Karayianni, Lori

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Karayianni, Lori
(Tori Carrington, a joint pseudonym)

PERSONAL:

Born in Toledo, OH; married Tony Karayianni (an author); children: Tony Jr., Tim.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Toledo, OH. Agent—Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group, 41 Madison Ave., 36th Fl., New York, NY, 10010. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Has worked as computer programmer and temporary secretary and salesclerk. Freelance writer, 1984—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

All with husband, Tony Karayianni: Holt Medallion Award, 2001, for For Her Eyes Only; Award for Excellence, Reviewers International Organization, 2005; Career Achievement Award, Romantic Times Online, 2005; Dorothy Parker Award for Excellence, Reviewers International Organization; Windy City Choice Award; Orange Country Golden Blossom and Rose Award; Reviewer's Choice Award, Romantic Times.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS; WITH HUSBAND, TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

Constant Craving, Harlequin (New York, NY), 1998.

Just Eight Months Old, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2000.

You Sexy Thing!, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2001.

Skin Deep, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Private Investigations, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Every Move You Make, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Red-Hot and Reckless, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Joanne Wayne and Judy Christenberry) Private Scandals, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Anne McCallister) By Request, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Rhonda Nelson) The Sex Diet, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

Total Exposure, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Janelle Denison and Leslie Kelly) That's Amore, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

(With others) More than Words, Volume 3, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2006.

"LEGAL BRIEFS" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

A Stranger's Touch, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Fire and Ice, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Going Too Far, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

"OLD ORCHARD" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

The Woman for Dusty Conrad, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2001.

What a Woman Wants, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Where You Least Expect It, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2004.

"SOPHIE METROPOLIS" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

Sofie Metropolis, Forge (New York, NY), 2005.

Dirty Laundry: A Sofie Metropolis Novel, Forge (New York, NY), 2006.

Foul Play: A Sofie Metropolis Novel, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2007.

"DANGEROUS LIAISONS" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

Possession, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

Obsession, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2006.

Submission, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2006.

"SLEEPING WITH SECRETS" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

Forbidden, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

Indecent, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

Wicked, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

"MAGNIFICENT MCCOY MEN" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

License to Thrill, Harlequin (New York, NY), 1999.

For Her Eyes Only, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2000.

The P.I. Who Loved Her, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2000.

Never Say Never Again, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2001.

You Only Love Once, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2001

A Real McCoy, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

From McCoy, with Love (includes The P.I. Who Loved Her and For Her Eyes Only), Harlequin (New York, NY), 2005.

Seducing McCoy (contains You Only Love Once and Never Say Never Again), Harlequin (New York, NY), 2006.

"KISS AND TELL" SERIES; NOVELS; WITH TONY KARAYIANNI; UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM TORI CARRINGTON

Flavor of the Month, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

Just between Us, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

Night Fever, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

The husband and wife writing team of Lori and Tony Karayianni publish under the joint pseudonym of Tori Carrington. With over thirty novels in print, the Karayiannis have won numerous awards and created a loyal following in the romance genre. However, with their "Sofie Metropolis" series, begun in 2005 and featuring a young Greek-American female private investigator, they ventured into what a Publishers Weekly contributor dubbed "chick-lite mystery." The Karayiannis have been writing together since 1984. It took them fourteen years to get their first book, Constant Craving, published, and in those apprenticeship years the collaborators established their working relationship: Tony, born in Greece and having immigrated to the United States in 1976, creates the plots, while Lori does most of the detail writing. With that first title, the writing team introduced one of their favorite motifs: a blending of investigative suspense with romance. Constant Craving features a goodlooking undercover FBI agent who gets too close to his new "supervisor" while on the job. Renae Dryer, reviewing this first novel in Romantic Times, called it an "impressive debut of [a] gifted new author."

The Karayiannis have set their romances in many parts of the United States, from their hometown of Toledo, Ohio, to New Orleans, Texas, and New York. In the "Magnificent McCoy Men" series, they present the adventures of the McCoy brothers, all of whom are involved in law enforcement and romantic entanglements in one form or another. The series began with Licensed to Thrill, featuring Marc McCoy. The P.I. Who Loved Her, follows the adventures, in and out of bed, of Mitch McCoy, a former FBI agent and now a private investigator. Leena Hyat, writing on the Best Reviews Web site, found Mitch "lovable, bewitching, sexy, charming, compassionate, and protective." I.N.S. agent Jake McCoy is at the heart of For Her Eyes Only, a "lyrically written" book, according to Hyat, again writing in Best Reviews. Hyat also felt the novel "makes for an entertaining and delightful read." David McCoy, a police officer who has an affair with his female partner, is the protagonist of the fourth novel in the series, You Only Love Once, while the oldest brother, U.S. Marshal Connor McCoy, is introduced in Never Say Never Again. This installment was called "an unforgettable read with exceptional characters, outstanding romantic adventure and emotionally layered conflict," by Romantic Times contributor Shannon Short.

The Karayiannis extended their five-part series in 2005 with A Real McCoy, which introduces a sixth sibling, a sister and criminal defense attorney in Washington, DC. A reviewer for MBR Bookwatch felt the "whodone- it is cleverly handled" in this title. Similarly, Susan Mitchell, writing in the Romantic Times, found the same title an "impossible-to-put-down adventure." Romance Reader's Connection critic Jeri Neal praised the authors for creating "a wonderful romance, filled with lots of suspense and realistically presented relationships with endearing characters."

Writing as Tori Carrington, the Karayiannis have also created stand-alone titles, such as the popular Skin Deep, as well as several other miniseries that share common characters or a common locale. Kyra White is featured in Skin Deep, one of the authors' favorite books. When Kyra is once again left behind by a boyfriend, she decides to do something about it. Reading the latest romance manual, Sex Kitten 101, Kyra decides to make herself over and go on the hunt for a good man. Writing in Best Reviews, Harriet Klausner called this "a well-written torrid romance."

New Orleans is the location for the "Dangerous Liaisons" series, which includes Possession, Obsession, and Submission, books that blend mystery and romance in the Latin Quarter. Possession features FBI agent Akela Brooks in a tale in which "the atmosphere is as thick as the New Orleans heat, and the sexual tension is strong," according to Romantic Times reviewer Page Traynor. Klausner, writing for Best Reviews, called the same work "a heated tense police procedural romance starring two flawed individuals struggling with a serial killer and even more with love."

In 2005, the Karayiannis brought out the first of their nonromance genre novels. Sofie Metropolis introduces the eponymous protagonist, who, deserted by her intended only minutes before her wedding, decides to leave waitressing behind and join up with her uncle's private investigating firm in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. Sofie's first assignment is trailing the wife of the owner of a car dealership. The man believes his wife is cheating on him, but quickly this purported adultery case turns violent. This initial book in the series also introduces love interest Jake Porter. While a critic for Kirkus Reviews found this series opener "slapdash and derivative," other reviewers found more to like. Romantic Times contributor Jill M. Smith, for one, felt "Sofie is a wonderful character whose exploits are amusing, offbeat and a little dangerous." Smith also thought the Karayiannis hit "gold with this sassy, sexy new series." Writing in Best Reviews, Klausner noted: "This terrific private investigative tale reads more like a chick lit amateur sleuth novel." Jeri Neal, writing in Romance Reader's Connection, concluded: "I, for one, would like to read more about this delightful character and after all, Jake is still out there, handsome, tantalizing, and mysterious."

Sofie Metropolis makes a return in Dirty Laundry: A Sofie Metropolis Novel, in which the aspiring P.I. becomes involved in the search for a missing laundry owner who was cleaning more than clothes. It is soon apparent that the owner was laundering money for the mob, and Sofie has her hands full, not only with crime bosses, but also with her volunteer bodyguard, Jake. A critic for Kirkus Reviews described this offering as "more frappe-fueled fun in Astoria, Queens, with the Hellenic wannabe hellcat." A Publishers Weekly contributor found the same work "cute if predictable," but Erica Blake, writing in the Toledo Blade, was more positive in her assessment, noting that the "story line is fun and original [and] the writing is light and entertaining." Overall, Blake found the series "lively." Similar praise came from Library Journal reviewer Jo Ann Vicarel, who commented: "This fast-paced book captures the colorful Greek community of Astoria." Romantic Times contributor Smith concluded: "Snappy dialogue and offbeat characters ensure a great time."

Speaking with a contributor for Romance Review, the Karayiannis explained their inspiration as writers: "Our being writers grows naturally out of our insatiable interest in human behavior. Our need to understand what makes each individual unique and compels them to do the things they do. And when we write we get to explore that topic in a way we wouldn't be able to otherwise." We hope readers gain a sense of wellness and happiness and feel that everything will not only be all right for our characters, but for our readers, too. Because that's what writing is all about—especially romance writing—isn't it?"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Blade (Toledo, OH), May 28, 2006, Erica Blake, "Chick Lit with a Mysterious Twist," review of Dirty Laundry: A Sofie Metropolis Novel.

Booklist, September 15, 2001, Lynne Welch, review of Never Say Never Again, p. 210.

Detroit Free Press, July 20, 2005, Marcia Abramson, review of Sofie Metropolis.

Kirkus Reviews, April, 15, 2005, review of Sofie Metropolis, p. 435; March 1, 2006, review of Dirty Laundry, p. 196.

Library Journal, April 1, 2006, Jo Ann Vicarel, review of Dirty Laundry, p. 68.

MBR Bookwatch, April, 2005, review of A Real McCoy.

Publishers Weekly, March 27, 2006, review of Dirty Laundry, p. 56.

Sarasota Herald Tribune, June 12, 2005, Susan Rife, "A Change of Direction for Romance Writers," p. E4.

ONLINE

All about Romance,http://www.likesbooks.com/ (May 30, 2005), "Team Writing: A Brief Interview with Tori Carrington."

Best Reviews,http://www.bestreviews.com/ (June 22, 2001), Kathy Boswell, review of Never Say Never Again; (July 12, 2001), Maudeen Wachsmith, review of You Only Love Once; (September 14, 2001), Kathy Boswell, review of A Woman for Dusty Conrad; (September 24, 2001), Leena Hyat, review of The P.I. Who Loved Her; (October 4, 2001), Barb Hicks, review of You Sexy Thing!; (October 8, 2001), Leena Hyat, review of Just Eight Months Old and For Her Eyes Only; (March 25, 2002), Kathy Boswell, review of Private Investigations; (April 25, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of A Stranger's Touch; (September 7, 2002), Kathy Boswell, review of Every Move You Make; (November 13, 2002), Janice Bennett, review of What a Woman Wants; (January 15, 2003), Janice Bennett, review of Going Too Far; (January 24, 2003), Rashmi Srinivas, review of Fire and Ice; (April 4, 2003), Kathy Boswell, review of Red-Hot and Reckless (September 24, 2003), Barb Hicks, review of Night Fever; (October 25, 2003), Barb Hicks, review of Flavor of the Month; (November 24, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of Just between Us; (December 29, 2003), Barb Hicks, review of Private Scandals; (February 23, 2004), Barb Hicks, review of Where You Least Expect It; (March 27, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of Forbidden; (May 21, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of Indecent; (August 10, 2004), Barb Hicks, review of Wicked; (November 22, 2004), Barb Hicks, review of Total Exposure; (March 25, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of A Real McCoy; (April 29, 2005), Barb Hicks, review of That's Amore!; (May 27, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of Sofie Metropolis; (August 5, 2005), Deborah-Anne MacGillivray, review of From McCoy, with Love; (September 17, 2005, DeborahAnne MacGillivray, review of Possession; (March 12, 2006), Harriet Klausner review of Skin Deep; (April 5, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Obsession; (April 24, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Submission; (April 25, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Dirty Laundry.

Love Romances,http://www.loveromances.com/ (September 18, 2006), Miriam van Veen, "Tori Carrington."

Romance Reader's Connection,http://www.romancereadersconnection.com/ (September 16, 2006), Jeri Neal, reviews of From McCoy with Love, A Real McCoy, Indecent, Wicked, Possession, Sofie Metropolis, Total Exposure, and Forbidden; Mellanie Crowther, review of A Stranger's Touch; Lilly Kinman, review of Every Move You Make; Livia Holton, reviews of You Sexy Thing!, Just between Us, What a Woman Wants, Where You Least Expect It, and Flavor of the Month; Abby Lloyd, review of Never Say Never Again; Lilly Kinman, review of Skin Deep and Private Investigations; Shelby Bagby, review of The Woman for Dusty Conrad.

Romance Review,http://www.aromancereview.com/ (September 18, 2006), "ARR Interview with Tori Carrington."

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (September 16, 2006), Shannon Short, reviews of License to Thrill, Never Say Never Again, YouOnly Love Once, You Sexy Thing!, The P.I. Who Loved Her, and For Her Eyes Only; Susan Mitchell, reviews of A Real McCoy and Where You Least Expect It; Cindy Whitesel, reviews of A Stranger's Touch, Night Fever, Going Too Far, Just between Us, Fire and Ice, Flavor of the Month and Every Move You Make; Renae Dryer, review of Constant Craving; Jill M. Smith, review of Dirty Laundry and Sofie Metropolis; Darby Hudspeth, review of Forbidden, and Indecent; Pamela Cohen, review of Just Eight Months Old, What a Woman Wants, and The Woman for Dusty Conrad; Page Traynor, reviews of Obsession, Submission, Wicked, and Possession; Catherine Witmer, reviews of Private Investigations, Skin Deep, and Red-Hot and Reckless; Marilyn Weigel, review of Total Exposure.