Valentine With Bite: Carrie Jones and Alyxandra Harvey!

 We're celebrating Valentine's Day here at The Compulsive Reader with a few dangerous and romantic books, and by interviewing two awesome YA paranormal authors, Carrie Jones (author of Need and Captivate) and Alyxandra Harvey (author of Hearts at Stake)!

TCR: What were your favorite romantic scenes between your heroine and her guy?

Carrie Jones: Oh my gosh. I am such a sucker for anything romantic, but I guess right now at 10:34 a.m. on a Thursday my favorite scene is when he feeds her a cookie in the library. He made them himself! Swoon!

Alyxandra Harvey: Right now, one of my favourite scenes is between Quinn Drake and a girl vampire hunter in Book 3.

But I do think Nicholas is awfully sweet, especially keeping a picture of Lucy on his desk. Little things matter!

TCR: Are you a fan of love triangles? Why or why not?

CJ: Well, love triangles exist all the time in real life. They are painful and horrifying and scary and …. And…. And…. There’s usually someone who gets kicked out of the love triangle and that’s so sad. I hate that. I’m really pretty soft.

However, they are great dramatic devices. They increase tension, mystery, that eagerness to know what happens, plus they make the hero’s life a little more conflicted, which is always good in a story.

AH: I don't mind a good love triangle once in a while, as long as it's not excessively drawn out and the tension is believable. And really, if Johnny Depp and Jensen Ackles want to angst over their love for me, that's okay. ;)

TCR: What was the hardest part about writing the romance in your novel(s)? The easiest?

CJ: It was soooooooooo easy. It’s my favorite part. I’m a total mush ball. The hardest part was probably having to cut out so many romantic scenes in CAPTIVATE. I really piled them on pretty thick.

AH: I enjoy writing romance but I don't enjoy sappy sticky-sweet so I want to make sure there's some snark, some mystery, and a really good kiss!

TCR: What was your most romantic date?

CJ: Hm…. The most romantic date was probably when someone sent me text messages to my cell phone as a treasure hunt. I had to drive all over town following these random clues that had to do with places where we’d met or kissed and then it ended at the Home Depot parking lot. Yes, I know that doesn’t sound romantic. Stay with me. But I had to go to the second floor of one of those pre-constructed shed things they have and find an anklet and a note that said, “I know you prefer silver, but I think you deserve gold. Consider this a promise for future things.” Right there? That was totally sigh-inducing. Hold on. I have to go sigh now.

Sigh.

It was corny and awesome and romantic even if it did involve Home Depot.

AH: Eloping with my husband in New York! In a horse drawn carriage to get married in Shakespeare's Garden in Central Park.

TCR: Are any of your male leads based off of boyfriends past or present?

CJ: I do this. All. The. Time. I am a total cheat.

Tom Tanner and Dylan in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND and LOVE AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE are both based on guys I liked and/or dated in high school.

In the NEED series, Nick is totally based on a boyfriend. So is Astley actually.

AH: Definitely not!

TCR: Do you have any piece of relationship advice you'd like to share?

CJ: It’s all about picking the right person.
Try to pick someone who makes the backs of your knees get all weird-feeling-jittery when you kiss and also pick someone who makes you laugh.

Then, you know, pick someone who doesn’t want to change you. They should love you for who you are even if who you are is a goofball who writes about human-sized pixies and slurs her s’s. Oh, wait. That’s me. See?!? If someone can love me there is hope for EVERYONE.

TCR: Thanks so much, you guys!

CJ: Thank you so much for interviewing me. Xoxo - Carrie

Be sure to check out both Carrie's and Alyxandra's book! They are all available now!