Welcome Coffee Lovers! Today I’m interviewing contemporary romance author, Mila Rossi. Sit back and enjoy getting to know a little about her.
Hi, Mila! Welcome to Coffee Time Romance. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I never know where to begin…. I was born in Romania, grew up in Austria and moved to the US as a teenager. I got my Bachelors in English and my Masters in Rhetoric/Writing Studies, which my husband translates into me being able to BS really well. I was a technical writer for a while and am now a happy wife and mother to my one-year-old little monster. She gets my fearlessness I’m afraid. I love to write, read, cook, bake, draw, paint, take pictures and compete against my husband. We photo battle (argue over who takes better pictures), throw our daughter’s ball at each other around the house, and try to outdo each other at sports. Okay, so he wins there cause I suck at sports, but I’m a better kayaker. Then again, I also get seasick, so it’s a no-win situation.
Lol! It sounds like you have a very fun and busy life. I could really get into those ball throwing competitions, but let’s get to why you’re here. Tell me about your latest book Wild Games?
I had such a blast writing it because it features two hotheads who are at each other’s throats all the time yet can’t deny their chemistry. Becca is a scientist going to Costa Rica for a one-month expedition and Matt is the security guard hired to watch over her group. As luck would have it, they end up having to share a tree house, and before their adventure even begins, they get off on the wrong foot. Becca finds out firsthand what it’s like to work in a hot, humid and tarantula-harboring environment while seeing her hut mate parade his sweaty muscles before her day in and day out. Matt, on the other hand, has to not only watch over the group, but deal with a feisty, opinionated redhead who seems to invite trouble everywhere she goes. I loved the sizzle between them.
Now that sounds like a hot read! I love that your book is set in the jungles of Costa Rica. What was your inspiration behind Wild Games?
I was watching a show called House Hunters where a couple was looking to move to a tree house in the jungle, which is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard, and it inspired my story. I didn’t want to permanently have my characters live in a tree house, but for the duration of their research expedition, it was perfect.
That’s great how inspiration can come from everywhere. Did you learn anything new while writing Wild Games that surprised you?
Hm, how to survive in the jungle. I had to do a ton of research about what kind of animals there are and the types of flora the scientists encounter. But I guess what surprised me most were the tree houses themselves. They are amazing and sometimes even luxurious. Crazy what they can haul up a tree and turn into a place where you can eat, sleep and watch TV.
Now I’ve got to go look up tree houses. Back to the book, do you have a favorite scene from your book? Which one and why?
That’s a tough one because I enjoyed the banter of the couple throughout the entire book. If I had to pick just one scene, it’d be the one following the power outage, when Becca and Matt go back to their hut on pins and needles. She’s had it rough since the beginning of her trip when she lost her luggage and twisted her ankle, then had to be the only female rooming with a guy, so when she asks him to dress a little more decent when he’s around her and he responds that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about decency, well, all hell breaks loose. They argue, but at the same time, the sexual tension rises to the tenth degree.
Hmm, I wonder if there is a hot kiss involved in that scene. Tell me, for someone who hasn’t read your work before, why should they give Wild Games a try?
I write feel-good romance novellas that don’t require a big time commitment yet entertain you with witty characters and sizzling moments. I’m not big on angst or melodrama, so you won’t find a lot of that in my stories, but if you’re looking for light and funny reading, then I’m your gal.
Do you have any other projects coming soon?
Actually, since Wild Games came out, I published Change of Plans, a story about a 25-year-old virgin and the MMA fighter she picks for her one-night-stand. Poor guy doesn’t know what hits him. It was pretty hilarious. I also just finished Going the Distance, which is about a newspaper writer who has to get an interview from the biggest name in boxing after the first loss of his career. Only problem is, she slapped the hell out of him in front of hundreds of people when he propositioned her at a club, so now the sexy yet foul-mouthed boxer isn’t talking. Ah, the dilemmas my heroines find themselves in. It’s oh so fun. And now I’m getting started on a trilogy that takes place in NYC. It’s still in the very rough early stages, so I’m not saying anything else about that. And lastly, I also write historical romance under the name Alice Lake, so I’m all over the place. I’ll have two full-length historicals coming out this year too.
Wow, you’re busy! Keep up the great work. I saw on your website that love to paint vintage anime characters? Do you ever think of writing an anime story?
That is an excellent question and one I haven’t been asked before. I can honestly say that it’s never crossed my mind, but you have given me an idea.
Good luck if you ever go that route. When it comes to your novels and novellas, are you a pantser or a plotter when it comes to writing?
I tried the pantster approach and that was a disaster. A third into my first book, I stopped writing cause I didn’t know where it was going, and I didn’t pick it up again for five years. Craziness, I know. So now I’m very organized with my outlines. I know how many chapters and subchapters each book will have before I even write the first line, and then each subchapter gets a couple of sentences as writing prompts, so I never get stuck when it’s time to write. Despite all that planning, the characters always seem to have a mind of their own as I can never predict how they’ll react in a scene. I guess it’s a fifty-fifty approach. I outline, but each scene develops organically.
Last fun question, if money were no object what hobby would you pick up?
Oh my goodness, I love all sorts of random things. My first choice would be to open up a bakery because I make some mean cake. And no, I’m not tooting my own horn (well, maybe a little), but that’s what friends and family have suggested. I guess that wouldn’t be a hobby so much since I’d be running a business. Hm…. I always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle, but I’m very accident prone, so my husband said that’s out of the question. I’ve also wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, sky dive, bungee jump and learn how to free run. Which also have been nixed by my husband due to likely injuries. My doctor is on a first-name basis with me, if you must know. So I guess that just leaves scouting hot guys for my covers then. I wonder if my husband’s got an objection to that too.
Hey, scouting hot guys is all a part of the research, lol! Thanks, Mila for such a fun interview.
You all can learn more about Mila Rossi and her romances by connecting with her online.
Website: www.milarossi.com
E-mail: mila@milarossi.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceLakeAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alice-Lake-596458097082123
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alake1935/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27973419
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mila-Rossi/e/B00KRW5HY0
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