Quick Six with Samantha Hunter
Please join me in a big whoohooo and welcome to Samantha Hunter! Sam, a RITA nominee, writes amazing stories for Blaze. She’s a great gal and her books are so awesome to read. We worked on the 
Dressed to Thrill series together and had such a great time.
Sam’s offering a wonderful prize to one commenter today – a copy of both MAKE YOUR MOVE and her BLAZING BEDTIME STORIES, a bookmark and a custom chocolate bar – YUM. So be sure and leave a comment for a shot at winning 
Alpha, beta or gamma?
Definitely Gamma. These are the heroes I write most often, and the men I like most in real life, and the ones I enjoy reading about — I guess because I don’t like the extreme types, I want a guy who has it all. He can lead, he can protect or defend, he can fight or shoot a gun, but he can be funny or goofy, read a book or carry a conversation. He listens as much as he talks, and he gets to know his heroine, what she likes, and what she needs (in bed and out), and he wants to be that guy. He can express his feelings without someone needing to beat him into it. This is so important to me. I can read alphas, and I normally don’t like a pure beta at all (too wussy) but I like the balanced man best.
Candles or Incense?
Candles. I used to make them, even. I like candle light, it’s romantic and cheerful, but I don’t like scented candles — I enjoy a soy candle or beeswax, so you don’t have a mess and soot, it’s more natural, and you get a nice, sweet natural scent, but no heavy perfumes that will annoy my sinuses. (I also do like incense, sometimes, something mild like Sandalwood, but any strong scents put me off.)Chinese, Italian, Mexican or fast food?
Mexican will win this race every time. I like Chinese, and fast food is okay, but we try to avoid it. Love Italian, too, but it’s something I grew up with at home, where I never really had a lot of Mexican until I was an adult.I LOVE Mexican food. I like to cook it (I make killer enchiladas) and we have two Mexican restaurants here in Syracuse (well, there are actually more than that, but only 2 that we go to), and one of them is only open in Summer, so that is a huge summer treat for us. I’m looking forward to our trip to the west coast, and I would love to get down to Texas and the southwest for some more authentic Mexican, though we did go to a great place in Framingham Ma, last week when I was at the NEC conf, and it was terrific. I will never, never pass up Mexican food.
High heels or flats?
Absolutely flats. Sneakers, clogs, flip flops, boots, Birkenstocks. I think I have one pair of Clarks sandals with a slight wedge, and that’s about as much heel as you’ll ever find me wearing. I like shoes that are comfortable, easy to walk in, last a long time, good for my feet and back, and that’s the criteria. I like funky more than sexy when it comes to shoes.Blue or white collar hunk?
I come from a very working class background (I grew up in a small industrial city and have worked in my share of factories, etc, as did my family), and my sisters and I were the first to go to college, and I am the first to have a graduate degree, so I don’t romanticize the blue collar lifestyle as much as some do. It can be a hard life, and not so romantic. Because my blue collar life turned into an academic one, I do like academics and smart, educated guys — scientists and computer specialists and professors. I like them better if they are tough and don’t mind getting their hands dirty, curse, and can fix a car or play a sport. So again, I guess I kind of like it all. The blue-blood, wealthy finance or business guy who always wears a suit and just has everyone do everything for him doesn’t do anything for me. Aside of a few hunky lawyers, you’ll notice my characters are almost never corporate types.Déjà vu or Amnesia?
Amnesia — it’s my favorite premise, and I can never get enough of it. I am absolutely obsessed with the idea of amnesia, the idea of what life would be like if you couldn’t remember anything (for better,and for worse), and it’s something I find I will read, write, watch, over and over again. In fact, you just gave me a great idea! LOL
Samantha Hunter lives in Syracuse NY where she has been writing for Harlequin Blaze as Samantha Hunter since 2004. Previously employed as a writing instructor at Syracuse University where she earned Master’s Degrees in English/Rhetoric, Public Administration and Geography, writing her own books appeared to be destined when she once crossed out the name of the authors on her LIFE Encyclopedia at the age of six and wrote “By Sam Hunter” on the title page. As of 2010, she’ll have put her name on sixteen novels of her own, with more in progress. Sam was a RITA “Suspense/Adventure” nominee in 2008 for her Blaze Extreme Untouched, a sexy paranormal romance, and she’s an avid reader of romance and mystery/suspense, prefers television to movies, and loves spending time with her husband, pets and in her gardens. You can chat with her on eHarlequin.com, Twitter, and Facebook.
Hi Samantha! Your prize package today sounds awesome. I’d love to read both books and then to add some chocolate to top it off is pure heaven. I agree with you on so many of your answers. Try as I might, I’m just not a high heel girl. I have flat feet so more comfortable shoes will always be my choice. That’s interesting that the one restaurant in your town only opens in the summer. Is that so that they can offer fresh ingredients? We have some great Mexican restaurants here in south Alabama that include seafood as part of the menu. I also like making homemade Mexican food as well because it’s so easy and delicious.
I agree with you about the Gamma guy as well. I love the combination of smart and funny and someone that is the best of both worlds. The fantasy guy should be the perfect guy right?
Hi Jill! The Mexican place here closes in the winter because the family who owns it goes back down to Mexico for the winter — given Syr winters, I can’t blame them!
I am making enchiladas for dinner tonight, too, a surprise for hubby who has been gone this week. I’m hoping to find fresh tomatillos at the groc store, but if not, will do red.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sam
Hi Sam!
I’m with you on the shoes, I don’t tend to wear any with any type of heel. Though it would make me taller, but they’re so uncomfortable.
My ideal hero is Gamma, but I enjoy a good Alpha as well.
Don’t put me in the drawing I have both books : )
Nicole, yeah, I wore heels for one job, probably about 25 years ago, and I don’t think I have worn any since.
I like a good alpha, too — but it has to be the right kind of guy — right now, I would say the perfect Alpha, IMO, is Gibbs on NCIS (my current obsession). I just can’t resist him, LOL. But he is so smart, so dedicated, and I love how he cracks that secret smile sometimes when no one else can see (none of the people around him on the show). And he has sexy down to a science.
Sam
Hey Sam,
I like candles too but sometimes like to burn incense. It just depends on the mood.
I’m also a “flats” gal but LOVE my boots and some of those have hella heels!
Hey Jamie – I only wear boots in the summer, and I see really cute shoes that other people wear, but they would never look right on me. I’m not a heels “type” I don’t think — maybe cowboy boots.
Sam
Fun interview, Sam – and glad to have followed you here to check out Tawny’s blog. I loved the “Dressed to Thrill” series…
Gamma gents are my faves too, although I do love a good alpha sometimes. Yummy on the Mexican, and woot on the new amnesia idea – can’t wait to see what comes of that. LOL
No need to enter me…just thought I’d say “Hi”.
Thanks Jamie! Hi back to you.
The amnesia idea is working into my “Tony” book — I can tell you more elsewhere. 
But I’ll have to thank Tawny in the acks for sparking the idea for me with her Quick Six question. 
Sam
Squeee!! Two of my favorite authors in one spot!! Tawny and Sam, your Dressed to Thrill stories were fantastic!! Do you had any plans to work together again?
And amusingly, we love Mexican food, too–possibly even more than Chinese, which is funny only because we ARE Chinese…
And gotta agree with your reasons for gamma, Sam–I want it ALL!
Hey Fedora! Actually, Tawny and I are both writing 24 Hours: Blackout Blazes for 2011, along with Heather MacAlister, so that will be fun — thanks for asking!
Oh, I love the chips and salsa, too!
Sam
Whoops, the chips comment was for Jody’s post, as she was talking about the mexican food and pico de gallo! (Sorry about that Jody — hope you see this).
Fedora, We have a Chinese place here too that we love, and we get that often because it doesn’t have dairy, which we both are sensitive to.
Congrats on the new release, Samantha. I’m fascinated by amnesia and its causes.
Thanks Jane! Me, too, on amnesia. I’m sure it would be awful in reality, but for fiction, it just fascinates me.
Sam
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one who lives in flats. As far as fast food goes it’s a toss up. I’ll like all of the choices.
I think a lot of women prefer comfort now, and they have such cute, funky flats.
Thanks for coming by!
Sam
Woot! Sam is in the house
I’m so excited to have you here. Can you share the deets of your story?
Hey — sorry, I was in the house, LOL, and then I got waylaid by a busy afternoon — but back, full of enchiladas, and happy to see all the comments!
This book is a friends to lovers, which I really enjoy writing, and Dan is one of my favorite heroes, since I had wanted to write a real science-guy geek forever. And he wears glasses (I just wish they had left them on on the cover — there’s a scene where the heroine asks him to leave them on, LOL). Without giving too much away, it has a mystery subplot, and a bad guy, and I think it’s a ton of fun.
I hope everyone else does, too. 
Sam
Oooh, I LOVE a friends-to-lovers story! Looking forward to that, Sam!!
Yay.
I have another one out at Christmas — I guess I was on a friends to lovers roll… LOL.
Sam
That’s my favorite storyline, friends to lovers.
Sweet!! Looking forward to these, Sam! Your books are always on my list anyway, but I’m even more eager knowing this!
I second your love of Mexican food. I love the spiciness all the fresh vegetables that are used in the recipes and truly believe I could eat it everyday and never get tired of it. My favorite pig out food is chips and pico de gallo and whenever I’m watching tv that’s what’s beside me.
Your new book sounds great and your description of your favorite kind of hero is right on the money.
Jody, I kind of messed up my reply order, but I hope you saw my comment above, and I am so glad to see so many people like gammas.
I always think more people like alphas, but maybe they are just more “visible.”
Sam
Great interview! All of your books look fabulous!
Thanks Chelsea!
1. Gibbs. Love, absolutely love, Mark Harmon, one of my favourite sexiest men alive.
2. Candles if unscented, as allergies kick in.
3. Italian. All the way.
4. Flats. Wear orthotics. Runners are best. Broke down and wore heels last night to a party; am still paying the price tonight.
5. Hunks, blue or white, are all just fine with me. A hunk is a hunk!
6. Amnesia. Easier to imagine myself in heroine’s shoes, as romances tend to make great dream material for me.
7. Night night. Thanks for a neat blog!
Great post! Also great prize! I burn candle too, sometimes, it makes the house smell better!