Indie Romance Convention Author Interview with Lori Brighton

Please welcome Lori Brighton!

~Tell us a bit about yourself

Well, I went to college to become an archaeologist. I’d seen Indiana Jones a few too many times but I realized pretty quickly it was a bit less adventurous than the movies made it seem; it’s more digging in the dirt than being chased by giant boulders. After college I landed a job as a natural science curator. I loved my job, but I’d always had a huge imagination and it just wasn’t fulfilling that aspect of my personality. So…I decided to try and write a romance! Seven long years later (and lots and lots of rejections), I sold two books to Kensington. The pay was crap, and they didn’t recontract me but fortunately self-publishing took off around this time. Now I can say I actually have a career as a writer, which honestly at times I never thought I’d be able to say! I love being able to tell my son that if you work hard and never give up, you can have the life you want!

~Who or what is your writing muse? And what is your favorite environment to write in or conditions?

Well, when I was sixteen I first discovered romance novels. It was a Julie Garwood historical called Guardian Angel. When I read that book I was in awe, I’d never read anything like it! So much romance, love, emotion and adventure! So, I guess you could say her historical romances are what made me want to start writing later in life, and they are definitely still my favorites. Good books are definitely my muse! As for where I write…I’m usually on my couch, but I have a beautiful, wonderful office that I’ve finally finished decorating, so I’m sure I’ll be there much more often. 

~Who or what genre do you enjoy reading?

I’ll read any type of romance or young adult. Like my movies, I like romance and adventure and a happily ever after. Honestly, I don’t have much time to read but when I do, I’m usually reading self-help books! Makes me sound like a nutcase, but I’m addicted to them! I wonder if there’s a book for that…

~What are you working on right now?

A lot! I’m the sort of author who works on multiple books at once. If I get bored, or stuck, I switch to another! But at this exact moment I’m frantically trying to get my next historical romance for Amazon Montlake done…To Please a Lady; book 3 in my Seduction Series. I’m working on a short story to go with my self-published series, The Mind Readers. I’ve got two other paranormal young adult books in the work, as well as a young adult romance (no paranormal). And yes, I’m hoping to get them all out in 2013! Okay, maybe I am a nutcase.

Fun Questions:

Fave Band or singer: I don’t think I have a favorite. I’ll listen to anything from Tom Petty, to Enya, to Classical, to The Lumineers. My husband has Satellite Radio in his car and my favorite station is called Coffee House, so I suppose I tend toward Indie bands.

Dog or Cat: Honestly the best pet I’ve ever had was our dog who died last year L But if I had to choose, it would be cats! Cats leave you alone! They do their own thing, which I appreciate.

Leather or Denim: The idea of leather sounds sexy, but honestly denim.

Heels or Flip Flops: Well, again I like the idea of heels, but let’s face it, I’m in my PJ’s most days so it’s Flip Flops for me.

Wine or Beer: Neither! I hate the taste of alcohol! I love pop (as we call it from the area in the Midwest where I’m from) but I’m trying not to drink it as it’s so bad for the body!

Mountain Top or Ocean Side: I love all nature! But definitely ocean! I love the mystery of the beach. You don’t know what you’ll see or find. In fact, we’re trying to move toward the beach now! Fingers crossed someday soon!

Boxer, breifs, or commando for your hero: Boxer-briefs!

Thanks so much for having me!

For more on Lori Brighton and her books please visit her site at : http://www.loribrighton.com/

Indie Romance Convention Spotlight with Author Danielle Blanchard Benson

Death Wish (The Vamp Saga #1)

A Beautiful Half-Breed Manon has always walked between two worlds. By rights, she shouldn’t exist – daughter of a witch and an ancient vampire, she is neither fully human nor truly immortal. Inside the casino she’s just a pretty face, a sweet temptation dealing out cards. Then one hot Vegas night, a different sort of gambler comes her way. A Man Like No Other Mikkel is as cold as he is handsome. Blond-haired and blue-eyed, Mikkel is a vampire who can enthrall almost any female. Long ago he gave up on love, telling himself nothing mattered but wealth and power. Now he has money in abundance, but true power? For that, he’ll have to gamble his heart. A Dangerous Bet Manon cannot fight her attraction to Mikkel. He excites her, frightens her, making her doubt everything, even herself. Does he want her for herself, or just for her unique blood? Can a vampire like Mikkel ever truly love?

 

 

Better off Dead (The Vamp Saga #2)

 

The International Vampire Council are in the middle of intense negotiations with the Global Six when a mysterious plot is revealed to end Manon's life and thinly veiled lies Mikkel has told his wife will be exposed once and for all.

Manon is sent into hiding with Emmerik as her protector while a deal can be negotiated to spare her life.

As the clock ticks toward a catastrophic outbreak of new virus which seeks to destroy not only the Lycan population but millions of humans along with it, two ancient vampires return prematurely from their time in the ground, and their mood is less than receptive.

What will happen? Who will live? Who will face betrayal? Who will die? Sometimes, the most devastating secrets are better off dead and buried

See more of Danielle Blanchard Benson at her website at http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

Indie Romance Convention Author Spotlight and Interview with Candice Stauffer

Please welcome author Candice Stauffer!

I live in Zeeland, Michigan, where half the year is winter and the other, much shorter half, is summer. It’s a wonderful place to live as long as you own a four-wheel drive vehicle and happen to get a kick out of measuring the snowfall in feet rather than inches.

I write paranormal romance because I love to explore and manipulate the limitless possibilities of the genre. To be completely honest, I’m also very fond of taking a totally hot, powerful, immortal hero and using a strong, confident, beautiful heroine to turn his world upside down and make him fight like hell for a victory that seems impossible to achieve. Some might call it torture. I call it entertainment and character building. Regardless, it’s great fun!

I have a strong aversion for helpless heroines. Though she’s afraid, a heroine must always be willing to fight like hell—and, yes, even if the fighting is against the hero. I’m not sure why, but I tend to really enjoy it when the heroine fights against the hero. Putting a hero through the wringer builds personality, right?

Who or what is your writing muse?

That’s easy. The Phantom of the Opera. Everyone knows he should’ve got the girl. What the hell was Christine thinking when she ran off with a dim-witted jerk willing to use her as bait on stage? Hello! Wake up, Christine! The phantom wouldn’t have put your life on the line to string up Mr. Stupid Stinky Sissy in his magical lasso. Sorry for the rant. I could go on and on. It’s a subject I’m very passionate about. Why? I’m not really sure. It could possibly have something to do with the fact that Gerard Butler played the role of the phantom.  J      

What is your fave environment or conditions to write?

Alone. I get too distracted too easily when people are around. I suffer from an extremely short attention span.

Who or what do you enjoy reading?

I read any paranormal romance as long as the hero is a tall, dark and sexy chest beating alpha. He needs be ready, able and willing to use his scrumptious masculine attributes to tantalize and please me. Oops. I mean the heroine. I would never entertain fantasies about the hero tantalizing or pleasing me. Okay. That’s a big fat lie. I do it all the time. Who doesn’t?

What are you working on now?

I’ve two series I’m currently working on. In my Breath of Darkness series demon/dragon shifters are the main characters and vampires and werewolves are secondary characters. In my Decadent series vampires and werewolves are the main characters and demon/dragon shifters are secondary characters.

Fun Q's

Fave band?  I don’t have a favorite band. I don’t even have a favorite type of music. What I listen to depends on my mood. ‘Am I torturing a hero, plotting to kill someone or working on a hot and naughty sex scene?’

Dog or cats? I’m a dog person. I love cats, but I’m severely allergic to them.

Denim or Leather? Denim and leather. A girl can’t have one without the other.

Heels or flip flops? Heels. I’ve a nice collection of them, but since I live in Michigan ‘The Land of Everlasting Snow’ I end up having to wear big bulky snow boots most of the time.

Wine or beer? Neither. It takes whiskey to make this girl frisky. And rum. I like rum. And tequila. Tequila is good.

Mountains or ocean? The mountains. I don’t like sharks. As a child I was deeply traumatized by images of Jaws stalking and killing people in the ocean. Yes. I know Bigfoot is also big and scary, but he’s a solitary creature. I’ve done the math. I figure my chances of going for a stroll in the mountains and being eaten by Bigfoot are much less likely than going for a swim in the ocean and being eaten by Jaws. Why? Jaws is quite obsessive when it comes to hunting people down for dinner. Besides taunting us with occasional footprints in the mud, Bigfoot tends to keeps his distance from humans to prevent us from gaining solid proof of his existence. I figure it’s either that or he’s secretly filming a reality show about humans attempting to prove he’s real. I can almost imagine him sitting back in the bushes and having a good laugh. And hey, Bigfoot, if you’re reading this I would like to offer a suggestion: Just once, for a little dramatic boom, sneak up behind one of the hunters and poke him or her in the ribs.   

Boxers, briefs or commando for your hero? Commando! Life sure does have a way of being incredibly disheartening for us heathen savages. I would love to force him to run around and slay evil forces of darkness in his Birthday suite 24/7 to better entertain me with his big and yummy muscular contours. But I don’t. Once in a while, as seldom as possible, I dress him. Why? It’s my attempt to be a little well-mannered. I’ve been told in a civilized society making him constantly run around in the buff for my pleasure would be impolite.  J    

Will Caylee's salvation come from the solitude of the cold, dark grave or from the sinful delights of surrendering her body and soul to the seduction of a wickedly sexy, dark and dangerous, powerful immortal?

From the beginning of time, Haden's kind has fought to stop the deadliest forces of darkness from destroying mankind. He has never feared defeat until now. He would sacrifice anything, even his life, to protect Caylee. But despite possessing the dragon's fierce nature and power, there's little hope he'll save her from a lust-crazed vampire that a rogue demon is aiding. Instead of completing the ancient ritual that'll give his eternal breath to her and bind their souls together for eternity, will Haden be forced to kill Caylee to prevent her from suffering a never-ending thirst for blood?

Indie Romance Convention Spotlight with Author Leia Shaw

Tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer.
The first romance book I ever read was Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other.  Shortly after that, I devoured her Immortals After Dark series.  I fell in love with paranormal romance - the sexy alpha males, the magic, the darkness.  I had a very vivid dream about a sorceress who didn't know she was a sorceress and when I woke up, I thought, that would make a great book.

I've always been a writer, even before I did it as a career so it wasn't a big stretch for me to believe I could write a book.  About six  months after that dream, I had completed Destiny Divided.  What started as one book has since turned into a seven book series.  One thru four are completed and available now.  Book five is coming this summer.

I live in New England with my husband and two feisty kids who inspire me to keep my sense of humor every day.

What type of romance do you write and why?
My Shadows of Destiny series is paranormal romance.  I'm a little bit like a child in that magic and superpowers and mystical creatures make me jump up and down clapping.  But I love writing kick-ass heroines and alpha heroes who challenge each other and ultimately grow to love each other.

I like my characters to struggle with the same issues we do as people - trust, hope, fear, intimacy.  I hope my books send a powerful message to readers all while keeping you entertained with a hefty dose of humor and, of course, hot sex scenes!

What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm finishing up the third book in my BDSM erotic menage romance series, Badass Brats.  The Dom with the Perfect Brats releases May 10th and I'm so excited about this growing series.  It's definitely different than my PNR - not only because it's co-authored by Cari Silverwood and Sorcha Black - but the tone is different, the setting, the focus, everything.  But what you can expect is a lot of humor, genuine authentic emotions, and definitely lots of hot sex! Lol.

Who would you pick if you could have "Breakfast With the Author"?
Hmmm.  That's a hard one!  Well, since Kresley Cole started me on this journey, I'd pick her.  And ask her why she hasn't written Lanthe and Thronos' book yet!  Lol.

Just for fun - which do you prefer:
Cats or dogs?
Definitely dogs.
Wake up early or stay up late?
I'm fresher in the morning though I do like sleeping in.
Blonds or brunettes?
I've been both and like being brunette better.  For men, brunette because that's what my husband is ;)
Hot weather or cold?
Uhh, can't I pick medium.  Fall is my favorite time of year.

Blurb: The Dom with the Perfect Brats

Godfrey Cross is a big, tattooed Dom with no tolerance for brats.  But when he meets two mouthy vanilla girls, he begins to see their charm.

Gemmz and Izzy seem more into each other than into him and he wonders if he's wasting he time.  Yet despite the clash between his strict version of BDSM and their rebellious natures, he finds himself growing to love them.

When his need for control tears their relationship apart, they must learn to compromise or they will lose each other.  People may not be perfect, but could these two be perfect for him?

Excerpt from The Domm with the Perfect Brats

"You're lucky I went easy on you for punishment tonight.  You're in training.  I shouldn't have let you come after strapping you."  He moved he had to her ass and she winced.  "Next time I'll go harder.  You enjoyed that too much."

"Did not."

He arched a brow in the Domly look she was getting to know.  "Don't lie to me, girl."

"Okay.  Fine.  I liked it.  But is that so bad?  We're having fun, aren't we?"  His lips were so tempting, she reached up and ran her thumb along the bottom one.  "Isn't that good enough for you?"

He took her wrist in his hand and held it firmly, as if it added to his point.  "No.  Having fun is not enough  When I own a sub, I want everything."

If you want to see more about Leia or follow what she's up to, then check her out on the web:

Leia's website:  http://www.leiashaw.com/

Indie Romance Convention Spotlight with Author Donna McDonald

Tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer.

I have always been a writer.  I just haven't always written for myself or written what I wanted to write.  I started that in 2011 when I put up the first two books in the Never Too Late Series and this began my romance writing career.  I surprised myself last year when I finished my first Scifi/Fantasy romance in the Forced to Serve series.  Initially I was inspired by the need to tell stories.  Now I'm inspired by the readers who write to me after they read one of my books.  I love hearing that I made readers laugh or cry or get excited over a plot.  This is the best job I have ever had.

What type of romance do you write and why?

I write contemporary romances or what I usually describe as "romantic comedies".  They are humorous and not exactly mainstream with their older characters.  Those meet one need.  But I also write SciFi, Fantasy, and Paranormal romance.  I get to experiment, write fight scenes, and generally play with the fantastic versus the realistic.  I find I need both to be a happy author.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a Contemporary called "Covered in Paint" which is Book 5 of the Art Of Love series  I'm also working on "The Demon's Change" which is Book 5 of the Forced to Serve series.  Writing is going more slowly for me this year, but I hope to finish both these by the beginning of summer.

Who would you pick if you could have "Breakfast With the Author"?

Wow.  Tough question.  At this time, I would pick Eve Langlais or Evangeline Anderson probably.  They both write their SciFi/Fantasy romances a bit more erotically than I do and I love their aliens.  I'd love to hear how they came up with their alien story lines.  Creating a entire make-believe world is not easy.  Incredibly fun maybe, but not easy.  I have great admiration for those who do it.

Just for fun - which do you prefer:
Cats or dogs?
I am a dog person and prefer big breeds.
Wake up early or stay up late?
I am a night person, but often wish I was a morning person.
Blonds or brunettes?
For what? Hmmm...can I say both?
Hot weather or cold?
Hot weather, I hate the cold

Donna's book, The Demon of Synar is currently free at ebook retailers.

Blurb for The Demon of Synar: Forced to Serve Book One

Being captain of his own rescue ship is the kind of life Captain Liam Synar always dreamed of living.  Being a master of his family's hereditary demon was never in his plans because his brother had been trained for the purpose.  Yet what choice did his father have when Conor's evil came to light?  Reluctant or not, Liam is the only Synar left to rule Malachi.  Now his exiled brother hunts him to capture the demon while Liam stays on the run and saves Peace Alliance ambassadors in his spare time.  As if that isn't enough trouble to handle, his mate, Ambassador Ania Looren, now unknowingly hosts his family's demon inside her body.  Liam sent Malachi there to save her life after Conor's men almost killed her.  And though Liam hadn't wanted to, there had been no choice but to abandon her two years ago.  His plan of keeping both her and the demon safe from Conor had worked, but his success at hiding what he'd done has finally reached an end.  His next rescue has to be his estranged mate before Conor finally figures out the truth.

After accepting only one mate in her long life, Ambassador Ania Looren is now wishing the number had remained at zero forever.  Mating Captain Liam Synar is turning out to be the worst mistake she ever made.  Something happened after Liam abandoned her, something more than just the pain of losing her chosen male from her life.  Something about his absence has stripped away the peaceful enlightenment she struggled years to achieve.  Now she can't meditate, can't pray, and her compassion of other creatures seems to be dying.  She is becoming again the kind of person she's spent her existence trying not to be.  On top of that, she's been accused of murdering three males who attacked her and her family  She doesn't even remember what happened that day.  Now Liam is back and demanding she go with him to his ship.  What choice does she have?  Ania reluctantly agrees because it's a better fate than being arrested and put through social reconditioning on her planet.  The half life she's been living for two years is no more worth keeping that her mating commitment to a male who obviously hadn't wanted her after all.

Exerpt:

“Did my brother Conor send you to kill me?” Synar demanded. “I warn you, your death means nothing to me now, so you might as well try to redeem yourself before the Creators receive you.”

“Yes. Conor sent us. He wants you and the demon. He said to take you alive, but kill everyone else that got in our way. The stun was meant only to wound, not to kill you. I swear it.”

“If my mate dies, you will die. If she lives, you will take a message back to my brother and tell him that killing Malachi’s host bodies won’t gain him anything. Your inept group left plenty more bodies for the demon to inhabit.”

Synar turned from the nodding male to look at Dorian. “Take this coward out of my sight and send medical help to look after Ania.”

“Indeed,” Dorian said, grabbing the male by his arm and dragging him out of the room.

Synar went back to his mate, kneeling down to cradle her again. “Ania? Can you hear me?”

“I don’t know why I did not see this coming, Liam. I’m sorry. I guess all I could think about today was you.” Ania tried to reassure her worried mate with a smile, but her eyes closed and the blackness she drifted in claimed her once more.

“Malachi, come out now and do no harm,” Synar called, his voice heavy. In his concern for Ania’s impending death, he forgot not to speak. Despite his natural Norblade calm, the pressure inside him to scream was barely restrained. He couldn’t let Ania die when he had the power to stop it from happening. He just couldn’t.

“Damn me if you must—but I don’t care if this is right or wrong,” Synar said, sending the words to the Creators of All. He looked then at the demon mist floating in front of him. For a single moment he paused, but when he finally spoke, all hesitation was gone. “Malachi. Demon of Synar. Enter this female’s body and lend her your life. Ania Looren is your new host.”

But Liam—you can’t mean to put me in a female. Malachi’s vibrations wavered as he protested the gender with both disdain—and shock.

“You will go into the host body I have chosen and do all I ask. You will repair Ania’s physical form and take no more from her than what is necessary for your survival. She is never to know you inhabit her. She is to remain just as she was before you,” Synar ordered. “Enter the female and heal her. I am your master. As I command, you will obey.”

This is a mistake, Liam, Malachi chastised. I am to be put into warriors and used to fight evil armies. Why do you dishonor the sacred contract? There is no redemption for me in this enlightened female.

“It’s either go into Ania Looren, or into the amulet, demon. If Ania dies, I will lock you away and drop the amulet into the volcanoes on Terris One. Your spirit will not die, but you will never live in a host again either. You can truly spend eternity in a fiery pit like many beings fear doing.”

Malachi hovered, flexed, but finally acquiesced. His tie to the Synar family exceeded his power to deny his current master. Cursing the Creators of All once more, he resigned himself to a dreary existence in the female for a while. He pulled his mist form together more tightly. I hear and will do all that you command, he vowed, disappearing quickly into the body of the female while Liam turned his head away until it was done.

Moments later, Ania’s eyes fluttered open and Synar let out a ragged breath of relief that he hadn’t been too late. “Ania—are you still with me? Help is on the way.”

“What happened, Liam? Jonas. . .”

“Rest. . .don’t try to talk. We were attacked by an enemy, Ania. Fortunately, the weapon was not set to kill instantly. You are severely wounded, but I believe you will survive.”

“Good. Is everyone safe now?” Ania asked, moaning at the pain.

“Yes, but I fear this is not the end of it. I must leave you and go seek those that did this to make sure they will not do so again,” Synar said sadly. “You will be safe with your family. I will come back for you when I am done.”

“Take me with you. I’ll heal on the ship,” Ania demanded.

“No. I can’t put a high-level Peace Alliance ambassador at so much risk. Heal while I am gone. Let your family care for you. Serve your planet until I return from my task.” 

If you want to see more about Donna or follow what she's up to (which includes a soon to be release audio book of Demon of Synar), then check her out on the web:

Donna's website: http://www.donnamcdonaldauthor.com

Donna's blog:  http://http://donnamcdonald.blogspot.com/

Indie Convention Spotlight with Author Caris Roane

Embrace the Dark (The Blood Rose)

Enter a world of blood-starved mastyr vampires and the rare women who can satisfy their deepest needs…

How can he resist his blood rose…
Gerrod, mastyr vampire of the Merhaine Realm, never thought to have his blood-needs satisfied by a mere human. But Abigail is no ordinary woman. She stuns him with her telepathy as well as the richness of her blood. However, her human DNA makes her an unacceptable mate. Yet how can Gerrod turn her away when she alone has satisfied his blood-starvation for the first time in a hundred-and-fifty-years?

Will she fall to temptation and give herself to a vampire…
When the dreaded enemy of all realm-folk, the Invictus, attacks at a fae wedding, Abigail’s simple human life gets turned upside down. She doesn’t know if she has the courage to pursue a path that means giving herself body and soul to a mastyr vampire. Will she return to her normal existence in Flagstaff, Arizona? Or will she embrace the dark…

Embrace the Dark is the first in The Blood Rose Series

And don't miss Caris Roane's  Gaurdians of Ascension series!

Vampire. Warrior. Legend. Lover.

Discover a secret, sensual world of winged vampire warriors and the women they crave—in an epic battle between unearthly longing and immortal love...

On The Wings Of Desire

Alison Wells is no ordinary woman. Born with supernatural powers, she can never make love to a man without putting him in grave danger. But when her special vision reveals a glorious muscled man soaring overhead on mighty wings, she feels an overwhelming attraction she cannot resist—even as he tells her: "I have come for you. Your blood belongs to me."

In The Heat Of Passion

Kerrick is a vampire and a warrior who has fought his hunger for a woman's love for the past two hundred years. As a Guardian of Ascension, he is sworn to protect Alison from the death vamp armies who crave her blood and her power. But Kerrick has cravings of his own—a forbidden longing to open his heart and veins to Alison. To share his blood...satisfy his thirst...and seal their fates forever.
See more at Caris Roane website!! http://www.carisroane.com/