What is on Lilly Gayle's Holiday "To Be Read" Pile?

Happy Holidays!
It's the holiday season and the start of The Wild Rose Press authors' Holiday Blog Tour! I'm so pleased to have Lilly Gayle as my first guest author. She and I are old and dear friends, having met at a local writers group and struggled through years of writing, editing and polishing manuscripts. Lilly is an incredibly talented, multi-faceted woman and a terrific author, so I hope you'll welcome her and enjoy hearing about her "To Be Read" pile of books.

Lilly Gayle's TBR Books
Man, I can remember a time when I used to read one or two books a week. That was before I left the State system and went back to working ten hour shifts in a hospital. It was also before I became a published author.

I still love to read but most of my “free” time—I know what a joke!—is spent writing blogs, doing promo, editing, or working on my WIP. When I do read, it’s usually unpublished work from one of my two critique partners. But despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I plan to get in some reading time. It’s part of my holiday tradition.

I’m currently reading Joan Beth Erickson’s Rainbow’s End, a romantic suspense set in Hawaii. I’ve never read a book set in Hawaii or one where the main character was Polynesian. And I’m loving it. This is a unique, well written story, and Ms. Erickson has done a fabulous job describing Hawaii. So well in fact, I can actually visualize the scenery in my head as I read.

And that’s what makes a good story for me. If the author can transport me to another time or place and I can “see” the story in my head, then I’m hooked. There are a lot of authors who do that for me, so I have a very long TBR list.

I know you’ve released your first paranormal, Amy, and although Vampire Protector is one of those unpublished books I read in the past, I’m dying to read the finished product. I can’t wait to see what you and your editor have done with it.

I’d also like to start Virginia Kantra’s Children of the Sea series. I love Ms. Kantra’s romantic suspense novels and can’t wait to read one of her paranormals. Then there’s Beth Trissel, an author I met in cyber space through The Wild Rose Press. She has a list of historical romances I’m dying to read. Caroline Clemmons’ The Texan’s Irish Bride is on my list too and after seeing all the wonderful releases the authors of this tour have out, I’m going to be adding a lot more to my TBR list.

My biggest problem is finding time to read and then deciding what to read. I have eclectic taste and read everything from paranormal to inspirational. And since becoming a Wild Rose Press author, I’m constantly finding new stories and new authors.

So, this holiday season, I plan to load up my Nook and sit under the Christmas tree reading as many books as I can.

Anyone have any suggestions for some sensational books I can add to my list? It’s always growing!

The Skinny on Lilly
Lilly's Book: Out of the Darkness


Lilly Gayle’s bio:

Lilly Gayle lives in North Carolina with her husband of thirty years, her youngest daughter who's still in college, a dog, a cat, and various critters both dead and alive the cat occasionally drags through the doggie door. When not writing or working as a mammogapher, she spends time with her husband at the beach. Out of the Darkness, a paranormal romance is her first published novel. A historical, Slightly Tarnished should be released sometime next year.

Blurb for Out of the Darkness:
Out of the Darkness- a paranormal vampire romance.

Here research could cure his dark hunger if a covert government agent doesn't get to her first.

Vincent Maxwell is a vampire with a conscience seeking a cure to his dark hunger. But when a scientist looking to create vampire soldiers captures and kills a fellow vampire, Vincent seeks out Dr. Megan Harper, a research scientist who discovered a link between a genetic light sensitivity disorder and vampirism. Dr. Harper could hold a key to a cure and the answers to Gerard’s death. But getting close to the beautiful scientist could endanger both their lives.

When Megan meets Vincent she believes he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic disease that killed her sister. Sensing a deep loneliness within the handsome man, she offers friendship and access to her research files. But she and Vincent soon become more than friends and Megan learns the horrifying truth. She's entered the dark and unseen world of vampires and Vincent is her only hope of survival.

Excerpt for Out of the Darkness:

Vincent didn’t spare her a second glance as he opened the basement door and stepped down.

The sound of his boot heel striking wood echoed up the steps as he disappeared into the darkness.

“But—” Megan switched on the light and hurried after him.

“The first thing you need down here is a table and some chairs,” he said when he saw the stacks of unorganized data and reams of paper scattered across the floor. “Do you mind if I bring the ones down from the kitchen?”

“No.” She turned back toward the stairs. “I’ll help you bring them down.” It would give her something to do while she sorted through the confused thoughts and emotions tumbling around inside her head.

Vincent touched her arm and heat shot straight to her belly, turning her insides all warm and fuzzy.

Warm and fuzzy was not good.

Warm and fuzzy made her think of more than just heated sex. It made her think of cozy evenings snuggled up under a blanket and shared feelings. It made her long for an emotional connection she couldn’t risk. Not with Vincent.

Not with a man who could potentially die a slow, lingering death.

“I’ll get it.” He let go of her arm and stepped back. “You start going through those papers and find that report you wrote comparing XP to vampire myths and legends. I’d be interested in seeing if you still have it.”

He turned to go back up the stairs and Megan shivered. Why had Steve mentioned the vampire report to Vincent? And why was Vincent so interested in seeing it?

Vincent the Vampire.