Renee Rose and Alexis Alvarez of Arizona—Something Warm During for Those Who Live in the Cold

Hi! I’m Renee Rose (Tucson, AZ) and I paired up with fellow Arizona author Alexis Alvarez (Phoenix, AZ) to bring you the flavor of our state. We both write steamy romance with hot alpha heroes and the strong women who win their hearts and Alexis is also a professional photographer responsible for these incredible photos!

 

Hot and Cold.

Most people think of extreme heat when they think of Arizona, and that’s true.  Between May and September, for most of Arizona, the weather becomes uncomfortably hot.

 I’ve lived in cold climates, and I remember once you’re freezing, you don’t notice the difference between one degree below zero or three.  Here in AZ, we notice every degree over 100. When you step outside in the summer, it literally feels like you’re in an oven. So we behave much like the rest of the world behaves in the winter--we stay indoors and, like vampires, we don’t come out until nightfall.

 

My husband and I used to own a nightclub in downtown Tucson. Summer nights were always pumping. For that reason, I set two of my paranormal romances in downtown Tucson--Deathless Love and His Captive Mortal.  While it may seem strange to have vampires live in a place so sunny--it was the nightlife I was going for.  

What most people not from Arizona don’t realize, is that it gets quite cold here, as well.  Great extremes occur between night and day temperatures throughout Arizona, sometimes ranging as much as 50 or 60 degrees.

In my latest bad boy shifter romance, The Alpha’s Promise, the climate between the hero and heroine fluctuates about that much, too. :)  Cody, an alpha shifter, has been thrown together with Melissa, an uppity human, who he must protect. While their physical attraction for each other is off the charts hot, they each have prejudice about the other, which brings on the ice.

 

Hi! I’m Alexis Alvarez. Like Renee, I love living in the beautiful state of Arizona.

With thirteen different species of rattlesnake, Arizona has more than any other state. Of our fifty-five species of scorpions, the smallest and most deadly (and also an accomplished climber) -- the bark scorpion -- is frequently found in  homes.  The rare and shy Gila Monster can deliver a painful and severe bite if provoked, and while tarantulas prefer to hide from humans, the black widow and brown recluse are responsible for many hospital trips each year. To top it off, the desert centipede, which can grow to over six inches in length, can provide a nasty welt from its venom.

Despite these dangers, people flock to Arizona for the natural beauty of the place, for the amazing climate, and for the vistas -- large and small -- that come from our dry, severe deserts and the unexpected pockets of verdant beauty within them.

Perhaps the knowledge of the danger that lurks makes the beauty more powerful. The pride that comes with avoiding nature’s harsh bite allows us to better savor her sweetness.

 I still feel the excitement from my first Gila Monster sighting -- we were on a hike, and there it was! Sunning itself on a rock just a few feet away! The sick fear that comes rushing in with the rattle of a snake tail gives way to the pride of knowing how to safely avoid them while hiking.  The anxiety of finding black widows in your backyard gives way to the knowledge that you know how to deal with them to keep your kids safe. We learn to co-exist with nature.

In my book Casey’s Choice, a sexy BDSM novel about a woman who has to choose between two men, the juxtaposition of pain with pleasure heightens the enjoyment.  I use themes of art to showcase Casey’s journey to self-awareness and confidence, as she develops the strength to do what’s right for her heart and her soul.  The difficulty she experiences on her journey makes her final happiness that much stronger.

A desert Saguaro, the universal symbol of the Southwest, grows in just a small area of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico.  These cacti, the tallest in the United States, can grow to be over sixty feet tall and can weigh up to 4,800 lbs.  Native American have historically used the Saguaro for food and building materials, and the cacti provide homes to many desert animals.  Yet these life-giving plants are covered with prickly spikes to protect themselves, a veritable armor, as are most cacti in the desert Southwest.

In my book Boston, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JNXTQSG

/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_aGeuyb7P355E2  a contemporary romance about opposites attracting, both the hero and heroine have their own defenses built up to prevent heartbreak and pain, walls that look like disinterest, dislike, and sarcasm.  They have to learn to open up and trust each other, to get past the thorny exterior to see the true beauty below.

Thanks for reading about our gorgeous state and our books! We hope you give us a chance and try our novels. We think you’ll love them as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Thank you for stopping by! Please enter for a chance to win a gift basket of Arizona goodies!

About the Authors

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE is a naughty wordsmith who writes kinky romance novels. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and Spanking Romance Reviews' Best Historical, Best Erotic, Best Ageplay and favorite author. She's hit #1 on Amazon in the Erotic Paranormal, Western and Sci-fi categories. She also pens BDSM stories under the name Darling Adams. To receive FREE Renee Rose books, click here. http://owned.gr8.com/

Renee loves to connect with readers! Please visit her on:

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Alexis Alvarez writes romance that’s smart, bright and sexy. Her contemporary romances have humor and sizzle, and her BDSM novels are dark and delicious. She loves creating books that are poetic, with words flung like diamonds at the night. You can find her here:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Secret Facebook Group | Goodreads | Instagram

(All info provided by Authors)