Interview with Steve Moore

Why don't you tell us about your latest work?  My latest novel, Silicon Slummin’…and Just Gettin’ By, continues the story about Mary Jo Melendez, ex-USN Master-at-Arms.  After the events in Muddlin’ Through, where she beats the frame for the murder of her sister and brother-in-law, she heads west to find a job as security officer in a Silicon Valley firm.  She discovers she has a stalker; two different groups of agents are also pursuing her.   She hires a local PI to help with her own personal security and develops an emotional relationship with him.  An autistic boy who’s a computer guru also helps her.  Will she survive the attacks from three different parties?  That question makes this a mystery and suspense novel as well as a thriller.  (By the way, I’ll send a free copy of any book from my catlog in return for an honest review.) 

What inspired it?  At the time I finished writing Muddlin’ Through, my muses (AKA banshees with tasers) were already clamoring for a sequel.  Mary Jo told me she wanted to straighten out her life a wee bit too.  With the sequel, I satisfied the muses and placated Mary Jo, but only to the extent that she didn’t have to travel so much in this one.  She became very busy in California, though. 

That’s part of the inspiration.  The other part is more general: I like strong, smart women and love to feature them in my writing.  Mary Jo is Hispanic too, so both novels are a nod to those years I spent in Latin America, specifically Colombia.  The mystery, suspense, and thriller genres need to feature more Hispanics. 

Is there something you are currently working on?  I’m always writing, whether blog posts (op-ed about current events, book reviews, movie reviews, author interviews, and articles about the writing business), or storytelling.  For novels, More than Human: The Mensa Contagion, a sci-fi tale, is coming soon, and I have another novel for the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series,” Family Affairs, in the works (an expert can be found in The Collector, the last book in that series).   

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?  I’ve been collecting a list of what-ifs for years.  Most of my books deal with one or two social issues.  For example, The Collector treated sex trafficking and the exploitation of women and children for porn and prostitution.  If a reader is borrowed by these issues, I’m sorry, but they’re unfortunately part of modern life. 

I also celebrate diversity in my novels.  One thing I’ve learned from my travels is that most of us are more alike than different, but understanding and celebrating the differences can only lead to peace and understanding.  I’d like to see more of the latter, of course. 

Within these general parameters, there are specific themes on my list.  I won’t go into them in detail because that would be a bit of a spoiler, wouldn’t it?  I like to surprise my readers.  That’s part of entertaining them, my most important goal.  

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author?  That’s semantics.  I wrote my first novel the summer I turned thirteen.  At that point, I might have said I was an author, but it was terrible (the plot wasn’t bad, more or less reversing the gender roles in the film City of Angels).  I suppose after ten ebooks or so, I started calling myself an author.  Some people don’t want to do that until they have a NY Times bestseller, though. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do?  Music, forensics, genetics, math, physics, study religions of the world, scientific ethics…I’m a dabbler in ideas.  I read a lot too, and not just fiction.  An author should read a lot in her/his genre, of course, but also go beyond that to broaden her/his horizons.     

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you?  I have a contact page on my website, http://stevenmmoore.com.  I love to hear from readers and writers. 

Interview with Dylan Madeley

Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

My debut novel is called The Gift-Knight's Quest. It's a low-magic fantasy, sometimes labelled historical, though the world in which it's set is not our own (hence the need for a map). The plot follows a young woman who finds herself on a throne she was never really brought up to expect, that of the world's largest empire. Where her comfort zone might be in a library or just wandering the palace halls, now she has a huge burden of responsibility, this empire of Kensrik with its many enemies inside and out, and which is in political turmoil. As if that wasn't enough to cope with, enter the second main character, Derek, who gets summoned to Chandra's court in a manner that leaves him suspicious; his family was historically at odds with hers, so why would they request his services as a guard? What can he do about that, or what is he willing to do? The Gift-Knight's Quest is about the personal struggles of Derek and Chandra. It introduces these characters and what made them who they are, and also what made their world how it is by the time they have to decide each other's fate. Each character is briefly introduced in a pair of book trailers that I had produced for this novel. 

Derek's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2pmynBirXA 

Chandra's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijbjkukQTL8 

What inspired it? 

Coming up with a novel-length story was a personal challenge that I faced from 2006 onwards. Off the top of my head, I came up with two different story ideas. One was about a character making a lonely journey, battling with his thoughts, and not sure what he could expect upon arrival. The other was about a princess who had to solve the mysterious deaths that landed her on the throne, before the conspirators could correct their mistake. I didn't manage to get either idea past a couple of chapters. I resolved this by weaving these stories together, though they start as separate threads. So, by 2008, I participated in National Novel Writing Month and used that boost to finish a manuscript barely over fifty thousand words in length, which doesn't look much like The Gift-Knight's Quest today. Being a writer is a childhood dream, and this happened to be the story that worked for me. 

Is there something you are currently working on? 

I do keep writing one manuscript per year, and last November's work pertained to Derek's famous ancestor, Duke Lenn. I show some of Lenn's life in The Gift-Knight's Quest, but the story isn't really about him. Lenn is just this historical figure. I wanted to tell the rest of his story. In the meantime, I should probably get cracking on revisions for things I have already written! 

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?  

I have yet to write a story in a contemporary setting that actually works. Every time, it feels wrong and it is wrong. I may try again some day. 

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 

I feel like “author” is descriptive, something other people had to call me in order to validate it. I still think of myself as a writer, just having some fun, some frustration, grinding through the process, not really having achieved some form of recognition that would unanimously change what I'm called. I do see that people are more willing to refer to me as an author now that one of my books has an ISBN, but that can get fuzzy, too; traditionally published authors may view me differently because I fall into the self-pub category. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

I like to watch movies, both the mainstream type and ones with arty intentions. I like to take pictures at concerts when I'm allowed, and send the photos along so that the artists can approve and/or find a use for them. Though I'm not much of a gamer and don't have the skills, I like to keep up with the latest videogame releases via YouTube walkthroughs, and think about the plots, characterization, and the role of the gamer as both audience and participant in the unfolding drama. 

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 

My social media profiles are generally casual/personal at the moment, but I do maintain a Facebook page for The Gift-Knight's Quest. I am also on Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25413493-the-gift-knight-s-quest 

Author Interview: W Altshuler

Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

The book Nadia’s Heart, is from a series of books called the Evergreen series, and it’s really a stand alone story in itself.  It’s the fourth book, but the events happen further in the past.  It’s about a girl who perceives that her heart is missing.  The story is an allegory about what the heart symbolises beyond the limits of romantic love, how evil can overtake it, and what happens when our heart becomes joined to something greater. 

What inspired it? 

I was inspired by a few things.  It’s unfortunate that in our world, children are not exempt from suffering.  I saw this image of a young girl under the weight of immense suffering.  It sadded me, because we think of children’s hearts as in such a pure state, uncorrupted by and protected from the world.  It also fascinated me:  there was a glimpse of Nadia in that, and that was all that was needed. I had to ask who was I seeing, and the answer just tumbled out:  that it was a girl named Nadia who thought she had been born without a heart.  In many ways, it’s as if these characters already exist and just need an invitation to step out.  

For Georgeonus, I was exploring the idea of characters from different realms and how they interact. Nadia and Georgeonus are young, but they are destined to meet, so in many ways they are star crossed because they are from different worlds.  He has characteristics that we would typically associate with angelic: glowing eyes and communicating telepathically.  Georgeonus has a lineage - he is the prince of The Land of Silence and has a responsibility to his people.  Nadia takes on the role of servant girl, but as we get deeper into the story we realize she has been sent to the Land of Silence and has higher origins of her own. 

Writing, like inventions and music, comes from different places. Inspirations can trigger something dormant in you, or that you are tapping into from the collective.  In a way it is the same source, and you are always churning it through the machine that is you: through your experiences. 

Is there something you are currently working on? 

I’m working on the second part of Nadia’s Heart, and another book that comes after that, which goes deeper into the history of Nadia’s origins.  

At the beginning of Nadia’s Heart, there is a quote from a poem called ‘The Demon’.  It speaks to Nadia’s longing for, and eventual alienation from, her sense of home.  Once she gains her memory back, she only has more questions about where she comes from, and the answers speak to the fleeting nature of the things we are tied to on earth.   Even the place we call home on earth is temporary.   

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 

From a very young age I had an inner knowing that I was a writer.  I wrote and assembled books when I was little.  In my late twenties, I dedicated myself more to writing and started to produce a body of work.  That led to a commitment to learn the craft of writing and its structural elements, to finish works, to get feedback, and to employ the services of editors.  So those committments were an essential part of the process, but the knowing of being a writer was always there. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

I love stop motion animation - particularly the sets and puppet making, so I have been learning the process and the many, many hats involved.  I love animals, and have two rescue cats that are a happy—and at times entertaining—distraction.  I do a lot of walking, too.  It seems to go hand in hand with writing; it clears the head and gives you some distance on things.  What is that expression?  Solvitur ambulando.  It is solved by walking. Walking can help you to problem solve.  

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 

On Twitter, @SirTwoSays, and on Instagram: waltshuler.  

Interview With Sarah Cradit

Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

I’m always working on the latest book in Paranormal Southern Gothic series/saga, The House of Crimson & Clover. Currently, I’m working on the first and only erotic title in the series, which was inspired by a secret “club” that features into the broader series in a small way. 

What inspired it? 

I wanted to take something that already had some erotic undertones and explore the world in a broader way. I couldn’t do it within the main series, so this has allowed me to stretch my legs in this genre. 

Is there something you are currently working on? 

Other than The Menagerie, I’m also working on Volume 6 in the series, Myths of Midwinter, which will be released in the fall. 

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?  

Vampires. I did dip my toes in with a short story around my version of this race, but I’ve developed an entire history and mythos around it and so it’s just a matter of sitting down to work on some stories. 

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 

I think I’ve always called myself one; since I was seven, when I wrote my first short story. I started my first book at the age of eleven. The definition of an author is one who writes, and I’ve always written. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

It probably goes without saying that I love to read. But my biggest passion, outside of writing, is travel. I’ve visited over twenty countries and I make a point to visit one new one each year. If I wasn’t a fiction author, I’d love to be a travel blogger. 

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 

Here’s the Big  4: 

Official Website,  Facebook, Twitter, Amazon

Interview with Suzi Slade

Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

Narcissist is the epitome of sex, drugs and rock and roll.  It takes you head first, kicking and screaming, into the seedy underbelly of the British music industry in the nineties.  As a reader, you are treated to a first-hand view of inside the very twisted and controlling mind of a self-professed egotist and obsession with control that such a person exhibits.  The story itself is not for the feint hearted. 

What inspired it? 

I have always been an avid music fan and I particularly enjoy music by musicians who have something dark or sordid about them.  In my books, the more tumultuous the relationship between the band members, the better the tunes they produce.  I wanted, well needed to write something that would capture that, something that would draw the reader in and tear them to shreds as such bands are apt at doing to themselves.  

Is there something you are currently working on? 

I am working on something a bit different now.  I have set myself the challenge of writing a horror piece featuring zombies, no mean feat for me as I have an acute fear of the undead. 

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet? 

I would love to write a really grizzly steam punk piece but I just haven’t got around to it yet. 

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 

That is a hard one; I still don’t feel like the term author suits me.  I prefer to call myself a writer. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

Obviously, I enjoy reading about as a writer; the two go hand in hand.  I love gritty dark novels personally.  When I am not doing one of the two, I enjoy listening to music and singing or drawing and painting.  I like anything creative really. 

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 

Twitter, Facebook

Interview: David Swykert

Why don't you tell us about your latest work?  

In The Pool Boy’s Beatitude, Jack Joseph understands dark matter and the desire to find the God particle. What Jack doesn’t understand is Jack. He has a Masters degree in particle physics, an ex-wife, a sugar mama, a passion for cooking and chronic dependencies he needs to feed. He cleans pools to maintain this chaotic lifestyle. Spinning about in a Large Hadron Collider of his own making, facing a jail term, the particle known as Jack is about to collide with a particle known as Sarah. 

What inspired it?  

They say write what you know. I worked in law enforcement, I’ve known a lot of under the radar kind of people. And I know about addiction, and treatment, and in spite of being in law enforcement I have done a little jail, similar to Jack in my story. I’ve never cleaned swimming pools for a living, but I had a house in the suburbs at one time with a nice pool. So I know how to take care of one. And who doesn’t want to meet the love of your life, that one person that just stones you, as Sarah does to Jack Joseph in the story. 

Is there something you are currently working on?  

I’m about three-quarters of the way through a draft of a novel about an older woman who shoots a bounty hunter to protect an imaginary wolf she believes has returned from her youth to comfort her. It’s historical in setting, takes place in the 1940’s in Central Mine, Michigan, which was a ghost town when Maggie lived there and remains so to this day. 

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?   

Yes, a gun shy homicide detective who, even when he should, is reluctant to shoot a perpetrator. I sold a short story based on this character to Shooter Literary Magazine in the UK this winter, and it will be reprinted in Suspense Magazines upcoming summer issue. The success of “Gun Shy” as a short story has me thinking, in lieu of all the media notoriety about police shootings as of late, that perhaps this would be a good time to write a novel about a cop who hates shooting the bad guys.  

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author?  

I’ve always felt I could call myself an author. But officially, perhaps when I got the advance for Alpha Wolves, which is still available on Amazon and through my own website page.

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

I like to do a little hiking up on the Keweenaw Peninsula, and just sit out and look up at the stars down at this little tree house my girlfriend and I share near Elk Lake in Kentucky. 

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you?  

This is my website page, Facebook, Linked In, Amazon, Email

Interview with Julia Rose

Today I would like to welcome Julia Rose to the blog! Readers, she's going to talk a little bit about her work, and what she's working on next- have fun and let's get started!

Why don't you tell us about your latest work?

My latest work is a little series called “The Affair.” So far I have written three novellas in the series: Secret Affair, Forbidden Affair and Taboo Affair.

It features two adults who are faced with the realization that they aren’t receiving any intimacy in their respective marriages.  They turn to each other and… well… you can guess what happens.

What inspired it?

My own secret desires.  Marriage is tough!  Being married to someone who has changed so much throughout your relationship is even tougher.  Some days I just wish I could run away with someone else.  That, of course, wouldn’t happen.  I love my husband very much!

Is there something you are currently working on?

Well, ha! I just finished up a little short story featuring a chef and a rather -dominating- female food critic.  It’s titled, Punishing the Chef, and it is another novella featuring my male sous chef, Rob Dresden, who my readers met in the novella, “Order Up.”

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?

Definitely!  I’d like to experiment with writing an adult breastfeeding novella, more sci-fi, monster erotica that has a really dark undertone, and maybe, just maybe some more group sex stories.  There are so many topics to choose from in erotica, the possibilities are endless! 

I’ve only started writing erotica for publishing recently.  Prior to writing novellas I would role play online and things can get pretty steamy there.  I have also written little sexy stories for lovers in the past.  It’s something that I’ve been doing since I was young and I enjoy making other people feel pleasure with the written word.

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author?

I still don’t feel like I can call myself an author! Especially since my genre of choice is erotica.  I’m not exactly screaming my occupation from the rooftops. (What would my Christian neighbors think?)

But I think the defining moment for me was when I finished up my first actual book (published under another pen name).  Holding a physical copy of something you wrote that came straight from a printing press is spirit lifting. 

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do?

Other than writing I’m kind of a TV junkie, a dance-a-holic, a wannabe health nut who likes to grow her own veggies (or tries to anyway) and a karaoke queen.

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you?

Absolutely! 

My blog is http://juliarosebooks.wordpress.com/

You can tweet to me at http://www.twitter.com/EroticaRose

You can also find me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1031948.Julia_Rose

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog Julia! 

Interview: Sandra Lopez

Today I am so pleased to welcome author Sandra Lopez to the blog! I just finished reading her book and will be posting the review this Friday so be sure to check it out- you never know, it might be your next great read! 

Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

A: Beyond the Gardens is a story of a young Latina venturing out on her own for the first time. She’s always wanted to go to college and now she’s getting the opportunity to find out what she’s made of, what she can accomplish, and what’s she’s been missing out on. Ever since she grew up in the small barrio of Hawaiian Gardens, she’s always wondered what was beyond the life she’s known. Is it love, life, a future? 

What inspired it? 

A: Story was inspired by my own college experience and it’s one that I’ve always wanted to share with today’s youth.  

Is there something you are currently working on? 

A: I just finished a draft for a collection of short stories. We’ll see if any of them get turned into a novel.  

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?  

A: Not that I know of, but, hey, we’re still early in the year.  

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 

A: I feel like I’ve always been a writer. I feel like it’s been there growing up, relishing in every book I could get my hands on. When I wrote essays in school, the story-teller in me naturally came out. I considered myself an author when my first novel was accepted for publication WHILE I was still in college.  

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do? 

A: Reading, of course! I also like to draw, listen to music, and travel as much as I can.  

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 

A: Yes, you can reach out to me in any of the following ways: 

www.sandra-lopez.com  

http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Lopez/173657042664609 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1656820.Sandra_C_Lopez 

Interview with Jen Winters

<B>Why don't you tell us about your latest work?</B>
Kissing Demons is a paranormal romance that reads like an Urban Fantasy.
Here’s the blurb:
<I>Guardian Geneva Archer might be more infamous than famous among the supernaturals in Ft. Worth, but when a sexy werewolf enters her territory, she finds herself face to face with her worst fear: save humanity or save her soulmate? After 800 years of guarding humanity from the things that make your hair stand on end in the dead of night, Geneva Archer is given a two-week vacation to work out her feelings of loneliness and refresh her spirit. With time on her hands, she goes to her favorite club: a place for supernaturals to gather without worrying about human interference. While there, she meets Alex, a compelling werewolf with a demonic side. But instead of blasting him back to hell like her instincts would normally tell her to do, Geneva falls head over heels. For Alex, Geneva is an answer to prayer. She can free him from the most notorious demon walking the earth—his father. Yuruch isn’t interested in his offspring’s life, just his body—the perfect body for a demon to inhabit. With Alex’s body and powers, Yuruch will become nearly invincible, able to wreak his hellish destruction on humanity from an impenetrable fortress. In order to get his hands on Alex, Yuruch kidnaps one of Geneva’s sisters, luring both her and Alex into an ambush. After the botched rescue mission, Alex is possessed by Yuruch, leaving Geneva with a dead sister, a destroyed city and no way to get her soulmate back without giving Yuruch everything he desires. Can Geneva figure out a way to defeat Yuruch and save Alex without sacrificing the very best of humanity in the process? Does she even want to?</i>


<B>What inspired it?</B>
I’ll tell you the tale of my woes…
My first husband left me with our 8 month old, stranded 800 miles from home. At least he had the decency to leave me with my parents. I honestly had zero marketable skills, but I was a decent writer, even been published an academic journal. I love paranormal romance and decided I could write one and maybe pull myself up out the gutter he’d left me in.

The Guardians came out of a choice to write a specific genre. I created my world through a lot of research and basic knowledge about ancient near eastern mythology. After three very rough drafts of Kissing Demons I finally, five years later, had a product I felt comfortable selling.

Is there something you are currently working on?
I am currently working on the second Guardian book, Falling Angels.


<B>Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?</b>I’m trying to get ready to write a story with my BFF. She recently told me that she wanted to write with me again, and I agreed we should. She is currently in the process of independently publishing using a small press publisher, but once she has that under control, we are going to put our pen to New Adult and try something different for the both of us.


<B>When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author?</B>
That moment when my book was finally up on Amazon for sale. I sold copies to friends and family immediately and worked my marketing so that fairly quickly I was selling to strangers too.


<B>Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do?</b>
I am an avid reader, and I enjoy marathoning Netflix series. I spend a lot of time with my kids, being a homeschool teacher-mom, and we go to the zoo on Fridays during the nice weather as our Friday field trip. I am working on a king-sized afghan, and I participate in my mother’s quilting obsession as a supportive daughter and pattern *expert*. I actively participate in Girl Scouts and plan to add Boy Scouts as soon as my son is in Kindergarten.


<B>Are there any websites where readers can connect with you?</b>
Well, I am everywhere so you can find me on Google,Wordpress, Twitter, Goodreads, Blogger , Amazon, Ebook Universe &Facebook


Thank you so much for stopping by Jen and to anyone reading this: This is actually a special occation! It's Jen's birthday today! Make sure you go like her author pages and send your birthday wishes.
Once you have, come back and comment here. You will be entered in a draw to win a copy of Jen's book!
good luck everyone!

Interview with Tara Dobbs

Today we've got another interview! 

Welcome Tara! Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 

This first novel, in a series of four, is titled Soul's Little Lie. (Mind, the name 'Ynycornus' is pronounced 'unicornus' the Latin spelling for unicorn, the 'y' acts as a 'u', I know, cheesy kind of, but it works.
Here's the summary:
Vivian Warren is trying to make the best of her marriage even with a husband who ignores her when she needs him most. To calm her worries, she works meditative magic and prayers to give her strength. In the process of such a spell, she is confronted with an unexpected reality – her spirit guide comes knocking at her front door.
As friendly and helpful as her spirit guide is to her, she discovers a deep anguish in the man whom calls himself Ynycornus. To find the answers they both seek, Ynycornus takes Vivian on a road trip cross country to his home in Lowell, Massachusetts. Along the way, a past friend of Ynycornus' is out to get revenge. All the while, Detective Jacob Umari sees a missing person's report of Vivian, finding a connection between her and a mysterious man named David Geraci dealing with an old case file from decades past.
All parties involved are in for a wild ride when all comes to a head. Death knocking at the door of the Geraci Mansion. A haunting of old history and a young woman's faith still in herself to save both crippled souls into the next life. Even if it means she must die in the process, or has she already been dead this whole time?

What inspired it?
My real life problems of a broken down marriage and the psychosis of my mind trying to come to terms with an abusive husband.

Is there something you are currently working on? 

The second book in the series: Soul's Little Lie: Broken Roses. I'm currently on chapter 4. Been working on it since July 2014. I'd love to tell you some of what this story is about, but I'd rather save that for another day when I've gotten most of the first draft finished. Don't worry, the whole story has been well thought out if I ever have to tell about it on the fly.

Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?
After these semi-serious pieces I'd want to write a romance comedy. From my research I've discovered it's much more difficult to write a comedy cause there is a formula to it that I haven't read in any fictions yet. Right now I'm sticking with fiction that deals with PTSD, psychosis, dreaming and the after life.

When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author?
When I signed the contact to get the first book published with Rebel Ink Press.

What made you decide to submit your writing to a publisher? Was it scary the first time?
I had believed throughout my research and from what people had always seemed to say - find an agent that can get you a publisher. I believed this completely. Then my friend Robert and I were talking about books that we liked and our favorite authors. He said, "I know an author. She's my friend on Facebook. Her name is Eden Glenn. I think you'd like her. She could help you if you just friend her and ask some questions." I was reluctant to do so. I thought it was silly to 'get connections' like this. I believed it was all done by agents. That I would have to pay money to an agent to get my work published. I waited for nearly two days before I got up the courage to friend her, to talk to her. When I did, it only took a few hours talk and she contacted the Editor in Chief of Rebel Ink Press to look forward to the book coming her way. Eden said, "Okay, it's your turn. Send it in and keep me informed." Sure enough, sent it in and it was at the top of the list for future publications. Now, here I am! My writing career has started.
But get this...when I was still married at the time back in summer 2011, I went to Emerald Comic Con in Seattle, WA with a friend and my husband. I saw Rebel Ink Press' booth there. My husband said, "Why don't you get some info with them about how to get published?" I replied, "Nah. The first draft isn't done yet. I have to edit it first before I do anything." He added, "You could just get some info on their company at least." I commented, "It's not time yet. I'll look them up when the time is right."..... Little did I know that I would come across Rebel Ink Press in such a beautiful way through a friend a few years later.

Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do?
Draw and paint concept art and illustrations for my novels. Drawing the characters gives me a more physical concept that I can hold onto. A way to get a better feel for the presence of their fears, pains, joys and loves. I do costume design and set design for the scenes in case I need extra help with the story. I have pages of drawings of floor plans and characters. Never underestimate photographs to help figure out what a scene kind of looks like to help you along in the writing process. Visual aids are a must for me. I also enjoy taking walks around town when I need to take a break from writing. It helps reform the chapters I'm working on. I also listen to music quite heavily that also helps with my writing to get that special feeling of the scene.

Are there any websites where readers can connect with you?
Author Facebook page Author Site Twitter

Interview with Joanne C. Berroa

Today, we've got an interview! This is super exciting for me, because not only do I love author interviews but I love pirates! So, let's just right in here!

Welcome Joanne! Why don't you tell us about your latest work? 
Hi! My latest romance is Rapture on the High Seas and it was released on 12/10/14 by Rebel Ink Press. It’s a contemporary romantic suspense novel about the daughter of a billionaire banker and a Somali pirate leader.
What inspired it? 
While eating pizza at Pizza Hut one day, my son and I were talking about my novels. He said I should do a contemporary romance about a woman who is captured by modern day pirates. We brainstormed while we waited for our pie to be cooked and my son jotted our thoughts down on a table napkin. When I came home, I wrote a quick outline and the story of Rapture on the High Seas was born.
Is there something you are currently working on?
Yes, I’m working on a sequel to the popular The Diamond Cross. The original story of Hungarian immigrants ends with the marriage of the hero and heroine, and the sequel picks up their story seven years later. It’s entitled The Diamond Legacy.
Is there a topic you would like to write about but haven't gotten around to yet?
I have an outline already done for another romance. It’s a romance/mystery and I can’t wait to get started on it. It’ll have a surprise ending that no one expects!
When did you finally feel like you could call yourself an author? 
I’ve been writing since I was seven years old. Back then I wrote short stories dealing with space travel and science fiction. At nineteen, I wrote my first romance novel. I was published by traditional publishers back in the early 80’s. My first published novel was entitled The Barbary Coasters and was under the pseudonym Lee Davis Willoughby. Later, Rebel Ink Press released five novels under my own name.
What made you decide to submit your writing to a publisher? Was it scary the first time? 
I was married to a published author and he put in a good word for me with his agent. She submitted my works to publishers and I got my first offer in 1982. Yes, it was scary, but I had my husband to help guide me every step of the way.
Other than writing, what are your favorite things to do?
I’ve been a piano teacher for 38 years. I have my music and lots of crafty things to keep me busy. I also love shopping for bargains at thrift stores.
Are there any websites where readers can connect with you? 
www.joannecberroa.blogspot.com
www.joannecberroa.wordpress.com


Rapture on the High Seas: Joanne C. Berroa, release date 12/10/14.

Blurb:
Laurel Vanderman Delacroix is the daughter of billionaire Victor Vanderman, owner and CEO of multi-national World One Bank. Although Laurel has a high level job within the family business, her life is unfulfilled, and she takes an extended African vacation with friends aboard her multi-million dollar yacht. She never expects to be hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, some three hundred miles out in International waters off the coast of Tanzania. She has no way of knowing that this is no random act of piracy. Someone who wants to bankrupt her father set the hijacking in motion, and the perpetrator doesn’t care what happens to Laurel and her friends in the process.
The Somali pirate leader who captures Laurel and her friends aboard Bubbles is extremely competent and dangerous, which makes him a force to be reckoned with. He’s also an astute businessman with millions in his Swiss bank account. Will this Somali pirate carry out his mission and put Laurel’s and her friends’ lives on the line, or does he subscribe to another agenda? Will he capture Laurel’s heart along with his ransom demands, or completely destroy it?
My Somali Pirate is a contemporary story of danger, intrigue and betrayal. Above all else, it’s a sensual tale of love that’ll leave you feeling warm all over and believing that nothing is ever as it seems.

Excerpt:
His scowl made her heart hammer and he crossed the distance between them with panther-like grace. Before she could blink, a six inch blade materialized in his right hand and with a flash, he yanked the sheet away from her and slashed the scanty material at the center of her bra, severing it. Rendered with precision and skill, she felt no pain and the knife drew no blood, but the bra fell open, exposing Laurel’s upturned breasts to his lascivious gaze. She gasped. The haughty pirate touched the tip of the knife to his lips and licked it as though it had just sliced through a savory steak. His face harbored a smug smile. “That could’ve been your throat, Mrs. Delacroix. Luckily I was aiming a bit lower.”
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