Tamie Interviews NYT Best Selling Author: Maya Banks

I’m so happy to welcome Maya Banks to Bookish Temptations.

I read and loved the first two books in the Breathless trilogy: Rush, and Fever (which was released yesterday) . The third book, Burn is due out in August.

Here’s our interview…

Did you always envision yourself becoming an author?

No, not at all! I wrote from a very early age, but I did it for my own enjoyment and so I would have stories that I knew I’d love to read. But for me, becoming an author was a pipe dream and I never seriously considered a career as an author until I was in my thirties.

What is your favorite genre to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?

I don’t have a set favorite genre. I just love a really good romance, regardless of genre. If an author can give that to me, I don’t care if it’s a contemporary, a paranormal or a historical. I really enjoy Christine Feehan, Julie Garwood, Sharon Sala, Kresley Cole, Elizabeth Lowell, Lisa Marie Rice, and many, many others. I could list all day!

Is there a specific thing you do or place you go when you need a break from writing?

I love to travel and when I come off a string of deadlines, I usually tell my husband, “I want to get away” even if it’s just for a weekend. Somewhere I can unwind and not think about work. I like to spend time with my family and recharge.

What inspires you in life? As an author? Specifically, what inspired the Breathless trilogy, and the main male characters: Gabe, Jace, and Ash?

The inspiration for the Breathless trilogy came from my Harlequin Desires and my Sweet Series. I blended elements from both kinds of stories and merged them into one series. It was super fun combining the things I loved most about both kinds of stories into a single series.

Is it difficult for you to write erotic scenes and find ways to keep them fresh throughout a book?

Absolutely. Sex scenes are difficult to write. Very difficult. That have to feel just right. They have to have emotion and reflect the current stage of the relationship so they have to be different each time because as the story advances, so too does the relationship and so those love scenes have to deepen and become more emotional as the story goes on.

If you could have any book boyfriend come to life for a day who would you choose and why?

Donovan Kelly, probably. The perfect combination of smart and sexy!

What makes you laugh?

My husband, my kids and my best friend.

What role, if any, do the social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook play in helping your books become successful?

It’s a good way to reach out to fans, stay in touch with them, remain accessible to them and let them follow along with you as you’re writing a story or a series so they get glimpses of those stories and become invested in the characters.

Do your readers ever suggest storylines or characters they wish you’d use?

I’ve had a few that email wanting a specific set-up or a kind of story for a particular character, but not many.

If you weren’t a writer what other career would have interested you?

I probably would have stayed in the medical field.

Rapid Fire:

Mac or PC?

Mac

Favorite curse word? Color? Number? Sound? Flavor?

Fuck, Orange, 11, laughter, caramel.

Pens or pencils?

Pens

Favorite book character ever?