Archive for the 'Interviews' Category
Author, Author, Tell Us more
June 20, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Good morning! Cindy, let’s show everyong your great cover for BELTAINE BARGAIN from Wild Rose Press.
ST: Are there any quirks you have or do before or while you’re writing?
CSP: Not really. Caffeine is good, music is good, (the louder and faster the better.) But I really can write anywhere, as long as I’m not too stressed out. That’s the only thing that makes it hard.
ST: Who or what encouraged you to write and especially erotica?
CSP: Ummm-I I’m just getting started with the erotica. My editor from Ellora’s cave/Cerridwen Press has been a big booster in that area. And my husband really wants me to focus in that area. He regularly offers to help with the research. LOL Seriously, he’s been great at giving me the pushes I need to get going. And my father and in-laws are also fantastic.
ST: Where do you get the ideas for your novels?
CSP: There’s no real answer to that one. Life, movies, dreams, whatever. They just sort of ooze together somehow.
ST: How do you research your books?
CSP: However I need to. Internet is great, you don’t even have to leave your chair. And I have no problem asking fellow authors if I know they’re experts in a certain field. Failing that, I have a well-worn library card.
ST: Who is your support group?
CSP: Husband, Kids, Father, In-laws. After that, I have a wonderful local RWA chapter, and I honestly wouldn’t be here without them. Now that I’m published, I’ve developed a vast network of on-line friends from each of my publishers, and that is probably the coolest thing yet, other than getting to hold a book with my name on it.
ST: Thank you again, Cindy, for chatting today.
CSP: I enjoy it. See you in the morning!
ST: Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
The Write Side of Life
June 19, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Good morning and welcome back. Several people emailed requesting to see the DRAGON IN THE SYSTEM book cover. So here it is:
ST: Cindy, what made you decide to be a writer?
CSP: I don’t know that it WAS a conscious decision. Like so many other aspects of life it just sort of evolved. Mostly so the voices in my head would have someplace else to talk.
ST: How long have you been writing?
CSP: Seriously, about 7 years. Full-time, since I mucked up my knee last fall, and couldn’t work at the nature center anymore.
ST: Do you find writing to be fulfilling? And in what way?
CSP: If I didn’t I think I’d be in the wwwrrrrrooongggg business! It’s nice to have a creative outlet, to help people find happiness even if they are imaginary.
ST: What’s a normal day like for you?
CSP: Define normal. It’s not a word I’m familiar with. An optimal day is when I throw the menfolk out the door to school and work, crawl back into bed and get another hour’s worth of sleep. Then I get up and write. Somewhere in there I usually shower and eat lunch, then write till the monsters come home. Feed, them, send them off to the teen center, if I’m lucky, and write for another 2 hours till the horde returns. And if you don’t believe three is a horde, you’ve never been around teenage boys! Notice I said this was optimal. In real life pesky things like errands, exercise classes, and housework keep getting in the way of my perfect plan.
ST: With your busy life how do you find time to write?
CSP: By learning to live with a messy house and learning to write on whatever flat surface I can find. I carry a notebook anywhere, and type while I’m watching TV some nights.
ST: Thank you again for your time. See you in the morning?
CSP: Without a doubt. Thanks to everyone who’s posted. I appreciate your comments and questions.
ST: Until tomorrow…
Happy Writing,
Sloane
Cindy Spencer Pape Tells All
June 18, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Hi, Cindy Spencer Pape, welcome and thank you for visiting with us this week.
CSP: Glad to be here! (looking around) At least I think I’m here. I could be somewhere else entirely.
ST: Tell us a about yourself.
CSP: Hmmm. Not nearly as interesting as the books.
OK—according to the IRS, I’m an unemployed zoologist. Hopefully next year that will change to well-paid author. There’s always hope. I live in Michigan, about an hour out of Detroit with my husband of 20 plus years, two teenage sons, a neurotic dog (or small horse, depending on your definition) and a stray iguana who followed me home. And some goldfish. I think. Haven’t checked the tank yet today.
ST: You had an exciting new release in May,
and in June, DRAGON IN THE SYSTEM, hits the market.
Please tell us about them.
GSP: Actually CRAZY FOR THE COWBOY came out as an e-book in March and in print on May 11. It’s Book #2 in the Love at the Crazy H series, which is a Yellow Rose contemporary western romance from The Wild Rose Press. It’s the story of the second Hall brother, Sheriff Fitz Hall, and Rhiannon Jakobowski, a new-age vegetarian from Detroit who inherits the bookstore under Fitz’s apartment. She arrives while Fitz is spending a couple of days on the family ranch, and assumes all the stuff in the apartment belongs to her dead great-uncle. So she boxes it up, gives some away, pitches some in the dumpster, and collapses into an exhausted heap. Fitz stumbles into the apartment after a late night car accident call, tired and sick, and doesn’t even notice there’s already somebody in his bed. The fun continues from there.
Dragon in the System is a paranormal romance from Cerridwen Press. I call this one my geek-fest book. Eric is a computer science professor. When he’s assigned to unmask a hacker who is embezzling from campus accounts, he winds up searching in the steam tunnels below campus. He’s not sure if he’s going crazy when he thinks he sees a giant lizard tail, so he enlists the support of herpetology professor Lori Tremain, who turns out to be both a big help and a major distraction. Given the title and that the story is a paranormal, wanna guess what they find in the steam tunnels?
ST: You also have THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE available. Tell us a little about it.
CSP: The title is pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? Just kidding. Allison finds out the day of her wedding that her fiancé is gay, so she takes off, and winds up driving through a freak Wyoming snowstorm. She takes shelter at the Crazy H ranch, and offers to help take care of the rancher’s baby nephew in exchange for her keep till the storm ends. CJ Hall is fascinated by his unexpected guest, but he has secrets of his own that keep him from making a serious move. And then his whole big crazy family shows up for Christmas, and decides that Allie would be the perfect match for the youngest brother, Trip. There also may or may not be family ghosts mixing things up. It’s a fun story, or at least that’s what the reviewers said!
ST: What is the heat level of each book?
GSP: Pretty tame by e-book standards, but spicy enough to horrify my dad’s 80-year old cousin. The cowboy books are about the level of a Silhouette Desire or a Harlequin Temptation. DRAGON is a bit hotter. My October Quickie from Ellora’s Cave is—well—scorching!
ST: How did you come up with all the story lines?
CSP: I’m pretty sure that answering that question would take several years and the services of qualified professionals. In all honesty, I have no idea. They just sort of evolve and grow in my brain like parasites. I started the cowboy series because my mother liked cowboys and didn’t care for all my paranormal stuff. The fictional Wyoming town of Shirley is named after her.
ST: And where and can we buy CRAZY FOR THE COWBOY, DRAGON IN THE SYSTEM, and THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE?
CSP: You can check them all out at my website
The Cowboy books are available in print at Amazon, and electronically at Wild Rose Press. And on June 21, DRAGON IN THE SYSTEM will be at Cerridwen Press.
ST: Thanks for all your time today. Are you available tomorrow for more questions?
CSP: I think I can pencil it in.
ST: Please feel free to ask any questions you have. Cindy will be happy to answer. See you all tomorrow. Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
PRESENTING…
June 17, 2007 | Interviews
for a week of fun and information
Cindy will talk about life,
being a multi-published author,
and everything in between
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Gazing into the Crystal Ball
June 8, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Welcome back for our last day with the Amazing Gabrina. All set, Ms G?
GG: Go for it!
ST: What does the future hold for you?
GG: A whole lot of hustling! I have a lot of stories coming out this year, some fantasy, some mainstream, a vampire story, a women’s fic, and time travel/futuristic. I am trying to sate my own nerdome!
ST: If you had one wish that would be granted, what would it be?
GG: It actually wouldn’t be related to writing. Everyone who knows me has heard me harping on about animal rescue, so my wish would be to end the pet overpopulation problem and animal cruelty like dog fighting and such. By ending that, I think we could end a lot of horrible violence in the world. I just don’t talk about it, though. As I said earlier in the week I foster homeless animals and I also donate time and money into rescues. Violence toward animals usually leads to violence toward children and people, so by cracking down on the source cycles of violence could be ended.
My non-Miss America answer would be a trip to New Zealand to see where the Hobbits lived. See, I’m a nerd. But I’m a caring nerd!
ST: LOL. What’s in the works for the future?
GG: Tons! Bookmark my website and subscribe to my newsletter because I have a whole summer worth of giveaways and hot reads. This year I have books coming out every month from now pretty much through February by what it looks like, so by all means check it out. Next month SEX BETWEEN STRANGERS arrives and it’s one of my favorite stories, something completely different from what I’ve worked on in the past.
ST: Thanks, Gabrina, for spending so much time with us. It’s been a great week and I’ve enjoyed learning more about you. The very best to you in the future and keep us posted on your future releases.
GG: I’ll be happy to, Sloane. Thanks for having me come out and play.
ST: I’ll be back next week with a couple of blogs and the following week we have Cindy Spenser Pape as our guest. Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
Author, Author, Tell Us More
June 7, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Hi Everyone! Welcome back to learn more about the Amazing Gabrina Garza. All set, Ms G, for more questions?
GG: Absolutely. What do you want to know?
ST: Are there any quirks you have or do before or while you’re writing?
GG: Besides writing I’m addicted in the worst way possible to the internet. I read a quote on another writer’s website that said writing is “2% talent and 98% ignoring the internet”. That’s so true. I’m really bad with checking my email just in case there’s a life or death situation with one of my friends who just happened to be near a computer.
ST: Who or what encouraged you to write erotica?
GG: I sort of stumbled upon it after going to a conference. I’ve always been interested in romance and fantasy but didn’t realize that there were people who liked it as much as me. Adding some more spice was the icing on the naughty little cake.
ST: Who is your support group?
GG: Writing is such a solitary endeavor that I rely on only a handful of other fantastic writers and close friends. I’ve also learned the hard way that there are a lot of people who will say they are your friend and really aren’t. It makes me appreciate my good friends even more—and they know who they are.
ST: Please describe your writing space.
GG: It’s quite sorry, if you ask me. I have a laptop desk that looks like a garage sale reject and a chair I got on the cheap because it was out of style at the office store. There is no luxury suite for me! A lot of times I end up sitting in the recliner. Someday when I grow up I’m going to have my own office. Check back in about twenty years!
ST: What’s your favorite part of writing?
GG: Creating new people in different places and putting them through hell. It took me a long time to understand conflict in a story and why it was important, but now I love making my characters suffer.
ST: What do you absolutely hate about being an author?
GG: People who are jealous for absolutely no reason. I’ve been very fortunate and have had some fantastic authors help me, which makes me willing to try and help others when possible. Even though I’ve been writing for a long time, I just started in many ways, and I’ve seen a lot of the ugliness that comes out when stuff starts to happen and others decide you aren’t good enough or didn’t deserve it. I’ve spent the last ten years seriously writing and am now starting to see my name in print. I’m very proud to say I’ve fought tooth and nail for my contracts and seeing my stories out.
ST: Thanks for you frankness, Gabrina. You’re a dream to interview.
GG: My pleasure and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
ST: That’s it for today everyone. Come back Friday morning to hear more from Gabrina. Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
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The Write Side of Life
June 6, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Good morning, everyone. Last night Mandy and Elizabeth emailed me asking to see the Adeno cover. Never one to fail a friend or enjoy eye candy, I’ll post it now.
ST: Gabrina, please tell us what made you decide to be a writer?
GG: I don’t think you decide to be a writer, which might be cliché of me to say. It’s something I can’t stop doing, so in a way you could call me addicted to it. I spend hours a day writing and improving stories.
ST: How long do you write each day?
GG: This is sad…probably about ten hours. I seriously put all day into it and I don’t have a set schedule, so sometimes I’m starting at 7 in the morning, taking a few breaks, and still writing at midnight.
ST: Do you find writing to be fulfilling? And in what way?
GG: I don’t think I’d be happy not writing. All of my life I’ve been creating stories—fairly bad stories, mind you. It’s been a learning process all the way. People who don’t write probably don’t realize how much time and effort goes into creating a story that will take them an hour to finish.
ST: What’s a normal day like for you?
GG: Crazy! Along with writing I’m also a mom and I foster homeless dogs. There is always someone either crying, spilling something, chewing on stuff, or basically creating mass mayhem. Once I clean up after myself, I start writing.
ST: With your busy life how do you find time to write?
GG: Don’t tell anyone, but I’m secretly a cyborg.
ST: Where do you get the ideas for your novels?
GG: My sick, sick, twisted mind. I really love to be in a fantasy world where I don’t have to think about stuff like child molesters, kidnappers, killers, etc. I prefer the fun and entertainment of magic and manipulating a different world. Freud would say I like to be in charge!
ST: You’re too funny! Thanks for coming out again today and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. See you bright and early?
GG: I’ll be here and ready to go under the bright light again. lol.
ST: See you all in the morning. If you have any questions, feel free to post them. Gabrina is happy to answer. Until Thursday…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
Author Gabrina Garza Tells All
June 5, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Hi, Gabrina Garza, welcome and thank you for visiting with us this week. Tell us a about yourself.
GG: Well, I’ve been writing for a very long time, since I was around seven, which gives me about twenty-two years of experience. My first love is fantasy, so I write a lot of fantasy-inspired stories as well as some more modern-day chick-lit/women’s fic stuff. Most of my stuff is erotic in content.
I’ve got a very corny, sometime dirty, and definitely twisted sense of humor. If I haven’t misheard what my friends have said, I have a witty sense of humor, though the “w” might easily be replaced with an “s”.
ST: Your debut novel, HOT PHOENIX NIGHTS, released in May, looks to be a fun and hot read. Let’s show everyone your gorgeous cover.
ST: Please tell us about the book.
GG: It’s about a Latina music reviewer scorned by her cheating boyfriend who decides to have a fling while out of town. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with this hot, Navajo drummer named Crow, who sort of turns the tables on her in a very good way.
ST: How did you come up with the story line?
GG: I’d have to have you eliminated if I told you that. LOL It was actually a challenge offered up, which I accepted. It was a lot of fun to write, and I hope that people check out the preview to see for themselves.
ST: And where and can we buy HOT PHOENIX NIGHTS?
GG: The e-book is available only at Amber Heat . I also have an audio version available for 3 dollars plus a dollar for shipping. The audio book was recorded by Leesa Mitchell, an awesome radio deejay and fellow animal lover like me. You can contact me at Gabrina@aol.com if you’d like an audio copy autographed by me. They make great coasters.
ST: How did you and Amber Heat come together?
GG: Dinner, drinks, and suddenly I was feeling very loose. Just kidding. I was one of the 2007 winners for their Amber Heat contest, which led them into buying HOT PHOENIX NIGHTS for May and the contest winning story ADENO for June.
ST: Thanks for stopping by today, Gabrina. Will we see you in the morning?
GG: I’ll be here!
ST: Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
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Gazing into the Crystal Ball
May 25, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Hi Everyone! We’re here for our last day with Jennifer Loy so grab a cup of something good and join us. Good morning, JLo.
JL: Hello Sloane and World. Glad to be back.
ST: What does the future hold for you?
JL: I would hope a print book. LOL! To be able to have a tangible novel to present at a book signing would be nice. My romantic suspense series could be it. The characters are “addicting”, I’ve been told.
ST: If you had one wish that would be granted, what would it be?
JL: To write a screen-play and to have Hollywood make it into a movie. Hey, I can dream can’t I?
ST: How did you and Triskelion Publishing come together?
JL: When I moved to Las Vegas I decided to submit my work. I received four rejections and then Triskelion requested a full manuscript. Within 45 days I had a contract for RODEO DRIVE.
ST: What’s in the works for the future?
JL: I am going to continue with my romantic suspense series and try my hands at screen- writing. I have a few other novels in mind including a time-travel and another romantic comedy.
ST: Thanks, Jennifer, for spending so much time with us. It’s been a great week and I’ve enjoyed learning more about you. The very best to you in the sales for RODEO DRIVE releasing in August and keep us posted on your future books.
JL: Thank you so much for having me.
ST: Thank you all for being here today. If you have any questions or comments Jennifer will be around to answer you. See you next week. Until then…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
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The Soft Side of Jennifer Loy
May 24, 2007 | Interviews
ST: Hi again, we’re back with Jennifer Loy on this lovely spring morning. Shall we get right to it, JLo?
JL: I’m good to go.
ST: Please describe your writing space.
JL: LOL! My writing space consists of me in sweats and my glasses sitting in bed with a computer on my lap. When I join the living I put my contacts on and dress a lot better, I swear.
ST: What’s your favorite part of writing?
JL: Favorite part of writing is coming up with an idea and just writing it. The dialogue is my favorite. I also write in first person which makes it so much more personal to me. I really get into my book and put myself into the main character’s head that way.
ST: What do you absolutely hate about being an author?
JL: I hate waiting for responses on houses. I have to be the most impatient person ever and the waiting game sends me into fits. I have to send them out and practically forget about them. Then if I get a response I deal with it from there.
ST: Your website suits you and your novel. I recommend everyone cruise over to JLo’s site and check it out. How did you decide on the content and design?
JL: Well I tried to build my own website and failed miserably. Just before I threw my laptop out the second story window, Tracy L. Ranson offered to help me. She built the website for me and it looks great. Thanks again Tracy!
ST: You also have the Jennifer Loy-Extraordinary Romance Group that our readers should know about. Check out the site here. Tell us a little about your group.
JL: It’s a large group of people with a serious interest in romance books and consists of authors as well as readers. Weekly we have an author who is willing to post excerpts and talk about writing. The group is very interactive and a lot of fun. Everyone is welcome to take a peek and join.
ST: Thanks for coming out again today, JLo. See you in the morning?
JL: Definitely!
ST: Join us tomorrow when we learn what Jennifer Loy has instore for the future. Until tehn…
Happy Writing!
Sloane
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