It's February! And to welcome in the new month, Total-E-Bound have returned with some great new upcoming titles, and interviews from two of their authors, Wendi Zwaduk and Fleur T Reid...

Hi everyone!

This week we have two interviews with authors who have books being released in our Valentine's Collection on Monday February 6^th. We have four seasonal collections throughout the year, Valentines, Summer, Halloween and Christmas.

The collection is called Heart Attack and includes four fabulous stories. Here is a snippet of what you can expect from the collection:

"Love isn't the only thing that can get your heart beating fast. These pulse-pounding stories are full of thrills and chills. In world of undercover cops, private eyes and bad guys, can love win out over the darker side of human nature?" Visit the series page to check out all the titles in the collection.

One of the authors in the collection is Wendi Zwaduk and her book is called Over My Head. She is a published author who has 14 releases with Total-E-Bound and here she answers Trashionista's questions...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

Stripper meets Cop while cop brings down Drug Lord.  (There. That's nine words. Shocking since I love to talk. *Grin*.)

What inspired you to write Over My Head?

I was asked. Really. Beta readers read When You're With Me and they asked about the character of Astra. Who is this dancer? And where is Randy? What happened to him? Then I had the powers that be at Total-E-Bound said, yes, tell us about those characters. Astra and Randy's story was born. I couldn't NOT write it. I'm glad I did. Astra is snarky and keeps Randy on his toes. Randy's heart really shines in his scenes and putting them together was like playing with TNT.

Where do you do most of your writing?

On the couch. Sounds so silly, but it's the truth. I have to do so many other things besides write during the day that being on the couch is the central location. Most days it seems like I'm doing everything but writing, but being centralised helps. I also do most of my writing after everyone else goes to sleep. I don't have an office and the couch is in the quietest room so I end up there with my things all around. It's fun. I don't just sit there all day and with a small person in my house, I spend more time up and about than writing, so I want to be comfy when I am writing.

What is your favourite book?

Wild Card by Lora Leigh. I love the complexity of Sabella's character. It was hard to read the hero with two names, but it worked. There was so much tension in the book as well. I read it all in one sitting.

Which part of Over My Head was the most enjoyable to write?

I loved writing the part where Astra and Randy end up at the hotel. I got to research hotels, first off and then I got to stay at a posh hotel to experience things through Astra's eyes. I loved writing the frantic, hot gotta-do-it-now feeling between Astra and Randy.

What are you currently reading?

As You Desire by Nichelle Gregory. I love to read the other books on the Total-E-Bound website. I'm a voracious KA Mitchell reader as well as Mychael Black and Sean Michael. I'm an eccletic reader. I can't just read one book at a time. I have to have three or four bookmarked on my tablet at once.

Who is your favourite heroine?

Mindy Mayes from Someone Like You and Tangled Up. She's a very real woman. She's not got a perfect figure or soaring confidence. She doesn't want to be identified with a man, but part of her is happy to be with two men. I also like Mindy because she's got faults. Most women wouldn't get involved with a gay man simply because he needs help out of a strange situation. She sees beyond Arran's desires and self-sacrifices to make sure he's happy. She's not the most perfect woman, but she is who she is without making excuses.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

Read.  Just because you want to write and can write, doesn't mean you should. Read in your genre. Immerse yourself in the characters your reading. If you have characters that won't shut up, then write them down. If they nag you day and night, work on it. If they stop talking and you lose the passion to write, take a second look at whether you really want to be published. It's not easy. There's lots of work involved. But if the characters speak to you all the time and won't let you be, even when you're sleeping, write. Then ask questions from other writers. If you can find a great circle of writers who will help you, then you're better off. Being an author isn't like sitting on an island. You need friends and you need feedback. A thick skin helps, too. Read. Find a Crit Partner. Be prepared for criticism and grow a thick skin. If you're still interested, then give writing and being published a try.

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?

I just finished a short story about a Vietnam vet. I never thought I'd write a vintage piece, but when Noel started talking, I couldn't ignore him.

I'm in the planning stages of my next novel about a Hollywood ex patriot living in small town Ohio and the woman with the pet shelter who steals his heart. Speed and Summer need their story and I won't let them down.

Thanks Wendi!

The second author here today is a new to Total-E-Bound. Stone Cold is her first release with us. Fleur T Reid is excited about her first release, and here she answers the Trashionista questions:

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

A film noir pastiche complete with a dangerous dame, a down-on-his-luck detective and stolen diamonds!

What inspired you to write Stone Cold?

I'm a big fan of the film noir genre. Who isn't a little bit in love with Humphrey Bogart? All brooding and cynical and secretly noble. So when I found out that TEB was bringing out a collection of pulse-pounding thrillers for Valentine's Day, I just couldn't resist.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I curl up on the settee with a blanket, my laptop and my cat - plus endless, endless cups of tea. I run on tea. The cat occasionally "helps" by waking up, yawning, repositioning himself and trying to go to sleep on the keyboard. If you notice any sentences in my books that say "weqwewrzhrrrrr;;;p", that will be the reason why.

What is your favourite book?

My answer to this question would be different every day! I read in all sorts of different genres, and what I prefer to read on any given day depends on my mood - comedy or tragedy, magic or mystery, whodunnit or what if. My comfort reading if I'm poorly or down in the dumps is Terry Pratchett's Discworld series or something by Wodehouse - two authors who never fail to make me laugh.

Which part of Stone Cold was the most enjoyable to write?

I really enjoy experimenting with different writing voices, so it was great fun slipping into the slang that's familiar from film noir. Broads and bad guys; gumshoes and gangsters. Aside from that, I enjoyed experimenting with writing about a new kink - there's a breathplay scene that I hope will leave you gasping!

What are you currently reading?

It's a study of fairytales by Bruno Bettelheim called The Uses of Enchantment. It analyses fairytales in Freudian terms - which is going to come in very handy for my next project.

Who is your favourite heroine?

In the classics, I've always had a soft spot for Emma. She's vivacious and determined and clever...but not quite as clever as she thinks she is. I think the central characters of books should have flaws - it makes them more interesting, and more human.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

Read! Read anything and everything. Not just romances - look at how really good writers put words and ideas together whatever their genre. One of the joys of writing romance is that it crosses so effortlessly with practically any other genre, from historical to horror and from crime to cowboys.

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?

My next project is a series of fairy tales with a twist - saucy bedtime stories. The first in the series stars Little Red Riding Hood and her Big Bad Wolf. My characters will get their happily-ever-after - but perhaps not exactly the one you might expect.

Thanks Fleur!

To celebrate the release of the Valentine's Collection we have a competition starting on Monday 6^th February. To find out how you could win a romantic weekend away visit the website here.

That's all for now guys - see you soon!

Love vintage clothing? This week we've picked three perfect reads that explore vintage fashion. Each of these magical tales is set around beautiful garments from the past -we couldn't resist!

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings? Every dress has a history, so does Phoebe! Phoebe always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned cupcake dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with ! As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe feels a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again.

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

'Every dress has a story. Let me tell you mine...' Dora is in love with a man who barely notices her, has a job she doesn't care about, and dresses entirely for comfort, not style. All a far cry from her vivid, eccentric childhood, growing up with her beloved grandmother Mimi. However, when disaster strikes, Dora knows she has no choice but to return to her childhood home and take over running Mimi's vintage clothing shop. And there she makes a surprising discovery - Mimi's been writing stories to accompany every dress she sells. Romantic, heartbreaking tales about each one's secret life before it got to her shop...Dora starts to matchmake these lonely frocks with new owners, but will the stories help her as well? Trading her boring high street clothes for vintage glamour is one thing. What she needs to know is whether she can trade her safe old life - and love - for something better too? A captivating and enchanting novel for every girl who knows that the right dress can change your life.

Vintage Magic by Sally Anne Morris

Spirited silk, crafty crepe, lively lace, tricky taffetas and enchanting empire lines...How powerful is the perfect dress? Her love life in tatters, Rose Taylor decides its time to run away from London and open a vintage dress shop near her sister in Bath. If anyone is able to fully appreciate the life-enhancing power of finding and wearing that one very special dress, it's Rose, but it seems the tea dresses, ball-gowns and lace in Vintage Magic really do have a life of their own...As she uncovers the secret of the shop's magical powers, Rose realises that she can be transformed into a bewitching goddess, one with not only the power to get back the man she lost but to reach out and grab the life she's always wanted. Dressing to impress is about to take on a whole new meaning...

Rom-com Crazy Stupid Love, starring Steve Carell, Emma Stone and the (very lovely) Ryan Gosling, is out on DVD and Blu-Ray today. It's a wonderfully funny film about forty-something, hardworking Cal and the revelation of his wife's affair which leads him to be given a makeover by young player Jacob, only to question his happiness once again. Read on for more info and to watch the trailer. You can also find out more about the movie by heading over to the official Facebook page.

At fortysomething, straight-laced Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the dream--good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Worse, in today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth.

Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap.

Cal and Emily aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.