Mary from the Library Book Review:

Hi! For those that do not know me....I am the Head Branch Librarian at the Hardin County Public Library. I would love to thank Debbie for giving me this chance to share my love of reading with everyone. Each week I will try to give everyone a taste of the current book that I am reading and talk about some trends that I see in this area.

This Weeks Rave: "Deep Storm" By Lincoln Child.

Preston/Child has been a writing team that I have enjoyed very much. The "Pendergast" novels are awesome. "Deep Storm" is Lincoln Child's third solo novel. Each novel that he writes solo seems to get better each time and "Deep Storm" is no exception.

Naval Physician, Pete Cane is sent out to investigate a mysterious disease that is attacking the crew of an oil rig. Those affected are actually members of an undersea research laboratory who are excavating a deep water archeological site. The tension in this story will lead the reader eagerly to the next secret that is hidden so far under the sea. The story grabbed me from the first page. I am not a fan of technological trillers but the fast pace of this book and the mystery of what lurks beneath the sea will thrill most readers. My score 8. A good read.

Other novels by Lincoln Child: " Death Match" and Utopia."

My RWA Roomie and A Good Cause

Last July I had the most wonderful time at the RWA conference in Atlanta. It was sheer heaven being in the presence of all the awesome authors there, published and unpublished. To make matters even better, I was blessed with two wonderful roommates. Jodi who helped me with many of the details of the conference and was my lifeline in emails up to and after the conference and Amanda Brice, both members of Romance Diva's. I received an email from Amanda the other day about a new book that she has a story published in. If that wasn't fantastic enough, she went on to tell me the book profits are going to a worthy cause. I would like that letter with you and I hope that you will join me in helping promote DREAMS & DESIRES so that we can help make a difference in someone's life that needs a helping hand.

Amanda's Letter

Hey there! As many of you already know, I write in my spare time. I have a wonderful literary agent who is currently shopping my young adult mystery novel around, and I hope (fingers crossed!) to be able to announce a sale soon. :)

But I'm writing to you today about a book from which I'll never see a dime. And I couldn't be happier!!!!!!!

I have a short story (called "Love @ First Site", written under my pen name Amanda Brice) in a book that comes out today, called DREAMS & DESIRES. It's a collection of romance of all heat levels from sweet to sizzling (mine is sweet, by the way) and features 19 talented authors.

All of the stories in this book have been donated, as has the editing and cover art, so I'm pleased to announce that 100% of the profits from sales of this book will be donated to battered women's shelters. There have been other anthologies published for charity in the past, but most of those have only donated a portion of their profits. With DREAMS & DESIRES, every penny of profit goes to help women and children in dire circumstances.

Did you know that 95% of abuse victims are women? Every year, four million women are assaulted by their spouses or partners. Freya's Bower Publishing is hoping to do a small part to break the cycle of abuse.

Here are the stories, along with the heat level and genre:

"The Forest for the Trees" by Jenna Bayley-Burke (sweet; contemporary)

"Song Without Words" by Faith Bicknell-Brown (sweet; contemporary)

"Love @ First Site" by Amanda Brice (sweet; chick lit)

"The Christmas Prize" by Sela Carsen (sweet; contemporary)

"Romance for One" by Rachelle Chase (spicy; chick lit)

"Confessions of a Bombshell Bandit" by Gemma Halliday (sweet; chick lit)

"The Velvet Mask" by Candace Havens (sweet; contemporary)

"Road of Misgivings" by Zinnia Hope (sweet; contemporary)

"To the Core" by Jackie Kessler (tangy; paranormal)

"Taking the Alleys" by Susan Lyons (sweet; contemporary)

"Brushstrokes" by Richelle Mead (spicy; historical paranormal)

"Red's Merry Mischief" by Debbie Mumford (tangy; fantasy)

"Baring It All For Mr. Right" by Rhonda Stapleton (sweet; chick lit)

"The Wedding Policy" by Bebe Thomas (sweet; historical)

"Blood and Feathers" by Emily Veinglory (sizzling; M/M paranormal)

"The Mirror" by Sasha White (sizzling; contemporary)

"The Reluctant Bridesmaid" by Lois Winston (sweet; chick lit)

"The Forge: Jezren Dark Sky" by Shaunna Wolf (tangy; sci-fi)"

Secret Valentines" by Kit Wylde (sweet; contemporary)

DREAMS & DESIRES is available as an eBook for $7.99 (ISBN: 1-934069-36- 1), a paperback (ISBN: 1-934069-22- 1) for $19.95, and a hard cover (ISBN: 1-934069- 23-X) for $29.95. The paperback and hardcover are available from Barnes & Noble online. The books and the eBook are also available through Freya's Bower at http://www.freyasbower.com. The book is also being sold at Borders and distributed by Ingrams. If your local bookstore doesn't have it, they'll be able to order it for you. Just give them the title and the ISBN number.

Today is the official release of the book, so we're trying to spread the word far and wide. You can help by forwarding this message to your friends and colleagues, or posting on your blog.

Together, we CAN make a difference!

My thanks to Amanda for bringing this to my attention and to everyone out there who has helped make this book possible, and everyone that helps to make a difference!

Connie Brockway Visits!

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good weekend and getting lots of good reading done. I've finished two awesome books but I'll talk a little more about that later.

As you can tell by the title, I've been talking to the marvelous Connie Brockway. I've been a long time fan and when I was invited to view and participate in Squawk Radio by Eloisa James, I jumped at the chance to chat with these totally awe inspiring authors!

I had the good fortune to meet all six of the SR girls in Atlanta last July at the RWA conference and they are all just wonderful. Connie sat right across from me at lunch. Wow! We've written back and forth a few times and when I asked her to do an interview with me, she nicely agreed. So without further ado, please welcome Connie Brockway to my blog. Connie will be popping in to take questions and comments from our readers so tell your friends and lets give her a big welcome!

Connie Brockway Interview

Connie, Welcome to BookstoreDebs Book Nook. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy Schedule to chat with us.

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

This is the hardest question to answer because I am so ridiculously normal. Until you start looking under rocks, but isn’t that true of everyone? I was born in Minnesota, raised here and in upstate New York (aka, any part of New York other than New York City) went to college, graduate school, married, had a child… won a few awards for writing and one for painting while in college, worked variously as a veterinarian technician, master gardener, bank teller (two weeks, that) and graphic artist.

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

I started out writing historical romance. Loved the regency (still do) and medieval, something of an Anglophile but primarily I was interested in writing about grand passions –which are sometimes amusing because. let’s face it, lines like, “I see heaven in your eyes,” has got to provoke laughter by anyone overhearing it. Recently I’ve taken the road less traveled, (at least, by me) and am venturing into contemporary fiction with an emphasis on heroines who’ve been around the block a few times and still aren’t sure what direction they are heading. In other words, the stories of my friends, family, and, er, me. They have a broader cast of characters and talk about things other than romance, though there is definitely romance in it, and they are comedies. The biggest difference? Now when the hero says, “I see heaven in your eyes” the heroine is one of the first to laugh.

How did you get started as a romance author? Was this something you always wanted to do or did this career evolve over time?

I always wanted fiction writing to be my career, not simply my avocation. Especially since I was already writing things all the time anyway: little scenes, dialogues, descriptive bits, etc. Who doesn’t want someone to pay them for what they’re already doing? My daughter is still waiting for someone to offer her money to be a slob-- and though I fear her wait may be longer than mine was, we’re all entitled to our dreams. Since I read so many historical romances (since the age of 16) it was the genre I felt most comfortable in writing and most confident I could do a decent job of it.

How many books do you have out now? Are there any trilogy’s or connected series or are all your books stand alone books?

I’m up to seventeen novels and four anthologies now. I’ve written two trilogies: The McClairen’s Isle trilogy (THE PASSIONATE ONE, THE RECKLESS ONE, THE RAVISHING ONE) and The Rose Hunters trilogy (MY SEDUCTION, MY SURRENDER, MY PLEASURE). There is an unfinished connected group of books which started with my first novel, PROMISE ME HEAVEN, went on to tell the story of Jack Seward in ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT and ought to end up with Giles Strand’s story. But, I don’t own the rights to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT and as wrong-headed as it may seem, publishers do not want to promote another companies backlist. Imagine that. So poor gorgeous Giles will have to wait. I know! If anyone out there would like to read Gile’s story (and I know there’s at least a few of you, because you’ve written to commiserate) write Shauna Summers at Bantam-Dell Publishing and say, “FREE GILE’S STRAND! FREE JACK SEWARD!” We’ll start a grass roots movement. I foresee marches down the streets of New York City, biplanes writing smoke messages above the Bantam publishing house! Full page ads in the Daily Post! Okay. I foresee a couple letters to Dell… Again, people are entitled to their dreams.

What was your first published work and when did it come out? Are any of your books available in e-book form or only in print? Personally I don’t think there is anything better than having a favorite book in my hand.

PROMISE ME HEAVEN was my first book, published by Avon in 1994. First one I wrote, too. I don’t have any books, to my knowledge in e-book form. But then, there’s a lot I don’t know about.

What was your reaction when you saw your first book on the store shelf? Hope you had a good celebration! Do you still get that same thrill when you see one of your new books in the stores?

Oh, I was completely overwhelmed with “me!” I wanted to stop everyone in the store and say, “Hey, I wrote that book!” I stopped at half the people in the store. I believe the manager stopped me. Today, I have a much more jaded response. If I see too many books I think, “Oh my god, no one is buying them!” and if I don’t see enough I think, “Oh my god, they didn’t order any!” There’s no satisfying me.

Tell us about your newest release HOT DISH that came out November 2006. I know it’s been getting some rave reviews! Will this book be a stand alone or will it be the start of a new series for you?

HOT DISH is set in a small town in northern Minnesota, where in one-time Miss Fawn Creek, Jenn Lind, has been asked to come back and grand marshal the town’s sesquicentennial. Though not a Fawn Creek fan by any means, Jenn, who is on the cusp of achieving national television celebrity, agrees. She returns only to find her bid for stardom threatened by a trio of inept kidnappers, an easygoing, internationally acclaimed sculptor and the one hundred pound block of butter he created of her likeness twenty years ago.

Oh, I think I’m done with series for a while. I love the finality of a stand-alone book. Though the book I just turned in, SKINNY-DIPPING, is set on a lake about half an hours drive from Fawn Creek. None of the characters make a return appearance however, except for Smelka’s café.

HOT DISH was your first contemporary. After writing such successful historicals for so long, what gave you the idea to write a book set in current times? Did you feel it still has the same voice as your historical romances or do you feel it has its own individual tone? Do you think this was any easier or harder to write than your wonderful historicals?

I just wanted to do something different, outside the normal parameters of romance, that focused less on the relationship between one man and one woman and instead had a much larger cast of characters, each with their own agenda, motives, goals, and personalities. I also wanted to write using modern language. Do you know how hard it is to write seventeen books without ever being able to use the word “blackmail?” I’m teasing, but that sort of things does happen.

So, no, I don’t think the voice is the same, though I did think the humor I tried to bring to MY DEAREST ENEMY, THE BRIDAL SEASON, and AS YOU DESIRE is still there and intact. It was much harder to write than the historical romances but I assume that’s because I was feeling my way. (And thank you for the kind words!)

What type of research do you do for your books and what kind of materials do you use? Books, internet, etc… Approximately how long does it take you to research each book? Is this something you do before starting the actual book or as you go along? Do you think your last book required as much research as your historical books do? Is research something you enjoy? Do you feel that research should be stressed more to new writers in order to improve their writing skills?

For the historicals, I pretty much have the basics of both the Regency and Victorian eras memorized. I know what the marriage laws are, titles and inheritance laws, the dress and grooming and social etiquette. But after fifteen books, I would expect to. I’m lucky to have in my office about five reference books if I get to a sticky point. Added to which, the internet is invaluable for visualizing those things I’ve only read about such as what a phaeton looks like and how a country reel is danced.

I adore research. I adore bookstores and when I’m wandering around in them, I tend to gravitate to the history section. So many ideas are spurred on by simply reading through a history book, finding a little anecdotal kernel and then elaborating on it.

I think new up-coming authors ought to write, write more and then write again. Try paring off sections, adding on to sections, beefing up and chopping off, until the story flows. The story is the most important thing, then the words.


Tell us a bit more about your writing style. Are you a strict outliner and plotter who stays completely with your outline or are you more relaxed in your writing? Have your characters ever taken off in a completely different direction than you had planned for them? Did you let them have their way or did you rein them back in? If you let them go off in a different direction what did it do to your story?

I try to have an outline. I generally have an idea of where a story begins and how it ends and what the themes are. But the characters and the narrative and the actions and the scenes...? I’m completely out there flying blind. Groping and snuffling and floundering. Then, after the book is written, I put it aside for a while. Some time later I go back and try to figure out exactly what I’m trying to achieve and then start rewriting. It’s an ugly, ungainly and inefficient process. But mine own.

I am unlucky enough not to have characters that appear to me and tell me where to go in a story. My characters appear molecule by molecule, develop slowly, like ghosts coalescing in the mist.

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

Oh, I enjoy way too many things. You know, jack of all trades, master of none? I read, I love to cook, travel, garden. I play a competitive game of tennis, I oil paint, I needlepoint. And I love playing with Photoshop.

Do you still find time to read with your busy writing schedule? Please share with us some of your favorite authors or books.

Absolutely! I read about half an hour to an hour every night right before I go to sleep. Like everyone else, I go in streaks. Right now I’m reading the latest Nora Ephron book, I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK, THE HALLOWED HUNT by my neighbor Lois McMaster Bujold (fabulous I really enjoyed Martha Grimes’s Emma Graham novels and I’m impatient for the next one).

Obviously, I love all the authors on SQUAWK RADIO (Elizabeth Bevarly, Christina Dodd, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, and Teresa Medeiros) Sometimes people mistakenly think that we rave about each others books because we’re friends. What they’ve failed to realize is that we *became* friends because we read one another’s books and, frankly, wrote to one another. A few of a long list of other favorite romance writers include, Susan Kay Law, Susan Sizemore, Karen Hawkins, Madeline Hunter, Julia London, Marsha Canham, Virgina Henley... Oh, this is too hard.


Do you remember the first romance book you ever read? What was it?

I sure do! It was a book by Barbara Cartland called LOVE AND THE LOATHSOME LEOPARD. That title would never get through marketing nowadays.

Do you think any particular person or author has inspired or influenced you in your writing career? Do you feel that joining a romance or writers group is helpful to new authors? What would you say was the most helpful thing you learned or piece of advice you received when you started writing?

I would have to say the LOVE IN trilogy of books by Edith Layton really lit a fire under me as far as wanting to write a romance. I had been reading them for years but her use of language, the honorableness f her heroes, the really intense sexual tension made me want to write, too. Soon afterward, I read a piece in our town newspaper about a local author winning the Golden Heart award from Romance Writers of America. There was an RWA contact number at the end of the piece, so I called and found out about the local chapter and discovered the monthly meeting was only a few miles from my home. So I went.

Am I glad I did. Even though I had these degrees in writing, no one had ever bothered to explain the nuts and bolts of popular fiction writing to me. I learned more in my first year with RWA about writing a publishable manuscript then I did in undergraduate school.

So, yes, I would encourage anyone interested in writing a romance to at least visit an online chapter of RWA.

And the best piece of advice? The oldest one: Keep writing until the book is done.

Tell us about your characters. What are your characters like? Strong, sexy, sassy? What kind of characters do you like to write about? Any certain kind of characters that you think you would like to try writing about in later books or even any other genre of book?

I like characters who are smart, proactive, independent and vulnerable. That goes for both male and female. Basically, I write about people I would like to know and those few times I write about uncomfortable personalities (i.e. ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT) I at least think the characters would be fascinating to sit next to at a dinner party.

Hm. Characters I would like to write about but haven’t yet... I think it would be interesting to write a historical murder mystery with religious overtones. I know. No one else would think it was interesting.

I know a lot of authors can’t read a book in the same genre as the one they are writing. Do you find this to be a problem?

To some extent. I don’t have any trouble reading my favorites, but I do have a hard time keeping up with the newer authors and rely on the recommendation of friends’ to point me to the authors I simply can’t miss.

Do you have any holiday traditions you would like to share with our readers?

Eat too much, too often and too well.

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

I stumble out of bed around 7:30 in the morning and sit bleary-eyed and semi-comatose until 8:00 at which time I find the pot of coffee my husband has thoughtfully brewed and left in a carafe. After a couple cups of joe, I wander into my office and look through my email, then leave the office without answering any email.

I then take the dogs for an hour walk and return for lunch. I then do “stuff around the house” until about 3:00 when I start feeling like I maybe should write. I go into the office with the best intentions, but generally end up playing with Photoshop until about five when guilt finally wins out and I madly answer email or do other work related things. Then I go scrounge up some dinner.

At about eight o’clock at night I start writing. I will write until twelve or so. Then I go to bed and read for a while.

This is my “routine” Monday through Thursday. Weekends are much less regimented. (Tongue firmly in cheek)

What’s your favorite way to relax after a hard day of writing? Wine, chocolate, a movie or good book?

All of them!

Since becoming a well know published author, has anything been different than you expected when you were still writing that first book? For example, fans, promo, signing, anything?

Other than being continually struck by how kind people are who take the time to write a letter or send an email, things are pretty much as I expected them to be.

Tell us about the wonderful blog Squawk Radio that you are a part of. I know it is my all time favorite blog! How did this come about and who does the artwork for the site?

Thank you! A few years ago I was talking to Christina Dodd (we generally talk on the phone a few times a week...or a day, depending) about how big blogging was becoming and how I’d tried to do something like it on my website a few years earlier (I called it an online journal) but it was far too much work for one persona and I didn’t have enough content to post regularly.

Christina and I were already emailing one another and a group pf our friends and we never were short of things to say, mostly because we could bounce around a topic until Kingdom Come. There were days we had a hundred emails between the six of us. We started talking about how if we just took what we were doing privately and made it public, it would divide the work of a blog into six parts as well as let us riff off of one another. And thus a blog was born.

I do the artwork, such as it is. I told you how much I liked Photoshop...

Connie, tell us what you have in the works now and when can we look forward to it? Will you be writing more historicals down the line or will you stick strictly to contemporary for now?

My second contemporary, SKINNY DIPPING, will be out mid 2007. It’s a story about a thirty-eight year old female slacker, her family, and the fifth generation lake home they’ve owned for over a hundred years and what happens do when a developer offers them millions for it. I like to think of it the story of a woman’s long delayed coming of age. It’s about mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, aspirations and potential.

Then, in 2008, I will be collaborating with Eloisa James and Julia Quinn on THE LIST, a regency set romance with three linked stories. This is Eloisa’s baby and I am so delighted she asked me to join her and Julia in it. After that, who knows. Maybe someone will want to read that murder mystery...

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

Finish the book you start.

Connie, thanks so very much for taking time out to chat with us. Please come visit us again soon!

OK my lovely bloggers, sent those comments and questions into Connie. I can tell you that you might just get a suprise from some of her answers! I'll have a prize for one of our posters! So tell your friends and come on and say hello!

Deidre Knight's Parallel Universe.....

I had the good fortune to be introduced to the lovely Deidre Knight by her awesome PR person, Nancy Berland. I had worked with Nancy in getting author promo material for our bookstore and done interviews with several of her clients. So when she started telling me about Deidre, I listened. When Nancy told me that Deidre was the President of The Knight Agency, a very sought after agent and now an author, I knew I really wanted to meet and interview this wonder woman!



I emailed Deidre and introduced myself and explained my interest in doing an interview with her. I expected her to be nice but what I didn't expect was to find that wonder woman, aka Deidre Knight, was real!! First let me say that Deidre is one of the sweetest, most awesome people I have ever met. She welcomed me into her world, treated me like a dear friend and absolutely awed me with her ability to do it all.

[Deidre Knight] You are so sweet!!



Not only is she an awesome author and agent, Deidre is a fantastic mom of two adorable girls and wife of published author Judson. Yes folks, I don't know how, but she does it all. Wonder woman has a name and it is Deidre Knight.



Deidre has made time to share a little of her life and love of writing here on our blog. We are going to do an interview and then we will open the blog to Deidre for questions and comments.



Interview

Deidre, welcome to Deb's Book Nook! Thanks for taking time out of your hectic schedule to visit with us.



Introduce yourself to our readers. Give us some background info, family, pets, previous jobs, etc. Basically what makes Deidre Knight tick.

[Deidre Knight] Thanks so much for having me here! Let’s see, to tell you about me I should confess that I have a new obsession—crocheting! My co-worker Julie Ramsey and I recently went to a conference in Houston, Texas and she was working on a blanket while on the plane. For some reason I thought, “This is something I might enjoy.” I used to be big into needlepoint when I was younger, but never tried crochet. Now I’m totally into the new hobby! I only wish it were something that *unlike* writing involved getting off my behind and actually exercising, but still, it’s a great new relaxing hobby. I’m also teaching my eight year old, although she becomes a bit frustrated with it, so we have to teach her in short bursts.



I’ve also recently taken up participating in walk/run events—which took hold when I participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day in October. That event was sixty miles in three days, and although I didn’t walk ALL the miles, I did complete about half of it. When my toe nails started getting loose and my baby toes were entirely blistered and swollen, I had to take a shuttle. Anyway, after that event, I immediately signed up for a 5K at the local botanical gardens and will be running in our local jingle jog in early December.



What’s the common denominator here? I think that I’ve hit a point in my life where I want to push myself to try new things, to break out the boundaries a bit. And I hope that will carry over to my writing where I like to believe I’m learning to trust my instincts and take big chances.



For readers unfamiliar with your awesome paranormal romances, tell us a bit about your books.

[Deidre Knight] Absolutely! I write romance—a unique genre that I’m starting to think of as “fusion romance” (maybe I’ve spent too long in fusion restaurants!) But seriously—think of paranormal, science fiction, and fantasy romance all blended together. The series is set on present day Earth out in the Tetons of Wyoming where an alien king, Jared Bennett, has a secret military base and is battling to defend Earth against the same enemies that devoured his home world. Only problem? Earth officials think HE is the enemy. Our aliens have a secret weapon hidden deep in Yellowstone Park, a device that control time itself. That device, the mitres, is at the center of the series because as they try to alter their destiny, they wind up creating parallel worlds. Heroes in one book might be villains in another and vice versa. Basically, think SLIDING DOORS where each time they play with time, results play out differently… and the stakes get higher and higher.



The heroes are heartstoppingly sexy, with important destinies and sexy alien mating rituals (I mean, they look completely human but the sex is literally out of this world!) The heroines know how to kick butt and save the universe.





Are any of your characters or storylines ever based on real people or events? Do you think you incorporate various personality traits into your characters from real people?

[Deidre Knight] I think writing/books is always a bit of a tapestry where you color in a bit from real life and from people you know, but my characters are never people I know. They’re real to me, but not out of my real life. I do try and use names, though, that reference back to people I care about.



How did you choose the location/setting for the Parallel books? Was this an area you had explored in your travels?

[Deidre Knight] When I was eighteen my family went to Yellowstone and it was one of the most spectacular things I’d ever seen. I’ve been really blessed—I’ve been to Europe six times, traveled to all but three states in the US, but I would still say—these many years later—that the Jackson, Wyoming area is one of the most beautiful spots I’ve ever visited. I wanted to capture some of that in the series, that kind of spellbinding majesty. It’s not a region you see in that many books (it’s the least populated state in the union, even less than Alaska!) So I thought it would be a fresh place to set the series. Much more than that, I NEEDED a really remote and empty place for it to be believable that aliens were actually hiding there. Parts of Yellowstone back country have literally never been walked on by man (I was told this by a park ranger there). That’s how vast and immense the region is and how easy it would be to hide there.



Tell us about the research you do for your books. Approximately how long does it take you to research your books or is this an ongoing process? What kind of research materials do you use and is this something you enjoy doing? Do you travel to explore the settings of your books?

[Deidre Knight] Well, it’s a tough life, but I’m heading out to Jackson in three weeks to interview an FBI agent who has helped me a ton. You know, got to go do that PERSONAL kind of research. J I’m a big believer in interviewing, and have been fortunate that a number of FBI agents with different areas of expertise have been willing to share with me.



I believe your Mom encouraged your desire to write at an early age. How did you get started in your writing career? When did you seriously start writing for publication? Did it take long for you to be published?

[Deidre Knight] I started writing for publication in 2003 and sold in early 2005, so it was about two years from the time I seriously thought I wanted to be published and actually sold something. But I wrote for YEARS and millions of words before I decided I was ready to go for it.



I hear you have an awesome agent who also happens to be your sister and fellow agent at The Knight Agency. How is it to work so closely with her as an agent and as an author. Do you think your relationship changes when she is in her agent mode?

[Deidre Knight] Pamela and I grew up working in a family business so it actually comes very naturally to us to wear a variety of hats. We definitely flip in and out of different roles—some days I’m very much in the lead, but others when I’m struggling, she puts that big sister hat back on once again. I do know we both tend to be very protective of each other which is probably a great thing because the agenting business can be very wearing and even brutal at times. It’s good to be in the trenches with someone who loves you without reservation and also someone you want to work with because they’re your best friend!



Let's talk about your debut book, Parallel Attraction. I have to admit that when I first read it, I was blown away. It definitely didn't read like a debut book! I was really impressed with the crisp clear writing and the way you pulled me into the story and didn't let go. Did it suprise you that PA was so popular and received such great praise and reviews? I know I loved recommending it to our customers about it and hearing their reactions to it when they came back into the store.

[Deidre Knight] I think it always surprises writers when their work is finally out there. I mean, you want to believe that people will get and understand your vision, but it never ever gets old hearing the way people respond. And thank you, thank you for all those kind compliments (and for promoting my books to your readers!)



What was your reaction when you first saw it on the store shelves? Know I would have been over the moon.

[Deidre Knight] I think it sounded like this: “Squeeeeeee!!!! There it is!!” It’s still completely exciting every time I see one of my books. That will be great from now on!







Are you a plotter or more casual in your writing style? How do you keep up with all your characters traits and storylines? I know if I had your busy life I would definitely need something to keep things straight for me.

[Deidre Knight] I have a bizarre brain. It’s true! LOL! Seriously, I have a “big scope” brain which I think is pretty typical for entrepreneurs who are always projecting ten years ahead, plotting and planning where they want their business to go. It’s that same part of me that plots out a big tapestry for this series. I know exactly where we’re going and have laid the groundwork out to book six of the series. Not saying it would end there—so long as my publisher wants it to continue! Just saying I know where we’re headed. On each individual book, though, I’m more of a plantser. I write some by the pants and with some plotting, and kind of bring it all together.



Lets do some fun favorites....



Favorite color?

[Deidre Knight] Purple and red.



Favorite food?

[Deidre Knight] Oh, can I just say FOOD!? LOL! Probably Mexican food.



Favorite genre of book?

[Deidre Knight] romance, women’s fiction and literary commercial fiction.



Favorite author(s) or book(s)?

[Deidre Knight] Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Judith Ivory, Susan Grant, Catherine Spangler, Lisa Unger, Nelson DeMille, and Audrey Niffenegger.



Favorite past time?

[Deidre Knight] Apart from writing, I’d definitely say crochet, which I mentioned above. J



Favorite movie or play?

[Deidre Knight] I don’t think I can even answer because I’ve got the world’s longest fave list of movies. Why don’t I say favorite television shows at the moment? LOST, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and HOUSE.



Favorite song?

[Deidre Knight] LAYLA by Derek and the Dominoes



When you are writing, do you use a real person as model or song/soundtrack to inspire your work or do you prefer to write in peace and quiet?

[Deidre Knight] I used to write to music and it always helped, but it’s bizarre… as time’s gone on, I need real quiet. Maybe the creative process is cyclical or something, but it’s definitely changed for me in the past few years.



Tell us about the Walk for Life you recently did. How did you get involved in this and even though the walk is over, how can we still help?

[Deidre Knight] Ah! I mentioned this earlier before seeing the question. We will be launching our next year’s walk very soon, and I’ll be posting links to it. Breast cancer research is a cause I feel very strongly about because my mother is a breast cancer survivor—and, ironically, the week after I finished the walk we had another scare with her, but it turned out to be okay. It’s something that touches so many of us, I truly believe it’s one of the most important health causes facing us today. I hope everyone will join our newsletter to follow news on the next event. Just go to www.deidreknightbooks.com and click on the newsletter.



Do you find time to read for pleasure? I know you do a lot of reading in your job with TKA, does it get hard to find a book unrelated to your clients stories? Do you ever find yourself comparing storylines as you read?

[Deidre Knight] Nephele Tempest (another agent here at TKA) and I were just lamenting this issue the other day. It becomes very hard to immerse in a book for pleasure because you disconnect over a lot of different variables. Comparing books, plots, and then of course sometimes wondering why a particular book sold and became published when a project that *I* shopped never did sell! On the other hand, there are times when I magically escape into a book like I once used to do, and really experience that magic of reading. Those books are a special gift and make it all worth it.



Give us an example of a typical day in your life. Do you try to write a certain amount each day?

[Deidre Knight] Well, the funny thing is that there isn’t a truly typical day because one thing about agenting is that every day is different. I’ll tell you about today, though. It’s the holiday week and basically all the publishers are out. We had a pre-K Thanksgiving breakfast at school (this after getting up, showering before the kids were up, then dressing them and getting them to school.) Anyway, did the pre-K breakfast, and was going to head to the office (which is only a few blocks away), but because our holiday treat for our TKA ladies is for them to get massages, well, turned out the massage table was in my office. So I headed home and am at present answering a bunch of agency emails, just read and replied on a submission, and am taking a moment to do this interview. Because I’m at home, I have a movie on quietly in the background just because I’m a believer in “white noise.” It was the weather for a while earlier, now it’s apparently going to be “Be Cool.” In a bit, television will go off (once the interview is finished), and will settle in to read a few submissions, then I have three critiques I need to get out the door. Later today, will email with Elaine Spencer about deals we need to announce (and have already been emailing with our accountant about creating a financial forecast.) In short? It’s a VERY quiet day with TKA today. It’s basically a holiday week, so it’s quiet catch up time.



When it’s a busy, cranking day, well, I may go back and forth between counter-bidding editors on a project, my phone ringing some 25 times in one day between just those two editors. Or we might exchange that many emails over the deal. Once the deal is closed, we might start hearing from film people, and we’ll put the word to our foreign agents. And this, of course, assumes I’m in the middle of only one deal at a time. The truth is, I may be negotiating several deals, reviewing contracts on previous ones, going over royalty statements for even older ones, signing checks and so forth. It is always a circus, but a great one!



What was the best advice anyone ever gave you in regards to your writing career?

[Deidre Knight] It’s hard to think of any one great piece, but I guess I’d say it was understanding that it’s important to experience life in order to write about it. Someone told me that at a young age and i think it’s always influenced me to “live large.” To take chances and do unusual things and that always helps as a writer.



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

[Deidre Knight] Trust your instincts and be true to yourself. Don’t try to follow the market, but listen to your own internal voice and the success will follow.



Is there any other genre of book you would like to write in the future?

[Deidre Knight] I have a great YA idea and I’m dying to focus on it, but just haven’t had time yet. I also have some women’s fiction ideas that are really high concept and sharp, but again, no time to focus on them now. I honestly hope that as time goes on, I’ll have more time to budget for writing.



Deidre, thanks so much for stopping by to chat with us. We look forward to you blogging with us!

Do you have questions or comments for Deidre? I'm sure she will be popping in now and again to check comments so please go ahead and ask the questions you always wanted an answer to!

You can visit Deidre at her website at www.DeidreKnight.com

Dakota Dreams (Signet Eclipse)
by
Madeline Baker

Released January 3, 2006
352 pages
$6.99
ISBN : 0451216865
5 star rating


Nathan Chasing Elk has been sentenced to prison for the murder of his wife. Catherine Lyons is trying to save the family home, in place of her wayward brother, while avoiding an Apache who would like to make her his squaw. An injury Nathan receives brings he and Catherine together.

They set out to find his daughter, Leah, and the man who actually did murder his wife. Through a series of adventures, they do find Leah and she is returned to her father. After the group travels from the south to the Black Hills, Leah is introduced to her paternal grandmother, who lives in Lakota country. While there, she and Catherine learn many of the old ways of the Lakota tribe.

Just as the new family is starting to settle, Nathan is separated from Catherine and Leah. Only Leah can bring her father and Catherine back together through a surprising twist.

There is a whipping scene at the very beginning of the book that disturbed me. While it is an integral part of the plot, in my opinion, the way it is written was a bit brutal.

A sweet romance that I give 5 stars to.

Hello From Betty

Well .......... it's been months since Deb started this and asked me to blog with her. I figure it was about time I contributed something rather than just sitting back on my thumbs. Seeing how Deb is the more chatty one of the two of us, I'll let her do most of the talking, like I haven't already been doing that ROFL, while I post reviews of books I'm not reviewing for other sites. I'll tell you more about that when the time is right. *grin*

So, here we go! Hang on and have fun!

Betty

Angela Knight Interview

Angela, Welcome to Deb's Author Interviews. We are glad you could stop by to chat with us.


Tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, family, etc...


A.) I’m from South Carolina – which is probably not news, since most of my books are set there. I’m 45, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 9 years old. My husband is a lieutenant with the local county Sheriff’s Office, where he’s chief hostage negotiator and a polygraph examiner. We have a 21 year old son who loves World Of Warcraft and works as a carpenter. I also spent 10 years as a reporter, covering everything from murders to school board meetings. (Which have more in common than you might think.)



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

I write extremely sexy paranormal romance featuring vampires, werewolves, dragons and fairies, in various combinations.



Tell us about some of the jobs your have had before becoming a full time romance author. Did you have a favorite or worst job?

My favorite job before becoming a full time novelist was being a reporter. I loved going out and meeting all kinds of people. I use that experience in my writing now. I was also a television director for a religious broadcaster for a couple of years, which was basically my worst job. I liked working in television, but my female boss was, shall we say, difficult.



Looking at your backlist, I was amazed at how many books and stories for novellas you had written. Not only are you a prolific writer, you write for several different publishing houses. Please tell us who they are and what kind of books your write for each.

I started out writing novellas for Red Sage’s Secrets anthology. Red Sage started publishing erotic romance in 1995, before anybody else. Then I wrote for Renaissance E-Books – one book, now out of print. And after that, there was Ellora’s Cave. Then I got discovered by Cindy Hwang at Berkley, who asked me if I’d like to submit anything to her. And I also write for Changeling and Loose-Id, both e-book companies.



Does it get confusing or complicated when so many different places are wanting books from you? Especially when they all want something different? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do deadlines ever run together?

Well, it can be extremely challenging, especially when the deadlines get close. I can only work on one book at a time, though I can do galley edits and first drafts of different projects. Galley edits are pretty mindless – you’re basically looking for typos on the finished book.



How do you keep up with all the important details, such as character traits, timelines, names, etc., especially when you are writing a continuing series? I would think it would be terribly hard to keep all the details straight from one book to the next. Do you keep a notebook or use a computer program to help keep up with all the little but important details? Have you ever gotten things mixed up and have your readers ever caught it?

LOL! I WISH I was that organized! No, I just go back and check the earlier books for those kinds of details and pray!



I understand that you wrote and illustrated your first book, The Mouse That Went To The Moon, at age 9. Do you think your first book was already showing your talent in writing space, paranormals, and futuristic books? I'm hoping you had no idea what erotica was at that point.

LOL! Well, I guess THE MOUSE THAT WENT TO THE MOON was an indication of the way my career would go. I mean, there was a lot of fantasy and science fiction in that idea.



I know your first published work was actually for a sci-fi comic book. How did you get started writing for the comics and was it a big transition for you to change genres and write romance? Did you always want to be a romance/erotica author or did you expect your writing style to go in a totally different direction?

When I first started out in my twenties, I wanted to be a science fiction writer. CYCOPS, the comic book story, started out as a short story. My sister took it to a comic book convention and gave it to a comic book publisher. He read it and thought it would make a good series. So he put me in touch with a fantastic editor, who basically taught me how to write. But the bottom fell out of the comic book market soon afterward, and I decided to go back to writing fiction. I had become a romance junky by that time, so that’s what I decided to write. I didn’t have any success until 1996, when I found a flyer for SECRETS. That’s when I discovered I had a talent for writing erotic romance.



What was your first published romance/erotica work and when did it come out? Was it published in ebook format or was it in print? What was it like to see your first published work? I know I would have been majorly excited. Is it as exciting when your books come out as ebooks instead of in print? I know I love having that book in my hand.

My first novella was published in SECRETS Vol. 2 in 1996. It was called “Roarke’s Prisoner,” and I really got a kick out of holding a copy of that book. You’re right – that’s a large charge!



How many books do you have out now? And how many more do you have in the works? Can you give us any hints of things to come?

I have more than 20 books in print, counting the novellas and short stories. Six novels now. I’m writing number 7 at the moment – MASTER OF DRAGONS, the fifth in the Mageverse series. It stars the sidekick from MASTER OF SWORDS, Kel, who is a shape-shifting dragon warrior. I’m also contracted for four books after that. I think my next one in the Mageverse series will probably be a werewolf book – a return to the kind of suburban crime stuff I did in JANE’S WARLORD and MASTER OF THE MOON.



In September 2006 you had a release from Berkley called Captive Dreams that you wrote with Diane Whiteside. Tell us about this book. Did you enjoy working with Diane on this project and do you have any more projects planned together for the future. I sure hope so because this book was awesome!

Oh, Diane is my best friend. We’ve been critique partners for years now, and we love working together. I’m not sure when we’ll do another joint project, because we’re both contracted out the wazoo for the next couple of years. But I’d love to do another project with her.



As to the book: Captive Dreams is about a pair of novelist sisters who don’t realize that their heroes actually exit. The two men are tired of being tortured by their “creators,” so they kidnap both women and take them back to their own universes. Lots of sex ensues!



Your latest book in your Mageverse series, Master of Swords came out in October 2006. How many books in this series now and how many will be in this series? I'm hoping for many more! How did you get the idea for this exciting series? Was it based on any real people or events, now or from history?

Five books in the series so far, and I’m not planning to end it any time soon. The idea for the series came about because Cindy Hwang at Berkley wanted a vampire series from me, but I didn’t want to do the same vamps everybody else was doing. So, since I love Arthurian legend, I decided to turn the King Arthur stories on their heads. I made Arthur and his knights vampires, and his ladies witches. Then before I knew it, I was writing about fairies and dragons and werewolves too, which keeps the series interesting. I hope!



Do you enjoy writing one type of book more than another? Is it easier for you to write a novella or do your prefer the single title full length books?

Novellas are easier because they’re shorter. But on the other hand, you can really cut loose in a novel in a way you can’t in a novella. It’s tough to get a really intricate plot AND a lot of sex in 100 pages.



Who comes up with the idea of putting authors together for novellas? Is it the publishing house or do the authors ever decide they want to write a book together. Are your novella stories all theme related to the other stories in the books or are they all totally different?

Each writer decides what she wants to do. Red Sage generally lets me write whatever I want. With Berkley, sometimes Cindy Hwang will call me and say, “We’re doing a vampire anthology,” or “We’re doing an anthology called OVER THE MOON. We’d like you to be in it.” Then I try to come up with an idea I’d like to write.



How long does it take you to write a book? Does this include research or revision time?

Generally, it takes me about five months, including revision time.



What kind of research do you do for your books? Do you research before you start writing or do you do it as you go along? Is research something you enjoy doing?

I usually do interviews with people who do the particular job I want to write about. For example, when I wanted to do a book about werewolf drug dogs, I interviewed a K-9 officer. I find out everything I can about the job, and then maybe I call the person and ask more questions. Then, if something else comes up while I’m writing, I may go check my facts on the Internet.



Tell us what kind of writer you are. Are you a plotter and outliner or somewhat more relaxed in your writing style?

No, I’m a plotter. I have to have at least some idea where I’m going, or I can’t write at all.



Is there any other type of book you would like to write?

I’d like to write science fiction one of these days – but only if they’ll let me write sex scenes!



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

I usually wake up around 6:30 a.m. or so and then write for three hours. I can knock out 10 pages, then I go work out or do some art or something while I try to come up with ideas for the next day’s work.



What was the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

Don’t quit. If you quit, you’ll never succeed.



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

Don’t quit. Other than that, use the internet as a way to learn your craft. Write short stories and share them with people. Submit to e-book companies. When you get good enough, take a shot at New York. And most of all – DON’T QUIT.



Angela, thanks so much for stopping by to chat with us! Please come by anytime!

Thank you for interviewing me.

Hope you enjoyed this interview with Angela Knight. You can learn more about her at
http://www.angelasknights.com. Be sure and try her newest books, CAPTIVE DREAMS with Diane Whiteside, and MASTER OF SWORDS, the latest in her Mageverse series.

Watch for my latest interview with author andn agent Deidre Knight.

Diane Whiteside Interview

I had the good fortune to chat with Diane Whiteside about her new books Bond of Blood, The Southern Devil and her book with Angela Knight called Captive Dreams. I hope you will enjoy the interview she did with me.

Diane Welcome to Deb's!

We are happy you could take time to chat with us.

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

I have the good fortune to come from a family of published writers and generations of frontiersmen. Personally, I’m a certified geek (with the university degrees to prove it) who turned to writing romances when a true story demanded that I give the lady a happier ending, by transforming it into a romance novel. Noticing my current lack of a husband to keep me in line, my Tibetan Terriers stepped up to the plate. They make sure that I do everything The Right Way, which means lots of dog walks and treats as often as possible.
You can find pictures of them at my website, www.DianeWhiteside.com

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

I write western historicals for Brava and vampire romances – plus the occasional contemporary romance – for Berkley.

Tell us about your newest release September 2006) The Southern Devil. I was fortunate enough to read this book as an arc (advance reader copy) and I have to say I loved it! It was my first book by you and definitely won't be my last! Tell us how you came up with the idea for this story.

THE SOUTHERN DEVIL was inspired by a combination of a character – Morgan Evans – and a place, Rosedown Plantation. In THE IRISH DEVIL, Morgan went off to tell Paul Lennox, the villain, that he needed to start playing nice. Morgan was an extremely macho fellow and also quite the Southern gentleman – definitely someone who could easily accomplish the smooth gunplay this scene needed to end with. Yet, at the beginning, he froze at the sight of a glass of sherry and told me – very firmly! – that he wouldn’t drink the stuff until he could put Jessamyn Tyler in her place for having tied him up. There were entirely too many unpleasant memories associated with it.

I blinked. Who the heck was Jessamyn? Why had Morgan put up with being treated like that? Why hadn’t he taken his revenge before now? THE IRISH DEVIL wasn’t supposed to answer questions about him! I was completely at a loss and it took me two years to figure out who his lady was – and why she’d driven him crazy.

Rosedown Plantation is an incredibly beautiful plantation, which still has its original furnishings – even its original gardens and racetrack! Visiting it is pure, gentle joy. I understood immediately why the three sisters clung to it and refused to sell it, no matter what the cost to them personally. One of them loved and married a brilliant cotton planter who brought Rosedown into the 20th century, thus giving it enough time for another generation to save it forever.

When I put the two together – Morgan’s baffled passion for Jessamyn and Jessamyn’s stubborn loyalty to her family yet sensual link to her man – I had the bones of THE SOUTHERN DEVIL.

Most of your books that I have seen have been released in trade paperback format. Are all your books in this format? Will they ever be re-released as mass market? Sure hope so!

I must say that I too am hoping that one day my books will be re-released as mass market! I promise faithfully to make an announcement as soon as I hear anything.

You have another new release coming out in October 2006, BOND OF BLOOD, the first in a trilogy of Texas Vampires. Tell us about this trilogy. It sounds awesome!

BOND OF BLOOD introduces Don Rafael Perez, once a medieval Spanish knight but now the leader of Texas and Oklahoma’s vampires, and Grania O’Malley, a young wildlife veterinarian. He’s ruthless, arrogant – and haunted by nightmares from his past. He’s built a home in Texas and gathered a brotherhood of vampires, founded on feudal traditions, to both serve him and defend the local people. Madame Celeste, the vampire queen of New Orleans, declares all-out war on him and unleashes the one assassin he truly fears, who seeks to destroy him by finding a chink in his emotional armor – someone he can’t live without. Yet he can’t stay away Grania, even when he knows that showing his increasing attraction for her might get her killed.

BOND OF FIRE, volume 2 in the Texas vampire trilogy, tells of Jean-Marie St. Just – Don Rafael’s chief diplomat and spy – and Hélène d’Agelet, a firestarter, long-time British secret agent, and Madame Celeste’s older sister. Jean-Marie fell in love with Hélène centuries ago but was forced to leave her. Now he must destroy Madame Celeste, in order to keep Don Rafael and the rest of his family safe. He also knows that he can never make a home in Texas with Hélène because of Don Rafael’s ban against non-native vampires. Madame Celeste believes that her far-too-honorable sister would never harm her and she can continue to work any evil she wants. Hélène must choose between the risks of loving Jean-Marie, which offers passion and a desperately uncertain future, or returning to the safety of her static prior life and letting someone else deal with whatever mischief her sister might be up to. But fate does not allow her to sit peacefully on the sidelines, while she makes up her mind. . .

In BOND OF DARKNESS, volume 3 in the Texas vampire trilogy, Ethan Templeton – Don Rafael’s military commander – must decide how far he can go to help his beloved lady Texas Ranger who’s working to solve a series of murders in Texas and Louisiana, which were first shown in BOND OF BLOOD. Only a mortal like her has a chance to catch the vicious vampire killer responsible. If she succeeds, she’ll almost surely die. But if he turns her into a vampire, Don Rafael will kill him for breaking one of his most fundamental laws. . .

The three books form a trilogy because Don Rafael because they tell of his growth, as he heals from his old wounds.

Tell us how you got started in your writing career. I understand that writing talent runs in your family and that you follow along several generations of writers. How long have you been writing and how did you get your start? Was becoming a published author something you have always wanted to do or did it evolve gradually?

While vacationing in Tombstone, I heard about a miner’s widow who entered a brothel to earn the money for a ticket home. The townsfolk were very proud that she successfully did so, rather than succumbing to the usual hazards of that trade. But I wanted a happier ending for her, in which she gained true love, not just survival. To tell a different version of her story meant learning how to tell a romance, which was nothing like the technical writing I did at my day job. But I was so driven by her story that I buckled down and learned how to write fiction. This was the “book of my heart” and it. became THE IRISH DEVIL

How long did it take you to be published and what was your first published work? When did it come out? How many books do you have out now? Are they all in print or do you have any that are only ebooks?

My first published work was THE HUNTER’S PREY: EROTIC TALES OF TEXAS VAMPIRES, which was published in 2001. It took me approximately year and a half to become published.
I have seven books and two novellas out now, all of which are in print.

How long does it take you to write a book? Does this include your research time?

It takes me approximately six months to write a book, which includes research and plotting time. Of course, I’m always doing research.

Is research something you enjoy doing? What kind of research do you do for your books? Do you use printed material or perhaps online sources? Do you use your travels in your research for the settings of your books and is this something you enjoy?

I love doing research and do it all the time. I use anything: printed material, online sources, observations of reenactors, interviews, anything. Traveling definitely inspires me and I like to do it as often as possible.

Are your books stand alone books or are they connected in anyway? If so, please tell us how.

The three Devil books – my western historicals from Brava – are standalone but are linked in characters and can be read in chronological order. THE IRISH DEVIL takes place in April 1871 in Arizona. THE RIVER DEVIL is set along the Missouri River during May of 1872. THE SOUTHERN DEVIL has a wider time span: Memphis in Christmas 1863, West Point in spring 1864, Memphis in 1865, the wild Kansas frontier of 1866, a Natchez wedding in 1869, and the Colorado Rockies in June 1872.

THE HUNTER’S PREY: EROTIC TALES OF TEXAS VAMPIRES is a collection of short stories, set in the same Texas vampire universe as BOND OF BLOOD. “Apex Predator,” the last story, is the prequel to BOND OF BLOOD and contains information that BOND OF BLOOD doesn’t.
THE SWITCH is my only contemporary and stands completely alone.

You had a book come out with Angela Knight in the last month, Captive Dreams. How did this project come about? Was this the first book you had written with her and was it your first paranormal? Will there be more? If so when?

Angela Knight and I were talking about our favorite fictional heroes and we started wondering what they’d really be like, given the way they’ve been tormented and yet they’re so sexy. What would we do if one of our favorite heroes suddenly appeared in the flesh before us – run from them or toward them? We both stared at each and yelled, more or less simultaneously, that we wanted to write the book. CAPTIVE DREAMS was the result and we had tons of fun writing it.
THE HUNTER’S PREY was my first paranormal, though.

I’d like to write more pure fantasies, like CAPTIVE DREAMS, and I’m mulling over some ideas.
Tell us what you have in the works now. Anything ready to come out soon? Hope so!
“Red Skies at Night” in UNLEASHED – to be published in December 2006 – is also set in the Texas vampire universe. Don Rafael makes a brief appearance but it’s not part of the Texas vampire trilogy.

I’m currently working on THE NORTHERN DEVIL, which is Lucas Grainger’s story. Lucas walked into THE SOUTHERN DEVIL and demanded his own book. Actually, he rode down Raton Pass – a very steep, rocky pass – into Trinidad, an extraordinarily tough town. He received a series of letters from his family – which he shrugged off, might I add – but he charged into a saloon to rescue an old friend, a half-breed Indian scout. Then he informed me that he’d taken a vow never to get married. What could I do but plunk him down into a situation in which he had to get married to a woman that he’d fall hopelessly in love with? It’s due to be published in summer 2007.

After that, I get to write BOND OF FIRE and BOND OF DARKNESS one after another. Since they’re so tightly linked in plot and character, I’m thrilled! I’ll be able to stay sane.

What kind of writer are you? A plotter and outliner who sticks strictly to that outline or are you more casual in your writing style? Do your characters ever take off in directions you hadn't planned? If so, what does that do to your story?

I’m a plotter – but if my characters take off in their own direction, I’ll go with them. The story is about them; it’s not a straitjacket that I built to hold them.

What was your reaction to seeing your first book on the store shelves? Hope you had a grand celebration!

THE IRISH DEVIL, the “book of my heart,” was also my first book that I saw on store shelves. I bounced and beamed – and the bookseller rushed over and made me autograph every single copy. It was a wonderful midnight trip to the bookstore, after a very long business trip.
What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies or collections that you like to indulge in?
I have a lovely small garden, not enough books no matter how many I own, and my beloved Tibetan Terriers.

Are you a big reader? Who are some of your favorite authors or books? Any particular genre that you favor over another?

Lots and lots of historicals, plus romantic suspense, science fiction/fantasy. Jo Beverly, Mary Jo Putney, Roberta Gellis, Georgette Heyer, Emma Holly, Elizabeth Lowell, J.R.R. Tolkien, Angela Knight, Zane Gray – the list goes on and on!

Do you have a favorite style to write? Is one genre easier for you to write than another? How about stories in anthologies? Do you find the shorter format easier or harder to deal with?

I like switching between historicals and paranormal because it keeps each of them fresh. I suspect I’d burn out very quickly if I had to write one or the other all the time. I rarely come up with ideas for contemporaries so I think of them as gifts. I enjoy writing novellas and would like to write more.

Give us an example of a typical day in your life. Do you try to keep to a specific writing schedule? Any particular thing you like to indulge in after a hard day? Comfort food, good book, movie, etc.?

I work a 40-50 week at my day job. When that’s added to my writing schedule, it makes for a 70-hour work week. I try to write 3 hours every day, 7 days a week, plus 6 hours a day at least one day of the weekend.

My favorite indulgence after a hard day is time with my family and friends.

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

Read what you love, not what fashion dictates.

Diane, thanks so much for stopping by to visit and share a part of your life with us. Continued good luck in your writing career! Please come back and visit with us soon!

Check back soon for an interview with Angela Knight. If you have any comments or questions for Diane, please let us know. I am sure she will be happy to stop by and blog with us.

The Writer’s Psyche - by Kimberly Dean

A lot has been written about the writer’s process. What readers might not know is that there’s also a psychological process that authors go through as we fight to get our ideas down on paper. Basically, it’s an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Stages: Writer’s Frame of Mind
1) The Great Idea: Oh, I’m so creative. This is going to be fantastic.
2) The Blank Page: Scary! I’ve got nothing to work from. No words to move around and manipulate. Make it go away.
3) Chapters 1-3: Hey, this is starting off pretty well. It’s going to be awesome.
4) Chapters 4-6: Hmm, this is getting tough. Why is everything slowing down? Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.
5) Chapters 7-10: This sucks.
6) Chapters 11-14: I’m never going to finish! It stinks, but I have to turn something in.
7) Chapters 15-18: Finally. My muse is back. This ending is rolling.
8) Finished Manuscript: Oh, what a relief. I’m done, and it’s actually halfway decent.
9) Waiting for Edits: What is my editor thinking? I think she hates it. She’s going to ask for a total rewrite, I just know it!
10) Edits: Ack! Red ink all over… but wait! These edits aren’t so bad… and she said she loves it!
11) Final submission: This is the best thing I’ve ever written. Maybe I should think about a sequel!

I’m currently at Stage 6. Help!

Meet Erotic Romance Author Kimberly Dean

Do you like your romances sizzling hot? Love that thrill of a hot sexy romance but want a storyline to go with the hot stuff? If you answered yes to these questions, you will definitely want to check out Kimberly Dean and her hot, hot books! You won't be sorry!

Now lets meet Kimberly Dean!

Kim, Welcome to Deb's! We are happy to have you with us!

Hi, Deb. I’m happy to be here!

Please tell our readers a bit about your writing. What kind of books do you write?

I write erotica and erotic romance. I’ve been writing in these genres for a while, so I’m really excited about how they’ve taken off in the last year or so.

How did you get started in your writing career? Was becoming a published author something you always dreamed of doing?

It was something I’d thought about in the back of my head, but I never really took that inner voice seriously. I’d always been a voracious romance reader, though, and my favorite authors didn’t seem to release new titles as fast as I wanted them. One day as I was waiting impatiently, I decided to sit down and try to write something myself. It was more difficult than I thought, but when I read through my attempt, I thought it wasn’t half bad. I started researching the field, trying to figure out what the next step was. Thus began the process of sending out query letters and waiting for someone to tell me I wasn’t a total hack.

How long did it take you to be published? What was your first book and when did it come out? Was it published as an e-book or in print?

It was about a year-and-a-half, although it definitely seemed longer. It was my second manuscript, and my first story of erotica. It was published as Tiger Lily by Black Lace Publishing, a British company, in print form in 2002.

What was your reaction to seeing your first book on sale? Bet it was an amazing experience.

Funny was more like it. I was at the mall with a friend. She wanted to get a book about travel or something, so we strolled into the bookstore. We were heading to the back, and I was glancing down the aisles as we went. All of a sudden, a book cover on a bottom shelf just jumped out at me. I thought to myself, “Why does that look so familiar?” I nearly did a face plant when I realized it looked familiar, because it was my book. Seriously. My toe caught in the carpet, and I almost tripped over my own two feet. But the catch was that I couldn’t say anything! The friend I was with is very, very conservative, and the book was erotica. I’d never told her that I even write, much less what I write. LOL. I quickly regained my footing and continued with the rest of my day. The only change was that I was now walking on air and had a huge, silly grin on my face.

How many publishing houses do you or have your written for? Looking at your list of books, it seems you have books all over the place! How many have been published and are they all still available?

Oh, boy. Let me count. I’ve written for five publishing houses: Black Lace/Cheek, Red Sage, Ellora’s Cave, Avon, and now Pocket. They’ve all been great. To me, it’s all about finding the right home for the story. I believe that all my books (4), novellas (4), and short stories (4) are still available. Some of the older titles are getting hard to find, but there has been some discussion about re-releasing them. (knock on wood)

I have only read a couple of your books but I can definitely say they are HOT, HOT, HOT!!! How did you get started writing these sexy stories and do they all have the same sensuously hot storylines?

I started out writing traditional romance, but I was getting basically nowhere. I was following all the “rules”, but all that did was essentially muffle my writer’s voice. One day after receiving yet another rejection letter for my first manuscript, I decided to throw everything out the window. I sat down and began writing a story that would never have made it as a romance. The situation was too gritty. The setting was too dark, and the characters were too flawed. They made mistakes, said naughty words, and didn’t shy away from sex. The strongest character was the female lead. She had a gun, a wicked history, and a powerful hunger for her boss. Her name was Shanna McKay, and the story was Tiger Lily. I finally had a writer’s voice. Black Lace offered me a contract, and I haven’t looked back since. With the recent interest in sensual stories, I’ve decided to stick with my strengths. I may branch out as time goes by but, right now, I’ve got a lot of stories left to tell.

Tell us about your characters. How do you come up with your ideas? Do you ever base your stories or characters on real people or events?

I write about strong, smart, independent women and the men who can’t get them out of their heads. My guys are intelligent, confident, alpha types who look really good in the buff. LOL. I write erotica, folks!

Anything can spark an idea for me. The song “Hit the Ground Running” by Jonny Lang inspired the concept for “Wanted”, a story about a fugitive on the run from the FBI. An episode of Charmed led to the idea for a story I’m working on now called Dream Wreaker. I once tried to use a real person as a model for a villain in one of my stories, but I didn’t like having her there. That doesn’t seem to work for me.

How long does it take to research your books? What kind of research materials do you use? Do you ever travel to investigate the settings for your stories? Is research something you enjoy doing?

I’m getting better at research, and I usually do it concurrent with the writing. I didn’t do much for my first stories. I can see the flaws now, but my readers haven’t complained. I don’t know why. Do you think they’re reading for the hot stuff? LOL. I enjoy research if it’s something I want to learn outside of the story. For instance, right now I’m learning all about sleep and dreams. I’ve checked out books from the library, searched the Internet, and even asked my doctor a question or two. Sleep and I haven’t always been the best of friends, so this is fascinating stuff for me. I haven’t traveled to conduct research yet, although a vacation spot might be used in a future work.

Your last book IF THIS BED COULD TALK, came our in June 2006. It was written with Liz Maverick and Lynn LaFleur. What was it like to write a story with these two writers. Have you worked with them before? Who comes up with the idea for certain writers to combine stories in one book? Do you enjoy writing the shorter stories in the anthologies or do you prefer the single stand alone books better? Will there be more anthologies from you in the future?

In my experience, the publishing house comes up with the idea for anthology collections. In the case of If This Bed Could Talk, I knew of Liz and Lynn’s work, because they were Red Sage and Ellora’s Cave authors. I was excited about being in a collection with them, but the stories didn’t have any connection between them. We worked individually, and the publisher put them out as a whole.

I like writing shorter stories in between my stand-alone books. Full-length novels take a lot of time and hair-pulling. A short story can be finished much faster and gives me that sense of accomplishment much more quickly. My hairstylist appreciates that. I would be very open to the opportunity to write more.

Is there any other genre of book you would like to write in the future? Paranormal. Mystery, Fiction, etc…

My work-in-progress just happens to be a steamy paranormal (currently) titled Dream Wreaker. It’s about an unknowing witch who performs a love spell that takes her to her sandman. The attraction between these two magical beings is strong, but a witch shouldn’t be in the dream realm. When people stop dreaming, chaos starts to reign in the waking world. Can these two lovers survive, or will the world be in jeopardy because of their match? I’m having fun with it. It’s my first full-length book for Pocket.

What do you do for fun? Do you enjoy movies or shopping? Do you have any collections or hobbies you can share with us?

I love movies. I hate shopping. I know, I know. I’m weird that way. I don’t really have any collections (because I hate to shop). Is going to the gym a hobby? It doesn’t seem fun enough to be a hobby.

How about reading? Do you read much with your busy writing career? What are some of your favorite authors and books? Do you feel that your writing as been influenced by another author or person in your life? If so, please tell us how.

Unfortunately, I can’t read as much as I used to, and it really drives me crazy. I hear about all these wonderful authors and their fantastic stories, and I can’t get to them. I buy some, but they sit on my to-be-read shelf. I save them for vacations or airplane rides.

Linda Howard is my favorite author, as you’ll read below. She’s probably been a big influence on me since I’ve read everything she’s written about five times. I think I’ve been influenced by a lot of writers and people in my life. It all goes into storage in my head. Things get mixed, subtracted, and added. When it comes back out, though, it’s definitely “me”.

Give us an example of an average day in your life. Do you stick to a specific writing schedule?

I don’t really have an average day. That’s one of the so-called writing rules that I buck. Some people will swear that you need to write 8 or 10 or X number of pages every day. And you “have” to write every day. I don’t do that. I need to be ready to write. That doesn’t mean I’m procrastinating – although I’m very good at that, too. If I’m not writing, I’m mulling things over in my head. I’m working out character issues, flow problems, plot points, etc. When I sit down at the computer, though, I work in chapter chunks. I’ll crank out 20-30 pages in one sitting. I’ll revise as I go. Once I finish, I’ll go through it again. And again. And again until I’m satisfied that I’ve achieved what I wanted to do in that chapter. Then it’s on to the next.

How long does it take you to write a book and does this include research and revisions? About how long does it take to see it on the store shelves? I know we are all anxious for more of your books!

It’s hard for me to calculate that. I’ll get started on a story and get partway through it when something else will sell. My work-in-progress will then get put on the back-burner until I get back to it. Some things have sat there for years. If I put it all together, though, I’d say it takes me 4-5 months. I research and revise while I’m writing. And revise and revise and revise… It usually takes about a year from the time I turn something in until I see it in print. E-books can come out in 2 to 3 months. I like that.

Let’s find out a few of fun favorites from you.

Favorite color? Purple

Favorite season and why? Fall, because of the colors and Halloween. I’ve always loved Halloween.

Favorite food? I’m on a diet right now, so I’ll take anything you’ve got.

Favorite genre of books? Romance. I like mysteries and suspense, too.

Favorite author(s)? Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, Anne Stuart, and many others

Favorite book(s)? Oh, don’t ask me that. It’s so hard to pick! If I have to, I’ll go with the Mackenzie series by Linda Howard. Or Dream Man. Or Mr. Perfect. Slow Heat in Heaven by Brown is awesome. As for those interested in erotica, one of my favorite books is The Ninety Days of Genevieve by Lucinda Carrington.

Favorite topic to talk about? Entertainment, probably. Books, movies, television shows, music, concerts, etc.

Favorite movie? This is just like the book question! Well, some of my top favs are: The Sixth Sense, Practical Magic, Speed, the Harry Potter series (books, too), The Princess Bride… I could do this all day.

What kind of writer are you? Are you structured and use an outline and stick to it or are you more relaxed in your writing style? I know from going to RWA in Atlanta and attending some of the workshops that there are as many different styles of writing and advice on how to do it as there are writers. Did it take you time to develop your own style or was it something natural for you.

I’m a structured writer. We call ourselves “plotters”. Once I come up with an overall idea, I sit down with a notebook and write out the story by hand. It will only be two or three pages long, but I’ll instinctively know the beginning, the twists, the secrets, and the ending right away. From there on out, it’s a matter of dividing it into chapters and delving into each piece to flesh it out. I’m amazed at writers who can sit down with a beginning and just start to write, not knowing where they’re heading. I find that to be really brave, because I could never do that. If I don’t know exactly what I need to write when I sit down at the computer, I’m sunk.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer just starting out?

Listen to your gut. Once you step into this business, you’ll be overwhelmed with people telling you how you should write. From critique groups to writers’ associations to reviewers, everyone will have a different take on the matter. Listen with open ears, but only take to heart those things you believe in or that you know will work for you.

What was the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

It was with respect to reviews. Every author will get a real zinger every so often, but one of my editors stressed to me that even a bad review can be good. As long as it’s not faulting your craft, a bad review only means that you’ve generated a strong response from that particular reader. A one or five-star review means they hate you or they love you. It’s the 3-star reviews you want to avoid. That means you haven’t touched that person at all.

What to you have in the works now and when can we expect it?

The manuscript for Dream Wreaker is due December 1. Yikes! I don’t have a publishing date for it yet. As soon as I do, I’ll post it on my web site.

Kim, thanks so much for chatting with us. It’s been a joy learning more about you and your writing. Please come visit with us again soon!

I will! Thanks for inviting me. Some of these questions really made me stop and think. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at Kimberly@kimberlydean.com. I’m always happy to talk.

For more information on Kim's books, be sure to check out her website at www.kimberlydean.com