I DREAM OF DRAGONS (Boston Dragons #1) by Ashlyn Chase-Interview and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2016

THE HEAT IS ON
When Rory Arish and his two fiery dragon siblings are run out of their ancestral Irish home, it seems their luck has run out-until they arrive in Boston and find a paranormal-friendly apartment building. Finally, Rory has a place to call home. There’s only one problem: Rory’s new lair has simultaneously been rented to an infuriating woman who is as stubborn as she is beautiful and will not leave ‘her’ apartment matter how steamed he may be…

AND SPARKS FLY
Amber McNally is a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. She needs this apartment, and not even a fire-breathing dragon with his Irish charm and scorching good looks is going to scare her away. Holing up in their respective corners, a battle of wills ensues. Who will be the first to blink…or give in to their off-the-charts chemistry and decide to make this unorthodox living arrangement a little more permanent?

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TRC: Hi Ashlyn. Welcome to The Reading Cafe.

Congratulations on the release of I DREAM OF DRAGONS.

A. C. Thank you! I’m really excited about this series.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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A. C. I was a nurse for twenty years, and I needed a creative outlet. I began by taking a course in screenplay writing at U Mass. I learned a lot about storytelling, but breaking into Hollywood, especially from the East Coast, is ridiculously hard — so I thought I would try the big city closer to home, New York… The seat of book publishing.

I monitored my reading tastes and found I liked reading hot romance. I joined RWA, plus a critique group, and learned much from them. I was even able to adapt some of my romantic comedy screenplays to novels. I love what I do, and I don’t think I’ll ever run out of ideas for new stories.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

A. C. I would have to say that my first critique with Jess Andersen, and my second critique with Sylvie Kurtz helped tremendously. Both of these fine ladies shared their knowledge and experience with me and did it honestly yet tactfully.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

A. C. Well, first of all, just finding a publisher when I started my writing career was very difficult. And getting an agent was even harder. I was advised to try epublishing. Back then the Kindle didn’t exist and almost no one knew what an ebook was. But I forged on, honing my craft with the help of my epublishers. It took a few years to find my voice and my niche. But once I did, the ball really got rolling.

I was thrilled to bits to get “the call”. A major publisher wanted my series, Strange Neighbors. After that I was able to get an agent who helped me understand my contract. That in itself can be difficult if you don’t speak legalese. I now have a different agent, and I really appreciate her guidance.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about I DREAM OF DRAGONS?

A. C. This is a spin-off of the book How to Date a Dragon. Actually all of my mass market books can be considered spinoffs of the original Strange Neighbors series. However, they can be read individually or out of order. If you are like me, however, you want the series in order. I Dream of Dragons is book 1 in the new series Boston Dragons. I love this world I’ve created… Or perhaps I should say that my characters created it, because they often tell me what to do.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the BOSTON DRAGONS series?

A. C. This is a trilogy, but it leads right into the next series, which was just contracted recently. That series will be four books long, and called the Phoenix brothers. So if you start with book 1 in the first series, Strange Neighbors, then go on to the spin-off series, Flirting with Fangs, we have two trilogies completed. The Boston Dragons series is also a trilogy, coming out now. That’s six books, with I Dream of Dragons coming in at Lucky number seven. Next will be My Wild Irish Dragon, coming out in Sept.

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

A. C. My characters actually do that. They are all different. Who they are, what they do, and their various backgrounds, determine how they’ll react. I try to get them into unique situations and then sit back and see what happens.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic, and erotica in many of today’s popular contemporary fiction. What do you believe accounts for the differences between the sub-genres in today’s romantic stories?

A. C. I’m so glad you asked that. I use to write erotic romance. There is a difference between erotica and erotic romance. Erotica does not have to be romantic and it does not have to have a happy ending. All it needs to do is titillate the reader. Erotic romance follows the edicts of any other romance. I love love, and I can’t imagine writing a story without it.

TRC:  Which genre do you find most difficult to write and why?

A. C. Comedy can be difficult if you’re not in a funny mood. When real life intrudes, I might have to go back and put the humor in later. That happened just recently. A death in the family, plus a painful injury have really taken a toll on my comedic voice. ‘Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t.’ I’ll feel like a nut again, believe me.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

A. C. Yes! Usually, the very first thing a reader sees is the cover. If the title and artwork don’t make them pick up the book, it’s game over. I’m fortunate to have Sourcebooks creating absolutely gorgeous covers for me.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

A.C. I start out with the plot, but my characters often decide to veer off in another direction. They are usually right, so I follow along wherever they take me. That’s why I plot in pencil.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

A.C. The characters must be likable and relatable. They can start off a little bitchy, if they’re going through something problematic. Chances are, the readers will identify with that person’s emotions if they’d react similarly in the same situation. But the protagonists usually let the reader in on some of their back story, which explains why they act like they do. We then sympathize with them, and root for them to succeed.

If you didn’t pick up on my talking about my characters as if they’re real, I’d be surprised. I think that’s one of the tools that comes with being a writer.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

A. C. No. I could probably listen to an instrumental piece, but anything with words will take me out of my characters heads, and I need to be able to listen to them.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

A. C. My critique partner, Lexie Eddings a.k.a. Mia Marlowe, often makes excellent suggestions. Also I can run things by my agent Nicole Resciniti, if I get stuck or feel unsure of my direction.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

A. C. That we’re all rolling in money. LOL. If only that were true.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

A. C. I never learned to type. I have to look at the keys. And by looking down all the time, I put stress on my neck. I have degenerative joint disorder, which is a fancy way of saying arthritis. If the pain gets bad enough, I lie down and dictate what I’m writing into a microphone connected to a talk to text software program. In fact, I’m doing that right now!

TRC: On what are you currently working?

A. C. I’m writing book 3 in the Boston Dragons series. It doesn’t have an official title yet, but in my head I’m calling it stop Dragon My Heart Around. It’s the bridge book between the Boston Dragons series and the Phoenix Brothers series.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

A. C. Yes. I’m also a trained hypnotherapist (please buy my books,) and an interior designer (please buy my books,) as well as being an RN (please buy my books.) That’s probably why I write about characters who reinvent themselves.

TRC: 😉

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food — brownies.

Favorite Dessert — anything chocolate.

Favorite TV Show — right now it’s probably Castle. Of all time, it would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Last Movie You Saw — Deadpool.

Dark or Milk Chocolate — I know dark is good for me, but if I’m eating chocolate I’m not that concerned with being healthy.

Secret Celebrity Crush — Josh Hartnett

Last Vacation Destination — a Caribbean cruise

Do you have any pets? — Yes. A great cat, named Lightning. He’s twenty years old and we’ve had him since he was estimated to be between one and two by the animal shelter veterinarian.

Last book you read — I have 3 books going at once on my various devices, but I think the last one I finished was The Vampire’ s Mail Order Bride by Sally painter.

 

TRC: Thank you Ashlyn for taking the time to answer our questions, Congratulations on the release of I DREAM OF DRAGONS.

A. C. Of course. Thank you for the opportunity to reach more readers.

Ashlyn’s publisher is offering a paper copy of I DREAM OF DRAGONS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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