Hi Zanna. Welcome to my blog. Let’s get started.

Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?

Yes, I have, many of them! When I was at college I worked part time as a dental nurse which is weird because I hate going to the dentist and am an extremely squeamish person! My first full time job was as a travel agent and I loved reading all the glossy brochures and dreaming over the photos of exotic places. Later I worked on researching and writing brochures for the UK tourism market which was great fun. I got to visit lots of local tourist attractions, towns and pretty villages and write about them. After that I worked in admin for a vegetarian charity and started writing for their magazine which then lead to my job for a chamber of commerce as writer, editor and proof reader of their business publications. I still do this job now but working from home on a self-employed freelance basis. Along the way I have also worked in a tourist information centre, a health food shop and as a therapist – I have qualifications in aromatherapy, nutrition, crystal healing and herbalism.

What inspired your latest book?

I love setting my books in favourite UK locations of mine and have written books set in the Scottish Highlands, North Yorkshire, the Lake District and now, in If You Only Knew, the Peak District in Derbyshire. The village in the book was inspired by the village of Castleton in the Peaks. I was fascinated by the area around Castleton with all the caves and hills, it’s a real outdoor and extreme sports mecca, and the book grew from that. Once I had the ‘where’ in place and the key settings of the café and the extreme sports centre, the characters and ideas just popped into my head. The original outline plot idea and the eventual plot do share some similarities but there were lots of changes along the way as the book unfolded!

I recently discovered the joys of PInterest and had great fun setting up a mood board for If You Only Knew which contains pictures of the village, the scenery, how Faith’s coffee shop might look and photos of the famous people who visually inspired the characters of Zane, Faith and Matt. The If You Only Knew PInterest board can be viewed via this link: http://www.pinterest.com/zannamac/if-you-only-knew/

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love creating the characters for a book. I have the plot outlined and then start to build a detailed bio for each character including how they look, their star sign, age, jobs, where they grew up, family background, their issues and worries, what they like, what they dislike, their romantic history and much, much more. I have some great books for writers about astrology which detail how people from certain star signs behave, their ambitions, their concerns, their strength and weakness etc and I find these books invaluable when I’m doing character creation.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Writing the actual book! No, seriously, I love writing and get totally caught up in the plot, the setting and the characters (and usually end up developing a huge crush on the hero in the book!) but my problem is that I’m quite an impatient person and I always feel as though I can’t write fast enough. So, in some ways the writing process itself is both my favourite and least favourite part of creating a book.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

Not at all – they’re quite safe! I don’t use real life people at all, not even an aspect of a personality, in my books. My characters are completely made up via the requirements of the plot and the star sign I give them, their motivations etc and they are usually visually inspired by actors I see in films and TV programmes.

Was your road to publication difficult or a walk in the park?

A bit of both. I was part of a new writers appraisal scheme and the idea was to complete a manuscript and submit it for critique by a published (anonymous) author in your genre. My first year critique was very positive and I was delighted. My critique the following year on another book could best be described as ‘blah and bland’ and in my third year another novel was totally trashed in its critique. At which point I gave up on writing, thoroughly confused and disillusioned. I didn’t write for a few years and then one day my husband encouraged me to write again, to totally revamp the previous books and edit them to my own style and voice rather than doing what everyone else told me to write. I spent ages working on changing the books and then I did nothing with them after that until my husband nagged me (again!) to start sending the books out to publishers for consideration. I sent one book to a publisher in America and another to a UK publisher and told myself to forget about them whilst mentally preparing myself for the rejection emails from them. Within one month the American publisher came back and said they loved the book and offered me a contract. I couldn’t believe it, I was stunned. I cried. I danced around the room. One week later an email arrived from the UK publisher about the other book I had sent out. They liked what they had read so far and asked me to send them the full manuscript. I duly sent it off to them, convinced I couldn’t be lucky enough to sell that book too. Two months later they came back to me and said they wanted to publish the book and offered me a contract. Cue more crying and dancing around the room. In Feb 2013 my first book, The Love Programme, was launched, closely followed in March 2013 by my second book, How Do You Spell Love? My third book, If You Only Knew, was launched in Feb 2014, by the same UK publisher who launched my second book.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

Faith owns The Coffee Pot in the outdoor adventure sports mecca of Derbyshire’s Peak District. She hasn’t had a man in her life for a while, as she’s been too busy serving cakes to weary rock climbers and mountain bikers to find time for the complications of a relationship with the male of the species.

At least, that’s what she tells herself. The truth is that since she got her heart broken she’s had problems trusting men.

When she meets Zane, one of the new owners at the Carrdale Extreme Sports Centre, Faith finds herself enjoying his company even though part of her can’t help wondering why he’s so reluctant to talk about himself.

Then the past comes back to haunt her in the shape of Zane’s business partner Matt, who just happens to be the guy who broke Faith’s heart all those years ago.
With Matt out to cause trouble and Zane keeping secrets Faith’s life is about to get very complicated indeed…

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

Yes, I’m lucky in that I do have a view of the garden. Our living area is all open plan so the kitchen leads into the dining and lounge space at the back of the house. I have a desk right in the middle of things and it’s also where our 4 dogs sleep as well! It can be a bit chaotic at times but I love it. (NB- have attached a photo if you want to use it)

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Zane is an outdoor sports instructor specializing in rock and ice climbing. He’s been living in Austria for several years but has just returned to the UK as the co-owner of the Carrdale Extreme Sports Centre. The past has made him cautious about relationships and he isn’t looking to get involved, but when he meets Faith who runs the local coffee shop he finds himself forgetting how he’d planned to focus solely on matters of business instead of matters of the heart. Zane’s strength is a fierce determination to get what he wants when it comes to achieving his dreams. His weakness would be his vulnerability when it comes to trust and relationships.

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Faith is the owner of a coffee shop and a woman using her work as an excuse for avoiding relationships. She’s independent and strong willed and soon realizes Zane is holding something back from her about his past. Though at times she is frustrated by him she refuses to give up on finding out what made him the way he is and trying to help him move on from it. Her weakness? An inability to let go of things which are holding her back and hurting her emotionally.

Excerpt:
This couldn’t be happening.

Zane had said his business partner was called Matt. She was sure of it. Yes, he’d definitely just introduced him as Matt. But the man standing before her wasn’t Matt.

It was Aaron.

Faith wiped her hands on a tea–towel. She wanted to speak, but couldn’t get her brain into gear enough to make her mouth form the words.

She’d thought Aaron was gone from her life.

It looked as though she was wrong.

She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself. Suddenly she felt cold and shaky. Aaron was back? This was impossible.

Yet here he was, standing in her kitchen. She felt dizzy and light-headed.

How should she react? Should she admit they knew each other? Why had Aaron changed his name to Matt anyway? Would he prefer it if the fact they knew each other was kept quiet?

But she knew she couldn’t keep something like that from Zane.

As she debated what to say and do next, the room remained awkwardly silent. Zane was looking at her questioningly.

What should she say?

Come on, think, woman. Think.

Too late. Aaron spoke first.

“Faith, it’s amazing to see you again after all these years.”

OK. So he didn’t want to keep it a secret that they already knew each other.

“Aaron,” she managed to say. “This is a bit of a shock.”

“That’s an understatement,” Matt replied, stepping forward to pull her into a hug.

“Hang on a second,” Zane said, pushing into the room. “Aaron? That’s your proper name isn’t it?” He raised enquiring eyebrows at Matt. “What’s going on? You two already know each other?”

Buy Links

*Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Only-Knew-Zanna-Mackenzie/dp/190984148X/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_GMEM

*Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/You-Only-Knew-Zanna-Mackenzie/dp/190984148X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390576576&sr=8-2&keywords=zanna+mackenzie

Author bio:

Zanna Mackenzie lives on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border with her husband, 4 dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.

Being a freelance writer and editor of business publications is her ‘day job’ but, at every opportunity, she can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel she’s working on. She loves it when the characters in her novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!

If You Only Knew is Zanna’s third novel; her previous books The Love Programme, and How Do You Spell Love? were both published in 2013.

Find out more about Zanna on her blog www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk, on Twitter via @ZannaMacKenzie or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zanna.mackenzie

Please help me welcome Cathleen Dunn to my blog today. She’s got a great interview for you. – Cindy

Q: Tell us about your book – and how do you say the name?
A: This is the first book in “The Witches Trilogy”, pronounced “Chimera” – like “Guy-Mere-Uh”. And you can find it by searching “The Witches Trilogy” or author Cathleen Dunn as well.

The main character is a witch named Olivia Phalen. She’s a light witch – they can only do good with their powers. In return they can have almost anything; live lavishly, travel, be famous…anything. Olivia’s got friends that she loves and a new apprentice named Taylor. But Olivia also has an enemy – a powerful dark witch named Dantin who loves tormenting Olivia. He stalks her constantly and is continually hurting her friends. He even killed her last apprentice.

Q: Why is he doing that?
A: Because Olivia rejected Dantin. He wanted her badly – he still desires her, in fact – but she said “no” to him. Dantin’s pretty twisted and vicious, and when Olivia didn’t want him they way he wanted her, it hurt him, then that hurt turned to rage. He keeps tormenting her because he still wants her and can’t have her, so it never ends. He’s so vengeful and spiteful that he kills what she loves so she can’t have any happiness either. And now, Olivia’s got a new apprentice and for sure Dantin will come after her, too.

Q: Olivia’s got friends who are witches, too, right? Why don’t they all just gang up on Dantin and take him out?
A: Because they’re light witches. They can’t. They can only do good with their powers. If they hurt or harm, then they’ll turn dark themselves and become violent and psychotic like Dantin.

Q: Why is this book called “Chimera”? What is that?
A: A chimera is a spirit, or a mirage, or a combination of two creatures. In my books, chimeras are spirits that are a witch’s familiar. They live in the magical realm and can protect or guide a witch in the magical world. They can be good, or they can be really evil, like Dantin’s. And a chimera can possess and control a witch if they can get inside one. Dantin and his chimera make a really formidable, horrible pair.

Q: Sounds like a pretty dark ride.
A: Well, some of it is, but there’s also the magic, too. And Olivia’s gang is rich, and I mean crazy wealthy. Almost every person I talked to when I started to write these books said, “Oh, yeah, make them rich. Why do sorcerers and witches all live such ordinary lifestyles? If I had magical powers, I’d live a rock-star life.”

Plus, writing about the wealth and the magic is so much fun. For example, Olivia rescued Taylor, her new apprentice, from a trashy, abusive home. Suddenly she’s living with Olivia in her mansion and going to a witches gathering in Houston on Olivia’s private jet. I absolutely loved writing Taylor’s first experience in that jet; how she looked around the cabin at all the beautiful polished wood and sparkling halogen lights, and felt pampered and unreal doing the flight. Six months earlier her stepfather was beating and raping her, and now she’s learning magic and has a jet almost all to herself.

I really like taking the luxury and the light aspects of the setting and mashing it against the dark that Dantin and his chimera bring. Evil is evil no matter what wrapping it comes in.

Q: You’ve lived a lot of places; why set the story in Seattle?
A: Seattle is both creepy and beautiful – a contrast of dark and sparkle. In the winter it’s dark 14 hours out of every day (Yes, really! The sun rises around 8am and sets close to 4pm in December and January!), and let’s not forget about the rain and grey skies because of all the clouds in the winter. But the rain makes things wet and they glisten – especially at night. If you look at an aerial picture of Seattle’s downtown on a dark rainy night, you can almost see what I try to capture when I write, the sleek and the otherworld in one place. You could imagine lots of magic hanging in the air, or paranormal creatures lurking about.

In Seattle there are lots of unusual places that are good settings for scenes. When I worked for Seattle Opera, we were exposed to a lot of artists that were very creative, and had to live on a non-profit salary, so we found unusual entertainment on a dime. For instance, going to a cheap basement club where volunteers had painted colorful murals on the walls and pink plastic flamingoes adorned the bar, or we’d take books and a picnic to a tiny park in Ravenna on the 4th of July. So many hidden treasures in Seattle. Juxtapose that with the high-tech, high-gloss, high-rise office buildings and the parks nestled into the hills and neighborhoods and there’s no end to the possibilities.

Q: You have a full-time job; when do you find time to write?
A: Some people can write a couple hours every day, but I can’t switch from my day job where I have to be logical and sensible to my fantasy world very easily, so I write on Saturday and Sunday, and maybe an occasional Friday or Monday for ten to thirteen hours a day. I just stay in my world and write a bunch of pages and then go back to work during the week. My characters are never far away though; I think about them constantly and formulate the next weekend’s work in the back of my head while at my day job.

Q: When do you find time for your family?
A: Oh! They get my complete attention every weeknight (or at least four nights a week). I don’t do anything else but pay attention to them. Well, the dogs are easy; they can lay on my feet even when I’m writing, so I make sure to clear my calendar weeknights for .
them.

Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: Ever since I was little I loved superstition and ghost stories and magic. I remember getting a book of superstitions from the library and thinking about them all the way to school when I was in first grade. Things like: “If you see the full moon through the trees it is considered bad luck”, or “if you walk through a spot of cold air, you have just walked through a ghost”, or “never let a broom touch your head; it is bad luck”. I also see stories in music; the feeling a particular song gives me might start a story there. For example, my niece gave me a CD by “Evanescence” – their “Fallen” album – and while listening to it I started to see Olivia and her problems, and how she was feeling about being hounded and isolated by what had happened in her past. Interestingly enough, her decision on how to handle Dantin came off a “Transformers” album. Go figure.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: Almost anything, but I especially love harpsichord concertos from the Baroque era, and rock. Some of my favorite bands are Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Godhead, Nickelback, Rammstein, AC/DC, a little Alice Cooper, Evanescence, and almost anything from the Eighties. I also love big band – Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, the Andrews Sisters, almost anything from the Thirties and Forties.

Q: Anything else?
A: Just a huge THANK YOU to everyone who loves to read and to everyone who has stopped by my website and fb, or bought my book. I love reading, too, and I love writing about our witches and am busy writing the second volume in The Witches Trilogy, titled Blue/Black and scheduled to come out in 2014.

Q: Where do we find you?
A: You can find The Witches Trilogy: Chimera on Amazon.com, and you can find me on Twitter @Cathleen_Dunn, and my website, Cathleen Dunn.com and Cathleen Dunn’s Facebook Author page.

BIO

Author Cathleen Dunn has lived in Seattle for the last 20 years after growing up all over the United States. She’s lived in Texas, California, Kansas, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, and truly likes variety: she attended college both in Washington and Arizona, has a day job at an engineering company, loves rescuing greyhounds, has been onstage with Seattle Opera, has been known to paint faux finishes and murals inside homes for her friends, occasionally goes hunting and fishing with her husband, watches way too many old movies and educational television, and listens to both Baroque and Metal music.

Cathleen is the author of The Witches Trilogy series of full-length novels. She published the first installment, Chimera, in November of 2013 and is currently writing the second novel, Blue/Black, set for release in 2014. She sets her stories here in Seattle, where the dark and rain create the witches’ stories in her head. She just writes them down.

Please help me welcome Guy Ogan to my blog today. Guy will be giving an ecopy of Immortal Relations Love and War, a stand alone book, to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave him a comment.

Where are you from?

West Texas is where I currently reside, but I’ve lived all around the world.

Tell us your latest news?

My third novel in my “Immortal Relations” series became available in print two weeks ago. I’m still waiting on the Kindle release.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I believe they call it “flying by the seat of your paints” but I dream about my stories at night so I have it somewhat plotted out as to general storyline.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I must have read the trilogy Lord of the Rings a hundred times, all of Tom Clancy’s works, Ann Rice’s “Servant of the Bones” and yes I’m a fan of the Twilight Stories (but I think the one Stephenie Meyer didn’t release, “Midnight Sun” was her best by far, you can “Google it” to read some of it).

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I am a little shy and prefer to write my thoughts and ideas rather than saying them aloud. I wasn’t a writer in my public school days, but when I started running long distances in track and cross-country I wanted to express the joys of running so I started submitting my writing to “The Long Distance Log” and other running magazines (long before Runner’s World was even thought of). While I’m sure they weren’t the best writing, they were always published. When I became interested in cars I submitted photos and descriptions of events I attended to magazines like “Cruising Style.” I often had three or more articles in every issue. Of course in my jobs in the Air Force and later, working for the Texas Prison System as a Specialist and Psychologist I did a lot of technical writing and even wrote a book on assessment and treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder. I guess you could say writing has always been a part of my life – just not writing novels. Had it not been for finding the photograph that is on page two of my first novel, I probably wouldn’t have written my novels.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I think all authors; especially Indie Authors (those who have their books published by what used to be called “vanity press”) will say the hardest part is getting the word out about our works. Without blogs such as this one few readers would ever hear of our books.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes, while a constructive review of your work can be helpful, “Don’t let the bastards get you down…write what you believe and pay no attention to the nay-sayers and critics…if they were so creative they’d be writing rather than trying to rip your stuff to shreds.”

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

Below are the buy links; however, I love to write back and forth with readers and you can do that on my http://immortalrelations.blogspot.com and I’m writervampire on Facebook or E-Mail me at gog6692@msn.com (the fastest way).

“Immortal Relations” is at http://amzn.com/B006ZCBT6G

“Immortal Relations, Love and War” is at http://amzn.com/B00A4IEHL6

“Immortal Relations Coming Out” is at http://www.amazon.com/dp/1481822780 (this is the print version). You’ll find all three on Kindle, just type in Immortal Relations in the search line.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Blurb This snippet is from page 69 of my third in the series, “Immortal Relations Coming Out.” It is the scene from the wedding of the vampire daughter of Magdalena and Gary whose name is Eviana (named for her aunt Eviana, who is called Evy in the book). Young Eviana is marrying Victor, a human (he knows she and the rest of her family are vampires – but GOOD VAMPIRES). This is from Gary’s point of view:

We boarded several limousines which whisked us over to where the marriage ceremony would be held and there we saw many of our old friends who had been there the day Magdalena and I had wed at the same location. Eviana had on the same dress Magdalena had worn the day she and I were married. It had a few minor alterations since Eviana was not quite as tall but had an ample bust and wanted the neckline plunging to show off one of her best features. Aside from these modifications, and the dazzling white color, it had the same haut-couture cut as the light blue, lacy, scalloped, and layered, shape-hugging dress I’d seen Magdalena in the first time I’d met her.

I guess I’d been so overwhelmed by the surprise my friends had prepared in my own wedding to Magdalena that I hadn’t really noticed all the white flowers that I now saw and which smelled so very sweet…I think they were Gardenia’s arranged hanging in twists around and down polls placed alongside as well as in the back and in front of the wedding venue. As I walked Eviana down the isle, I could hear her thoughts of overwhelming love for Victor and the beauty of it was so intense that it was all I could do to keep from crying. I also could hear Victor’s concern that he might faint due to the picture of loveliness walking toward him and prepared to be his bride. I sent him my thoughts; Steady on young man, the ceremony will be over before you know it and you’ll have a long time to enjoy your life with this wonderful lady. If you can’t read her thoughts right now, I can and I can confirm her deep love for you. I am so very proud to welcome you into the family as my son-in-law! What is it the Brits say, something about keeping a stiff upper-lip? Well, just keep SOMETHING stiff for a little bit longer. Then I smiled at him and he smiled back, or maybe he was smiling as his future bride drew nigh. Whatever it was, he seemed to take courage in the stars he saw in her eyes. At this realization I could feel tears on my own cheeks.

Once again, Vladimir had a gift of a dazzling five carat Red Ruby mounted in a Gold ring. This looked to be a twin to the one he had provided when I wed Magdalena. I was sure this was also one from the Hermitage collection for Victor, the groom, to place on the finger of Eviana, his bride.

There was a reception held afterwards; however I only got a parting glance of Victor and Eviana as food evidently wasn’t on their minds. Vladimir had arranged for them to stay in the bedroom at the Menshikov Palace which was completed in 1721 and was the most luxurious building during the time of Peter the Great.

Soon, Vladimir had corralled us and we were transported to the same palace where we entered a private suite of rooms that had been prepared for us. There we found Vlad, Grandmother and Roger and after hugs and kisses we sat down to discuss the wedding and what we had accomplished at the Canadian Coven.

As I’m sure the readers have surmised the wedding of Victor, a Police Inspector in Canada’s Ontario Provence to Eviana was taking place at the world famous Hermitage Museum at the behest of Vladimir Kolukov, President of the Russian Federation who is a close personal friend to Gary and his vampire family. There is a great deal of information about the development of their relationship throughout the three novels.

Author bio:

Having grown up on each coast (until my junior year of high school we lived across the river from Washington D.C. in Virginia). I ran track and cross-country and did many of the things slightly abnormal male teens do. When my father left government service we moved to Northern California (talk about a culture shock!) in the late 50’s and early 60’s where I continued running track and cross-country through Los Altos High School and Foothill Junior College receiving an Associate of Arts. I then transferred to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas to finish my undergraduate degree along with Air Force ROTC, being commissioned upon graduation.

I spent a little over 20 years in the Air Force having the opportunity to travel and, as they say, “see the world” I finished a graduate degree at the European Campus of Ball State University while in the service. After retiring, I did a little teaching at college level and wrote a book on assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and adults with Attention Deficit while finishing my second graduate degree at Hardin-Simmons University. I never considered myself good at speaking, especially to large groups, writing seemed like the natural thing to do to express myself. I later went to work for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (their Prison System) where I wrote treatment programs for inmates to help them get off of drugs.

I retired from TDCJ as a psychologist when notified that my father had died and I knew my mother would need my help because of her Alzheimer’s. As the only child, I took care of her in her home (as that was her wish) during the last five years of her life. In my younger years I had written many articles on running events I participated in and later did the same with car shows I visited (always being interested in vehicles).

The first two pages of “Immortal Relations” discusses the true family event that caused me to start writing the “Immortal Relations” series. (You can read that for free by clicking on the “Look Inside” button above the picture of the cover at http://amzn.com/B00A4IEHL6“>http://amzn.com/B00A4IEHL6 and the third in the series is