It is my mildly inappropriate pleasure to introduce Ishabelle Torry to my blog today. As a fellow Breathless Press author and one of my first tier beta readers, I have to say I’m wholly pleased and totally honored to have her here today. I have a slightly relevant interview lined up, personally tailored as all my interviews are; I hope she finds the Ember Leigh Interview World to be a pleasing and nourishing ecosystem.

 

Welcome to the blog, Ishabelle, it’s a pleasure to have you here.

Thank you for having me! I love your blog, (stalker alert) and I’ve been dying for a spot!

 

Well, I did have to bump a couple celebrities to squeeze you in so soon, but hey, it’s part of the life of Ember Leigh…oh, who am I kidding? You were my first choice. Also, side note: Please never stop beta reading for me, okay?   

Are you kidding? I’d kick myself in the rear for missing out on one of your stories! Send me MOAR!

 

So that our readers know, I’m a huge fan of beta reading and your input has been instrumental in some of my most important revisions on my most recent novel. What is one of your greatest joys in beta reading, and what do you look for in a good beta reader?

Free books…hehe! But seriously, the greatest joy is knowing that I can become a part of the author’s world by helping them hone their story. As for myself and beta readers, I look for someone who isn’t afraid to say “Hey this part sucks”, or “is that even a word?” I want someone who isn’t merely going to say they loved it. If I wanted praise, I’d call my mom. Which is why I love you as my beta reader! You keep it honest, with plenty of good and bad.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Ishabelle! I think I’ll put you down as a reference on my resume, is that okay? Or at least add ‘honest beta reader’ to the list of additional skills. Now, you have a knack for mixing historical people and places with modern times, the result of which is usually hilarious and sexy. Your most recent release involves a Roman Gladiator showing up in the living room of your main character, much to her surprise and eventual intrigue. What would you (or your husband) do if an ancient gladiator showed up in YOUR house?

What if I told you my husband was that gladiator? *cheeky grin* And what would I do? You read the book! *wink wink*

 

Fair enough! That response made me want to reach for the book, and I’ve already read it a couple times! What’s your favorite time period to incorporate in your stories and why?

Ohh, I’m a history nerd, so all history periods are fair game! It’s a shorter list to name periods I’m not too fond of— roughly 1800+. That’s just too recent for me.

 

I feel the same way. Though I do love visiting mid-1800’s era homes in Ohio and pretending like I slept on those extra short beds or used the bed pans. Would you ever do anything with the Dark Ages, or would that be a bit too boring and sickly?

OMG! The Dark Ages are nowhere near boring! Although the progress of society was slightly retarded, and we actually took a step backward on a few important things…*cough* like plumbing and bathing…much of what we deem as romanticism is found within that tumultuous period.  Knights and chivalry, King Arthur and Guinevere, Robin Hood and Maid Marion, and Tristan and Isolde etc. are all tales that spawn from this dark era. It was a fanciful, yet hopeful era.

Ahem…and my personal favorite—VIKINGS! Yummy Vikings. Which as you know, one of these delicious ancient male specimens has made his way into a WIP.

 

Sometimes when I travel I swear I do see Vikings. They might not be all extinct yet. Let’s switch gears — Do you tend to incorporate yourself or your loved ones in any of your characters, or is there a hard line between the romance and real life?

Ohhh guilty! I believe every author does include themselves and their family, friends, even relationships, on some level. Writing is an art, and like any art, you start off within your comfortable zone—thus yourself and what/who you know makes one heck of a starting point.

As for a hard line…HAHAHA My writing always contains something hard.

 

GOOD ONE, five Interview Points to you for that! Ishabelle, you’re a busy woman! You’re a wife, a mother, a student, a farmer, AND a writer with multiple recent releases on top of all of that. Do you have a schedule that helps you pump out all the awesomeness? Any tips you can share with aspiring authors?

For myself, I’ve learned that trying to adhere to a schedule is freaking impossible! But I’ve seen and read about other authors who do just that! Now don’t get me wrong, there are times I probably shouldn’t be writing while ignoring the outside world, but that comes with support from family and friends. My best advice to any author is always make time to write, but don’t panic if you have to deviate from your planned schedule. Believe me, time will always present itself another day or night! However, I do recommend carrying a little notebook around in your purse, or a paper in your wallet, to write down that sudden idea when on the go.

 

I think that’s great advice – especially about the panic part. I think a lot of aspiring writers get discouraged by the fact that they aren’t doing it perfectly or constantly. Now, let’s get to the important stuff: Do you think you were an ancient Greek or Roman in a past life?

Past life?!!! I AM IMMORTAL!! MWHAAA!

 

LIGHTNING ROUND!

Snickers or Peanut M&Ms? Snickers

Erotica or Erotic Romance? Erotic romance—I’m a sucker for love.

 24-hour Bus Ride or 3 Plane Transfers? Bus ride…I’m afraid to fly.

Red Wine or White? I don’t like wine. Ember’s Note: WHAAAT?!

Small pond or babbling brook? Babbling brook

Missionary or reverse cowgirl? Reverse cowgirl, finish missionary. Ember’s Note: EXCELLENT idea.

Breathing fire or Twirling Ribbons? Breathing FIRE!

 

One of my favorite things to do is the Fill in the Blank Romance Title Game. Make it as weird/normal/PG/freaky/unsettling as you want! 

Whipping Samantha’s Stallion

Southern Romps in the Rain

Perusing the Curves

Hiding with the Queen

Stifled Moans, Guttural Screams

Bold Booty in the Northern Beauty

 

Ishabelle, thanks for joining us today. I hope you found this interview to be a titillating time. Thanks for joining, and I hope you never stop beta reading for me.

Thanks for having me, Ember! As always, you’re a blast! And I would quit my day job before I stop beta reading your smexy stories!

 

Ishabelle TorryAbout Ishabelle Torry: 

At the age of fourteen, Ishabelle Torry stole her first romance novel, Warrior’s Lady by Madeline Baker, from her mother’s glass “no-no” cabinet. It was then Ishabelle fell in love with the idea of new worlds, love conquers all, and the ability to forget the real world as she took on the lives of characters that were just as real as the people she interacted with everyday. It wasn’t long before her fixation with romance novels landed her in the high school office to collect the books confiscated during the previous week. Ishabelle swore one day she’d write the kind of book that would keep readers so enthralled, they’d too risk confiscation to keep turning the pages!

 

Buy her latest novella, To Wish Upon a Roman, from Breathless Press or Amazon.