The world according to writer Toni Blake: Sexy tats rule, island love rocks and "fun and goofy" always wins the day. Read on ...

MB: What or who inspired your novel?

TB: I wish I had a moving, profound answer, but I’m afraid it’s just: the beach! I’m a beach girl at heart -- I’ve always found the sun, sand and surf very sensual -- and the simple idea of stranding two people with a “past” on an island together was the seed from which the whole story grew.

Now, if you want to know what inspired Brock’s tattoo -- that I can tell you! It came from a picture floating around on the Internet, which I’ve seen on more than one author’s Web site (but not mine.) So after you read the book, look for the picture. You’ll know it when you see it, and you won’t be disappointed!

MB: What do you like most about your novel?

TB: I like to think "Swept Away" has something for everyone. It’s at once funny and serious, full of action tempered with serene moments and very, very sexy but also highly emotional. And I will admit I found Kat and Brock enormous fun and it was hard to leave them behind when the story ended.

MB: Who is the most heroic person you know?

TB: Although this will shock him, my husband. Oh sure, on the surface he’s Mr. Fun-Loving Goofy Guy, but he’s also the kind of guy who just does nice things for people. Someone asks him for a favor or help of any kind, and he’s there. He works harder than anyone I know, and he makes sure everyone around him has everything they need to get by.

Mostly, though, he makes me laugh every single day of my life -- and I don’t know anyone else who can do that. About the laughing, I’m not sure if that qualifies as a heroic quality, but he makes me happy, and for us romantic types, that counts for a lot.

MB: Who’s your romance hero: dark, brooding bad boy or white knight in shining armor?

TB: What can I say -- I dig the bad boys, especially the dark, brooding ones. I don’t have one in real life (I have Mr. Fun-Loving, remember) but in books, I’m all about the bad boy.

MB: Answer the question you wish an interviewer would ask.

TB: Actually, a few people have asked it lately, and it goes something like this: When did Toni Blake start writing erotica?

The answer is -- she didn’t. She’s writing the same kind of books she’s been writing for years. It’s the definition of erotica that’s changing.

I tend to stick to the traditional meaning of the word, however, and therefore refer to my work as erotic romance -- and to me there’s a big difference.

Erotica rocks, don’t get me wrong, but even as super-sexy as my stories are, the focus is on the characters and their conflict and relationship, and definitely contains the happily ever after romance readers love.