What is your next project and when will it be released?

Having recently published The Long Road to Loving Grayson and Glass Ceilings as both e-books and paperbacks, I’m now working on my next novel, The Brande Legacy, the first book in the Brande series of soft paranormals.

I’m excited about writing this story—I love the Claire-Rose Brande character, and look forward to having her take me on many a spooky, mysterious, and romantic adventure as we travel through this series of tales. As to when the first instalment, The Brande Legacy, will be released, I’m hopeful of having the e-book published by the end of the year, and as a paperback by early 2013. And then it’s onto book 2….

Do you have critique partners?

But of course! I couldn’t survive without their generous, honest and uber-valuable input. My sister, Jill, an author herself, is an invaluable collaborator on all my stories, as is my husband, Frank, who provides the all-important ‘bloke’s’ viewpoint for my heroes. I’ve also gained a lot of useful feedback through entering writing competitions.

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

I’m an author, so everyone I know / see / hear about, is a likely candidate for my stories!

Grayson in The Long Road to Loving Grayson is based on a number of characters I worked with in remote north western Queensland, including one engineer whose wife actually did choose the departure lounge of Heathrow airport to tell him she was leaving him!

Claire in Glass Ceilings is based on my loyal friend Gail, who worked with me in a Western Australian alumina refinery. But, unlike Claire, I’ve never known Gail to get blotto on champers! And she’s luckier in love than Claire is, in this book at least—watch out for Claire’s story, which I’ve been asked for by readers.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

In Glass Ceilings, ambitious career woman Verity shatters the glass ceiling of a multi-national mining corporation, snatching the job of CEO from the waiting hands of ruthless corporate nemesis Royce, only to find herself in danger of losing more than just her tenuous hold on the job. Her carefully shielded heart, and even her life are at risk. But like glass ceilings, some things are meant to be broken, and when someone determined enough shatters the glass, look out everyone below!

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

I develop detailed profiles for all the important characters in my stories, and even family trees where historical details are important, as in The Brande Legacy.

Royce James, the hero in Glass Ceilings (who I picture being played by Gerard Butler – mmm mmm!) is … well … I’ll let the heroine, Verity, tell you.

‘I thought I had his measure—the typical hard-nosed, ruthlessly ambitious executive, with his eyes resolutely focused upwards as he squashes everyone else beneath his boots. But then I glimpsed a very different picture. I saw a kind angler who shares his catch without asking anything in return, a gentle dog owner who spends quality time with his old pet, and a man who’s been using his career as a crutch against loss and regret. And it became clear that the man I thought I knew, wasn’t the real man at all. But what I do know … is that for some reason, he’s never far from my mind now.’

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
Verity Parker in Glass Ceilings, (who I picture played by Emily Blunt) is bright, kind, intelligent, and capable. But she’s also wary of love, having suffered a nasty marriage break-down. Fiercely protective of her love-scarred heart, she shields it with a toughened glass ‘ceiling’.

Verity’s best friend and co-worker, Claire, made these observations about her:

Taking in her friend’s damp hair and freshly scrubbed, makeup-free face, Claire wondered if Verity ever looked plain or ordinary. Like I would if I’d had a late night, she thought enviously.

With no rouge or eyeliner to accentuate her fine bone structure and dark eyes, Verity looked, if anything, more youthful and vibrant than ever. The smooth skin of her face had a translucent peaches-and-cream quality, and her naturally sweeping brows made a perfect foil for her brown eyes; eyes that held great warmth and laughter, but which could also be disarmingly direct and unnervingly shrewd. Her choice of fitted linen suit emphasised her slim waist and trim figure, and a pair of classic patent leather courts fine-tuned the outfit.

Claire took a quick peek down and frowned at her own slightly lumpy proportions, clothed in practical but unspectacular corporate wear. She glanced back at her friend and acknowledged that Verity certainly did look like executive material.
I’d bet my bottom dollar some of the ‘powers that be’ have noticed it, too, she thought. But still, isn’t it presumptuous for her to try for the company’s top management position, ‘la grande fromage’? Everyone knows Royce James has dibs on that title.

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
I’m a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the North Queensland Writers chapter, along with a number of online author groups. I’m also a past member of the Queensland Writers’ Centre.
I’ve received inspiration, knowledge, guidance, advice, feedback, support, and encouragement from every one of these organisations, and especially from RWA. My writing has improved by huge degrees through my involvement with them all. But since becoming an indie author, I’ve found the online groups provide me with the practical information and support I need at present. Without their input, I would never have made it this far down the publishing path, and I’d recommend to anyone considering taking the indie path, to join a group or two. Therein lies your salvation! 

Gift
I’d like to give someone a copy of my e-book The Long Road to Loving Grayson, downloadable in all formats from Smashwords.com. I hope he/she enjoys it, and I’d welcome a review!

Bio

Alicia Hope, author, bass player, scuba diver and bird lover, has an appreciation for espresso coffee, fine chocolate, and good food. She lives in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia, surrounded by rainforest, rare birds and butterflies.
Stories have always been a big part of her life; reading them, listening to them, telling them, and writing them. She composed stories, told stories, daydreamed stories (when she should’ve been working at maths!), and won prizes in story competitions, always certain that one day this would be her ‘job’ – and now it is!
Hers are feel-good reads. For optimal, all-round corporeal enjoyment, she suggests accompanying them with a side-serving of barista-quality espresso and a generous slab of fine chocolate.

Are you tempted yet? 

Excerpt from Glass Ceilings:

Royce James’ sardonic gaze swept over the crowd of executives and their partners like he was assessing thoroughbreds before the Golden Slipper race. He turned towards the bar, smirking a promise to himself that these senior staff dinners would be more exciting in future, once he was CEO. His left eyebrow arched lazily.

A soft hand on his arm interrupted his thoughts. Kerry Stowe, the CEO’s executive assistant, was standing close beside him. He noted that as usual, Kerry was the most glamorous woman in the room. As he bent his head to speak to her, her tantalising fragrance rose to meet him, and he observed once again how enticing she was.
‘Having fun, Royce?’ Her voice was low and throaty, and beneath the words lurked another, more primal question.

‘I am now.’ His nonchalant smile and deep voice gave nothing away, although close inspection would have revealed faint traces of mockery in his eyes.
But it wasn’t his eyes that most interested her.

She watched as he raised his wine glass and sipped the chilled Margaret River chardonnay. His firm lips rested against the glass’s rim as he savoured the wine’s crisp woodiness. Thick lashes cast small shadows on his tanned cheek and veiled his intense, dark eyes briefly. For a fleeting moment, his face lost its usual stern and often arrogant expression, and then his calculating gaze fell on her again.

With a dazzling smile, she moved her hand from where it had been discreetly caressing his arm to press it against his chest, and felt the strong, regular thud of his heart under her fingers. Her own heart was racing as she leaned closer to him, her thigh brushing his gently. His tall frame, accentuated by the charcoal grey, double-breasted Armani suit, towered over her.

Royce always makes a startling contrast to the usual assortment of podgy executives at these ‘doos’, she thought smugly to herself.

As though knowing it was expected, he allowed his eyes to take in her firm, curvaceous body, in the tight burgundy gown with a plunging neckline she was using to full advantage. On their way back up, his eyes took in the smooth skin of her exposed cleavage, and the points of her ample breasts pushing against the silky fabric barely containing them.

His mocking glance flicked to her face. ‘Where’s Jim?’

Kerry squirmed. Was it contempt she saw deep in the deliberately nonchalant darkness of his eyes?

‘You know how to spoil a mood, don’t you Royce?’ Her mouth, tinted the same luscious colour as her gown, grew petulant.

He gave a deep laugh and raised a scornful eyebrow, once again lifting his glass to his lips. This time he took a good mouthful of wine and let it linger on his tongue while he thought about Kerry’s husband. Jim Stowe was one of RCL’s senior executives and a genuinely nice guy in Royce’s estimation. He wondered why their marriage lasted. But as he looked down at Kerry, stunning in her expensive finery and oozing sexuality like a ripe plum longing to be picked, he could hazard a guess. And he was sure she’d be very unwilling to part with the pampered lifestyle her marriage offered.

‘Jim’s feeling anti-social again, or should I say still, so I’m here on my own,’ she said, with an affected sigh.

The throaty purr on the lower registers of her voice seemed to resonate along his spine, and he conceded, cynically, that she had a talent for seduction.
‘And of course you’d never consider staying home and playing the dutiful wife, would you, Kerry?’

‘If Jim wants to shut himself away with his laptop, that’s up to him,’ she mewed. ‘It doesn’t mean I have to be boring too. I can make my own fun.’
Royce felt her press even closer against him.

‘Oh, I’m sure you will. But you’ll have to excuse me, I see a lady I want to talk to.’

With a dismissive bow of his dark head and a smirk in his eyes, Royce drew away from her and strode across the room, leaving Kerry drifting rudderless in the social sea like a piece of abandoned flotsam.

She watched him take a seat beside Mrs Galloway, the aging CEO’s wife, and bitterness rose to fill Kerry’s throat. How she hated herself for wanting him … and how she hated him for not wanting her.

How often have I pictured his face on a pillow beside me, and those dark eyes gazing at me as though I’m the gateau and he’s the cake fork?
Too damn often, Kerry acknowledged bitterly. No matter what I do, it seems Royce James laughs at my efforts to seduce him, when most men would jump at the chance.
Scowling at the thought and forcing herself to look away, she rested her perfect teeth on the rim of her scotch glass for a second. When she lifted them off, anyone watching would have sworn she was snarling as she breathed the words, ‘Well, you’re running out of chances, Royce. One day you’ll realise I’m not someone to be toyed with….’

I’m excited to be guest blogging with Cynthia Woolf today! In honor of the occasion, I’m giving away a book. One lucky commenter will win a copy (Paperback or eReader-winner choice) of The Pendant’s Promise and an Amazon gift card. Check at the end of the interview for details.

1. What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

JM: I’m something of a Peter Pan when it comes to what I want to be when I grow up. I practiced for hours with a stick horse and upside down buckets in my back yard during my I-wana-be-a-barrel racer stage. Then I wanted to be nurse-and ended up married instead. Then I wanted to be a Department of Army civilian (DAC). That’s someone who’s not in the military but works for the Army. Next, I did some time as a public school teacher. At the same time, I owned and operated an antiques shop. I still dabble in antiques and estate liquidations.

I never verbalized I wanted to be a writer. I simply wrote. With Irish storyteller genes, how could I not?

2. How did you get started writing?

JM: I often wish I’d started writing for publication sooner. I’m always quite humbled when I see my work in print and readers tell me how much they enjoy my stories.
For years, I wrote newsy letters from all the wonderful places I’ve lived and yearly Christmas letter memoirs. I wrote articles about things I’d seen and done. I wrote professional articles. Finally, at the insistence of family and friends, I started submitting short stories and publishers bought them.

Encouraged, I joined Romance Writers of American and American Christian Fiction Writers, worked on my writing skills and started adding depth and length to my stories. The rest, as they say, is history. My debut novel THE PENDANT’S PROMISE released last spring for eReaders and this summer in paperback.

3. What inspired your latest book?

The idea for THE PENDANT’S PROMISE germinated from my time as a DAC in South Korea.
In 1966, the US Army sent my husband to South Korea. Unwilling to be left behind, I secured a passport for myself and our toddler daughter, sold our car, bought airline tickets and followed. At barely twenty-one, I didn’t think about negative possibilities of being an unauthorized dependent in Southeast Asia. I only knew I didn’t want to be away from my husband for thirteen months.

4. What is your next project and when will it be released?

LOVE IN THE MORNING CALM, a prequel to THE PENDANT’S PROMISE is in the editing phase. It’s scheduled for release in early 2013. I’m also plotting the love story of two secondary characters from THE PENDANT’S PROMISE, Shirley and David. The pair has been talking in my head since THE PENDANT’S PROMISE released, begging me to share their story with readers.

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

Very. But not specific identifiable people. And, never, ever, without permission.
You’ve seen that tee shirt, “Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel.” That’s me!
What happens is an occasional overheard word from a loud person behind me in a restaurant or snippets of others’ conversations while waiting in line serves as the impetus for a story idea. The phrase “in one ear and out the other” does not really apply for any writer, especially me. Instead, it’s more like “in one ear and disappear until needed.”

6. What is your favorite part of writing?

Writing is by its very nature an isolated endeavor. That’s a problem from some. Not me, I love the separation when I’m working on a project. The quiet. An alternate world plays in my head like a movie in a dark theatre and I’m anxious to know how the story will unfold.

7. Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

WRITE. Then rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite some more. And when you’re finished, send your baby out for feedback. Use critique partners. Find beta readers. Then rewrite again.

STUDY the craft of writing. There are outstanding workshops available from gifted publishing professionals. Email me if you want my personal recommendations or check the writer’s resources page on my website.

Be PROFESSIONAL especially on social media. Publishing is a big, small world. That six degrees of separation can come back to bite you.

And, last, BELIEVE in yourself. NEVER give up. I love R. Marston’s quote: “…giving up is simply not an option.”

EXCERPT from chapter one:

In the weeks following Mack’s death, Lily made regular weekend trips from her home in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Virginia helping Aggie with disposing of Mack’s things. She gulped back tears and tugged on the handle of the file cabinet drawer in Mack’s office. The sound like chalk on a blackboard screeched around the room. The difficult process had her thinking too much of Ace. When she lost him, all she’d had were her pendant and an old sweater he’d left behind in her U.N. Village apartment in Han Nam Dong. The threadbare remnant was still tucked away in a carton in her attic. She should get rid of it.

Waiting for Aggie to join her, she removed a large box from the metal drawer and began rifling through the contents. She pulled out a yellowed White House invitation to the Presidential Reception at Walker Hill and photographs spilled across the desk. One caught her eye–a picture from her birthday party with the G3 gang. She studied the faces. Sam Ware, Mack’s executive officer at the time, looked so young. She’d thought him an old fogy like her daddy, but Sam remained a true friend. Same as Mack and Aggie, not judgmental.

That night at the resort’s Crane Restaurant had been her first sight of Ace. The brazen smile he’d given her when their group passed his table remained branded in her memory. Several times during the meal, his brown eyes stared and waves of awareness surged through her. But at that moment in her life, she’d had plans, places to go and things to see. South Korea was the beginning. The dinner celebration honored not only her nineteenth birthday, but her promotion. She was a women’s libber on her way to a career as a Department of Army civilian.

She tossed the picture on top of the others. She’d been young, so gullible.

“What’d you find?” Aggie joined her by the large mahogany desk.

“Stuff from when we were in Korea together.”

“Really?”

Lily pointed to the box. “It’s full.”

“I thought Mack tossed this stuff years ago.”

They dug through the photos and mementoes stored in the Army surplus file cabinet drawer, finding menus from restaurants and Officers’ Clubs, ticket stubs from the Seoul Zoo, museums, and pictures from weekend excursions around South Korea. Caught up in memories, they laughed and they cried, reminiscing about rides in Kimchee cabs, trips to Miss Kim’s dressmaker shop, and joked at pictures of Lily and Aggie in native garb of silk skirts and bright striped bolero-like jackets, and Mack in his Papasan attire with the wide-legged paji.

Lily found a photo someone had snapped in the G3 office. Ace’s back was to the camera, but she recognized him and knew Aggie would too. Not wanting to upset her, Lily buried the picture under others and knelt beside the open drawer. “Let’s see what else there is.”

A file stamped ‘Confidential’ lay beneath where the box had been. She moved the folder onto the desk, opening it. “I wonder what Mack kept in here.”

Aggie slammed the cover shut. “I think it’s time for a lunch break.”

Lily tilted her head in a questioning scowl. “Okay. I’ll go make us some sandwiches.”
Fifteen minutes later, she carried a tray with plates and iced tea into the glassed sunroom where Aggie waited. The blue morning glories Mack had planted along the cedar split rail fence so full and vibrant earlier were beginning to fade and close.

Aggie sat with her leg swinging at the wrought-iron table she and Lily had found on one of their forages at a nearby antique shop. Her foot stopped abruptly when she spotted Lily in the doorway.

“I love this room.” Lily set the tray on the glass tabletop. “Some of my favorite memories are how Mack pushed Beth on that swing set and raked leaves in high piles so she could jump into them.”

“Aye. He’d swing our Beth for hours. And when she didn’t want his help, he’d stay close by, weeding his flowerbeds in case she fell. He couldn’t bear for her or anyone else he loved to be hurt.”

Lily knew all about Mack’s protectiveness. He’d appointed himself her personal guardian the moment she’d walked into his office and guided her through the sea of military policies and procedures the whole time she’d worked with him. All the while running interference with over-zealous, admiring soldiers.

Except for one, she reminded herself.

“How’s the lass doing?” Aggie’s Irish brogue slipped out more often since Mack’s passing.

“Great. She wishes she could join us more.”

“Schoolwork or boyfriend?”

“She’s pretty steady with Jay.”

Aggie gave a startled look. “They’d still be dating? Tis serious then.”

“Afraid so. I’m not ready for my baby girl to be seeing any man seriously. Sending her into the big bad world of college was hard enough.”

Aggie patted her hand as Lily gathered their empty plates. “Give her time. Maybe she’ll be changing her mind.”

“I hope so. What’s on our agenda for the rest of today? More in Mack’s office?”
Color drained from Aggie’s face. “No. No more paperwork.”
“But what about the other two file drawers you need to go through?” Lily wanted this arduous task over. Finished. They both needed to move on.

Clearly agitated, Aggie pushed from the table. “I’ll take me time after you’ve gone home. Let’s clear out his uniforms and clothes and get them to the Ft. Belvoir thrift shop. That way, I won’t be driving over to the post by myself.”

Earlier, going through all the keepsakes from Korea, Aggie had seemed fine. Did her reluctance stem from overwhelming memories?

All the memorabilia had certainly stirred Lily’s recollection of her mystical, magical time in the Land of the Morning Calm, at the same time triggering thoughts of the maelstrom that followed and the consequences she and Aggie both lived with daily.

Thoughts that needed to be left buried.

Author Bio:

Award-winning writer Judythe Morgan is also an antiques dealer, former public school teacher and one time Department of Army Civilian (DAC). But she’s a romantic at heart and storytelling is, and always will be, her passion.

Reality can be harsh and depressing. She loves creating stories that will touch your heart and end in a happily-ever-after. When’s she not writing, you’ll find her browsing antiques shops, reading a book on the front porch or walking her dogs . . . an Old English sheepdog named Toby and a Maltese named Buster. To learn more about her and her work, visit her at her website www.judythemorgan.com or her blog:

www.judythewriter.wordpress.com

Thanks so much, Cynthia, for allowing me to share a little about me and one of my stories.

Giveaway Details:

Be sure to include your email address in the body of your comment. One lucky commenter will win a free copy of THE PENDANT’S PROMISE (your choice paperback or e-version) and a $5 Amazon.com gift card. Winner will be notified by October 20!

Please help me welcome Becky Lower to my blog today. Be sure and leave a comment. There will be a prize drawing and one lucky commenter will win.

What genre do you write and why?

I have an ongoing series of historical romances featuring the Fitzpatrick family, and set in America in the 1850s. In a totally different vein, I’m shopping around a baby-boomer contemporary about three sisters who are in their 40s and haven’t gotten along for twenty years. And I keep plugging away on my time-travel story, which has taken me years to research and write.

Tell me about your current series.

It’s called The Cotillion Ball Series. The Cotillion was introduced into America in 1854 as a way to introduce young ladies of affluence into society. The Fitzpatrick children needed to take their place in society, so Ginger is the first to experience the Cotillion. She is The Reluctant Debutante, which debuted in July. The second book, The Abolitionist’s Secret, is about Heather Fitzpatrick, who participates in the Cotillion the following year, and is swept off her feet by a southerner. She hides her abolitionist activities from him. You know that’s not going to go well. I am just wrapping up the third book in the series—this time it’s about one of the brothers, who is living in St. Louis. The focus is not on the Cotillion, but rather the wagon trains that leave every spring from St. Louis on the way west. But the Cotillion does factor into the story at the very end.

What movie best describes your life?

I would have to say it’s “The Holiday,” starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. My life has been sort of like Kate’s in the story. Always falling for the wrong man and thinking he feels the same way when he just wants to use my mind, or my connections, or my wallet. It took me a long time before I figured out those men who floated in the background of my life were the ones to really focus on. And, before it was too late, I found the career I’ve always wanted—that of a romance writer.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

The Abolitionist’s Secret is due out in December, 2012, by Crimson Romance. I entered it into a few contests prior to Crimson accepting it, and was told that it would never see the light of day, because I talk about slavery in the context that it was discussed in the 1850s. So many people romanticize about the Civil War but forget why it was fought. Because of the time frame in which my series is placed, the rumblings of an impending war are a part of everyday life, regardless of where in the country the story happens. I like to show how historic events were a part of my characters’ lives and how it affected them. It brings the history books to life. Fortunately, Crimson Romance had an open mind and saw that I approached the explosive issues of the time with dignity and accuracy.

Do you have critique partners?

I have several critique groups, and they are all amazing. I live in a small college town and meet weekly with a group there. It’s comprised of all types of writers, from poets to fan fiction to paranormal to romance. They bring a fresh perspective to my work. My other group is strictly romance writers, but is about an hour’s drive away, so we post chapters to our loop and critique each other that way during the month. We have one face-to-face a month, where we try to educate ourselves on various topics. And I have my cousin, who is also a writer. She sees everything I write before I send it out. She’s been invaluable.

What is most difficult for you to write? Character, conflict or emotions? Why?

I always struggle with conflict. Why can’t two people, who are both wonderful, complex characters, just meet, fall in love, and get married? The simple answer is because that would make for a boring book. I usually write my scene, then go back and look for places where I can insert conflict. Sometimes it comes easy, as with The Abolitionist’s Secret. There’s enough conflict there for several books. But I am continually aware of it as something to strengthen in my work.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write or do you avoid it?

Since I’ve been writing historicals set in America, I’ve been reading a lot of them. Some are excellent, but I start picking them apart, since that’s my genre. To the casual reader, they’re fine. I may not get every detail right either, but I try to pay attention to the history, the decorum, the dress, things like that. So, I’ve kind of steered away from American historicals and have gone back to my old standby—Regency romances. I don’t know that much about every nuance of the Regency period, so I am a casual reader there, and if something is not historically accurate, it doesn’t stand out to me. And, they’re fun.

Please help me welcome Laurel to my blog today. There’s a prize for one lucky commenter so be sure and leave a comment.

How did you get started writing?

My grandmother told me she remembers me carrying around a pen and pad of paper when I was little. She said wherever I went I had those in my hands. I started writing stories in Junior High School. Of course, they were other people’s characters. I would write myself into my favorite television show. Like Starsky and Hutch. I would be the heroine. So, it was a natural progression for me to develop my own characters.
In college, I took fiction writing classes. And in graduate school, I took a romance writing class. I had already begun writing my own story at this time. The teacher introduced me to RWA (Romance Writers of America). I joined the organization in 1992 and a year later, entered my first novel, The Angel and The Prince, into their national writing contest, the Golden Heart. Since it was my first novel, I wanted some feedback, just to see if it was any good. It turned out that I was a finalist in the contest. Was I shocked!!! And appreciative. I didn’t win, but the editor for Kensington who was judging the Golden Heart, liked my manuscript so much that she made me an offer for it.
That’s how it all started for me.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write medieval romance, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I started writing medievals because that time period has always intrigued me. I love the romance of the castles and the ladies and their knights. It was a time of chivalry. And passion and bravado. Just the image of a knight on his horse is very romantic.
I write paranormal because writing about the powers a vampire has are something different. It was a new experience to write a hero that has super power and super speed. In Immortal Death, Demetrius actually starts out his life as a knight and is turned into a vampire. So, in many respects, he is still that knight with those romantic beliefs.
I wrote my first urban fantasy series because the premise of what happens after death, what happens if someone doesn’t want to cross to the afterlife, was just too much to pass up. The possibilities are endless. And, of course, there is a little bit of romance in it, too. It’s about family and the bonds that keep them together, even after death. It’s about Sam and her brother Ben who are Lost Souls, struggling to find a way to save humans.

Tell us about your current series.

Lost Souls: Imperfection has just been released. It’s the second episode in my Lost Souls series. The Lost Souls are spirits who refuse to pass into the afterlife. They are trapped between the world of the living and the dead. Some of these Lost Souls have banded together to fight against the evil endangering both their existence and the safety of the human world. This evil is beings who were once Lost Souls but have turned dark and dangerous. They are called the Changed. They feed on the energy of the Lost Souls with the goal to harness enough energy to return to the land of the living by possessing the body of a human. The mission of the Lost Souls is to stop them.
In Imperfection, Sam and her brother Ben, along with their friend Christian, have just defied the leader of the Lost Souls. They are outcast from their former group, but still plan to battle the Changed on their own. They find out that their nemesis, Scala, has escaped his centuries old prison to come after them.
This series has so much potential. I’m very excited about the future of this urban fantasy series. The next episode is due out around Christmas!

What is your favorite part of writing?

I really like creating my characters. I love getting to know them and discovering their stories. It’s like making new friends. I guess you can tell that I’m a pantser. I let my characters write their own stories. In the case of Angel’s Assassin, I wrote the ending four times before they finally revealed the right ending! But boy, did Damien get it right. It was fantastic!

What is your next project and when will it be released?

I’m currently working on the next episode of Lost Souls, titled Deception. It’s Ben’s story. I’m trying to give each character their own episode and then I will really get into the story. But the story is constantly building and growing. It even holds surprises for me!
It’s due out around Christmas.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I’ve been traditionally published, published through an ebook publisher (Pink Petal put out Immortal Death) and self published. I started self publishing over a year ago because I wanted my readers to be able to get my backlist, which was no longer available through Kensington.

Now, I’m self publishing because I want my readers to be able to get my stories and enjoy them. Self publishing is a great way to do this. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a lot of work! But it is well worth it.
My experience with self publishing has been wonderful!

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

Depends. I will sometimes borrow names, but I have never put someone I know into my story. I wouldn’t feel right about doing it. Unless I didn’t like them. Then I suppose I could kill them off.  I’d always be afraid that I didn’t get them right, that the character in my book said or did something that the real person wouldn’t do.

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

Damien in Angel’s Assassin is a tortured and honorable man. He is an assassin, so immediately you can see the challenge of getting readers to feel empathy for him. Or to like him. One of his strengths are his confidence. He is very sure of himself and very confident in his abilities as an assassin. He simply is the best. One of his weaknesses are his feeling of unworthiness. Deep down, he wants to be a good person, he wants to be a hero, but the things that he has done make him bad. He doesn’t feel worthy of Aurora, the heroine’s, love. So, the conflict begins…

Thanks so much, Cynthia, for allowing me to share a little about some of my stories. I hope everyone gets a chance to check them out and enjoys them as much as I did.

BIO

Laurel O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her husband, four children and five cats. She has always enjoyed escaping into the medieval era, including spending a summer interning at the renaissance faire in Wisconsin where she learned to sword fight and recite Shakespeare. Now, she spends her time reading a good book, or swimming or, of course, writing.

Excerpt

Damien watched the startled expression cross her eyes, heard the gasp stop in her throat. His fingers trembled. One quick move… How innocent she was. How trusting. How foolish. Foolish in her blind faith and trust in him.

He had waited a long time for this moment. His freedom was within striking distance.

Her lips parted in a silent gasp and she lifted her chin beneath the pressure of the blade. “Damien,” she whispered.

Betrothed. Anger flared through his veins at the thought of Ormand laying his hands on her, at the image of him kissing her and tasting her as he had. Is that why Roke wanted Aurora dead? So no one else could have her if he could not? Were Roke’s thoughts thick with jealous rage just as his own thoughts were now? Did that make him just as evil and twisted as Warin Roke?

He had to do it now. He felt himself swirling toward oblivion. He was becoming lost. Lost to his mission, lost to his freedom, lost to everything he held dear except for her. Damien looked at the silver blade he held to the white skin of her neck. Your freedom means everything to you. He pressed the dagger up tighter against her throat. Her beautiful, smooth, white, flawless throat. Do it.

She should be afraid. Why wasn’t she moving? Why wasn’t she running or trying to talk him out of it? Would she stand so motionless before another assassin like this? All of his victims had struggled and fought for their lives, especially when they knew their end was near.

Aurora stood before him, her chin held high, unflinching, unmoving. Unafraid.

Damien clenched his teeth tighter. Trusting, he thought with bitter disdain. No one trusted him. No one. Not his father. Not his colleagues. No one. And rightfully so. He was an assassin. He brought death. He was death.

And yet… Aurora stood before him, imperiously, bestowing goodness on him with a simple glance.

His hand shook, his fist tightening around the handle of the dagger. “You’re wrong about me,” he snarled.

In her eyes, in her stunning blue eyes, he saw absolution. Damien could not move. His freedom was at hand. Just a little slash with his sharp dagger. But this was Aurora. She was so damned pure and innocent. He wanted desperately to kiss her. He wanted to have her. She was dangerous to him. So dangerous. That thought could not save him from his desperate need for her. Damien growled low in his throat.

He threw the dagger aside and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her against him tightly, pressing his lips to hers. It was a frantic, despondent kiss. A punishing kiss. He would not give up his freedom. Not for anyone. It was all he wanted. It was all he needed. She would not stand in his way.