Welcome to Aliyah Burke's guest blog

Welcome Ms. Burke to Love Romances and More, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me. I’m honoured to be here.


Did you always want to become a writer?

No. Not in the sense that I am now, I’ve always created worlds n’ enjoyed telling stories but it was more of a verbal thing for a while before it rolled into writing.


What is the most, and the least interesting fact about writing?

Most: Nothing is ever the same.

Least: hmm, I don’t know. I like all of it.


How did you celebrate your first release? What was it like to see your book in a bookstore? Do you have a special ritual for celebrating a book release?

I think hubby and I went to dinner. It made me smile when I saw it sitting there on the shelf. Nope, no special rituals. I’m usually already thinking on the next one.


How did your family react to fact that you write romance novels? Have your family read your book?

My family was cool. They’ve all read at least one of my books. My mom continues to read them and my dad and brother don’t, although they do promote them.


Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favourites? Have any influenced your writing?

I am an avid reader; unfortunately I don’t have the time to read as much anymore. Christine Feehan, Cathy Maxwell, Christina Dodd, Jennifer Roberson, Mercedes Lackey to name just a very few. I’m sure they have, hopefully in good ways. J


Do you feel each of your characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over a part of your life? Can you name an example? Do you have living role models for your characters?

Yes. The men more so then the women. They are constantly in my head, yellin’ demanding their story to be told. Some of the heroes have living role models yes.


Where do you get the inspirations for your books?

All around me. I watch people, I listen to conversations and it seems everyday a story idea pops into my head.


Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?

Not so much anymore. I’ve found if I am having a problem writing it, it wasn’t the time for the scene to be in the story to begin with.


Do you have a problem with deadlines and have you ever suffered a writers block?

I’m harder on myself as far as deadlines go than anything anyone else could put on me. Yes, I do suffer from writer’s block on occasion.


Do you prefer stand-alone books or series (As a reader or a writer) ?

I prefer good books. I understand that sometimes the author wants to move away from a group of people and create more so I can deal with either series or stand-alone. I’ve read some series where I feel they should have stopped a long time ago and some I wish would be put into a series.


As a writer I tend to lean more towards stand-alone books. My Megalodon Team series began as a stand-alone story. But the other men demanded they get theirs told. So...I usually end up doing what they tell me. So if they want the series, they get it.


If you could change places with one character from your book, who would it be and why?

Oh, unfair question. I would happily take the place of any of my heroines. Very happily.


What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

Again, not a question I can answer. I love all my books and heroes/heroines. I don’t believe there is one that stands far enough above the others to pick.


Would you like to give another genre a try?

I think so. I like challenges so I believe it would be good for me.


Which book was the hardest to write and which the easiest?

I would have to say that the easiest was a story called, A Little Taste of Home (it’s not out yet but was relatively easy to start and finish, been sitting in my computer for a long time.) For the hardest, I’d have to go with Sin is Not a Four-Letter Word, mostly because it was a contest story and all I had to go on was the cover. I had to create a story based on that.


If you could choose of your books for a movie, which one would it be and who would you as the cast?

I would love to see my SEAL Team Seventeen, The Megalodon Team, in a movie. No clue as far as cast though. I think that would be difficult.


If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?

Wow, that’s a very difficult question. There are so many people I would love to meet and I would love to go back in time just to see, I mean really “see” how things were as opposed to reading about them. To be able to see the wide open spaces, untamed land...I just can’t even imagine. I would love to meet some of the queens, like Boadicea, for example.


Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

I do listen to music. Almost all the time I’ve got my iPod going. A wide range of music, depending a lot on what scene I’m working on. I love almost all types of music.

Big congrats to your latest release, can you please tell us something about the book?

Thank you, Chayton’s Tempest, is my latest release and it is the final story in the Megalodon Team series. Maverick is the final man to fall and when he finds the woman he wants, he realizes there are huge hurdles he must overcome first before he can claim her as his own. It’s about his journey and Tempest’s as they learn to move beyond their past and look toward their future.


Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about these projects?

Yes.

I’m always working on a few things. I am working on a story that ties in with stories on a free read site that I am on with two other authors, McKenna Jeffries and Taige Crenshaw. The story I’m working on is titled, His Purrfect Mate, and is Dane Sidorov’s story. He heads to South Africa to heal and meets his mate. Aida Roberts is a woman who has been doing her own thing for so long, she’s not about to drop everything for a man who says he’s her mate. It’s a fun ride.

I’m also finishing up one titled, A Snowflake for the Lion of Midnight, which deals with the half brother, Nikolas Andreyevich, of the hero in my debut novel, A Knight’s Vow (Marcus Quinn).

Then there are a few military stories in the works, since I can’t stray too far from them.


Thank you so much for having me here.