Tag Archives: Author Interview

Catching Up with Carolyn Arnold

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Catching Up with Carolyn Arnold

The Reading Cafe is happy to have Carolyn Arnold with us today.  Carolyn has just released Sacrifice, which is her third book in her Madison Knight series.

Let’s talk to Carolyn now.

 

TRC: Hi  Carolyn.  Thank you for taking the time to visit us at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your new release “Sacrifice”, as well as to give us an update as to what you have in store for us for the remainder of the year and in 2013.

 

TRC: Sacrifice was released on August 1st.  This is the third novel in your Madison Knight series.  For those people who may not have read this series, would you please give us a brief description?

Carolyn: The Madison Knight series is designed as a stand-alone, which means you can read these books out of order and still pick up on the series’ characters and the storyline.

Major Crimes Detective Madison Knight, fueled by determination to find justice for the victims, is a strong, independent female amidst a career dominated by men.  If you love a female lead, I invite you to meet Madison for yourself.

Madison Knight series in order:

TIES THAT BIND, 1st in the series, available now
Meet Madison Knight as she and partner must pull together to stop a potential serial killer.

JUSTIFIED, 2nd in the series, available now
See the softer side of Madison Knight in Justified as she’s assigned to a case on Christmas Eve. 

SACRIFICE, 3rd in the series, available now
Madison must risk all, including her career, to bring a killer to justice.

TRC: Would you please tell us about Madison, how you came up with the idea of a murder detective as your heroine?  Can you please also tell us the storyline in Sacrifice?

Carolyn: I enjoy reading and watching programs in the crime genre.  So, when I realized how much I loved writing, it seemed apt I would follow in line with what I chose for entertainment. 

Madison Knight was born because a lot of detective novels, television shows, or movies regularly depict a male detective as the lead and pair him with a submissive, female partner.  I didn’t want that.  Female cops have to be tough; they’re expected to compete at the same standards as men.  And, let’s face it, primarily it’s still a male-dominated career.  So not only do they have the rigors of the job, they are faced with a prejudice from “the boy’s club”.  They have to prove themselves strong and tough on a regular basis, despite being genetically pre-disposed with a more emotional make-up.  The great thing about female cops is they can use their emotion and intuition to pick up on small things their male counterpart may miss.

Here’s a copy of the jacket cover for SACRIFICE:

When the son of business tycoon Marcus Randall washes up on the shore of the Bradshaw River, Detective Madison Knight must sacrifice everything–including her career–to find justice for the “perfect murder”.

With Randall already on the radar of the Secret Service for fraud and counterfeiting, the investigation sheds new light and they require the full cooperation of the Stiles PD. But with power and money to back him, Marcus has a reach that extends right inside the police department.

If Madison’s going to find out the truth, she’ll have to sort through the lies and balance diplomacy with politics.

TRC: How many books do you plan for this series?

Carolyn: I don’t have a set number of books in mind but will keep writing Madison Knight as long as my readers want her, or her personal growth has been exhausted.  At this point, I have 3 released and a 4th written as a first draft.

TRC: What were your challenges in writing about Madison, who is a detective in major crimes division?

Carolyn: Research.  For one, I don’t have a background as a cop, nor do I have family who are.  So in order to make sure that my facts are accurate, this involves a lot of research on police department hierarchy and forensics.  And I never take one source and go from there.  I am careful to cross-reference material on a subject to make sure I have a solid understanding.

As for the politics among the ranks and the relationships, I immersed a part of myself in there.  What did I think it would be like to be a cop?  I built this on facts I had learned but humanized it.

According to a friend I’ve made, who had 30 years experience on the job, he swears I must have been a cop at one time.  As he described TIES THAT BIND, the first in the Madison Knight series:  “Police procedural at its best…. After 30 years as a cop I thought I would be bored with this book in less than a chapter, I was wrong. I just finished “Ties That bind” by Carolyn Arnold. It is amazing. If you like cop stories that are “technically correct”, read “Ties”. The attention to detail is incredible. From a cops perspective the technical details of the story are definitely legit. Arnold really did her homework in “Ties” researching interview techniques, evidence procedures, medical terminology, and legal issues that usually are painfully absent in most police procedural novels. Not in “Ties”, seriously the most technically correct police procedural novel I have ever read. The fictional side was even more entertaining than the facts! The relationships of the characters in the novel are as interesting and thought provoking, as the facts of the police and legal tactics described. I highly recommend “Ties That Bind”. If you want an entertaining, yet realistic read check it out.” 

TRC: Your website says you have another book coming this year… Assassination of a Dignitary.  Would you care to tell us the premise of this book and when are you expecting to release this book?

Carolyn: Assassination of a Dignitary is a thriller and is not part of the Madison Knight series.   It is set to release late fall/early winter 2012.

The following is the book blurb (it may be revised):
Raymond Hunter’s murderous past has returned and demands one final favor. Now, eighteen years later, settled as an accountant and family man, he assumed life would be calm. He thought wrong.  The Italian mafia wants him back.

The directions are simple:  Kill Governor Behler and be out for good.

An odd request since the mafia typically respects dignitaries, but in order to protect his family he has no choice but to accept the job.  He picks the date and location—Niagara Falls, New York—two hundred and forty miles away.  But when things go wrong, his family is kidnapped and he’s given twenty-four hours to set things right if he ever wants to see them again.  With time running out, Raymond discovers the real reason for the hit, and with law enforcement closing in, he fears he may not be able to save them.

TRC: You write a few different genres, such as Mystery/Suspense, Thrillers, Romance.  Do you have a preference?  Is there any other genre that interests you for the future?

Carolyn: My passion is between the mysteries and thrillers.

It’s ironic that you ask about other genres, because lately I’ve been dabbling in women’s fiction.  What started out as a short story may become a novelette or novella.  It’s probably a little soon to promote it, but I’m excited to say when it’s complete all proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Society in memoriam of my father-in-law.

TRC: Would you like to share with us what else you may have upcoming in 2012, as well as what you are projecting for 2013?

Carolyn: This year should see the release of ASSASSINATION OF A DIGNITARY, as discussed earlier.  It may possibly see the release of the women’s fiction piece I’m working on as well, but no promises there.

Next year should see the release of the 4th Madison Knight novel, FOUND INNOCENT, and possibly another novel.

TRC: Do you have a specific writing process?  Does it change when you are writing different genres? 

Carolyn: For the most part, I write as if I was watching a movie.  With my mysteries and thrillers, I have a basic premise as to the outcome but that doesn’t mean that by the time I get there that’s how things are.  I’ve been known to get to the end, and say, wait a minute this person’s not the killer, this one is.  It’s fun when that happens.  As it turned out, when it happened to me the clues were in the story all along.  This is the fun part about being a writer—going on unexpected journeys with your characters.

While I’m writing a first draft, I’ll have ideas for scenes or dialogue hit me, and I’ll note this at the end of where I’m at to pick up later.  There are times, however, I sit down to write and have no idea where I’m going next.  But, somehow, the scene(s) flow and before I know it I’ve written a lot of words.  It’s ironic, because those moments when I’m not sure exactly where the plot’s going can turn out to be some of the best writing sessions.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Carolyn: Just that I want to thank my readers.  If it wasn’t for them, my words would fall on a page and grow stale.  My readers keep me going and add further purpose and direction to my life.

Also, I invite everyone to connect with me online, as follows:

Amazon Author Page• Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook 

TRC:Thank you, Carolyn for giving us an update on what we can look forward to for the rest of this year and next.  Good luck on Sacrifice.   

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An Interview with Karen Docter

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An Interview with Karen Docter

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome Karen Docter as our guest today. To introduce you to Karen, below is a short bio about her from her site:

I write contemporary and romantic suspense novels. I’m working on the first of the Thorne’s Thorns series about six foster brothers, the women they love, and the dangers that threaten them.

I’m a member of Romance Writers of America®, Colorado Romance Writers, Kiss of Death Romance Writers, and From the Heart Romance Writers. I love writing, reading, music, camping, fishing, and spending time with my family.

Let’s meet Karen and begin our interview.

TRC: Karen, we at the Reading Café would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. 

Karen: Thanks so much for having me. This will be fun!

TRC: Would you please tell us about yourself.

Karen: I’ve been happily married to my best friend for 32 years. We were a blind date that never ended. 🙂  I’ll be forever grateful to my bank supervisor for tricking me into meeting him. He believes in me and is my strongest supporter. I have three children and seven grandchildren who bring much love and pleasure into our lives. I love camping, fishing, cooking (share my recipes on Fridays on my blog), gardening and reading. I collect dragons and books.

TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing? 

Karen: I’ve always loved writing. I was one of those nasty girls who always set the grading curve in school. If the assignment said to write a five page essay, I usually doubled that…a slight challenge now. I tend to be a long writer. I couldn’t write a short story now if you paid me…well, maybe if you paid me! J It would just take me a while to cull it down to the essentials after I finished it.

Writing is me at the core. I wrote diaries and journals when I was young. Poetry helped me to express my angst of the teen years ~ all those lonely, broken hearts played heavily in my poems. I graduated college with a Liberal Arts degree and a B.A. in Technical Journalism. At the time I graduated, reporters made slightly less than the local paper boy so I never used my training. I put myself through college using my business skills and it didn’t make sense to walk away from the career I’d already built.

Writing languished when I got married and started having children, but I rediscovered my love when my middle daughter was two years old and I made the decision to stay home with my kids. It didn’t take me long to start missing my challenging career. We were living in a mountain community, had no real neighbors, I was babysitting a passel of munchkins under the age of five, and slowly going nuts for adult company. So, I decided to make up a few of my own…and the rest, they say, is history.

TRC: What was your first book ever published?

Karen: Satin Pleasures is my first contemporary romance novel. It released on Valentine’s Day 2012.

TRC: It has been several years since your last published novel, when you published Satin Pleasures.  Was there a specific reason why you did not write a new book for this period of time?

Karen: Satin Pleasures is my first published novel (February 2012). You can find the Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon.

But I can guess why there’s some confusion about my career. I’ve been writing for a long time and been all over the internet for years. I joined Romance Writers of America® in 1991 and have been steadily writing novels since then. I followed the traditional publishing route for most of my career. I generated interest in New York and Canada. A number of my stories made the finals or won writing contests. I even had an agent for almost two years.

However, I could never quite get the right manuscript on the right desk at the right time. I had one manuscript at a major publishing house in revisions for two years through four senior editors but one-by-one they moved on. The line eventually shut down. My agent retired. Health issues hit about the same time and my writing stagnated until we figured out what was wrong. I broke through the other side about a year and a half ago and hit the ground running. Deciding life was too short, I chose to go in a different direction and publish my own work. Best decision I’ve made in my career.

Now, I can’t wait to get to my laptop to write whenever possible. I plan to revise all of my “finished” stories to full-out suspense novels. There are two more romantic comedies pushing against my brain, too.

TRC: What do you find most challenging about writing?

Karen: Finding time to write! I’m both right and left brained, meaning I can write my heart out and still take care of business. However, I’m also a Type-A personality so I’m constantly trying to find a balance between business and pleasure, i.e. writing. I can easily spend an entire day tackling all of the social media, publicity, blogs, 5 emails, 8 loops, Twitter, Facebook…well, you get the picture! I try to set a timer (yes, I actually have an egg timer on my desk) so I can get through everything. On the other hand, being a Type-A also means I have an editor with 12-inch talons perched on my shoulder when I write. I can’t shake the stubborn thing off, which means I don’t write nearly as fast as I did when I started out, before I actually learned all of the rules. 🙂

TRC:  You write contemporary and romantic suspense novels.  Is there any book or author whom you read that helped move you into that direction. 

Karen: I love so many authors and read across almost all of the genres so I hesitated to mention one book or author as “the starting point” for me. However, tracing back to my childhood and voracious reading appetite, I actually can pinpoint the beginning of my love of both contemporary romance and suspense.

I fell in love with Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys detective stories very early. I couldn’t get enough of them. I had the complete sets of all three series. I eventually moved on to Perry Mason, Ellery Queen, and Mickey Spillane from my mom’s Reader’s Digest book collections.  I loved to unwind a complicated mystery, delighted in the twists and turns.

My love for romance didn’t begin in contemporaries. I was twelve when I discovered Barbara Cartland. I was young but they were “pure” so the librarian introduced them to me when I ran through everything in the kid’s section. Discovering the fun of a romantic story – grown up fairy tales – opened up a whole new world for me. It didn’t take me long to branch out. I still love reading across the genres, but my writing “home” is contemporary, whether it be straight romance or romantic suspense.

TRC:  How did you come up with the idea for Satin Pleasures?  Can you please tell us the premise of this story.

Karen: I draw ideas from my surroundings, articles I read, television programs, news…well, pretty much everything I see, hear, or do is fodder for stories.  I’m a “what if?” kind of writer.  Satin Pleasures was “born” in a traffic jam in the middle of the San Mateo Bridge that spans San Francisco Bay.

The situation I used to introduce Dan and Tess actually happened to me. I was a bit stressed at the time. Not only am I scared of heights and my family had just moved to the Bay area two months after the last major earthquake that toppled bridges, I was supposed to be on the other side of the bay as one of the meeting staff.  Watching the people around me spill from their cars to chat and play was also a unique experience for me.  I thought things like that only happened in movies…or books! J I was truly inspired when I finally drove off the bridge and went to my meeting.  I can’t tell you how tempted I was to turn right around and go home to write Dan’s and Tess’s story. And, no, that is not my Type-A personality showing!

I won’t go as far as say I was as stressed as the “soon-to-be-born” Type-A heroine, Tess Emory, but I could relate to her angst in not getting to the other side of the bridge.  She’s missing a crucial meeting she hopes will garner the promotion she needs to have the deposit for her father’s upcoming spinal surgery. Her guilt over what happened to him drives her, often beyond what is good for her health. It seemed only natural Dan McDonald would be the exact opposite of Tess although, in many ways, they are as alike as two peas in a pod. When he nearly worked himself into a grave a year earlier, he walked away from his high-powered financial consultant position to fish his way cross-country with his dog recuperating and teaching himself to “live.” He’s on the bridge on his way to help his aunt and mother launch their lingerie store franchise on the west coast…in the mall Tess manages. The last thing he wants is to be attracted to a workaholic like he used to be, especially since he has no intention of staying, but he ends up trying to teach Tess how to relax. Both of them learn a lot about balancing work and life and love.

TRC:  How much background research was required to write your novel?

Karen: I didn’t have to do much research for this book. I love fishing and camping. At one time in my past life, I worked in the main office of a huge indoor mall similar to the one Tess manages. I did quite a bit of research on breeding canaries with the idea of having the heroine’s birds nesting. The book timeframe precluded nesting, but I did keep the canoodling canaries. Part of the fun of this book is how Tess uses the birds to throw a wall between Dan and her attraction.

TRC:  Thorn’s Thorn is your new series.  Please tell us the premise of that series, and how many books you are planning for this series.

Karen: Police officer Ross Thorne, and his wife, Evelyn, only had one natural born son. But they also fostered five troubled boys into adulthood.  All of the boys were enough trouble at one time or another, they quickly became known as Thorne’s Thorns. The six brothers are now grown.  Each is strong, masculine, and making his own mark on the world.  I’m throwing a little, okay, a lot of danger their way and introducing each to the one woman they are destined to love and protect.  Patrick Thorne, the Thorne’s natural born son, launches the series in Killing Secrets.

The series titles are Killing Secrets (September 2012), Killing Proof (December 2012), Killing Ice, Killing Minds, Killing Games and Killing Promise.

TRC:  Killing Secrets is the first book, in the Thorn’s Thorn series.  Can you please give us a description of this first book.

Karen:  Rachel James finally escapes her brutally controlling, con man ex-husband when she provides the FBI the proof they need to prosecute him. Unable to find the money, he’s incarcerated as a flight risk until the trial. But somehow, he arranges for the prosecutor’s proof to disappear before the trial date and he’s released. Frightened, knowing he’s determined to reclaim Rachel and her little girl – his key to the James fortune – Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to jail hoping to keep the child out of his hands.

Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his mother’s charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. As the second anniversary of her death approaches, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.

There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.

TRC:  What authors or books have most influenced your life or writing?

Karen:  A number of authors have inspired me because I loved their books and strove to write as well. Every novel resting on my Keeper shelf – it’s huge – has inspired me for one reason or another. However, the writers I’ve been fortunate enough to call my friends and critique partners over the years are my biggest inspiration: Tanya Moyer, and my We Are Scripsi partners Cynthia Woolf, Jennifer Zane, CJ Snyder, Kally Jo Surbeck, and Michele Callahan. These talented writers have affected my work as teachers, as critics, as friends likely to kick me in the backside as well as celebrate my successes. I will always be grateful for their support and inspiration.  It’s thanks to them that I’m where I am today.

TRC:  Do you have any desire to write in another genre, besides contemporary and romantic suspense?

Karen:  I’d love to write SciFi or something paranormal because I love reading them. At the back of my head, I have a Star Trek story and one or two paranormal stories bubbling. However, I barely have time to write what’s in my head now so I can’t allow myself to look beyond what I’m currently writing. A writer should never say never though, so you never know!

TRC:  Do you have a specific place you like to write? 

Karen: Outside. On the deck or the patio in Spring and Fall when it’s cooler. If it’s over 70 degrees forgetaboutit! Heat and I don’t get along. 🙂 I love writing on camping trips in our nearby Rocky Mountains, listening to the breeze whisper through the pine trees. I’m a brainstorming fool with a fishing pole in my hand. When I can’t have these perfect conditions, I have a wonderful writing “nest” couch in the media room. With my writing music surrounding me in the room, I can usually hit my zone.

 LIGHTNING ROUND:

FAVORITE FOOD: Seafood

FAVORITE DESSERT: Crème Brulee

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Too many genres, too many wonderful authors!

FAVORITE BOOK: Also too many to pick just one.

FAVORITE CHARACTER (NOT YOUR OWN): Sherilyn Kenyon’s Acheron

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING: “Good Day In Hell” by J.D. Rhoades

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW: Bourne Supremacy (Bourne marathon last night)

Thank you, Karen for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with your books.  Keep us informed about your upcoming releases. We look forward to working with you again.

Karen: Thanks for having me! It was fun chatting with you!

If you are interested in learning more about Karen, you can find her at the following links:
Website: http://www.karendocter.com/
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:

Karen has graciously offered to give 2 members of The Reading Café a chance to each win an e-copy of her “Satin Pleasures’ novel. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Karen.

4.  Giveaway open Internationally

5.  Contests runs from August 25th – 27th.

 

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An Interview with Jennifer Estep

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An Interview with Jennifer Estep

The Reading Cafe is happy to have Jennifer Estep with us today.

We did a feature on Jennifer’s YA series..Mythos Academy in June. But with her latest release of Widow’s Web from her wonderful Elemental Assassin series, we are fortunate to have her come talk to us today.

Let’s meet Jennifer.

 

 

TRC: Jennifer, we at the Reading Café would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. 

TRC:  Please tell us about yourself

Jennifer: Thanks for hosting me on the site. I appreciate it.

My name is Jennifer Estep, and I’m a New York Times bestselling author. I write the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books and the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. I’m also the author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series.

TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing? 

Jennifer:  I’ve always loved to read, and my mom used to take me to the library every week when I was a kid, which is how I fell in love with books and reading in the first place. So I think all that slowly lead to an interest in writing. One day after reading a book that was just okay, I had the thought that I think a lot of authors do: Why, I could write something better than that.

So I sat down one summer during college and wrote my first book. It wasn’t very good, but I’d been bitten by the writing bug, and I’ve been writing ever since.

TRC: What was your first book ever published?

Jennifer: My first published book was Karma Girl, which is the first book in my Bigtime paranormal romance series that focuses on superheroes and ubervillains. Karma Girl was first published in 2007, and the e-book is available, along with e-books for the other titles in my Bigtime series – Hot Mama, Jinx, and A Karma Girl Christmas (an e-story).

TRC: How did you come up with the idea for Mythos Academy?  What made you decide to venture into YA?

Jennifer: I’ve always been interested in mythology and all the stories of the gods, goddesses, warriors, creatures, and more battling each other and going on these epic adventures. I had been wanting to try writing a YA book for a while, and one day I just thought what if I wrote a YA book that featured mythology. That sort of became the idea for the Mythos Academy series.

TRC: DARK FROST was the most recent book of this series. What are your plans and how many books do you see for Mythos Academy? 

Jennifer: Dark Frost was published in June. Right now, I’m under contract for at least six books in the series. At this point, I’m not sure if that will let me finish out the main story arc or if there will be a few more books in the series after that. Crimson Frost, the fourth book in the series, is tentatively scheduled to be published in January 2013.

 

TRC: Elemental Assassin is considered Urban Fantasy, and is an adult book.  Tell us how you came up with the idea.  How many books do you plan for this series.

Jennifer: I’ve always liked reading about assassin characters, especially in fantasy books. It just seems like there are so many stories you can tell with assassins and that they can be everything from crazy to cold to calculating. One day, I thought it would be cool to write my own assassin character with my own magic and world building, so that’s what I did, and that was sort of the start of the Elemental Assassin series.

As of right now, I’m under contract for at least ten books in the series. At this point, I’m not sure how many total books will be in the series, and I may write a few more books in the series beyond these ten.

TRC: WIDOW’S WEB is the 7th book in the Elemental Assassin series, and is due to be released in August.  Tell us a little about it.

Jennifer: Widow’s Web focuses on the backstory of Owen Grayson, who is the love interest for my heroine, Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider. In Widow’s Web, someone from Owen’s past comes to town, and Gin has to figure out if this person is a threat to Owen or not. Also, Gin learns that Owen has a connection to one of the underworld figures in Ashland. So the book features a lot of Owen’s past and how that impacts Gin, Owen, and their relationship.

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books
The Book Depository

TRC: Will you ever go back to your Bigtime paranormal romance series?

Jennifer: Last year, I e-published A Karma Girl Christmas, a 14,000-word e-short story in the Bigtime series. I hope to write and e-publish more books and stories in the series. We’ll see how it goes.

TRC: Having written different genres..Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, as well as YA & Adult fiction, which do you prefer?

Jennifer: There are things I like about all of them. I like the grittiness of urban fantasy; the romance in paranormal romance; and being able to tell more of a coming-of-age story in a YA.

TRC: What do you have planned for future books or series?  Are you working on any different series?

Jennifer: Right now, I’m pretty busy writing the Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy series, but I do have some ideas for a new urban fantasy or maybe a YA series that I’d like to explore when I get time. We’ll see how it goes.

TRC: Who is your Muse?

Jennifer: I would say my characters are my muse. I want to go on more adventures with them and see what happens next. That’s part of what keeps me writing. Happy reading, everyone!

LIGHTNING ROUND:

FAVORITE FOOD:  Cheese fries

FAVORITE DESSERT: Strawberry cheesecake ice cream

RED OR WHITE ROSES: Red roses

FAVORITE AUTHOR: I couldn’t pick just one. Some of my favorite authors are Robin McKinley, Lisa Kleypas, Ian Fleming, Robert Parker, and Donald Westlake, just to name a few.

FAVORITE BOOK:  One of my favorite books is Beauty by Robin McKinley. It’s a lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING:  Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW:  The Avengers

Thank you, Jennifer for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best and good luck with Widow’s Web.  We look forward to your next release, and having you come back to visit us again.

If you would like to know more about Jennifer, please visit any of the links below:

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:

Jennifer has graciously offered to give one member of The Reading Café a chance to win a copy of her newest Elemental Assassin book..”Widow’s Web”.   

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment on the interview post and say hello to Jennifer.

4.  Giveaway open U.S. Only

5.  Contests runs from August 23th – 26th.

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An Interview with Juliana Gray

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An Interview with Juliana Gray

 

The Reading Cafe is pleased to welcome Juliana Gray as our guest today.  Juliana debuted her first novel on August 7th, with A Lady Never Lies. 

The review of A Lady Never Lies was posted earlier today.  Let us begin our interview with Juliana.

 

 

TRC: Hi Juliana, and welcome to The Reading Café.

Juliana: Thanks so much for having me here!

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Please tell us something about yourself. Have you always been interested in writing?

Juliana:  Like most writers, I’ve been scribbling stories for as long as I can recall. My parents weren’t particularly tuned in to popular culture, but they did take me to plays and ballets and operas from a completely inappropriate age (I still don’t know how they explained Othello to my five-year-old self) so I was steeped early in the storytelling broth. The trouble was, I was also something of a perfectionist, and it took me about three decades of pursuing more practical goals before I finally felt ready to take on the ego-crushing necessary to become a professional writer.

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?

Juliana:  Beyond the ego-crushing part, writing is a tremendous joy to me, and I still can’t quite believe I’m allowed to do this for a living. The hardest part is simply the discipline, because that’s what writing takes: sitting down, day after day, and writing through the sticky parts and the failures of inspiration instead of getting up and walking away to do the laundry. You have to ignore your inner editor and stop trying to achieve perfection in the first draft; the most important thing is to get the story on the page.

TRC:  A Lady Never Lies is your first book released this month in your historical romance trilogy, The Affairs by Moonlight. Would you please tell us the premise of A Lady Never Lies, and how you came up with the idea of this trilogy?


Juliana:  I’d always thought that the plot of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost would make a marvelous starting point for a romantic trilogy. You have three aristocratic gentlemen swearing off wine, women, and song for a year-long academic retreat, and of course a trio of irresistible women shows up on their doorstep first thing. In A Lady Never Lies, the first couple take the stage: Alexandra, the recently-widowed Marchioness of Morley, who falls in love with Phineas Burke, a brilliant, handsome, wealthy, and rather plain-spoken inventor. Alexandra’s a dazzling woman, charming and clever, but unbeknownst to anyone she’s been left penniless due to a badly-invested jointure; she certainly never expect to fall in love with Finn, who doesn’t give a fig for social status, and who introduces her to a world vastly more exciting than the drawing rooms of London.

  Links to purchase A Lady Never Lies:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository

TRC:  What drew you to write historical romance? 

Juliana:  I have always loved history, which lends itself so well to transportive fiction, and I love a good love story. I read loads of historical romance in my teenage and college years, and then I became so busy with career and family life that it fell away from my reading pile. By the time I returned to the romance fold, so to speak, I was amazed at how the genre had changed, and how many terrific writers were crafting wonderful historical romances. So I took the plunge myself!

TRC:  What are some of the challenges (research) in bringing a historical romance to life?

Juliana:  Well, the research challenges are much diminished in the age of Google! It’s always important to read widely about your chosen era, but for those niggling little details — what hat would have been worn for a summer picnic in 1890, for example, or what dishes might have been served on a train — an internet search saves countless hours. In fact, there’s so much information out there, the greatest challenge is knowing how much to use. A novelist shouldn’t be delivering a history lesson; it takes momentum away from the story. You need to incorporate details seamlessly, just enough to explain things to the reader and paint the necessary picture, and so ninety percent of your research ends up staying in your head.

TRC: What are you working on now? 

Juliana:  I’ve finished all three books in the Affairs by Moonlight trilogy, and have just started work on the next series. It inhabits the same world, with a couple of recurring characters, and will follow the adventures of three royal sisters as they’re forced to hide in English society from a mysterious assassin. Naturally they all fall in love with ridiculously attractive men, and their disguise makes romance…complicated!

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information between each other and their family and spouses.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Juliana:  I did allow my nine-year-old daughter to name a character once, but my family is largely uninterested in my ideas! I do most of my bouncing with my wonderful agent, Alexandra Machinist at Janklow & Nesbit, and with my keen-eyed editor, Kate Seaver at Berkley.

TRC: Upon reviewing your website, on which you have some wonderful humorous posts, we noticed your heading says “Clandestine Author of Elegant Period Romance”…..would you care to elaborate what clandestine means?

Juliana:  Juliana Gray is a pen name; I also write mainstream novels under my real name, Beatriz Williams. So I like to think that Juliana is my clandestine alter ego, scribbling romantic stories at night when the rest of the household is asleep!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Anything with caramelized onions

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate creme brulee

Favorite TV show: Downton Abbey, of course!

Favorite Movie: Gallipoli

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): The Scarlet Pimpernel 

Dark or Milk Chocolate: If it isn’t dark, it isn’t chocolate!

TRC: Juliana, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions.  Good luck with A Lady Never Lies, and we look forward to your next book in this series, A Gentleman Never Tells, which releases in November.  The Reading Café wishes you all the best.

If you would like to learn more about Juliana Gray, you can follow the links below:

Website: http://www.julianagray.com/
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:

 

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An Interview with Laura Wright

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An Interview with Laura Wright

The Reading Cafe is happy to have the wonderful Laura Wright with us today.

Laura has just released her latest book in her Mark of the Vampire series….Eternal Beast. 

Our Eternal Beast review was posted yesterday, if you missed it.

Let’s meet Laura.

 

 

TRC: Laura, we at the Reading Café would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

Laura: I am soooo thrilled to be here! Thank you for having me.:)

TRC: Would you please tell us about yourself.

Laura: Well…I was born and raised in Minnesota, and spent most of my time acting, singing and dancing, and ballroom dancing –  instructor and competitor – when I got older. I traveled quite a bit, which was wonderful. Now, I live in Los Angeles with my hub and two kids. And several pets. 🙂

TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing?  We see that you did not start writing until after you left high school.

Laura: Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I didn’t fall in love with writing early on. As a kid, I was so into theater. Then later, the ballroom dancing, so it wasn’t until about 1997 that I was able to realize my dream of writing. I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and I’ve never stopped writing since. I am so in love with writing!! It’s my obsession.

TRC: What was your first book ever published?

Laura: Awww. My first published book was CINDERELLA AND THE PLAYBOY from Harlequin/Silhouette Desire. I love that book. C.K. Tanner and Abby… something..Lol. 🙂 There is a great chocolate/candy making scene in it..lol.. adored writing that story.

TRC: How did you come up with the idea for your Mark of the Vampire series? 

Laura: It all started with the Breeding Male. He was the first character I saw in my mind. I was on a walk one day and thought of this genetically modified vampire creature who would be brought out in times of war to repopulate the pureblood vampires, whether females they laid with liked it or not. <I had NOT been drinking, I swear 🙂 > Then the questions came: The children of this ‘monster’ – what would they be like? How would their mothers see them, treat them?

It started the plotting ball rolling, so to speak. 🙂

TRC: ETERNAL BEAST is the 4th book in the Mark of the Vampire series.  Give us a brief description of the book.

Laura: I’m going with the back cover because it says it best:

Ever since his abduction by the Eternal Order of Vampires, Gray Donohue has finally found his true calling: vengeance. He will stop at nothing to bring his fellow Impure vampires the freedom they deserve. Now if he could just release his primal need for the beautiful vampire who saved his life—and rules his thoughts and desires…

After nearly killing the senator she was assigned to protect, Dillon is now in mortal danger. The jaguar within her has been unleashed, and she can no longer control it. Sex is the only thing that can tame her shift. And Gray is the only man who can make her surrender to a passion strong enough to overpower her inner beast. But she doesn’t want to surrender—she wants her life back. Because she is determined never to belong to anyone, especially not Gray—the male whom destiny claims is her mate…

TRC: How many books are planned for the Mark of the Vampire series?

Laura: That is always the question 🙂 And I mean that I am constantly asking it! Lol.. I have at least 5 more books planned in my head. We’ll see.. The readers and the publishers will be making that final decision 🙂

TRC: What were your challenges in writing the Mark of the Vampire series?

Laura: I suppose the biggest challenges have been remembering everyone: their eye color, hair color, height, scars, siblings etc. I finally had to have a MOTV bible made!! Lol..

TRC: You have written harlequin/silhouette romance books, and Mark of the Vampire is considered paranormal romance.  Which genre do you consider your favorite to write?

Laura: I LOVE paranormal. Creating a world, a species, anything I want – it’s so freeing and fun. And I love my boys. It’s gone beyond genre now, and has become more personal. This series is my guts.

That said, I really enjoyed writing straight contemporary romance as well. In fact, I’m working on a contemporary cowboy series right now. So I get both worlds to play in. 🙂

TRC: Who is your favorite character of all the books you have written?

Laura: This is such a hard question. I have deep love for them all – even the villains! But if you’re going to make me.. Nicky. I have a special connection with him. 🙂

TRC: Is there any of your characters that after you have continued the series, you would have liked to change, and why?

Laura: GREAT question! Maybe Ethan Dare.. my bad guy in book one and two.. I might have let him live. Imprisoned him so he could see his child born.. I don’t know..

TRC: What authors or book have most influenced your life or writing?

Laura: The two biggies are Jude Deveraux and Victoria Holt. I cut my teeth on them, realized how much I adored romance through their novels. Then later, realized how much I wanted to write romance!

TRC: What do you have planned for future books or series?  Would you consider writing any other type of genre, such as YA?

Laura: YA has always interested me. Thing is, I love writing sexy stories, and I don’t know how that would translate. But it is a thought in my mind.:) For now, I want to continue writing Mark of the Vampire, and my potential new cowboy series. I also have an Urban Romantacy idea percolating 🙂

TRC: Cool, this sounds exciting.  Can’t wait to find out more  🙂

TRC: Do you have a specific place you like to write?  With children at home, do you find yourself writing at special times?

Laura: I have an office, and I love writing there – especially when the kids are home. I have a hard time concentrating anyway, so I usually have to have blaring music in my headphones to drift into ‘The Zone.’

 LIGHTNING ROUND:  Oh, the pressure 🙂

 

FAVORITE FOOD – Pickles. No – tomatoes. No – pickles. Errrr.. 🙂

FAVORITE DESSERT – Pie.. Boston Cream or Pumpkin.. or Blueberry!

FAVORITE AUTHOR – Seriously? That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. Or my favorite dessert! Oh, wait.. 🙂  All right, I’m going with Jude Deveraux because I cut my romantic teeth on her!

FAVORITE BOOK – This is one of MANY favorites, but Judith McNaught’s ONCE AND ALWAYS.

FAVORITE CHARACTER (NOT YOUR OWN) – Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING – Three at once. Yes, I’m insane. Kristen Higgins, Lorelei James and my critique partner, Jennifer Lyon’s manuscript for her next Wing Slayer Hunter book!

LAST VACATION SPOT – Big Sur, Cali 🙂

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW – Something not very memorable clearly..lol.. um,.. seriously this is sad, I can’t think of a damn thing!

TRC:   LOL

TRC: Thank you, Laura for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Eternal Beast.  Keep us informed about your upcoming releases. We look forward to working with you again.

Laura: Thank YOU for having me! This was a total blast, and I love that lightning round. 🙂

If you would like to learn more about Laura, you can find her at the following links:

Website: http://www.laurawright.com/
Laura’s Blog:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:

Laura has graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to each win a choice of one of her Mark of the Vampire books, as well as some Swag. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Laura.

4.  Giveaway open U.S. or Canada Only

5.  Contests runs from August 15th – August 18th.

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An Interview with Robin Owens

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An Interview with Robin D. Owens

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Robin D. Owens as our guest today. Tuesday was the release of her latest addition to her Celta series….Heart Secret, which we reviewed yesterday.

Let’s begin our interview with Robin

 


Hi Robin.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

TRC: Would you please tell us about yourself?

Robin: I’m single and living with cats in Denver, Colorado – and have used the cats for characters in my books.  I love to read and write (though that’s different now it is actually my job and deadlines come with that job).  I’ve picked up a few awards along the way…and I am ever hopeful of revising my website.

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing?  Have you always liked to write?

Robin: Yes, I've been interested (and writing) since I was a child.  One of my relationships demanded most of my attention and when that crashed I had so much free time I decided to do what I'd always longed to…write.

TRC: Many writers bounce ideas and information with either a family member, a Friend, or another writer.  Who inspires you?  Do you have a muse?

Robin: I had a critique group long before I was published, and though it has morphed, I still have a critique group.  I have beta readers for my work who help with it…as for a muse, that would be the cats.  I’m firmly convinced that the telepathic cat with attitude (redundant) sold my first book, HeartMate.  I still watch them and use them.

TRC: I love your cats with an attitude.  I want a Fam Cat. 🙂

TRC: Would you tell us your steps to writing a novel? 

Robin: Um, sit down and write?  Actually I DO love to "pantz," write by the seat of my pants, but I sell on proposal now, which means I must have some kind of plot ahead of time.
Note: As a pantzer and before I was published, I compared my latest manuscript to the archetypical one described in Christopher Vogler's The Writers Journey and found that my plot points matched his…so that's what I keep coming back to. 

TRC: When you published Heart Mate in 2001, did you know how far you wanted to go in this series?  Now that Heart Secret being released this month, and it is your 11th book in that series, do have an end in sight?  We hope not.  🙂

Robin: THANK YOU!  I am hopeful for at least 3 more books in the Heart series…and until I tire of them.  I love doing them.  I’m also on my second series for Luna.  The first, the Summoning series, was about average American women summoned to another dimension to fight hideous evil – that was a run of five.  The urban paranormal series I’m writing now, Mystic Circle, I am hoping for nine.  I’m also thinking about epublishing some stories/novellas/novels out.

TRC: For new readers, please tell us the premise of the Celta Heartmates series, and how you came up with the idea of this world?

Robin: Ah, well I am Welsh (like Patty Briggs), and there wasn’t much of Celtic culture out there worldbuilding wise when I began writing it.  I’d been writing historical Regency romances, but they hadn’t been selling. 🙂  So I started something off the wall, which was HeartMate – with an alpha hero who not only consulted runes, but believed them, which, of course, doesn’t often happen on this planet.  I got T’Ash, surly blacksmith and jeweler.  Also the cats – my Maddox (Zanth in the book) strolled onto the page burping and complaining about the chef, and I got my story rolling.

TRC: Please tell us a little about Heart Secret?

Robin: I’ve introduced both the hero, Garrett Primross, private investigator, and Artemisia Panax (Mugwort) earlier.  Again, Garrett is a very alpha guy (and I LOVE the sexy cover!), and survived the most virulent form of a sickness that killed everyone around him.  The plague is back and the Healers want to study why he might have stayed alive.  Artemisia is assigned to him – a HeartMate he’s been avoiding.  Of course there’s also a murder.

TRC: Your Exotique Summoning series was wonderful, and your female heroines were great. Love that your female heroines in this series are as equally strong as the men.  Is there anything that made you want to make the women in your stories so strong?

Robin: I think women are strong.  It hurts to be strong, to gain that strength and use it sometimes, but we are certainly as strong as men mentally and emotionally.

TRC: Tell us about your Mystic Circle series, which is now in the second book .. Enchanted Again.  What is the premise behind this series, and how many books do you plan?

Robin: I live in a very fun neighborhood (bought when it was low and it grew up around me) and Denver’s mixture of architectural styles has always fascinated me.  And I wanted to do a contemporary urban series – women with magic.  Enchanted No More was about a half-human, half-magical woman; Enchanted Again is about a cursebreaker that must learn to take care of herself first (as many women must do) and Enchanted Ever After features a totally human woman who becomes a mermaid.

TRC: What are you currently working on? Any thoughts of a new series?

Robin: I always have an abundance of ideas!  I'm thinking of epublishing a lot – maybe some stories in the Summoning series that didn't get into the books, maybe some Celtan stories (through my publisher), and I have a urban shapeshifter story that's calling my name.

TRC: Who is your favorite Female Character in your books?

Robin: I love them all, as I love all my heroes. 🙂  But the one I had to watch like a hawk every time she sauntered on stage so she wouldn't steal the show (like most of the Fam animals do), was Alexa Fitzwalter of Guardian of Honor.  Not sure if this makes sense, but I think she is the true daughter of my father, the most like him. 

  TRC:  LOL Alexa was great.

TRC: Do you have any advice for new authors?

Robin: This has absolutely changed since the epublishing world has opened up!  I used to say, Never Quit, but before I'd say, as I do now: Read, read, read!  Make sure you hit those archetypical plot points that will satisfy your reader.  If you plan on writing in a genre, know what it is so you don't break some "readers' rules" (like having the heroine in a romance commit suicide at the end).

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Robin: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW.  You really came up with some thought provoking questions that I hadn't considered before. 


LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: (as I am writing this now, at breakfast: croissants)

Favorite Author: Eileen Wilks, J.D. Robb, Patricia Briggs, Iona Andrews

Favorite Movie: Ladyhawke, The Three Musketeers, Singing in the Rain 

Favorite TV Show: Once Upon A Time

Last Movie that you saw: The Avengers

Last book that you read: Shelly Laurenston’s Beast Behaving Badly

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you:  How can you top Eve Dallas and Roarke?  Though I do love Lily Yu and Rule Turner (rather like Eve and Roarke), and Anna and Charles of Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega world.

  TRC: sigh  Eve and Roarke are my all time favorite couple.  🙂

TRC:  Thank you, Robin for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you in the future.

Robin: Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.

If you would like to find out more about Robin, you can visit her at the following sites:

Website: http://robindowens.com
Twitter:
Facebook:
Author’s Den:
Goodreads:

Robin has graciously offered to give three members of The Reading Café a chance to each win a choice of one of her backlist books, which includes her Luna series. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Robin.

4.  Giveaway open U.S. or Canada Only

5.  Contests runs from August 9th – 11th.

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An Interview with Rachel Carrington

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An Interview with Rachel Carrington

We are happy to welcome Rachel Carrington to The Reading Cafe. Here is a short bio of Rachel.

Rachel Carrington began her career writing fantasy romances of powerful wizards and wicked witches. Since then, she has branched out into contemporary romance and romantic suspense and has had books published with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Red Sage Publishing, and more.  Currently, a freelance editor/writer residing in historical Charleston, South Carolina, Rachel has written non-fiction articles for Absolute Write, The Writer’s Journal, Writing for Dollars, Writer’s Magazine, and Writer’s Weekly.

Because she likes staying busy, Rachel has also taught classes for Suite 101 and for author groups regarding promoting, writing, starting your own business, and editing.  When not writing, Rachel loves to read romantic suspense (Lisa Gardner and Roxanne St. Claire are two of her favorites), rework old furniture, cross-stitch, cook, and drink lots of coffee.

Now that we know more about Rachel, let’s begin our interview.

TRC: Hi  Rachel.  Welcome to The Reading Café. We appreciate you coming by to answer our questions. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.  Please tell us something about yourself that is not part of your bio?

Rachel: I live in a historic city near the Atlantic Ocean, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. When I’m not writing, I’m working on videos, working on crafts, shopping, reading, or cooking. Occasionally, I squeeze in some sleep time, but I like to stay busy.

I love coffee, Food Network TV, HGTV, and A&E, my Kindle, and talking on the phone.

I’m usually the one at the party telling all the jokes as I’m very outgoing, and I’m also extremely outspoken, a little bit sarcastic, and I love to laugh. My readers will tell you that also describes my heroines.

TRC: Have you always had an interest in writing?  When did you first start writing?

Rachel: I don’t remember really having that much of an interest in writing until I was in my late teens. The first thing I ever wrote was a poem at sixteen.

TRC: What is the name of the first novel you ever published?  Please tell us how you felt, when your first book was accepted by a publisher.

Rachel: My first novel published was Heart First, a sappy contemporary romance that has since gone out of print, but I was on top of the world when I received the acceptance. I

TRC: You have several different series in several genres.  Your website states that you have done fantasy romances of powerful wizards and wicked witches, contemporary romance and romantic suspense.  Which genre do you find most difficult to write and which genre are you the most comfortable writing?

Rachel: Contemporary romance is the most difficult for me to write because paranormal naturally lends itself to conflict. With contemporary romance, you have to really be on your toes to get the conflict working and to give the book some bite. I admire those contemporary romance writers who continually pull it off with each novel.

I’m most comfortable writing paranormal/fantasy romance because I’ve always had an overactive imagination. So it’s easier for my brain to conjure up an out of this world storyline.

TRC: What or who do you attribute the rise in popularity of today’s many
paranormal romance authors and books?

Rachel:  I think reader demand is what has brought about the rise in popularity. Paranormal romance gives the reader the opportunity to get lost in not only someone else’s life but someone else’s world. A reader can escape to the mountains of Romania with a brooding vampire or to a mystical world where only wizards live. And people need that break to recharge, regroup, and return to face another day in the real world.

TRC:  Vampire Betrayed is your third book in your Vampires Destined series.  Can you please tell us something about the premise of this book?  How many books do you plan for this series?

Rachel: I’ve always loved vampires, but the idea of three separate vampires and their distinctly individual destinies appealed to me. The only thing that connects them is they are all destined for something beyond the darkness of their lives.

I’ve only written three books for this series, and the final book, Vampire Betrayed, was released on June 29th.

TRC: In July, you released The First Spell, a Fantasy Romance book.  Can you please tell us about this story?  Is this a standalone, or will you make a series out of this?

Rachel: Several years ago, I wrote the Hot Magic series which were based upon the lives of three wizards who are brothers. The First Spell tells the story of the parents of those brothers. This is a book I’ve wanted to write for years, but I finally made it a priority. I don’t intend for it to be a series; however, there is another wizard’s story I wrote which I may rework and release as well.

TRC: We read The First Spell the other night, and it was really a wonderful read.  A perfect magical short story to relax and read, especially if you want something just for the night.

TRC: You have almost a book a month being released recently and coming soon.  How do you keep up this pace, and get ideas on what to write?

Rachel:  Fortunately, I can write extremely fast. I’ve been blessed with an overactive imagination, a drive to succeed, and the ability to function with very little sleep.

TRC: Who is your favorite Male and Female character in your books?

Rachel: This is always a tough one to answer because my favorites are always the ones in the book I’ve just released. I’ve written so many heroes and heroines now, it would be difficult for me to choose a favorite from any of them.

TRC: As an author, which type of book/novel do you believe is harder to write—a full-length novel or a short novella, where all the information must be contained with a shorter
number of pages?

Rachel: A short novella is harder for me to write, personally. When I know I have a lot of room to expand the story, I’m more at ease when I’m writing. If it has to be a novella, I get a little tense as I know I only have a certain amount of room to tell the story and, if I’m not careful, something important will be left out.

TRC: What are you working on today?

Rachel: The prequel to my Spirit series which contains Share your Soul, Unite Our Souls, and Mine to Take. These are my Angels of Death, and once I wrote the final word in Mine to Take, I knew it was a world I wasn’t ready to let go of yet. So I’m back to the Afterlife now.

TRC: Many authors and artists have spouses/partners who offer advice, ideas or
criticism.  Who is your muse when you are looking for ideas?

Rachel: 99.9% of the time, I go to Lisa Renee Jones. She is a prolific author, a determined writer, and a really good friend. I always know she’ll tell me what I need to hear not necessarily what I want to hear because she doesn’t pull any punches. She’s been a friend and a confidante for years now, and we’ve both been able to watch each other grow in our careers. I can’t imagine not having her to turn to.

TRC: Is there anything you would like to add?

Rachel: Every Monday, I interview an author at my blog (www.dawnrachel.com/blog). It’s a great way for readers to find a new favorite author. Link to Rachel’s website 

I’m also at Facebook at rachelcarringtonwrites, on Twitter @rcarrington2004, and on Pinterest @rcarrington2004 as well as Goodreads.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Lasagna

Favorite Movie: Shining Through

Favorite TV Show: Bones

Favorite Dessert: Ice Cream

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate

Last Book that you read: Shadow Demons by Sarra Cannon

Favorite Author: Jane Austen

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice

Thank you Rachel for answering our questions.  We wish you good luck with your wonderful books now out and those soon to be released. We look forward to having you come back again.

 ****GIVEAWAY!****

Rachel has graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to each win an e-copy of her just released “The First Spell” book. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Rachel.

4.  Giveaway open Internationally

5.  Contests runs from August 1st – 4th.

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An Interview and Giveaway with Kalayna Price

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An Interview with Kalayna Price


The Reading Cafe is thrilled to have Kalayna Price with us today.

This is a very busy time for Kalayna, as she has just released her third book in her Alex Craft series, and will also release her third book in her Novels of Haven very soon.

Let’s meet Kalayna.

 

 

 

 

Hi Kalayna.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book. 

TRC: Can you please tell us about yourself?

Kalayna: Well, I’m the author of two urban fantasy series, the Alex Craft novels and the novels of Haven. I’m also a hoop-dancer, a painter, a photographer and recently I decided to learn violin (in all that free time I don’t have. LOL. Of course, I’m also an avid reader.

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing?  Have you always liked to write?

Kalayna:I started my first ‘novel’ at twelve. It was one of many false starts. I didn’t get serious about writing until I was twenty-three. Then I actually sat down and worked through the stumbling blocks that had always stopped me before and wrote my first real novel in just under three months.

TRC:  We see in your bio, you like to paint or take pictures with a camera.  Is this your hobby, or perhaps a way for you to relax and get more ideas to write?

Kalayna: Both are hobbies. Photography reminds me to stop and actually look at the world, so you could say it influences my writing. Painting is simply a relaxing hobby these days. It let’s me transfer my thoughts into a different medium.

TRC: What was your first book published?  ONCE BITTEN from the Haven novels?


Kalayna: Yes, Once Bitten was my very first novel, both written and published.

TRC:  How did you come up with the idea of Kita and the Haven Novels?  The third book in this series, Third Blood comes out in August. How many books do you plan for this series?

 

 

Kalayna: Ideas are so hard to pinpoint. Writers are like sponges—we suck up all the information around us. There it simmers until something new emerges. Kita and several of the other characters just showed up one day and started talking. So I’m sure many things inspired them, but I couldn’t tell you exactly what. As far as my plans for the series. There will be two main arcs over the course of six books. Third Blood will end the first arc and start the second, so I’m very excited to share it.

TRC: Can you tell those who are new to your books the premise of the Haven Novels.

Kalayna: The stories follow Kita Nekai, a shapeshifter on the run from her clan and responsibilities. In the first book she gets turned into a vampire and drawn into the underworld of a city called Haven. If she thought being the smallest shifter was hard, being a dead one really sucks. Literally.

TRC: The Alex Craft novels is your other series, with the third book, GRAVE MEMORY out this month.  How many books do you plan for this series? 

Kalayna: I have a definite end planned for the series, but I’m not sure how many books it will take for Alex to reach that end. Currently six books are contracted for the series.

TRC: Can you tell us the premise of Alex Craft, and also something about Grave Memory.

Kalayna: Alex Craft is a grave witch, which means she draws the memories from the dead in the form of shades. She uses this ability in her PI business and also to assist the police. Unfortunately, business isn’t going well, so she’s broke. When a case involving a dark cop, a sexy reaper, and a soul silencing killer lands at her feet, she has no choice but to take it. But this case might cost her more than her rent—it may cost her soul.

TRC: Both Alex Craft and the Haven Novels are Urban Fantasy.  Do you ever think about writing another genre in the future?

Kalayna: I have a couple ideas on the back burner, including a futuristic dystopian and a YA, but right now I’m focusing on only these two series.

TRC: You consider your writing genre as Urban Fantasy.  How do you explain to someone-what is Urban Fantasy literature?

Kalayna: Urban Fantasy is a mixed genre. At it’s most basic level it is a story in which fantastical elements are essential to the plot. But books in the genre also draw strongly from other genres so most have elements of romance, horror, humor, and/or mystery. The voice can be anything from a sassy chick lit to a dark noir. It really is a diverse and fascinating genre.

TRC: Who is your favorite Author?  Did this author inspire you to write urban fantasy?

Kalayna: Oh, that is too hard to narrow down. I love tons of writers, both in and outside my genre. I will say though, until I was about fifteen I wrote mostly High/Epic Fantasy. Then I read the early Anita Blake novels and wanted more of the same, but at that time, the genre didn’t exist. So I started writing what it was I wanted to read—which later became known as Urban Fantasy.

TRC: What is your favorite book you have read?

Kalayna: If I can’t narrow down an author, I definitely can’t narrow down a single book!

TRC: What are you currently working on?

Kalayna: I’m currently finishing up a Haven Novel and am about to start the next Alex Craft novel.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Breakfast

Favorite Movie: Labyrinth or Princess Bride

Favorite TV Show: Don’t really have one

Last Movie that you saw: Despicable Me

Last book that you read: I’m currently reading Blood and Bullets by James R Tuck

Favorite Character from books you have read: Oh no, definitely can’t narrow that one down.

Last vacation destination: Uh. I can’t remember the last time I took anything but working vacations. I should put vacation on my to-do list. ^_^

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Kalanya: Thank you so much for having me here. I’ve had a lot of fun.

TRC: Thank you, Kalayna for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with both Grave Memory and Third Blood.  We look forward to talking with you again in the future.

Kalayna: You as well!

****GIVEAWAY!!****

Kalayna and her publisher have graciously offered to give five (5) members of The Reading Café a chance to each win copies of the first two books of her Novel of Haven series. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Kalayna

4.  Giveaway open to US or Canada only

5.  Contests runs from July 12-15, 2012.

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