Tori Carrington Interview

Welcome to A Romance Review Tony and Lori and thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy writing schedule to do this interview with us. Since your debut novel in 1999 you have become a fan favorite with readers. I am sure our readers will welcome the oppertunity to get to know more about the writing team that creates some of the most romantic and sexy stories for the Temptation and Blaze lines at Harlequin.

Please tell our readers briefly how you met and fell in love? Are any of your books based on your own personal story?

To make long story short, we met at a local Greek restaurant. I (Tony) almost scared Lori away. At the risk of sounding corny, when I first spotted Lori sitting in a booth having lunch with her mother, I knew she was the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. Have we written a book based on our own personal experiences? No, not yet. Maybe in the future.

What made you decide to give writing a try and in particular why did you choose romance?

We were -- and still are -- passionate armchair critics of books and movies. So much so that we now believe it was inevitable we would eventually put our money where our mouths are and become writers. But it took Tony turning to me one night -- after a two-hour discussion of a book I just finished -- and asking the question "why don't we try writing a book of our own?" -- to jump-start our career. Notice he used the pronoun "we" rather than "I" or "you." We've been a team ever since.

Honestly, we don't know how other writers do it. I can't imagine looking across my desk and not seeing Tony. Not being able to brainstorm, dream, share a piece a gossip, or work through a minor roadblock, or just to chat with him. But above all else, there's something in knowing that he not only...well, just plain "gets" me, but that he's as invested as I am, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and complete.

Why romance? Well, the first thing any writing instructor worth her salt will tell you to do is to write what you know. And what do we know better than our own ongoing romance?(bg's)

Before your writing career took off, what kind of jobs did you have to "pay the bills"?

A high school career counselor actually steered me (Lori) toward computer science. But after a few years working in that area, I could virtually feel the gray hairs springing out all over. Of course, by that time we were already writing, so I knew that I wouldn't be programming computers forever.

Tony, on the other hand, was a jack of all trades. But it's only when we began writing that he became a master of one.

I read on your web site that you wrote for about 14 years before ever selling a book. How did you stay so focused on a career that for such a long time produced what I am sure must have been such great disappointments?

Simply, we loved what we were doing. It didn't hurt that we'd had a lot of close calls along the way. Revision letters, direct contact from editors, encouraging rejection letters, and we had an agent for a couple years in the early 90's who taught us a great deal about the industry across the board (you wouldn't believe the number of submissions she received on a daily basis from around the world). While we ultimately let her go, we wouldn't change those two years for anything because of the wisdom we gained. It's so easy to close yourself off in your own isolated world of imagination and not think about what exists on the other side of that chasm that separates you, the writer, from the rest of the industry professionals. What an eye-opening experience.

Of course, being a team helped keep us strong as well. There was never a time when both of us wanted to stop writing. We've met so many writers along the way who've given up. In fact, there's one we used to critique with who has such a wonderful voice - she even landed a well known agent during that period - but when rejection ultimately grew to be too much for her, she'd stop writing for a couple of years, then come back and try again for a few more. Incredibly, I think she should be nearing thirty years of writing without a contract and she's currently in one of her down periods. From time to time we find ourselves wondering "what if." What if she'd hung in there one more month the last time around? Sent her latest manuscript to one more publisher? What if, what if, what if. And if we're doing that, you can believe she is. And that's one thing we promised we'd never do. Never put ourselves in a position of wondering "what if" about ourselves.

Writing, and being able to live off our writing, was our dream. And thankfully that dream has managed to sustain us through some pretty lean times. And now? Well, we encourage anyone who's entertaining any doubts to hang in there. Because if we can do it, you can, too. And that dream? We're living it. And it's even better than we ever imagined. And, trust me, we imagined some pretty far-fetched scenarios!(g)(g)(g)

How did you come up with your pen name? I can figure out the "Tori" but "Carrington" has me a bit confused. The name reminds me of Krystal Carrington from the series Dynasty.

We originally wanted to keep Karayianni. But our editor had some concerns about it sounding too ethnic. After two weeks of going back and forth with possibilities she called us up one morning and tried Carrington out on us. It came to her, as most of her great ideas do, while she was driving to work. So we look at Carrington as the anglicized version of Karayianni.(g's)

Do you remember what you did to celebrate when you learned that your first book, Constant Craving, had finally sold? Who is the first person you told the good news?

The first people we called to share the news with were our dear friends and fellow writers extraordinaire Teresa Medeiros and Elizabeth Bevarly. We all jumped around and screamed for nearly an hour. Then we hung up with them and called everyone in our address book, including every last member of our family in Greece. And when we were done with all of them we logged on and shared the news with all our on-line friends. Just recalling that day makes me tear up all over again. While we were thrilled to finally sell our first book, well...sharing the experience with friends and family made it all the more special.

Speaking of your first book, Constant Craving, this was a lost book for me until a couple of weeks ago. I mistakenly thought your first book was the first of the McCoy series, License To Thrill. I loved Adam and Eva's story by the way, can you share with our readers how long this book took to write and what gave you the idea for the story line?

Interesting story, that. And it all ties into the unusual way that our first sale came about.

You see, while both of us had read and enjoyed Harlequin Temptation, over the years we'd tried to write for nearly every series romance line but Temptation. Then we had a chance encounter with Brenda Chin at a writer's conference in Milwaukee in '96. We instantly clicked with her on a multitude of levels and she invited us to submit, even though we'd voiced doubts that we could write for Temptation (our books tended to be more action and suspense oriented rather than sexy). So after running into her another one or two times, we finally put together a proposal for her. Something we thought would be right up her alley. And she wasted no time rejecting it.(bg's)

Of course by then we'd already begun a second proposal with her in mind. But since we'd already sent in the one we thought she'd like, this next one we focused more on what we wanted to write. And so was born CONSTANT CRAVING. A book that meshed our love for mystery and suspense, Tony's Greek background, and the steamy bayous of Louisiana all in one neat package.

The moral of the story? Always stay true to yourself. Don't try to second guess what an editor might like. Instead write what you like and trust that the book will find a home.

When you first saw the book on the store shelves, can you share with us the feelings that you had about finally making it to print?

Holy cow! Just thinking about it makes my heart start hammering all over again. I swear, I stood staring at the bookshelf for a full half hour, unable to compute the reality. Tony? Well he stopped everyone who passed and ended up hand-selling every last copy the bookstore had, leaving us without the copy we'd gone after. LOL!

Of course, we immediately informed the manager that she had to order more...

Many authors have a trademark book or series of books that they are known for. I think for you that series is, so far, definately the Magnificent McCoy Men. Although you have written several books since the last in this series, I still think of you as the authors of this sexy series. Can you tell us how these magnificent stories came into being? Were they planned originally as a five book series? I have been instructed to ask this question....any chance there is a long lost brother out there somewhere? Readers can't get enough of these sexy brothers and want more.

Oh, we can't tell you how very, very much we adore those McCoy men. They'll always hold a very special place in our hearts. We're overjoyed that readers feel the same.

As we move on in our career and grow as writers we're finding it harder and harder to think of books in terms of...well, a single book. The characters come alive, sharing stories of their siblings, their friends, their parents, and each and every one of them then also become a part of the book and our lives. That's what happened with the McCoys.

Of course, when we finished with the proposal for License to Thrill, we realized there were four other brothers who would also make magnificent heroes in their own right. But we didn't dare propose a series as such. Being only our third proposal (second sale) out of the gate for Temptation, we thought we'd be shot down faster than you could say not a chance. Imagine our surprise, then, when Brenda called and said, "guys, you do realize that Marc has four brothers, don't you?"

Just thinking about it makes me want to jump up and do the happy dance all over again!

As for any other McCoys that may be lurking out there somewhere...we'll see. And that's all we're saying about that right now.(vbg's)

Let's talk for a bit about your writing process......explain to me just how two people write a book. I know some writing teams do the every other chapter thing. I get the impression that this is not how you approach it.

Well, in the beginning we tried several different approaches. We traded off on writing scenes and chapters. Then male and female viewpoints. But ultimately we came to accept that the end result was never as seamless as we'd have liked. So we settled on my (Lori) being the chief writer and Tony being the master plotter (he so hates when I say that ;>). And we're both very happy in our roles. I get complete control, er, a lot of input when it comes to characters. And Tony draws on his strengths as an Oliver Stone-like paranoid conspiracy theorist, er, I mean natural storyteller.(g)

What is a typical writing day like for you? Do you write for a certain number of hours each day, at a certain time, give us a glimpse of your schedule when writing if you will?

We keep what we call European hours. You see, we lived in Greece from '87 - '88 and during that time adopted the Greek habits. One of them being a daily siesta. We're in the office by eight each morning. Knock off at around noon or one for lunch. Then we lie down for a couple hours. After seeing to things around the house, responding to email, and enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee, we head back to the office at around seven or eight p.m. until midnight. We keep this schedule from Monday thru Friday. On the weekend we play around a little more, but usually are in the office for a couple hours each morning. More during a deadline crunch.

You have written an online story for eharlequin, titled In Too Deep. Ben and Alannah's story is one of the hotter online reads and is connected to one of your upcoming releases, Skin Deep, which we will talk about in a bit. How did this project come about and did this way of writing offer any additional challenges that a traditional book might not have?

Actually SKIN DEEP is in bookstores now! Incredible, isn't it? It seems like just yesterday that we were trading posts with eHarlequin.com readers on IN TOO DEEP, even though the online serial ran last February.

From what we understand, the regular editorial departments make suggestions to the great people at eHarlequin.com on who should be selected for projects, so, again, we have Brenda to thank for this opportunity...and challenge.(vbg) Remember when I said we have a hard enough time keeping our ideas down to one story? Well, IN TOO DEEP kept getting bigger and bigger in scope, and we're talking about only the brainstorming session. So big, in fact, that we had to sit down one morning and strictly outline each chapter then force ourselves to stick to that outline. I can't tell you how difficult it was to do that. But we were very, very happy with the end result and reader reaction to the story!

Are there any plans to do another on line for eharlequin?

At this point, no. But we're certainly up for another round!

Can you give our readers the link to IN TOO DEEP? I'm sure if they have missed it they will want to read it before they read your new August Temptation, SKIN DEEP.

We'd love to! Read IN TOO DEEP at www.eharlequin.com.

Speaking of SKIN DEEP in addition to having the sexy John DeSalvo (my favorite) on the cover, this story line sounds especially sizzeling and is one of my favorite themes. Can you tell us a bit about the book and how did you get the georgous John for the cover?

Ah, if only we had input any credible input into who Harlequin puts on our cover! Although we do have to give them a great deal of credit in this case. All authors fill out what are called Art Fact Sheets, you know, that provide details on setting, characters and overall story. For SKIN DEEP we filled in Benjamin Bratt as the hero and Charlize Theron as the heroine. We got John DeSalvo and...Charlize Theron! Yes, we are definitely very happy campers.

As for the story, when we sat down to brainstorm ideas, we were shocked to discover that we'd never written a friends-to-lovers book. Oh, friendship plays an important role in all our books (so important in healthy, long-lasting relationships, doncha think?(g)), but we'd never gone into a book with the hero and heroine already established as longtime friends. And bam! Michael Romero and Kyra White were born.

Right on the heels of SKIN DEEP you have another release, this time a Blaze in September. Tell us a bit about EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE.

We'd love to! EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE is the second book in the Blaze Trueblood Texas trilogy. That's right, the continuity series takes a detour through steamy Blaze territory for these three books -- the first is TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY by Vicki Lewis Thompson in August, the third is by Debbi Rawlins in October -- then the series goes back to stand alone again. Although we don't think it will ever be the same again, how about you?

When Brenda initially invited us to participate in the series for Blaze, we were ecstatic! We already loved the series. Then reality settled in. What, we asked, did we know about Texas? You know, beyond what we've seen and learned over several trips to the Lone Star State? With the help of Brenda and our Texan friends, we pieced together EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE about cowgirl-turned-P.I. Mariah Clayborn who's hungry to learn how to turn men on, and hunky Yankee businessman Zach Letterman who strikes a deal with her: If she'll instruct him in the art of private investigating, he'll school her in the art of sexiness. Only Zach quickly finds out that Mariah already knows more than he can ever teach her.

We so love turning the tables on our characters, and were both surprised and delighted by Mariah and Zach's reactions to our doing so! As for the sizzle factor...well, we'll let readers be the judge of that.(bg's)

We will go through "Tori Carrington withdrawal" in October with nothing new, but November brings us your third book for the Silhouette Special Edition line, WHAT A WOMAN WANTS. Please tease us a bit with a glimpse of this story line.

We think fans of our previous SSE A WOMAN FOR DUSTY CONRAD -- Oct '01 -- will be happy to see secondary characters Sheriff John Sparks and fire-widow Darby Conrad get their own story in WHAT A WOMAN WANTS. We know we were thrilled to revisit the fictional town of Old Orchard, Ohio and catch up with Dusty and Jolie, as well as cause all sorts of havoc in the lives of the town sheriff and the widow of his best friend. Throw in two mischievous twin girls who think their father is coming back and...well, let's just say that we as writers enjoyed sitting back and watching the story unfold before us.

We're happy to report that we just contracted for the third book in the "unofficial" series with AN UNLIKELY PAIR (working title), scheduled for Summer 2003! (I say unofficial because there's no special flash for the connected stories.)

Does writing for the SSE imprint change your approach to writing at all? Are there any things different that you do when writing for this line as compared to a Temptation or Blaze?

It's funny you should say that, because right after we sold our first book to SSE -- JUST EIGHT MONTHS OLD, Nov '00 -- our SSE editor told us our proposals were too Temptation-y, and our Temptation editor told us our proposals for her were too tame. LOL! I think we've got it right now. SSE readers expect a more angst-driven story, while Temptation and Blaze readers want something ultimately more sexually-based. Having said that, we were surprised when SSE wanted us to include our trademark heat. They don't try to tone us down in the least. We just have to make sure we notch up the emotional volume whenever we write for SSE.

Which scenes tend to be more difficult for you to write the emotional scenes between the characters, the lovemaking scenes, the dialog of the characters or something else and why?

You know, it actually depends on the book rather than the scene. There are those books that write themselves from beginning to end, including every scene in between. Then there are those that, well, we sweat blood writing. When writing every scene feels like suffering through root canal surgery. Actually there are some days when we'd actually prefer the procedure over having to write one more word in these types of books.

It's interesting to note, however, that while the "easier" books earn wild fan approval (these tend to be the more comic releases), it's the "root canal" books that win awards. So rather than put a book aside when the going gets tough, we stoically push on through, knowing the difficult journey will be worth it in the end.

I'll ask this because I think everyone expects me to. How to put this delicately...hmmmm....ok forget delicate...do you personally research the lovemaking situations you get your characters into?

Sniff. According to RWA and Harlequin's rules of proper interview etiquette, we're supposed to say something along the lines of "do you think mystery writers commit murder in the course of researching their books?" Double sniff.

But if you know us, you know how we love breaking rules because...well, simply because they're there. That applies to our books, ourselves and everyone else's cotton-pickin' rules.

Having said that...yes! Any writer will tell you that research is one of the most, um, enjoyable parts of writing any book. And that especially applies to the research involved in writing our Blazes and Temptations. After all, we do have to make sure that the situations are physically feasible, don't we? LOL!

I have found from attending chats and such that series writers are especially supportave of one another. Carly Phillips has recently had a huge success with her 1st single title release, THE BACHELOR. Have either of you had a chance to read this book and if so what did you think of it? Do you think it's being picked by Kelly Ripa for her book club will have a significant impact on future romances being purchased by people who wouldn't normally buy them?

We're proud to call Karen Drogin aka Carly Phillips friend, along with every other author for the Temptation and Blaze lines, especially those with whom we share our editor. Brenda is unique in that she not only encourages us all to get together, but she also creates the environment for just such social gatherings at conferences and like events. Take the RWA conference in Denver in July, for example. Wednesday, the day before the conference officially began, Brenda gathered nine of us together and we all went whitewater rafting. She also loves playing musical dinner companions. We used to think that it was just that Brenda chooses great authors. Now we see that Brenda, herself, is to credit for creating the perfect atmosphere for friendship to grow.

Back to Karen and THE BACHELOR. Yes, we have her book, no we haven't had a chance to read it yet. I think the biggest drawback of writing so much is that it really cuts into your reading time. But I am very much looking forward to getting a peek at pg. 166 (I slap my own hand away whenever I reach to do just that!). And I think we all now proudly count ourselves as Ripheads! Karen and Kelly have done a fantastic job of not only promoting THE BACHELOR, but the entire romance genre as a whole. And that's always a very good thing.

What one piece of advice would you give an unpublished writer looking to get their first sale?

Don't give up. Stay true to yourself. And, unfortunately, it really does depend on the book. (Now, now, no tantrums allowed! LOL.) There are no shortcuts, no tried and true maps or secret handshakes that lead to sale success. Write the books you want the way you want to write them (notice we said 'books" not "book." Most writers have to write several prior to their first sale), and believe that some day -- hopefully soon! -- they'll find the proper homes.

Was there anyone who especially helped you along the way, gave you advice or encouragement when things got tough? If so who was it and what was the advice?

Yikes! Do you mean "anyone" as in one specific person? Impossible! There were and still are so many. Each other aside, we'd have to say our closest circle of friends has been our greatest support system. Not because we critiqued each other's books. Or even propped each other up when we were drooping. It was and is because, well, they were and are simply there, no matter what, you know? It didn't matter if we received a rejection letter or made a sale, they were and are still our friends. And that's saying a lot when you consider that when we met Terri in '89 at the Boston RWA conference she'd already sold her first book and now she's a NYT bestselling author, and that Liz is mindblowingly successful with both her Desires and her Avon single titles. We were and are friends. That's where the story ends and begins.

Actually the same principle applies to nearly everyone we've met over the years, both online and at RWA and RT events. We're still remarkably close to all our longtime ex-RomEx friends -- too numerous to mention! They know who they are -- and our local RWA chapter pals, and now our new buds at ToriCarringtonFriends, an email loop that's very much like a 24/7 anything goes ongoing chat. Just knowing we're not alone, and that the person next to us "gets it" is all the encouragement we've ever needed.

Of course it doesn't hurt to be determined as hell, either.(vbg's)

What does your family think of your romance writing, in particular your sons?

Our family has been with us every step of the way. They may not have always understood why we were doing what we were (can't tell you how many times over those 14 years we heard "sooooo, when are you going to open that restaurant?"), but having seen us go through what we did...well, I almost think they were happier than we were when we first sold. And our pursuing our dream has made them think about pursuing dreams of their own, which is enormously fulfilling.

As for our sons Tony, Jr. and Tim...well, you know kids. We could probably work in a coal mine and get the same reaction. Personally I think they avoid putting us and "sex" and "romance" in the same sentence as much as they can. There are times, however, when Tony, Jr. will run into an old friend or make a new one and when he shares what we do he's blown away when they not only know who we are but finds out they're fans. It makes him think about what we do. For all of ten seconds, anyway. ;>

Tony have any of your friends given you a hard time about your writing choice and if so what is your response to them?

You're joking, right? Oh, sure, I might hear an occasional wise crack, but more often than not I get the elbow nudges. You know the ones where my male friends think we're in on some kind of joke together, but they're really trying to figure out what I know and they don't? I get the biggest kick out of it.

Is it possible that we might see a single title release from Tori Carrington in the near future?

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN was the fifth and last book in our Magnificent McCoy Men miniseries, but it's more than a title for us. It's a way of life. We're constantly trying to redefine ourselves, our books and our lives, which means we won't rule anything out.

Hmm...sounds like we're running for office, doesn't it? Snickers. President Karayianni. Has a ring to it, doesn't it? Okay, okay, maybe Councilwoman or Councilman Karayianni. There, that's better.

What is your absolute favorite thing about being a writer and of course you least favorite thing?

Hands down, I think our favorite part of being writers is having the license to be nosy. We love people. All kinds of people. It doesn't matter if you're big, small, tall, short, black, white, old, young. Tony or I will be the one holding up the grocery line because he or I want to hear about the cashier's struggle to make ends meet at age sixty because her husband recently passed away. Or getting a busload of us lost by chatting up a shuttle driver to find out where the most unusual place she or he has ever had sex and with whom. We'll go out to water the flowers and come back in two hours later with our heads spinning with the neighbor's WWII memories, or the other neighbor's adoption experiences.

In fact I think our being writers grows naturally out of our insatiable interest in human behavior. Our need to understand what makes each individual unique and compels them to do the things they do. And when we write we get to explore that topic in a way we wouldn't be able to otherwise. This winter I want to talk Tony into doing the meals-on-wheels program. Or volunteering for holiday soup kitchen duty. So many people, so many heartbreaking and heartwarming stories, so little time....

Least favorite thing about writing? Gad, my mind just went completely blank. Ask us in five years. Maybe we'll be able to come up with something then. But I doubt it.(bg)

No, it's not all sunshine and roses, but I don't think either of us would have it any other way. What we have is the best of both worlds, isn't it? Not only do we get to play with our lifemates on our off time, we get to play with each other at work, as well. It's better than we dared hoped for when we started writing 18 years ago. And hard as it may be to believe, it just keeps getting better and better. We love each other, our lives and our career. What more could we want?

Okay, maybe more chocolate.(g)(g)(g)

It there anything about having a writing career that took you totally by surprise? Something that you didn't expect to be part of the picture?

Oh, by far, I think it's the way some fans and fellow writers react to us. A recent experience, especially, comes to mind. Again, it happened during the RWA conference in Denver. I'd just participated in a workshop on how to notch up the heat in your writing along with fellow authors Karen Drogin/Carly Phillips, Vicki Lewis Thompson and our editor Brenda Chin and I was strolling around the lobby looking for our SSE editor Patience Smith, whom we were meeting for dinner. A pretty young woman stared at me with wide eyes as I passed. I smiled, thinking that maybe we'd met somewhere, and she approached and hesitantly placed a hand on my arm as if she couldn't believe she was touching me and asked if I was Tori Carrington. I explained that I was Lori Karayianni and wrote as Tori with Tony and asked what her name was. She appeared not to hear me. Instead she went on about how much she enjoyed our books, and how what I had to say during the workshop spoke straight to her heart and that she couldn't thank me enough. I don't think either Tony or I will ever get used to such awestruck reactions. We're touched, yes, but also...uncomfortable somehow. We are only human, after all. And our immediate reaction is to prove the same by acting human. We've made some very good friends this way.

On the more personal level, please share with us some of your favorite writers and or books. What do you look for when choosing something to read?

Oh, boy. So many writers and books, so little time and space. What I will say is that we stick almost strictly to fiction, except when it comes to reading philosophy and academic tombs on literature and mythology. How's that for narrowing the parameters?(g's) From Kazantzakis and the Bronte sisters to Teresa Medeiros and Janet Evanovich our tastes run the entire gambit. I'm even a fan of Clancy while Tony would choose Jude Deveraux over him any day. I adore Maeve Binchy for her reality, but can't read two of her books back-to-back for the same reason. That's when I'll reach for a Leslie Kelly or Jennifer Crusie novel. We've never been known to say no to a book, which is why our TBR pile resembles Mount Olympus and I swear I sometimes hear Zeus telling us to prune it down or risk his wrath by toppling it over on us.

What is the most romantic thing your partner has ever done for you and or said to you?

Oh, am I so glad I'm the one answering this question! Simply because I have the most interesting story. You see, when Tony and I first met...well, we faced many obstacles. I was seventeen, he was twenty-seven. He was such a ladies man with all the costly trappings, and I had sworn off the same. He had been married before and I was more interested in finishing high school and pursuing a career in computer science. Yet I was drawn to him in a way that not even I could explain, so I reluctantly began dating him. The chemistry between us...well, it was absolutely explosive and refused to be denied. And while I wouldn't say he was the most romantic guy in the world -- still isn't, but I think I'll keep him(vbg) -- there came that one moment when I knew how he truly felt about me.

You see, Tony has this...thing for tomatoes. He'll spend an hour choosing just the right ones at the farmer's market. Will chew the cashier out if she doesn't handle his choices properly. And is gentle as a poet when he grows them himself.

It was during the first summer of our romance that he'd first grown his own. And he surprised me one day by bringing me an entire bag full of his first tomatoes. All of them. Not one or two to try them, but every last tomato he pulled from the vines. That he was presenting them to me...well, let's just say that the gesture meant more to me than dozens upon dozens of mass produced flower shop roses. The gift came straight from his heart. And while he didn't persuade me to marry him until five years later, I'll always remember that moment as one of our most touching and most meaningful simply because it was the first.

What do you like to do in your free time when you are not writing? Do you have any special hobbies or projects?

Everything and anything! Well, okay, anything short of jumping out of airplanes and that includes small, confined spaces.(g's) No, seriously, we're open to just about any and all experiences. From kayaking and camping to the theatre and lavish meals, we're in. We love to spend time with family and friends, love to travel, love to putter around in our garden or laze around with our cats while we read. We adore cooking and eating out. Dressing up and dressing down. Climbing up on top of the proverbial soap box and sitting quietly while others are up there. Chatting with our friends online, on the phone and over a five-course home-cooked meal. Reading and writing.

Hmm...maybe I should say that nothing really bores us. Somehow we manage to find something to be gained or enjoyed in just about every activity.

Do you ever get tired of spending so much time together and if so how do you deal with the situation?

You know, it's funny, but we never get tired of each other. Yes, we engage in heated debates. Pick, pick, pick at each other until an argument ensues. You know, all the things other normal couples do. But there's never been a time when we've felt compelled to leave the other's company. Are you kidding? It's too much fun this way! And, besides, there's always the making up part that comes afterward.

I'm very happy to say that Tony is my lover, my husband, my partner, my confidant and my best friend, and not always in that order. It depends on the moment. He inspires me, frustrates me, encourages me, enrages me, touches me, challenges me, completes me. He is, beyond a doubt, the Yang to my Yin.

You have heard the term "soulmate". Do you feel this is the type of relationship you two have found in each other? Why or why not?

Giggles. Sorry. Guess I already answered this to some extent above and throughout the interview.

Please give our readers your web address and is there anything you would like to share with us that I have neglected to ask?

Oh, you can find more than you ever wanted to know about us by visiting www.toricarrington.com! There you can find out more info on our current, past and coming releases, photos from our many conferences and travel adventures including links to our writing and non-writing buddies and enter fun drawings for cash, books and more! Right now we're holding a drawing for $25 crazy money to celebrate the release of SKIN DEEP, so you and your readers should definitely enter now!

Also, if anyone is interested in joining the email loop we talked about, go to ToriCarringtonFriends and sign up. Aside from having a great time chatting, we hold special drawings there not available on our site. In fact, we've just given away RWA and Harlequin goody bags to our friends and plan to give away T-shirts very soon.

Pressed for time? Then subscribe to our newsletter. Trust me, you won't get buried with email. I think we've sent out like a total of ten newsletters in the three years the list has been in existence. Go to to subscribe now. Then go to our site for info on subscribing to Temptation, Blaze and Silhouette Special Edition newsletters.

One last question, what do you hope readers will take with them when they close the pages of a Tori Carrington book?

Now there's a question we haven't thought about in a while. Hmm...I think the most important thing we hope readers take with them is a sense of having visited a place they loved. Met people they enjoyed. Experienced a story that made them laugh and gasp and cry and covered the full spectrum of human emotion. And created a fond memory they'll cherish long after they've read the last page.

Taking it even further, we hope readers gain a sense of wellness and happiness and feel that everything will not only be all right for our characters, but for our readers, too. Because that's what writing is all about -- especially romance writing -- isn't it? Overcoming obstacles, both physical and emotional, and reaching for the happily ever after not only our characters grow to deserve, but each one of us, as well. And if it's one thing all of our books illustrate is that each of us is responsible for finding our own sexual identity and our own path in life and happiness. And so long as that journey doesn't include harming small children or animals or others, well...more power to you!(g's)

Tony and Lori it has been a blast chatting with you. I look forward to your upcoming releases and wish you much continued success in the years to come. Thank you for creating such memorable and of course sexy characters to brighten and heat up our reading hours.

Ohhh, thank you so much for the opportunity, Barbara! One of the reasons it took us so long to get back to you is that we knew you would make us think. Thank you for that, as well.