You guys!!! If you don’t know who Day Leclaire is, you really should. She’s a wonderful author. Writes for Harlequin Desire. (And if you’ve never read one of her books you really should give them a try.) 
1. What’s the first thing you learned how to cook? What’s your favorite thing to cook? Do you have a “signature dish”?
Cook?!? I’m supposed to write and cook? Listen, if I could have my kitchen surgically removed from my house, I would. I do not find cooking relaxing. I find eating relaxing, lol. I grew up with two sisters. They cook. I was assigned to KP after A) burning more meals than not; and B) forgetting to pull something out of the freezer for dinner because I had my nose stuck in a book. As for my “signature dish,” I believe that falls under “take out.” 😉
2. If you have to listen to a song 24/7 for four days, which one would you choose?
Adam Lambert singing Mad World. Still gives me chills, even 2 years later. A close second would be Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s amazing rendition of Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World. I could listen to that one all day, every day.
3. What two movies from different genres would you most like to see combined in a mash up?
Star Trek, Voyage Home and Pride and Prejudice, the A&E version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Would love to see Darcy in a deep conversation with Spock, and Kirk trying to put the moves on Lizzy.
4. Which do you prefer – 15 degree weather, or 105 degree weather? What would you do on that day?
The answer’s pretty much the same for both. I’d either curl up by a pool (or even better, in the pool) with my Kindle and a big glass of iced tea. Or I’d curl up in front of a roaring fire with a mug of hot tea and—oh, yeah—my Kindle.
5. How’d you come up with your author name?
I literally plucked it out of thin air. I wanted to use St. Clair, but Sandra Brown had used that name for her Harlequin books. So, I chose Leclaire, instead. And instead of spelling it more normally, I was foolish and went with an alternate spelling. No one spells it correctly. Okay, a few people do, but darn few. Ah, well. I was really young. Lesson learned. But if you’re going to pick a pseudonym, guys, be smart! Learn from Leclaire!
6. What do you think about clowns?
I try not to. Clowns exist. They are, for some, part of the known universe. It’s a part of the universe I’d rather not explore. I find them vaguely alarming because they’re so unpredictable and bizarre looking. And then, of course, there’s Stephen King (thanks a lot, bud!). Can’t look at a clown without thinking of the book, It. <shudder> (I’m so with you!)
7. What author promo has been most effective for you?
I can’t answer that, yet. I haven’t done a lot of author promo. So far, I’d have to say my website and Facebook. I tend to connect most through those two venues. But I’m still experimenting. I have a Twitter account, but haven’t gotten comfortable using it, yet.
8. Do you eat marshmallows straight out of the bag, hold them at the edge of the fire till they’re lightly golden brown, or torch ‘em till they’re black and crackly on the outside?
Okay, embarrassing admission. I don’t like marshmallows. Never liked smores. Don’t like Rice Krispie squares. They’re too sweet and slick. 🙁
9. What’s the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you at school? And what about at a conference?
At school? I guess when I had the flu, but had to give an oral report, got drunk on Nyquil and kept calling militia “mill-a-tah.” I think the swaying and giggling didn’t help, either. At a conference…? Oh, lord! Yeah, that was nasty bad. It involved Catherine Coulter, of all people. I was scheduled to moderate her workshop. I’d been given the wrong time by the conference chair, never double-checked it, and showed up late. Not only that, but I gave Catherine the wrong time, too. But she did check and showed up on time. Unfortunately, she’d scheduled her flight out of St. Louis based on my timeline which meant that about the time I wandered in, she was wrapping up and needed to run—halfway through her talk. Yeah, that didn’t go down well. I learned a really valuable lesson. Always double check everything. And don’t screw with Catherine Coulter. 😉
10. As a child which character/book(s) would you most want to be [or be in] a Laura Ingalls Wilder book, Madeline L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander, L.M. Montgomery, or Gail Carson Levine? (Or another one? Perhaps Nancy Drew, etc.)
Hands down, Madeline L’Engle. A Wrinkle in Time is my all-time favorite YA Fantasy. To this day I reread that book on a regular basis. YA Fantasy is my first love. The romance genre comes in a close second.
11. What would you put in your ideal candy bar?
Basically, everything that’s in a Snicker bar, only with pecans, rich dark chocolate, and caramel.
12. What tv show do you wish was still on the air?
Star Trek. Star Trek. And more Star Trek. Did I mention, Star Trek?
13. What is your secret plan for world domination?
Create the perfect world within my books and convince everyone to go there. Once I have everyone transferred over, I will have total control. I can write everyone’s story so they all end happily-ever-after.
14. If you were to become a spammer, what product would you peddle? And what would your message be? Come up with the most attention getting, creative, crazy thing. Yes, that’s a challenge.
Fairies. Your own personal fairy. You can have a good luck fairy, a fairy godmother (aka shoe fairy—a very popular selection), a fairy that will bring you the man of your dreams (sorry, selection arrives as-is, no returns accepted), a money fairy (aka Midas fairy—touch at your own risk), a genie fairy (three wishes only, some restrictions apply, please read the accompanying brochure for full details), a dragon fairy (caution recommended, not compatible with combustibles of any kind), and our most popular fairy, the house fairy, perfect for those who need assistance with all those pesky household chores, everything from cooking to ironing to cleaning. Particularly adept at ridding your home of dust bunnies. Don’t wait to order, quantities are limited. (I’m sold! Sign me up!)
15. What was your worst traveling mishap ever? Or most constant one? (Did your luggage get stolen by a monkey? Is the flight canceled every time as soon as your ride drives away from the airport?)
The flight was delayed, so they handed out drinks. I had a flight attendant bring me a cup of boiling hot tea right before we were cleared for takeoff. I don’t know what she was thinking. It was a rough takeoff, the tea went right in my lap and scalded me. I mean serious burns. I’m one of those crazed women who has the kitchen sink in her purse. I actually had some Neosporin on me and was able to apply it fairly quickly so it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it could have been. This was before the infamous McDonald’s incident. But man, that was a miserable flight. The other “worst ever” flight was when we ended up sitting on the runway for SEVEN hours on a trip to Hawaii and running out of diapers for my 1 year old. Yeah, that was a joy all around.
16. Walk in pantry, walk in closet, or extra garage space?
Closet, of course! You can never have too much shoe space.
17. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned while writing/researching a book?
Shh. Don’t tell anyone, but dragons are real!
18. What five deceased authors would you invite to a dinner party? Douglas Adams, Charles Dickens, Tolkien, Mark Twain, Jules Verne, and I’d sneak Jane Austin in to balance out all the men. What I wouldn’t give to hear those guys go at it!
Bio: USA Today bestselling author, Day Leclaire, lives and works on a remote barrier island off the North Carolina coast, a perfect setting for writing passionate books that offer a unique combination of humor, emotion, and unforgettable characters. Described by Harlequin as “one of our most popular writers ever!” Day’s tremendous worldwide popularity has made her a member of Harlequin’s prestigious “Five Star Club,” with sales totaling well over fifteen million books. She is a three-time winner of both The Colorado Award of Excellence and The Golden Quill Award. She’s won Romantic Times magazine’s Career Achievement and Love and Laughter awards, the Holt Medallion, the Booksellers Best Award, and has received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA© Award.
Day’s June Harlequin Desire is A Very Private Merger. Winner-take-all business tycoon Jack Sinclair is on the hunt to get what’s his: a slice of competing shipping empire The Kincaid Group. As the illegitimate and ignored heir, his reward has been a long time coming. And he has sexy, brilliant Nikki Thomas by his side to help make it happen. Right? Not exactly. Nikki is a corporate investigator on the Kincaids’ payroll, so her loyalty is more than a little divided. Her hidden agenda is enough to make Jack want to walk away. But passion offers a second chance–until another truth is revealed that could tear them apart for good. There are five mini-stories leading up to the book, all of which are available for free on her website. And in December, look for Day to continue her Dante series with Becoming Dante. Drop by Day’s website at: www.DayLeclaire.com for more details or you can send day an email at: Day@DayLeclaire.com.
Ms. Leclaire is giving away a copy of her newest book A Very Private Merger to one lucky commenter. So what’d you think? Any questions or comments? I think it’s clear that anything goes. ;D