Joining me today in The Loft is award-winning author Sadira Stone. Writing contemporary romance, Sadira spins steamy tales set in small businesses--a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique. When not writing, Sadira can be found in a belly dance class, strumming her ukulele, cooking up a storm, or gobbling up romance books. She and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
S: Good morning, Sadira, it's a pleasure to see you again!
Why write romance?
SS: I actually started writing mystery stories, but they always contained a steamy romance scene. You’d think I’d take the hint, right? I wrote my first romance novel after reading an article on how lucrative it can be to write erotica. That steamy tale just kept growing and growing until it became a fully-fledged romance novel. I’d never had so much fun with a writing project, and I’ve never looked back. Romance is the literature of hope, and I need that guaranteed happily-ever-after (HEA) to keep my spirits afloat during these difficult times.
S: I like that--"Romance is the literature of hope." That's so true.
Are there any characteristics your lead characters share?
SS: Absolutely! My heroines push back against family and societal expectations to live a small, constricted life. They all have big dreams and refuse to give them up to meet anyone’s expectations of what a good girl should be.
S: Do you adhere to tropes when writing romance? Which ones do you enjoy writing? Are there any tropes that make you squirm?
SS: I love opposites attract and enemies to lovers, and I love writing foodie romance—is that a trope? I also enjoy workplace romance, because work is such a big part of our lives. Keep away from me with that secret baby stuff—yuck!
S: I'm finding that among authors, the secret baby trope is on top of the list of the most disliked.
What is the best/worst thing that has ever happened to you as a writer?
SS: Early retirement. I taught for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Germany. A call went out offering a retirement incentive to anyone with 30 years of federal service, and I just squeaked under the line. Though I loved many of my students, I’m so glad to have the whole day to work on my writing now!
S: As a writer, did the pandemic of 2020 and the subsequent isolation work to your benefit or detriment?
SS: I found it very hard to concentrate during the pandemic and the election. So much doom scrolling! I just didn’t have the discipline to ignore catastrophic world events, so my writing pace slowed down. I’ve gradually learned to skim the headlines and move on, but social media is still a tempting distraction.
S: The chaos created by the pandemic was really unsettling. In the beginning, my focus quickly shifted to keeping the seniors in my family healthy. Thoughts of romance and writing simply fled. I was so happy when I was finally able to sit down and write again.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
SS: Leaving a lousy relationship and starting over, never surrendering my self-worth and determination.
S: What inspired "Delicious Heat?"
SS: Anna is the younger sister of Charlie Khoury, heroine of "Christmas Rekindled: Bangers Tavern Romance 1." Her meet-cute with Diego plays out in that first book in the series, and readers asked for her story. Of course, I was happy to oblige! As a wannabe chef, it was fun playing with Diego’s fictional food truck, too!
S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Delicious Heat?"
SS: I knew I was taking a risk with this one. No doubt, there’ll be readers who say Anna should’ve stayed with her cheating snake of an ex-husband once she discovered she was pregnant with his child. But really, pushing back against the ideal that mothers should be selfless is the point of the story. Anna wants to be a role model for her child, and allowing herself to be treated badly does not accomplish that goal. I feel this strongly in my own life as well. I want my daughter to reach for the stars and expect excellent treatment from her partner.
Here's the blurb--
Cupid has lousy timing.
After kicking her cheating husband to the curb, nurse Anna Khoury discovers she’s pregnant. When Bangers Tavern’s hunky chef makes heart eyes at her, she dismisses that delicious thrill as the last thing she needs. Single motherhood will take all her strength and focus. Anna’s battered heart can’t take another blow.
Chef Diego Vargas is aiming higher than burgers and tater tots. His dream—his own food truck, the Empanada Angel, but he’ll need his family’s support to pull it off. Meeting Anna leaves him thunderstruck, even though his attraction to her threatens all his plans. Call it fate, call him crazy, but he’s determined to prove he’s in it for keeps.
With a belligerent ex-husband and two overprotective families set on breaking them up, Anna and Diego will need more than red-hot passion to pull them through. His career and her baby’s future are on the line.
Come back to Bangers Tavern for a spicy tale of forbidden love that will warm your heart…and other parts…and make you hungry for empanadas!
S: That sounds like an inspiring love story! Where can readers buy your book?
SS: It's available at https://books2read.com/deliciousheat.
S: Sadira, thanks so much for joining me today! If you'd like to learn more about these books, please visit--
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Seelie! You ask excellent questions.
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