Author Interview with romance author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Good Morning everyone, let’s all welcome romance author Sue-Ellen Welfonder and her Highland Warriors series with us today.

                                                                     

First off please tell everyone a little about your series?

SEW:  Highland Warriors is a Scottish medieval trilogy. I wanted to explore the deep love Highlanders have for their home glen. The glen in the series is shared by three clans and each one believes they have sole claim to the land. The three heroines are sisters of the warring chieftains and they are weary of the strife and bloodshed so they join together to end the feud by each vowing to wed a man from an enemy clan. 

Here is a mini-blurb for Sins of a Highland Devil:

When a king commands three feuding clans to resolve their dispute with a trial by combat, a proud Highland warrior soon learns that he’s fighting for much more than his beloved glen and that his greatest triumph will be winning the love of his enemy’s sister.

Introduce everyone to book one Sins of a Highland Devil hero and heroine.

SEW:  James ‘The Devil’ Cameron is a proud clan chieftain who, though fierce, is known for his honor as much as the strength of his sword arm. When the Scottish king orders him to fight or see his people banished, he has no choice but to enter a staged battle that will determine which clan is to possess the glen. Highlander to the bone, he believes the glen clans should resolve their feuds without royal interference. He never expects to find an ally in Catriona MacDonald, the fiery, high-spirited sister of his worst foe, but he does – and when they come together, their lives are forever changed.

What year are the story settings?

SEW:  Sins of a Highland Devil, book one, opens in 1396 with the other two books set progressively a year onward. This was the turbulent reign of King Robert II (Robert Stewart, grandson of Scotland’s great hero king, Robert the Bruce)  

Can you tell our readers a bit about the paranormal elements that are added in the story?

SEW: All my books have paranormal elements. Celtic legend and lore, Highland magic, belief in curses, second sight, mythical creatures and such, were all an integral part of life in medieval Scotland and so I enjoy weaving in these elements. Readers can expect the following paranormal threads in Sins of a Highland Devil: myth and legend, curses, magic, standing stones, ghosts, enchanted beasties, ancients who practice the old ways, and more.

One of my favorite magical elements is an enchanted white stag. He was created in honor of Big Boy, a friendly red stag who enjoyed greeting visitors at a viewpoint in Glencoe. Tame and trusting, Big Boy delighted travelers from all over the world. I’d seen him a few times on my own visits to Scotland and was heartbroken to learn he’d met a bad end. So I put him in this series and named him Rannoch after the Rannoch Moor which is where ‘his’ overlook is located.

For the readers out there who have never tried your books can you please add a few of your favorite teasers from the book?

SEW:  Sure, here are two with James and Catriona, and one with Grizel, the magical wise woman in the series…

Excerpt I ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

A Fiery Wench…

     The MacDonald wench stood at. He stepped closer to the wall, hoping he erred. Unfortunately, he hadn’t the edge of the chaos. On seeing her, James felt an even hotter flare of irritation. She was truly there, hands on her hips and looking haughty as always.

     Joining him, his cousin gave a low whistle. “She’s Catriona MacDonald, the chief’s sister. The wildest of that heathenish lot.”

     “I know who she is.” James did. “And she is wild - so prickly some say she sleeps in a bed of nettles.”

     Colin laughed. “She’s bonnie all the same.”

     James scowled at the lass. “So is the deep blue sea until you sink in its depths and drown.”

~*~

Excerpt II ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

         

 A Laird and a Lady Clash…

     “Lady Catriona.” His smile deepened, turning devilish.

     “You…” She took several steps closer to him, then stopped when she realized she’d moved. “You shouldn’t be here with me-” She started to tell him to leave, but broke off when he raised a hand.

     “I am no’ with you, regrettably.” His meaning brought a flush to her face. “If I were” – he gave her a look that made her feel naked – “rest assured you’d no’ be spluttering like an angry hen. You’d be purring in sweet, female contentment.”  

~*~

Excerpt III – Grizel & Gorm (her partner)

A Crone Interrupted…

    

     “What are you about, woman?”

      Grizel spun around, sending the peat-bricks flying through the air. Gorm stood just inside the threshold, his face stern. His usually merry eyes were suspicious. And his splendid, near-to-his knees beard riffled in an unseen wind, a sure sign that he was in a dangerous mood.

     Grizel glared at him, peering past his shoulder at the now-empty door stoop. Even the fine bed of heather and bracken that she’d made for her four-legged friend had vanished. Everything was gone except the rocks and whirling mist.

     “Glower all you wish, it’ll change naught.” Gorm’s beard ends fluttered wildly. 

     “Where be Rannoch?” Grizel thrust out her chin, ignoring the beard-riffling.

     “No’ doing the fool guarding you ordered him to do, that’s true.” Gorm shut the door and came forward, bending to snatch up one of the peats as he crossed the stone-flagged floor. “Thon creature heeds me more than he does you, if ne’er you noticed.”

~*~

What can readers expect next any upcoming releases?

SEW:  Books two and three in Highland Warriors will be out this autumn. Likewise, a holiday novella connected to the series…

Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel, #2

Seduction of a Highland Warrior, #3

Once Upon a Highland Christmas, series-related holiday novella

I also have a story in Meows and Mistletoe, a Cat’s Paw Cove holiday collection. It’s set in a Florida beach town full of cats, magic, and romance. The Cat’s Paw Cove series was created by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean.

    

Are you working on any more series or books? 

SEW: A spin-off on my Ravenscraig Legacy series, Scottish contemporary paranormals. I’m hoping to get it out this summer. After that  – so many ideas and too little time.  

~*~

Thank you so much for having me. If any readers would like a closer look at Highland Warriors, they can download Highland Interludes from my website. It’s a free mobi download and includes two series prequels…

Highland Interludes

http://www.welfonder.com/Highland-Interludes.mobi

The Foretelling is a series prequel that lets you meet the three heroes as lads. It sets the stage for the events that unfold when they are grown men, proud and powerful Highland warrior chieftains.

         

The Glen of Many Legends – A Tour is also a prequel but is set immediately before the series opens. With a fierce battle on the horizon, a danger that could destroy a sacred glen, one of the warrior chieftains makes a journey across the story world.     

~*~

Also, I’ll draw a reader from all comments for a Mobi file of Sins of a Highland Devil.

I’ll sign off by with my contact info…

Mailing list:

https://madmimi.com/signups/102456/join

Website:

www.welfonder.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor

Facebook Personal Page: http://on.fb.me/1N5fSqg

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder

Interview with Tory Michaels, Author of Locked in Stone

I loved, loved, loved Locked in Stone by Tory Michaels and jumped at the chance to ask her a few questions.  And yes, I am a child of the 90's a watched that Disney show she's talking about.  In fact, I may just have to add it to my NetFlix queue and go pretend I'm a kid again.

--------------------

You don’t see a lot of gargoyles in romance.  How did you develop the lore for your gargoyles?

 (I read the question originally as “develop the love for…”): I blame the 90’s. I kid you not, I blame the 90’s. Most specifically, the Disney Afternoon and the show Gargoyles: The Series. I absolutely adored that show and the idea of gargoyles coming to life never really left me. And I’ll acknowledge there’s more than one reference or acknowledgement of the gargoyle series – in fact, the heroine of the next book was a fan of the show and quotes it (or so I have written – who knows what will make it through the editing process).

 As to the lore – I pretty much remember waking up one day in 2013 and I had the names of my three gargoyle heroines and two of the three heroes who were not gargoyles. The order of the books in the series, and a couple of the couples have switched around, but I still have my original trio and the men who love them, with an extra pair thrown in for fun times. From that point, I just started trying to figure out why this trio of sisters was so important, and over time put the pieces together that included the Sentinels (half-angel/half-human hybrids), the Twisted Ones (half-demon/half-human hybrids), the gargoyles and their special issues, and how and why they all came to be (it’s all about a battle for the future of Earth against the denizens of Otherworld). 

Do you have plans to introduce other paranormals to your gargoyle world?  Or perhaps start a new world with new creatures?

As you can see from above, there are several types of paranormals already in the world. A full-blooded angel (Mikael Ray, head of the Protectorate which includes the Sentinels), a full-blooded demon (Lucifer, head of the Twisted Ones), the hybrids, and the gargoyles. There are other paranormals wandering around: the vampires, who are exclusively aligned with the Twisted Ones/demon cause, and the witches, who could align with either side. I don’t see in this world/series fitting others in, though I do have a hellhound pop briefly in from Otherworld.

 I do have other paranormal worlds/series’ either written already (though not published any more, in the form of my Dream-Walker War series) or in my head waiting for the opportunity to escape (a pure fantasy series with dragons, another Earth-set, modern day world with descendants of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, and a futuristic series about humans finally rising up to throw off the aliens who conquered earth in the not-too-distant-from-today-future).

I see you are a Candy Crush Soda addict - I am as well.  Maybe we could start a support group?  How do you handle hitting those levels that you can never seem to get past?

Oh. Dear. God. The evil that is Candy Crush Soda. I’m currently only like level 93. My husband got somewhere in the low 100s and said it’s impossible from thereon unless you pay money for the boosters. As for getting past them, I’ll just keep trying, maybe surf a little for hints (though they never really help), and eventually (sometimes a month later) finish the level. The worst thus far for me was somewhere in the 70s. I was stuck for a month, I kid you not. Ugh.

 Support group? Sign me up. According to my husband, Candy Crush Soda is no doubt responsible for birthing serial killers (jokingly said), given it can drive you nuts.

What do you do when a scene just doesn’t want to happen the way you pictured it?

Pout.

 Seriously though, with Locked I never really knew where a scene would go. I was just along for the ride. In revisions (rewrites), I had the basic path and knew where I wanted stuff to go. It usually happened. When it does happen though, I just sort of shrug and go along for the ride to see where it goes. I’ve discovered my most common reason for writer’s block is that I’ve ignored what my characters want and instead try to force them down a pre-conceived path and, honestly, they don’t like that. I’m best off listening to them (and no, I’m not crazy…I’m an author!).

Quickfire Questions:

Tomboy or girly girl?

Tomboy – I don’t do frills, to the ever-lasting despair of my husband.

Cats, dogs or something else?

I’m more of a cat person, but we have two dogs and a cat.

Leather or lace?

Lace. I need to breathe and have mobility. Now if you’re talking men in 300…leather all the way baby. Especially if said men are oiled up and buff.

--------------------

Make sure you check out Tory's gargoyle romance - I just loved it.  It will open your eyes to a whole new paranoramal that is just tons of fun.

Title: Locked in Stone

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: February 23, 2015

Her enemy is her only hope…

Rose Johnson’s adoptive mother was murdered, and Rose is next. She may be the last gargoyle in the world—the last being who stands between this world and the evils of Otherworld. In order to keep her existence a continued secret, Rose needs to find the stone that holds her adoptive mother’s soul. Which means enlisting the help of her enemies the Sentinels…

Sentinel Cal Levesque never forgave himself for failing Rose’s family years ago. Seeing Rose alive is shock enough, until the stunningly beautiful gargoyle attacks him upon sight. As they strike an uneasy peace—and unexpected and escalating attraction—Cal knows he’ll have to tell Rose who really betrayed her family. And with Rose’s life in greater danger than ever, Cal has a chance to make up for the past…as long he doesn’t fall in love. 

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Author Bio:

Originally from the Sacramento Valley, Tory packed up and moved all the way to Southwest Florida in 2004 with her husband (a Florida native) under the premise that ‘hurricanes almost never hit that part of the state.’ That year, 4 blasted the area. 4 more came the following year, and her husband blames her for bringing the hurricanes. She now resides in Jacksonville and is relieved that, thus far, no more hurricanes have followed her around.

She began writing in kindergarten when a turnip wished to be human and, other than a hiatus shortly after getting married, has never stopped. Her love of vampires began somewhere in junior high, and combining the two loves didn’t take long. She loves music, considers herself a ‘book slut’ whose reading habits would break her family financially if given free reign, and is (usually) delighted to be a mommy of twin Shrimpettes and a Shrimp.

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More on Tory Michaels

Jasmyn's Review of Locked in Stone (Hearts of Stone #1)

Author Interview with Tamara Gill

I'd like to welcome Tamara Gill, author of A Stolen Season, to the blog today for a short interview.

What made you decide to starting writing – and why romance?

I started to write romance after walking past some books in a shop and a novel, with the most beautiful Empire style gown caught my eye. I bought the book, which happened to be a Stephanie Laurens novel. Wow. Fell instantly in love with the Cynsters and my love of romance novels was born. After that, stories of my own started to form in my mind, and I decided to write some of them down. It was the beginning of my own romance with writing, which will be a life-long love.

If you could visit any period in time when would that be?

The Regency period would have to be my favorite period in time. And it’s not because of what wars were won and lost in that time, who was on the English throne, or because of the scandals Lord Byron was causing, but because of the gowns. Since seeing the Empire style gown for the first time, I wanted to know what period had dresses like that. It all comes down to the fashion I’m afraid. 

Do you find it difficult to write across several romance genres?  How do you get your mind to change gears?

I write across different genres, and I hope I do it well. I don’t find it difficult, but I do check facts when writing in historical periods, but not before starting the book, I do it during. I like writing across different time periods as it never leaves me bored. There is always something new to explore, different speech colloquialisms to use and of course, the hero’s are products of their time, so it makes for interesting conflicts with the heroine.

As a fan of historical sites – what are a few of your favorites?

I’m a huge fan of historical places. I love history and all its gory glory. My favorite place in all the world is the Tower of London. There’s something about that place that calls my name. Every time I’m in England I have to visit the site. Maybe it’s because the crown jewels are housed there. *grin*

Are there any popular historical shows that you just have to watch?  I’m currently addicted to Reign about Mary Queen of Scots.

I love Reign, in fact, I had to ban myself from watching it all the time as I was getting no writing done. I also love historical movies, Jane Austen ones especially. Outlander is a given, I’d marry Sam Heughan…oops I mean, Jamie tomorrow. The White Queen miniseries was fantastic, and I loved the play of families that show portrayed, and not always favourably either. If it’s an historical movie, of any era, I’m there.

Quickfire Questions.

Tomboy or girly girl?

I’m an Aussie. I’m a bit of both.

Cats, dogs or something else?

Cats

Leather or lace?

Lace

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Title: A Stolen Season
Release Date: February 23, 2015

Archaeologist Sarah Baxter just broke one of the biggest rules of time travel: leaving a piece of 21st-century equipment in 19th century Regency England. Unfortunately, when she goes back to retrieve it, she makes an even bigger mess of things—resulting in the death of an English earl. Now his brother is not only out for revenge, but he also has Sarah's device. Which means an entirely different approach.

It doesn't occur to the new Earl of Earnston that his charming acquaintance is responsible for his brother's death. He is merely swept away by a passion that threatens his very reputation. Yet he gets the distinct impression that Miss Baxter is hiding something from him. Now Sarah must find a way to steal back her device, hide the truth about the earl's brother and—most importantly—to not fall in love...

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About the Author:

Tamara is an Australian author who grew up in an old mining town in country South Australia, where her love of history was founded. So much so, she made her darling husband travel to the UK for their honeymoon, where she dragged him from one historical monument and castle to another. A mother of three, her two little gentleman's in the making, a future Lady (she hopes) and a part-time job keep her busy in the real world, but whenever she gets a moment's peace she loves to write romance novels in an array of genres, including regency, medieval and paranormal. Tamara loves hearing from readers and writers alike. You can contact her through her website, and sign up to follow her blog or newsletter.

Website - Blog - Twitter - Facebook - Goodreads

More on Tamara Gill

Jasmyn's Review of A Stolen Season

Author Interview with Jenny Holiday

I would like to introduce Jenny Holiday - author of Saving the CEO, a new contemporary romance from Entangled Publishing.  I had a chance to ask her a few questions about her life and her writing and she has some very interesting responses.

In your bio, you list that you have a degree in urban geography.  What exactly is that, and why did it draw you?

"It’s about cities and human landscapes—how they got to be the way they are and how people use them. A concrete example is the practice of redlining in the 1960s. This refers to banks refusing to make mortgage loans to people in certain neighborhoods—drawing a red line around them on a map. So of course these areas, which tended to be home to poorer people, started to decline.  We might look at some of these areas today and see slums, but in fact there was a clear reason these places became the way they are. Urban geography is about untangling all that.

I got into it because I had a great prof as an undergrad. I was an undecided about my major, and I heard her give a presentation. I had always thought about geography as memorizing the state capitals, but she showed us it was so much more."

Since it’s the season of scaring – what superstitions do you have and what monster keeps you up at night?

"The monster that keeps me up at night is four years old, and he lives in my house. He is not a fan of sleeping.

I do get a little spooked by the idea of ghosts, especially if I’m staying somewhere I’ve never been. You know those people who go around hunting ghosts with special equipment and stuff? CRAZY PEOPLE. And when I was a kid, a babysitter let me watch a made-for-TV remake of Psycho. (Who does that?) As a result, for two years, I refused to take a shower without my mom in the bathroom with me, standing just on the other side of the shower curtain.

As far as superstitions, I don’t really have any."

What is the hardest part of the story to write and how do you get through it?

"Writers talk about “the sagging middle,” and that is definitely the challenge for me. I come out of the gate with a bang, but around about 20,000 words, I think, “are we done yet?”

Part of your new book, Saving the CEO is about breaking your own rules.  How often do you break your own rules?

Remember that four-year-old I mentioned? I’m still working shedding on the “baby” weight from being pregnant with that kid. I pretty much break a rule every single day on this front. I have an incredible weakness for M&Ms. But beyond that, I don’t think I really have big-time rules for myself like the hero of the book. He’s much more tightly-wound than I am!"

Many romance novels use the theme of love at first sight, or soul mates.  Do you believe in love at first sight or is it something that belongs in the stories?

"I believe in attraction at first meeting, which I guess is a slightly less dramatic version of love at first sight. And I’m not just talking about physical attraction. I think it’s possible to “click” with a person right away, and that can lead to love. I also think “lust at first sight,” which is what happens to the main characters in Saving the CEO, is possible. Part of this book was about imagining how lust could lead to love when the characters were resistant to the idea of love."

Quickfire Questions:

Favorite ice cream?

Strawberry

Cats or dogs?

Neither. (I am preparing to be booed.)

Favorite childhood TV show?

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Lights on or off?

Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about? On—but dimly!

Author Bio:

Jenny Holiday started writing at age nine when her awesome fourth grade teacher gave her a notebook and told her to start writing some stories. That first batch featured mass murders on the loose, alien invasions, and hauntings. (Looking back, she’s amazed no one sent her to a kid-shrink.) She’s been writing ever since. After a brief detour to get a PhD in geography, she worked as a professional writer, producing everything from speeches to magazine articles. More recently, her tastes having evolved from alien invasions to happily-ever-afters, she tried her hand at romance. A lifelong city-lover, she lives in Toronto, Canada, with her family. She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates. 

Author Links

Website - Blog - Facebook - Goodreads

More Posts About Jenny Holiday

Review by Jasmyn: Saving the CEO

Author Interview: Krystal Shannan - My Viking Vampire Release Tour

We would like to welcome author Krystal Shannan to the blog today as she celebrates the new release of her book, My Viking Vampire. We had a chance to ask Krystal a few questions about herself and her new book. We hope you enjoy!

When writing supernatural characters how do you decide what traditional lore to incorporate into your story and how much do you make up as you go?

Krystal: "I usually start with some type of researched historical lore and then decide what I can do to put a personal twist on it. I tend to make up or change where they originated, how they feed, mate, how long they live, strengths, weaknesses. There has to be enough that readers know what they are easily, but enough interesting details that make them stand out from other authors' creations."

Your new novel, My Viking Vampire, has a character named Erick Thorson. Is he a real raiding and pillaging type viking or did you give him more of a modern twist? 

Krystal: "Erick was a raiding pillaging Viking from the first century AD, but since the book is set in 2096, he is not a barbarian in that sense at all anymore. But he still retains that sexy warrior mentality, with the added suaveness a thousand years might give someone."

Many romance novels use the theme of soul mates. Do you believe in real life soul mates or are they something made up by the romance genre?  

Krystal: "I'm one of the authors that adores the soul mate theme and uses it. I think that soul mates are made when two people reach out to each other and communicate and grow together as a couple. In the real world, we have to work hard to achieve such a deep connection and trust. Do I think that two people can have instant chemistry with each other, ABSOLUTELY. Do I think they are soul mates right then and there. No. But, I do think the romance genre has latched onto the idea that chemistry can jumpstart that bond, and as authors we capitalize on the emotions needed to form such a secure and loving bond and move the timeline along much faster than it would likely happen in the real world. It's nice to escape into a fantasy. That's what make the romance genre so enticing to me."

Quickfire Questions:

Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cats or dogs? Dogs

PC or Mac? MAC

Favorite childhood TV show? Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Bailey Ross’ world is crumbling around her. Her abusive ex, a human, is closing in on her again, and to make matters worse, a new enemy, a djinn, is stalking her. This supernatural being takes great pleasure in human pain, something Bailey has in excess thanks to her ex. If she’s caught by either, she’s as good as dead.

Backed into a corner and desperate to escape, she does something she swore wouldn’t ever be possible again –trusting a man. And he’s a vampire.

Protection via the sexy vampire Erick Thorson may prove to be a little more than she bargained for. Sparks fly between them and she finds herself agreeing to more than just protection. Though he has promised not to let anyone harm her, the small west Texas town is more than it seems and he may not be able to make good on his vow no matter how hard he tries.

Will Sanctuary be the home Bailey longs for or will she have to die to find out?

Out Now!

Amazon : Goodreads : iBooks : Kobo

Coming to Barnes and Noble August 25th!

Meet the Author:

 Krystal Shannan goes to sleep every night dreaming of mythical realms with werewolves, vampires, fae, and dragons. Occasional a fabulous, completely human story slips into the mix, but powers and abilities usually crop up without fail, twisting reality into whatever her mind can conceive.

As a child, her parents encouraged her interests in Ancient Greek and Roman mythology and all things historical and magickal. As an adult the interests only grew. She is a child of Neverland and refuses to ever stop believing in fairies.

She is guilty of indulging and being a Buffy the Vampire Slayer groupie as well as an Angel fan. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Joss Whedon, you are missing out! She also makes sure to watch as many action and adventure movies as possible. The more exciting the better. Yippee-Ki-Yay..... If you don't know the end of that phrase, then you probably don't like the same movies.

She writes stories full of action, snark, magick, and heart-felt emotion. If you are looking for leisurely paced sweet romance, her books are probably not for you. But, for those looking for a magical ride, filled with adventure, passion, and just a hint of humor. Welcome home.

Krystal Shannan

Putting Magick in Romance one Soul Mate at a Time.

___________________________________

~NEWSLETTER~  

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Author Interview with PJ Schnyder

After devouring and loving PJ Schnyder's new zombie and Werewolf filled PNR/UF novella Bite Me I had to ask a few questions!

Ms. Schnyder was nice enough to take time out of her crazy pre-release schedule and satisfy my curiosity (Bite Me releases tomorrow!)

In Bite Me Vampires and Fae are spoken of but never appear. Do you expect to have some vamp or fae characters in future installments of the Love Undead series?

Yes. The heroine of Sing for the Dead, book 2 of the London Undead series is a fae. Based on the title and the fact that she's fae, some might be able to guess what kind. ;)

Vampires aren't featured as main characters in any of the books, but there's a possibility they may be mentioned more in book 3, Survive to Dawn.


Will all books in the series revolve around Maisie and Seth. I have to admit that I want more of them

Each book features a new hero and heroine and even introduces some new supporting characters. No worries, though, because Maisie and Seth do pop into Sing for the Dead and Survive to Dawn for a bit.


Seth speaks about being old. What is the life-span of the London Undead weres?

The London Undead Weres can live for centuries upon centuries. They do not die of old age, due to their ability to heal, but even before the zombie apocalypse the world was a dangerous place. War, hunting by superstitious humans, and insanity are all limiting factors to the life span of a Were.

With the world watching London during the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse, Seth has a lot on his hands proving the Weres are helpful as opposed to being considered another danger in the eyes of human military and government.


You're from the US, but seem to have a pretty decent grasp on British mannerisms, food, and speech. Have you spent time in the UK?

I've had the good fortune to visit London, Portsmouth, and Basingstoke on several occasions for the day job. There was one year my passport indicated 11 business trips to the UK in as many months. O.o

Colleagues in the UK were lovely and I enjoy trying good food in any country. London is a great place to explore international cuisine, but I personally enjoyed many of the traditional British dishes as well.
:)

I also enjoy several BBC programmes like Being Human, Torchwood, and Doctor Who. Having those playing in the background while I'm writing sometimes helps me maintain the voice of my characters in my stories.


What are your favorite zombie themed books/movies/tv shows?

I enjoyed Resident Evil and Resident Evil: After Life. For action movies, they were entertaining with strong female leads. More recently, I watched Warm Bodies and loved it!
Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed is one of my favorite zombie novels and Gimme Shelter is my favorite anthology of the zombie apocalypse. Edited by J.R. Blackwell, Gimme Shelter is the sister anthology to the award-winning live action role playing game Shelter in Place and features many short fiction pieces by awesome authors like Tee Morris, Philippa Ballantine, Chuck Wendig, Mur Lafferty, Jared Axelrod, and many more (even me). It was an honor to be included in an anthology with so many talented authors.

Believe it or not, I don't watch the Walking Dead. I've caught a couple of episodes but my day job has me traveling so often I can't ever seem to catch tv shows unless I'm watching them on NetFlix. I mentioned several of my favorite BBC programmes earlier though.


Any tips for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

Have good cardio. Running is always a good idea. :P

Playing games like Shelter in Place give you good ideas in preparation for a zombie apocalypse too. Consider them training scenarios. ;)

 

 A big THANK YOU to PJ for answering my questions. 

Be sure to check out her Youtube channel where she'll be answering more questions about her upcoming London Undead series!

 

Connect with PJ:
Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page| Twitter | Goodreads | tumblr| Youtube

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/