1. I hear you have a cat in your Book Nirvana series. Tell us about the series.

As a lifelong bookworm, how could I not want to write a romance series set in a quirky bookshop? Of course, the fascinating women who work there provide a cast of heroines for the series. And as a lover of erotic literature and art, I had so much fun researching the books Clara Martelli, widowed owner of Eugene, Oregon’s Book Nirvana, keeps in a luxurious little room behind a red door. I didn’t invent any artists or writers—every name mentioned in the book is worth Googling if you’d like to see the racy pictures for yourself!

Blurb for Book Nirvana 1: Through the Red Door:

Letting him inside could be her salvation…or her undoing.

Clara Martelli clings to Book Nirvana, the Oregon bookshop she and her late husband Jared built together. When rising rents and corporate competition threaten its survival, her best hope is their extensive erotica collection, locked behind a red door. In dreams and signs, her dead husband tells her it’s time to open that door and move on. When a dark and handsome stranger’s powerful magnetism jolts her back to life and he wants a look at the treasures of that secret room, she can’t help but want to show him more.

Professor Nick Papadopoulos is looking for historical erotica. Book Nirvana’s collection surpasses his wildest dreams, and so does its lovely owner. A widower, he understands Clara’s battle with guilt, but their searing chemistry is too strong to resist. Besides, he will only be in town for two weeks, not long enough for her to see beyond the scandal that haunts his past.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/bxnz0P

Blurb for Book Nirvana 2: Runaway Love Story:

Fierce passion or long-cherished dreams…she can’t hang onto both.

High school history teacher Doug Garvey is trying to enjoy his last few weeks of summer vacation, but receiving his final divorce decree hits him harder than expected. After a brief fling fizzles, he fears love just isn’t in the cards for him. If only he could find someone who’s real, someone interested in something beyond herself…maybe a new running partner who can keep up with his more carnal appetite. When sexy, straight-talking Laurel runs across his path, he dares to hope again.

Fired from an art gallery, Laurel Jepsen shelves her pursuit of an art career in San Francisco to help her beloved great aunt Maxie move into assisted living. While out on a morning run, she’s harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie steps in, pretending to be her boyfriend with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she’s only passing through, not looking for a relationship.

Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the forest—but falling in love would ruin everything. Laurel can’t stay in Eugene, and he can’t leave. Doug’s only hope is to convince her the glittery life she’s after could blind her to the opportunities already in her path.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/mqrGQe

Blurb for Book Nirvana 3: Love, Art, and Other Obstacles:

She’s a free spirit. He’s a one-woman man.

Rejected by her family for her bisexuality, graphic artist Margot DuPont yearns for a life with no fences, no limits, and no family ties. Between college, work at Book Nirvana, and an art competition, she barely has time for her part-time girlfriend, much less a flirtation with her competitor.

Dumped into the foster system at a young age, ceramics artist Elmer Byrne craves a big, loving family of the heart. His artist family almost fills that need, but something is missing…until Margot. But when he offers his heart, her thorny defenses shatter him.

Thrown together in an art competition that could jump-start one artist’s career, but not both, their irresistible attraction forces them to reconsider the meaning of success.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/bar2RP

2. Why did you add a cat to these books?

Alas, I have no pets at the moment, though I do spend lots of time with my granddogs, a pair of long-haired miniature dachshunds named Elle and Mila. I love both dogs and cats, along with fish and birds. I’ve had Westies, a shepherd mix, a bitey cat, a ginormous pair of mated Oscar fish, a pair of zebra finches named Fred and Wilma, and a lovely Mexican red knee tarantula named Lucretia—because, you know, poisonous lady.

I’ve met quite a few bookshop cats over the years, and my favorite is Herbert, a huge, friendly floof who greets customers at Tacoma, Washington’s King’s Books—when he’s not snoozing on the book displays.

3. What other books have you written?

All my books so far are steamy contemporary romance set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. If you like your romance on the spicy side with lots of humor and a bit of family drama, check out my Bangers Tavern Romance series, set in a neighborhood bar in my former hometown of Tacoma. I’m writing book four now.

4. Tell us about your kudos.

I’ve won a few awards, including the 2020 IDA award for Best Erotic Romance Novel for Love, Art, and Other Obstacles and Best Erotic Short for Gelato Surprise, a standalone older woman/younger man beach romance novella. Runaway Love Story was a finalist for the Stiletto Award for Contemporary Romance, and Christmas Rekindled was a Rone Award finalist.

5. How do you promote your books?

I spend far too much time on social media, so you’ll find me pushing my books on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?

I’d love to hear from you! Please visit me on all the socials:

Author website: https://sadirastone.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Author newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/q7x4c6

Sign up for Sadira’s newsletter and get a FREE steamy seasoned romance novella: Cupid’s Silver Spark: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/43zaw5wntq

Thanks so much for letting me visit today!

 

From Marcia: Thank you, Sadira, for being my May interviewee! I love discovering romances that feature pets, so I look forward to reading your books!

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks! Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!