Interview & Giveaway with Maya Banks

May Banks Interview Intro:

Happy Independence Day Book Monsters and Literal Addicts!  Book Monster Reviews and LITERAL ADDICTION are very proud to welcome New York Times bestselling author, Maya Banks  to our sites today!  

Maya wrote a great bio for her website so her fans could get to know her a little better, so we've borrowed it and posted it below.

About Maya:

My name is Maya Banks and I live in Texas with my husband and three children and our assortment of pets. I’m more of a cat person, but my daughter became convinced she NEEDED a dog. So convinced in fact that it became her mission to convince her father and me. She prepared a two page handwritten proposal that detailed WHY she needed a dog, and well, after I sent her to her father (I knew he wouldn’t tell her no) we embarked on the search for the perfect dog. The journey that was two hours away and that I got pulled over for speeding while I was on the phone with my agent who had an offer from a publisher for one of my books… The officer wasn’t impressed. He wrote me a ticket anyway. Thus, I now tell my daughter that her dog turned into one very expensive concession! But isn’t he cute?

When I’m not writing,I love to hunt and fish with my family. We all love the outdoors and go on family hunting trips every year. We also love to travel. One of our more recent trips was to Scotland, which was every bit as comical as National Lampoon’s European Vacation. You know the part about “Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament” as they went round and round the roundabouts? Yeah, that was us, only we couldn’t even get out of the airport in Glasgow without hitting three of those suckers.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of a writing career is getting to meet so many wonderful readers. There’s nothing better than dishing books with someone who loves the romance genre as much as I do. Romance readers are passionate and vocal. We love our books, love our happily ever afters, and we love to spend time talking to others about our favorites. THIS is why I love my job so much, and I’m so grateful to readers who gave ME a chance when I began my career. So thank you.

Love,

Maya is the creator of many amazing standalone books and series.  She has the Contemporary/Erotic romance series; Colters' Legacy and The Sweet Series, the Historical Romance series;  The McCabe Trilogy, the Contemporary Romance series; Pregnancy and Passion and the Romantic Suspense; The Kelly/KGI Series.  

To check out Maya's entire library of literary excellence please click HERE.   

To keep you up to par on all of Maya's books we've posted a book or two from each series, as well as all the books in Maya's KGI series since we are helping Maya promote the release of the fifth book in the KGI series; ECHOES AT DAWN.

SWEET Series:

"Sweet Surrender"

Sweet Series, Book 1

Sometimes the first step in taking control is surrendering.

Under Faith Malone’s deceptively soft exterior lies a woman who knows exactly what she wants. A strong man who’ll take without asking—because she’s willing to give him everything...

Dallas cop Gray Montgomery is on a mission: find the guy who killed his partner—and bring him to justice. So far, he’s found a link between the killer and Faith—and if Gray has to get close to her to catch the killer, so be it.

Faith is sweet and feminine, everything Gray wants and desires in a woman, but he suspects she’s playing games. No way she would allow a man to call the shots in their relationship. Or would she?

Faith sees in Gray the strong, dominant man she needs, but he seems determined to keep her at a distance. So she takes matters into her own hands to prove to him it’s no game she’s playing. She’s willing to surrender to the right man. Gray would like to be that man. But catching his partner’s killer has to be his first priority. Until Faith is threatened and Gray realizes he will do anything to protect her.

  

Sweet Addiction
Sweet Series, Book 6

He awakened a need within her…

Cole is successful beyond his dreams. He can have any woman he wants, but there’s only one he can’t stop thinking about. His childhood sweetheart, Ren. He’s never forgotten his first taste of innocent love and the desire that consumed them—or the pain he brought upon her…

But now she belongs to another…

Her long ago brush with submission awakened a longing in Ren that drove her to walk the darker edge of desire. She’s become a beautiful woman at ease with her sexuality and unapologetic about her need for a dominant man. When Cole finds her again, he’s gutted that she belongs to another. Ren’s current master agrees to give her to Cole for a short time, but then she must return to his keeping. And though Cole agrees to this bargain, he knows he will never be able to let Ren go again…

MCCABE TRILOGY

"In Bed with a Highlander"

McCabe Trilogy, Book 1

Maya's beguiling new trilogy features three unforgettable brothers risking everything to save their clan and their legacy—and surrender their hearts to love.

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.

Though the illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril, only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband finds her craving his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

COLTER'S LEGACY Series:

"Colters' Woman"

Colter's Legacy, Book 1

Holly Bardwell is running from her past mistakes. Straight into the arms of the Colter brothers.

Adam, Ethan and Ryan aren't looking for women. They're looking for a woman. One woman they know will share their lives and their beds. They're losing hope they'll find her, that is until Adam discovers Hollylying in the snow just yards from their cabin.

Adam knows she's the one the minute he holds her in his arms, and as soon as his brothers see her, they know it too.  The only problem is convincing Holly of that fact—and protecting her from the danger of her past.

Colters' Woman has been revised, re-edited and expanded with a new ending, and also includes a new short story sequel in the back of the book called, "Callie's Meadow."

"Colters' Promise"

Colter's Legacy, Book 4

Just Released June 5, 2012

An all-new chapter in an extra ordinary romance.

Return to the captivating storytelling of New York Timesbestselling author Maya Banks, and her stirring saga of three brothers and one indomitable woman— of wounded hearts, family, and forgiveness…

When it came to overcoming the odds of a tragic past, Lily was determined to move on. The three Colter brothers helped her do it. They taught her new ways to love, new dreams to share, and offered her a new life that she never thought possible. Now is a time for celebration, and what better way than with a long-awaited family reunion, a homecoming that will bring together the entire Colter family and a few surprises no one anticipated.

But first, there's still something from Lily's past she still needs to reconcile—even when all the while she is holding close to her heart a newfound secret that will change her future, forever enrich the Colter legacy, and make every promise come true.

KGI Series:

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t…

"The Darkest Hour"
KGI Series, Book 1

 It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wifeRachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over his failures as a husband, Ethan shuts himself off from everything and everyone.

His brothers have tried to bring Ethan into the KGI fold, tried to break through the barriers he's built around himself, but Ethan refuses to respond… until he receives anonymous information claiming Rachel is alive.

To save her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise. And even if he succeeds, he’ll have to force Rachel to recover memories she can’t and doesn’t want to relive—the minute by minute terror of her darkest hour—for their love, and their lives, may depend on it.

"No Place to Run"
KGI Series, Book 2

Sam Kelly was her first love.

The last person Sam Kelly expected to pull wounded from the lake was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She's spent the last months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her life and that of her unborn child—Sam's child. Now she's resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he's the one in danger.

Now he's her last chance.

Sam has too many questions to let her slip away again—like why she disappeared in the first place. This time he vows not to be seduced. But one look in her eyes, and the passion burns again, and Sam knows he’ll do anything to keep her and his child safe. However, Sophie’s dark past is more dangerous than he imagines, and the only way for either to survive it is to outrun it.

"Hidden Away"
KGI Series, Book 3

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

"Whispers in the Dark"
KGI Series, Book 4

She came to him when he needed her the most

She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape. But he isn’t truly free, because now she’s disappeared and he’s left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he’d once needed hers?

Now he rushes to save her before it’s too late

Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who’d already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn’t have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He’ll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?

"Echoes at Dawn"
KGI Series, Book 5

Just Released July 3, 2012

They live by night.

Grace Peterson is desperate, in hiding, and on the run after escaping a shadowy group determined to exploit her extraordinary ability to heal others. Her only lifeline—an unerring telepathic ability she shares with her sister—has been severed, leaving her alone and vulnerable. And time is fast running out...

Enlisted to bring Grace home is Rio, relentless member of the KGI. He’s unprepared for his reaction to this wounded, damaged woman, and he’s fiercely determined to protect her from those who nearly destroyed her. In Rio, she finds a safe haven, and for the first time...hope. But the mission is far from over. The danger Grace has eluded is fast closing in. And now it’s pitching two lovers toward an unfamiliar horizon, with no place left to hide.

They sound incredible don't they?!  Well, they truly are!  The KGI series is one of our all time favorites so if you are looking for an action-packed romance then this series is definitely for you.  Maya's historical and contemporary romances are amazing as well, you definitely need to read them ASAP!!  Now, let's get to know more about the incredible author behind these great books…..

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Hi Maya!  Welcome to Book Monster Reviews and LITERAL ADDICTION.  We’re very excited to have you here today and to be able to help you promote your new release, ECHOES AT DAWN, from your KGI series, which was just released yesterday! 

Thanks for having me! I’m very excited about the release of Echoes at Dawn and really looking forward to Shades of Gray in January as well.

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  We like to start out by finding out a bit more about our guest author, and then we’ll dig into the books… 

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out in your bio, on your website or on the internet, etc.?

I’m extremely reserved and always stand back and study a situation or people before I move forward or make a decision about the situation (or person)  I’m also very conservative. People are usually surprised to discover that factoid lol. My sister is a pastor’s wife and I grew up in a very conservative/religious household.  And I melt down very easily (as my husband can attest) All common sense goes out the window when I become stressed out and upset over something.

Q2):  What are 3 things that never fail to make you smile and three things that never fail to piss you off?

My children make me smile. Never fails. I love watching them. Just love hanging out with them and teasing and having a laid back time where nothing matters and no one is in a hurry. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the activities and forget to just “be” sometimes. I love those times when we catch up.

Orange makes me happy.

My friends make me smile no matter how grumpy I am  because they don’t let me get away with being a bitch and they don’t care who or what I am because first and foremost I’m their friend.

Stupid people piss me off. Arrogant people piss me off. Anyone who hurts someone I care about is likely to see my very bad sad very quickly.

Q3):  What's a typical day like in the life of "Maya Banks"?

Oh this is so utterly boring. But I usually sleep past 8am. Between 8 and 9 is usually my “stir” time because my best work time is late into the night, early into the A.M. It’s very common for me to be up working past 3 in the morning.  I’m not a morning person so I typically catch up on emails and anything non writing that has to get done before I settle in to start working on whatever story I’m currently writing.

I have three children, so the interruptions are frequent, particularly in the summer. They come upstairs to my office to “visit” or hang out with me which is fun. Or I’ll take a break and go see what they’re up to. My two younger children are very involved in sports and for anyone who follows me on twitter or reads my Facebook, then you already know ALL about Girlie and her softball team and MC (Middle Child’s) baseball exploits.  So the afternoons are about juggling the two youngest and getting them to their separate practices and weekends are about going to MC’s games or Girlie’s tournaments.

When this interview goes live, I’ll be packing for the World Series of Softball in Panama City Beach, Florida. We’ll be down there for a week and a half with Girlie and her team.

When I finish a deadline, I usually take a few days off to regroup and recharge. Sometimes we’ll get away for a quick weekend with the family or we’ll just hang out at the house. I joke with my husband and tell him that I pack an entire year’s worth of work in every three months so I need a vacation every three months :)

Q4):  Do you have any interesting writing quirks?  Maybe something you absolutely must have with you to get the writing process started?

My process is that I have absolutely no process. I wish I did or that I was more organized. The only thing that I’m resolute or firm about is that I sit down and write no matter how that has to happen. I don’t have outlines or plotting grids or big, involved plans. I’m not an advance plotter because if I already know every single aspect of the story, it’ll never get written because I’ll be bored to tears and won’t write it. For me the excitement of finding out what happens next is what keeps me writing and creating stories. I often get immersed in the story and then sit back and say Wow! I had no idea THAT was going to happen! And it gives me a thrill because it keeps it fresh for me.

Q5):  What books have you read recently, or that you have on your TBR list?

I’ve not had a lot of reading time lately which really bums me out because I’m a huge reader. I have over 1500 books on my Kindle (All romance) and it frustrates me not to get to indulge more, but my own deadlines have to come first and sometimes when I’ve been writing long hours, I can’t even face opening another book.

The last book I read was an ARC of Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Storm. I love her books and writing so much and I’m not typically a fan of the urban fantasy genre. I don’t read very much paranormal either so if I do, it has to be something really awesome to make me want to continue reading and Nalini does that for me every time. No matter what of hers I read.

I’m really looking forward to Lisa Valdez’s next historical but I try not to think about it too much because it’s no telling when it will finally release.

Q6):   You have written in multiple genres of romance.  Which is your most favorite genre to write in and which is your most challenging?

I don’t know that I have a hands down favorite genre to write in because what I love about writing in multiple genres is that I get to write something different every book and I can alternate between doing historical and contemporary. It keeps it fresh and exciting for me.  I think the historicals are easier for me just because I love Scottish Historicals SO much and they are so much a part of my reading history from the time I was very young and starting out reading romance.  Historicals were ALL I read for a very long time and that’s where my heart has always been.

The KGI series is probably the most difficult for me because there are so many details when writing a continuing series that is connected the way it is. I have to keep all those characters and details straight and plus I’m super hard on myself and I want each book to be better than the last. I also want to keep them fresh and not a rehash of the previous book so I put a LOT of pressure on myself when writing those.

 

Q7):  If you could spend the day with any of your characters, with whom would you want to spend it, and what would you like to do?

Would probably be a coin flip between the Kelly family and the characters from the Sweet series. I have a special love of the KGI series simply because the series is set in a place I still consider “home” even though I’ve moved from Tennessee to Texas. I’ve spent many a day on Kentucky Lake and in some of the areas that are in the KGI books. My two youngest children were born there.

Q8):  Out of all the novels you have written, is there one book that you consider a favorite, maybe one that holds some kind of sentimental meaning to you?

I have a few favorites and sometimes those favorites change depending on my mood. The Darkest Hour will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s a story that’s been with me for a very long time. I began writing it nearly ten years ago and had the foundation of the series and Ethan and Rachel’s story stayed with me all those years until I had the chance to pitch it to my editor. It was very rewarding to finally be able to launch that series after waiting for “the right time.”

Until I wrote Sweet Addiction, Sweet Possession was my favorite of that series. I knew going in that Connor’s story would be my favorite and I always knew exactly what his story would be. When I wrote Sweet Addiction, well, I hadn’t planned to do a 6^th book or do a story for Cole, so when I did begin that one, I fell completely in love with the characters and so that remains one of my favorite stories to this day.

The upcoming Never Seduce a Scot is another sentimental favorite of mine, not only because of the characters, whom I fell in love with, but because the heroine is based in part on my husband. Or at least her condition. Much of her issues with her hearing are taken straight from my husband’s experiences.

I also love Into the Mist. That will always be a favorite of mine. And I also love Amber Eyes.

Q9):  For the readers out there, that have not yet read the KGI series (which is one of our favorite series), can you please tell us what the series is generally about?

It’s slated as romantic suspense, which I’ve never particularly agreed with but then there isn’t a genre classification for military action adventure. But at the heart of the series, it’s all about the Kelly family. And the sense of FAMILY is front and center. Every single story, no matter if one of the Kelly’s stars in it or not, carries the message of the importance of family, loyalty and unconditional love and support. If those things aren’t your cup of tea then this series certainly won’t work for you ;) 

Q10):   What were some of the challenges (research, literary, psychological, logistical, etc) in bringing the KGI series to life?

  

This series has been with me for so long and has lived in my mind, that when I did finally sit down to  bring it to life, it really wasn’t that difficult. I set it in a place I’m intimately familiar with (though I’m sure some things have changed since I left) And I love the CHARACTERS that I write about so in that regard it makes it easy for me to create the story that is perfect for them.

However, as I said above, I put a lot of pressure on myself with this series so it’s a constant battle of questioning myself and making sure that I’ve made the right choices for what feels right for the individual characters. So far I’ve been very happy with the way the books have turned out. I don’t have any regrets.

Q11):  Echoes At Dawn, the 5th book in the KGI series was just released yesterday.  What's coming up next in this series?

Softly at Sunrise is a KGI novella that goes back to the original couple that kicked off the series. For readers who are familiar with Ethan and Rachel, they know that this couple has not had an easy road and that they still work at it every single day.  Softly at Sunrise is a novella that checks back in with them a couple years after she was brought back home in The Darkest Hour and it takes place in a gap of time in Shades of Gray, which releases in Jan 2013.

Shades of Gray will feature team members David “Cole” Coletrane and P.J. Rutherford. I really loved writing their story and am very excited for it to release!

Q12):  You also just released another book in the COLTER'S LEGACY series, "Colter's Promise" on June 5.  What are the future plans for this series?

Colters’ Promise was written specifically for the many, MANY readers who asked for an update on the characters from the first three books. It also introduces the heroine and heroes for the upcoming Colters’ Gift, which releases in April 2013.

Q13):  What's coming up next for your SWEET series? 

Sweet Addiction was the last book set in that specific world, but in 2014, I’m launching a spin off to the Sweet series which features Kane Murphy (From Sweet Possession) and his personal protection firm. This series will be more “Sexy contemporary” and not as highly eroticized as the Sweet series was.

Q14):  Do you plan to extend THE MCCABE TRILOGY beyond the three books?  If so, what so you have planned next?

No immediately plans. I won’t ever say never, but for now I’m working on a new Scottish Historial series that will launch this September. It features two bitter enemy clans, the Montgomerys and Armstrongs and the next several books will feature characters from those two families.

Q15):  Do you have any other projects you're working on that you'd like to share with us today?  Anything specific you'd like to say to the readers before you go?

I’m currently working on Highlander Most Wanted after just finishing the KGI novella. I also slip in some time on a secret project that I hope to release in early 2013. As soon as I know for sure, I’ll let readers know more about that one :)

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Maya, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today!  We'd love to have you back again in January 2013 to help you promote the release of "Shades of Gray".  What do you say?

I’ll certainly be open to considering it! Thanks for having me. It’s always fun to hang out with readers. No one more fun to spend time with!

To find out more about Maya and keep up with her latest news, you can visit her WEBSITE or you can find her on FACEBOOK, TWITTER and GOODREADS too.

Maya is giving away 2 autographed copies of ECHOES AT DAWN                 to 2 winners at Book Monster and she's giving away another autographed copy at the LITERALADDICTION Website.  

Fill out the Rafflecopter for below to enter

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