BL Bonita turns up the heat while the reader turns on the air conditioner with tales of erotic romance. BL is absolutely devoted to family (her fiancé's a retired Marine captain) and has a love of the grandeur of mountains and pristine lakes. BL was raised in a remote region of Northern Ontario, where airplanes were as necessary as firewood, black bears lived a few forests down and occasionally dropped by uninvited, and where travel to a grocery store was determined by seasons, not convenience.
When BL writes about the crispness of mountain air on a nose, the crackle of glazed snow underfoot, and blazing sunsets that go on forever, such as in "Beautiful Criminal," she pens these scenes from firsthand experience. "Beautiful Criminal's" Gabriel Miller is a pilot, inspired by the men who flew in and out of the resort BL was raised on. The hum of the Cessna's engine in an unblemished sky is a memory BL shares. The plane crash and Miller's awakening to a beautiful woman in a wilderness cabin? All part of the fun, imagination and romantic mind of BL Bonita.
BL has seen several of her stories published. One of the earliest, "Pathway to Paradise" established the setting and intensity readers have come to know and enjoy - "From the concrete jungle to the wilds of Northern Ontario, Sianna Williams accepts a management job at a wilderness resort. Coerced to travel by boat with a man who is both unbearable and arousing, her fate is sealed when the boat takes on water. They are forced ashore to spend a night under the stars, where nothing but the wind and the wildlife can hear her passionate cries."
If you enjoy realism infused by one who has lived it, and romantic liaisons sure to singe your cheeks, be sure to check out BL Bonita.
Q. How did you meet your fiancé?
A. My honey was on assignment in Congo. During his evening break he happened by a site online where I was promoting my work. He sent me a message asking if I was interested in writing his life story, that he wasn't sure how to go about it, and after some lengthy conversations about his past I was very intrigued. We talked for several months and I began a rough draft based on our emails. We became fast friends and decided to meet. Now, this sounds corny and clichéd, but truth be told when we finally met face-to-face almost three years ago, that was it. Our fate was sealed when we broke the hotel bed (hehe). He retired after 20 years in the service and now he devotes his time to airbrush art and reading my steamy books.
Q. In your mind, what's the single most important component you place in your stories?
A. Real people. I like heroes who are not destined to be the hero, and leading women who know how to survive. For example, Gabe in "Beautiful Criminal" is a bad boy, to put it mildly, and Mima wields an ax better than most men. I grew up around these character types, and I believe they are interesting, often mysterious and misunderstood, which is definitely worth writing about.
Q. Curiosity: Having been raised in the remote regions, where do you and your family vacation for a change of pace?
A. In all honesty, I have yet to take a real vacation. I';ve lived in basically every corner of Canada, done many a road trip in my life, so I guess that';s a bit like a vacation. Although I tell you, there were times I had to siphon gas to get home. LOL. But soon (shaking fist) I'll be spending my days frolicking somewhere on a hot beach where snow is just a distant memory.
Q. When not writing, how do you spend your time?
A. I love to walk, not only for the exercise but to clear my mind. Although, let's face it, a writer's mind is never really clear. Other than that I lead a very normal life shopping for groceries in nothing but a trench coat and washing dishes in my spandex cat suit. Oh, and chasing my man down to erase the candid photos he likes to take of me on the toilet. I'll let you decide which of those three is the truth.
Q. Any parting thoughts for your readers?
A. Keep an open mind when considering purchasing a book. I know many readers like to stick with authors they know. I'm a huge reader myself, and for me, the blurb and cover sells me -- not the author's name. You never know what you might find if you take a chance on a new-to-you author, and besides, some of the unknowns could be the next Nora Roberts. Even she had to start somewhere.
Thank you for interviewing me, David. I had a blast!
DA Kentner is an author and journalist. www.kevad.net
