Interview with Dakota Cassidy

Interview with the Fun Dakota Cassidy!

Dakota, welcome to Deb’s! I’m so glad you could join us!

Hello, hello, and thank you for inviting me!

First of all, tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, family, etc.

Well, I’m almost forty-two (EEK. LOL), I was a housewife for 19 years, then found myself getting a big ole divorce. I have no formal education—so it was a hairy time in my world. But I had some really terrific friends and family who helped me through it. It was when I got really serious about my writing because I couldn’t seem to find a job—not even in places like Wal-Mart or the 7-eleven. It’s true, swear… Writing was sort of the only thing that gave me hope. At that point I’d only been writing e-books for a little over a year.

After my divorce I moved to Texas because the cost of living here as compared to the NY/NJ area is so much cheaper. I brought my two boys (now teenagers), my mom, my dad, my crazy uncle Harry and my pets. We bought a big house (because well, the divorce turned out A-okay for me), and I got serious about making a living writing. By that time I, through the fabulous Kate Douglas, had an agent, and I was focused on getting on my feet.

For our readers unfamiliar with your work, please tell us what kind of books you write.

I began writing e-books, a contemp here and there, but mostly I stuck to erotic paranormal comedies.

Hw did you get started in your writing career? Are you a full time writer now? And if not, how do you manage to fit everything into your writing schedule?

My writing began on a whim. I was reviewing books for an online site, and I’d gotten my hands on some e-books. They were like crack! I couldn’t get enough of them, and one day, I was just playing around, sat down and with the encouragement of my friend Sahara Kelly, I wrote one. Can’t say why, can’t say if I even intended to try and sell it—I just wrote it. I sent it to her, she said it was a riot, she said I should send it to an e-publisher—I did, and bam—they hopped on the crazy train and bought it. That was back in late 2003.

I am a full time writer now—and I still don’t manage to fit everything into my schedule. LOL

Your first mainstream release, The Accidental Werewolf, a Berkley Publishing, (February 2008) release is a marvelously funny irreverent look at life and I enjoyed it tremendously!

Please tell us about The Accidental Werewolf and is it related to any of your previous books?

Oh, thanks, Deb! I appreciate it. I was sick with nerves over its release, but things have been going far better than I could have hoped. First, no, The Accidental Werewolf isn’t related to any of my e-book werewolves. Though those werewolves are just as crazy J

The Accidental Werewolf focuses on Marty Andrews, a multilevel cosmetics saleswoman for a company called Bobbie-Sue (think Mary Kay). She’s kind of self-centered—kind of what might appear to be shallow because she’s so into aesthetics. She has two new recruits, Nina Blackman, and Wanda Schwartz, who’re kinda crappy at selling much. She’s out one night, walking her teacup poodle Muffin with them when Muffin spies a large dog and attacks, because as we all know, small dogs can be very territorial.

Marty attempts to yank her precious poodle off the poor beast and in the melee, she’s accidentally bitten. And then all hell breaks loose J The dog that bit her shows up in human form, claiming he’s the dog that bit her (yeah, nuts, huh?), she’s kidnapped, and she realizes how little value and effort she’s put into life, versus her drive to be a Bobbie-Sue dynamo.

Will there be more in this series? I sure hope so!

Yep! Next up is Accidentally Dead—that’s Nina’s story and will be available July 1, 2008. Then comes Wanda in The Accidental Human, sometime in 2009.

From what I’ve learned in my research, this is definitely not your first published work. I know you have many E-books published and even anthologies with popular authors Angela Knight and Tina Gerow.

Oh, yeah, I’m prolific and, gurrrrlll, I’ve been around. LOL. I never truly intended to do the NY thing—that just sort of happened through a series of what I often call “happy accidents”, but I did love writing e-books, and I was managing to get on my feet with the profit from them after my divorce—so I kept writing them. Sincerely, it was the best training ground I could have ever stumbled upon when I was working out my kinks. I’ve met awesome people like Angela (who nabbed my second agent for me—I know craaazy, right?), and Margaret Riley of Changeling Press who let me write, write, write as much as I wanted. I learned a great deal in the three years I wrote e-books, found some awesome friends, and in general became empowered in making this my career.

Please tell us about your books and your fun view on life and love. Do you enjoy writing a continuous series of books? Are any of your books stand alone books and if so, which do you prefer to write?

Well, there isn’t a single book of mine that doesn’t have humor in it. I can’t say why that is either. I don’t sit down and think “I have to be funny.” It just happens. In fact, typically what cracks me up at four in the morning in my office, ain’t what everyone ends up talking about in one of my books J I also lurve the ironic. I love wondering “what if”, I love wondering what if and finding the nutty in that.

I love a good series, yes because I feel like it gives you the chance to really get to know not just the H/H, but some secondary characters, too. I love the friendships between women—so typically my series related stuff has to do with friends. Though I’ve done brothers and families, as well.

I do have some stand alones—I’ll have one for Berkley in 2009 called Kiss and Hell. Many of my e-books are definitely related. Mostly the stories at Changeling Press because that’s a series/serial related pub.

And I love both J Some stories have no further purpose than to be told and walked away from—some need further introspection J

How many other books, including E-books, do you have out now? Are they all paranormal in style or do you have a variety of stories out there?

Wow—I dunno. LOL. I have like three anthologies, three stand-alone novellas, several series, some quickie short stories, and I think two full length books. I lost count back around twenty, but I’m sure I’m pushing thirty e-books in various lengths and types/genres J

Most are paranormal, all are humorous, and I have like some intermingled Urban Fantasy (think superheroes), and a few contemporaries.

What are you working on now and do you have a release date?

Right now I’m working on The Accidental Human for Berkley—Wanda’s story and it’s due out in 2009. I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say it’ll probably be around February 2009 again J

What drew you to write in a paranormal vein so to speak? Is this an area you also enjoy reading? Do you find yourself avoiding books in the same genre while you are writing?

Paranomral was becoming a huge seller in the e-world and one day, while I was just messing around, I thought that “what if” thing I do. I wondered, what if a vampire was narcoleptic and he fell asleep on a park bench, the cops picked him up because well, he doesn’t breathe, thought he was dead, and dropped him at the morgue? That’s how the paranormal craze started for me. It was called It’s A Vampire Thing.

And yeah, I love to read a good paranormal. Nina Bangs does a fantastic crazy take on paranormals—and she’s what made me decide to give one a shot in e-books.

I do avoid a lot of stuff in my genre, but mostly it’s because my time is so limited these days for reading. Believe me when I tell you, I miss chillin’ with a good book J

Do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to share with our readers?

NinaBangsNinaBangsNinaBangs! I adore her. I also love Michele Bardsley’s stuff—she’s such a riot and her humor is soooo sophisticated compared to mine. Definitely give Because Your Vampire Said So a try. I also love James Patterson, Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

Do you think your writing style has ever been influenced by earlier authors? If so, how and who would it have been.

I think I’d have to say that’d again be Nina Bangs. When I first picked up one of her books, it was after a slew of very serious takes on the paranormal, and I thought, “Holy Cow! This is soooo what I’d think to myself when I read stuff that was sort of angsty.”

She took fun and fresh and spun it on its head. She was the reason I decided to take a chance with my paranormals.

Not that I don’t love me some angst—I do—I just can’t write it J

What kind of research do you do for your books? Is this something you enjoy doing? Approximately how long do you research each book or is it an ongoing process?

Most of my writing, though paranormal, is in a contemporary setting—so not a whole lot of research is required. Though I do have a vampire who’s five hundred and I had to make sure I got the century he was born in right, what they’d have worn etc. My characters are almost always up-to-date because you sort of have to be if you’re going to live in today’s world as a vampire. They change and adapt with the times.

As for my werewolves, I did study a bit about wolf packs, they’re habits, mating season and such. However, because my werewolves are half human, they probably have more human traits overall in terms of interaction with full humans. Some of the rules for a wolf pack just didn’t work for me when you involve a human in the mix. Humans have the ability to express themselves in ways wolves don’t. So I kinda just make it up J

What style of writer are you? A strict outline and plotter or a more of a seat of the pants writer? Somehow I find it hard to think of you being a strict plotter.

LOLLOL—well, you have me pegged. The one and only book I’ve ever outlined was The Accidental Werewolf and that was because my agent sold it on proposal. I usually have a shell of a story—tiny tidbits of beginning, middle, and end. Then when I’m in total panic mode, and I’ve written myself into the proverbial corner, I call my bud Renee George up, and she takes my hand, yanks me out of the corner and helps me plot J

If you could write any other genre of book, what would it be and why?

Without a doubt it’d be YA. I just recently wrote a proposal for three books in that genre and I loved every second of it. I think I’m still fifteen in my mind… LOL

What do you do for fun after a hard day of writing? Do you have a favorite way to relax? A good book, movies, lots of chocolates?

I love to hangout with my honeybunny, Rob. We watch TV or go to dinner. We go to the movies a lot, so that’s a huge relaxer for me. I also love a nice hot bath, or a swim in my pool. I also play a lot of Wii with my youngest. My oldest is faaaarr too busy to chill with me these days, but when he’s home, he asks me for money. LOL

Do you have any hobbies or collections you would like to share with our readers?

Is collecting bodies too creepy for your readers? LOL. I’m kidding.

There was a time when I loved to make my own hand painted furniture. I had a business when I was still married, and I loved my power tools—sadly, I don’t have the time anymore, but I’d give my eyeteeth to have my band saw back.

I’d definitely say one of my favorite things to do these days is garden, but I live in Texas, and it gets so hot here, it makes it hard for me to garner much enjoyment from it.

What was the best piece of advice you have been given as a new author and how did it affect you and your writing style?

Shut. Up. Seriously. Write your books, and when you’re done, keep your mouth shut and write some more. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s worked for me. I didn’t know a whole lot about how to write a book, the mechanics of it and such. I still don’t think I get character arcs and passive voices. I just did it. I focused on exactly what I wanted to say, executing it with good grammar (well, minus my potty mouth), and making sure my characters developed and grew. I wrote and I kept writing—which is evident in my backlist of e-book backlist, and still there’s so much more to learn. Nothing I write will ever be perfect—but I hope I’ll keep growing.

Also, learn to handle criticism. Not everyone’s gonna love you and you can defend your motives in a book to high Heaven, but some people just won’t get it—and that’s okay. It’s the people who do get it you need to focus on, but pay attention to the negative reviews—sometimes they hold real value and will give you food for thought for the next book. Everyone has an opinion—it’s what makes the world colorful and interestingJ

If you have one piece of advice to give to a new writer, what would it be?

Shut. Up. LOL. Truly—write, write some more, focus on your goals, if someone cuts you a favor—be humbled by it—be grateful. No one owes you anything. Pay it forward whenever you can. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by some pretty awesome role models who’ve taught me the value of true friendship in this author stuff and have handed me a fork so I could share a piece of their pie. They taught me to always remember, you’re your next book could be your last—write the best one you know how just in case J

And again, learn how to handle criticism. Get yourself some crit partners who won’t lie to you—they read your stuff to begin with because they liked it—if they tell you something isn’t working for them—suck it up and give it thought. Don’t get defensive. Writing isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it for someone who can’t be honest with themselves. It’s all about your gut and the love of telling a story. Find out what your weakness’ and your strengths are—make the weak stuff stronger, and the strong stuff stronger still J

Above all, shut up and write J

Dakota, thanks so much for joining us here! It’s been a pleasure chatting with you! I wish you continued success! Know I can’t wait for more of your fun books!

Thank you, thank you for interviewing me, Debbie! The buzz for The Accidental Werewolf was great and you were a part of that—know that’s it’s appreciated J

You can learn more about Dakota at her website www.dakotacassidy.com

Interview with Author Katherine Warwick

Please join me in welcoming author Katherine Warnick to my blog. Katherine writes a wonderful dancing series that shouldn't be missed!

Katherine, please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m the mother of 6 children, one of whom has autism. I’ve been married for 24 years to a man I strive to emulate. We have a lovely home on a mountainside, and each day I get to write and look up at glorious evergreen peaks that remind me where all my blessings come from.

How did you get started in your writing career?

I’ve written since I was a teenager. I’ve written full time for 5 ½ years now.

When was your first book published and what was it?

The book was NOON and it was published in 2006.

How many do you have out now and who are they published with?

I have four Women’s Romances out: Noon, Wilde, Savage and Dancing With His Heart – all part of the dance/romance series. I also have three YA books out: Falling for Romeo, Magic Hands and An Open Vein.

Please tell us what kind of books you write. Are they all related or are they stand alone books?

I write in three different genres because writing in just one would get stale. Like an actor, I wouldn’t want to do the same ‘type-cast’ role over and over again.

Please tell us about your dancing series. What inspired it and will there be any more in the series?

My oldest daughter had a friend who danced on the high school ballroom dance team. He was a total cutie. I started wondering about the dynamics of a partnership. Did they love to hate each other? How close were they? What was it like dancing intimately and not being a ‘couple’? WERE they a couple? The questions were endless. So I started going to tons of competitions and watching the couples. I enrolled my children in classes, got to know the parents, saw how they were with their kids – just got a feel for the whole ballroom life. NOON was born. NOON follows the partnership of a couple who meets in their teens and compete together into their 20’s. It’s my personal favorite of the dance series.

What are you writing on now and do you have a release date yet?

I’m always writing. Right now, I’m working on another YA story. A paranormal love story.

Do you use music or anything to inspire your work?

Always use music! Every story has a soundtrack. I find listening to it helps me creatively.

Let’s do some fun questions.

What is your favorite book or author?

Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts

What’s your favorite movie?

Too many to narrow it down but The Devil Wears Prada is a laugh every time I watch it.

If you could meet any person you wanted and write about it, who would it be and why?

Anyone whose life has been horrendously difficult. I love stories with unbearable obstacles, great feats of courage and inspiring choices.

Have you ever received advice that changed your view of writing?

Sure. Early on an agent told me a story was about 200 pages overwritten. That gave me the clue I needed to make some changes, be brutal with my editing.

What advice would you give a new writer?

Always write for the love of writing first. Write for yourself, then everything you encounter in this business will be palatable.

Katherine, thanks so much for chatting with us! Come back again soon!

Thank you for having me!

Chris Marie Green/Crystal Green

Chris Marie Green/Crystal Green

Chris, welcome to Deb’s! We are so glad to be able to chat with you and learn a bit more about you and your wonderful books.

Thank you, Debbie! I really appreciate this. : )

First of all, please tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, family, pets, etc.

I’m not terribly exciting—born in Milwaukee, moved to California when I was very young, moved to Kentucky when I was a teen, moved back to California, then moved to Nevada. Maybe all my moving goes hand-in-hand with my love of traveling. I’m really fortunate to have taken an extended “backpacking” trip through Europe, and I’ve spent a little time in Italy and London. Also, I got to visit Japan, and because of my writing conferences, I’ve experienced many, many areas of the U.S.
I’m very close to my family, but sadly, with all this traveling, I find it tough to have pets.

Let’s talk about your writing a bit.

Please tell what names you write under and the types of books you write under each name.

I write under two names: Chris Marie Green and Crystal Green. The first one is what I use for “mainstream” books like my urban fantasy, which basically consists of the Vampire Babylon books for Ace right now. I created the “Crystal” name for my romances, and I’ve written everything from Silhouette Special Editions (“home and hearth” books) to Harlequin Blazes (“hot” stories) to Silhouette Bombshells (which centered on strong heroines in action/adventure situations).

How many books do you have out now under each name and what was your most recent release under each name.

As of February, 2008, I will have published 22 books under the “Crystal Green” name; my most recent release was HER BEST MAN from Special Edition. (I do have a March Special Edition called MOMMY AND THE MILLIONAIRE though.) I’ll have 2 releases under “Chris Marie Green,” the most recent one being MIDNIGHT REIGN, Vampire Babylon, Book Two.

Tell us about the books you write under the Crystal Green name. How are they different from the Chris Marie Green books and which pen name came first?

The “Crystal” name came first. Under this guise, I do Special Editions, which are warm-hearted romances with a real feel for community, and Blazes, which have hotter love scenes although they feature strong romances at their cores. I also wrote for the Bombshell line, but that no longer exists. If I could’ve written those books under “Chris Marie Green,” I would have since they were more mainstream (but they did have strong romantic elements, so the “Crystal” name actually was appropriate). With Bombshell, I wrote my first vampire book (THE HUNTRESS) and an atmospheric thriller (BAITED). I keep saying I’d love to do another thriller, and I will when time allows! And THE HUNTRESS made me realize that I loved writing paranormals, so it led to my Vampire Babylon series. I use two different names because, except for the Bombshells, my books are pretty different in content.

You have an upcoming release, Midnight Reign, book 2 of the Vampire Babylon series due out in February, 2008 written as Chris Marie Green. Please tell us about this book and this very interesting series. I was fortunate enough to read your first book but I’m not real sure what category to put it in. It was marketed as a fantasy but it is so much more! You have given the vampire realm an entirely new take and it is fascinating!

Thank you so much! : ) When I was coming up with the basics for Vampire Babylon, I realized that there was no way I could cover the story I wanted to tell in one book. Thank goodness my editor, Ginjer Buchanan, signed me for three books at first, because this gave me the chance to spin out the character and mythology arcs over an entire trilogy. Basically, I look at the first trilogy as one long book in itself. But each novel in the trilogy starts out with its own mystery—like Jesse Shane’s murder in NIGHT RISING—and that one mystery is solved by the end of that particular novel. Any other bigger, far-reaching mysteries that have more to do with character or mythology development will be solved by the end of the trilogy. In a way, it’s almost as if the trilogies are TV seasons, and it’s good to start with the first episode instead of in the middle of the season.

Funny that you say you’re not sure how to classify the series—I think a lot of people feel the same way, LOL! My editor calls it “mystery-fantasy-noir.”

At any rate, the second book, MIDNIGHT REIGN, carries on about a month after NIGHT RISING ended. It starts with one of those “plot-centric mysteries” that’ll be solved by the end of the book, but this crime focuses on a serial killer who’s using vampire techniques. For the heroine, Dawn Madison, and her investigative pals, the murders seem to provide leads to the Underground—and to the whereabouts of Dawn’s dad—but it isn’t easy going for them. Trouble comes down big time for these guys.

BTW, for any readers who wonder about Dawn’s dad, you’ll find out what happened to him in this book….

How many books will be in this series? I know I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Thank you again! At first, we’ll have the initial trilogy, books 1-3, which will end with BREAK OF DAWN in September, 2008. In that same month, I’ll have a Vampire Babylon novella in an anthology called FIRST BLOOD. The story is going to focus on the whereabouts of the vampire Sorin’s twin “daughters” who went to the old world and never came back. Then there’ll be a second trilogy, but I don’t have dates for those books yet. I’m actually working on book 4 right now.

Are these your first paranormal books? If not, what else do you have out there and are they related to this series?

I have a couple other paranormal books out there besides Vampire Babylon, but neither is related to the series. The first is THE HUNTRESS, a novel that pre-dates Vampire Babylon and was written for Bombshell. The story centers on a woman whose great love was captured by vampires in Transylvania, and she gets together a team to go into their lair so she can rescue her boyfriend. The second book, which I wrote after Vampire Babylon, is a vampire Blaze called THE ULTIMATE BITE (July, 2007). It’s a hot romance, and there’ll be a companion book/sequel out in November, 2008.

What drew you to write the Vampire Babylon books? Is this genre of writing something you have always been interested in or did it evolve over time? Did anything in particular influence your love for these types of books?

I’ve always loved scary, disturbing movies and books, so I’m not surprised that I’m writing about vampires now. I’ve written short horror stories, but I also loved romance and I just happened to get published in that genre first. I’d say I’ve been the most influenced by Stephen King’s short stories and old vampire films, with all those gothic hunters brandishing stakes and crosses as they wandered around decrepit castles.

How long have you been writing and how did you get started in your writing career?

I always knew I wanted write, even in grade school, when I penned a lot of short stories. Superman and Indiana Jones were favorite subjects of mine, but I also wrote some darker stuff that worried my parents to some extent, LOL. In high school, I was a competitive essay writer, and this trained me to deal with deadlines and to create a semi-articulate first draft. In college, I wrote a screenplay for a senior project and I started a seriously crazy epic historical romance that I will never ever turn in for publication. Then I attended the San Diego Writers Conference and joined RWA (Romance Writers of America). That’s when I sold—after I started to meet other writers and industry professionals who guided me in how to present my work before I submitted it.

Has anything been different than you expected? For example the promo work, book signings, deadlines? What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Nothing is much different, really. I’ve had to deal with public shyness when I speak or do book signings. Like many writers, I’m an introvert, but I expected that there would be some degree of promotional effort. No complaints.

My favorite part of being an author is hearing from a reader who enjoyed what I wrote. Knowing about the connection they made with a story or character is touching, and it astounds me that anyone would take time out of their day to share that with me.

Approximately how long does it take you to write one of your books? Is it about the same for the smaller series books or do your Vampire Babylon books take longer?

I’ve found that the length of time varies. The Vampire Babylon books are a big effort, and I’m comfortable with at least three months for those. I’d love to have a longer time, but that hasn’t been possible with the other projects I’ve been doing. The category books generally don’t take as long, but only because of page count. (VB books have been averaging about 450 of my typed pages, whereas Special Editions and Blazes are about 260.) Categories take about two months to write, but I’m always working on other projects at the same time, so it’s hard to say. Basically though, if I need to build a paranormal world or pay major attention to the details of a mystery, the book takes longer.

What kind of research do you do for your books and approximately how long does it take you to research your projects? Is research something you enjoy doing?

Research varies, too, and so does my enjoyment of it! Generally, I do like to do research, because I’m one of those types who always liked school and read my textbooks right when I got them, LOL. The Vampire Babylon books have required quite a bit of research—from what a stuntwoman might have gone through in the movie industry to what the Cocoanut Grove looked like back in its heyday. THE HUNTRESS, my first vampire book, took a lot of research, as well, because of the Transylvanian location and the make-up of the vampire tribe. BAITED, my atmospheric thriller, took a bunch mainly because my heroine was a pearl diver at a fictional water park. (BTW, I got my details from Pearl Island in Japan for that one.) For a recent Special Edition, my hero was a firefighter, so I went to a station to conduct an interview and take a tour. I’m working on a project right now that actually allowed me to travel to London. The more first-hand information I can get, the better, but most of the time I have to do book or online research. I just do my best.

Are you a big reader? If so, what kind of books do you enjoy? Please share some of your favorite authors or books with us.

I’m a huge reader, and my tastes really go all over the place. Right now, I stare at the computer so much during the day that I’ve taken to listening to audio books. I’m on a Tudor-era kick right now—lots of Phillipa Gregory and some Alison Weir. I do a lot of reading for research, too. Over the years, though, some of my favorite books have included THE STAND by Stephen King, THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt, THE PROMISE OF JENNY JONES by Maggie Osborne, and LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry. There are so many more titles, but these are at the top of my list.

Has your writing been influenced by any particular person or event? If so, who or what would it be?

I don’t think there’s been one particular person or event…just a mixture of what life has brought day by day. : )

What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or collections you would like to share with our readers?

Besides traveling, I love to spend time with my family. And I’m a huge movie freak, even though I seem to be watching more on my DVD player lately than in the theaters. I’ll see anything that’s supposed to be scary, but my favorite flicks are more psychologically damaging than bloody. For instance, DON’T LOOK NOW is one of the best scary movies ever, and for some reason, I love being unsettled by something that chilling. I read a lot, and I practice yoga for peace of mind and stress management. Walking is a big part of my life, too.

Give us an example of a typical day in your life. Are you a full time writer? Do you try to keep to a specific writing schedule?

My schedule varies wildly, depending on what kind of deadlines are looming and what’s going on personally. As a full-time writer, I get to arrange my own hours (yay!). But, as my own boss, I’m pretty tough on myself, too (boo!). No goofing around because the boss is always watching. Some days I’ll wake up early and write a chapter of my work in progress, then I’ll go to the gym, practice yoga, then I’ll come back and take care of promotion, etc. Or maybe I’ll wake up and revise that day, and if it’s a vampire book, revising takes all day because I’m constantly looking for plot or world holes.
And that’s my boring life!

What do you do to unwind after a hard day? Are you a big movie fan or do you prefer some other form for entertainment?

At the end of the day, my eyes need a rest, so I tend to sit in front of the TV and watch my movies or one of many TV programs on my fan-girl schedule. But now, with the writers’ strike, I refuse to watch these reality shows the studios are trying to substitute for quality scripted programs, so I’m taking in lots of films. But sitting in front of the TV doesn’t mean my mind is on “off.” I keep paper next to me so I can write down any ideas about my work in progress; sometimes giving yourself a mental rest allows you to think more clearly.

If you have one piece of advice to give to a new writer, what would it be?

I would suggest that new writers plug away at their craft by studying books on the subject, reading a lot, and writing even more. Then they might want to go to conferences where they can hear published professionals telling them what they want to buy. If you listen before you send your work out, you’ll save yourself and the editors and agents a lot of time, and you’ll establish a solid reputation.
One last thing--good luck!

Chris, thank you so much for chatting with us. We have really enjoyed it! Please come again!

I enjoyed this, too. Thank you! ; )

You can learn more about Chris at ChrisMarieGreen.com or Crystal-Green.com

Wilde Review

Wilde

Katherine Warwick

Romance

Trade Paperback

1933963956Grove

Creek Publishing

What happens when a princess teams up with a hot, young man who's life is devoted to competitive ballroom dancing? A partnership of royal proportions specializing in sizzling latin dances. Training takes place from the time Anna, princess of the Isles of Slovokia, and JamieWilde, ballroom dancer from Provo, Utah, agree to the partnership.

Ms Warwick created scenes I could immerse myself in. I could feel the tension during the "blind" rehearsal in total darkness. I found myself laughing out loud at the camping trip. The betrayal by Anna's countryman had me angry. The support of family shines through the entire story.

If you like ballroom dancing and enjoy the fun that can go with it,you will like Wilde.

If you enjoy Dancing With the Stars, you will definitely enjoy this series.

Happy Valentines!

We have a wonderful new addition to love this valentines. A beautiful new granddaughter. We went to see her yesterday and holding her was such a beautiful feeling. Really hated to go home but knew she and our DIL needed rest.

What are you doing to make this Valentines Day special? A special date with your loved one? Candy and flowers? What makes the day special to you?

Do you enjoy reading Valentine Day related books to get you in the mood? If so, share some of your favorites with us.

Check back soon for some site renovations. Thanks to Tracy Preston, I have a awesome new header for my site! Now to just figure out how to do everything. lol

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day.

Deb