Shades of Vampires and Jersey Tomatoes - ROCCO interviews Nina Bangs!

Nina Bangs is a frustrated cowgirl at heart who turned in her boots for a cloak and dagger love of mysteries and never looked back. Raised in the Garden State of New Jersey, (whose tomatoes she so desperately misses!) somewhere between California and Texas she grew addicted to romance novels and cats, admiring the cat's independent attitude (of coruse!)  Once she decided to try her hand at writing her own romances, she made sure a cat crept into each story (Yay!)

Now a permanent resident of the Lone Star State, Nina feels the "Texas" in her blood accounts for her attachment to strong men, fast horses, and wide open spaces.

She has no explanation for her love of cats other than her impeccable good taste.

And now...Nina in my hotseat! Meow!

R: Hello Nina and Welcome

N: thank you, ROCCO.

R: Tell us about your “Castle of Dark Dreams” series.  What was its inspiration?

N: I wanted a unique setting for the series, and for some reason I thought of Disney World. I realized if I did a theme park setting, it would have to be for adults only. Then I would probably have to narrow it down to one attraction. I wanted a sensual name for the attraction, and so was born the Castle of Dark Dreams. I set it in Galveston, Texas because the climate there would allow it to stay open year round. And since I lived near Galveston, I wouldn’t have to do a lot of research. Yes, I’m lazy. 

R: You’ve written several series – do you have a favorite?

N: I have a soft spot in my heart for the Mackenzie vampire series. I set the series in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (I was raised in New Jersey and had gone horseback riding in the Pine Barrens) at the Woo Woo Inn. The concept of an inn dedicated to those who loved the weird and wacky appealed to me. Some of the characters that I created for that series are still favorites. I loved my harpy heroine and my heroine who shifted into a saber toothed tiger.

R: If any one of your books could be made into a movie, which would you pick? Who would you like to see as the main characters?

N: Wow, that’s tough. Even though most of my books have been light, I think that I’d like to see one of my three dark books on the big screen. ETERNAL PLEASURE, ETERNAL CRAVING, or ETERNAL PREY would all have lots of action as well as romance. Best of all? They’d have rampaging dinosaurs. Yes,  you’re getting a glimpse of my inner child.

R: You lived in good old New Jersey for many years. Anything you miss about the Garden State? What’s your fondest memory?

N: I miss Jersey tomatoes. Seriously. I’ve never tasted tomatoes that delicious anywhere else. I was raised in New Jersey, so all my memories of being young revolve around that state. I loved having four seasons—the leaves in fall, the snow in winter, and particularly the lilacs in spring. I can still close my eyes and remember how they smelled. My parents made a big deal out of holidays, and I look back at my childhood Christmases as magical times.

R: You were a teacher, and you’ve also sung folk songs in Irish pubs. What was that like?

N: I taught elementary school for many years. I loved the teaching but wasn’t crazy about all the paperwork and assorted pressures that went with the job. Some of my most satisfying moments came from teaching children to free their imaginations when they wrote stories.

A friend and I spent several years in Dublin, Ireland. We were young and didn’t have much money, so we supplemented our meager income by singing and playing our guitars in pubs and hotel lounges. We weren’t that great, but we were reasonably attractive and wore short skirts, so… I found it interesting that we were two Americans singing Irish folk songs in Ireland. Our audiences evidently didn’t see the irony. Those two years spent in Ireland were the most memorable of my life.

R: You’ve owned horses.  Were you fond of that animal in fiction?  How would you compare horses to a more domesticated pet like, say, a cat?

N: I was always horse crazy. I read all of Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books. When I was very young I played with plastic horses and made up stories about them. When I got old enough, I would save my money so that I could hire a horse for an hour at the local dude ranch. Finally, I started raising Arabian horses. I still think the Arabian is one of the most beautiful animals on earth. But as I grew older, I gave up my horses. They were very expensive, and I just couldn’t keep up physically. But I still miss them. Now I have a cat, and I love her just as much as I loved my horses. She’s small, compact, and my constant companion. Oh, and cats have worked well in my books. Anyone who has read my stories understands the attitude Ganymede brings to every scene.

R: Is there a writing genre you have not yet attempted that you would like to try your hand at

N: I’ve read a lot of amazing young adult novels lately. They’re edgy with lots of action and enough romance to keep me satisfied. I’d love to try my hand at writing one.

R: Every writer has an “agent” story. How did you get your agent, and what is your advice to aspiring novelists querying agents?

N: I wasn’t able to get an agent until after I’d sold my first book. Before that I was turned down by all of them. But I understand why. Paranormal romance wasn’t as popular as it is now. Anyway, a friend introduced me to her agent. The agent read my published book and agreed to represent me because she liked my voice. That’s when I realized the importance of voice. I’m still with that same agent. I’d advise aspiring novelists to hone their voices and make sure they have the best book they can write before querying an agent. And always remember that having no agent at all is better than having a bad one.

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

N: I have no books on my TBR pile because I read them as fast as I download them. I’m a voracious reader.  However, I am waiting impatiently for BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION (the last book in the Beautiful Creatures series) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

R: What advice would you give new writers just starting out?

N: New writers have to answer a few questions honestly. How badly do you want to be a published author? If writing will be a hobby that you go to whenever the spirit strikes you then you probably won’t be successful. How patient and persistent are you? I wrote for more than ten years before I sold my first book. I felt like giving up quite a few times. If your answers indicate you’re ready to commit yourself to your writing, I’d suggest that you join a local writers’ group (Romance Writers of America if you want to write romance), find a good critique group (there are online groups if no one near you wants to critique), and read, read, read. Read lots of successful recently released books in your chosen genre. And finally, check the market to see what editors are looking for right now.

R: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

N: I was in my twenties when a friend and I decided we wanted to live in Ireland. I quit my teaching job. I had about six hundred dollars to my name when I arrived in Dublin. We rented a bedsitter (a room in an old Georgian house with only a fireplace for heat and a ghost to boot) and scrounged for work. Without a work permit (difficult for Americans to get), our jobs opportunities were limited. We worked at fish and chip places as well as singing and playing our guitars in pubs and hotel lounges. We hung in there for two and a half years before returning home. I don’t regret one moment of the time I spent there.

R: What do you most hope readers will take away from your work?

N: I want to entertain with my books. It’s that simple. You won’t find any deep and profound truths in my work. If Ganymede and Sparkle make you laugh, if my heroes and heroines make you sigh, and if you’re intrigued by some of the mythical beings I introduce, then I’m happy.

\

R: What are you working on now? What can we expect to see in the future?

N: Right now I’m working on my next Castle of Dark Dreams book. WICKED MEMORIES will be out in June of 2013. In this story, someone from Sparkle Stardust’s past comes calling, and he’s looking for revenge. I just finished a novella, “Ties That Bind,” for the anthology PREDATORY that will be out in May of 2013. I’m hoping that this will be the beginning of a new darker series.

R: Finish this sentence:  If I had just one wish, it would be

N:  to have a never-ending supply of great books and the time to do nothing but read them all. And yes, I know that sounds selfish. I should have wished for something like world peace. But since this is just a make-believe wish, I came down on the side of selfish.

R: Just for Fun:

N: My Favorite:

Book—too many to choose just one

Movie—Avatar

TV show—any of the ghost hunter shows

Actor—Ian Somerhalder

Actress—Meryl Streep

Night or Day—day

Mountain or Lake—mountain

Hawaii or Alaska—Alaska (I live down near Galveston, Texas where it’s pretty warm all year round. I’d love to escape to a cooler climate for a while)

Book or Nook—Nook

Cat or Dog? (Or Horse???)—cat (Ah, good answer!)

Folks, interested in learning more about Nina and her books: Here’s where she can be found:

 Website 

Her books are available in most major bookstores and online at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/98e9kho or Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/8vr6jqg

Now for our giveaway!  Nina will give away a copy of WICKED EDGE and a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble or Amazon to one lucky winner. You know the drill – leave a comment below with your email address ( no email addy means disqualification!) For extra entries, you can:

Follow moi on Twitter @RoccoBlogger

Follow Nina on Twitter

Friend myself or “the Human, ToniLotempio, on Facebook or friend Nina on FB

FB or tweet about this blog/contest (3 extra entries!)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Contest open to US residents only and will run through midnight Sunday, October 14, winner announced October 15^th.

Get crackin!

The winner of our Sheila Bonehamgiveaway is: auditgirl2010!  Congrats!
Coming up – our “Spook Hop”…and Jessica Sims.

And in November…Janet Evanovich returns to the blog!
Next week...a visit from "Werewolf" creator VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON!

MEOW!