginning of the journey for Nancy. After years of searching, she’s finally found her missing sister, but when she attempts to rescue Robyn, she enters her worst nightmare. Captured by demons and about to be sacrificed, she’s rescued by Asher, whose kindness and bravery arouse her lust, and leave her wanting much more than friendship.

Asher has been in love with Nancy since he first laid eyes on her, but her infatuation with another man left him unnoticed. Her sudden craving for him couldn’t turn him on more. Together they find rapture, but the attraction can only be fleeting. (VS sez: Asher was actually my favorite character and good as MAYAN INFERNO was, I was so excited he got his own book for this, the second entry in the series.)

While danger and passion pull them together, doubt may rip them apart. Asher and Nancy will need more than a carnal connection if they hope to survive.

Book 3 Mayan Destiny series.

Mayan Inferno

Robyn has spent years waiting for her chance to gain revenge on the demons responsible for her enslavement. She’s molded herself into a warrior and now that The Lord of the Dead is on the move once again, her time has come. Her plan is infallible, until a band of survivors and their enigmatic leader make her think about what she’s fighting for.

Breadan has kept the people of his ranch safe from the wrath of The Lord of the Dead. His gift of always knowing what everyone is thinking is instrumental in protecting those around him. The instant connection with Robyn, takes his talents to another level.

Passion simmers between them. Neither one can avoid their connection, but any distraction could mean disaster. The fate of the world rests on their shoulders, and their lust could be the deadliest distraction of all.

Welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself:

Thank you so much, Veronica for having me visit today. I’m thrilled to be here.

I adore writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been the place where I escape and I still relish diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story. Originally from New York, I grew up in New Jersey. Now I live in the southwest with my own personal hero, my wonderful husband. When I’m not reading or writing, I love to cook, travel, study history and putter in my garden.

What prompted you to start writing?

I’ve been telling stories since I was a little girl. In college I took an English course where they made us write a short story based on a magazine clipping. Everyone else in the class groaned, but I was intrigued. Once I started writing, I was hooked. I guess you could say I was a late bloomer. After that, I took a lot of writing classes and filled a filing cabinet full of stories that will never see the light of day. But the process made me a better writer.

What’s your writing process? Where do you write?

I have two main places where I write. My husband and I share an office. It overlooks the lake and most of the time we can work compatibly. However, his work can get a bit loud and distracting with phone calls. During these times, I have a nice little set up in our sunroom. The sunroom also overlooks the lake, though at a different angle, and I have a chase lounge and everything I need out there. If it gets too hot, I will work pretty much anywhere.

My process is to sit down and write every day. I never make excuses for not meeting a deadline. When men came in to replace the windows in the house, I hid in the bedroom until they were done. I had my laptop and finished Mayan Inferno with banging and crashing throughout the house. If I travel, I still write every day. Writers can go on vacation but they always take their work with them.

When I’m not writing, I’m still working. Stories creep up or smack me on the back of the head, and I make notes. They get placed in the queue for a later book. Right now there are seven books in the queue and the ideas for several more.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I get a pedicure and a manicure every two weeks. I know it’s self-indulgent, but I love it!

How do you celebrate when you finish a novel?

Most nights I have dinner and go right back to work. When I finish a rough draft, I take the night off and have a glass of wine with my husband. When I got the release date for the final “Mayan Destiny series” book, Mayan Inferno, my darling man bought me a pair of earrings. Now, that’s an incentive. I would have written faster if I had known there was jewelry at the end.

(VS sez: oh yes, jewelry would work as an incentive for me too, especially earrings!)

 Do you do a lot of research for your books?

I do. I really try to make sure that all the history and technology is correct in every book. For historical books I also research language. The English language is an ever evolving entity and many words were not used two hundred or even fifty years ago. For the Mayan books, I did a lot of research into Maya, Aztec, Toltec and Olmec histories and mythologies. I then took a lot of liberty about mixing those cultures. I also researched surviving in the desert and the animal and plant life my characters might encounter.

(VS sez: one of the things I enjoyed most about these books was the intriguing way you used and blended the mythology!)

Quickfire  Questions:

Cats or Dogs? Cats. I have to say this or my cat will be angry with me.

Favorite Flower: Yellow roses.

Tea or coffee:  Coffee and lots of it!

Morning person or evening person: I’m more productive in the morning but I’m not very chatty.

Favorite food: Italian (My husband and I teach an Italian cooking class)

Favorite time of the year: Spring

What are you working on next?

I’m finishing up a time-travel for Ellora’s Cave. Still untitled, it’s about a romance writer who lives in Texas and walks through a time portal into rural, Nineteenth Century, England, where she meets the younger brother of an earl.  The portal is closing, and although the lovers know they can never be together, they struggle to part.

What one question do you want to ask your Readers today?

This is a great question. So far, the books I’ve had published are erotic romance. There’s a lot of sex, but I pride myself on making certain that the story is not about the sex. Here’s the question: Is it’s the sex or the romance that attracts my readers to the books?

(VS sez: I’ll be very interested in the answers to that for myself as well. Good question!)

Where can your Readers find you online?

I love to hear from readers! I want to know what you think and encourage you to write to me.

You can find me on my web-site – http://www.asfenichel.com

Follow me on Twitter – https://twitter.com/asfenichel

Like me on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/#!/A.S.Fenichel

Email me at – asfenichel@hotmail.com

I’m also on Google+ and Pinterest.

Buy Links for book:

Ellora’s Cave: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10057-mayan-craving.aspx

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Mayan-Craving-ebook/dp/B0080K3E00/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mayan-craving-as-fenichel/1110608660?ean=9781419939181

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Mayan-Craving/book-WzQKs8KmCUmY7m4-WB1zkQ/page1.html?s=HoybZBJlqE2RVLnOaEGGYw&r=1
Thank you for being my guest today, A.S.!