Interview with Christina Brashear, Publisher, Samhain Publishing/Valentine's Day Contest

Happy Valentine's Day, all!

Today's interview is a long one, so I'll just get right to it!

Please joining me in a giving a warm welcome to. . .Christina Brashear!

Tell us a little about yourself, please.

I like pińa coladas and getting’ caught in the rain…

Okay, seriously now. First and foremost, I am a reader and I love romance the most. I’ve been in love with reading since I was old enough to hold a book. I’ve lived in Mississippi, the Philippines, New Jersey, Ohio (multiple locations), Alabama and now Georgia. Through all the moves, I’ve kept my favorite books with me, and bought more along the way. My husband, and the Air Force, can attest to this! I’m a mom and I trained my child well, she loves to read too. My husband and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in a couple months; he’s my real-life hero. (I can’t believe it’s been that long. I seems just like yesterday we got married.)

Tell us a bit about Samhain Publishing.

Samhain is a company that is taking the Madonna approach; we are constantly looking at how to reinvent ourselves and be fresh and innovative so our readers don’t get bored. But, not change too much too quickly and annoy people.

We recently acquired the Linden Bay Romance publishing house and we are in the process of integrating it into the Samhain way. We aren’t ready to make any announcements about what is going to become of the imprint, we are still deciding what direction best serves the readers, the authors, and the house. We are also in the process of developing some additional lines, but they are nowhere near ready for unveiling. Our target date for having things settled is November 1, 2009.

Angela James is the Samhain Executive Editor, a position that oversees all of the editing throughout the house and its lines. She’s been with Samhain the longest, after Amanda and Donna (my sister), and is the spokesperson for Samhain. She gives great panel. Sasha Knight is the Managing Editor for Linden Bay. She’s a long time editor for Samhain and will continue to edit, but will also be instrumental in helping craft the new place in Samhain for LB. Donna Holland is our print production coordinator. She takes care of scheduling the title for print release, formatting and launching them. She’s doing a great job. Amanda Brashear is our accounting person. Everyone loves her; she’s the one who pays us.

We hired some new, in-house employees this past year. Tiffany, Jacob and Jelon. They help keep things running!

The romance genre, in addition to being the best-selling literary genre, is also one of the most crowded markets. How do you make sure that Samhain books stand out and get sales in such a heavily competitive field?

We work hard to get our name and links into places where people are going to see us and be curious enough to follow the link back. Our editors work hard to find the best of the best in submissions, stories that readers are attracted to. The Art Department works hard to make the first glimpse the reader sees is one that will compel them to at least click and read the blurb.

The best advertising though, is word of mouth. Not every story will work for every person, tastes are too diverse for that, but readers can count on a Samhain to offer well-written, well-edited books that are chosen because the story is compelling—not because it’s the trend of the week. Our reader base is growing steadily because of this.

About how many new titles does Samhain put out per month?

Roughly between twenty and twenty-six, I believe. We average between four to six a week plus having the first Friday for releasing previously published works.

What does Samhain Publishing look for in a manuscript, in terms of content and presentation?

Content. We look for a good story that engages the reader and makes them want to keep reading. We look for a well-written story that the author has taken the time to self-edit and polish. We don’t expect perfection, but basic grammar flaws and typos do stand out and mar the editor’s impression of the author’s professionalism. We look for authors who write well, but are also dedicated to building their writing career and promoting their work. It’s a joint effort.

Presentation. We have a submissions page that is pretty detailed in what the editors are looking for. We do take notice if a slush pile submission doesn’t follow the guidelines. The guidelines are there to help the author present their work in a professional manner that speaks to being serious about their writing career, and to help the editor give the work a fair reading. When a budding author doesn’t take the time to read these guidelines and follow them, it does make the editor question how well the author will be at taking direction and proposed changes to improve the manuscript.

One big mistake that happens at least once a month and makes me shake my head is this. An author will somehow dig up my email address—which isn’t anywhere on the submissions page—and email to me a query letter and sample chapters all in the body of the email for a book whose subject matter we don’t print, like a biography or something. Clearly indicates they didn’t even take the time to look at our site and see how we roll.

Our requirements aren’t impossible to meet, I promise. Take a look!

What does Samhain do for its authors in terms of marketing their work?

We have newsletters, Yahoo! groups, co-op ads in RT, and a marketing department spreading the work far and wide throughout the internet.

The marketing department is awesome. We have a Yahoo! group dedicated to teaching authors how to self promote and they are always listing free promotional opportunities for authors to participate in. Lisa will have guest lecturers come in and teach a class here and there.

We all know we're living in pretty rough times economically. Have you noticed a difference in of sales or submissions since this recession started?

We had a bit of a dip last fall, but we seem to have recovered from that. Submissions, on the other hand, have dropped off. Many authors have told us that they have had to go back to work or cut back in areas to make ends meet; they just no longer have the time they once did for writing. They still write, but it takes longer because they can only do it in snatches. And stress is not conducive to creativity.

The jury is still out on how print is going sell. It has dropped a bit, but as we gear up for the Fall '09 Season, the early numbers the sales team predicts are higher than I would have guessed. I’ll reserve judgment until the buys come in as to whether things are truly looking up. The bookselling industry has seen lulls before and people just don’t stop reading. They may cut back, but they come back and pick up what they missed if the titles are still available. That’s the great thing about POD/PTO, we don’t have to take books out of print as soon as the booksellers pull them from the shelves. With the internet, you can order them anytime you’re able.

In my opinion, the companies that survive this year will be better off for the crunch. They will have gotten back to basics and are running tighter cleaner ship.

According to a recent article in Publishers' Weekly, HarperCollins has begun doing "video books." What are your feelings about video books, and is this something you could see Samhain doing a few months or years down the line?

I read books, I don’t watch them. I certainly am not going to pay for an advertisement about a book. I won’t say that I have completely ruled it out, but from what I understand as it is being presented today, I have no interest. We could have brainstorm and think of a cool way to modify it into something a customer would find worth paying for, but I haven’t any ideas right now.

Has the popularity of devices like Amazon's Kindle and Sony's eReader helped sales for Samhain?

Yes. I believe that we have new readers to ebooks because of cool new gadgets. Especially because of the Kindle’s Whisper Net making buying so easy. People just discovering Samhain write asking about titles missing from the Kindle store (which are only missing because there is a glitch in the Kindle acquisition system, that’s why some books are missing or have cover art missing, the system isn’t picking them up as it should. They are working on it). I take the opportunity to educate the reader on how they can get DRM (Digital Rights Management)-Free books from MBaM (MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, made by BrotherSoft) and how to put them on their Kindle. I never waste an opportunity to show people that you can get great books DRM-free and at a great price!

I love gadgets. I used to think a phone was just for making calls. Now I play video games, something I never did when I was young. So the iPhone has helped the video game industry acquire a new customer. Kindle and Sony and the iPhone are breeding a whole new group of customers.

Also gaining popularity in the US are books for cellphones, which have been popular for years in Japan but are just now catching on here. Will Samhain be getting into that market as well?

Our titles have always been available for smartphones, or phones that can contain content such as Palm or Blackberry. Mobipocket has been offering it for years. But I do see the potential for expanding that into other cellphone arenas. We are always open to new sales channels.

Where do you see Samhain Publishing, 5 years from now?

I see us still here, that’s for sure! LOL!

In five years, I plan to have at least one title out in mass-market if not more. I see us with more lines, besides romance. Samhain began as a general publisher, I intend to work us back to that. eBooks are the future, I don’t want to limit us to one genre only.

Where do you see the romance novel industry, as a whole, 5 years from now? Where would you like to see the industry go?

I see romance just rolling on through the times of our lives, reflecting society through each year, as it always has. I would like to see it being more accepting of all genres and relationship types. The thing that makes the US so great is the pluralism of our society; why restrict romance to just contemporary and historical man/woman relationships. If it’s not your cup of tea, you don’t have to buy it and you don’t have to read it. Skip on over to the genre of your choice!

I’d like to see a movement among the companies dedicated to e-publishing to work together to raise awareness and build the industry, rather than treating each other as competition and an enemy. That’d be nice.

Yes, I am a Pollyanna.

Do you have any advice you'd like to share with our readers?

Read. Read for fun, read because you enjoy it, read to alter your mood. Try something new every once in a while, you never know what you might like if you don’t experiment. I grew up reading historical and category romances. Who knew I’d love space operas and cat shifters so much! I am really enjoying some of our m/m books too. I don’t get to read as often as I like. I plan to read K.A. Mitchell’s latest book this weekend. I really enjoyed her title Regularly Scheduled Life. I am also going to read J. L. Langley’s regency space-opera The Englor Affair. I had fun reading the first one, My Fair Captain.

What’s great about being the publisher is, when the books are finalized and come in for formatting well in advance of the release date, I can sneak out there and load them onto my Sony. *g* Since it’s Valentine’s weekend. I think I’ll go out and snag Shelli Stevens’ Theirs to Capture, it looks really hot! And, Dominique Adair’s final Jane Porter book is in too.

It’s good to be the publisher!

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And it's good to be an interviewer, too! Thank you sooooo soooooo much for interviewing with us, Christina!

As always if you have any questions or comments for me or for Christina, please post them in the comments!

And for one special Beauty. . .she knows who she is:


Happy Valentine's Day to my closest, dearest friend, the greatest lady I have ever known. . .there is no one like you in the world, and I'm grateful beyond words for knowing you, for the magic and wonder you bring to my life, and for the honour of being in your life.

Everyone else, have a happy Valentine's Day and spread the love!

Pandem
http://vagabondsaint.wordpress.com
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VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST!!!!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we will be giving away a copy of two e-books and one paperback book, so be sure to leave a comment here in order to be eligible to win!

The books up for grabs today are the following:

PORTRAIT OF A KISS by T.D. McKinney (e-book)
www.tdmckinney.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TDMCKINNEYNEWSLETTER/

THE CHOSEN by C.A. Milson (e-book)
http://authorcamilson.wordpress.com/

PAINTED SOUL by Mary Quast (paperback book)
http://www.maryquast.com

http://maryquast.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/maryquast

http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Mary_Quast

http://www.xanga.com/Finders

PLEASE NOTE: By entering this contest you are in agreement that you will not permit the e-book you win to be copied, sold or transmitted from your computer to another computer through any means, which include, but are not limited to, upload, file sharing, peer-to-peer, bloggers, reader or any other computer or device. Furthermore, you agree that you will not offer this e-book as a prize in any contest without the express consent of the author. Such acts are illegal and violate the U.S. Copyright Laws. When finish reading the e-book, it must be deleted from your computer.

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Good luck to all the participants. We'll draw winners sometime later tonight, so be sure to check back to see if you have won!

Gracen & Sarah

Image was copied from photobucket and is not the property of The Deadly Vixens or any of its members.

Interview With Shelli Stevens, President, RWA Seattle Chapter

Hello ladies! It's Pandem again, with another wonderful interview!

This week I'm interviewing Shelli Stevens. Shelli is the president of the Seattle chapter of Romance Writers Of America (RWA) and a writer herself. She has several books out there right now, and Dangerous Grounds and Tempting Adam soon to be released in print from Samhain Publishing. Shelli, who calls herself "the author your mother warned you about," lives in the Pacific Northwest with her young daughter, where she is President of her local RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter. She currently writes for Kensington Publishing, Samhain Publishing, and Cobblestone Press and is represented by literary agent Laura Bradford from the Bradford Literary Agency. When not writing, Shelli enjoy music, reading, being outdoors, exercising, and spending time with her family and friends.

And now. . .hang on, loading up the Question Gun. . .okay. . .and now, the interview!


How did you get interested in reading romance novels?

I stole one off my mom's bookshelf when I was about eleven. Read it straight through with wide eyes. Was a bit shocked and instantly addicted. Went right back to the shelf and grabbed another.

How long have you been in RWA? How long have you been president?

I've been in RWA for seven years now. This is my second year as president and fourth year on the board.

What are your duties as chapter president?

Declare war, veto bad...oh, wait. Wrong pres. Let's see, keep the chapter running smoothly and working with my fellow board members. Be active on the loops, run meetings, help m.c. during conferences, help oversee the conference committee is working out well, gosh there's a lot.

What's your favourite part of the job?

I adore getting to know everyone in the chapter and being so involved. I'm a classic over-volunteerer.

What's your least-favourite part?

It's a bit of a time suck, but obviously I'm willing :)

The romance market is a crowded field, to put it mildly. Do you have any advice for authors on how they can make their books stand out?

I would say....don't be afraid to take a chance. The book I finally sold to NY was one several agents turned down for being somewhat controversial. But my editor snapped it right up. It was a book I wrote that was just burning up inside me. And I knew it was pushing the limits, but it was so fun and exciting I had to do it.

Has reading romantic fiction had any effect on your real-life romances?

Hmm. Probably given me way too high of standards for men. Though I'm getting better. And I think reading too many HQ Presents growing up gave me unrealistic expectations about how an unplanned/unwed pregnancy can turn out. I'm a single mom now. *Grin*

This blog centers around paranormal romance. Are you a fan of that genre, and if so, do you have any particular favourites?

I do enjoy paranormal romance! I enjoy shifter books quite a bit, and am thrilled to be in the upcoming Sexy Beast VIII. I'm generally not a big fan of vampires (blood/puncture wounds *shudder*) but I LOVED the Twilight series. It really was like crack.

What are the benefits of becoming a member of RWA?

It's a really great support group, valuable information, and what I personally find the best part is the local chapter community. I get the most out of that, and know many people feel the same.

What genres of romance do your members like to read/write?

Our members read and write across the board. Romantic Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Futuristic, Erotic Romance, Category. You name it. We're a hugely diverse and talented chapter. I'm so proud to be a part--let alone the president--of the Seattle chapter!

What does your chapter do for fun? Other than dancing all night? (NOTE: I first met Shelli, and several other members of the Seattle RWA, at a dance after a writer's conference. We danced until the place closed down, and I can personally vouch for Shelli's mad dancing skills.)

LOL that dancing--Club Muse during the conference--was a first for us. We also have our monthly meetings, sometimes do lunch after, and of course the holiday party and the conference. We're thinking about getting some fun field trips in.

Any messages for the DV fans out there?

Keep reading and writing. Reading, because without readers we writers would be nothing. And writers, well we all need more good books to read!


If you enjoyed this interview, feel free to check out Shelli's site at http://www.shellistevens.com/!

Our thanks to Shelli for doing this interview, and happy writing to her and all of the DV fans. Till next time,

Pandem

Welcome author KT Bishop

Please welcome K.T. Bishop who will be chatting today about his debut: How to Cure a Cajun Cold and other things in an interview he did with himself. =)

Q: Thought Picking Cotton was going to be your debut this fall?

K.T.: It was, and I wrote a short free read for Red Rose Publishing. Then, the Cold took off unexpectedly and we went opted to release that first. I wasn't mad. I am just thrilled to have something out there and a cover that's all my own.

Q: Does your attitude change about e-book trade, any advice to people?

A: Work hard at making the book well enough where a publisher would be interested. From there, prepare to spend a lot of time promoting the script online, at websites that has your genre. You can never do enough promoting. Believe me, I know.

Q: What's next for you?

A: I am doing a novella Interracial Basketball Series called Getting a Boot. It's about an Italian woman and black basketball player meeting in Rome taking off.

Q: Any teams you’re following?

A: Being a sports writer means lots of busy times covering football. What Alabama resident and former student isn't excited about the Crimson Tide being unbeaten. They need to beat Auburn, then Florida and probably Texas for the BCS national title. Roll Tide!

For those who want to purchase the book, go to this address:
http://www.redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=199

Also, make sure to leave a comment in order to be entered to win, How to Cure a Cajun Cold. We'll be picking a winner late tonight.

**The Winner is Sandy! Please email us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com** Thank you!

Interview with Zanoni Rose, Editor, The Wild Rose Press

Welcome to the first interview by me, Pandem Buckner, former romance editor, for The Deadly Vixens! No, I am not a vixen (or a mixen, as I think a male vixen should be called), I just somehow got talked into doing this and the occasional guest blog. The Vixens can be very persuasive.

For my first victim, um, interviewee, I chose Zanoni Rose, whom I used to work with at The Wild Rose Press. She was very willing to give an interview and speak to everyone, so, without further ado, here's Zanoni!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Zanoni Rose. I work full time as an editor for The Wild Rose Press in both the historical and paranormal lines.

2. Tell us a bit about the publisher you edit for.

The Wild Rose Press is a romance publisher of ebooks and print books. We’ve been in business for two and a half years. We like to think of ourselves as the publisher that grows authors, because we not only work with the ones we publish, but we also provide detailed feedback to the writers we don’t accept for publication.

3. What makes you a good editor?

I like to think I’m good at finding errors, but also at finding ways to make a story be the best it can be.

4. When an author has you for an editor, what should they expect in terms of deadlines/corrections/reasons to fear you?

I like to work with quick turnaround times. I’d like to think I’m not someone to be feared, but someone who has the best success of the author in mind.

5. Why is your favourite manuscript, of those you've edited, your favourite?

I love it when an author takes several characters or subplots and weaves them together so that they are all tied up neatly at the end. Most of the books I’ve edited have at least some mystery element, so I’ve enjoyed working on them all.

6. Why is your least-favourite manuscript, of those you've edited, your least-favourite?

I don’t like having to add or remove a lot of punctuation. One other thing that annoys me is anachronisms – words or phrases that were not in use at the time of the story. This can happen in historicals or time-travel stories and it always throws me out of the story—and of course it has to be changed.

7. Do you have any particular editorial likes?

I like being able to concentrate on the story arc and not having to correct spelling, grammar or punctuation. In fact, I will no longer accept stories that need a lot of work. I like it when the author has taken the time to polish the manuscript.

8. Do you have any particular editorial dislikes/pet peeves?

I don’t like having to tell an author they need to take out elements that are not acceptable to our publishing house, such as rape or marital infidelity. I think an author needs to do enough research to know what is acceptable when they submit to a publisher.

9. Any advice for published authors or prospective authors?

You’ve probably heard this before, but I’d recommend you read, read, read in the line you are targeting. This helps you to know what we’re interested in buying, but also can give you clues about what we’re seeing a lot of and what may be a cliché.

10. What are your goals as an editor? Have you achieved any of those goals yet?

I love it when my authors get good reviews from review sites and when their books are in the top bestsellers for our company – and that happens, so I’m pretty pleased about that!

11. What, if any, words are overused in the manuscripts you read?

I know there are very few other choices, but ‘gaze’ is one. I saw a manuscript recently that had the characters wink at each other a lot. Once or twice in a book would be enough.

12. What, if any, words are underused?

I can't think of any words that are specifically underused, but I do like it when a word is used correctly in context and I have to look it up to be sure I know the word - expanding my vocabulary!

13. What are your favourite writing/editing resources?

I use www.Etymonline.com for checking anachronisms. I also use www.thesaurus.com and the Chicago Manual of Style. I have an American Heritage dictionary on my desk, too.

14. Can you give a brief overview of a story you've seen in which the paranormal aspects were handled very well?

I edited a book recently in which the author told the story very well. She included several paranormal elements but didn’t give a lot of back story or stop to explain every detail, she wove it in gradually. She assumed the reader was able to infer the meaning from context and it made me feel she respected my intelligence as a reader.

15. Can you give a brief overview of a story you've seen in which the paranormal aspects were handled poorly?

Most of the problems I’ve seen are not with storytelling or with the paranormal aspects. Most of them are with basic writing craft. The trouble is, people don’t know what they don’t know. So if someone has problems with spelling or punctuation, or overuse of adverbs or adjectives, or point of view switches, they don’t know it. Sometimes they don’t have a critique partner who is able to help them correct these issues.

16. What do you do when you're not editing?

I read at least two books a week from authors other than my own. I’m also writing an Urban Fantasy story and I’m in a writers’ group with a well-known, published author, so I’m very fortunate to have that level of help available to me as a writer. I think working with the writers’ group has sharpened my skills as an editor.

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Thank you very very much, Zanoni, for being interviewed, and for being my first interview!

If there are any questions that you, the readers, think I should have asked but didn't, or you'd like to see posed to an editor or author, please include it in the comments below!

Pandem (not the best at keeping track of times zones or, really, time itself)

Interview with author C.A. Jackson

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. C.A.'s newest release is The Chosen, which came out in July 2008.

1. When/how did you know you wanted to write?

A part of me has always wanted to write. My first experience with writing came in high school when in English class we were asked to write a book report. Instead of writing the report, I decided to do soemthing different and write a 4 page short story and submit that instead. For my effort I got top marks and was embarrassed infront og the classas our english teacher decided to make a class announcement about my venture. Needless to say I didn’t write anything more after that, until 1989 when I sat down and wrote 26 short stories. In 1989 is when I knew I wanted to write.

2. How long did it take you to become published?

From the first draft of The Chosen that I rewrote back in 1994 til 2008 was 14 years. But it was much longer than that.

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Clive Barker, Stephen King, H.P.Lovecraft, E.A. Poe.

4. Who do you count as your literary influences?

I would say that after reading Misery by Stephen king, I knew that I wanted to do the same, although not exactly the same, if you get what I mean.

5. How long does it usually take for you to research a book?

It takes me some months to gather ideas from what I see when I travelling.

6. Many authors are doing strictly e-books, do you think this is just a trend, or does it spell the end of real books?

I think it is a little of both. Personally I would like to think that real books are alive as they always were, but I know that is not true, when with how everything is readily available today on the I-Net, it does make it a lot easier for readers to download a book to their Palm PC.

7. How long does it take for you to write books?

The Chosen took me 9 months to write. So far, Bloodline of Darkness has taken me 10 years. Of course, I haven't been writing it the whole time, but for a number of years I put Bloodline on the back-burner while I lived in the real world, you know the scenario. Starving artist needs a real job to pay the real world bills, and somewhere along the line I became a work-a-holic and forgot about writing for a long time. FAR too long.

8. Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

I would like to say that there is a part of me in each character. That's not to say that I am like Jamiesonn, where I am scheming to take over the world! But, some of his traits are from my own deep flaws.

9. Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

After Bloodline of Darkness then Prophecy's End, I believe that I am going to venture into films and produce a sci-fi/fantasy short. I have wrote several different genres in my time, such as fantasy, futuristic, drama. I stay clear of comedy and romance though. I tried those genres once and I discovered that I cant write those.

10. What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

There are probably a lot of new writers out there who have no idea where to start, but, if you are an aspiring writer looking to get your first work out there, start with a good letter to an agent or publisher. That is your starting point. A good letter with the synopsis of your novel will get the attention of the agent or publisher, even if the response is a polite “No thank you”. Learn by my example. It took 14 years from the main draft of The Chosen to now to get published, which shows that it is worth the wait. That is not to say that it will take 14 years for you to get published! I am saying this as I left mine sitting on the back-burner until I was ready. Yes, you will get rejection letters, or even worse yet, no reply at all. Don’t worry about that as it will happen. Those rejection slips only tell you that you are on the right (write) track! Okay, now that you have your email draft ready to go out to agents/publishers, make sure you do your homework, by checking out what genres they represent. If it is unclear on their web if they are accepting new clients, don’t be afraid to ask! Make a mental note on some of the authors they represent. Also, if you come across an agent or publisher that charges a fee of any kind, stay away from those. They are predators who will take your money and you will never hear from them again. I don’t have to ramble on about this topic as there are dozens of websites about this. But what I will say in concluding is this: If you have the ability to write, you have a gift. Like any skill, it is a talent that should be nurtured and polished. Find your niche, and keep on writing, no matter what wanna-be’s may tell you.

11. What do you do when preparing to write a story?

I sit and stare at the laptop.. No, I try and get an idea from my own experience and put that into a character. When I get stuck, I work around it. Like, in Bloodline, the main character, Alex, was in an elevator with an ever present darkness growing around him… and there he sat for a year as I had no inspriation on where to take the plot. So as I sat infront of my lappie recently, I came up with this idea, "Dream sequence". Okay, that works! He wakes up and finds himself in the elevator.. I will not sday what happens next, but I will say that in this next book, Illusion IS reality..

12. Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

Sometimes I base a character on a mixture of people I have known in my life or from the profiles of tyrants of history. Other times I will develop a character from scratch.

13. What is your favorite part of writing?

Getting involved in the story. I am very a very visual person, so I write exactly what I see. I never see what is infront of me, like the PC or whatever else. That for me is the favorite part, and seeing exactly where I am taking the story.

14. Do you have a specific schedule in which you write?

No. I write when I get inspired.

15. Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

I am writing the second book, Bloodline of Darkness, and I have a book in the pipeline that is non-fiction, which is based on my journeys here in Russia.

16. Are you ever influenced by something you see and think, that would go great in a book?

Well without telling to much, but when I went on a day trip to a city called Chapayevsk, I had been told about the state of this city, and you can bet that my imagination went on a field trip! From the legends I had been told, Chapayevsk resembled the town Silent Hill, so you can imagine for a second that I was expecting to see flesh-eating zombies from beyond the grave, and paint ascending into the sky, but no such luck. No flesah eating zombies and no dudes wielding a 20-foot steak knife! But, the city of Chapayevsk is really run down, to the point where they want to relocate everyone and demolish the town, and that is enough to let my imagination run riot!

17. Did it take a lot of rejections for you to finally get published or was it pretty easy for you?

Yes. When I sent out a query letter, I got 51 rejection emails.

18. Do you write your stories out with pencil and paper first or do you work straight on the computer?

I do it on the lappie (laptop)

19. You just recently were published. How does it make you feel?

To be honest, when The Chosen first came out, my wife and I were going through a lot of turmoil in Sydney, so for a while it was hard to get into the realization that I had been published. It wasn’t until maybe November when I could sit down and take a look at my book and start to feel good about what I had accomplished. Even now, I still look at my book and I am still amazed that it is finally out. Finally! It is a dream come true..

20. Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

In Bloodline of Darkness, it is set 10 years after The Chosen. Alex has gone through a lot of hardships in the past decade, and now everything he was and knew is nothing more than a distance dream. Before he can understand his otherwise mundane life, he is once again pitted against dark forces that have arisen, only this time the battlefield is his, with visions and dreams so real and frightening that he begins to think he has gone insane. Tanzac has found his way back into the world, and Alex has to relearn everything he once knew, and in doing this he is sent back in time to witness the downfall and destruction of the ancient ones. Only he has the power to stop the forces from arising, but his time is running out.

21. When and where can we purchase your books?

The Chosen can be purchased through Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-C-Milson/dp/1934475815, and through many other book retailers online.

22. How do you feel about fans doing fan fiction and/or roleplaying on the web based on your or other author's works?

I think a RPG based on The Chosen would be good to see at some point.

23. How has being recognized in public affected your daily life or has it?

Sometimes the celebritism is nice, being known as an author rather than an unpublished author. I do get a lot of looks and stares from people in the street, which, although flattering, can be unnerving. I am a private person and rather introvert. So the thought of doing things like public speaking are as about as thrilling for me as a labotomy. But, I am not going to shun that as it is nice to be seen, which I think everyone likes on some level. I definitely don’t let it go to my head though, and I don’t think I ever could. I am approachable as anyone else would be.

For your chance to win The Chosen, make sure to leave a comment and check back in the comments section after 11 pm EST to see if you won!

Interview with TWRP Editor-in-Chief Rhonda Penders

Hi everyone! Today is our very special interview with The Wild Rose Press's Editor-in-Chief, Rhonda Penders. Thank you for this opportunity, Rhonda. Let's give her a warm Deadly Vixen welcome! =) Feel free to ask questions as Rhonda will probably be around off and on. Enjoy!

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1. Tell us a little about The Wild Rose Press's history.

The Wild Rose Press opened its doors on May 1, 2006 with 2 owners and 6 editors. The company was started by RJ Morris and Rhonda Penders as a publishing house “by writers – for writers”. The owners knew what they did not want a publishing house to be like and set the world on fire by giving romance writers a kinder and gentler experience. The garden grew very quick and now is home to over 1100 titles and 500 authors. There are 14 sub-genres of romance and there are close to 70 staff members including artists, editors, professional readers, marketing folks, etc.

2. Where do you see The Wild Rose Press being five years from now?

The reputation of the company is such that in five years it will be considered one of the top romance publishing companies within the small press arena. It will rank up there with Samhain, possibly Ellora’s Cave, and a the others who today set the standards for small press.

3. What do you see in the future for ebooks? The romance genre?

eBooks are the future. I’ve said all along that today’s generation, the kids coming up who are in their early teens, and even early 20’s won’t care about holding a printed book in their hand. They are all about the download. They buy their music this way, their movies, they will buy their books in the same manner. eReaders will become more and more affordable and more and more people will own them. Once these become the norm, it only make sense that ebooks will skyrocket in sales. The romance genre will never go away. The readers of romance and the future readers of romance still want the happy ever after. They will evolve as they have today offering more and more choices – inspirational or erotic, historical or paranormal, there will be tons of choices of romance but in the end the boy will meet the girl, the boy will lose the girl but the boy will always get the girl back.

4. What draws you, as a reader, to romance novels?

That’s easy. The happy ever after. I’ve been reading romance novels literally my entire life –cutting my teeth at around age 11 on the old Harlequin Presents. I adore the fact that no matter how bad things get in the book, the hero and heroine will work it out and be together in the end. I need to know that going in. Life is tough enough, there’s enough heartbreak out there in reality that when I read for pleasure I want to know its all going to be ok. I think most romance readers agree with that. The second thing that draws me to a romance is that chance to feel that “high” of falling in love, whether for the first time or a reunion story, there’s nothing like that chemistry, that amazing feeling when the hero and heroine first kiss or first connect.

5. What do you look for in a manuscript for it to be publishable?

I like to be drawn to the characters and the storyline. I like that “need” to turn the next page. If I can set it down and walk away, its not working for me.

6. What do you like most/dislike most about your job?

I love the people I meet, whether virtually or in person. I love helping someone’s dreams come true. There’s not a lot I hate about the job unless it’s when I have to deal with sensitive issues. There are times when I’ve had to make an unpopular decision that leaves an author “upset” I hate that part. I hate it when due to poor communication or something, a problem escalates until it hits my desk and I have to sort it out, generally this means that neither party is happy with me.

7. What is your pet peeve when dealing with authors?

My biggest pet peeve is that an author on occasion thinks because she has one story published she is now Nora Roberts. She can call the shots and decide how things are going to go. She thinks we should publish everything because we published one story. There are very few authors who will see everything they write published. Authors need to realize that while their work is important, they are one author among many. I try hard to treat them all fairly and individually but they are one author in a house with over 500. Authors tend to think they should be the only project on an editor’s desk. It simply isn’t true.

8. What sort of reactions do you get when you tell people you work for The Wild Rose Press?

People in the romance writing world are usually very enthusiastic and love the company; people who aren’t in writing or romance reading really have no idea what it’s all about and can even begin to imagine how busy we are.

9. What is it like being an editor?

It’s a great job for the most part. Like any it has its ups and downs. Editing a really awesome book is such a huge thrill, seeing it come out in print and watching it evolve is great. But editing a book that isn’t so hot and you need to go back and forth with the author several times is basically very painful and tedious. I’ve made some wonderful friends in this business, authors who I never would have met had I not been in this job.

10. What is your favorite romance sub-genre?

I like contemporary romance. Pretty much that’s it. I’m not a fan of paranormal or historicals or suspense. I like a good sold modern day romance. My particular favorite are cowboys. Put a man in a Stetson on the cover, toss in a horse and a cute title and you got my money every day. So for The Wild Rose Press, I’m a huge fan of the Yellow Rose line.

11. What is your favorite part of the editing process?

My favorite part is the first read.

12. What is your least favorite part of the editing process?

Having to tell a writer this isn’t working especially when there’s nothing really “wrong” with the manuscript, you can’t put your finger on it, but the story is just boring or blah. Its hard to tell a writer you’re story has put me to sleep.

13. What is your response time?

I’m pretty quick. I can read a full manuscript in a few hours if I clear my plate, a few days for the norm. I also know within a very short few pages if the story is going to work or not for me. Sometimes it takes me a while to compose a rejection because I need to word it just right but generally I know within a couple days if the book is going to make it or not.

14. What is your advice to an aspiring author who wants to be published with your company?

Read what we publish. We have free reads all over the web site for most of the lines, read them. Study them. Read our submissions guidelines, don’t submit something to us we don’t publish in the hopes that we will take it “just this one time for you”. We won’t. We only publish romance and there are some amazing articles on our site that tell you what a romance is and what it isn’t. Once you’ve followed all the rules, go through your story for mechanical errors; don’t send us something with typos in it. Get involved if you are a new writer. There’s a Rose Trellis which is our critique group; there are loops and blogs, study them. Don’t just send something in hoping we’ll review it if its not ready to be reviewed. Study our self-editing articles that are in the Greenhouse. Once you’re manuscript is ready, follow our submission guidelines and send in the very best product you can. Write the story from your heart and put your passion for it in there. Remember the rules of romance writing – make your reader fall in love with your hero, write a heroine that we all want to either be or have as our best friend. Don’t try to write something for what you think is “the market”. Write what you are good at writing and what you like reading. Above all once you submit, be patient, but know our timelines and if you think its been too long past our deadline (we respond to queries within 30-45 days – if you haven’t heard something in 60 that’s a problem) you should politely inquire as to whether your query is still under review.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Please Welcome Author...Cathy Yardley

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! Cathy Yardley's newest release is CRAVE: The Seduction of Snow White. Her full length romantic erotica novel became available in trade paperback on June 3, 2008.

• When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I’ve always wanted to write, but I never thought “real” people were authors… you had to be really special or really lucky. Fortunately, I found the Romance Writers of America, thinking that I could become a publicist for the books I enjoyed so much. They taught me that authors are not just real, they’re wonderful. And they helped me become a published author, as well.

• How long did it take you to become published?

I started writing seriously in 1996 or so, and sold my first book in 1999. But if you take into account all the scraps of novels I wrote (never getting further than chapter 7!) then I started writing in 1992. It took me seven years to get published.

• Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jennifer Cruise, Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Dean Koontz, Sarah Addison Allen, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Laurell K. Hamilton.

• Who do you count as your literary influences?

All of the above favorites! I also love archetypal stories: fairy tales, folk stories, myths. Neil Gaiman does a marvelous job of mixing different mythologies. Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series does a good job of integrating classic Greek and Roman mythology with her own “Atalantean” pantheon.

• How long does it usually take for you to research a book?

It depends on the book, and how far outside my comfort zone I’m writing. I’ve noticed that it takes more and more research the more books I write.

• Many authors are doing strictly e-books, do you think this is just a trend, or does it spell the end of real books?

Well, I think that “real” books is a misnomer. The story’s the key, not the medium. So hardcopy or e-copy, the story will still be king. Personally, I love the feel of books, and I love the physical act of browsing through a bookstore – browsing through Amazon just isn’t as fun! But I think that the distribution model of e-books, like iTunes, will level the playing field for a lot of authors. As more people get comfortable with screen-reading, I think that physical books will probably start to disappear, but not for a while.

• How long does it take for you to write books?

Between three months to a year, depending on the book.

• Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

I relate to an aspect of all my characters. The funny thing is, I usually find that when I’m done writing a book, the main character’s “problem” usually reflects something I needed to figure out about my own life. How’s that for your subconscious speaking to you?

• Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

I would like to shift into horror a bit, or more paranormal, but I really love romance and women’s fiction. Whatever I write will have elements of that, I think.

• What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

Enjoy what you’re writing. The business can be soul-sucking, so don’t be hard on yourself now. And look for what makes you unique. You can’t be just a little different version of what’s out there. You’ve got to be original and yet understandable. (Yeah, easy to say, but tough to do, I know.)

• What do you do when preparing to write a story?

I do a lot of character background and figure out what they want and why they want it. Then I do a really intense plot outline… I usually change that a bunch of time as I write, but it gives me a sort of roadmap. I've got the whole method in my non-fiction book Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel. It works for any genre of fiction. It’s a little nuts, though, and really comprehensive!

• Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

I get a lot of ideas from songs on the radio, or from titles. I come up with the book title before I come up with the story idea sometimes! I've used composites of people I know for characters. Only once did I use a person I knew as a model: in my book Couch World, I used a good friend of mine who was a bouncer at San Francisco clubs. He’s “Sticky”, the main character’s best friend. And while the character was larger than life in the book, he doesn't even come close to doing justice to portraying the real Sticky. Sticky is a force of nature.

• What is your favorite part of writing?

Plotting and idea generation. I love it when a plan comes together!

• Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

I’ll have a second fairy tale erotica coming out in October ’08, called Ravish: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty, and then in April ’09 I will have two books out… the third fairy tale, Enslave: The Taming of the Beast, and a women’s fiction novel called Turning Japanese, about a woman who quits her job and moves to Tokyo for a year to become an intern at a Japanese comic book company. Other than that, I’m also writing a trilogy for Harlequin’s Blaze line, a miniseries called The Players’ Club. I have no idea when that comes out. Busy year!

• Did it take a lot of rejections for you to finally get published or was it pretty easy for you?

I was insanely lucky: I got one rejection on a manuscript, and then my second book sold. It turned out there was a mini-series planned for Harlequin, and then one of the authors couldn't deliver a book, so they needed something in a hurry, and my premise exactly fit what they were looking for. So bam! I got a contract. Of course, then I got writers’ block and didn't come up with another book for a year and a half. But that’s another story.

• Do you write your stories out with pencil and paper first or do you work straight on the computer?

I work straight on the computer. My typing speed’s 110 words per minute… if I tried writing on paper, my wrist would go numb keeping up.

• Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

The fairy tales are all modern-day versions of classic fairy tales. I tried to use the more grisly, “original” versions as jumping-off points, but I made them all new. For example, with Snow White, I made her a princess from a small country, the daughter of an actress-turned-royalty like Grace Kelly. Then, her stepmother was murderously jealous. So she ran away to a small agricultural cult in Pennsylvania, sort of like a Quaker commune, but with more ominous undertones, ruled over by seven “founders” instead of seven dwarves. I made sure to incorporate a lot of original elements: the apple, the mirror, etc. It was so much fun! I love that book.

• When and where can we purchase your books?

These books should be available in all major and independent bookstores.

• How do you feel about fans doing fan fiction and/or roleplaying on the web based on your or other author's works?

I’ve never had anybody do fan fic of my work. I think it would be strange: writing is so personal, it’s weird enough to know people are basically reading my “daydreams.” To have people reinterpreting my daydreams might feel a little wrong. But if they really enjoy it, or feel that my story didn’t address something (like a secondary character or something)… I don’t know. I’ll have to see.

• What are you reading right now?

I just finished reading The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen, and it’s lovely. I’ve also just finished Odd Hours by Dean Koontz. Not bad… I mean, the guy’s great, and the character’s a winner, but the story felt like a set-up for the sequel. Not as good as Brother Odd or the original Odd Thomas.

• What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

I couldn’t possibly narrow that down to one!

• What are your 10 favorite books —and why?

Eep. How about my 100 favorite books? J

• Favorite films?

That varies. I love animated movies. Pixar embodies the creative spirit I absolutely adore. I like comedies, romantic suspense, old movies, indie movies, big budget action movies… really depends on my mood.

• Favorite music?

I’m all over the place. I definitely have a soft spot for 80’s music – Oingo Boingo was my first concert! I love Sting for being creative and artistically brave. Sublime, for being inventive…Michael Buble, for that luscious voice…the Gorillaz, especially with DJ Dangermouse producing… the FloBots for being funny and socially conscious without being annoying… Amy Winehouse, for that totally modern yet utterly retro sound… Shakira’s La Tortura, and some other reggaeton by Daddy Yankee… Five for Fighting, for when I’m feeling emotional, or Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty… the Swedish Eagle mix of Depeche Mode’s “Drive” and “Route 66”… The Chemical Brothers, the Dust Brothers, some Beck, Cake… oy, I could go for hours.

• Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job, the inspiration for your writing, any fun details that would enliven your page.

My first real job was at an ad agency. I was an assistant, and they kicked my ass. I wound up writing about some of the horror stories in my first Chick Lit novel, L.A. Woman. I didn’t name names, but I did once work 32 hours straight (stayed overnight, kept on working.) Insane! Hmmm… I’m a foodie, and I’m pathologically obsessed with ice cream. Some of my fav’s: Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream from Haagendaaz, Breyer’s vanilla, Karamel Sutra by Ben & Jerry, and just about anything homemade. I’m experimenting more with homemade flavors. This summer, I’m trying honey flavored ice cream with Macadamia Nut brittle. Yum! Finally, for a third weird/fun thing, I would like to write a comic book or have one of my books turned into a comic book someday. I read some manga, especially when I was writing Turning Japanese, although my all-time favorite comic book series is Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Love me some Death! J

• What else do you want your readers to know? Consider here your likes and dislikes, your interests and hobbies, your favorite ways to unwind — whatever comes to mind.

I love dark chocolate. (Food. It’s all about food.) I love music, I love dancing. I love watching movies with my 2 year old son. I hate running after my son when he makes a laughing, screaming break for it at the playground. I love finding a new author and reading a book that will keep me up until two in the morning. I love sinking into a cozy favorite, too, especially if I haven’t read it in a while. I find computer social networks fascinating and could easily spend ten hours straight on StumbleUpon if no one else was around.

• When did you first realize that you were a writer?

I think the better term is “accept”. I didn’t accept that I was a writer until I won a prize in my local RWA chapter’s writing contest, which I only entered to ensure we had enough entries (I was president at the time.) But I’ve been writing stories since I was in kindergarten.

• Who was the most influential author you have read?

It depends. I think Jennifer Crusie has inspired me in writing romantic comedy, Nora Roberts for sheer dedication to the craft, Stephen King for being atmospheric yet personable in horror… so many others. There isn’t just one.

• How do you structure your day for writing?

It depends on whether or not I have one of the “Grandma Squad” watching my son. If they are, I write for a few hours straight. If they aren’t, I write after 7:30, when he goes to sleep.

• Do you prefer pen, typewriter or PC?

PC, hands down. I type about 110 words per minute, a lot faster than I could possibly hand-write, and I love being able to edit onscreen. Also makes backing-up easier and faster.

• What are your experiences with publishers and agents?

I’ve had a good experience with publishers and agents. I’ve had two agents in my career, both very lovely women who helped me get where I am now. I’ve also worked for Harlequin, NAL, Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s, and now Avon HarperCollins. I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful editors.

• What will the role of the Internet play in the future of publishing?

I think that the most important role the Internet is playing is the ability to explode word-of-mouth exponentially, thanks to social networking. As e-books like the Kindle become more acceptable, then you’ll also have an iTunes-styled ability to increase distribution and get out of the print publishing business model, but I think that’s still a few years off.

• What's your next project?

I’m writing a 3-book trilogy for Harlequin Blaze: a miniseries called “The Players’ Club.”

• Why and how did you get started writing?

I’ve always loved writing. I didn’t get started in a serious sense until I graduated from Berkeley and joined the Romance Writers of America (I thought I was going to be a publicist.)

• Why did you choose your genre?

When I went to college, romance novels were the one thing that helped calm me down from all the stress. I started writing them because I enjoyed them so much.

• What do you consider your best work and why?

In a weird way, I still think my very first book, The Cinderella Solution, is my best, because it’s so fresh and funny, and probably the strongest example of my voice. Also, I still enjoy reading it.

• How do you create your characters? What determines their characteristics and names?

It’s sort of different every time. I like to create a character description and a “chronology” that gives a summary of his/her life from birth to present.

• Have you ever gotten to a point where a story wouldn't come? If so, how did you get back on track?

That’s been happening a lot more lately. You just have to ride it out, keep showing up to the page, and hope for the best. Having a good critique group or supportive group of friends is important.

• What do you think is the most important characteristic of a prolific writer?

A business-like attitude. If you look at each book as a work of art, determined by the whims of muses, you’re going to be screwed at some point when the muse decides to take a vacation.

• Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I start with the characters, come up with the story goal and conflict as a result of the characters, then write a plot outline before I go to draft. There are always changes, but that “other view” lets me keep the pacing tight. It works for me.

• Do you use a pseudonym? More than one? Why?

I’ve always used the same name: Cathy Yardley. It’s my maiden name.

• How did you research for this novel?

I did a ton of research on voodoo for RAVISH: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty, because it’s an integral part of the plot. Fascinating stuff, too!

• Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch over to another genre?

I’ve written in three different subgenres so far: romantic comedy, Chick Lit, and erotica. I think that the first two were fairly close so it wasn’t too far a stretch, but the third was like night and day. If I had that much trouble between subgenres, I think that the difference between genres like romance and horror or romance and mainstream could be brutal, especially once you factor in publishing’s desire to keep you in one recognizable category for branding’s sake.

• Do you belong to a critique group or have a critique partner? Which do you prefer?

I belong to a group, and have had several groups over the years.

• Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

I recommend crit groups, definitely. The kind of group depends on where you are as a writer. When I first started, my critique group was full of beginners as well, and we were all very gentle with each other because we were so afraid of sharing our work. As I developed a thicker skin, I joined a much rougher critique group, improving my skills and getting used to producing more. Now, I have a group that doesn’t critique a lot of my work, but they do provide a lot of emotional support and brainstorming. A successful writer’s group will be in a similar place in their career, and they’ll generally have similar goals.

• Can you tell me a little bit about your writing habits such as where you work, how many hours a day you spend writing and researching, how you tap into your creativity to produce a satisfying day’s work, writing rituals, etc?

I could’ve told you that a few years ago, but since my son’s birth every day is different!

• Have you ever experienced writer’s block and how did you handle it?

After I sold my first book I had block for a year and a half. I was depressed. It took a lot of reading to get out of it, and very supportive friends.

• What advice would you give writers looking to get published?

Join a professional writers’ group if you can – the RWA is one of the best. And keep your love of writing as long as you can.

• Do you ever look back and think, "I wish I had written this differently?"

Sometimes, but I try not to anymore. If you do that, you’ll make yourself nuts.

• What's the hardest aspect of writing?

Keeping perspective. I usually call my best friend about halfway through every single one of my novels, and she always says the same thing: “Don’t worry. All does not suck.”

• Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

I do some freelance editing and content writing, a lot of different weird things.

• When you are researching a book, what is your most valuable resource?

Google! The internet is a treasure.

• How do you cope with the inevitable stress of deadlines?

Chocolate, good friends, prayer.

• How long does it take you to complete a book, from the time the idea for the book is conceived, to when you submit it to your editor?

I think 3 months is my shortest.

• How many drafts does it take you before the book is just right?

Depends on each book. Thanks to the plot outline, my number of drafts goes down a lot.

• How important is it to attend writing conferences?

If you’re unpublished, it can be good to meet editors and learn at workshops, but I think you can get a lot of that from your local chapters or online. I get burned out at conferences, so if you don’t make it to one, I think that’s fine.

• Do you write more than one kind of book? Do you have a preference? Is one type of book easier to write than another?

Erotica is by far the hardest to do well, because the guidelines and expectations are so strict. I love writing romantic comedy, but alas, no one’s buying it right now.

• What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I have too many authors to list one specific favorite.

• What do you do to unwind in your free time?

I’ll admit I play video games like Diner Dash or Cake Mania or JoJo’s Fashion Show to relax. Very fun!

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Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Please Welcome Author...Katie Reus!

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. Katie’s newest release is City of Secrets. City of Secrets, her full length romantic suspense novel became available in digital and print format in May 2008!

GIVE ME ALL WEBSITES WHERE YOU CAN BE FOUND, WHERE YOUR BOOKS CAN BE PURCHASED, ETC.

www.katiereus.com
www.katiereus.blogspot.com
The Wild Rose Press – www.thewildrosepress.com
Ellora’s Cave – www.ellorascave.com

1. When/how did you know you wanted to write?

KATIE: When I finished Lauren Weisberger’s novel Everyone Worth Knowing, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. Since I don’t want to spoil the end, I’ll just say that at the end of the book, the heroine motivated me to follow my dreams. I’ve always loved reading romance and had thought that writing would be fun, but I never had the motivation to actually try it until that book.

2. How long did it take you to become published?

KATIE: A little over two years.

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?

KATIE: I have many so I’ll narrow it down to three. Linda Howard, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Elizabeth Jennings (she also w/a Lisa Marie Rice). They all know how to write the kind of men women love.

4. Many authors are doing strictly e-books, do you think this is just a trend, or does it spell the end of real books?

KATIE: I think that at least for the next century, the world will always have a place for paper and e-books. I think e-books are the wave of the future, but I think it’s a long time coming until paper books are considered a secondary choice instead of a first. This is just my opinion, but there’s such a problem with internet e-book piracy and I think this will motivate publishers to stay with print a lot longer, among other reasons.

5. How long does it take for you to write books?

KATIE: For a full length, 3-4 months. (not including editing, lol) I have a full time job and a full time husband, but I consider writing my second ‘job’.

6. Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

KATIE: Honestly, I don’t know. I just know I’ll be writing what I love in ten years. I write romantic suspense because I love it. If that changes, then I’ll be writing something new.

7. What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

KATIE: I say this in every interview. Don’t take rejection personally. Publishing is a subjective business. Sometimes I find this advice hard to take myself, but it’s so very true.

8. What is your favorite part of writing?

KATIE: I love writing internal conflicts between characters and adding life threatening external conflicts just makes the story that much more exciting. I majored in psychology so I love dissecting what makes people tick. The way people react under dangerous circumstances says a lot about who they are.

9. Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

KATIE: I just finished a category type romantic suspense and an erotic novella. I’m looking for homes for both of them. Currently, I’m about a quarter of the way through a single title romantic suspense.

10. Did it take a lot of rejections for you to finally get published or was it pretty easy for you?

KATIE: I have a thick file folder full of rejections. The first manuscript I submitted to the world is still gathering dust, and will probably never see the light of day. J All those rejections were my first real lesson in how tough this business is. I found a quote that I’ve taped to my computer as a reminder to keep striving toward my goals. “If you don’t get a rejection at least once a day, you’re not trying hard enough.”

11. Do you write your stories out with pencil and paper first or do you work straight on the computer?

KATIE: I’m a computer girl all the way! Sometimes if I get stumped or have a block, I’ll pull out a notebook and write longhand, but only until I get back into a scene. I type much faster than I could ever write.

12. Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

KATIE: Running from the Past is an erotica novella that will be released from Ellora’s Cave September 10, 2008. Here’s a quick blurb:

Miami socialite, Emma Garcia has been running from who she is her entire life. When she witnesses a horrific crime, she goes on the run. In desperation, she answers an ad for a chef on a remote horse farm in the middle of nowhere Florida. It seems like the perfect plan until she figures out what to do with her secrets. The only thing she doesn’t count on is being attracted to the rugged cowboy who owns the place. Whenever he comes around the only thing she can focus on is his seductive voice and sinful body.

Retired Marine, Caleb Ryder hires Emma even though he knows she’s lying about her identity. He desperately needs the help, but he also doesn’t have the heart to turn away a woman so obviously in need. After being burned by a woman once, he doesn’t let that deter his mission to claim Emma’s body and heart.

Randomly enough, I also have another release on September 10 from The Wild Rose Press. Here’s the blurb from Trust No One:

World renowned singer Calista Kingston leads a charmed life, but when a sadistic killer marks her as his next target, she turns to an unlikely ally for protection. The one man ruthless enough to guard her is also the man responsible for the death of her best friend. Sexual sparks fly when circumstances force them to share a roof, and Calista can’t deny her growing lust for the last man she ever expected to want.

Retired CIA agent Dane Leven accepts the security job to protect Calista out of guilt. He thought he was prepared for anything, but he’s blindsided by his unexpected and unwanted attraction to Calista. A relationship is the last thing he needs, yet the longer he’s around her, being hers forever is all that matters. Unfortunately, he’s harboring a secret that could tear them apart. When this job is over, will she forgive his ultimate deception?

13. When and where can we purchase your books?

KATIE: City of Secrets can be purchased in digital format at www.thewildrosepress.com, or any other e-book provider such as Fictionwise. It’s also available in print on Amazon.

Trust No One will be available in digital format from The Wild Rose Press next month and soon after, will also be available in print.

Running From the Past will be available in digital format only from Ellora’s Cave.

Please Welcome Author...Aislinn Kerry

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. Aislinn’s newest release is All that Glitters, which came out in April 2008.

http://www.aislinnkerry.com

http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/aislinn-kerry

http://loose-id.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=412

http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/230/102/

1. When/how did you know you wanted to write?

AISLINN: The real defining moment came to me suddenly in eighth grade. I had just finished reading The Sleeping Dragon, by Joel Rosenberg, and I said to myself, "I'm going to write a book like that!" And I did (except that it wasn't at all like that!). For a long time, I thought it was strange how abruptly the urge to write had come to me, like turning a switch. It wasn't until years later that I realized that I'd always enjoyed writing when I had the opportunity to do so in school. My mom still has a story that I wrote in kindergarten about a turtle!

2. How long did it take you to become published?

AISLINN: About eight years. But bear in mind -- I was thirteen when I started! I think part of the reason it took so long is that, when you start that young, it's not just your writing skills that need developing, but also the complexity of your ideas. And there's no way to gain that except through time and experience. The novels that I wrote when I was a young teen were an awful lot of fun, but quite terrible, for all that I thought they were brilliant at the time. I look at what I wrote then, and what I'm writing now, and there's no way I could have even conceived of a plot like this when I was thirteen, much less written it.

I've got no complaints about the way I went about it, though. Being able to write in the margins of my notebook saved my sanity in many a high school class. And while it did take me many years to achieve publication, the flip side of that is that I have three books published, and I'm younger than many writers are when they first start writing at all.

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?

AISLINN: Jacqueline Carey. I just love the richness of her world and the complexity of her plots. C.E. Murphy writes an urban fantasy heroine who kicks butt without being a stereotype, and I adore her Negotiator trilogy. Emma Bull absolutely blew me away with War for the Oaks. She makes me want to learn how to play guitar, just so I can experience what Eddi does when she plays.

4. How long does it usually take for you to research a book?

AISLINN: I write fantasy (both contemporary and secondary world), so my books don't require as much research as, say, historical romance. Usually I weave my researching in with my writing, digging up information as I discover that I need it. The book I'm currently working on, though, is a bit of a departure for me. Its based on biblical mythology and the Book of Enoch, so I spent several weeks researching information in those areas before I felt my premise had developed to something rich and complex enough to begin working on. I can't see spending much more time than that on it, though. I'm a total magpie when it comes to writing. A shiny idea will catch my interest, and I just want to run with it as fast and as far as I can before my inspiration runs out.

5. How long does it take for you to write books?

AISLINN: It depends on the length of the book and how hard the muse has gripped me, but I'm generally a quick writer. All that Glitters is a novella that took me about a month to write. On the other hand, my current project, tentatively titled Egregore, is probably going to end up at about 120,000 words, and I'm looking at about three months for that.

6. Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

AISLINN: I can't see myself not writing fantasy, or romance. Ever. Even when I try not to write those genres, they slip in! I finally thought I might have found a romance-free project with Egregore, but nope -- romance snuck in on that one, too.

7. Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

AISLINN: I've only once intentionally based a character off of a real person in my life, when I modeled a heroine's mom off of my own. Sad to say, my characters' lives are usually much more exciting than mine.

I get a lot of my inspiration from mythology. In All that Glitters, the antagonist is a monster from Welsh folklore. Psyche is a modern-day retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros. Egregore is inspired heavily by myths about fallen angels. I just love the idea of taking something old and familiar and making it new and different.

8. What is your favorite part of writing?

AISLINN: My absolute favorite part of writing is when my characters step up to the mike and surprise me. I do a lot of plotting and outlining before I start writing, but I love it when my characters take the story into their own hands and start directing me, instead of the other way around. Some of my favorite scenes are the ones that my characters came up with all on their own.

9. Do you write your stories out with pencil and paper first or do you work straight on the computer?

AISLINN: Up until the past two months, I did virtually all of my writing directly onto the computer, and only wrote longhand when I didn't have access to my laptop. 90% of Egregore has been written longhand, though, during my lunch breaks at work. It's definitely been quite a change for me.

10. You just recently were published. How does it make you feel?

AISLINN: It's surreal and amazing. For so many years, the only people who have read my books have been family and friends. The idea that there are complete strangers out there reading and enjoying the stories that have come out of my head is just awe-inspiring.

11. How do you feel about fans doing fan fiction and/or roleplaying on the web based on your or other author's works?

AISLINN: It would probably make my entire week! There have been a handful of books and TV shows that have inspired me so much that I've wanted to write fan fiction based on them, and as far as I'm concerned, if anyone is similarly inspired by my work, they're more than welcome to.

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Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.