SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Nadia L. Braeckel!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Nadia Braeckel. Nadia writes spicy contemporary romance and romantic suspense. The daughter of a Lebanese father and German-American mother, Nadia believes she sees the world through a unique lens. Her debut novel, "Torn Ties," is based on her own experiences with love and romance, and is based in her hometown of Tulsa, OK. She currently lives in Tulsa with her husband and son.

Author Nadia L. Braeckel

S: Welcome to The Loft, Nadia!

Why did you become a writer?

N: I became a writer because after writing my first book, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else with my life and time.

S: For most authors, the urge to write is unrelenting. The thrill of holding your book in your hands is almost addictive.

Do you write in other genres?

N: Yes, I write romance mixed with a little suspense or mystery, because writing just romance over and over can feel a bit monotonous without a little thrill to back it up.

S: What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

N: The steamy sex scenes.

S: Not many authors would admit that!

Do you believe in love at first sight?

N: Yes, but I feel like it should be called attraction at first sight, because you can’t love someone you don’t know.

S: There are so many facets of love, so many layers. Sometimes, it's difficult to distinguish between love and lust, or love and attraction. For me, instant attraction has led to love, but I have to agree with you, you can't love someone you don't know.

What inspires your books?

N: Everyday life scenarios turned into twisted stories

S: What’s the best advice you have ever given?

N: No matter what happens, just know the only person or thing you can control is yourself. Even if you marry, you can’t control anyone, and if you want to control someone, then you don’t truly love them.

S: Good advice!

What inspired "Torn Ties?"

N: I wrote this book when I had no voice. It is a fiction novel based on true events that happened to me.

S: Is there anything special that you would like readers to know about "Torn Ties?"

N: It’s based on the story of how I met my husband, but it's fiction. My hope is that this is a novel that people will be able to relate to it on some level.

Here's the blurb--

How can a relationship that starts for all the wrong reasons feel so right? That’s the question Natalya Zaher keeps asking herself. After all, her daily routine isn’t usually so dramatic…or so damn hot. By day, she works at a local men’s clinic, fending off advances from dirty old men and dealing with her boss’s angry tirades. By night, she sits at home, watching Twilight. Life has been remarkably routine—and lonely—until a chance encounter with a handsome man at the gym turns unexpectedly steamy. The only hang up? He’s already in a relationship. And Natalya wants more…much more. Alex Bowman isn’t sure what he wants. His long-term relationship has been slowly losing its luster. The sex is dull, and he’s growing frustrated with feeling controlled and demeaned. So when he meets the alluring, radiant young Natalya at the gym, he’s intrigued by her charm and upbeat nature. And when he discovers her sexually adventurous nature, he can’t stop thinking about her…and just how right their relationship seems to be. But Alex’s girlfriend doesn’t intend to let her man go without a fight, and she’s certainly not going to play fair. Even worse, Alex has been keeping secrets that threaten not just to destroy two reputations…but threaten to break Natalya’s heart too. Set in the heart of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Torn Ties is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the last steamy page.