Interview with L.P. Maxa, author of Mouth Watering

Now available from Boroughs Publishing Group is the romantic e-novel Mouth Watering, book one in the St. Leasing series, by L.P. Maxa.

Corey Cooper, the new guidance counselor at all boys prep school, St. Leasing, discovers nothing is what it seems, especially the mouthwatering coach, Dominic Hardy.

EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED...

Looking to change her life, Corey Cooper moves across the country to a remote town in Colorado to become the new guidance counselor at St. Leasing, a prestigious all boys prep school. But soon she learns her attraction to the gorgeous head coach, Dominic Hardy, is more than the usual chemistry, and that her students are more than the typical randy teenage boys.

WAS WRITTEN IN HIS SOUL

Dominic Hardy loves his life at St. Leasing. As head coach, he's fulfilled by his career, and in the small Colorado town outside the school's gates he has all the entertainment a man could desire. No complications, no attachments, life was good. Then Corey Cooper comes to St. Leasing and Dominic's instincts kick in - she is his, and that's for life. Throw in a troubled teen, a tyrannical parent, and a mysterious disappearance, and all of a sudden everything at St. Leasing has become a matter of life or death for his kind.

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her new novel.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I can remember lying awake when I was little and making up stories in my head. I was always daydreaming, but my daydreams were like mini-movies. I’d have conversations with my characters and create tiny dramatic conflicts. I still do this, all the time. I think story telling has been a part of who I am from day one.

What was your first book/story published?

Mouth Watering in the St. Leasing series was my first book. I wrote Mouth Watering after the characters forced me to tell their story. I’d always wanted to write, so one day I sat down at the computer and started to type. Three weeks later? It was done and I was addicted. I can’t imagine giving it up now. It’s part of who I am. Writing makes me, me.

What inspired you to write Mouth Watering?

The characters and ideas for the St. Leasing series came from a daydream. I was at work, with a lot of time to think during a long case. I started to let my mind wander. The school was born, then the men the books focus on. It was like a snowball effect. For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and St. Leasing. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I finally sat down and started to type out their stories.

What character in Mouth Watering is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I’d say that Keller is most like me. I am perpetually laid back, almost to a fault. Not much rattles me and I tend to be good at calming other people’s nervousness. I also feel like I can read people well, how they are feeling.

What is your favorite part in Mouth Watering?

As with all my books, my favorite parts are when the characters all come together. The moment they realize they are like a little family. It warms my heart when my characters realize the love they have for each other. In Mouth Watering I love when they are all at the bar for Linc’s birthday. It’s a fun scene. Lots of laughter.

What was the hardest part to write?

I can honestly say that there wasn’t a hard part to write in Mouth Watering. This book flowed out of me like wine. But typically, the hardest parts for me are conflict. I don’t like conflict in my real life and I have a hard time causing it for my characters. I like it when friends/families band together. I’m not a fan of the things that tend to tear them apart. When I can, and when it works for the story, I try to make conflict come from an outside force.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

For sure author is my dream job. I was a dental assistant for eleven years, and I enjoyed that. I loved the people I worked with and liked hanging out and getting to know my patients. But the day I told them I was leaving to write full time was one of the best days of my life. Maybe an EMT? I tend to do well under medical emergencies.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Honest truth? I do read my reviews. But. I typically try to stay away from going down a Goodreads review hole. I feel like those tend to be harsher than the Amazon reviews. (See? I stay away from conflict.) I tend to look at the overall stars and consensus of the book. Reading good reviews is a great self-esteem booster. They make me feel like I’m on the right track in life. Reading about how someone hated your book isn’t fun. It’ll ruin your day for sure.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

I have met so many amazing writers since I’ve started this journey. The romance writer world tends to be so supportive and fun. Cora Kenborn, KA Ware, Heather Dahlgren, Alison Mello, Logan and Jacob Chance, Sasha Marshall, Anne Mercier…I could literally go on and on. I loved the Eagle Elite series by Rachel Van Dyken. Penelope Douglas, I am waiting on pins and needles for the next book in the Devil’s Night series. LJ Shen – I love the hot holes. I am an avid reader.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

Yes. So. Many. There will be four books total in the St. Leasing series. And I have at least six or seven more that will be released in the Riffraff Records series. I have about a dozen random standalones I’ve started. They are just sitting on my laptop, waiting for me to have time to finish them. I have enough characters and stories in my head to last me the next decade, at least.

About the Author

L.P. Maxa lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, daughter, 3 rescue dogs, 1 cat - the fish died - and one bunny who doesn't seem to like them. She loves reading romance novels as much as she love writing them. She says, inspiration can come from anywhere: a song lyric, a quote, a weekend with friends. The tiniest things can spark amazing stories. She loves to hear from readers.

Follow the author on Facebook, Twitter, and on her blog.