in the hotseat...Janet Chapman!

My guest today is NY Times bestselling author Janet Chapman!

Janet Chapman is the author of twenty contemporary and paranormal romance novels all set in the state of Maine, where she lives with her husband, surrounded by wildlife that she finds both entertaining and inspiring.  Best known for her Highlander Series (a family saga of twelfth century warriors rebuilding their clans in modern-day Maine) and her equally magical Spellbound Falls Series, Janet also has several contemporary novels set on the coast and in the mountains.  With over three million books printed in six languages, her stories regularly appear on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller’s lists.

            When she’s not writing, Janet and her husband are camping, hunting, fishing, and generally rubbing elbows with nature.

and now...I interview Janet!

R:  Meow, welcome to the blog, Janet

J:  Thanks, ROCCO!

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

J: I’ve been an insatiable reader all of my life, and only wrote when absolutely forced to in high school and college—that is until age forty, when I suddenly got the urge to write a book!  So I sat down and wrote the story in my head, not having a clue what I was doing.  Then, after I enjoyed reading the book, I stuck it in the closet and wrote another one.  Did it several more times, then decided I might want to see if I could actually get published.  Six years and a few conferences later, I sold CHARMING THE HIGHLANDER—with the promise to write two more highlander books.  Haven’t been able to stop writing since!

R:  OK, your latest Spellbound Falls book, HEART OF A HERO, has a cat almost as gorgeous as myself on the cover! Tell us a bit about that series and that book.

J: After eight Highlanders of Pine Creek, I spun off that series to Midnight Bay, where I met this very magical wizard named Maximilian Oceanus, which I then brought to Spellbound Falls.  Needing to live near saltwater, Mac started rearranging the mountains and created an inland sea up in the northern Maine wilderness.  THE HEART OF A HERO is book four of this series, and Nicholas (no last name) is a mythical warrior from ancient Atlantis.  But being a practical-thinking Mainer myself, and despite the books having magical elements, the series is firmly anchored in modern time with ordinary people anyone can identify with.  The fun for me is watching these powerful magic-makers struggle with the universally human emotions that come with falling in love, having children, and being part of a community.

          As for the cat on the cover, try to picture a six-foot-seven, two-hundred-thirty pound mythical warrior being bossed around by a herd of six cats!

R:  Hey, I can picture that, meow!

R: Which of your many series was your favorite to write?

J:  I love my highlanders so much, apparently, that I’ve brought several of them to Spellbound Falls—because, hey, Maine is only so big and the magic is all connected.  Then again, I’ve enjoyed writing my straight contemporary romances as well.

R: Do you have a favorite character?

J:  Can I just say that I love men in general and all my heroes in particular?   That’s the fun of being a writer; I get to write these men the way I like them!

R:  You’ve also been part of an anthology. Do you prefer novels or short stories?

J: Definitely novels.  My time-travel novella, MAN FROM THE MOON in LADIES PREFER ROGUES felt more like a prologue for an entire series to me.  A twenty thousand word story needs just as much setup and background as an entire book in order for it to work, and I do have a tendency to populate my stories with several strong handsome men.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

J: Networking at conferences proved quite helpful to me, and I was given my agent’s name from a friend.  The only problem was, this agent didn’t have email and I was told to call her (which is something aspiring authors are told never to do!).  I called, she asked to see the manuscript, and I was blown away when she called me three days later and said she would represent me.  She sold it—and two more highlander books—two weeks after that.  To put it mildly, I was shaking with fear; I didn’t have two more books, because of all the books in my closet, CHARMING THE HIGHLANDER was the only time-traveling, magical story I had ever written.  (I had mistakenly thought I was a contemporary author, yet here I am sitting down to pen my seventeenth magical—but still at its essence contemporary—book.)

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

J:  Oh my!  I must have absolute silence when I’m writing.  And I can only write at my desk, on my keyboard, in my space.  I have a studio across the street from my home, and nobody dares come knocking.  It sits right on the lake, but I have all the blinds pulled, because I am very easily distracted.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

J: The romantic me would travel to any time when life was simpler and the landscape unaltered, but the practical-thinking me wants electricity and indoor plumbing.  And I really love my iPhone and being able to Facetime.

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

J: They all feel like movies to me already, but I would especially love to see Spellbound Falls made into a movie—likely because I would love to see those mountains move and whales breaching on my inland sea.  For Mac’s role, I wouldn’t mind having … oh, so many great guys to choose from!  But honestly?  I don’t over-describe my characters in my books, because everyone has a different image of their perfect hero and I don’t want to ruin it for them.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

J: Hmm…  Well, I’ve never been a rocket scientist or a trauma surgeon, but I do all those things my characters do when it comes to living in Maine.  I hunt, fish (winter and summer), sail, drive a large SUV (we have to share the road with logging trucks), and camp.  And I definitely love my woodstove.

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

J: Honestly?  Write a book!  Until the age of forty, it wasn’t even on my radar.  Going to a Romance Writers of America conference in New York City to see how one goes about getting published was way outside my comfort zone.  Otherwise, I’m a fairly quiet, boring person.

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

J: Every author wants to tug on people’s heartstrings and make them laugh at, cry over, and get at least a little angry with their characters.  For me personally, I’m hoping to get my readers to believe that the magic really is happening all around us all the time.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

J: I just turned in book five of my Spellbound Falls series: FOR THE LOVE OF MAGIC (September 2013), and am now writing book six.  And then I really must write the third book in my contemporary Sinclair Brothers trilogy, because I have finally found just the right woman for Jesse Sinclair.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

J: Definitely a panster.  I write like a reader; I have no idea what’s going to happen next—sometimes not even in the next scene!  (I tried plotting out a book once, but since I had it all worked out, I had no desire to actually write it.  So I threw away the cards and let the characters tell me their story.)

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

J:  Sit in the chair and write.  Don’t worry that you don’t know what you’re doing; if you have a story in your head, then simply tell it.  I still don’t know an adjective from an adverb (please don’t tell my editor!).  Books cannot be written by committee.  Don’t be tempted to show your first three wonderful chapters to all your friends, because they will make suggestions on how to proceed based on what’s in their heads.  No one ever sees my story until it is a fully completed thought in my head, and before I am happy with it. 

You are a reader first and a writer second, so if you read what you’ve written and like it, then you’ve done it right.  Nobody knows what you’re trying to say better than you do.  I’ve seen so many beginning writers spend endless hours trying to please everyone in their audience that they end up with a big fat mess.  Trust yourself.  Please yourself.  Write a story that you enjoy reading.

Believe me; others will like it, too!   

Just for Fun: Campfires with friends.

Night or Day? Love to get up at 3:00 am and write!

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully) I like cats that love to boss dogs around. J

Beach or Pool? My lakefront beach.  

Steak or salad? Yes.

Favorite Drink? Spring (one we find in the woods) or my well water. 

Favorite Book? If it’s a romance, I love it! I simply refuse to read tear-jerkers.

Favorite TV Series? Big Bang theory.

Favorite Movie? Again, any romance. 

Favorite Actor: Pretty partial to Harrison Ford.

Favorite Actress: Like Wynona Judd. Adored Katherine Hepburn (on or off screen).

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  How about Gin and lemonade?

Hawaii or Alaska? Definitely Alaska.  Gotta go there soon!

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Leonardo de Vinci.

If I had just one wish, it would be that everyone would celebrate one another’s differences rather than fear them.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be—pretty happy just being me. J

Folks, here are all the places you can find out about Janet and her books:

Website: JanetChapman.com

On Facebook: Janet Chapman (For Her Readers)

On Twitter: @JanetWrites

Now for our giveaway!

Janet will send a copy of THE HEART OF A HERO to the one lucky winner who promises to read it out loud to her cat. (Or to a dog, if only to make it jealous!)

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Open to US residents only, contest closes midnight, May 12.

the winner of our Leann Sweeney giveaway is: Barbara Thompson! Watch for an email from Leann to claim your prize!

Coming up:
May 13: Geoff Rodkey

May 17: Fern Michaels

May 21: Maggie Shayne

May 28:  Linda O. Johnston

ROCCO

INCREDIBLE BLOGGING CAT

 

 

LeAnn Sweeney in the Hotseat!

My guest today is national bestselling author Leann Sweeney, author of the Cats In Trouble Mysteries!

Leann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls and educated at St. Joseph's Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in behavioral science and worked for many years in psychiatry and as a school nurse; she now writes full time.

She began crafting fiction in 1980, fulfilling her lifelong dream. After perfecting her skills with classes and a small fortune in writing books, she joined MWA and Sisters in Crime. Now she's the creator of two NAL/Obsidian mystery series: The Yellow Rose Mysteries and the Cats in Trouble Mysteries. The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse, first in the Cats in Trouble Mysteries was the #1 bestseller on the Independent Mystery Bookseller's List when it debuted and made several top twenty lists for 2009 at bookstores across the country. Since then, The Cat, The Lady and The Liar and The Cat, The Wife and The Weapon climbed all the way to the NY Times bestseller list for mass market paperbacks.

Leann is married with two fabulous grown children, a wonderful son-in-law and a beautiful daughter-in-law--not to mention three amazing granddaughters: Maddison Grace (Maddie), Morgan Elizabeth and Meika Elise. She lived in Texas from 1974 to 2012 and now lives in South Carolina with husband Mike, her two cats Wexford and Marlowe, and Rosie--the smart, retrieving, golf-ball chasing, busy-busy-busy mini-labradoodle.

 

R:  Welcome to the blog, Leann! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

Thanks ROCCO! I worked as an RN for many years but wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. So, I finally began writing in 1980, or rather, I began LEARNING to write. I am still learning. I attended classes, entered writing contests, sold short stories to small markets and wrote my first novel. I would come home from my day job, take care of my family (2 children and husband!) then settle in to write, sometimes until 3AM. I also earned a second degree in psychology and this helps tremendously when creating characters.

R: Tell us about your upcoming release, THE CAT, THE MILL AND THE MURDER.

The Cat, The Mill and The Murder was inspired by a visit to an abandoned textile mill in South Carolina where the Cats in Trouble Mysteries are set. I immediately knew I had to craft a story around that place. I did more research for this book than for any novel I have written and learned so much about a part of American history that I had never been aware of before.  At the same time, my aging 3 real life fur friends, Indigo, Archie Goodwin and Agatha Christie were all coming to the end of their time with me. Their passing over the Rainbow Bridge has much to do with the love of cats, whether they are alive or gone—but that part is all between the lines. Thankfully, my readers understand how much of a cozy's story is between the lines.

R:  You write two cozy series. Where did the ideas for these come from?

The Yellow Rose Mysteries feature an adoption private investigator in Texas. The idea came from an article I read in the newspaper about illegal adoptions. A corrupt judge had known that many of the children whose adoptions she approved in her court were indeed forged through illegal methods and at times the children were actually stolen from their birth parents. Fascinating stuff and it made me think—"What if a woman found out she was illegally adopted? What would she do?" What happened is she became a private detective seeking to help other adoptees searching for their pasts.

The Cats in Trouble Mysteries came from a brainstorming session with my editor. I know about cats—I've been owned by kitties all my life—and I have been a quilter for many, many years. So, I built a series around a quilter who had 3 amazing cats. An amateur detective is curious by nature and so are cats. It seemed a perfect fit. My "what if?" question that started the first series was this: "What if your cat was allergic to human dander? And what if you came home to find your allergic cat sneezing and one of your other cats missing? What dandruff—bearing human had stolen that cat?" That is heroine and amateur sleuth Jillian Hart's very first mystery to solve—and she does it with the help of her feline friends in one way or another book after book.

R: Which of (your character)  adventures was the most fun for you to write? Were any of them the least amount of fun?

The cats are the most fun to write because they are always involved in the story in some unique way. It tests my brain to come up with creative ways for them to help Jillian solve the mystery. The victims are the least fun because I believe no one deserves to be murdered. It doesn't matter if they are a good person or a bad person. But as a writer, I need to make sure I make it clear why this person HAD to die. And that means I have to put myself in a killer's shoes. Sometimes it makes me squirm.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

My path to publication was a little different than most people. To make this a short story, my first manuscript was tied up by one publisher who would not publish it, but wouldn't release it back to me. (I had a contract—too long a story for here.) My editor, who is still my editor now, wanted to publish the book through HER publishing house. I told her I couldn't get it back, so my editor got me an agent in one day, and the agent got the manuscript released back to me in an afternoon. It was a whirlwind and the call from my editor that she wanted that book was the most exciting day of my life.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

I am an outliner, so I must have a synopsis. I also have to have researched things in the plot that I do not know anything about. These can be big things—like abandoned mills in the South—or small things like the names of tools used in textile production. And I like noise when I work in the early part of the book. TV noise or music. But when I get to the end and have to pull everything together, I need quiet to concentrate. 

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

Perhaps they would be surprised to know that from the time I finished the first draft of my first book to the time it was published it took 11 years. Getting published is all about persistence and learning the craft.

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

Probably driven with just my two small children from Houston, Texas to Seattle Washington not once, but twice. That is a LONG drive and we stopped in L.A. on the second trip. The traffic was crazy and I was lost. My ten-year-old son got out the map and became the navigator. I learned just how smart he was that day! He got us to our destination without a hitch. 

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

I hope they will take away that though thrillers, horror and suspense sell a lot of books, a cozy takes you on trip through small town America. Evil is everywhere and there are always those willing to fight for justice—even if they have cute cats and make quilts. Women are strong and smart. Cozies bring you strong protagonists and interesting characters—folks you might have met in the grocery store yesterday.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

I am working on the 6^th book in the Cats in Trouble series.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

As I said before, I have always been an outliner. Some of my outlines are as long as 20 pages. Some much shorter. But I always know the beginning and the end of the story before I type "Chapter One."

R: What other writing genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet? Historical, screenwriting, etc?

I have written two psychological suspense novels and one day I would like to rewrite them and get them published. Right now, I am very happy doing what I do.

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

I love Scandinavian crime novels and I just found a new author.  Her name is Camilla Lackberg. I haven't had a chance to start the book yet. It's called The Ice Princess.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  .Day

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Cat  (ha, ha, meow- GREAT answer)

Beach or Pool?   Pool

Steak or salad?  Steak

Favorite Drink?  Water

Favorite Book?  The Murder of Roger Acroyd

Favorite TV Series?  Downton Abbey

Favorite Movie?  L.A. Confidential

Favorite Actor: Matt Damon

Favorite Actress: Maggie Smith

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Neither

Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be __Agatha Christie_________________

If I had just one wish, it would be___to be healthy______________________________________

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be ___I don't want to trade places with anyone. I am happy being me.____

 Here are all the places you can connect with Leann to learn more about her books!

www.leannsweeney.com

www.cozychicksblog.com

https://www.facebook.com/leann.sweeney?ref=tn_tnmn

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Leann-Sweeney/245965905479933?ref=hl

twitter--@leannsweeney

leann_sweeney@hotmail.com

Leann is giving away a readers choice: either a signed mass-market PB copy or a signed Advanced Review Copy of The Cat, The Mill and The Murder and hopes whoever wins will give an honest review of the book on Amazon.com or B&N.com!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!

The winners of our Jody Wallace/Meankitty giveaways are:
1000 Kisses: Tonette
Cooley'sPanher:  Kristine Chaos!

Watch for an email form Jody to claim your prize!

Next week: Janet Chapman!

ROCCO

Incredible Blogging Cat

Jody Wallace and MEAN KITTY! in the hotseat!

today my guest is author Jody Wallace and - drum roll please - MEAN KITTY!

Jody Wallace writes fantasy and sf romance as herself and hot contemporary romance as Ellie Marvel. When she's not writing, she's obeying the whims of Meankitty. Find out more about Ms. Wallace at www.jodywallace.com and Meankitty at www.meankitty.com

Since MeanKitty was so nice as to interview me on her BLOG, I decided to return the favor by interviewing her human, author Jody Wallace!

R: Hello, Jody and MeanKitty!
J: Hello Rocco!
MK: (purrs like a racecar)

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

J:When I was a child, I found that I enjoyed telling lies. Since I am not cut out to be a politician or a fisherman, the next most lying profession was fiction author.

R: tell us a bit about your upcoming/latest release, TANGIBLE.

J: What if nightmares were real? What if, when cats dreamed about rabid dogs or roaring vacuum cleaner monsters or birds ruling the world, certain cats had the unhappy power of dragging these unnatural creations into existence? Naturally there would need to be a way to prevent this from happening, like the Kitty Nightmare Prevention Institute (aka Knipi), and it would be secret, and it would be awesome. Now translate that very cool story idea to a book about humans.

Yes, it’s more boring when it’s about bipeds, but the target market is humans, so I had to do it. You can find out more here: http://www.jodywallace.com/books/tangible.htm

R: Tell us about your book, 1000 KISSES, and the felines featured in it. Where did the idea originate?

J: Suffering from the backlash of writing Survival of the Fairest, a book about an AWOL fairy princess and a Vegas stage magician in which there was only a single instance of a cat, I attempted to repair my reputation by writing a book in which cats secretly rule the world, or something, because they’re too mysterious to come right out and say it. As they should be.

On the surface the book is about another fairy princess, Anisette, who doesn’t realize she’s the ‘fated mate’ of the fairy president, Embor. Embor does realize it, but he’s a stick in the mud and his attempts at courtship are sad. No ear licking, no dead mouse offerings, no sunspot sharing—really, the guy has no pizzazz, and Anisette doesn’t like him. Anyway, this cat named Master Fey takes pity on the awkward humanoids and gets them embroiled in an exciting, political, daring adventure in which they kill some evil gnomes and travel to humanspace to track some dangerous two-legged renegades.

R: You write a blog with MeanKitty.  Just how mean is MeanKitty?

J: Well, she pooped in the middle of the dining room today to protest the fact that dogs live on our street and I adjusted my writing recliner to an incline she didn’t care for and maybe the fact that I only had one window open. How mean do you think she is?

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

J: Recliner, silence, laptop. Cat negotiable.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

J: After obsessing about this question for a full eight minutes, I’d probably go to the future and grab some lottery numbers. Meankitty wants a bigger house with a tornado shelter.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

J: I have an MFA in poetry. I doubt anyone reads my work and thinks, “WOW, THAT’S PURE POETRY!”

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

J: If I told you, I’d have to publicly own up to it. I wouldn’t kill you or anything, because hello! Illegal! But it would be embarrassing for me.

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

J: Their own copies of the books. And maybe some laughs.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

J: Just signed a contract with Entangled to publish an SFR post-apocalyptic romance in 2014 with lots of explosions and aliens and demons and, sadly, no cats. I feel such shame.

R:  Would you ever consider collaborating on a book with a handsome, sophisticated, albeit conceited tuxedo cat?????  HMMMMM??????  Or would MeanKitty throw a “hissy fit”

J: What kind of book? And why are you calling yourself conceited? Cats aren’t conceited; they are realistic. The reality just happens to be that cats are as close to perfection as any animal gets.

Meow, I couldn't have said that better myself!

Folks:  Jody will be giving away an ebook copy of 1000 Kisses to whomever I choose since it has cats in it.

She can also offer ebook copies of Cooley’s Panther + Stalking Evan in my Felidae series since they are about shapeshifting cats, again to whomever I choose, meow!

So:  We will have two winners:  One for 1000 Kisses, one for Cooley's Panther and Stalking Evan!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!

Winner of our Alexandra Ivy giveaway! Kristine "Chaos". Watch for an email fromAlexandra!

Next week: Leann Sweeney!

In the Hotseat....Alexandra Ivy!

today we welcome paranormal author Alexandra Ivy!

Here's a little bit about  her, in her own words:

I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books.  Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me.  I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.
Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries?  Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few.  I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays.  In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. 

Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy.
For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander.  Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams.  They are truly my heroes.

Alexandra's books can be found in bookstores and all major online retailers.

Find more at her WEBSITE

AND NOW...ALEXANDRA!

R: Meow, hello Alexandra and welcome

A: Thanks, ROCCO!

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

A:I’ve always loved to read.  Even as a child I was always carrying a book wherever I went.   It was a natural progression to try inventing my own stories.  At first I only wrote for my own pleasure.  Eventually I decided to try and become published.

R: What drew you to this genre?

A: I feel in love with Buffy J  I’d never seen such an original show.  It had it all.  Horror, humor, and adventure…plus a kick-ass heroine!!  I started writing my first paranormal in sort of a private tribute to Buffy, but as the story unfolded I fell in love with the characters and decided to give the manuscript to my editor.  Thankfully he saw potential in the story and the next thing I knew the Guardians of Eternity were born.

R: Tell us about your upcoming release, DARKNESS AVENGED.

A: This book begins just after the defeat of the Dark Lord, Santiago is in no mood celebrate. He still yearns for sensual, raven-haired Nefri, who has inexplicably disappeared. But brooding for Nefri is a luxury Santiago does not have. His traitorous sire, Gaius, is unleashing a violent scourge upon the mortal world, and Santiago must stop him before it's too late. . .

R:  You are featured in a soon to be released anthology, PREDATORY.  Which do y ou prefer writing, short stories or novels?

A: Short stories are challenging.  You have to have a story that can unfold in a third of the space of a normal book, but they’re also a lot of fun.  I love the opportunity to take characters that might not be suitable for a full length story and giving them their own adventure!!  But there’s something utterly satisfying about a long book where you have the luxury of delving deep into each character.

R: Which of (your character)  adventures was the most fun for you to write? Were any of them the least amount of fun?

A: It’s always Levet!!  The three foot snarky gargoyle is always so much fun...causing trouble for the male vampires and charming the ladies.  He gets to say all the things we want to, but are too polite to share.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

A: I actually didn’t get my agent until I’d been published quite a few years.  But I will never, ever forget the day I received the ‘call’.  I’d been writing and submitting for years.  I had been getting closer with every manuscript, but it was still hard not to wonder if it was ever going to happen.  When I did at last sell I couldn’t sleep that night.  I was terrified I was going to wake up and it was all a dream.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

A: Actually nothing.  I’ve written everywhere and under every situation.  With kids climbing over me as if I was a jungle-gym, at football games, waiting in the doctors’ office...

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

A: That I’m a sports fanatic.  With a coach for a husband and two sons I didn’t have much choice but to spend a majority of my time at one sporting event or another.  Now I love watching sports...especially baseball.  Go Cards.

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

A: Oy, that’s hard.  I was a theatre major so crazy was an everyday event J

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

A: I want them to lose themselves in the story.  We all need a few hours away from the world, falling in love again, enjoying an adventure or solving a murder!   Escapism is a wonderful thing!

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

A: I’m currently working on the second book in my new Sentinels series.  The books are similar to X-Men and Avengers with a group of people with ‘special’ abilities.  Witches, necromancers, and warriors known as Sentinels!

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A: Both

R: What other writing genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet? Historical, screenwriting, etc?

A: I’d love to do a huge fantasy with elves and wizards...

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

 A: The last book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

R:  Now, a little thing I call Just for Fun:

A: Night or Day?  .Day

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  CAT (GREAT answer, meow)

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Salad

Favorite Drink?  Mojito

Favorite Book?  Pride and Prejudice

Favorite TV Series?  Buffy

Favorite Movie?  Pride and Prejudice J

Favorite Actor:  Cary Grant

Favorite Actress:  Sandra Bullock

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  Pina Colada

Hawaii or Alaska?  Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Jane Austen.  Her clever wit and willingness to flout convention fascinate me.

If I had just one wish, it would be good health to all my loved ones.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be Angelina Jolie

Thank you for a great interview, Alexandra! 

Alexandra will be giving away a copy of "Predatory" to one lucky reader!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!

Winner of our Ashlyn Chase giveaway:  Heather!
April 23: Jody and MeanKitty!

April 30: LeAnn Sweeney in the HotSeat!

Guest Blogger....Ashlyn Chase!

We're pleased to welcome back to the blog a good friend and great author...ASHLYN CHASE!

Ashlyn Chase has been a registered nurse for 20 years. During those years, she wrote articles for professional journals and a thesis, but eventually, thank goodness, discovered the joy and freedom of writing fiction.

Ashlyn considers herself lucky.  Her degree in behavioral sciences is a combination of psychology and sociology, so she has worked with and studied people most of her life.  She never has to write out exhaustive character sketches to understand her characters or predict how they will behave.  That doesn't mean they don't surprise her.  Sometimes they take her on grand unexpected journeys.  For her, it gives "character driven novels" a whole new meaning.

Ashlyn has learned to go with the flow.   To enjoy the journey is not only one of her writing goals, but also a challenge in life so she tries to follow where the story takes her.  As such, she has lived in 17 different places over the years. At last, she's all settled down and comfy in New England.

Ashlyn is the author of the popular "Strange Neighbors" series from Sourcebooks, and her newest, "Flirting under a Full Moon " from her "FLIRTING WITH FANGS" series from Sourcebooks just debuted April 2!

And now...Ashlyn!

Why I hate my writer (sometimes.)

Ashlyn Chase

Hi there. I’m Nick Wolfensen, a character in Ashlyn Chase’s books. She’ll tell you she loves me. Yeah, riiight. If she’s so fond of me, why does she torture me?

Yes, I’m talking torture! She had me tied to a pole in a basement, and then made me shift into my wolf form to get free. Do you know how hard it is to pop and grind into a whole new animal without making any noise? Oh, did I forget to mention she also had an armed guard in the room? If he hadn’t fallen asleep, I’d still be tied to that pole.

And you know what else? She put my girlfriend in the same danger! I’d have taken on all three of those thugs (oh, yeah…it was three against one,) but they had their weapons trained on Brandee. If I’d made one wrong move, they’d have killed her.

Oh, and do you know what else Ashlyn did? She made me wait a hundred years to find my Brandee—my mate. I won’t tell you how hard my heart was lodged in my throat, because I almost lost her as soon as I’d found her. And not just because of bad guys. Ashlyn made me piss off a powerful Goddess who threatened to drop me into an active volcano or send me to a deserted island the size of a postage stamp. All because of one little slip of the tongue.

I can’t be totally upset with Ashlyn though. She gave me a bit of fun too. Great friends. An identical twin. And a job I love. I used to be a cop, but now I’m a paranormal private detective—the only one in Boston, I think. I got some interesting cases and only got shot in the ass once.

But the best thing she did for me was put a sassy little redhead in my life. You know what they say about redheads being passionate…well, it’s true in more ways than one. Whew! We had some hot, smoking...I’d finish that sentence, but she also made me a gentleman.

All in all, I’ve learned one thing about Ashlyn. When she decides to tell a story, she makes us jump through some pretty thorny hoops. Not only that, but she sometimes leave us in the worst predicaments for hours while she does errands, watches TV, or reads. It must be nice to be a writer and imagine new and unusual cruelty for us characters.

At least she wraps up our stories with a satisfying happily ever after ending. Because of that, I might be able to forgive her…eventually.  

Thanks AShlyn!

Hope you all enjoyed her post.

Ashlyn will give away a copy of "Flirting Under a Full Moon" to one lucky reader!  

  

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!

Winner of our Rose Pressey giveaway is: Alicia! Congrats!  Watch for an email from Rose!

Next week: Alexandra Ivy!

ROCCO

Incredible Blogging Cat