Guest Erica Ridley

Hi Erica—and happy release week for your debut book, TOO WICKED TO KISS! Did you do anything special to celebrate?

Some of my girlfriends had wanted to take me out to celebrate on the actual release day, but I was scheduled to do a live chat that night. (My first time as the guest of honor!) Rather than leave me at home with my computer, they brought drinks and food and came to me instead! It ended up being a lot of fun.

Did you have an official launch party?

Yes, just this weekend! It started with a signing (my first, of course!) at a local independent bookstore, then continued with an after party at a nearby café in downtown Tampa.

How did your first signing go?

I was sooo nervous. . . There were dozens of white wooden folding chairs arranged in neat rows as if awaiting guests at a wedding. All of them faced the lone table-and-chair where I’d been placed to sign books. The bookstore employee asked everyone to take a seat, thanked everyone for coming, then turned it over to “local author Erica Ridley.” Who, it must be said, did not have a speech prepared, because I thought all I had to do at a book signing was sign books! LOL. I’m pretty sure my face was bright pink the entire time. We did some Q&A, then I asked everyone to get back up and mingle, and not to miss out on the kiss-shaped cookies.

Sounds like a busy weekend! I take it you missed the Oscars? ;-)

I will confess my secret: Although I have never sat through an entire awards show on TV, I am totally addicted to the celebrity fashion snark over at the Go Fug Yourself blog. I wouldn’t recognize most of the celebrities even if they lived next door (er… they don’t, right?) but the outrageous clothes they wear—and the subsequent commentary by the Fug Girls—never fails to crack me up!

HIS TOUCH HOLDS HER CAPTIVE...

From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds. And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait.

TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIRE...

Evangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is rumored to have murdered his parents. Initially, Gavin's towering presence and brusque manner instill fear in Evangeline...until his rakish features and seductive attentions profoundly arouse her. But when a guest is murdered, Evangeline is torn. Could the man to whom she is so powerfully drawn, also be a ruthless killer?

TOO WICKED TO KISS

Erica Ridley learned to read when she was three, which was about the same time she decided to be a writer when she grew up. Over the course of her school years, she graduated from self-illustrated stories written in crayon to dramatic sagas filling reams of spiral notebooks.

Now, Erica writes Gothic historical romance novels, often with a touch of paranormal. When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Visit Erica’s website at: http://www.ericaridley.com

Get bonus features for Too Wicked To Kiss at: http://www.2wicked2kiss.com

Be friends with Erica at: http://www.facebook.com/EricaRidleyFans

Tweet with Erica at: http://www.twitter.com/EricaRidley

How about you—do you enjoy being under the spotlight (as Erica was at her signing)? What type of spontaneous speech might you have come up with? And confess the truth: Are you an awards-show fan because of the awards themselves, or do you watch for the fashion and drama (if at all)?

Erica will be giving away a copy of TOO WICKED TO KISS today to one lucky commenter! Just get your Madlibs-style vision at www.2wicked2kiss.com and post it here to the comment thread on Riding With The Top Down!