SPOTLIGHT ON DEBUT AUTHOR ~LYLA BELLATAS~

Hi all! I wanted you all to meet my friend Lyla Bellatas, if you haven't already met this awesome lady! She is not only a member of the #BOC, she is one very talented debut author, with her sexy romance read, DEEPER, out on Feb. 2. Please enjoy our little Q&A! 

Please tell us a bit about yourself

I am Armenian American born on Long Island's Gold coast, and have morphed too many times to count. Beginning as an engineer after college I swiftly made the move to marketeer then drifted to digital design, printing CEO, tarot enchantress, life coach and math/science tutor, collecting stories along the way.

My passions have also led to many outlets. I’ve been a high performance race car driver and driving instructor, poker player without the face, loves to shoot pool and although I hate being away from home I do enjoy exploring new places.

I was gifted my first tarot deck during a chance encounter in an elevator. Innately empathic and claircognizant, tarot unlocked the natural witch within. I taught tarot, pessomancy (reading stones) and reading junk oracles. I've read tarot, stones and junk professionally for decades and I still read with or without a deck when the moon shines just right.

Swept off my feet by a handsome Greek I met at the race track I finally found my happily ever after as a wife, mother to a spirited, beautiful daughter and writer. We live in the NYC suburbs, loving the fast paced brutal honesty, great restaurants, arts and energy that define NYC  and never fail to light a new / full moon candle charmed now by three.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the third book in The Real Fling Series - Rougher - its set in Europe.

What’s your favorite genre to write?

Erotic Contemporary - although I do love paranormal if there isn’t much world building.

 Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be?

YES!

 What’s your favorite food?

Slightly dirty martinis… Filet Mignon Oysters and Escargots...

 Do you have any pet peeves? If so, what are they?

I hate when people don’t listen. Mean people really upset me. I once saw a homeless man getting beat up in NYC I stepped in the middle of it. It kills me when people are mean. I always worry I’m going to pick a fight with the wrong person some day…let’s hope not.

 Who was your favorite character to write and why?

I was in love with Val from Deeper. I went to lunch with a friend while I was writing the book and she said - where are you? and I said I’m so in love with this character my head is still with him. :-)

  What’s your favorite television show? 

Orange is the New Black! Scandal  Law & Order  Madam Secretary  The Good Wife. I have a lot.

  What’s your favorite holiday? 

I love Halloween and Christmas! Oh!!!! and My birthday! Except in 2001 :-(

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?I like being home. But anywhere my husband and child are home to me.

Dream destinations for me are Iceland to see the Northern Lights… Alaska … Australia…Hawaii or Bora Bora… I’d like to see an active Volcano. :-)

 Please tell us a bit about your current book… 

Deeper is about Val and Adriana. Adriana is on a vacation from hell in Vail Colorado and gets stranded in back country during a blizzard. Val comes to the rescue and he’s all broody and sexy and protective. He’s also guarded. Adriana figures what the heck he’s better than the travel companion she came with who left her in the first place and a fling very quickly becomes the real thing.

Hotter is the next book which will be released the beginning of March. It features Sandrine and Leo. The met 9 years ago during a Katrina relief effort in NOLA and Sandrine who has just broken her engagement after finding her fiance in bed with another woman goes to NOLA on an interview and comes face to face with Leo. Leo has not forgotten Sandrine and tries to woo her back. 

LYLA BELLATAS 

 ~DEEPER, THE REAL FLING SERIES~

On the ski vacation from hell, Adriana Gallo wipes out in a snow storm. Injured, she realizes her party has left her stranded with no way down the mountain. 

Valentin Barinov came to Vail to recover from an accident, never expecting to find the woman of his dreams broken in the snow. 

Val penetrates Adriana's defenses, too haunted and tender for Adriana to resist. What starts as a night of mindless fun opens them up to each other in ways they never imagined. 

Too much is never enough.