A recipient of JERR's Silver Star award, Aussie native Lexxie Couper has been making a name for herself with intense, imaginative stories that are invariably blistering-hot. She's penned two series for Changeling (The Boundaries and Shifting Lust) as well as numerous single-title novellas -- and now brings us werewolves Down Under in her first full length novel, Savage Retribution, coming this month from Samhain!
Sierra: Lexxie, first of all, congratulations on the newest addition to your family! Your girls are so gorgeous. You must be very proud.
Lexxie: Proud is an understatement, as anyone who frequents the Changeling Press Bar and Grill or the Samhain Cafe could attest. I regularly post piccies of my girls on those loops, as well as on my blog and myspace blog.
It's funny, my husband and I never planned on having children. We were strictly a DINK family (double-income-no-kids). And then one day I thought "Damn, I really do want children!" The weird thing is, my husband had the exact same thought on the exact same day. That night... well, suffice to say Peanut was born nine months later . And then, we'd decided she was going to be an only child... until -- same story -- we both changed our minds independently of each other. Took a bit longer this time... Chickpea was born eleven months later.
Life changes utterly when children enter the scene, but you know, I wouldn't change a thing back to my old life… well, maybe my post-baby tummy and butt. And thighs, and boobs... but that's it.
Sierra: LOL! That said, how do you balance work and writing and two young children? That's gotta be a handful!
Lexxie: Ummmm, I go days without sleeping. Truly. Peanut is a high-maintenance preschooler which makes my days hectic. So far, Chickpea is pretty laid back (touch wood). Once Peanut is at school I may be able to get some writing done during the day. Of course, I'll be back at work by then (I'm a high school English Teacher in my "other" life) so I'll probably sneak my mss into the classroom and pretend I'm marking students' assignments during recess. Shhh, don't tell anyone.
Sierra: You just picked up an absolutely fantastic review for Viva Los Regalos: Kat and Mouse from Two Lips Reviews. Reviewer Kerin wrote (and I couldn't have said it better myself!): "Lexxie Couper is one of the most amazing, evocative writers that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. From intense, emotion-filled and highly erotic love scenes to tender, tears-in-your-eyes moments, each and every one of her books will leave its mark. Deep, dark desires, soul-deep connection, all laced with a humorous undertone are trademarks of Ms. Couper’s writing style." What do you love most about writing, and what do you try, personally, to bring to it?
Lexxie: Love most? The fame? The fortune? The long hours of self-doubt? LMAO! Sorry. Weird sense of humour... What I really love the most about writing is losing myself in the worlds I create, falling in love with the characters that populate those worlds (or growing to despise them in the case of some characters *grin*). Watching my fingers dance across the keyboard as words flow through me when a scene is working – it's like a creative high. (The time that comes to mind is the final battle scene in Deadly Sins: Anger, when Ira is battling the Persian Lust Demon. It was 3am, my eyes were falling out of my head, my shoulders hurt, but I couldn’t take a break if my life depended on it. I couldn’t walk away from my laptop and that scene... I was there! In the proverbial zone.) I guess a shrink would say on some deep, subconscious level I harbour a 'god-complex', being able to create and destroy worlds and lives with just a flex of my fingers but that's not it. I can't really describe it. All I know is, I've written stories my whole life and I love it.
I try to bring my love of life and adventure to everything I write. I'm not overly profound, I'm not writing the next Great Australian Novel, I'm not going to change the world with what I write. What I really hope is that when someone reading my book finishes it they find themselves thinking about it later -- hours, days, months... thinking about the characters they got to know in my worlds, the passion they shared, the fun they had, and hopefully, in thinking of those things, find themselves smiling.
Sierra: You've also received a lot of praise for your other novellas, including a Sliver Star award from JERR for Deadly Sins: Anger (Man, I still remember the sex scene in the car in that one! HAWT!) How do you approach the erotic scenes in your stories? Are they easy to write, or is it something you have to be 'in the mood' for?
Lexxie: I most definitely have to be in the "mood" which, with a preschooler and three-month old, is a bit tricky now adays... although, come to think of it, I'm in the "mood" quite a bit, but without locks on our bedroom or bathroom doors, well you get the idea. *WEG* And the kitchen isn't as safe as it used to be with little people running about the house (what? *innocent look* Too much information? Sorry!)
Having said all that, Peanut and Chickpea are the best thing in the world and I wouldn't want a life without them, so I'm learning to tap into the memory of being "in the mood" as I write those naughty bits of my books. The fun thing is, by the time I've finished the scene I'm 100% in the mood. (My husband's getting used to being woken with a lingering kiss at obscene times of the night. *grin*)
Come to think of it... I'm actually quite a deviant most of the time.
Sierra: Hee! One of the many things I love about you. And now this month, you have your first full-length novel coming out from Samhain Publishing, Savage Retribution (full disclosure for readers: I was lucky enough to read an earlier draft of Savage Retribution and it was wonderful!) I wanted to ask, where did the idea for Savage Retribution first come from? What was the scene or aspect of the story that made you really, really want to write this book?
Lexxie: You know, I honestly can't remember where the idea came from. I'm a major animal rights activist (I used to break into science labs in my uni days and free the animals being tested on within) so that explains the animal testing focus of the novel. I detest what man does to animals all in the name of scientific progress (I'm sorry if I sound like I'm on a soapbox here). I will do anything I can to draw to people's attention the atrocities committed and I think that passion comes through in the early scenes of the book where Regan is raiding Epoc's lab. How Savage Retribution became an evil werewolf scientist testing on other werewolves story is beyond me. With every book I've written, a random sentence pops into my head -- usually while I'm driving – and then the rest follows. I rarely have any idea where the story is going until a thousand words or so. With Savage Retribution however, the moment Declan walked into the abandon building I knew what was going to happen in the book, almost page for page. I must admit, even I was surprised at what some of the characters got up to though *grin*
Sierra: What did you like best about writing a full-length as opposed to a novella? And conversely, what (if anything) was more challenging about it?
Lexxie: Best – I could really get to know the characters and let them run free, if that makes any sense.
Writing novellas requires a real discipline – tight writing, limited time/word count to explore characters, especially their backstory, no spare pages available to let the action slow down. I tried to keep that discipline in my head while writing Savage Retribution. That was hard. Keeping the tension and action taunt for the duration of 70,000 words was definitely a challenge, one I think I managed to meet (I think *grin*)
Oh, and knowing I was not going to release a book for six month was also scary. I'd released a novella every three months until I decided to, no, change that, needed to write Savage Retribution. The prospect that readers would forget who I was during my time of absence was even more scary. But as I said, I had to write this book. I just had to.
Sierra: And does that mean we might be seeing more full-lengths from you in the future?
Lexxie: Absolutely. There are at least another two Savage books in my head, Savage Annihilation, set in the Australian Outback and Savage Transformation, set in Australia's most picturesque and isolated state, Tasmania.
Then there's Blood Ruby, a tale about a demon imprisoned in a ruby, the traitorous demon hunter who sold his soul to Satan to place him there, the unbeknownst human female who frees him and the ancient blood prophecy that ties them all together.
I also have a contemporary chick-lit thriller called O'Connell's Bluff in the works. The heroine is a cat burglar from a family of crooks who calls it quits after her youngest brother -- a straight and narrow cop -- is killed trying to protect her. She is forced out of retirement to save her father's life from his utterly evil ex-partner and finds herself in very hot water... and the delicious arms of said ex-partner's right-hand henchman, a man with more secrets than the deepest ocean.
Sierra: Speaking of the future, what challenges would you like to set yourself in 2008? What have you got planned, in addition to raising two beautiful girls?
Lexxie: Writing-wise, I want to write two novellas and two novels by the end of the year. I’d love to get myself an agent and become a name people equate with sizzling, can’t-put-down romance.
Family-wise, just being the best mum and wife I can be. My girls are my world. I want to give them every thing I can, be it love, cuddles, kisses or totally materialistic things like the newest Playdough colours *grin* Peanut goes to school next year and I want to experience my little girl for as long as I can before she reaches an age where she finds her mum embarrassing (as all teenage girls do at some stage)
Sierra: And what do you do for fun and relaxation, when you get the chance?
Lexxie: LOL. Ummm….. what's this thing, "relaxation", you speak of?? No, seriously, I have a very large dog who thinks he's a lap-dog. I try to get Hudson to the beach as often as possible and I still have to, have to, have to read a book for at least thirty minutes before I go to bed, regardless of the time.
Running around the house playing chasies with Peanut leaves me in stitches from giggling, and I could spend hours blowing raspberries on Chickpea's tummy. And of course, there's the husband. He's pretty fun, too... *WEG*
Sierra: Lexxie, thanks so much for joining us! Where can readers find out more about you and your books? (and you have to mention your monthly Aussie hunk!)
Lexxie: Thank you, Sie. I don't have to tell you how wonderful I think you are, do I? *smooch*
My website (www.lexxiecouper.com) -- I try to keep it up-to-date. I'm a bit of a proud Aussie, so I love to crow about Down Under. There's the Aussie Hunk of the Month, the monthly Aussie-Speak 101 as well as reviews, excerpts, my "Eight Ridiculous Questions With..." interviews with other authors, and news from me.
Declan stared down at the woman beneath him, fighting like hell to keep her in his hold. Christ, she was a wild cat. Even with her legs trapped under the considerable weight of his own, she'd almost thrown him off more than once. What the hell did she do for a living? Wrestle rhinos?
No, Dec. She takes on security guards.
"Get off me!" she screamed again, body like a live current of electricity. He pressed into her, trying to hold her still, trying not to think about the lithe muscles of her limbs and tummy, the sweat-slicked smoothness of her bare skin, the velvet heat between her thighs mashing against his ever-growing shaft with each whiplash buck she gave.
Should've thought about the fact you were both naked before you jumped on her.
"Listen, love," he growled, trying to shove the delicious sensations stirring in his groin from his mind. "Just calm down and-"
Seismic rage erupted in her ice-green eyes. "GET! OFF! ME!"
Her body tensed with each bellowed word, thrusting her soft, damp heat harder against his now-throbbing cock.
Declan's head swam, the change still too fresh in his system, the primitive, elemental instincts of the werewolf still too powerful. The musky scent of her sweat and sex threaded into his every breath. Intoxicating. Potent. She was a fighter, a warrior... She'd risked her life to save those incapable of saving themselves. The wolf in his blood growled in ancient appreciation, in hunger...
Unable not to, he leant down to kiss her.
One second he stared down at her, struggling to hold her still, the next he captured her lips with his and tasted her with his tongue.
For a moment, she lay beneath him, her exquisitely bare body locked frozen with shock. And why not? A man she'd never met before was kissing her, a man who-only seconds earlier-had been a bloody, great big wolf stretched out on her sofa. He almost pulled away, rational thought smashing down on him. But then, a slight tremble rippled through her, her arms snaked up around his neck and she was kissing him back. Deeply.
Her tongue battled his, curled and delved and flicked. Her teeth nipped at his bottom lip and a jolt of liquid heat shot straight to his groin, bringing a low and utterly raw groan to his throat. He dragged his hands from her wrists, down the smooth columns of her arms, his thumbs brushing the heavy swell of her breasts pressed flat against his body. The contact, light and fleeting, sent another surge of wet heat into his balls and his already-hard cock pulsed with new, eager blood.
What are you doing?
He didn't know. The change had never left him so vulnerable to his werewolf's desires, so manipulated by those animalistic cravings before. All he knew, all he cared about at that very moment, was how wonderfully warm and sensual the woman beneath him felt. How completely she returned his kiss.
He plunged his tongue into her mouth again, shifting his weight to smooth a hand up the delicious curve of her breast. The soft feel of it under his palm, the puckered peak of her nipple under his fingertips made him groan again, made his breath catch in his tight throat. Praise Mary, she felt so damn wonder-
Something hard and small smacked into his temple.
Explosive, white-hot pain erupted in Declan's head. Eyes blurring, he rolled to the side. Christ, she'd hit him!
"Get off me!"
She lashed out, completely dislodging his weight before he recovered. She'd hit him! Christ, she'd almost knocked him out.
"Get the fuck off me!"
Another savage blow thumped against his head, this one narrowly missing his nose. He reeled back, pain and blood roaring in his ears. She'd hit him! While he was drowning in her taste and feel, she'd hit him!
Almost stumbling across the floor, Declan reached for his throbbing head, eyes still incapable of focusing. The blurred shape of the woman leapt to her feet, and he got the sense she was on the verge of kicking into him. A squirming wave of admiration rolled through him and his cock, still too full of hungry blood, twitched. "Shit, love, do you know how to throw a punch!"
The blurred shape loomed over him. "What the bloody hell are you and what have you done with my lizard?"
Declan blinked, both in confusion and in an attempt to clear his vision. "Your what?"
"Where the hell's my lizard?" Long, bare legs came into focus-briefly-drawing his attention up to their apex and a distant, devious part of Declan's mind-the part not in pain-noticed she not only knew how to punch, she also knew how to handle a razor.
Get your head out of the gutter. "Lady, I don't know anything about a-"
"Where's my lizard, you goddamn freak?"
Her roar split the room and sharp pain pounded through Declan's head. Hell, he liked it better when she thought he was a wolf. "I haven't seen your bloody lizard," he growled, staggering to his feet. He squinted at her, relief flooding through him when she appeared sharp. In focus. "Praise Mary, I thought you'd buggered up my sight for good!"
She stared at him, gloriously naked, her lithe, toned and very perfect body shaking with what he assumed was rage. Her hands were clenched into rock-hard fists beside her thighs, her legs spread, knees bent slightly. Her hair tumbled across her straight, tensed shoulders in a shaggy curtain of rich-chocolate waves, falling to her nipples, drawing his gaze to her heaving breasts. She looked ready to attack. To rip him limb from limb. Such a different creature to the one only moments earlier smoothing her soft, gentle hands over said limbs in an attempt to find any injuries. What a contradiction.
What a-
"Where. Is. My. Lizard?"
Hands raised, he took a step forward. "Listen, love. I don't know anything about a lizard, I haven't seen a lizard, I haven't even smelt a lizard." He stared at her, saw confusion shimmer in her ice-green eyes, saw her muscles tense with each word he said. He returned his eyes to her face, needing to keep his attention away from her body. It was too flawless. Too distracting. "Now, you need to listen to me because while you did a very brave and noble thing breaking into Epoc's lab, you also did a very stupid thing."
Her jaw clenched, and those striking eyes narrowed. "I'm beginning to realize that."
Declan didn't miss the caustic insinuation. He was a journalist, after all. Well, had been a journalist back in Dublin. Who knows what he'd call himself now? Lone wolf? He cringed at the cliche. And the black look of murder on the woman's face. "I'm going to say this as plainly as possible," he went on, risking another step closer, "and I don't want you to start screaming about your bloody lizard again. We have to get out of here. You have to come with me. Right now."
She straightened, and he swore he heard her spine snap straight. The fact she was stark naked seemed to have completely slipped her mind. She glared at him, bunched fists on hips too smooth and curved for Declan's peace of mind. "One kiss and you think I'm ready to elope?" She cocked a dark, arched eyebrow. "You had more chance when you were a wolf."
Declan raised one of his own eyebrows. "Yeah, I noticed."
Cool eyes bored into him. "What are you?"
"It's usual practice to ask 'who' are you, the answer to which, is the man you just kissed."
The woman crossed her arms, stare flat and decidedly icy. "Put it down to temporary insanity. I'm not in the habit of kissing strange men."
Declan's lips twitched. "And yet..."
A dusky pink blush painted the woman's cheeks, a vision so innocent and beguiling a swelling wave of heat rolled through him and pooled low in his gut.
"I don't know who or what you are. But it's time for you to go."
The desire to step forward, curl his fingers around her arms and pull her to his body crashed over him. Christ, it had been so long since a female affected him like this. The search for Maggie's killer had consumed him. Nothing but finding his sister's murderer had existed-or mattered. Yet here he was, in-based on the accents he'd heard since being captured-Australia, the other side of the world, and he was horny.
