Tantalizing Tuesday

Carly Phillips, Leslie Kelly and Julie Leto have all joined us in the moonlight, and while I've tried to wrangle an interview with the elusive Janelle Denison, she's finally here! We hope you enjoy Flora's interview! - Carrie, a closet Plot Monkey Junky!!!

Before we begin, I must remind everyone of the Moonlight Mistresses boring rule to please try and keep your responses to a PG13 atmosphere – *eye roll*. However, they haven’t seemed to care about double entendres, so let them fly!

My guests today are, Nathan Fox and Nicole Hutton from The Onyx Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their tale can be found in INTO THE NIGHT a novel creation by Janelle Denison.

Flora: Thank you Nathan and Nicole for joining us today! Please, Nathan, tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Nathan: My first meeting with Nicole was quite amusing. We were both at a charity speed-dating event, and neither one of us wanted to be there in terms of finding a significant other. I was there as a favor, and she was there to write a fluff piece on dating trends in the 21st century. But just because we were both roped into attending the event, that’s not to say we weren’t attracted to one another. The moment I saw Nicole across the room, I fell in lust. Then I met her, talked to her, and realized she was more than just a beautiful face and curvy, centerfold body. She was funny, exciting, and intelligent, and I fell hard from the get-go.

Flora: Nicole, would you say it was love at first sight or did you find him repulsive?

Nicole: Nathan is quite possibly the hottest, sexiest man I’ve ever met. Dark hair. Deep, sensual voice. A gorgeous body that’s to-die-for. But love at first sight? No. I’m not the kind of woman who gives her heart to a man easily. But Nathan is a very persuasive guy and he made it incredibly hard for me to resist him!

Flora: Since chaotic happenstance tends to put characters like yourselves in situations where they must work together or live together for one reason or another, tell us what chaotic happenstance “forced” the two of you to work or live together. How did you both feel about this?

Nicole: I’m a journalist, and when I discovered, quite accidentally, the details of the case that Nathan was working on, I knew it was something I had to be a part of, because exposing a ruthless, twisted criminal who abuses young teens was very personal for me. So, we decided to work together --

Nathan: *Interrupts Nicole with a deliberate clearing of his throat*. The very last thing I wanted was Nicole involved in any way with this particular case, but the woman didn’t give me much of a choice in the matter. She was determined to nose her way into the investigation, and the only way I could keep an eye on her and protect her was to make sure I was with her 24/7, which forced us into close quarters. But I have to say, in the end, Nicole was the reason why we were able to take down the scumbag we were after, as well as saving a young girl’s life. I might have fought her involvement in the beginning, but I couldn’t have done this without her.

Flora: Nathan, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance? What kind of obstacles were there?

Nathan: Oh, there was plenty of reluctance, especially on Nicole’s part. When I first met her, it was true I wasn’t looking for anything long term, and neither was she. We had a nice little “friends with benefits” agreement, which kept things light and sexy between us. But the situation and the case we were dealing with eventually brought out a lot of emotional stuff for the both of us. I saw a vulnerable side to Nicole that slayed my heart and brought out all my protective instincts . . . even though she made it clear she could do things on her own. This woman is fiercely independent, and beyond stubborn, and the pain of her past kept all sorts of walls between us. But I’m a patient man and know when something, and someone, is worth fighting for.

Flora: How long did it take you to know your true feelings for the other? At what point did you know, “this is the one”?

Nathan: About halfway through the case we were working on I knew that I wanted to pursue a real relationship with Nicole. She, however, wanted just to keep me around for all the great sex. *Winks at Nicole*

Nicole: *Rolls her eyes at Nathan* He’s so full of himself, isn’t he? Okay, yeah, he came around a lot quicker than I did, but I was worth waiting around for, right? And while you were waiting for me to catch up with you on the whole “love” thing, the sex was pretty amazing, don’t you think?

Nathan: Absolutely. Still is. *Wicked Grin*

Flora: This is for either of you. Would you like to thank anyone – other than me, of course – for getting you two together?

Nicole: I have to say, we pretty much brought ourselves together, LOL.

Nathan: I have to say a big thank you to Janelle Denison, our creator, for matching me up with such a perfect, amazing woman. But man, did Janelle make me work hard to finally GET Nicole. She could have made it easier on me!

Janelle: There would have been no fun in that, Nathan. *Grins*

Flora: As we are celebrating fertility and offspring this month, tell us, Nathan and Nicole do you plan on having children in the future? Why or why not? How many do you think you’ll want? Do you prefer sons or daughters, or does it not matter?

Nathan: Yeah, I definitely want children. Two would be perfect. Sons or daughters, it doesn’t matter to me. When Nicole’s ready, we’ll get serious about it, but for now, we’re practicing as often as we can.

Nicole: The man is insatiable! *Laughs* Right now, I’m still focused on my career, but being married to Nathan has made me want things I never thought I’d ever have. Like children. I can’t wait to have a family with Nathan. Being a mom will be the most important role of my life.

Flora: Do either of you garden? Why or why not?

Nicole: I enjoy gardening. I love to plant flowers in the Spring and I recently started a small herb garden.

Nathan: No. Not my thing. I mow the lawn and keep the yard maintained, but that’s about it.

Flora: [interviewer - insert appropriate sarcastic or appraising response]. What are your favorite flowers or plants? What significance do they hold for you?

Nathan: I’m not a plant or flowers kind of guy.

Nicole: I love tulips. Pink ones, especially. My mom used to plant them in the Spring, and they remind me of her. My fresh herb garden consists of parsley, thyme, dill, sage, cilantro and basil. But the funny thing is, I love the taste of fresh herbs in a meal, but I hate to cook. I pick them for Nathan to use. He’s a great cook.

Flora: Thanks so much to Nathan and Nicole for joining us today! Now, I’d like to take some time to speak with their author, Janelle. Thanks for joining us today, Janelle!

Janelle: Hi, Flora and readers! Thank you for the invite!

Flora: First, I’d like to start with some of the questions I asked Nathan and Nicole. Do you garden? Why or why not?

Janelle: I have to confess that I have a black thumb. I don’t garden, or plant flowers, or even attempt to tend to any kind of foliage because I inevitably kill whatever I try to grow. I’ve tried many times, and have failed, so I tend to lean toward using silk plants if I have to. LOL.

Flora: That's a shame! Do you prefer vegetables and fruits, flowers, or both? Which ones are your favorites?

Janelle: Well, I do love flowers. An occasional rose or bouquet from my hubby is always nice. Last year for Mother’s Day he bought me a beautiful (LIVE) orchid plant. I told him the only way I’d keep it is if HE took care of it. He agreed, and I’m happy to report that the plant is still thriving. *grin*

Flora: Wonderful! If you had the chance to do so, would you participate in a community garden? Why or why not? (If you have done this before, please share your experience!)

Janelle: Maybe. If I wasn’t solely responsible for the plants, flowers, or vegetation! But I could be the person who weeds the garden, LOL.

Flora: Weeding is a very important part of caring for plants and flowers! Flowers, trees and plants offer a variety of aromas. What would you say is your favorite aroma and why?

Janelle: Night Blooming Jasmine. Love the little flowers AND the scent!

Flora: A growing trend these days is to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, beans and peppers upside down while growing other smaller plants like lettuce, radishes, cress or herbs on top. Is this something you’ll try or have done? Why or why not?

Janelle: I’ve never tried. Refer back to my black thumb above!

Flora: Considering your favorite flower, plant, and/or aroma, have these tastes shown up in your writing? If so, how – If not, why not?

Janelle: I’ve used different flowers, plants, and their accompanying scents in my stories. In fact, in my Harlequin Blaze novella that was out this past February 2011 (NOT ANOTHER BLIND DATE), my heroine owned a floral and plant shop. I used plants and flowers throughout that story. I might not be able to GROW plants and flowers, but I have a huge appreciation for them!

Flora: Appreciation's always good! I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Nathan, Nicole and their author, Janelle, for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their story, Into the Night.

Janelle: Thanks, Flora, for having us! I always appreciate the chance to connect with readers.

To learn more about their author, Janelle, you can visit her at these places:
her website: www.janelledenison.com
on facebook: www.facebook.com/janelledenisonfanpage
in the jungle: www.plotmonkeys.com