1. I hear you have pets in your novel, Tender Misdemeanors. Tell us about the book.
Tender Misdemeanors is a romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press, which tells a story that could come from today’s headlines. Federal agents in the northwest U.S. often have clashes with ecotagers—those who commit acts of ecological sabotage—and white supremacist/government conspiracy theorist types as well. Here, we have one woman trying to stand against both.
Tender Misdemeanors blurb:Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She’s a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.
Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He’s the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.
When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?
2. Why did you add pets to Tender Misdemeanors?
You can tell a lot about people by how they treat animals, so it seems like a good window into the characters. Hero Levi Bradshaw has a pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks, as well as a rescued pointer he saved from near-death. Heroine Caryn Orlane lives in a motor home, so her pet is a large green iguana named Niabi. All of these babies are part of the action in the story, too!
Personally, I’m a cat person. LOL. I have worked with a few different cat rescues here in the mountains, and have fostered everything from week-old, bottle-fed kittens to 17-year-old Bengals looking for their final home. At this present moment, we have one old-lady calico bobtail, a gray tabby, two tuxedo cats, two tortoise-shell cats, a cow (black and white Holstein looking) cat, and a little gray fluffball. Here’s a picture of them hanging out on our catio in the morning.
3. What other books have you written?
Although I write a bit more as alter ego Lyndi Alexander (sci-fi and fantasy), as Alana, I have one series, the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers, which are standalone romantic suspense stories about women who practice law in Pittsburgh, my former stomping grounds. I also have several novella-length stories of various word counts, including Secrets in the Sand, a romantic suspense novel (approx. 35,000 words) about a bordello madam and a runaway doctor:
Secrets in the Sand blurb: After a run of bad relationships, Lily Pearl Evans has finally become an independent woman. In the New Mexico desert town of Chaparral, she works for herself, sets her own rules, and is determined no man will hold her back again.
Gene Nicholas worked for more than a decade to achieve his dream to be a doctor. Wanting to share his gifts with those less fortunate, he leaves south Florida to volunteer for Doctors Without Borders in Mexico.
When Gene provokes a showdown with the local Mexican drug cartel, he becomes a man with a price on his head. On the run, he ends up on Lily’s doorstep–a mystery man forced to conceal his past to protect them both. With the cartel’s dangerous web drawing tight around them, can Lily and Gene survive a drug lord’s revenge?
Secrets in the Sand Book Trailer here
Secrets in the Sand Buy Links on Amazon Barnes and Noble
4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.
From reviews for Tender Misdemeanors:
“The premise is a fresh twist on the outlaw and lawman trope, which has always been a favorite of mine. The story is set in Montana, but there’s not a rancher or cowboy in sight. Instead this fast-paced story has eco-terrorists and murder.” — Kathy Otten
“If you are looking for an engaging, entertaining read, Tender Misdemeanors, by Alana Lorens, will not disappoint. The characters are likable and relatable without becoming a trope. They feel human with human problems, and they cross traditional gender lines in refreshing ways.” — Maggie Fry
“Could not put this book down, read it in one sitting. Author Lorens did her research and it shows loud and clear with from the breath-taking setting to the unforgettable characters, both human and animal.” — Kat Henry
“From the moment Levi crosses Caryn’s path, the spark between them is undeniable!
Read full review in the 2020 Summer issue of InD’tale Magazine.”
“I found her characters, both flawed and strong, alternately, captivating. It had everything a romance should have.” — Amy Bovaird
5. What made you set Tender Misdemeanors in Montana?
I had the good fortune to live in Missoula, in western Montana, for awhile back in the 1970s. The Bitterroot Mountains are beautiful, and their solid granite feels so old and perfect. The forests are essential to the place—those who protect the old trees from indiscriminate harvesting are heroes in my eyes, though there are those who would disagree with me. I’ve set a separate fantasy series there as well as this book. I’d live there—if it didn’t snow from approximately Labor Day through Memorial Day!!
6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?
BIO: Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years, after working as a pizza maker, a floral designer, a journalist and a family law attorney. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, the aging hippie loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. She writes romance and suspense as Alana Lorens, and sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal mystery as Lyndi Alexander. One of her novellas, That Girl’s The One I Love, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter on the autism spectrum, who is the youngest of her seven children, and she is ruled by two crotchety old cats, and six kittens of various ages.
Website: http://Alana-lorens.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4829967.Alana_Lorens
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Alana-Lorens/e/B005GE0WBC/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Book trailer for Conviction of the Heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a84IZoH-JKw
Book trailer for Second Chances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEMtSxd6FQQ
Book trailer for Voodoo Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1aJmCwdYk
Marcia James: Thank you, Alana, for stopping by my Go Pets blog! I look forward to reading your novels!
READER INVITATION: 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!
I do have pets in my Masonville Small-Town Romance series. And honestly, it’s gotten a bit out of control…
So, the series starts with just one pet. But then in book two, To Heal A Heart, Blair Greyson, a veterinary technician, moves to Masonville to work at the veterinary clinic with Cole. Blair comes to live with her grandfather on his farm just outside of town, and she brings her two rescue horses, Stormy and Rainbow, with her. Her grandfather has an elderly golden retriever named Jake who’s his constant companion. Blair meets Garrett Saunders, who is Lauren’s brother, when she finds his rescue horse Harry on the road to Masonville. They make a deal for Blair to board Harry at the farm in exchange for Garrett helping with some repairs on the barn.
A couple of my other books also prominently feature pets. In my paranormal comedy 
In 
I mostly write romantic suspense with strong heroines. Sometimes western romantic suspense. It has to be a romance with a HEA [Happily Ever After], and I love to have a mystery or a murder. A couple of the books I’ve written are below.
Blurb: After an eleven-year absence, Janna Kincaid inherits a ranch and is forced to return to a town she only remembers with unhappiness, a man to whom she was briefly married and never wants to see again, and someone is trying to kill her.
I have the best collie ever. Duffy’s the well-trained and much-loved dog of the local sheriff. He pops up in all three “Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge” books. He’s protective and loyal, not just to his owner, but those who have befriended him. In Marriage, Mobsters, and the Marine, he alerts the heroine when her son’s in trouble.
In Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff, he befriends the heroine when she and the sheriff are caught up in a huge misunderstanding.
Like your romance hot? Does story matter more than sex? Claimed as Theirs gives you both. I’ve had amazing reviews for my second post-apocalyptic novel. The first, Taken as Theirs, featured werewolves. My new one is set in the same world, but it revolves around a triad of vampires trying to reclaim the vampire nation for the true heir. They need a human woman’s touch to do that, though. It’s set on Lindisfarne, a tiny island off the Northumberland coast. Bonus–I got to visit there to check out the details. One reviewer said she could see the settings they were so real.
Rainbow Sprinkles Blurb:
My books are sweet, clean and wholesome small-town romance. I favor a lot of tropes, but my main go-to is second chance or single parent. In Choosing Chelsea, Book 12 in the Gold Coast Retrievers series from Sweet Promise Press, I focused solely on including an adorable Golden Retriever, Ollie, and his horse-loving owner, Chelsea. Of course, the story centers around a single father and his little girl, Lily. This story was one of my favorites to write and has several aww factors.
My book, A New Leash on Love, is part of The Celebrity Corgi series published by Sweet Promise Press. The premise of the series is that each main character is some type of celebrity that has a very spoiled pet corgi. The main character in my book, Prince Dorian of Avington, has Gatsby. When he goes on a goodwill tour of the U.S., he needs to hire a travel companion to look after Gatsby while he’s at his appearances.
Mocha Mayhem blurb:
Deadly pies!
Catnapping and more!
No Escape from Love Blurb:
A Christmas Conspiracy Blurb:
It may sound strange to some, but I include pets in my stories even though I am not myself a pet person. That’s because I adore people who keep pets and are good parents to them. My son has a cat named Billy, who is a rescue–and a very central member of his family. Billy, thrilled to be featured in 
Satin and Sapphire Blurb: