Author Interview With Tory Michaels

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X- What got you started on your writing path?

T- Too many stories in my head. I had my really really dreadful novel, appropriately titled Obsession, that I wrote when I was 15, queried it to one publisher, and then tossed it. Part of me regrets it, part of me is glad because I don’t know if I could stomach looking at it after all this time, though I still remember the basic story pretty well. Now that I (theoretically) know how to write, maybe I’ll do it over. I did a lot of role-playing games online (either in chat rooms or through computer games, which is actually how I met my husband), and my characters/worlds were always talking to me and encouraging my creativity. Eventually, after a long hiatus after getting married, I came back to writing and have been pecking at it every since.

X- What's your latest release and what inspired you to write it?

T- My latest (first) release is Blood Rage on February 8. There was a combination of things that led me to write it. 1) The main characters had come back with a vengeance after being quiet in my head for 5 years and wouldn’t leave me alone. 2) I was sick of the vampires I was reading about (either angsty a la Angel or evil a la Spike/Dracula), and saw no reason why vampires couldn’t be just like (relatively) normal people going about their lives. 3) I was involved in a Master’s Degree in Public Administration which gave me insight into the bureaucracy of the US government and figured, if vamps (and other non-humans) were openly members of society, wouldn’t it make sense that they would have their own government agency to meet their specific needs (such as licensing magic users & magic shops, running a system of blood banks for the vamps, etc.)? And thus the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs (part of Health and Human Services) was born.

X- List three of your favourite things.

T- My husband/children (sorry, they’re all sorta one unit, and despite my ongoing grumbles, I love ‘em all), my Nook, and chocolate (preferably Lindor).

X- What's one thing most people don't know about you?

T- Hrmmmmm. I’m pretty open about m’self so I don’t know if I have a lot of secrets. I used to play 6 instruments (not at once, obviously, but I knew how): piano, organ, flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon.

X- What's next for Tory Michaels?

T- Blood-Mage Rising comes out (I hope) next month and I’ve got other ideas floating around. Now if they’d just solidify into something usable, I’d be a lot happier. I’ve got a futuristic series in mind, which is a spin-off of the Dream-Walker War.

X- Where can readers reach you on the Internet?

T-

www.torymichaels.com – Website/blog

www.facebook.com/authortorymichaels - Facebook personal profile

www.facebook.com/thedreamwalkerwar - Facebook Dream-Walker War series page

Twitter: @torymichaels

Email: torymichaels@live.com or torymichaels@torymichaels.com

I’m on Goodreads too, though I haven’t gotten the author page up and running as of the writing of this, since Blood Rage isn’t out yet.

X- Great! Thanks for taking the time for this interview. It was great having you on Write Outside The Box.



Author Interview with Mary Ellen Quigley

'Ordinary girl…


For Alena Johnson, life is simple, predictable, and downright boring. The only source of excitement is her veterinary practice. When she wakes one morning to find herself in an unknown place, no one is more surprised than Alena. Why would anyone want to abduct her?

Powerful man…

As Alpha of the Southern California Feline Pride, Leander Williams has one duty - to protect his kind. When miscarriages and medical scares began to plague the community, Leander has to make the tough decision of bringing a human doctor into the mix. Alena Johnson, with her expertise in both human and veterinary medicine, seems to be the perfect choice.


Opposites attract…


Sparks quickly begin to fly between Alena and Leander, and the two find themselves fighting an attraction hard to explain. As danger threatens the future of the pride, Leander is forced to not only defend his people against new enemies, but to protect his role as leader. Will the pride survive? Can a human and feline shifter ever be mates?'

X- Welcome Mary Ellen to Write Outside the Box. Let's dig right in.

Tell us about your most current release and what inspired you to write it?

M- My current release came out a month ago and is called The Wild Side.

My inspiration came from a picture on a website. There is a wonderful artist named, Carol Cavalaris, who has a work titled Lion Man. It’s an amazingly beautiful picture and is where I came up with the idea of a man who can turn into a lion. You can find the picture on Carol’s website: Romance Works.

X- When did you start writing and what was your road to publication like? Do you have any advice for new writers starting out?

M- I have always written. Since a very young age, I would be locked in a room writing stories in my notebook. I began freelance writing in college, but never took it seriously. My current release is self-published, but the whole story of publication is a bit complicated. About a year ago, I entered a contest in my local paper. The contest was to pitch a story to the editor. Whoever had the best story pitch would be chosen to work with the editor in creating a short story. The catch was that you won the editor. It had nothing to do with publishing. Since it was a short story, I decided to self-publish. Not because I didn’t think it was good enough, but because I knew that I wanted to spend more time shopping around my other works.

My best advice for new writers is to keep writing. The more you write, the better writer you become. Also, do not be afraid of criticism. I actually enjoy getting a bad review because it gives me advice on what to improve.

X- What other things interest you besides writing?

M- Besides writing, I enjoy doing arts and crafts. I especially love the old lady crafts like cross stitching and needle pointing. My Mom’s side of the family is big on needle pointing. The craft was passed down to me.

X- What are you currently reading and what books can be found in your to-be-read pile?

M- I am currently reading Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It is fantastic thus far. My to-be read pile is very small. I have a few Harlequin books I picked up from the grocery store and Vampire in Atlantis by Alyssa Day.

X- If you could relive one moment in time, which one would it be?

M- I would go back to the summer when I was ten. My sister and I went on a boat trip with my grandparents. The entire family went along, but my cousins were much older than me. I spent the time with my grandma. We talked about a lot of things and went sight seeing together. That is my happiest memory. Now that she has passed, I would give anything to go back and spend that time with her again.

X- Name one item you cannot do without in life and why.

M- This is a hard one for me. I’m not really attached to anything material. It’s kind of cliché to say my family. Material wise, I would have to go with my laptop. I take it with me everywhere.

X- What’s your favourite flower?

M- My favorite flower is a purple hyacinth. Technically, this flower stands for sorrow, but I love the color purple. Also, they smell amazing. A small bouquet can make several rooms smell good. The only bad part is that they die quickly.

X- What’s your ultimate indulgence?

M- My ultimate indulgence would have to be ice cream, especially chocolate chip cookie dough flavored.

X- What can we expect to see from you in the future?

M- I am currently working on my next novel tentatively titled, Nocturne. It’s another paranormal romance. This time it's my take on vampires. This story is my baby, so I am taking time to make sure it is perfect before I start shopping it around to publishing companies. I also have a short story that I plan to self-publish towards the end of the year. It is titled The Cinderella Dream and is a contemporary romance about a woman who reunites with a childhood friend and realizes she is in love with him. There are two problems that hinder this: 1) They reunite at his engagement party and 2) He is a prince. You can imagine the drama that ensues!

X- Thanks for allowing me to interview you and best of luck with your writing career. Mary Ellen can be found at the follow places on  the web.

Website
Facebook

Author Interview with Carlene Rae Dater

X- What was your journey into publication like, and where do you get your inspiration?

C- I went back to college while my husband and I were living in Central Massachusetts. I’d always wanted to write so took a journalism class and consequently started working for several small newspapers in the area. I published hard news, features, humorous essays and then branched out and started writing and submitting short stories. I’ve published in the mystery, horror, religious, romance and confession markets. Yes, I published several stories for the Trues, True Love, True Romance, etc. When we moved to San Diego to start a business, I had to give up writing for ten years. It was tough but when I was finally able to work part-time in our business, I decided I wanted to try and write a novel. Like so many other writers, that first manuscript is still under the bed! I went on to publish nine novels a non-fiction book, two erotic novellas with the third one coming out soon.

X- What’s your most current release and what can we expect to see from you in the near future?

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C- My current release is titled Blood Lust and it’s an erotic novella coming out from Phaze Publishing on Monday, July 25, 2011. Here’s the blurb:

 Noah Bandish, an Emergency Medical Technician for the city of New York, has a secret. He’s a vampire. Boredom is an ongoing problem for the undead and with his job Noah has found a way to both keep active and feed. No one seems to question why so many of his patients die before they get to the hospital. Then he meets Dr. Rachael Morehouse, a woman who’d make his heart beat faster – if his heart was still beating. Now he must decide if he wants to use the woman for his own wanton purposes or turn her and keep her at his side for eternity. Rogue vampires come into Manhattan and create chaos, and Noah knows he he’ll have to help clean up their mess all the while fulfilling his Blood Lust.

Right now I’m almost finished with the first draft of a mystery novel that takes place in a small town on the southern Oregon coast. We moved to Oregon last year so I’m taking advantage of the local color! I also teach Beginning the Novel classes at SWOCC (South Western Oregon Community College) and will be teaching an Autobiography writing class starting in the spring of 2012.

X- What words of wisdom do you have for writers just starting their journey?

C- I was very lucky in that my first creative writing teacher was Gary Provost. Gary always told us, if you can write, you can write anything. I believe that too and I’ve published in just about every field but poetry and memoir. The second thing is to never give up, NEVER. If your dream is to be a published writer, then keep writing, keep submitting and never quit. One of my favorite saying is: The difference between an amateur and a professional is persistence.

X- Self-publishing has come up so often lately in the media both online and off, what’s your view?

C- I see nothing wrong with self-publishing. My husband and I self-published my book, An Extra Pair of Eyes, about my volunteer work at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. We did it mainly because we owned and operated a small commercial printing business at the time, and several customers had asked us to help them publish books, so we did mine to see what the process entailed. I do think too many writers give up on commercial publication too soon and do it themselves. Unfortunately often the books aren’t ready for publication. I’ve worked with a lot of writers too many of them are impatient. They write a book and want it published, NOW! I tell writers to put their work away for as long as possible, three to six months. Start something new. Then go back to your manuscript, read it with fresh eyes and rewriting. It may take a few drafts, but…you want the best possible book out there and that can’t be rushed.

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X-  If I were to look at the current books you’re reading, which titles would I find?

C- The Ridge by Michael Koryta, Tabloid City by Pete Hamill, and Edge by Jeffrey Deaver

I love a good mystery!

X- What’s the one thing in the world that you cannot live without?

C- My computer of course.

X- If you could have one wish, what would it be and why?

C- To publish a book with one of the big NY publishers. I’ve published e-books and POD and do believe that e-books are the wave of the future but…I still have people ask me when I’m going to publish a 'real' book! *Sigh*

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X- Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

C- Still writing and teaching. I find the older I get, the less ambitious. I used to write two books a year but…lately I’m struggling to finish one! There are just so many fun things to do.

X- Thank you so much for allowing me to conduct this interview and best of luck in the future with your writing career.

Carlene Rae Dater can be reached on the web at the following places:

Websites: carlenedater.com, and The Mystery Starts Here

Facebook

Manic Readers

Message from Carlene Rae to her readers: I appreciate all the wonderful comments I’ve gotten from those who’ve read my books. A friend emailed me just yesterday and told me she could not put my romance, Call Sign: Love down – so her husband had to make dinner! Besides romance, I’ve published humorous mystery, mystery, romantic-suspense, paranormal romantic suspense and erotica.

Author Interview with Shyla Colt

V- Tell us about your most current release and what inspired you to write it?

S- Don’t Fear the Reaper is a romance novella about love and redemption mixed with a bit of humor and a ton of adventure. When my lead female Brea is killed her guardian angel Nox is unable to leave her to face an eternity in hell. So he strikes a deal with Azrael the angel of death for the future of her soul. Offered a job as reaper Brea is given the opportunity to redeem herself. But Nox proves to be a temptation she is unable to resist.

This book concept started with me thinking about faith and redemption. I wanted to do a romance story that was centered on both. I had Brea’s character sketched out, and knew I wanted her to be offered the job of Reaper. But it was when I saw a picture of Zachary Quinto that all the pieces fell into place. There’s something about him that strikes me as regal, and angelic, yet slightly mischievous.

Coming Soon!

V- When did you start writing, and what was your road to publication like? Do you have any advice for new writers starting out?

S- I always loved to read, but I would say I really got into writing when I was thirteen. I discovered L.J. Smith’s world of paranormal romance for teens and my imagination took over. I had always been a fan of horror movies, but the concept of the 'Monster' being a love interest, and more human than we imagined had never occurred to me. I spent years sketching out plots and characters, honing my writing skills, and gaining the confidence to actually submit. When I turned 30 this year, I knew it was time to put my work out there and see what response I received. Amazingly, Evernight took a chance on me right out the gate. So in that aspect I was very blessed.

My advice to new writers would be write what you love, read as much as possible, and put your work out there. At first with a trusted friend who will tell you what areas you need to work on, and then to the professionals. Because you never know until you try.

V- What other things interest you besides writing?

S- I like to read, travel, listen to music, and be crafty.

V- What are you currently reading and what books can be found in your to-be-read pile?

S- Right now I’m reading Designed For love By Yvette Hines with Fragile by Shara Azod, and the Taste of Blood on my wish list for later.

V- If you could relive one moment in time, which one would it be?

S- Oh wow, that’s a tough one. I would say any time during my senior year of college. It was an amazing time in my life I often recall fondly.

V- Name one item you cannot do without in life and why.

S- My Android phone, it pretty much does it all and keeps me connected to everyone

V- What’s your favourite flower?

S- Peony

V- What’s your ultimate indulgence?

S- Travel. With my hubby being a member of the marine core seeing friends and family is few and far inbetween . So any time I get to travel is amazing.

V- What can we expect to see from you in the future?

S- Well right now my first published work Don’t Fear The Reaper is due out at Evernight Publising in August.

V- Thank you, Shyla. I wish you the best of luck with your writing career, and I look forward to your release in August.

Author Talk: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Many thanks to Lee Ann for taking the time to chat with us about her book, Love Tattoo.

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V- First off, I liked Love Tattoo, and I found the interaction between the characters quite interesting. Where did you get the inspiration to write this story? And please, tell us about each of the main characters.

L- I like paranormal things and I’ve always thought vampires were, well, sexy. So I was thinking about writing a novel with a vampire hero anyway and was driving down a dark, two lane highway one night. I noticed that almost all of the other traffic was big trucks and I thought, well, hey, a vampire could be a truck driver. The rest just kind of fell into place after that, especially after Cara’s voice showed up in my head as a sassy Texas gal to tell the story.
 
V- The story is mainly set in Memphis and you appear to know the setting quite well. Are you native to that area?

L- I wish! Memphis is one of my favorite cities on earth. I first visited as a kid and I keep going back because I love the entire atmosphere. It’s a very cool place with a distinct personality. I do have a few relatives who call - or did – that area home, though.

V- I found your writing style almost lyrical. How would you describe your writing style and voice?

L- I think I have a lot of influences and they all come together into one style. I grew up listening to my Granny tell stories. She had the cadences of an Irish accent without really having one, the lilt and the unconscious alliteration but her dad was English, born in Derbyshire, so she had that too. I’m sure that influenced my style and writing voice to some extent. I had another writer once tell me that he liked my style and he called it “blue jeans prose”. I don’t know if it really describes my work but I like it.

V- I know you have the next book in this series coming out. Was it planned when you were writing the first one, or did the idea for it come later?
 
L- Actually, no, I thought when I finished Love Tattoo that was it for Will and Cara but my editor at Evernight liked Cara’s voice. She suggested that there might be more and at first I didn’t think so. Then I let my mind play with the idea and I started writing Love Scars very soon.
 

Coming soon

 

V- We’d love it if you provided us with a brief excerpt from Love Tattoo.

 

L- Sure!

 

'Darkness softens all the rough edges, erases any ugliness, and creates

a mood that evokes imagination. Nighttime Memphis delivers magic

and so when we boarded that vintage trolley car, I didn’t mind so

much that we were elbow to elbow with John Q. Public and his brood

because I sensed that our ride would be spectacular. With the moon

swollen to almost full, silver light bathed the city with an enchanted

charm. I loved it all but most of all, I adored the views of Old Man

River. The Mississippi impresses at any time with such wide water

and so much power. That river pulses with energy but except for a

few stray glances from one of the bridges in passing, I never saw it

under moonlight until that night.

With the Memphis Bridge lit up like Christmas time, that lunar

light cloaked the water with luminous radiance. A few clouds

scudded across the face of the moon and the stars sparkled looking

like gemstones flung out by a careless child, spilled like toys. The

bright lights of the city detracted a little from the overall effect but it

remained magnificent. I peered out from the trolley window, my

fingers laced through Will’s, with wonder and awe.

He caught my admiration and it pleased him.

“You find it beautiful, don’t you, Cara?” he asked in a voice

as silken and soft as the night that surrounded us beyond the windows

of the trolley car.

“I do.”

Then he quoted Byron, moving me to the very bottom layer of

my soul. Although I chose song over literature, once the classic

poets rivaled pop stars for my attention. As a teenager, I mooned over

Shakespeare, Byron, Marlowe, Milton, Tennyson, and John Donne so

his quotation impressed me even as it pleased me.

“Most glorious night!” Will intoned. “Thou wert not sent for

slumber.”

“Lord Byron.” I returned and he nodded, his lips curling

upward in approval. “Aren’t the stars lovely?” '

V- What’s up next for you?

L- Love Scars, sequel or next in the series after Love Tattoo should be out sometime in June. I have a contemporary romance, Love Never Fails that was due out from Rebel Ink Press in September but the publisher would like to release it sooner so we’re debating between early June and August. Then I have a romantic suspense due out from Champagne Books in July.

There is a third book, Love Knots that will continue Will and Cara’s story that I haven’t submitted yet and then I have a new WIP too.

V- Sounds good. Again, thanks for taking the time to do this chat.



Author Interview With Carolyn Rosewood

Thanks you Carolyn for taking the time to allow me to interview you. It's much appreciated.

V- What was your journey into publication like, and where do you get your inspiration?

C- Some days I feel like I backed into publication accidentally. My paranormal novella, The Last Soul, will soon be published by Evernight Publishing. This story grew out of an informal challenge thread on Litopia.com. Emma Shortt, my editor at Evernight, is also a moderator at Litopia. We started emailing about a story I posted in her challenge thread, and The Last Soul was born. This was actually the second contract I was offered, two weeks after the one for my contemporary romance, Haunted Heart, scheduled for release July of 2011 from Etopia Press.

I’ve always wanted to write. But I didn’t get serious about it until approximately ten years ago, and I had no idea what I was doing. I wrote three novels and each one was full of newbie mistakes. My entire approach to publication was full of newbie mistakes. Two years ago, after a devastating tornado in the town where I live, something inside me snapped. Your entire life can change in a matter of seconds. I realized if I didn’t get serious about this dream of mine it would never happen. I joined Romance Writers of America and Litopia, and began to learn my craft and learn about the publishing industry. I went to the RWA National conference in Orlando, Florida – my first one – and it changed my life. It also started a fire burning that hasn’t quit since. I joined our local RWA chapter and kept writing and learning.

Haunted Heart was inspired by my love of old houses, and by the scars from high school we each carry around. The Last Soul grew out of my fascination with angels and demons. My inspiration comes from everywhere. There are so many things in our everyday lives that can provide the backdrop to a story.

V- What’s your most current release and what can we expect to see from you in the near future?

C- The Last Soul, a paranormal novella, will be released soon from Evernight. Haunted Heart, a full-length contemporary romance novel, is due in July from Etopia Press.

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In The Last Soul, Faina is one of the demons whose job is to seduce mortal males and lead them to ruin. Once they sign away their souls, their troubles disappear. Faina is tricked into leading one last soul to ruin - Jace Blackmon. If she succeeds, she’s told she will be human again. As she falls in love with Jace, she also realizes she’s being tricked by a demon who wants her for one of his own sex slaves, and has no intention of making her human again. Faina finds the piece of Jace’s past that could ruin him, but she can’t bring herself to use it. While she’s hiding from the demon pursuing her, someone leaks this info about Jace to the media, and Faina realizes she must sacrifice herself to save Jace’s soul.

In Haunted Heart, Rowena moves back home after ten years of living in Hollywood to restore the century home left to her by her beloved great-aunt. The man she hires to restore it is the same one who hurt her in high school. As Van and Rowena work through the rift that tore them apart as teens, they also contend with the paranormal investigator who is trying to make Rowena believe the house is haunted. When Van discovers one of his own crew might be involved, he also realizes Rowena is in danger.

Very soon, I hope to sell Hunted, the sequel to The Last Soul, to Evernight. I also hope to sell my full-length fantasy romance, Crossing the Dark Moon, to Evernight. After that, I plan to write more paranormal stories for Evernight. I’m drawn to these stories, and I have so much fun writing them I can’t imagine stopping right now. Lack of story ideas isn’t an issue.

V- What words of wisdom do you have for writers just starting their journey?

C- Write. Just write. Join a group that will help you reach your goals. Connect on Facebook and Twitter with other writers and industry professionals. Keep writing. Every single day. And don’t be so in love with your own words that you aren’t willing to change them in order to make your story better. It’s not about beautiful words. It’s about telling a story that keeps readers turning the page. It’s about writing characters your readers love so much they don’t want the book to end. That’s why we read fiction. To escape into another world.

Be discerning where critique groups are concerned. Find writers whose work you admire and connect with them. They are the best ones to mentor you and help you fine-tune your work. Join a professional organization like RWA. These organizations exist to promote the genre, and are an invaluable resource for connecting with other writers, agents and editors. Take online classes from writers and industry professionals. Attend conferences to meet writers and industry professionals. Yes, writing is a solitary activity, but learning your craft and learning about the industry are activities that get you away from the keyboard and in front of other writers and industry professionals. This is just as important as writing a great story.

And above all, be patient and persistent. This doesn’t happen overnight. I joke about backing into publication with two contracts in two weeks, but the reality is I went through more than a decade of self-doubt and serious soul searching to get to the point where I am now. And I’m still learning. The journey doesn’t end when you sign a contract. It only begins.

V-  Self-publishing has come up so often lately in the media both online and off, what’s your views?

C- I think we’ll see more and more of this because it’s now so easy to do. It’s wide open right now. Anything from newbie authors who haven’t had their books professionally edited and have made their own cover art, to well-known authors putting their backlist directly on Kindle.

V- I'm going to take things down a notch and ask a few less informal questions.
If I were to look at the current books you’re reading, which titles would I find?

C- Anything by Annie Solomon, Jody Wallace, Beth Pattillo, Kristan Higgans and Robin Kaye. I recently downloaded to Kindle all of O Henry’s short stories, after finding the collection in an antique store, and wishing I had the $150 to spare to buy it. Just holding those books, published nearly 100 years ago, was enough to make me cry with joy. I’m also reading Tina Fey’s book, Bossypants.

V- What’s the one thing in the world that you cannot live without?

C-  My Macbook! I carry it with me all the time.

V- If you could have one wish, what would it be and why?

C- I’d like to find that time machine I know exists and go back to right a few wrongs. Why? Because I’m riddled with guilt over them.

V- Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

C- Writing. Still writing. And selling the stories, of course.

Thank you so much for having me here today, Vivian! I hope everyone will check out The Last Soul when it’s published soon. Please visit my website, where you’ll find links to The Otherworld Diner, a great blog I contribute to, and my Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter: @carolynrosewood

V- Once again, thank you for joining us here at Write Outside The Box.