SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Luanna Stewart!

Joining me today in The Loft is Canadian author Luanna Stewart. Like so many of us, Luanna embraced her love of romance after she discovered a stash of romance novels as a teen--her grandmother's. She writes sexy and spicy romantic suspense, and paranormal and historical romance. Luanna lives in Nova Scotia with her husband and two spoiled cats!

Author Luanna Stewart

S: Welcome, Luanna!

Complete this sentence--“Writing is…”

L: Writing is primarily an escape – into another time, another world, another life. I get to know the characters I create. I inhabit their world while I write their stories and for months afterward. I become them as I explore their dreams and regrets, laughing and crying as they do.

S: And when one of your books is released?

L: (Smiles.) I’m usually knee deep in writing the next one, particularly if I’m working on a series. My non-writing work time is filled with either marketing and promotion or studying the writing craft – there’s always something to learn. On the actual book launch day, I’ll reward my hard work with a glass or two of sparkling wine and one of my favorite chocolate bars, a Cherry Blossom--a giant chocolate-covered cherry.

S: (Laughs.) That sounds pretty amazing!

Tell me, where do you do your best thinking?

L: It varies with the season and my mood, and the sort of thinking required. If I’ve got a plot hole to fill, I leave my office and do something physical and distracting. My default activity is housework. If my floors gleam, my windows sparkle, and there’s not a fibre of cat hair anywhere --we have two black cats--then you know the current book is giving me fits. During the summer months, you’d be hard-pressed to find a weed in my garden. If I’m searching for a blog topic, I’ll sit at my desk, stare out the window at the fir and spruce forest, and hope for inspiration to strike.

S: (Grins.) When I'm stuck, I bake. Unfortunately, nothing moves me to clean my house!

If you could live in any time period, when would it be?

L: I’ve always been a reader of history, both non-fiction and fiction, and I’ve found many time periods fascinating. While I’m intrigued by life in ancient Greece and medieval France, I do require a certain level of comfort and convenience, such as indoor plumbing. The Edwardian era checks many boxes when it comes to living in the olden times but with the necessary mod-cons. And I’d choose England as my location. Automobiles were in wide use, but the roads weren’t so crowded that I couldn’t safely drive my buggy into the village. Many of the middle and upper classes had telephones. Oh, did I mention that I’d be a young woman of independent means who lives in a lovely cottage in the Cotswolds with a bevy of eccentric friends and a curmudgeonly, but lovable, butler?

S: Hmmm. And that's sparks all sorts of flights of fantasy! I think I would make the butler TDH--tall, dark, and handsome! Perhaps one skilled at warming the... (Chuckles.) Sorry, I digress...

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

L: Raising our sons, with my husband, and seeing them become intelligent, thoughtful, and loving men.

S: (Nods.) Amen.

What do you crave?

L: I crave an extra 24 hours in the week that I can devote to reading, nothing but reading. I’ve been a habitual reader my whole life but I don’t read nearly as much as I used to. I’m too busy writing my own books!

S: I know what you mean. My Kindle and Nook are crammed full of unread books. I think I need a month on a deserted island to catch up!

You are offered a day back in time, a glimpse of heaven, or perfect health. Which would you choose?

L: (Grins.) I would choose perfect health – no headaches, no sore fingers, no seasonal allergies. Just imagine all I’d accomplish if I could spring from my bed, fully rested and raring to go, instead of staggering to the coffee pot with a fuzzy head.

S: I so get the fuzzy head! (Laughs.)

Tell me about your book, "Love Proof."

L: "Love Proof " is part of the Deerbourne Inn Series and it's currently on preorder. Here's the blurb--

Unemployed photojournalist Raynor Elliot stops at a bakery near the famous Deerbourne Inn. Not only does he get a lead on a job but the bakery’s owner is that awkward kid he knew in high school, only now she has fabulous curves and an irreverent sense of humor. The cozy bakery, with its aroma of sugar, vanilla and spice, has more to offer than tasty cookies.

Fiona MacLeod has been plagued for years by the need to make amends for telling The Big Lie. When the lie’s victim strolls into her bakery with his icy blue stare and killer charm, she feels like she’s standing too close to a hot oven.

Between running her bakery and frosting cupcakes for the Mad River Garden Party, she's pretty sure she's falling in love with this infuriating, sexy man. Can Fiona dredge up the courage to confess, face the consequences, and hope for forgiveness?