An Interview with Mary Ann Bernal

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Please help me welcome Mary Ann Bernal to my blog today.  Don’t forget to leave a comment in order to be entered into today’s prize drawing.  Mary Ann will be giving away a print edition of The Briton and theDane:Legacy.

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

My genre is historical fiction because I love history.  While my stories are set in Anglo-Saxon Britain when the Vikings terrorized all of Christendom, I also am interested in Ancient Egypt, and Greece, but the rise and fall of the Roman Empire runs close to trumping my interest in British history, jeopardizing my Anglophilic affirmation.

 

Tell us about your current series.

The Briton and the Dane novels bring to life the tumultuous ninth century when the formidable Vikings terrorized the civilized world. The epic adventure runs the gamut of deception, treachery, intrigue, and betrayal during a time of war and conquest in Anglo-Saxon Britain.

 

What is your typical day like?

My work day begins bright and early with a mug of coffee while I wear my book promotion hat.  Next cap is for my volunteer work with our military, which includes writing our deployed soldiers and mentoring new members who sign up to “adopt” a military person for the duration of his/her deployment.  Then its a little break, hitting the treadmill before lunch and catching up on the news.  Finally, the best part of the working day begins – writing time.  I do try to stop writing by dinnertime, but I have and do work overtime when my characters demand I finish their chapter.  Then life happens, the sun sets and rises, and we start over again.  Just love it!

 

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Have you ever had a Napoleon?  That dessert is to die for, and hard to find in the Midwest.  My favorite food is Chinese with seafood a close second.  However, there is a quaint restaurant in Brandon, UK – Mr. G’s – that serves a Yorkshire pudding that’s out of this world – I just have to return to England!

 

How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?

Book promotion is very time consuming, which infringes upon my writing time since there are not enough hours in a day to excel at both jobs.  However, being an extremely organized person with excellent time management skills allows me to give 100% to each career.

 

When my first book was traditionally published, I dedicated my time to book promotion, which included the creation of my author webpage and fan pages on Facebook, Twitter, etc..  I also established a presence on numerous book promotion sites, which prompted me to create a list of answers to the questions required when setting up an author account since most of the information requested was “standard.”  Copy/paste saved time when filling out the form, but if a new question was asked, it was added to my list.   Once my accounts were established, following up took less time, but it is still time consuming to check each one for messages, comments, etc.  My personal choice is to devote a few hours each morning on book promotion, and then spend the afternoon writing.  So far this system has worked well for me.

 

 

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

Since I have been fortunate to experience both venues (traditional and self-publishing), my personal preference is self-publishing because of the 100% control of one’s work (cover, text, copyright, promotion etc.).   Learning the publishing business was a challenge at first, but the internet provided answers to my questions and my second novel was self-published both in print and electronically within a short period of time – no waiting on the publishing house and/or editor’s email telling me the book hit the shelves and no waiting on royalties.  In today’s economy, traditionally published authors are expected to aggressively market their work.  If I have to do most of the promotional work myself, why should I have to “giveaway” my copyright and accept reduced royalties?  Also remember if a book does not move on a book shelf in three months, its removed and returned, but with the Print on Demand (POD) option your title lives on.  I have used both Lightning Source and Create Space and have no complaints with either POD company.

 

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

One important factor to remember is that covers actually do help to sell a book.  Unless you are also artistically talented, spend the money on a professional illustrator.  Trust me, this is money well spent.  Having someone other than the author edit the manuscript is highly recommended.  Another issue is the annoying “typo” – and every published book has one that slipped through the cracks.  Do not forget that spell check is not 100% accurate – have one or two friends read the manuscript for typos and check for dropped and/or extra words – better to wait an extra month to publish than to “live with it” once the books goes to print.

 

 

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

 

The Briton and the Dane: Concordia will be released in early 2013.

 

EXCERPT

The Briton and the Dane:  Birthright

 

Preface

 

The opulent night sky was ablaze with sparkling stars; the familiar constellations were easily identified by their various shapes and sizes. The North Star was fixed in the heavens, its light steady, a beacon to follow as one headed home.

The falling star’s path was seen for miles as the brilliant white streak of light moved across the evening sky. There were those who believed that the gods were angry and feared the worst but those who followed the new religion did not believe in superstition and omens and often searched for the uncommon metal left at the bottom of the crater after the star collided with the earth. A sword forged from the heavenly remnants proved to be a formidable weapon; plated armor and shields made from the rare material were thought to be impenetrable.

A slight chill and rising mist created an eerie atmosphere around the Keep at the top of the hill. Fog crept slowly over the valley below the magnificent fortress. Most of the inhabitants traded the wooden benches in the great hall for the comfort of their fur-covered beds while dying embers cast a warm glow for the young couples that still lingered beneath the cloudless sky.

Aurelius walked throughout the valley once the sun set. He conferred with his men who guarded the secret entrance that kept the sanctuary safe from the heathen who still plundered and pillaged the land. But he willingly traded the camaraderie that he shared with his brothers in arms for the love bestowed upon a husband by his wife.

Aurelius crossed the courtyard and headed for the Keep. He gazed upon the open sea as moonbeams bounced along the rippling waves and looked across the starlit heavens in search of the North Star.

***

Arista added more wood to the dying fire before she lovingly covered her children with a warm fur-lined blanket. She grabbed a cloak to keep the night chill from penetrating her bones as she quietly left the room to join her husband.

“Are the children sleeping?” Aurelius questioned when he embraced his wife.

Arista nodded as Aurelius tenderly kissed her scarred face and held her tightly in his arms. She no longer hid behind a veil nor did she shy away from her husband’s touch.

Arista was apprehensive when she rested her head against his shoulder and shivered when she saw the falling star disappear into the darkness of the surrounding mountains.

“Perhaps this night your star will return your memory,” she whispered. “Would you want me still when you remember?”

“How could I not want you?” Aurelius quietly replied. “I owe you my life.”

“One day the star will take you from me and our children,” she murmured. “It beckons you to return to your world.”

He held her tightly in a loving embrace and silently watched the flaming celestial bodies race across the horizon.

***

Elizabeth found her brother Cerdic with Lord Bayen atop the wall-walk. She was thankful for their love and support during the difficult months after word reached the citadel that the King’s envoy to the Welsh court had been attacked.

She clearly remembered the day when the horse that carried the young boy dropped dead before Lord Bayen and Thomas, Lord Richard’s advisor. She remembered her anxiety when the lad informed them of the carnage and her fear when he spoke of the dead and gravely wounded. She did not deny that her husband had vanished; what she did deny was the presumption that he had been slain.

Tears swelled when she remembered how Lord Bayen and her brother never left her side during her long and difficult birthing. She remembered their concern when she cried out Stephen’s name and begged to die. She remembered the healer’s fright when she pointed to the Lord’s angel who, she swore, stood before her. She also remembered their obvious relief when the boy that she named Gabriel finally entered the world.

Elizabeth was thankful for their King’s benevolence when he pardoned her brother. She was also grateful to Bishop Thurlac when he granted Cerdic a full dispensation to leave the contemplative cloistered life for other worldly pursuits.

Elizabeth could never repay Lord Bayen for his kindness and protection. She was also aware, as were most, of his undying love and devotion. She was grateful for Lord Bayen’s friendship and continually prayed that one day he would be able to love another.

The men silently watched the bright colorful fireballs raining upon the earth. Elizabeth did not pay attention to the brilliant particles that lit the evening sky but rather kept her sight upon the steady dim light of the North Star where it remained transfixed in its position.

“Do you think that Stephen gazes upon our star this night?” she asked her brother.

“It has been more than two summers yet you still keep your vigil,” Cerdic gently said while he held her in his arms.

“My heart knows that he lives,” Elizabeth whispered. “One day he will return to me and our son.”

 

BIO 

Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane novels, is an avid history buff whose area of interest focuses on Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain during the Viking Age.  While pursuing a degree in business administration, she managed to fit creative writing classes and workshops into her busy schedule to learn the craft, but it would take decades before her “Erik the Viking” novel was ultimately published.

 

Mary Ann is also a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter writing campaigns and other support programs since Operation Desert Storm.  She has appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work.  She has also been a featured author on various reader blogs and promotional sites.

 

Mary Ann is a New York “expat,” and currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska.

Book Trailer

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH1qSGHOSMA

 

Webpage:

 

http://www.maryannbernal.com

 

Novels published in association with The Literary Underground

 

http://www.litunderground.com/MaryAnnBernal.html

 

 

Purchase Info:

 

Amazon US

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mary+ann+bernal&x=0&y=0

 

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mary+ann+bernal

 

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/mary-ann-bernal

An Interview with Jessica Lauryn

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  1. How did you get started writing?

As a child, I had a very overactive imagination.  I created an imaginary world for my dolls, sort of like the fictitious towns we see in soap operas.  Though my scripts weren’t nearly as colorful as the ones used in daytime TV, I worked constantly to keep my plots going, having no idea that I wasn’t merely playing, but actually writing.  Years later, when I was taking creative writing classes in college, I told my professors I was going to write soap operas after graduation.  I joined a critique group, and, knowing that romance was the genre of my passion, I attempted to “write a romance novel,” never having read one!  My gut telling me that what I’d put together wasn’t quite ready for an editor’s desk, I decided to crack open a real romance novel and “see how it was done.”  I was instantly hooked, and from that day forward I set out to pursue what would become my path to publication.

 2.    Tell us about your current series.

I am currently writing the Pinnacles of Power Series, which is a 5-book series that is centered around a secret diamond smuggling operation called Project Gemstone.  The heroes—Ryan, Alec, Colin, Lucas, and Jack—each play a part in Project Gemstone’s progression, whether they are taking down the bad guys, trying to escape conflicted pasts, or helping to shut the criminal expenditure down once and for all.  The heroines—Abigail, Lena, Julia, Lilah, and Corinne—are strong and independent women, each of which falls for a man who is involved with Project Gemstone.  Each heroine must help her hero to battle his inner demons, and decide whether the love, passion and desire they feel is worth the risk it poses to their hearts.

3.     What is your favorite part of writing?

I love the feeling I get when I write, where I escape into a secret world, in which I, the writer, am in total control of a story.  Heroine’s actions, hero’s actions, secrets of the past, even the outcome are all controlled by me.  I love creating premises, and I love working those premises out, smoothing out all the kinks in a story until it is ready for publication.  Long story short, (no pun intended!) I love many, many things about writing, most especially the fact that I get to do it every day!

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

I’ve had many people over the last several years come up to me and say, “Can you make me a character in a book?”  And the most common answer I give is “I’d love to, but you’re too nice of a person.”

But characters are nice.  Which is certainly true enough.  But it is rather difficult to gauge emotional conflict in people we meet in everyday life as people tend to keep their deepest darkest secrets–well—secret!  And emotional conflict is the key ingredient to creating dynamic characters, and consequently, to writing great stories.

Some people on the other hand will strike you as being just a little odd or unusual.  Which tends to beg the question, “why?”  For me, that is where the imaginative process begins.  If I meet someone who strikes me as unusual or different, I tend to spin my own story about them and yes, they will most likely become a character in a story.  Just not usually the very next story, as that’s probably already on its way.  But three stories past my current WIP is definitely fair game 😉

 5.    Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

In my first release, Dangerous Ally, Lucas Ramone, diamond smuggling kingpin, vows to destroy the man his father has hired to spy on him with the intention of stealing his smuggling operation, Project Gemstone…

Hardly a man Lilah Benson goes ahead with her venturous plan to take a job at the Ramone Mansion, for the chance to get the story of a lifetime…

But an unexpected attraction to her source makes it quite difficult for Lilah to get the information she seeks. She soon realizes that the true mystery will be figuring out how to keep from putting her heart into the hands of her eager adversary…

And here’s a little about Dangerous Proposal, my latest release coming this month from Siren BookStrand! 

At nineteen, Alec Westwood nearly committed the most horrific of crimes—murder in cold blood—and narrowly escaped the assigned task with his life.  When a stunning young woman crosses his path wearing the insignia for the organization that recruited him, Alec vows not to let fate get a second chance.  But when the enchantress gives him a kiss that leaves him spellbound, he realizes the power she holds is greater than all his strength and fortitude combined.

On the run from her psychotic fiancé, Lena Benson vows to forge a new life.  But when her new friend Jack tells her to stay away from Alec Westwood—the man she believes her fiancé hired to track her down—she takes matters into her own hands.  Alec may have the look and the charm, but she’s calling the shots this time, even if that means resisting a man who’s eyes and touch rob her, literally, of sense.

6) Tell us about your heroes.  Give us one of their strengths and one of their weaknesses.

Lucas Ramone, hero in Dangerous Ally, is a mysterious, yet, deeply troubled man.  Lucas lost his mother at a young age (rather, he believed she was dead) and he spent the majority of his young life being manipulated by his father, fighting for his father’s affection.  It is this need to fill the emptiness in his life that often drives Lucas to do the bad things he does.  On the flip side, Lucas is strong, brave and chivalrous and he would protect the people he loves to the death, something the heroine Lilah Benson becomes keenly aware of as Lucas comes to her rescue on a great number of occasions.

Alec Westwood, hero in Dangerous Proposal, would give anything to step out of his older brother Colin’s shadow.   In his typical frustration, he has a tendency to make bold moves without thinking, and this tends to get him into trouble.  Alec’s greatest strength is his strength of character.  This is what keeps him from crossing the line at times, like when he is nineteen years old, and, for the sake of proving a point, briefly contemplates committing murder.

7.    What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the third story in the Pinnacles of Power Series, Dangerous Proposition.  (Which come after Dangerous Proposal, before Dangerous Ally) In this story, Julia Dyson (Lena Benson’s roommate in Dangerous Proposal) learns that her father has been abducted, and believes her teenage crush, Colin Westwood, may be responsible.  Colin, determined to keep Julia from learning his true involvement in her father’s abduction, makes the red-headed temptress an offer.  In exchange for helping her retrieve her missing father, he wants Julia to be his mistress.

8.    What do you have planned for the future?

I’d like to complete the five stories in the Pinnacles of Power series, then, write another romantic suspense series that centers around the Broadway stage.  After that, we’ll see where the wind takes me J

 

BIO

At two years old, Jessica became a devoted fan of both listening to and reciting the books her parents would read to her at night. When she was a little older (about four), she sought a greater challenge in her life, and began making up stories of her own, acting them out with her dolls. “When the dolls got “boyfriends,” she says, “I knew I was getting too old for dolls!”

As a romance novelist and a reader alike, Jessica is most intrigued by dark heroes, who have many demons to conquer…but little trouble enticing female companions into their beds! She feels that the best romances are those where the hero is already seducing the heroine from that first point of contact. “Isn’t it the hero’s job to seduce?” she says with a grin.

Jessica loves to see the sparks fly when a stubborn, domineering hero crosses paths with a bold, feisty heroine, and uses the combination frequently in her stories.

When she’s is not writing, Jessica enjoys listening to as much 80’s music as possible, watching the same re-runs of Smallville over and over, shopping for exceptionally unique cameos, and taking long walks in nature where she can daydream about anything romantic. Though she resides in Central New Jersey, her heart belongs to the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

Excerpt:

Dangerous Ally

Feeling the warmth of tears in her eyes, Lilah rose from the table. She never became so emotional over nothing. What in God’s name was wrong with her?
Lucas’s strong hand came against her shoulder. She didn’t pull away. In fact, she had the strangest urge to just lean into him. Like somehow, he would take away all of her doubts.

“Lena’s happy in her life with her children, and with Alec Westwood,” he said. “I’d never begrudge her that. All I ever wanted was her happiness.”

The way he said the words, she almost believed them. He seemed to care, or at least, maybe was trying to be a better person.

“You’re trembling,” he said, reaching in before she could stop him. His finger brushed her quivering lip.

Her instinct was to smack his hand. But the tingling sensation racing from mouth to spine kept her in place. Lucas’s touch was so soft. It made her crazy. She was consumed by the strongest desire for his lips to be where his finger was now.

He took her wine glass and held it out to her. “Here,” he said. “This’ll calm your nerves.”

Senses returning with a bang, Lilah held up two hands in protest. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” she snapped, not entirely sure whether it was him she was angrier at or herself.

“Am I that obvious?” He laughed as if the whole thing was funny, setting the glass back down.

She enjoyed being in the company of a monster—there was nothing lighthearted about it!

“I’m guessing you’ve probably been down this road too many times, hmm?” Lucas replaced his hand on her shoulder.

“What road would that be, exactly?”

His gray eyes looked deeply into hers. “I’m sure I’m not the first man who’s tried to get you into a relaxed state, Lilah.”

“Actually—” She hesitated, not wanting to get so personal yet feeling she could probably tell him anything and he’d somehow understand. “It’s been a long time, longer than you’d imagine. After I finished college, I had every intention of becoming a journalist. Meaning I’d be out most of the time chasing a story despite whatever danger came with it. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, for as long as I can remember.”
He nodded, coming closer. “You must have been very persistent. It takes a good deal of perseverance and sacrifice to become a success at such a young age.”

Lilah sure knew that. While her friends had been enjoying their last semester of college, she’d been frantically gathering writing samples, sending them out to every newspaper who would give her the time of day. But had her father noticed? Even when she became one of the youngest reporters at the New York Times, he’d barely raised a brow.
Deep down, she knew this was why she’d accepted Raphael’s offer, even in spite of the danger that came with it. A story about Raphael Ramone’s family laundry wasn’t going to impress Blake Benson. But exposing Lucas’s diamond smuggling operation would be a print-worthy unearthing that would win her father’s admiration as well as her first Pulitzer.

She lowered her gaze. “I haven’t given up anything so wonderful.”

Lucas lifted her chin. “But if it came to that, do you think you’d be willing to make that sacrifice? Give up something you want—maybe something you want more than anything—to attain some ultimate level of self-victory?”

A chill came over her at his words. Lilah came back a step, unsure of what had just happened but wanting desperately to pretend it hadn’t.

Lucas cleared his throat. “Let’s get some air, shall we?”

Something she needed desperately. She followed him to the balcony, welcoming the cool night breeze as it caressed her hot skin.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, hoping very much to steer the conversation in a new direction.

“It is.” He nodded and came beside her, bracing the rail with one hand. He slipped an arm around her back.

His body was warm—like a furnace—and he felt strong, as if he spent his days loading lumber instead of dabbling away at a computer.

Lilah shivered, goose bumps forming along her bare arms. It felt so nice being close to Lucas. Too nice. Maybe she’d just stay there with him a few minutes longer. They weren’t exactly hurting anyone by being in each other’s company.

He leaned into her, speaking in a tone she could only describe as husky. “Those men you never met,” he said, “that was their loss.”

She blinked, keeping her eyes on the night sky. “Please. A man’s the last thing I need in my life.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lucas asked, his warm breath coming against her ear. “Or is it possible you’ve been hiding behind your work for so long, you don’t even know how things could be?” His palm brushed her bare shoulder as he turned her to face him. “No one knows what it’s like to be hidden from the world more than I do, Lilah. You can trust me on this. I think we’re more alike than you realize. And it’s possible we’re both missing out on something incredible.”

She didn’t push his hand away as it cupped her cheek. Or his arm as it encompassed her waist. No, she let him do what he wanted. She wanted him to touch her…

Dangerous Proposal

Trista’s sweet laughter filled the air as Lena opened the door. The little girl was pointing her finger up at the doctor. His back was turned in her direction, but he was tall and had wavy, black hair. There was something strangely familiar about him.

Lena had never been to Memorial Hospital before. How would she know anyone who worked there?

“I’m not a little monkey,” Trista said, laughing. She gave the doctor’s white coat a tug.

“Oh yes you are.” He pressed a finger to her little nose.

“No, I’m not.” She laughed, pushing him back. “You’re a monkey head.” Her eyes lit as she turned around. “Miss Lena!”

Fresh tears formed in Lena’s eyes. She raced to the bed, throwing her arms around Trista. Faintly, she heard the doctor’s clipboard hit the floor with a smack.

She must have bumped into him as she ran by. But there was plenty of time to apologize.

“Trista, I’m so glad you’re ok,” she said, holding the little girl tightly against her chest.

“I’m all better now, Miss Lena,” Trista said. “I bumped my head. But it’s ok now.”

Lena did her best to hide her watery eyes. Trista seemed completely unfazed by what had happened. It was as if a different child had cracked her head open on the playground.

“You scared me today,” she said softly. “We’re going to hold the handle bars every time we ride our bikes from now on, aren’t we?” She turned to the doctor. “My God, I don’t know how to thank—”

Lena gripped the bar surrounding the bed. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Trista’s doctor was the man from Valley Tavern, the man from Julia’s backyard. He was none other than Alec himself!

A doctor—he was a doctor! Wearing a white coat and looking at her with eyes as wide as her own. With a professional ensemble to compliment his handsome exterior, he was the heartthrob of every woman’s fantasy for sure.

Suddenly, he began to look her over more slowly. With his deep blue eyes locked with hers, intensity transformed to pure, wicked deviltry. He wasn’t simply looking at her, as he had those other times. He was challenging her. Daring her to speak first. She swallowed, tightening her hold on the handle of the bed.

“Trista,” a soft voice called from the doorway.

Lena released the breath she’d been holding in. She’d almost forgotten about the little girl sitting beside them. Suddenly there were two other people in the room. A man, with curly blonde hair, like his daughter’s. And a woman with a long brunette mane.

Well, it was better late than never. She’d begun to think maybe Trista was an orphan. After a brief reintroduction, she decided to give the family a few minutes alone. She went to the door, assuring herself that she definitely needed some air.

Clutching the doorknob, she jolted as a hand touched down on her back.

“A moment of your time, Miss Gallagher.”

Alec was right behind her, their bodies practically touching. She didn’t dare turn around out of fear that she might fall straight into his arms—exactly where he wanted her. He placed his large, warm hand over hers and turned the doorknob, urging her into the hall. Moving steadily behind hers, his body forced her to either walk forward or risk bumping right up against him.

Moments later, Lena found herself in a dimly lit corridor—a place she was certain no one else in the hospital even knew existed. Though, the darkness didn’t make it any easier to hide her trembling hands. Her heart beat wildly as Alec circled her, caressing her body with his sinful blue eyes. She moved back a step, coming against the wall.

A mischievous smile formed on Alec’s lips. Putting his hand against the tile behind her, he barricaded her exit.

“Lena Gallagher.” He shook his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue. “Imagine that. Allowing an innocent child to fall from a tricycle. What sort of a negligent caregiver does a thing like that?”

Lena’s face burned. “Negligent caregiver? I—”

“It’s certainly a good thing I was there to come to the rescue. But then that’s just the kind of man I am, you see. Lucky for you. Otherwise”—he lowered his voice—“you’d be in an awful lot of trouble right now. Wouldn’t you?”

“Are we through here, Dr. Westwood? I wouldn’t want to be taking up anymore of your precious time.”

“Now, now, Miss Gallagher. That isn’t any way to speak to the man who just saved your little girl. Not to mention job, I’m sure. Correct me if I’m wrong. That makes the score two to zero. Does it not?”

“Is that what this is to you? Some sort of sick game? Trista could have died! No doctor with any true ethics would try to take advantage of something like that. Just how big of a jerk are you?”

He grinned. “Don’t you wish you knew?”

She put her hands against the front of his jacket, shoving him back as hard as she could. “I’m leaving.”

She started forward, but he caught her by the arm. Her eyes came wide open as she turned around. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Perhaps you ought to think more carefully before making bets you have no chance of winning. I let you walk away from me once. This time, I don’t intend to make it quite so…easy.”

“What do you want from me?” she asked in a whisper.

“You know what I want, Lena. And I know that you want this as much as I do.”

 

An Interview with Britt Bury

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Please help me welcome Britt Bury to my blog today.  Remember to leave a comment.  There will be a drawing for a prize but you have to leave a comment to be entered.

 Thank you so much for hosting me Cynthia!

 

How did you get started writing?

I started writing when I was young. It was a calming outlet and something I enjoyed. In second grade, we had an assignment to write a story and mine was chosen to be “published.” (By “published,” I mean taken to Kinko’s and photocopied) Still! I was so excited and just knew I had made it to the big time. It was then I knew that I wanted to write books for the rest of my life. I still have that laminated, Kinko’s bound story about bears and to this day I consider it to be my first published work J

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

I write paranormal romance. I have a hard time with the real world sometimes. It gets so…overwhelming. Writing paranormal gives me a chance to escape and live an adventure I might not otherwise ever experience.

Tell us about your current series.

The Immortal Heat series is just taking off. The Darkest Day is the first installment. Book two is coming out soon and revolves around a Mystic Fionn and a Strigoi. I’m currently writing book three which is about a Poet Fionn and a Wolverine Pookah.  I’m really excited because each book has a totally different tone and the immortal breeds also differ greatly.

What inspired your latest book?

My grandfather’s family emigrated from Scotland. We are part of the Campbell clan. My grandmother has Native American ancestry and I got to thinking about how my family’s history was unique in itself. Two different people, from different lands and cultures coming together to take on the world. I loved that idea and took it to a paranormal level.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I did some research into my Scottish and Native roots and discovered some interesting folklore, like Fionns and Pookahs. From there, I put my own spin on these beings, like the three different breeds and their abilities. Immortality is sexy and unique in the real world, but as I’ve admitted, the real world and I don’t always get along. I decided to turn everything around and make immortals the norm and humans the unique. I really wanted to take on the idea that though humans may be considered vulnerable compared to an immortal, it doesn’t mean they are weak.

Do you have critique partners?

I do! And my books would not be the same without them. Marina Adair is actually my go to girl. She has spent countless hours plotting and talking books out with me. She knows my characters as well as I do and on more than one occasion she has pulled me out of a horrible case of writers block.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

So there’s this lemon cream cake at Olive Garden that I’m in love with. I’ve considered leaving my husband for this cake. I don’t know what it is, but it is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. (I take dessert really seriously, can you tell?) J

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

When the most powerful female on earth unknowingly sheds a life-long glamour, she reveals that she is the last human in existence—and the one man bound to keep her safe is the one who hates her the most.

Do you have a view in your writing space?

What does your space look like?  I have my little corner. Pictures, posters and keepsakes are hung on the walls next to my white board. Everything from my Elvis calendar to photos of from my first trip to New York for the RWA conference are all pinned up. Anything that reminds me of all the wonderful experiences I’ve had is up there, and when I feel like I just suck and am a loser who will never write again, I sit there, take a few deep breaths and remember that things will be okay.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on book three in the Immortal Heat series. I’m really excited how it’s turning out, however I’m a little nervous. The heroine is very different compared to the women I’m use to writing.

What do you have planned for the future?

I mostly plan to stalk Larissa Ione until she agrees to become my best friend…other than that, I hope to keep writing. Hopefully it will be stories people want to read. J

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Stick with it! There will be a lot of negativity and hurdles to overcome. There will be moments that even you believe you can’t become an author. Don’t listen to any of it! Hold on tight to the support of those around you and to the drive within yourself. We all have some inner-awesome, cling to that and just keep going even when you feel like you can’t.

Sneak Peek – TAME A WILD BRIDE

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I plan on releasing the next book in my Tame series by the end of July. Joining TAME A WILD HEART and TAME A WILD WIND will be TAME A WILD BRIDE. Here is an excerpt of the book. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. One lucky commenter will win copies of the first two books in the series.

Rosemary Stanton stood on the train platform sweating and waiting. Sweating because it was an unusually hot day in late April. Waiting for her husband. A husband she wouldn’t recognize if he were standing right next to her.

She’d been desperate when she answered the advertisement for a mail order bride. Wanted: Single woman to cook, clean, and care for children on a cattle ranch in southwestern Colorado. Will marry upon arrival.

Well, she was twenty-six with no prospects. Her brother just got married and his new wife, Beatrice, didn’t want Rosie around. She could answer this advertisement or become a governess. Help someone else’s children grow up into adults. Live in someone else’s house. For the rest of her life, she’d have nothing she could call her own.

Rosie wanted a home. She wanted a husband and children. All the things she’d never have if she stayed in Philadelphia. When she’d seen the ad in the morning paper, she’d nearly shouted with glee. However, she managed to restrain herself until she got to her room before she yelled with joy. The advertisement was tailor-made for her needs. It got her away from Beatrice and got her her own home all in one fell swoop.

Her brother, Robert, though was not happy with the idea of his baby sister traveling across the country to marry a stranger. He grudgingly agreed to give her her dowry to take with her. Five thousand dollars. She’d take the draft to the bank as soon as she arrived in Creede, Colorado, and married Mr. Thomas Harris. Cattle rancher. It was her “in case it doesn’t work out” money. Though she supposed it would belong to her husband once she married. Perhaps she just wouldn’t tell him about it. Her conscience spoke up. That’s no way to start a marriage. With lies and secrets. Oh, all right. She’d tell him and have him take her to the bank. But not until after she’d taken his measure. If he was a cruel man, she would leave and she sure as heck wouldn’t tell him about her money.

Even with the dowry, there’d been few prospects for Rosie back in Philadelphia. She wasn’t pretty in the conventional sense. She thought her face with its big brown eyes and full lips was pleasing enough, but men apparently hadn’t. Her one beau told her that her eyes were the color of warm brandy. That was before he left her to marry another more suitable woman. More suitable, hah! Richer was more like it.

He’d had expensive tastes and married a rabbit-faced girl, heir to a substantial fortune to which he’d have access. Well, good luck and good riddance.

Rosie did have one extraordinary feature. Her hair. Waist length, wavy and a clear, golden blonde. Right now, standing on the train platform in Creede it was bound up in a loose bun on top of her head under her hat. It, like the rest of her, was covered in dust and soot from the train. She’d discovered on the second day she could minimize the grime by sitting in the front of the car with the window closed. But sooner or later the heat and mugginess of the car would force her to open the window. The air came rushing in, cooling her, but bringing with it the dirt and ash from the train’s boilers.

On the long trip, she’d told herself again and again she’d made the right decision. This was her future.

“Excuse me. Miss Stanton?”

Rosie shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun and looked up at a tall man with dark hair. His hat was pulled low, hiding his eyes. He had a strong jaw covered with a shadow of whiskers.

“Yes. I’m Rosemary Stanton.”

He took off his hat and held out his hand. “I’m Tom Harris.”

Rosie took his hand. It engulfed hers with a shock of warmth. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast to his tanned one. Calluses rubbed against her soft palm though the touch was not unpleasant. She looked from their clasped hands up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Harris.”

“Tom. Call me, Tom.”

“And I’m Rosie.”

“Where are your trunks, Rosie?”

“Oh, I don’t have any trunks. I only brought what I thought I would need out here.”

He picked up the two valises at her feet. “Doesn’t seem like much for an Eastern woman. I’m glad to see you’re practical.”

Rosie felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she blushed at his praise, undeserving as it was. “Well, I didn’t think you’d have any balls.”

Angel or Demon? What do you choose for a hero?

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First let’s get to the give away. Leave me a comment about who you prefer as a hero, an angel or a demon and you’ll be entered to win a paperback copy of Centauri Series: The Complete Collection. It contains all three Centauri books, Centauri Dawn, Centauri Twilight and Centauri Midnight. I will be giving away one copy each day, so four chances to win with just one comment. Also, by commenting here, you’ll automatically be entered into the prize drawing for the GRAND prizes of a Kindle Touch to one winner and a $60 gift card to another. When you comment you MUST include your email address to be included in the drawings for the Grand prizes.

Okay, let’s be honest here.  What kind of hero do you prefer an angel or a demon?  I’m talking run of the mill angels here, not arc angels which are a category unto themselves.

Me?  I prefer demons.  They are the bad boys we all love to try and reform.  An angel is already a good guy.  If we try to change him, then we are corrupting him rather than saving him.  Generally, I don’t want my heroines to be a BAD influence on people.

With a demon as a hero there are so many opportunities to “save” him.  What heroine worth her salt could resist such a challenge?  None of mine could.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t write about either angels or demons.  If I did, I’d most certainly choose demons, simply because they’d be more fun to write about.  There are unlimited possibilities for plots and redemption.

You noticed I refer to my demon as my hero, not my heroine.  Because I write romance, first and foremost, I automatically think that my demon character would be the demon.  And because I write romance with happily ever after endings, there must be some form of redemption, usually by the hero before the book ends.

So what happens to a demon hero after he’s been redeemed.  Is he still a demon?  In your world you can make it anyway you want it.  In my world, if he’s been redeemed, he’s also been thrown out of hell and is not a demon anymore.  But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still the worlds greatest lover.  Some things simply can’t be changed.

An Interview Celia Breslin

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Please help me welcome Celia Breslin to my blog today.  One lucky commenter will win a critique of the first 20 pages of their manuscript by Celia.  Read on for more info.

 

Hi Cindy! Thanks for having me over as a guest today.

 

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

 I write urban fantasy and paranormal romance. My absolute favorite genres. As a kid/teen, I loved reading fantasy, romance, sci fi, and horror. Penning stories was one of my favorite activities, too, and still is, obviously, lol. I like creating fictional worlds where I make the rules. 😉

 

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

I read primarily urban fantasy and paranormal romance, although lately I’ve dabbled in other romance subgenres, tempted by the fabulous stories penned by Laura Kaye, for example (*waves to Laura*). If you haven’t read Laura’s Her Forbidden Hero or her awesome elevator – and I mean that literally – romance novella Hearts In Darkness, I highly recommend both. Highlander romance and sci fi also tempt me from time to time.

 

What are you currently working on? Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

I’m currently working on two projects, my urban fantasy vampire series, aka The Tranquilli Bloodline Series, and a collection of shorter paranormal romances centered around the Fae.

 

For the elevator pitch, let’s talk about the Bloodline gang. I loooooove Carina and my vamps.

HAVEN (Book 1)

San Francisco club owner Carina receives some unexpected gifts for her twenty-fifth birthday: one hot guy-slash-fated soul mate who happens to be a vampire, three undead family members with a secret agenda and lastly, some crazy powers which is good because some serious bad is coming her way.

 

Tell us about your heroine.

Carina runs one of the most successful dance clubs in San Francisco. She’s cute and confident, satisfied with her life though she has one pesky problem: she can’t remember her childhood. She’s stubborn and a control freak who doesn’t like to ask for help. To survive her new unwieldy power and the sudden influx of vampires in her life, she’ll have to let go of her Type-A tendencies and let her family help her. Or die. Her choice.

 

Do you have critique partners?

 I don’t have one specific critique partner but I do trade critiques regularly.  I’m a volunteer critique coordinator for a fantasy/futuristic/paranormal online writing group. I also volunteer to judge (romance) writing contests and have a background in editing and copyediting (nonfiction).

 

Give-Away:

Speaking of critiques, I’m offering a critique of the first 20 double-spaced pages of your current WiP. To enter, leave a comment below including your email address. All entries will go in a bowl and the winner will be chosen my cats. 😉

 

BIO:

 Celia lives in Northern California with her family and two feisty cats. She spends her time writing, critiquing, hanging with her family, and participating in boot-camp style workouts.

For more info on Celia and her writing projects, and to read a <a target=”window” href=”http://www.celiabreslin.com/extras/”>free, short paranormal story</a>, visit <a target=”window” href=”http://www.celiabreslin.com/”>her Web site</a>.

Celia also welcomes Twitter followers: <a target=”window” href=”http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin”>http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin</a>.

Weaving Webs by A. R. Norris

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Please help me welcome A. R. Norris to my blog today.  She will be giving away a prize to one lucky commenter, so be sure and leave her a question or comment.

 

Weaving Webs

 

Lies and omission, both are the paths of deceit. Lying is one of the most common things people do. Sometimes it’s even natural, and expected. I mean, I appreciate my husband telling me the jeans I just bought are “mom jeans” but I’ll admit part of me doesn’t want to hear it. Not that I’d just like him to say, “Yes, those jeans look great…I like a flat butt on my woman” but a “Yes, you look nice in whatever you wear” would be okay on occasion.

People lie for all kinds of reasons. Conflict avoidance, keep from losing something/someone, fear of rejection, threat of harm (real or imagined), or to avoid punishment.

The one I want to talk about today is the altruistic reason. The type of lie that helps our friends or loved ones, and the type of lie that is tagged to duty and responsibility. This is the type my husband could give in the jean scenario above. It’s selfless and would technically make me feel better.

But just because it’s selfless, is it right, though? This is why my husband tells me the jeans flatten my rear end. He’s truthful to a fault. There are whole segments of society that believe in brutal honesty, no matter the cost to feelings or situations.

People in service don’t always have a choice. Their truth is often times what their government heads tell them to say is the truth. Their bosses dictate their omission. Most of the time this is for good reason: secret agents, important missions, investigations.

You know, those cool “007” gigs.

In my latest release, Echoes of Regret, the main characters are hiding all kinds of truths. During the course of their journey with the infamous — and immortal — Captain Noah Bonney, the “Wall of Lies and Omissions” begin crumbling until the stark reality is revealed for all to see…and judge.

Please enjoy this blurb and an excerpt from Echoes of Regret.

Blurb:

Lieutenant Fredrica Casales went undercover and behind Captain Noah Bonney’s back to help the Imperial Excellencies stop a terrorist plot. Now her Imperial contact, Jace McCree, is coming along in the next leg of the mission, and working with him in person is a bit more challenging.

Excerpt:

Jace’s trepidation increased as Lady Victory detached from the port’s docking bay with Jetta aboard. From the Imperial space station’s sky-bridge he observed the Port Launch Unit maneuver the large, squid-like vessel out to open space. Three guiding shuttles worked in unison to push the huge vessel as if it were a marshmallow floating in water. Helpless and adrift at the moment, he was unsure what to do or how to act. From behind him his father, Scott McCree, growled.

“We shouldn’t have let her leave, Jace.”

Without looking back at him Jace said, “We shouldn’t have kept it a secret so long, Father.” He turned. “She should have been told when she came of age.”

Scott reared on him and clamped his jaw. Jace cocked his chin, to face his father’s wrath for what he knew to be the truth. Scott’s anger flashed and then settled. He knew the truth himself. The blood rose and then drained out of his face. “How was I supposed to tell her?” he muttered after moment, the pain clear in his expression.

Jace’s memories flashed to the long ago day, barely out of childhood. “It doesn’t matter the how. She should’ve known. Now who knows what will happen or how she’ll take it when she finds out.” He checked the time. “I have to board Daring Star. Will you be joining the journey?”

“No. It would seem too conspicuous to follow now. How would I explain it?” He touched Jace’s upper arm and squeezed. “I’m sorry to have this fall on you. I pray it is not what we think. I will head out to their lands and try to find out what has provoked this change. I’ll send you communications as soon as I discover anything.”

“I’ll protect her as best I can. I’ll find a way to tell her when we land on Stratlin.”

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

I hoped you liked the quick bit.

What lies do you think are okay in society? What’s the most ridiculous lie you’ve ever heard?

If you’re interesting in, here are the purchase links for Echoes of Regret:

All Romance, Amazon, B&N, Books On Board, Google Books, eReader

And please stop by and visit my blog when you have a moment or three: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

 

Romcon Reader’s Crown Awards and my wonderful weekend

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I just came back from the most fun weekend.  I was at Romcon 2012 this weekend and it was wonderful.  Lots of readers from all over the country.  One woman came all the way from Hawaii.

As an author it was so great to meet the readers.  I had some readers who brought there books for me to sign.  I sold some books, too.  But the most important thing was the readers.  They were there to meet their favorite authors, get some free books, play lots of different games.  One of the games was Strip a Hero and boy oh boy was it popular.

The most popular event at this years Romcon was the Titanic Tea.  Author DeeAnne Gist hosted an authentic afternoon tea as it would have been served on the Titanic.  Each of the attendees were given the bio of a real passenger on the Titanic and at the end you discovered whether you survived or not.

The authors that served as hostesses for the tea, came in costume and DeeAnne provided authentic hats from the time period. As one of those authors, I adored the gold and black hat with a bird in it that I wore.

Probably the greatest thing for me besides meeting my readers was the Readers Crown event at the brunch this morning.  The finalists and the winner of the Readers Crown contest were announced.  This contest is judged solely by readers and so is very important.  I’m pleased to say that although I didn’t win the Readers Crown, I did final with two of my books.  Centauri Dawn and Centauri Twilight both finaled.   You can’t imagine how thrilled I was.  I wanted to get up and say, “You like me, you really like me.” as Sally Field did after her second Oscar win.  This was like an Oscar for me.  I was thrilled to final.  I can’t explain the amazing feelings that it gave me and still gives me.

So THANK YOU to all you readers out there.  Without you, I wouldn’t be an author.  You are the ones who give me life.

An Interview with Rebecca Clark

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Please help me welcome Rebecca to my blog.  Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered into a prize drawing for a free book.

 

What inspired your latest book?

DELIVER THE MOON is about a couple whose marriage disintegrated after the tragic death of their young son, and how—several years later—they are able to forgive the past and rekindle their love. I came up with the idea for the story after reading a statistic that 80% of marriages in which a child dies end in divorce. That’s very sad, if you ask me. One tragedy is compounded by another. That statistic stuck in my head until Gabe and Louisa’s story was born.

 

What is your favorite part of writing?

This will sound very strange, but it’s the plotting. That’s not the strange part. I love to plot, love buying and reading plotting books like some people buy and wear new shoes. However—here’s the strange part—I hate to write the books I’ve plotted. I don’t know if it’s because some of the magic is gone from having planned the story, or if it feels like I’ve already written it, or what. But there you go.

 

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Writing the first draft is the hardest part for me. You’d think after writing several books, the process would get easier, that I’d get smarter about it. But each book is harder, and I swear I’m getting dumber. My least favorite part of writing is the promo and marketing. I’ve never been one to talk about myself. I hate being center of attention. And I always remember my grandma’s words: “Nice girls don’t talk about themselves.”

 

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

DELIVER THE MOON just released from The Wild Rose Press (official release date was June 22). It’s a contemporary romance, very emotional, and a far cry from my two previously published books which are romantic comedies.

 

What is your typical day like?

My day job is personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor, so every day is different. I usually work a split or triple shift—at the gym for a couple of hours, home for a couple of hours. Rinse and repeat. Rarely a day goes by that I don’t have one or two cancellations, so it’s hard to plan my days in advance. That said, I usually have the afternoons free, so I try to get in 1-2 hours of writing then.

 

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

Internal conflict of my characters is hardest for me to write, because I’ll think I’ll know my characters going into my stories, I’ll think I have a handle on their issues. But it never fails—I’ll get halfway into the story and realize I have no flippin’ idea what really makes them tick, because they’ve morphed into something they weren’t before. Then I need to go back to the drawing board. Maybe this is why I hate writing the books I’ve plotted.

 

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

When I was a kid, I wanted to be Nancy Drew. I had all her books, and always wondered why she and Ned Nickerson never kissed. It really bugged me. So when I’d recreate her stories with my Barbie dolls, Nancy and Ned always kissed. A lot. Then when I was 11 years old, I read my first Harlequin Romance. I knew right then that I wanted to write books like that.

 

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization?  Which one?  Have they helped you with your writing?  How?

I joined RWA a few years after I started writing. I wish I’d joined them earlier, because I might have made fewer dumb mistakes. Might have. LOL. But then again, we learn from our mistakes, right? I’ve belonged to local RWA chapters in every city I’ve lived in, and have made some great friends along the way. Probably the most helpful to me, though, has been my plotting group—The Cherry Plotters (10 of us meet regularly at Cherry Adair’s house to plot, eat, and laugh). As I’ve mentioned above, I’m not really much of a plotter (not a successful one anyway), but I’ve learned a lot from my fellow Plotters, especially Cherry. That woman is a plotting genius. If just a smidge of her genius would rub off on me, I’d be happy, happy, happy.

 

An Interview with Linn Henderson

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Please help me welcome Linn Henderson to my blog today.  Be sure and leave a comment to be entered into the book drawing.

 

How did you get started writing? 

I wrote my first piece when I was seven. It was a contest in Children’s Digest where you finish the story in so many words.  I didn’t win, but I was hooked.

 

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

I write across across SF, fantasy, horror, and romance.  I write what I am interested in and I have lots of interests.

 

Tell us about your current series. 

The Bee Lady’s Amulet is a time travel romance that takes place just before the eruption of Thera, or Santorini.  In this novel, Melinda, volunteering at a dig on Crete, walks through a doorway and finds herself face to face with a goddess who asks her to perform a small task.  She never says the task is to gather the people of Crete and save them from the eruption of the volcano, nor does she say she will fall in love with a magician she can never have.

 

What move best describes your life? 

Wow.  I never thought much about my life as a movie, except that it has been very melodramatic with ups and downs and set backs and victories.  I just keep plugging away at my dream and working to have as much of everything that I can.

 

What inspired your latest book? 

I love archaeology and ancient cultures.  Most anything Bronze Age or earlier in the Middle East.  One of the first books I read was an encyclopedia of Greek Myths.  I love Joseph Campbell’s work and have studied shaman mysticism practices from all around the world.

 

What is your favorite part of writing?

Mastering a new trick or seeing what I learned in a workshop show up in my writing. It means I am improving my craft.

 

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Eating the elephant, bite by bite.  But after each session I can see the progress I have made and know that I am doing what I enjoy.  It’s called BICFOK.  Butt in chair, fingers on keys.

 

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

I am writing the next book in this series.  It features Ipoli, an African baka or shamaness, with a grandfather spirit, and several animal spirits who do her bidding, and Thomas, a seventeen year old young man American on vacation with his parents in Turkey. Thomas meets the same goddess Melinda met in the first book. The goddess tells him he is to learn as much as he can so he is ready when the time comes.  When he arrives into the past, he is immediately captured and sold into slavery aboard a ship that plies the wine dark Mediteranean waters.  He meets Ipoli and they fall in love, but events keep them being together.  She is captured by an evil magician and forced to do his bidding and he is trapped on an island, coerced into building a weapons several hundred years before they were invented.  They must come together before the volcano erupts, destroying Crete and killing thousands.

 

How much time do you spend promoting your books?

I don’t do a lot of promotion, except to put out the next, best book I can. What works best for you?  I don’t know how well it works, but I like guesting on other folks blogs, doing interviews, doing signings.  I enjoy the interaction with the readers, because it gets me out of the office.  Cats are great companions, but not so great on the meaningful conversation end.

 

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

Self publishing is an interesting business.  All writers must be business people.  Each writer is responsible for his or her own career.  Self publishing is in such flux, it forces me to be flexible and ready to turn on a dime, learn new technologies, and be prepared to commit to the long haul.  I am in the slow building, long tail crowd, and at some point, I will have reached critical mass and reap the benefits of those long hours at the keyboard.

 

Where do you get the ideas for your stories? 

Everywhere.  Things people say, TED lectures, mythology, archaeology, neuroscience, newspaper articles.  Where don’t I get them?

 

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Write a book, make it the best book you can, get a critique group, get a beta reader, pay for professional editing, learn how to upload the book into different distribution points, tweak, tweak, tweak covers, blurbs, tags, and LEARN the BUSINESS by reading about the business, learning basic accounting, join a loop or group that can share their wisdom, and don’t give up.  You will fail if don’t write the book.  It is a numbers game and this is one of the few industries where you get paid to practice.

 

Do you have critique partners? 

I am blessed to have a fabulous critique group of award winning authors and working writers who are very supportive and candid.

 

What is your favorite dessert/food? 

How to narrow it down?  I love chocolate.  I love molten lava cakes, I love créme brule.  I love brownies.  But I love good food. I just wish I was a better cook.

 

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

Sometimes.  I think definitely aspects of lots of people end up in the crucible that characters are formed in.

 

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

I am such a nice person. I have a hard time being mean to characters.  So the “Get ’em in a corner and thrown rocks at them” is hard.  I struggle with new ways to think about the conflict part of the structure all the time.

 

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

I wrote lots of stories in the 80s and 90s and got tons of rejections.  I had promised myself that when my daughter graduated high school, I would commit to my dream of publication.  That was in 2000.  I sold my first short story in 1999 and started focusing on craft after that. So, no walk in the park, but my belief has always been that if you practice consistently (writing is one of the few jobs you can have where you get paid to practice!), submitted regularly, you will succeed.  And I proved it to myself with that first sale. Then I had to prove I was not a one story pony.  And I did that, too.  I aim for improvement every time I sit down at the keyboard.

 

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

Ipoli refuses to marry the man her father promised her to in ancient Africa and sets off to find a new teacher and her fortune in Crete.  Thomas, on vacation in Turkey in the 1980s, meets a goddess who give his life direction.  He just didn’t think it would be in Bronze Age Crete as an oar slave on a merchant ship.  Ipoli and Thomas find they are tied together by a magical cord, the circumstances, and their hearts and they must find out why before the volcano, Thera, blows its top, destroying the Mediteranean and its civilization.

 

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

Thomas is a typical teenage gamer nerd.  He has lots of potential, but has no idea what he wants to do.  When he is thrown back into the ancient past, he learns who is he and what he is capable of, physically, mentally, and ethically.

 

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

Ipoli is a baka, a shamaness in training. She comes from a small village in Africa and is innocent of the ways of the larger world.  That innocence brings her down.  Her strength is her believe in herself, her powers, and her ancestors.

 

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

Science fiction and fantasy, paranormal.

 

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre?

I am an incessant reader. Put it in front of me and I will read it.

 

Has your muse always known what genre you would write and be published in? 

The muse takes great pleasure in pushing me across a wide and varied genre landscape and I am happy to oblige her.

 

Tell us a little about yourself.

I always wanted to be chosen by the gods, silly me.  It’s just as well that I never have been, although I have had my share of weird events.  I am a factotum to a very eclectic entrepreneur and an award winning event planner.

 

Do you write under a pen name?   Why or why not?

I write under several pen names for branding purposes.  I want readers to associate that name with a certain type of book.

 

What are you currently working on?

Heart Path: Choices.  It is the story of a Tarot deck from 17th Century Venice, which will show the path to a woman’s heart’s desire.  The deck has been passed for generations down through a family from woman to woman.  Carrie Alexander’s grandmother gives her the deck to help her decide what she wants. What she knows is that she doesn’t want to work in her father’s new hospital. What she can’t figure out is how she should be using her nursing skills to help the most people.

 

What do you have planned for the future?

Lots of books.  I have responsbilities to some large events this summer, which will eat up a lot of writing time, but this fall, I will finish Heart Path: Choices, start the third in a time travel romance series by Linn Henderson, and see what happens after that.

 

How far do you plan ahead?

I have plans for the year, but understand that Murphy may usurp those plans.  My goal is always to roll with the punches and keep the butt in the chair and the fingers on the keys as much as I can.

 

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Write, read writing books that work for you, take workshops, find a critique group or partner that pushes you forward, apply what you learn, and practice, practice, practice.  Most people who succeed do because the are relentless.  You just have to keep doing it. Malcolm Gladwell says you reach mastery after 10,000 hours.  It really is a numbers game.  Find the calculation that works for you and then push a little harder.

 

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?  I wanted to be a writer always, but at one point I wanted to be the first woman president of the United States.  Now I am much smarter and concentrate on writing.

 

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization? Yes.

 

Which one?

I belong to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

 

Have they helped you with your writing?

Immensely. The Colorado Gold Conference is a treasure chest of classes, networking opportunities, friends, and resources.

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold?

Tons of short stories are in the drawer.  But I keep sending them out. Once had been circulating for five years old before it sold.

 

If so, did you send them out yourself?  Yes, I send them out myself.  I think the “agented submissions only” is a form of gatekeeping.  Editors are not going to throw away good stories. They are in the business of buying good stories.  The worst they will do is send it back — with or without a note.

 

Why have you become a published author? 

Because I never gave up.

 

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

This is my favorite and I never understood it until I took a workshop where we had to create an anthology out a couple of stories we had sent in prior to the workshop and work we created while we were there (we wrote A LOT!).  It was so hard to create a book  and stay inside the money, word, and pro/newbie constraints.  This is the rejection I received:  “I loved your story.  I held it out until the very end. Then I bought the other one.”  Until I edited an anthology for myself, I never understood the pain and honor this rejection entailed.  The choices editors make are hard, often heart-wrenching.  I am honored to have caused her so much difficulty in making choices. It means I was really good and the story was rejected not for quality, but theme or length, or goodness of fit.

 

Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

Never give up. Keep getting better, learn how to get better, get helpful feedback.  Keep the butt in the chair and the fingers on the keys.

 

What’s next for you?

More of the same.

 

EXCERPT FROM THE BEE LADY’S AMULET

A bee flew by her face as she left the hall and turned into one of the cult rooms off the main sacral area.  She stepped inside it.  All that remained were the uprights of a doorway at the far end, leading to a sacred storage room, a kind of manifesting space for the divine.  The lights blinked.  Or rather, she must have. Or must be continuing to, since everything seemed to go on and off, like the sun was going on and off and shiny things were glinting and then it would bright daylight again and she was wondering if maybe she ought sit down when everything settled into a nice uniform gray and she was clearly in a great room, but it was much larger than the room she had been in, and there were rugs on the walls and a pleasant smoky odor, myrrh, she thought.

Before she could panic she became aware of a noise.  Shh Clack.  Shh Clack.  She looked down what appeared to be a great room, lit by burning brands.  At the far end, a woman sat at a great loom.

The woman looked up at her intently and Melinda blanched.  Not for the critical eye, no, that had no rancor, only simple appraisal.  It was just that for a moment Melinda could swear she saw stars, no, tiny galaxies pinwheeling in the woman’s eyes.  Then a torch popped and she wasn’t certain of anything.

“No edge, but some depth.  You’ll do.”

“Do for what?”

The woman went on weaving.  Melinda tried to get a hint of the pattern, but it was too large for the eye to capture, and the details, you could get lost in those.

“For a little side piece I’ve been wanting.”

“Blood?  Like my geneaology?  My lineage.  I know it well enough. Pearl?  I know that’s what my aunt Maggie’s name means in Greek.  So does that mean?  You know my aunt?”

The woman looked at her loom significantly.  Melinda looked a bit and looked away, uncomfortable with the pattern or … something.

“What’s a side piece?” she said to fill the space.

“A pocket.  I want a pocket.  And you are going to want to go home.  I’m certain of that.”

“Yes, I am going home.  Not, right away.  I’m taking a side trip first.”

The woman smiled hugely and Melinda had a sinking feeling that there was a very funny joke and she was the butt of it.  “Yes, you are.  But if you do something for me, you’ll be placed exactly where you need to be to get home.”

“Do what for you?”  Who was this woman and how was Melinda here having this conversation with her?

“I want you to get everyone to come together in a safe place, as many as you can.”

“Who, come together where?”

Had she just blinked?  It sure seemed that the light had just done something.  But when she looked all the torches were burning innocently in their brackets.

“You’ll know who when you get there.  They’ll know where to go.  You just tell them to get there and you will be exactly where you are supposed to be.”

“Where’s that and how do I know they’ll do the right thing if I don’t know what they know?”

“That’s okay, they know, so it will all work out.  Remember to unhook your ear and the words will make sense, but, remember there’s plenty more to it than just the words.  That goes for just about anything else too.”

“Like what?”  There was a weird smell in her nose, something spicy but burnt.

“Like living for starters and how you do it.  Makes all the difference and words won’t tell you enough of that.”

“So what do you do?”

Did the woman laugh?  Melinda blinked again, she saw the torch sputter either in slow motion or great clarity.

“The best you can, that’s all you can.  Now get along with you.”

Melinda wrinkled her nose, the myrrh was thick and the bee was back in her face.

She stepped away from the bee, turned to go back the way she’d come, and, when she looked back, the woman shrank, no slid backward, and Melinda was crossing through the doorway again, except that now there was something in the room and the suitcase hit it knocking it over with a crash, and then she realized the room was filled with light and people and they were all looking at her.  The bee buzzed off and she stood the suitcase up and looked around her.