Meet Liz Crowe!
Microbrewery owner, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great middle west, in a Major College Town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry) has prepped her for life as erotic romance author. When she isn’t sweating beer inventory, sales figures or promotional efforts for her latest publication, doing pounds of laundry for her sweaty athletic children, watching La Liga on the Fox Soccer Channel, or trying to figure out what to order in for dinner, she can be found walking her standard poodles or doing Bikram Yoga. Liz loves her Foo Fighters Pandora station, and watching reruns of Deadwood, when there isn’t any decent European football on the telly. If you want a beer education follow her: www.a2beerwench.com. For writing related stuff, including her backlist, go to: www.brewingpassion.com.
First question:
Eggnog or Mimosas? Are you old enough to drink? Eggnog please. pours a healthy dollop of Pappy Van Winkle 150 year old bourbon in the glass and stirs*
We’re also taking pictures with Santa, did you bring a gift for him? (Maybe a new release or a pretty book cover…) Santa loves my Brewing Passions series Clarissa, especially since it’s gotten a bunch of rave reviews lately. Here is the cover to the latest installment: Specific Gravity (a.k.a. MORE from Trent and Lisa)
Blurb:
Trent and Lisa have a sizzling-hot physical relationship. Ever since they first met, it’s been a nonstop, hands-on fest. Perfect for him, he thinks, coming off a rancorous divorce. But lately, it feels like something more—and it terrifies him.
Lisa knows Trent is the man she wants but is too independent and stubborn to make him believe it. He has to figure it out on his own. Their shared love of craft beer and specific expertise in the business do make them a good match, and the sex? It’s off the charts.
“Specific gravity” is a crucial moment in the beer-brewing process—a turning point upon which successful outcomes depend. Lisa hopes Trent will go to the next level with her and isn’t about to force him, but the moment of truth has arrived. Can he admit his true feelings before it’s too late?
Recently received a 5 Heart Review from Sizzlin Hot Reviews!
Please enter. Drinks are served by the elves in the corner.
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
I used to LOVE Christmas. My parents worked hard to make it special even on their meager college professor salaries. It always involved church music, the Nutcracker (although I’ve danced in that thing more than I care to remember), tons and tons and tons of homemade cookies and candy and a trip to my grandparent’s house which remained as close to heaven as I could imagine, until I discovered alcohol.
Now, this particular holiday makes me stressed, broke and want to drink a lot. But I own a brewery and beer bar so it also makes my bottom line very healthy. I’m already pondering the bonuses I’m gonna give my staff in our first year of biz on our Boxing Day Bacchanal (keeping the doors shut to the public, catering in some incredible food, table dancing is not only encouraged it is rewarded)
Did you ask Santa for anything good?
I did I think. His name is Tony. He’s tall, very dark and very handsome. And he is the best damn house cleaner and overall life organizer on the planet. And I THINK I’m getting him once a week for 2012. It’s a long story.
What’s your favorite place to spend the holidays?
On the couch.
Do you have personal resolutions for the New Years? Anything interesting?
I plan to add one more publisher to my growing list AND spend a ton of time promoting my cool Realtor Trilogy which you don’t realize yet dear and precious editor friend, has taken a decidedly naughtier turn when Jack discovers his inner Master. Sorry, inside joke kids.
Wiggles glass for more nog.
Why do you write romance?
Great question and one I ask myself every time I log onto to a book purchase website. Damn there are a LOT of us aren’t there? I guess because I enjoy the challenge of taking a genre and flipping it inside out a little with settings and characters that haven’t been explored. Here’s a great example from my latest rejection:
I really liked getting to know your characters and your style. Both were distinctive. The story was just not what we are used to.
All that and not a Were Raccoon in or transsexual, blood vampire in sight.
How long have you been writing for? And how would you describe your publication journey?
I had my first story published in September 2010. I’ve been “writing” (fiction) for about a year before that. But I blog as the “A2 Beer Wench” and so exercise the writing muscle with that and endless beer descriptions and press releases daily.
I got lucky with my first editor. She’s a demanding wench, which is why we get along so well. But she’s also a great cheerleader, encouraging me to shoot higher and try harder at every turn. I’ve collected a ton of rejections in a short time span lately which hurts but have learned from them. And I’m still trying.
I have some great publishers already, including Breathless Press, Rebel Ink Press and Decadent Publishing.
What characteristics do all your heroes/heroines have in all your stories?
Huh, funny but you could probably answer that question better than me now couldn’t you? I’d say my heroes are nearly always bigger than life, cocky, funny, and hard to pin down…until they meet my heroines.
What writing resources do you abide by as a writer?
Chicago Manual of Style (this is me, sucking up)
A couple of GREAT “thesaurus sites” including one called the “Emotional Thesaurus” found this week.
And when I get stuck or uninspired I just pluck something from my huge TBR pile and burrow into the couch for a good read by a great author. That always inspires me to try harder.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Run away.
No seriously.
Learn to drink heavily.
I’m not kidding.
Okay I am—just keep trying, keep learning and for God’s sake grow a thick skin.
What are you working on right now?
Several things actually. I have 2 novels with Decadent Publishing including Cheeky Blonde, a brewery based intrigue/romance and The Diplomat’s Daughter, the Turkish Delights prequel in various stages of editing processes.
As mentioned above, I’m converting my hot Realtors Trilogy over to a more overt BDSM theme which, while not too far of a stretch, is making me de-vanilla the 2nd book a LOT.
And I am head writing a time travel novel to 1800s Germany involving a super hot brewer of the day and a young woman trying to find her way as a female brewer in the present day. Who knew all she needed was to knock boots with Max? Well, I did. It’s gonna be hot with a tragic element.
Oh and I own a brewery and a bar. Oh yeah, and its only a few days until Christmas.
Taps edge of glass for more bourbon
What news would you like to share with your readers?
I’m helping launch a new publisher with The Realtors series. Tri Destiny Publishing is busy signing several authors to its Sizzling Line—the hawt stuff—and The Realtors will be their first novels under that name. They already have half a dozen writers doing the tamer stuff. We will be launching using an electronic autograph app (“Autography” on your I-stuff) program for giveaways and such like. Should be fun.
Where can readers find you?
a. Twitter: beerwencha
b. Facebook: Liz Crowe
c. Website: www.brewingpassion.com and www.lizcrowe.com (or if you like the Beer stuff: www.a2beerwench.com
d. Others: I’m on Google+ as Liz Crowe
List other books you have out:
Breathless Press:
The Rookie, Sept. 2010
XXXMas Ale, Dec. 2010
Jockey Box, Feb. 2011.
All are short stories serving as “missing chapters” to the Brewing Passion novella:
The Tap Room, Sept. 30, 2011. It is a “choose your romance” format wherein the reader will choose my heroine’s ultimate path from three different potential heroes and story endings.
Specific Gravity, Nov. 2011, the final “missing chapter” from the series.
Rebel Ink Press:
Vegas Miracle, Oct. 3, 2011, a m/f/m 47,000 word novella.
Player Conference, Oct. 15, 2011, a 12,000 word “cougar story” as part of their Claw Marks Anthology.
Decadent Publishing:
Caught Offside, 12/30/11 a hot soccer player 1NightStand
Turkish Delights, Blue Cruise, Tulip Princess: November 2011 (trilogy)
The Diplomat’s Daughter, Prequel to the Turkish Delights Series
Cheeky Blonde, early 2012 45,000 novel of sabotage, intrigue and romance set in the craft beer world
Thank you so much for joining us at Romance Author Hotspot!
PRIZE: Two book of choice from Liz’s backlist at Decadent Publishing!
