Beverly and Tamara: Welcome to SSLY. Thanks so much for joining us today. So first why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

Whitney: Well, I suppose I’ll start with where I’m from. I live in NSW Australia and whilst I’m country at heart, I currently live in the city.

Tamara: What do you HAVE to have when you are writing?

Whitney: Coffee. Coffee is always the answer. 

Beverly: When did you start to write?

Whitney: I started writing three years ago. I was going through a rough patch in my life and just found myself writing to escape it all. Whilst the worries I had then are now gone, the writing stuck with me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Tamara: What do you think are the qualities that make up a “hero”?

Whitney: I like them cheeky. But I’ve also been known to create a few serious types. But I guess the main hero quality is that he is there to help the heroine find herself. He’s there to challenge her and in some cases, he’s there to make mistakes.

Beverly: Can you describe your favorite character? And which of your books is he/she in? How do you come up with your characters?

Whitney: It’s strange but don’t actually know how my characters came to be. Their personalities always developed through the stories and when it came to their creation they just appeared. To me, they are magic.
As for my favourite, I have a soft spot for all my Irishmen. It’s hard to decide which one I love more haha.

Tamara: What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Suspense? Sex? Dialogue? And why?

Whitney: Hmm… I don’t find many scenes hard to write. It’s more the re-write. That is like pulling teeth. But in the end, I love the scenes more so I always push through it. 

Beverly: What writer, if any, influenced how you write?

Whitney: There were two actually. I started a novel when I was 13 and that was influence by my all-time favourite author, Rachael Treasure (Australia Rural Ficiton). But I lost interest in the manuscript when my computer deleted half of it and it was years late when I wrote a fan-fiction inspired by Kresley Cole (paranormal). So they would be the two authors who started me on my journey.

Tamara: Who would you choose as your “book boyfriend”? From what book? Author?

Whitney: Can I have more than one? Hehe. Other than my own hunky heros? Let’s see… gosh, so many. I think to answer this question I’d have to believe in

Tamara: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why?

Whitney: Well, Kate is a kick-ass heroine and Cara start out mild and meek and becomes a kick-ass one. So I’d say I love the kick-ass variety. I think strong female characters are vital for my stories. They need to always prevail. 

Beverly: What was your worst date ever?

Whitney: I was out with an Ex and he was just rude to the waitress. It was embarrassing and let’s just say, the last straw.

Tamara: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? (you have food, water, shelter, all the necessities, so nothing mundane)

Whitney: Hmm… My laptop,

Beverly: What is your “guilty pleasure”?

Whitney: Coffee. I really shouldn’t drink so much of it. 

Tamara: What dream or goal have you yet to realize?

Whitney: If I haven’t realized it yet, how am I to know lol. 

Beverly: What was your most embarrassing moment?

Whitney: Oh, gosh. I have a mother whose purpose is to embarrass me so there are plenty. The most embarrassing though…

Tamara: If you were a color what would you be and why?

Whitney: Red. I’m a Ranga (ginger) and I suppose it’s fitting lol.

Beverly: Who has influenced how you perceive love? Why?

Whitney: My parents. They still make me sick with how they are with sometimes and I would be lying if I didn’t say that past relationships have taught me a lot.

Tamara and Beverly: Okay. We are SSLY so I have to ask. Who loves you?

Whitney: Gerard Butler. But shush… We’re trying to keep it on the down low. 😉

Now for some quick fun questions:
Boxers or briefs? Briefs
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Tall, dark and handsome or Blond and buff? Tall, Dark and handsome. Just like Jack. 
Hairy chest or smooth? I do love a buff smooth chest haha.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla.
Kinky or Sweet? Sweet.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment on this blog post or any of the other blog posts celebrating the release of Whitney’s debut to go in the draw to win one of two prize packs including a PDF of What Happens in Ireland, a handmade ribbon bookmark designed by Swagmaster Designs and a coffee mug. You can join in the fun on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/events/491411070916233/

Whitney’s Novel

Ever wondered what happens in Ireland?
When Australian, Kate Barrow, meets a handsome Irishman in a Dublin bar, she has no idea that he’s about to turn her world upside-down and inside-out.
In Ireland to take on a position on a thoroughbred stud, Kate is shocked when her manager-in-co reveals himself to be the same man she’d met in Dublin.
Jack is drawn to Kate. The problem is, she won’t have him. But Jack has always loved a challenge and the intriguing woman from Oz is one he cannot resist.
Harboring the sting of another man’s betrayal, Kate is certain she wants nothing to do with love and nothing to do with Jack O’Reilly. But when naked torsos, Mother Nature and dysfunctional umbrellas start plotting against her resolve, she realizes the charms of an Irishman are going to be hard to resist.

If you’d like to read excerpts or buy Whitney’s novel, you can find it at the following:
– Secret Cravings
– Amazon
– All Romance Ebooks
– Bookstrand –

Or you can add it to your Goodreads shelves: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17901207-what-happens-in-ireland

The Author:
Whitney K-E is an Australian author writing for Secret Cravings Publishing. Always a lover of the Romance genre, it was no surprise that she one day began to type her first story of love. Now, three years on, she’s contracted her first novel What Happens in Ireland and bringing reader’s tales from the Emerald Ireland to the Sunburnt Country. What Happens in Ireland releases on the 26th of April, so prepare yourself to be charmed by her story and by her characters.
If you’d like to find out more about Whitney or her novel, you can connect with her on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Whitney-K-E-Romance-Author/311522372250495
Twitter: @whitney_ke – https://twitter.com/Whitney_KE
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7082700.Whitney_K_E_
Her blog: http://whitneyk-e.blogspot.com.au/
And the Romantic Muse: http://theromanticmuse.blogspot.com.au/