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August 27th, 2010 by Amanda Young
Please welcome Suzanne Rock to the blog, author of Dark Deception. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…A: I write paranormal and erotic romance.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I wrote five manuscripts over two years. My fifth manuscript, Spyder’s Web, was contracted by Loose Id. Dark deception is a complete re-write of my fourth manuscript.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: It’s so hard to choose! I have o say whatever story I’m working on at the moment is my favorite.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: No. I do need quiet, however. Some people like to draft with music in the background. I find it to be too distracting. For some reason I can listen to music while I edit, though. Maybe because I’m more focused on grammar, spelling and other mechanics, rather than story.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I got the idea for Spyde’s Web from a blog challenge to come up with the most intriguing first line to a story.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Don’t ever, ever give up. Allow yourself 24 hours to grieve a rejection, then put it behind you. Learn from it, if you can. The difference between a published and unpublished writer is that the published writer didn’t give up. Sure, you hear about people who sold the first manuscript they ever wrote to New York. People win the lottery, too. For most of us, the road to publication is paved with rejection slips.
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I wish I wrote full time!! Unfortunately, I have to pay the bills. I’m a scientist and mom by day, and a writer by night.
I have a brand new interview out. Michele, from Michele N Jeff Reviews, was kind enough to interview me for their blog. If you want to hear more about me(like what’s under my bed), then make sure you swing by the blog and check it out. Michele’s questions were really fun to answer.
Please welcome Viki Lyn to the blog, author of Ryan’s Harbor and Last Chance. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I write m/m romance, a new genre for me and one that I fell in love with after my first story was written. Also, I’ve written a paranormal romance epic with angels and priestesses (not yet found a home for it). Paranormal is also a new genre that I began to explore over a year ago. My first published books are historical romances under another pen name.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: About six years of writing short stories and fan fics. It took me a while to learn how to write a decent story and I’m still learning the craft. It’s a long term study and an arduous process, but I find it challenging and fun, so I keep doing it!
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: This is a hard one because each story is unique (I hope, anyway! LOL). Last Chance flowed easier than others, and I love twisting the vampire mythos into a world I specifically created. There is a special place in my heart for my ‘straight’ gay romances (traditional) because I love to read them.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: No, and I move around a lot - I have a laptop and I’m always taking it to the local coffee house, or plopping it on my kitchen table where there is more sunlight than my office, or perching it on my lap while watching the golf or football.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Keep at it! That’s it…if you have a passion for writing then that will carry you through the tough times. Even though I’ve been published I still get rejections, writer’s block, self-doubt creepy crawlies, all that stuff that plagues new writers, too. It’s my love of the creative process that keeps me going, and hearing from my readers.
Please welcome Karenna Colcroft to the blog, author of Eternal Love. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Thanks for having me!Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: Under this name, I write primarily contemporary romance, but I’m starting to branch more into paranormal romance. Eternal Love is my first paranormal romance novel. Under a different name, I write young adult urban fantasy.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Hmm… I started writing when I was 5 years old, and I got my first contract in 2001… have to do the math… I was 31 then, so I wrote for twenty-six years before I got my first contract. (And that was for a phonics-based reading program.)
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: So far I’d have to say Eternal Love. It contains the first erotic scene I ever wrote, back in 2006, and a man who was then my closest-and completely platonic-friend helped me brainstorm the plot.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Nope. I usually write at my computer, and can spew out 1000 words in fifteen minutes when I really get going. But I’ve also written in doctor’s waiting rooms, at my kids’ schools while waiting to pick them up… pretty much anywhere I have to wait for something, I can write. Even in the checkout line at the grocery store.
Please welcome Sheri Lewis Wohl to the blog, author of Bridge of Souls and Dirty Deeds. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A:I usually write in the paranormal genre. I love all the things that are dark, dangerous and go bump in the night. I recently did a suspense novel without a single paranormal element. Was a fun change of pace although rest easy…I’m still in the paranormal business!
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I wrote off and on for about fifteen years before I published my first novel.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: My favorite is the first in an ebook trilogy I wrote for Loose Id titled Necuratul. It’s the story of Cat Lohr, a Canadian psychic who hunts evil and the Spokane Indian shape shifter she loves.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Nope, I can pretty well write anywhere, any time.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: In the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. I happened to be at Cathedral when services were beginning and decided to stay. As I sat listening to the wonderful service, boom-it hit me, the plot for my latest WIP.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Never give up.
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: For the last 19 years, I’ve been your friendly neighborhood fed. I actually really like my day job so I work during the day and write in the early mornings and evenings.
Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I participate in triathlons.
Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Gotta be fuck. A simple word that conveys a lot.
Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: Nothing exotic. No ink but a couple piercings in each ear.
Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Odd as it sounds, I’d go back to school and complete a doctorate. I enjoyed earning my masters in literature and would love to take it to the next level.
Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: It’s yardwork for me. Hate it! Hubby says I can disappear quicker than anyone he’s ever seen when the yard tools come out.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: My favorite book is the classic, Rebecca. Gotta love the psycho housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. My favorite movie is Interview with a Vampire. It’s all about Louie for me.
Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: Dirty Deeds is my latest release and it’s a romantic suspense. Louie Russell is a bounty hunter and Paul McDonald is the hockey coach who becomes her unwanted shadow. There’s danger, intrigue and passion.
From the rapid succession of thumps Louie could hear from the outside corridor of the Spokane Arena, she’d have sworn the entire hockey team was on the ice. Instead, one man circled the arena, methodically lining up a row of small pucks on the red line. Once they were in an order that seemed to please him, he would circle to the opposite end of the ice and then race back toward them. One by one he flew to the pucks, striking them with such force they crashed into the boards and made the glass rattle. Strength and fury roared through each and every shot. Impressive, very impressive.
Louie didn’t need to ask who the skater was. Paul McDonald resembled his younger brother or rather, young James McDonald resembled his older brother Paul. Resembled was the key word, for they were most definitely not twins. James’ stats had him at five-foot-ten and about one-sixty which pretty much jibed with her memory of the man who’d come into the office. His face was soft, and tough was definitely not the adjective she’d use to describe James.
This McDonald was well over thirty and decidedly not thin or soft. From where she stood, her best guess was at least six feet tall. She’d be able to look him pretty square in the eye, though the skates gave him a few more inches. His shoulders were broad and muscled. He wore a white workout jersey with the recognizable Chargers logo. Without all the pads normally worn under the jersey, she could see thick, strong arms flex each time he swung the stick. Oh yeah, this was a big brother in a big way.
Please welcome Giselle Renarde to the blog, author of ONDINE and AUDREY & LAWRENCE. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I’m up to my eyelashes in Erotica. I write it all: straight, gay, lesbian, bi, queer and questioning, and ménage of all sorts, from m/f/f/f to f/m/m/m/m/m! There’s great variation from work to work.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Oh, that’s like choosing your favourite child! I mean, there’s a clear winner, but you hate to admit it. “Third Rail” is close to my heart, as it’s largely based on real life events. (I know I shouldn’t fess up to stuff like that, but you can keep a secret, right?) “Third Rail” is a story from lyd Alterotica’s “TransFix” line of authentic transgender erotica. Bisexual BDSM, anyone?
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I’m not a muse-driven author, so I’m not too picky when it comes to atmosphere. I know this sounds terribly unsexy, but for me it’s work that needs to get done, like anything else. That said, I find I write best and most on my Mac in the wee hours of the morning.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I once wrote a romance story about a pair of penguins: “Penguins in a Dangerous Time.” It was for the 2009 blog action day on the topic of climate change.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Submit your work everywhere and be humble when you get those rejection letters. Rejection’s just part of the game. It never goes away. Accept constructive criticism. Take everyone’s advice-someone’s bound to be right eventually.
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I did what every author dreams of and quit my day job to write. When I get antsy, I do contract work-everything from warehouse work to grading exam papers.
Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I never jaywalk. Never.
Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: Depends who’s asking. If it’s the police, I swear that wasn’t me jaywalking. I never, never do it. *grin*
Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: Oh, my girlfriend wouldn’t mind in the least because she’s one of my three. In fact, she’s my top pick. We’ve decided to indulge in a threesome with Professor Snape from Harry Potter, and then she’ll watch me get it on with pin-up model Bernie (Belle) Dexter. Is that weird?
Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Food and women. Meaning, I would donate most of it to charitable organizations that feed the hungry and give women and other members of marginalized populations chances to improve their lives and the lives of their families. The rest I’d spend on fancy dinners and prostitutes.
Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Dusting. I have two cats and their fur forms the most elusive tumbleweeds you’ve ever seen. It even gets stuck in between the pages of all the books on my bookshelves.
Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Christmas Dinner. In my mind, that’s just one food. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, biscuits and veg and pumpkin pie all meld together into the perfect comfort food. And it has to be cooked by my mother. She’s a terrible cook, but that doesn’t matter. It tastes like home.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: As an ally-advocate of the transgender community and the partner of a trans woman, I think “TransAmerica” is an important movie. It’s highly approachable in terms of plot and character, and I think it provides a pretty authentic outlook on being transgender.
Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My novella “Ondine: An Erotic Tale of Art and Deception” is pansexual in the sense that it contains one straight romance, two lesbian romances, and one polyamorous adventure. “Audrey & Lawrence” is a complete collection of all my-you guessed it-”Audrey & Lawrence” stories. These shorts have been published far and wide, and explore the relationship between an older married man and his younger mistress-from the mistress’ perspective. Now they are together at last, along with a number of never-before-released stories and a foreword by the author. That’s me.
Please welcome Adriana Kraft to the blog, author of LGBT Erotic Romance. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: Erotic Romance - usually with bisexual heroines, often with ménage, polyamory, f/f, f/f/m, m/m, in addition to m/f. Characters that make you care about them, lots of hot steamy sex, and happy endings!
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: My husband and I write together under the pen name Adriana Kraft. We’d been writing (and revising and editing and going to workshops and pitching to publishing houses and agents) for about five years before we received our first contract.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Oh my! I’ve fallen in love with so many of our characters and their stories, it’s hard to choose! Colors of the Night (Extasy) is close to the top. The Love Goddess Aria - who we thought was our invention, but now I’m not so sure - rescues a contemporary couple from the brink of divorce by teaching them the ancient secrets of sacred sex. I’d love a coach like that in my life! I think the other one is Writing Skin (also at Extasy). Our bisexual heroine Luci is romanced by a married couple. I was amazed at the themes and tensions that emerged in that three way relationship, very complex and very tender.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: Anything can spark a story. A few years ago our son was in the hospital unexpectedly for several weeks in a southwestern state so we took turns being there with him and were inspired to set a story there (he’s fine now btw). We’ve both had some Shamanic training, so sometimes the paranormal seeps into a story through those practices. Once on a road trip we saw a trucker drop a woman off at a rest area and watched her walk to a parked car and take off - believe me, we had several scenarios developing instantly, and have turned one of them into a finished manuscript.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: The most important one: If this is what you truly want to do, never give up. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Devote yourself to it - learn the craft, hone your skill, send your work out for feedback, keep writing and revising and editing and submitting. Some of the world’s greatest authors went years before anything they wrote was accepted. The writing journey is not a lark for your amusement - it’s very hard work, but your dream is worth it.
Please welcome Annabel Joseph to the blog. Annabel is the author of BDSM romance novels Comfort Object, Mercy, Owning Wednesday, Firebird, and Cait and the Devil. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.
A: You are very welcome. It’s my pleasure!
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I write BDSM contemporary romance, and most of them contain some aspect of the art world. I love the arts and I love creative people, so I find almost all my stories end up being about dancers, painters, photographers, actor and performers, etc. I also try to write characters that you might know or meet in everyday life, characters struggling with the same relationship ups-and-downs my readers might face.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Oh wow. I’ve been writing for quite a while, and even worked with some writers in collaborations and screenwriting projects before I took the leap into trying to write and publish a novel. But I was lucky I suppose - or maybe all the previous experience just paid off. The first book I submitted to a publisher, Comfort Object, was picked up.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: This is kind of weird, but I would have to say my favorite is Cait and the Devil. I say it’s weird because it’s the only non-contemporary story I’ve ever written, and really a strange mixture- BDSM set in Middle Ages Scotland. I just decided I wanted to write about some of my favorite long-time fantasies — the helpless but plucky damsel-in-distress, and a strong, surly Scottish warrior in a kilt. I created this story of Cait and her “devil,” a reclusive much-feared Scottish baron that she is basically forced to marry sight unseen. He turns out to have dominant tastes, and Cait of course, is submissive to the core. I created a wonderful little story for them with humor, love, a great villain, a bit of a “domestic discipline” dynamic between them, a little mysticism, and a highly satisfying resolution. I love it because it’s so romantic and because the heroine’s innocent misconceptions are really hilarious in parts. But I also love it because it’s different from everything I’ve ever written or read.
Out of all my BDSM contemporaries, I would have to say Owning Wednesday is my favorite. People wrote to me and said, Annabel, I cried. I sobbed. I cry too when I read it. It’s not a sad ending, just really poignant. Firebird is a close second for the same reason. It’s just really emotional at the end.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I used to be better at writing on the fly. When I first started, before I showed my work to anybody, I could churn out page after page anywhere, anytime, with kids hanging off me, people interrupting me. It didn’t matter, I just wrote and wrote. But now that I write for an audience/editor, I’ve become so much more careful that I usually don’t do good writing unless I have some extended quiet time. Sometimes I wish for those un-self-conscious writing days back!
I will say that I do some of my best writing when I’m comfy and cozy in bed.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I get my inspiration from so many diverse places, I had to think about this for a while. But I think the strangest, weirdest, most awkward source came about when I was writing Owning Wednesday. I was struggling to flesh out the character of the heroine’s first, more detached dominant. I happened to be working on a screenwriting project at the same time, collaborating with a much older man who was a college professor. I started to think about how hot the professor/co-ed fantasy could be — and believe me, this had nothing to do with this other writer, because I wasn’t physically attracted to him at all. But I decided to make “Vincent,” my character, into a college writing professor and I gave him many of this other guy’s characteristics, including the way he talked. It was pure laziness, and now I regret it because when I read Owning Wednesday, he is there in that book in a highly sexualized version, when he was more like a fatherly mentor type to me. Ick. Even worse, we had a terrible falling out a few months afterward, and now I really despise him. So be careful who you base your characters on, because they’re there forever in the pages of your book. And I certainly hope that writing partner never learns my pen name! He would recognize himself in that character in an instant, and I would never live down the embarrassment. Really, I would just die.
Please welcome Ava Rose Johnson to the blog, author of Coming Home, Beauty and the Beasts and Lucy’s Neighbors. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and offering a copy of Coming Home to one lucky winner today!
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: First of all, thank you so much for having me here today! I write erotic romance in a number of sub-genres including contemporary westerns, paranormal and sci-fi. I love mixing it up, it keeps things interesting!
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Well I’ve been writing since I was a kid, little bits and pieces. I started focusing on writing with the intention of getting published about two years before I received the first contract. It was a wonderful feeling!
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: That’s like asking me to choose between my children!!! I honestly don’t have a favorite, they all have a special meaning to me.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I need silence. Peace and quiet really gets my juices flowing. I can just lose myself in the story.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I have a golden rug in my bedroom that inspired
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Keep going, don’t give up and find a critique partner who you can trust with your work!
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: Ah, the evil day job. It’s a necessity in my life, mainly because the vast majority of my writing gets done at night! If I didn’t have a day job, I’d probably sleep all day and turn into a recluse. Evil as it is, the day job prevents that from happening. J
Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: Oooh, only 3? Okay, Jake Gyllenhaal would be top of the list. Also in there would be the very delicious George Clooney. And a little bit of Robert Pattinson to satisfy the cougar in me!
Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough hits the spot every time.
Q: If you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: Well, I’m actually working on a couple of sequels at the moment. The next in the ‘Beauty and the Beasts’ series from Loose Id needs to get finished. It will tell Rowena’s story and I’m loving it so far! I’m also working on Ethan’s story. He was a character in my book ‘Breaking’ Ground from Ellora’s Cave.
Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest release was actually my very first release with Samhain! Coming Home is about two young men who are brought together by a shared grief. It takes place on a sprawling ranch in west Texas. And one of today’s commenters will win a copy! Hope you all enjoy the excerpt and thanks for having me here!
Excerpt:
He strode out of the kitchen and through the foyer and groaned. On the other side of the screen door stood Cade, a six pack of Bud at his side. Damn.
Summoning all the patience he could muster, he took another step forward and pulled open the door. Cade looked up from where he’d been studying the porch floor and visibly jumped. Brett raised an eyebrow and waited.
“Thought I’d stop by,” Cade finally said, pulling himself together. “Guess we have a few things to talk about.”
“Guess so.” Leaving the door open, Brett headed back into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter-top. He folded his arms across his chest, watching Cade as he followed him in. At least he’d taken the damn suit off. Dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, the kid almost looked like he belonged on a ranch. Even the dark blonde curls that had been perfectly slicked back at the funeral were hanging loose, almost reaching his collar.
Cade held up the beers and then placed them on the table. Without waiting to be asked, he sat on one of the chairs and slung his arm over the back of another. “Busy day?”
“We’re always busy.” Brett glanced at the remains of his sandwich that were sitting in the middle of the table and felt another stab of annoyance. With this guy sitting in his kitchen, he’d lost his appetite.
“Saw Jimmy on my way up here. Looked pretty tired.”
Brett narrowed his eyes. Arrogant son of a bitch. What was he trying to say? That he worked the old man too hard? “Jimmy’s tough as nails,” he bit out. “If he thought I was working him too hard, he’d say so.”
Cade frowned. “Did I say you were working him too hard?”
“Forget it.” He pushed away from the counter and stood in front of Cade. Why did he always have to get so defensive around this guy? As kids they’d always gotten along okay, though they’d moved in different circles. A two-year age gap was a big deal in high school and he hadn’t wanted Cade following him around every second of the day. He still didn’t want that. “Could you get to the point already? I need to take a shower.”
Cade seemed to stiffen in his chair and his blue eyes dropped to Brett’s sweat-covered torso. Brett didn’t know why but he felt a sudden urge to cover himself up.
“Take a shower,” Cade said, his eyes returning to Brett’s. “I can wait.”
He scowled. What could he say to that? Besides, despite the fact that he wanted this kid out of here, they had a lot to figure out first. And he didn’t want to be shirtless and sweating while they did it.
“Fine,” he said, grabbing the remnants of his sandwich and throwing it in the garbage. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Leaving Cade lounging in his chair, he headed upstairs, unbuckling his belt as he went. He removed his socks and pants in the bathroom and then stepped into the shower. For five minutes, he let the hot water blast the tension from his muscles, but as soon as he turned it off the tension hit back full force.
This was going to be a long night.
Cade didn’t know what he’d expected when he’d rung the Miller doorbell ten minutes ago, but he definitely hadn’t expected to be greeted with the sight of Brett’s naked chest. As he’d stared openly at the expanse of sweat-slick muscle, he’d barely been able to string a sentence together and he could only thank the Lord Brett had been too pissed off to notice the thickening bulge in his pants.
Always the sucker for punishment, Cade glanced at the wooden counter-top where Brett had leaned against minutes before with his arms crossed over his solid chest. The position had made his well-formed biceps bulge and the angle he’d rested his hips against the counter had pushed his pelvis forward, accentuating the lines of muscle that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.
Cade shook his head. The way his mind worked, no wonder he was still hard even though Brett had been out of sight for more than five minutes.
Clamping his left hand over his balls, he reached for the long-neck he’d opened with his right. He brought it to his lips and drank long and deep, letting the cold beer wash down his throat and soothe the burning within him. If he could just pull himself together before Brett came down…
Too late. Brett’s footsteps on the staircase echoed in the foyer. Cade gripped his bottle, focusing on the label as Brett stalked into the kitchen. The clean, soapy scents of shampoo and shower gel swirled around him. Nothing fancy, simple and masculine. A perfect match to Brett’s personality. Cade’s grip on the beer bottle tightened as he held it up and forced a smile.
Please welcome Keira Andrews to the blog, author of Voyageurs. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I write m/m romance.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but had never really considered being published a possibility. However, after being laid off from a hated job (a blessing in disguise to be sure!) I took some time and decided to write a novel. That was Love Match, which was published by Loose Id. It was my first submission and I was thrilled when it was accepted.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Hmm. That’s a tough one! I love all my stories for different reasons. If I had to go with just one, I think it would be Daybreak. Writing it was a challenge that I really enjoyed.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Yes, I generally need to be alone. Ideas will come to me anytime and I’ll jot them down in a notebook I always carry in my purse. But to sit down and write, I need peace and quiet.
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I do have a day job, but it’s thankfully not evil. I’m a writer for a charity, and it’s very rewarding work.
Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Hmm. Probably “cock” because there’s just something satisfying about it. Saying it, I mean! Although it’s certainly satisfying in other ways, too.
Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Travel! Without a doubt. I have a huge list of places to visit.
Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Doing the dishes. I hate it because it’s the eternal chore. At least you only have to vacuum once a week! Dishes are every day.
Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Probably what we Canadians call “Kraft Dinner,” otherwise known as macaroni and cheese.
Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest book is called Voyageurs and is a historical tale about two men from different worlds who have to work together as they canoe a thousand miles through the harsh Canadian wilderness. This was my first historical and it was great fun to do the research. It definitely won’t be my last.
Here’s an excerpt:
There would be no fire that night, so they quickly ate a cold dinner. Jack couldn’t wait to reach Grand Portage and have proper meals again. When he returned from relieving himself in the woods, he saw that Christian had pulled the canoe farther up the riverbank. One end of the overturned canoe was perched on a low rock. Christian unrolled a large, oilskin tarp over it. He glanced over at Jack. “This will keep the rain off.”
Jack’s heart skipped a beat. “We’re sleeping under there? Both of us?”
Christian’s expression hardened. “I’m not sleeping out in the rain.”
“Oh, no! I wasn’t suggesting you should.” Jack felt so flustered and dim-witted. “It just looks… small.” He was always saying the wrong thing. The thought of sleeping next to Christian in such close quarters set his pulse racing. They’d slept under the stars until this point, with plenty of ground between them.
Christian grunted a response and disappeared into the forest. The rain had slackened a bit, but Jack was still eager to take cover. He crawled under the tarp and the canoe. Although the ground was sodden, it was a relief to be out of the elements.
A few minutes later, he heard Christian’s approach. Jack couldn’t see much under the shelter, and he tried to squeeze himself over to one side. Christian shimmied in beside him, and although Jack had been practicing a deep breathing technique he’d picked up in India, his body still reacted. Christian was mere inches away and it was as if Jack could feel the heat of Christian’s body.
Jack took a ragged breath. Christian’s voice was loud in their little shelter. “Are you ill?”
After clearing his throat, Jack replied, his voice shaky. “No, no. I’m fine. Thank you.”
Christian rolled over, his broad back so close to Jack. If Jack shifted only a tiny bit, his shoulder would press into Christian. He wondered if Christian would move away. Soon Christian snored lightly, and Jack reminded himself that he needed to rest. He was exhausted, and yet sleep refused to come. He listened to the rain on the tarp and Christian’s deep, steady breathing. He could reach out so easily…
August 27th, 2010 by 
Amanda Young
Please welcome Suzanne Rock to the blog, author of Dark Deception. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…A: I write paranormal and erotic romance.
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Please welcome Viki Lyn to the blog, author of Ryan’s Harbor and Last Chance. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
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Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
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Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
Please welcome Keira Andrews to the blog, author of Voyageurs. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.
