Check out our interview for Cowboy Take Me Away by Lorelei James with the author.

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Cowboy Take Me Away by Lorelei James – Author Interview

We are so excited to have one of our favorite erotic romance authors here today as part of our Burning Up July event.  We still remember the day she participated in our first ever erotic romance month (click here to read it)!  Now, the Rough Riders series has come to an end.

I know for us reading the last book in the Rough Riders series was a little sad, despite how much we loved the book. How did you feel writing the last book in the Rough Riders series?

Hands down COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY was the hardest book I’ve ever written. I cried nearly every day. And between us? I broke out in hives toward the end of the writing process. Not only because it was the longest book at 153,000 words, but because I was saying goodbye to the McKay family too…They’ve been part of my life for 8 years and I wanted to do right by the series, the characters and my readers. It was an ambitious book, telling a love story that spanned 50 years and I’m thrilled with the response it’s gotten!

Did you do anything special to celebrate/comisserate the end of the series? 

I haven’t done anything yet, except for take a few weeks off and enjoy my summer  I’ve had people ask if I bought a fancy pair of custom boots, or if I’d consider getting a tattoo, but I’m still mulling over my options.

I love that this series comes full circle and it ends where it all began, when you started the series, had you planned on doing a book about Caroline and Carson?

Yes, I’ve known for several years how I’d end the series. I was afraid I couldn’t pull it off. I know my readers are mourning the end of the Rough Riders and the McKays, but as I’ve mentioned before, I got to do everything I wanted with this entire family. 16 full length books, plus 2 novellas and a few short stories are daunting for new readers–and I wanted to end the series on my terms. There’s nothing that scared me worse than having the Rough Riders series become stale and disappoint my readers, so I’m in a good place walking away from the McKays now. I do plan on writing a few short pieces set in the world at some point, as deadlines allow.

So, it has come to the end of the series, looking back on the series, who is your favourite couple?   Or if that’s too hard to answer, what’s your favorite thing about each couple?

Hah! Nice try! I don’t play favorites with my couples — that said the most recent couple is always my favorite because they’re the freshest in my mind, so Carson and Carolyn are my faves 

One of the things we love about the Rough Riders series is how hot it is. Are there any scenes which made you blush as you wrote or read back? And which ones are they?!

While I’m writing the scenes I’m dealing with the emotions of sex, and how far the characters push each others buttons behind closed doors. The only time I blush about any of the scenes is if someone reads them out loud to me. Which is also why I’ve never listened to any audio versions–ever 

With all the kids that the McKays are spitting out, are you considering doing a second generation Rough Riders series?

No second generation of McKays at this time. It’d break my heart to have to age the grandparents more than I already have, especially since some of the McKay couples have kiddos who are very young. I’ve had some readers suggest I write the stories without the older generation, but I think the appeal of the Rough Riders series is the family aspect, so without that, I know it wouldn’t be the same series that readers have come to love and expect.

Of all your characters which would you…

…..have a hot one night stand with?
Bennett McKay

….. A summer fling with?

Dalton McKay

….. Marry?

Kade McKay

Wow!  I see the loyalty here!  We asked Lorelei the same quick fire questions three years ago and her answers really didn’t change much 

So let us in to a day in the life of Lorelei James. Do you have a rigid schedule and make sure you are writing at certain times or are you more flexible? Listen to music or total silence? How does the magic happen?!

NO music ever while I’m writing, I’m too easily distracted and I start singing along. My schedule really depends on what stage I’m at in a project and I’ve always got several projects going on at once. The “new” writing stage I can easily work 12 to 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. When I’m editing a project is the only time I can work late into the night–well, late for me  — because editing uses a different part of my brain than creating. But when I’m deep in the throes of creating, I don’t want to leave the world I’m in until it’s done and I’ve sent my hero and heroine off into the sunset.

Do you have a short message to leave readers and lovers of your series with, now that it’s all over?

I’m SO SO SO thrilled so many readers followed me and the McKays on this journey. When I wrote LONG HARD RIDE 8 years ago I never expected it’d spawn a 16+ book series! But as grateful as I am, there are many other characters and situations and plot lines I’d like to explore, I’ve never wanted to be known as a one-trick pony, so to speak, and get pigeon-holed in writing nothing but the Rough Riders series forever. That’s why I started the Blacktop Cowboys series as well as the Mastered series. Being in a different fictional setting is inspiring to me.

What do you have planned next?

I’m finishing up SCHOOLED, which is a novella in the Mastered Series featuring Ronin Black and Amery Hardwick Black. It will release in digital only format on December 2nd. I’m also finishing up ROPED IN, a Blacktop Cowboys novella that’s part of the 1001 Dark Nights project and it releases on September 9th. Then I’m back in the Mastered series world, working on UNRAVELED and CAGED, both novels that release in March and May 2015, and then I jump into the Blacktop Cowboys world again with book 7, WRAPPED AND STRAPPED, which releases in September 2015. Right now I’m in promo mode for HILLBILLY ROCKSTAR, Blacktop Cowboys book 6, which releases in 3 short weeks!

Grab it on Amazon

A grumpy/sunshine, insta-love, forbidden romance, family saga told in flashbacks, small town romance from NY Times Bestselling author Lorelei James.

An epic love story that spans fifty years…

The moment Carson McKay saw the voluptuous blonde at the dance hall he was tempted to throw her over his shoulder, race to the closest church and make her his. Given his reputation as a lover and a fighter—not necessarily in that order—it wasn’t surprising she gave him the cold shoulder. But he definitely wasn’t expecting the right hook when he tried to steal a kiss.

Carolyn West might look sweet and innocent, but she’s no fool. The handsome charmer with the beautiful blue eyes and heart-stopping smile didn’t really want to marry her; he just fancied taking her for a test ride. But when he kisses her a second time, she can’t fight her burning attraction to him…until she learns he’s one of the wild McKay cowboys she’s been warned about.

Carson doesn’t care about the long-standing feud between the Wests and the McKays—Carolyn owns his heart, body and soul. The more intimate they become, the more Carolyn sees the real man behind the reputation—a man who craves the same forever connection she does…a man who will stay by her side and give her the love of a lifetime.

Read more

• More featuring author Lorelei James
• More cowboy romance books
• Trope Talk: A deep dive on cowboy romance

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