Swinging Through the Trees with Plot Monkey Julie Leto!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay today! I had some computer issues and when combined with my vertigo acting up, I had to shut down the computer and just go to bed.

Needless to say, the Moonlighters and I are so happy that Julie Leto is here to visit with us today, so let's get this party started!

The Plot Monkey's blog is pretty cool. While it is for their writing, they blog about anything and everything that comes to mind, from goofy gadgets they find to things that will just amaze you. The four of them, Janelle Denison, Leslie Kelly, Julie Leto and Carly Phillips, are great friends, successful writers and have a very successful blog.

You can see from this photo that they enjoy their friendship! You can also get a feel as to how neat they must be. What makes these ladies great writers is that what you see in this photo is what you get with their writing!


What I do you see from Julie? Well, Julie's writing can be just as saucy as she appears in that photo. At first, I was going to just put up her bio here, but when I was reading it, a word came to my mind. Gumption. According to the first definition found at dictionary.com it means, "initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness". I'd have to say that sums up the personality I get from reading her bio. She had the initiative to send out that manuscript, aggressiveness because she never gave up and she is very resourceful in that each one of her stories seems so different from each other that it's like a game to see what she's going to write next!

Let the interview begin!

I like to write about the different genres that exist in romance novels and help to explain the differences and try to debunk a few misconceptions along the way. On one website, a reviewer had called the Blaze line the tamest erotica. I had asked this of another author, but I was still unclear, so I decided to ask Julie, since this line is her forte if she would agree with that classification?

Julie's response:
Erotica, in my mind, is not a romance. And Blaze is definitely romance! I see Blaze as really hot romance rather than tame erotica. The expectations are completely different and I think “tamest erotica” isn’t going to gain us any readers. Some of the Blazes do steer close into erotica territory, but they are, at their heart and soul, romances. I think that’s what makes them so fantastic. They’re contemporary and hot, but still fulfill the ultimate fantasy of one man/one woman/one great love.

Awesome explanation Julie and clears up some of the questions I had lingering!

Me: On your website, you say that you like pushing the envelope? Do you find that continues to be the case the more books you write?

Julie: I have found though that “pushing the envelope” has come to mean something different to me now than it was in the beginning. When I first started, I wanted to break boundaries and write “firsts” or bring something to the romance plate that hadn’t been done at Harlequin before. But even that gets old. Now, it’s about pushing myself as a writer and trying to never write the same storyline or character more than once. About trying to make a book hot and contemporary, but still swooningly romantic. That’s quite a challenge after you’ve written 35+ books.

Me: I recently began reading The Domino Effect. A couple of chapters into it, I realized that, while the writing was great, I just wasn’t into it because I felt somewhat over-saturated with that type of storyline due to all the TV I like watching and decided to set it aside to finish reading later. I do intend to read it later because the writing is excellent, I just wasn't in the mood (sorry, I'm a moody reader! Must be that gypsy blood I swear I've got flowing through my veins.) the day I started reading it.

I was wondering, as an author, do you ever find yourself saturated with a certain type of story and need to write a different genre altogether or add unique elements to your new stories?

Julie: I’m sorry that The Domino Effect didn’t hold your interest. I honestly think it’s one of my best books and found Domino to be a truly compelling character. I don’t have a problem with over saturation because if I can’t bring a new twist to something, I don’t write it. In the case of Domino, I wanted to write a character who really was as cold and hard as she was on the outside. The hero definitely wins her heart, but she is a killer and feels no remorse. I was tired of bad girls who weren’t really bad. That’s not the case with Domino. For me, she worked.

Me: I recently had the opportunity to read:

Double the Pleasure and Stripped.

Both were great reads and very enjoyable and I definitely recommend these titles! I found them through my local federated library system.

I really liked how you used real things to help anchor the reader in Stripped (Charmed series). Do you find that using tangible things that a reader can relate to makes it easier to set the scene? Have you encountered difficulty in making a scene in one of your stories believable?

Julie: I always find myself venturing into new territory. I do this for myself. But at the heart of my books, there’s always a really sexy love story. That’s for my readers. I can’t forget what they expect from me. So that element stays the same whether I’m writing a contemporary romance or a paranormal. I’m glad you enjoyed these other books! Stripped (which won Best Blaze of 2007 from RT) is another personal favorite of mine, mostly because of Lilith. She reminded me of Domino, except that she was hot where Domino was the epitome of cool.

I’ve never really had a problem with making scenes believable because I have great critique partners and great editors. Usually I recognize when a scene isn’t working and I can fix the problem before it ruins the whole book. However, I did write a whole book once that when I got through, I knew didn’t work. The focus of the plot was wrong. I threw the whole thing out and started again. My editor didn’t think it was necessary, but I think she was more concerned with my deadline, LOL. The story was much better once I “recast” the plot. It wasn’t easy, but I was very pleased with the final product.

Me: I really liked the idea of having twins switch places. I’ve even worked on a storyline using twins and the idea seems to becoming more popular with the masses (General Hospital currently has a possible “twin” storyline running with the characters Emily and Rebecca).

Julie: I have no clue! I’m sure there are plenty of theories out there. I’ve only written twins that one time. As the aunt of twin girls, I can tell you that a lot of the myths are just that—myths. Sue and I tried not to include any of those in our books. Like that they have some sort of telekinetic power. I’m sure some do, but on the whole, it’s very rare. Our heroes only know what the other is thinking because they talk to each other!

Me: Were Zane and Grey Masterson (of Double the Pleasure and Double the Thrill) a joint creation effort between you and Susan Kearney or would you say that you created them and she took on where you left off?

Julie: Oh, we definitely created them together, but each character belonged to the author who wrote the story. Double the Pleasure and Double the Thrill were the first concurrent books ever written for Harlequin in any series. The books not only take place over the same timeline, but they have heroes who have switched places. The cover concept (two halves of one handsome man’s face) was our idea.

Me: This is a cool effect and, just for fun, let's see the look:



Very cool ladies! I like it!!!!!

I haven’t had the chance to read Double the Thrill yet, but would you say that Zane turned out to be everything you’d hoped for him?

Julie: Zane really wasn’t my character, so I had no preconceived notions about him at all except what Sue decided about him during our extensive talks. Sue and I were critique partners and had worked together before (though not as closely,) and we each read over any scenes where our heroes appeared and made “corrections” as we saw fit. It worked best for us to each “control” our own hero, no matter which book he appeared in.

Me: How hard is it to watch people write about characters you’ve created?

Julie: That’s never really happened except once. I did a “round robin” story for eHarlequin where I wrote the first chapter and other people submitted possibilities for the next chapters. OH! I did NOT enjoy that experience. The editor who chose the winners clearly had a different vision for the story that I did. Many totally ignored the HUGE clues I put into the first chapter. One chapter didn’t even allow the heroine to speak! A few people sent me their entries on the side and they were much more in keeping with what I wanted to do than the “winners.” I knew I’d never do that again!

Me: I can see how that could happen, which is sad. As a reader of a "round robin" on another site, I'm not afraid to ask questions about what's going on or make comments that I thought a story would go one way or the other and point out why. Too bad someone wasn't doing that at eHarlequin!

How tempted are you to offer your input to make the character work the way you want it to?

Julie: I was very tempted to do so with the eHarlequin thing and I tried in subtle ways, but it wasn’t my place, so I had to let it go. With the Double series, it wasn’t an issue because we each retained “final say” about our characters. Sue and I have a very healthy working relationship and have no trouble voicing our opinions!

Me: In the acknowledgments to Phantom Pleasures, you mention that the storyline was conceived about 14 years before publication. What was your inspiration for the original storyline and characters of Thornbriar?

Julie: Honestly, I think it was a dream. It was so long ago. But at the time, I was teaching a lot of Gothic literature and I think I was highly influenced by that dark and dangerous vibe. I believe my dream was about a man trapped in a painting. I know it was in a castle. That’s all I recall!

Me: How did you feel when you saw a similar storyline in the WB’s Charmed (Season 2, Episode 3 – "The Painted World")?

Julie: To be honest, I never made the comparison until you asked the question! I did see that episode, but I came to Charmed in syndication after the series was canceled. And while I’m a huge fan now, I never would have compared my storyline with theirs. On the surface, they are similar in that a character is trapped in a painting, but otherwise, they are vastly different. It’s like comparing Star Wars to Grapes of Wrath because they both have farm boys as characters.

Me: Good point. Because I'm curious, I have to ask, would you say that The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde had something to do with inspiring the story?

Despite my extensive reading of the classics, I’ve never read Dorian Gray and really didn’t know the story beyond the fact that a man has a painting that grows old while he does not. (That’s the concept, right?) I only learned more when I saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which caused me to do some research. But again, I saw it on television. My book had long since been written by then.

Me: After reading through the blurbs on the back of both

Phantom Pleasures and Phantom’s Touch

it is evident that there is a possible connection between Damon and Aiden Forsyth. According to the blog Genre Go Round Reviews by Harriet Klausner, Damon (Phantom Pleasures), Aiden (Phantom’s Touch) and Rafe (Kiss of the Phantom) Forsyth are brothers and are cursed by the same gypsy, Rogan. In scanning the first book, there is another brother, Colin, mentioned.

For those readers not familiar with them, can you please tell us about the four Forsyth brothers’ family tree, the men themselves and a little bit about how they came to be cursed?

Julie: There are actually six Forsyth brothers in this order: Damon, Aiden, Colin, Paxton, Logan & Rafe. They also have a sister named Sarina. The first five brothers (Paxton and Logan are twins) have a different mother from Rafe & Sarina, whose mother was a Gypsy. Their father was the governor of a fictional Gypsy colony in Germany (created by the British king, George I, to rid London of the Romani). They were cursed when magic performed by a mysterious sorcerer named Lord Rogan went awry. They are trapped in objects associated with the Gypsy leader, who is the figurehead in a cult of followers called the K’vr. In each book, my heroine frees the hero from his object, then helps him go up against the K’vr in their quest for Rogan’s ultimate power.

Me: Did you have any specific men in mind when you created the Forsyth brothers? If so, who are they and how are they connected to you?

Julie: Nope! These men are all in my imagination. I did have pictures of actors to send to my editor after I’d written each the manuscript. I can’t remember who I had for Damon, but I remember I had Clive Owen for Aiden and Eduardo Verisetegui for Rafe. (I may have spelled that wrong!)

Kiss of the Phantom is currently available in print and eBook format at Amazon and other places.

Me: Can you please give us a sneak peek into the story?

Julie: Here’s the back cover copy...I think it really sums it up!

New York Times bestselling author Julie Leto continues her scintillating series about brothers who were cursed by gypsies—and the modern women whose seductive touch is their destiny…

The youngest of all the Forsyth brothers, Rafe believed that the mysterious Lord Rogan would protect the Romani inhabitants of Valoren against the vicious mercenaries threatening them. Instead, Rogan’s dark magic trapped Rafe inside a stone, forcing him to watch his wife’s murder. Consumed by grief and guilt, Rafe doesn’t wish to be freed—he only wants to be left alone with his growing rage.

Three hundred years later, treasure hunter Mariah Hunter has traveled to a remote corner of Germany in search of a stone that could solve her financial troubles. But from the moment she touches the artifact, Mariah is haunted by erotic images of a man with eyes as dark as night—a man who appears out of nowhere just in time to save her from certain death.

As Mariah finds herself undeniably drawn to her dark savior, it might be Rafe who is the real danger to her heart…

Me: Will Colin and Sarina Forsyth have their own stories?

Julie: Right now, there is currently no plan for me to finish off the rest of the brothers and it all comes down to economics. I know some authors shy away from the subject, but the truth is, the series did not sell well enough for my publisher to invest in the second trilogy. Luckily, I saw this coming before I wrote Kiss of the Phantom and I was able to give the series some closure. Some questions do remain and I hope to answer them for my readers at some point, if only through some short stories I write for my website. I have not decided yet. But the plan was to write stories for Colin, Logan and Sarina. And Lord Rogan, as well. His story would have been with Sarina.

However, if people do read the first three, they will get a full cycle of a story. The villains are done for—questions are answered. Each book experience is heightened by the other, but I did not have my heroes/heroines come back in each book. I had one set of continuing characters, but they were secondary.

Me: Thanks again for swinging a vine on over here today! My fellow Moonlighters and I hope you have enjoyed your time here and would love to have you back anytime you feel like stopping by Julie!

Julie: Thanks for the interview, Carrie.

Me: I'm usually not much of a cover person, but I find I really like these covers and they definitely have some sizzle to them!

To learn more about Julie, visit her at julieleto.com
To check in with the Plot Monkeys, Swing Here

The Return/Adventures in Disc Golfing

Hey there everyone,

You know, I've been doing well working on my stories and reading authors' books for my blog up until this past week. While we haven't gone anywhere this week, it was still my husband's vacation time, so it turned out to be me my vacation time as well. I wasn't on the Internet much, I didn't read much, I didn't write at all this last week except for my blog and my intro to Cathie Linz's guest blog and I didn't really watch much TV. However, we disc golfed everyday and I made dinner a number of days.

Okay, I suppose I should mention that I went for a "dip" in the creek at Abenschein Park. Yes, yes, for those of you who know what I'm taking about, I can hear you laughing all the way to my condo. For those of you not familiar with the park, there's only one reason to ever be in that mucky, awful place - to retrieve a wayward disc.

That's right, just yesterday, when I teed off on the 14th hole, my Beast went into the creek on the right of the fairway. For those of you not familiar with the game/disc, the Beast is supposed to go off to the left, and it has, every day. It even went left the way it was supposed to on earlier holes, so why it went to the right on that particular hole, I have no idea.

I thought I could get it easily enough. Getting in is easy, getting out, not so much because the muck just sucks your feet down into it. Good thing I was wearing my hiking boots, or I don't think I would have both tennis shoes today. Of course, I had to finish the course with water sloshing around in my boots. I tried squeezing the water out of my socks, but that was not good, the water was in the $30 arch support inserts as well as the boots' original insert and who knows where else. I'm trying to figure out how to clean my hiking boots, so they no longer smell like that muck....

On the plus side, I managed to realize that some important things were not yet considered on my world - sports.

Duh, sports! Then I did a duh again when I thought about gambling! Why wouldn't people have similar hobbies, especially if they came from earth? I'm not talking the everyday gambler, but the occasional one, the one that does it for fun. Plus, there are animal races and all kinds of other things to have fun with.

Now, I have an entirely new thing to think about. What kind of sports would they have, and how would they be different?

Well, for one thing, they wouldn't have all the factories that we do on earth, so they have to find other things to use. I have come up with Rock Nut Ball (Found on rumble trees, the nut is as hard as a rock, but if you plant it, you get a rumble tree to grow.) and Dragon Scale Golf (should be self explanatory) so far. Not sure what other sports to consider.

Any ideas?

The Moonlight Shines on Penelope Przekop, author of Aberrations

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! Penelope Przekop’s newest release is Aberrations. Her full length mainstream literary novel became available in paperback in July of 2008. Since its release, it has gained a strong grass roots following, and has received a bucket-load of excellent and exciting reviews. In early 2009, it was voted a Book Blogger Top Ten of 2008!

When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t absolutely and oddly in love with words and books. The first creative thing I remember writing on my own was a long list of names that became my imaginary children. I must have been about six. When I played house, I referred to the list as I spoke to all my children. I was like Ma Kettle. For some reason, I love making up names and imagining what each one would be like. I idolized writers and knew that I wanted to be one by the time I was about ten. I’ve been working toward that goal ever since.

How long did it take you to become published?

My first book, Six Sigma for Business Excellence, was published by McGraw-Hill in 2006. My writing path has been a bit like a roller coaster. I had been trying for years to get my first novel published, when an editor from McGraw-Hill called me out of the blue to ask if I’d ever considered writing a book. She just happened to read an abstract I wrote for an upcoming speaking engagement related to my work in the pharmaceutical industry. My novel, Aberrations, was subsequently published by Greenleaf Book Group last summer.

How long does it usually take for you to research a book? Write the book?

I’ve written four books, and the research for each has ranged from four to six months. I took five years to write the entire draft of my first novel (not yet published). The draft of my second novel, Aberrations, took about three years. However, I worked on perfecting both of these books for over ten years. I wrote the McGraw-Hill book in nine months, and I’ve written my third novel over a nine month period. (I actually have four more chapters to go but am on schedule.)

Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

I can relate to every character in my books, no matter how small a role they play. I can’t imagine creating a character that I can’t personally relate to. How would that work?

What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

There’s a lot I could say ... I think it’s important to understand the long-term dedication it requires. I believe you have to love it and want it so fiercely that even knowing the incredible odds against you, you literally can’t give up. It’s critical to know who you are, and let that come out in your writing. All my years of writing helped me understand who I am. Until that point of more mature recognition, I don’t believe my writing was ready for publication.


Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

My primary characters are created from a mix of people I’ve known and from my imagination. I’ve never based a character solely on one person. I have used real life experiences in my writing. Things creep in all the time but it all becomes mashed up, twisted, squeezed, and pulled in new directions.

You just recently were published. How does it make you feel?

I was thrilled with Aberrations was released by Greenleaf Book Group last summer! On the day it was released, I wrote about it in my blog, Aberration Nation: http://penelopeprzekop.blogspot.com/2008/06/gimme-everything-but-that.html

Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

Here’s some of what’s being said about Aberrations:

Small Press Bookwatch says Aberrations is ... deftly written ... very edgy ... engaging ... insightful ... and fascinating! 5 Stars!

Aberrations is a novel filled with gorgeous imagery, quirky characters and deep storytelling. It will stay with you long after you turn the final page! Melissa Walker, Journalist and Acclaimed YA Author

"A marvelous and unique coming of age story, Penelope Przekop's Aberrations is the story of Angel Duet as she discovers who she is and how she can find the missing pieces of herself. It is a book about discovering who you are to yourself, and not what others want you to be, about accepting all the bits that make you who you are and about finding unconditional love, even if it isn't necessarily where you thought it would come from." 5 Stars! - from my bookshelf...

Detroit Metro Times says, "Never was a title so apt in correlation to a novel’s theme than Penelope Przekop’s debut Aberrations ... heavy stuff ..."



When and where can we purchase Aberrations?

Aberrations has inconsistent availability in bookstores due to its association with a small publisher. It’s best to call the bookstore first to ask if they have it stocked. If they don’t, they can likely order it. Of course, you can always order it on Amazon.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk, and I’m reading The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon. My reading recently slowed as I headed into finishing the last four chapters of my new novel. I’ll likely finish Chabon’s novel after I finish mine.

Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

Of course! I have a long list so I’ll name a few (in no particular order): Chuck Palahniuk, James Michener, Pat Conroy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ian McEwan, Caroline Keene, John Irving, Anne Tyler, Nathanial Hawthorn, Dave Eggers, and Robert Ludlum.

What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I had to read it in a college literature class. I thought I was going to hate it but it turned out to be the most powerful reading experience I’ve ever had. After reading Crime and Punishment, I absolutely knew that I not only wanted to be a writer, but I wanted to write something meaningful and timeless.

If you had a book club, what would it be reading — and why?

Probably one of Chabon’s books; I’m very into him at the moment. I fell in love with him and his writing while reading his new book, Maps and Legends.

What are your favorite books to give — and get — as gifts?

Well, I love giving bookstore gift certifications to the readers in my life. At the moment, I think Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers is a great book to give as a gift. That’s one I think everyone should read! I once gave my husband a book about ghost stories in the Philadelphia area because he loves scary stuff, and he doesn’t read fiction too often. Usually, if I give a book, it has some significance for the person, particularly if they’re not an avid fiction reader. I love getting any book as a gift!

Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you.

For this, I’ve decided to share three of the “Random Facts about Me” from Facebook. Feel free to send me a friend request on Facebook. Once we’re Facebook friends, you can check out the full list.

1) When I was 22, I had a child 'on my own.' My husband adopted her when she was six. Because of that experience, I have an enhanced understanding of how love and family are created.

2) I worked as a runway model and a cocktail waitress, among other things, during college. I was not a good cocktail waitress. I walked out one busy night around mid-night and said that I wasn't coming back. I also left a modeling gig when I was 18 because I got scared--long story.

3) My husband has diagnosed me with something called, TDD. It stands for Temporary Disorganization Disorder. (He made it up.) Although I’m highly organized in many ways, I can’t seem to consistently keep my surroundings organized by normal standards. I make piles everywhere, and never want to take all the steps to completely put things back where they belong. It's because in my head, I'm on to the next thing.

What else do you want your readers to know?

I began painting in January of 2008 and love it! I had an odd urge to paint for several years before I finally picked up a paintbrush. I’ve never been able to draw well so I’ve surprised myself! I can actually paint decent pictures! It’s opened up a whole new creative piece of me, and has enhanced my writing as well. My new book also happens to involve Vincent and Theo van Gogh so it’s been interesting to paint and write the novel.

What are your experiences with publishers and agents?

I’ve had three agents over the years. The first one passed away before selling any of my work. The second one decided to leave agent work behind and take a position with a large entertainment law firm. The third one is a charm! I’ve literally spent years just trying to find a good agent. It seems to be the toughest step in the process considering that actually writing a book is an internally driven activity, and that once you’ve landed a great agent, you have a champion on your side when it comes to finding a publisher. I’m betting that a lot of writers give up during the agent-seeking phase.

What will the role of the Internet play in the future of publishing?

I’m not an Internet expert but I’m guessing it will play a critical role, particularly with regard to marketing and sales. People who love to read and learn new things are going to be on the Internet. Writers should be there as well.

What's your next project?

Well, Aberrations still feels new to me, especially because my agent is busy working to sell it to an A-list publisher. This would give the book expanded distribution and open new doors in terms of marketing. Meanwhile, I’m nearing completion of a new novel. My agent will likely begin pitching it at the end of the summer. Here’s a special never before shared sneak peak as to what it’s about:

C e n t e r p i e c e s
A Novel by Penelope Przekop

Vincent van Gogh fakes his own death.
Ellis Spencer longs to paint.
Holly Carter conceals a famous lineage.
Theo van Gogh gains his health but loses the woman he loves.
Mimi Calais says she’s a vampire.
Tom Spencer hatches a plan.

Overshadowed by the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, secrets converge in 2010 Greenwich Village, New York amidst a bizarre bookstore, strip clubs, art galleries, brownstones, and Starbucks ad nauseam. Two sets of extraordinary brothers and two very different women struggle to carve out unique identities in a world where middle age is the beginning of the end, and forever takes on a whole new meaning. Where corporate puppets and dreaming immigrants pass in the hallowed burning halls of Ellis Island. Join Vincent van Gogh in a journey of self-discovery, friendship, betrayal, fantasy, corporate intrigue, and love. Find out who will finally live and who will finally die.

Find out what you are living for ...

Why did you choose your genre?

I never thought about what genre I would focus on. Instead I went straight to the heart of what I wanted to express.

Have you ever gotten to a point where a story wouldn't come? If so, how did you get back on track?

For the most part, I don’t experience writer’s block of any kind of regular basis; however, I got stuck when writing Aberrations because I couldn’t decide how I wanted it to end. I eventually put the novel aside for three years while I worked on a Master’s Degree. By the time I finished the degree, had another baby, and wrote the McGraw-Hill book, I figured out the ending. Once I picked it back up, I quickly finished the last six or seven chapters.

What do you think is the most important characteristic of a prolific writer?

Tenacity

If you could choose one thing to be remembered by, what would it be?

Not sure about this ... I can say that when my grandmother died, it was amazing how many people remembered her as incredibly selfless. That would be a great way to be remembered, but I’m not sure if I’ll make the cut.

How do you come up with original story lines?

I tend to throw a bunch of unrelated things that interest me together. I enjoy finding creative ways to pull unrelated topics together to create a story.

Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I start with a topic that I care deeply about. For me, writing is about expressing and exploring how I feel about various issues. I need to pick topics that hold significant mystery for me to feel passionate about what I’m doing. Once I decide on a topic, I toss all those unrelated things together with it, and start building characters and events.

Do you use a pseudonym?

(use my real name)

Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch over to another genre?

I think it would depend on the writer and what type of skill set they have. Just like on American Idol, there are some rare vocalists who can sing anything put in front of them, and then there are others who are phenomenal at one type of music but not so good at others.

When did you start writing?

I wrote all kinds of things growing up--with the dream of one day writing a great novel. When I was about 25, I considered going to grad school but couldn’t figure out what I wanted to study. I finally decided that instead of spending my time in a graduate program, I would write a novel. I finished my first novel five years later.

Where did you receive your most valuable lessons in becoming a writer?

In the pages of all the books I read growing up. Also, some of the things I went through as a child and young adult instilled in me a never-give-up attitude that has kept me going as a writer.

Do you belong to a critique group or have a critique partner? Which do you prefer?

No, I’ve never been crazy about critique groups. I went to a few early on and wasn’t impressed. I think they can be dangerous unless you’re absolutely sure you have the right group ... and how can you be sure?

Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

They should all be Pulitzer Prize winners. If you can’t find that particular group, read all their books instead.

Do you ever look back and think, "I wish I had written this differently?"

Yes, just about every day. I constantly edit my writing. It seems like I’m never satisfied. I have a difficult time saying that I’m finished.

Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

In January of 2008, I left a full-time career as a Global Director at Johnson & Johnson to focus on my creative endeavors. Now I consult within the pharmaceutical industry two to four days a week. Considering how many hours a week I work, I now qualify as a full-time author and artist.

How important is it to attend writing conferences?

I’ve only attended one writing conference and it was focused on nonfiction. I don’t think it’s critical but I’m sure some are helpful. I’ve never had time to attend conferences. Some day I’d love to go to the Maui Writer’s Conference.

Do you write more than one kind of book? Do you have a preference? Is one type of book easier to write than another?

I enjoy writing fiction and non-fiction but fiction is my love. For me, non-fiction is easier. It’s like writing a gigantic college term paper as opposed to creating something from nothing. With that said, my goal is to be a successful novelist. At the moment my non-fiction works is primarily with my blog, Aberration Nation. I hope everyone will visit. Aside from that, I have two non-fiction proposals with my agent, too. I’m building a great pipeline so hopefully you’ll see more fiction and nonfiction from me in the future.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read all kinds of books, both fiction and nonfiction. I don’t have one favorite author. Some of my favorites were listed as my influences above. My absolute favorite book is The Scarlett Letter by Nathanial Hawthorn. It’s timeless relevance and depth of human emotion blows me away. I’d love to one day write a book like that!



What do you do to unwind in your free time?

Here’s a list of some of the things I do to unwind:

• Go biking with my nine-year-old daughter

• Drink Martini’s and watching a movies with my hubby (who is a great bartender)

• Relax and watch our daughter frolic in the pool with her friends

• Go camping

• Yoga (just started this and love it)

• Read! Read! Read!

If you would like to learn more about Penelope, here are her links again:

Site: http://www.penelopeprzekop.com/
Blog: http://penelopeprzekop.blogspot.com/
Art: http://worldartfoundation.org/penelope_przekop.html

Thank you for visiting with us, Penelope. We hope you enjoyed your stay here. ~ The Moonlighters

Which Superhero Are You?

Superheroes are legends that mystify and enthrall us. We’ve grown up with them. Some superheroes come in the most unlikely form. Like Batman. Who would have ever dreamed that a bat-like man could be considered a superhero? I would have pegged him for a villain by just the name. And now Batman is an iconic superhero, much loved and much hated by villains. I grew up with the series and the “Pow” and “Bang” type of cinematic action. ROFL The re-runs are so cheesy to me now that I sit and laugh through them, but to the eyes of a child, they were epic!

We each love something different about the various superheroes out there. Just think about the superheroes of popular culture and their different aspects: Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Superman, Hellboy, Wolverine (and other X-men superheroes) and yes, even Hancock and the multiple superheroes on the T.V. show Heroes, to name a few. Superheroes are an ever evolving creature.

That got me to thinking, if I could be a superhero which one would I pick? But I couldn’t decide on a hero. It seems villains are more my style. *wink* Then that led me to think about the Saturday morning cartoons I grew up with. My favorite was the Wonder Twins! I adored Wonder Woman too. Hmmm….I wonder if it had something to do with the “wonder” in front of their names? lol

My grandmother would wrap tinfoil around my wrists, make a headband out of the stuff and pin a towel to my shoulders as a cape and I would run around the back yard pretending to be Wonder Woman, saving the world. *laughs* Those are some good memories. And in my youth costumes could not be picked up at your local Wal-Mart. We had to actually use our imagination and *gasp* pretend! ;-)

A commercial for Transformers came on and to the sound of my boys screeching, “I gotta see that!” I was struck anew by the various aspects of superheroes. Transformers aren’t your typical superheroes, but in a sense they are. They came from another world just like Superman and they protect us just like he does. It doesn’t matter that they are robots. They are still superheroes in a sense. Even more strange when I asked my boys what superhero they wanted to be, I was given the name of two Transformers characters.

B (my oldest): “Bumblebee”, which is the yellow and black Mustang. I realize he just thinks the car is cool.

N (my youngest): “Mega Tron”, I believe he’s the good diesel. Again, he thinks the vehicle is cool.

My husband’s response was a little more thought out, but he didn’t want to be a particular superhero, instead he wanted particular powers, “Ice slinging, web slinging, flying superhero” was what he requested.

I had to think about my answer to that question and I decided I’d rather be more like Piper or Paige off Charmed. Being able to cast spells along with their witch gift would be super cool. And yes to me, the Power of Three girls were and are superheroes. Maybe not in the classic sense, but a more modern day type of superhero with a supernatural/paranormal theme, which is right up my alley.

My heroine in Wytchblood is much like Piper and Paige, only she’s more villainous than a superhero. Or maybe you can call her a superhero with lots of flaws and a colossal ego to rival that of any superhero villain. *laughs*

My question to you:

If you could be a superhero, which one? Or if you could choose to create your own superhero style, what type of powers would you have? Also, share your superhero name with us if you’d have one.

Hmm…..I think my superhero name would be “Vampirella”, which absolutely does not relate at all to the witch powers I would possess. *laughs* But, hey, I’m a rabid vampire fan, hence the name. I never said it had to make sense, just what you would want your superhero name to be. Or I guess I could go with Momma G as I’m called by someone on a site I’m a member of. That’d be a pretty cool superhero name.

Momma G to the rescue! Kung-pow! Wham! Bam!

It’s got pizzazz, right? ROFL

Join me next Friday for a discussion on villains. I hope everyone has a superhero weekend! ;-)

Disclaimer: All photos were copied from photobucket. No copyright infringement was intended.

In the Moonlight with K. M. Daughters

Pump Up Your Book Promotion

“We take books to the virtual level!”

www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com. Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!


ABOUT THE BOOK:

FBI Agency Brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.

Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate NY attorney Bradley Sterling’s illegal operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling maybe be connected with Joe’s brother, Jimmy Sullivan’s murder.

How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling’s victims list?

GUEST POST:


A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Getting Published

January 26, 2008, Universal Studios, Orlando. We awoke that Saturday morning ready to explore two amusement parks, maybe ride on the 3-D Spiderman attraction, and avoid the parachute ride at all costs. The three-day sister trip was a Christmas present to each other – a time to be kids together again.

In late 2007 we had submitted two full manuscripts by K.M. Daughters to The Wild Rose Press. That day in Florida, the theme of our conversations was (as had been the last few years) speculation about our fate as hopeful authors now resting in two Editors’ hands.

It drizzled all morning and we ducked in and out of rain as we visited attractions. Shortly before noon, the sun broke through and helped dry damp clothes. Wandering into a small theatre attraction, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, we chose a bench in the last row and pulled out our cell phones to check email. Pat, unusually absorbed in reading hers, finished with widened eyes and proclaimed, “We sold our book!”
A canon blasted on stage.

We don’t know the outcome of Sinbad’s eighth voyage; we were too busy embarking on our dream voyage to publication. The contract offer for our inspirational, Jewel of the Adriatic, was extended around noon. We hurried back to the hotel to use the lounge computer and we called our loved ones to relate the GOOD NEWS in a flurry of adrenaline-rush dialing. A couple hours later we emerged into Florida sunshine to re-visit the parks in a state of joyful disbelief.

At dinnertime we returned to the hotel. One last message check before our meal, and Pat clasped a hand to her chest, waving her phone overhead, “We sold our book!” Well, duh, I know. “NO! We sold Against Doctors Orders, too!” You really can cry just as hard when you’re happy.

A flurry of re-dialing ensued. Each family member seemed to think we had been drinking and forgot that we had already called. Funny thing, when we had fantasized about what it would feel like or how we would react were we to get THE CALL, we never dreamed that it would happen quite this way – the sister team alone together with three days to do nothing but savor the joy of dreams come true. How blessed we are that funny canon blast accompanied our milestone moment.

Thank you for sharing the Moonlight with us today, K. M.! ~ The Moonlighters

Rites of Passage

Last night, as I sat in attendance at the Baccalaureate ceremony for my older daughter's graduating class, I was reminded of something my mother had told me years before. She told me to enjoy every minute with my children to the fullest while they are young because the time flies so quickly that one day, you are brushing out the curls on your two-year old's head, and the next, you are watching her prepare to graduate from high school. The years fly by fast, my mother said. Now I know precisely what she meant.

The funny thing is, last year, when my daughter went to the Prom, I didn't feel this sentimental. Sure it was an important rite of passage and I was all choked up when I watched her get out of the limo at the little pre-prom ceremony at the school. Thankfully, I had my younger sister there to keep me from getting too emotional and blubbering - little did I realize, until we left together, that my sister was feeling the same as me! This is her god-daughter, after all. Still, it didn't bother me that much because I figured, I still have time.

Well, that time just flew by. At warp speed. Senior year - gone in a flash. Like it started at Day One and skipped right ahead to the last day of high school. Ever. Where did the time go? How did the year fly by so fast? And why was it this ceremony that made it all hit home to me? It was just a night of songs and readings which concluded with a pledge between the students and the adults to make their world a better place to live. No big deal, right? Wrong. As I sat there in that audience, the Class of 2009 in the rows to my left, I looked around at the faces in the audience and it hit me: This was one of the last times I would be sitting within this particular group of people, attending a ceremony with our children. This same (for the most part) group of people I had sat through school plays with, chorus performances, and science fairs. As our children grew up together, so did we.

And now we come to the point where we will sit together, one more time, to watch the culmination of all those dreams, all of that hard work, all of those accomplishments, walk up onto a stage and accept a certificate that will put a stamp on their lives forever. High School Diploma. I will listen as the principal announces names, reads off scholarship winners, and congratulates all of the students in the Class of 2009. I will clap for everyone, cheer them all on, and relish in their achievements. And I will bring extra Kleenex for I know, when it is my daughter walking up there to receive her diploma, I will no longer be able to hold back the tears. My daughter has fought through a lot of adversity in her journey through school, most of it centered around the difficulties of living with a disabled sibling and mother. But through all of the chaos of bipolar tantrums from the sister with whom she had to share a room and the fear and uncertainty of having a mother with Multiple Sclerosis (and sitting in an emergency room with that mother as she received treatments to help her breathe during a scary bout of asthma), my beautiful daughter has not only survived, she has thrived. She's managed to get her work done and keep up an A/B average and will be attending UMASS-Dartmouth in the Fall. And she will be studying to be a nurse.

So, to the Class of 2009, I just want to say congratulations for this achievement and I wish you well on your journey. I hope all of your dreams come true. But to my little ray of sunshine, I want to say you are a daughter that any mother would be so proud to call her own and I still can't beleive that you're mine. But more than that, you are a wonderful person, a compassionate and caring friend, and you are going to make an incredible nurse. I have never been more proud of anyone or anything in my life as I am of you today. I love you with all of my heart.

Thank you for indulging me in this moment of sentimentality,
Margay

Lace and Laughs with Cathie Linz!

I look back and I have to laugh at myself because I started out my academic career studying computer science, but I soon learned that it wasn't for me because, even though I did like writing and debugging programs, I always had a fear that I was going to screw up the machine some how due to an overall fear of the unknown. That fear kept me from embracing the Internet for some number of years. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I even thought of searching for an author online and then it was only two authors, Jayne Ann Krentz and R.A. Salvatore. However, it wasn't until I got the laptop that I dove into the cyber sea with both feet. Then, about six or so months ago, I got the brilliant idea to search for writing communities online and reading author blogs. What a novel idea!

To think, if I still had that fear, I might have missed some of the great authors I have discovered through blogs like Running With Quills (RWQ), Plot Monkeys, Deadly Vixens and Heidi Betts' Wips and Chains and Must Love Yarn Blogs. Speaking of RWQ, that's where I first discovered Cathie Linz. I had never heard of her before, so it was a treat to read her blog about Smart Girls Think Twice. Through Cathie's guest blog on RWQ, I realized that I like her personality and voice and when she accepted my invitation to blog here on Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem, I did a happy dance!

It is with pride that I bring you award-winning author Cathie Linz! If you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out Smart Girls Think Twice, ,you won't regret it!

Thanks Carrie for inviting me to blog on your site.

I write contemporary romances that touch your heart as well as your funny bone. They make you laugh and cry. My characters are very real to me and I’ve often said if I could only teach them how to type, I’d be in great shape. When I’m writing and it’s going well it’s as if I’m taking dictation as I hear my characters speaking. As a writer, I’m just trying to keep up with what they are going to do next. This is what keeps it exciting for me, even after writing over 50 books. I want to find out what happens next and I have to keep writing in order to do that.

Some of you interested in writing may have heard the term “pantster” – referring to someone who writes by the seat of their pants [Aside from Carrie - this is so me!] as opposed to having everything carefully plotted out. Both formats are fine – as a writer you just need to find the one that works for your process. There is no single way to write. Instead there are a million ways. My way may not be your way and that’s fine.

I’ve just completed writing my 55th published romance novel Mad, Bad and Blond (out in early 2010) and there were scenes that I didn’t know would appear. The same thing happened in my book Smart Girls Think Twice. I didn’t know the character of Oliver was going to show up, for example. But I was delighted when he did!
[Aside from Carrie - I don't know about the rest of you, but I loved Oliver and Lulu!]

I tend to like writing bad boy heroes like Jake (Smart Girls Think Twice) and Caine (Mad, Bad and Blond). My heroines usually present them with a challenge they can’t resist. I write a lot of fast-paced dialog (that refers back to my hearing my characters talking to each other).
[Aside from Carrie - she may call it fast-paced dialog, but I call it can't put it down, page-turning excitement!]
I also like the family dynamics between mothers and daughters and sisters and the sense of community that we build in our lives.

As well as being a writer, I’m an avid reader. My fave authors include Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Elizabeth Phillips among many others. I just finished reading Some Like it Wild by Teresa Medeiros, which I thought was a joyful read.

Recently, given all the bad economic news, reporters have started noticing the romance genre and the fact that when times are bad, readers look for a book that has a happy ending. We all have enough hardships and stress in our lives – who needs to read about more?

What about you? Are you reading more romance these days?

I hope you’ll stop by my Facebook page and my website www.cathielinz.com where you can enter my contest to win a free book.

Coasters and Mayhem

Hello everyone!

This past weekend, I enjoyed some fun and mayhem at an amusement park, called Holiday World, in Santa Claus, Indiana. The two-day event I participated in was a park sponsored event the Koch family calls Holliwood Nights. During this two-day event, roller coaster enthusiasts such as myself got exclusive ride time (ERT) to ride the three wooden roller coasters (Raven, Legend and Voyage) after the park closes to the public.

Let me tell you, there's nothing like riding a wooden roller coaster, commonly referred to as a woodie or woody, at night. In fact, the later the better because they tend to run faster at night when the air is cooler (compared to the hot sun) and you have only the lights of the park to guide you, so you can't always see what's ahead of you.

It's great to go to events like this because many of the parks with the best woodies do not stay open late enough to get a "dark" ride. Not only that, by attending event festivities, you get meals, photo opportunities and the chance to rub elbows with coaster creators or people from the company that design and build the different coasters as well as the park owners and operators.

I know that some of you may be thinking that Holiday World is just another amusement park, but I'm here to tell you, it's not.

Why?

Because of all the holidays you can celebrate in one day. You know those trees in Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas that provide access to different holidays? Well, Holiday World gives you direct access to many of these through it's different themed sections. When you enter the park, you enter Christmas and are greeted by a large, living Christmas tree with all the trimmings as well as a life-sized Nativity and various familiar Christmas tunes. There's 4th of July town, Thanksgiving town (where the Voyage is located) Holidog's Funtown for kids, Splashin' Safari Waterpark and finally, my favorite, Halloween town. Halloween town has very cool theming throughout the area and from Frankenstein and Zombies to Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven and Washington Irving's, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You will also hear various familiar Halloween tunes being played throughout the section as well as a howling wolf.

The Koch family takes pride in their park and demonstrate that by encouraging their staff to be friendly, maintain a clean park and taking the time to converse with guests and in some cases building friendships with them. Because Will Koch, current park president, appreciates a good thrill ride as much as anyone else does, he makes sure that his rides are well-maintained and goes the extra distance to keep them operational. For example, this past Thursday, just before the park sponsored event, a newly replaced part on The Legend broke down and had to be replaced. Where many non-family run parks would just say oh well and substitute ERT on The Legend with some other ride, Will had the part arrive and installed so that ERT would not be disrupted. Their staff is also friendlier than any other park I've ever been to and they strive to maintain a very clean park! While they appreciate it if you let them know if a bathroom stall is out of toilet paper or if a soap dispenser is out of soap, I have never found cause to ever say anything because they seem so much on top of everything and in all my trips to the park, I have yet to see an overflowing trash can because they empty them before it gets to that point.

They also respect the working family in that they calculate the cost of parking, drinks and sunscreen into the entry fee. To clarify, you do not pay a separate price to park your vehicle, nor do you pay a fee to get a glass of water, lemonade, iced tea or soda (Pepsi products). All of that is taken care of when you pay the admission prices. So, you can ride and drink all day long, which is great for those 80+ degree days they are known to have!

The experience doesn't stop with the park, it's the entire town that is Santa Claus. From the ornament shops to Lake Rudolf, there is something for everyone to enjoy. I will warn you that weekends are the busiest times and there aren't many hotels close by and unless you don't mind driving a half-hour or so after being in the park all day, you will pay more for lodging than you expect, so I suggest you do your homework on the hotels and camping in the area before planning a trip there.



When we weren't riding Raven and Legend, my husband and I were disc golfing (DG). Now, we only took this up about a week or two ago and have really only played on the course closest to our home. Not having played on any other courses, we were not prepared for the courses we discovered in that they made the course we have been playing at look like child's play. Let me tell you, you haven't really played DG until you have had to walk through the woods searching for the disc you mistakenly threw into the trees on your quest for the disc basket and hunt for the location of the next tee!

The courses we played offered awesome workouts as well as frustrating moments. After this experience, I would suggest that anyone wishing to play disc golf (a very easy pastime) research the courses you are considering and read reviews by other players because just like a good review can help you determine if a book you want to read is right for you, a good DG course review can help you determine if a course is right for you and what footware is needed. There was one course we played where I should have been wearing hiking boots instead of sneakers!

Despite the challenges we faced, we had a lot of fun, got a lot of exercise and developed a respect for the game beyond it just being a "game". With the talent and skill required to shoot some of the discs you can buy and the endurance needed to last through a full 18 holes, it really can be, and should be, considered a sport.

What does any of this have to do with writing?

Nothing, and that's the point. Many writers hit snags, snafus, roadblocks, etc. and are always searching for that elusive cure. There is only one sure fire cure for those kinds of obstacles, time away from the story, the computer, the words, all of it. Through activities like this, you can reconnect with family and friends and forget what's on your plate at the moment.

"But I'm on a deadline and I don't have time," some of you might exclaim as you pull out your hair.

Make time, because you need to do it for yourself. Before completely saying no to this idea, ask yourself, "How much work am I really getting done by forcing myself to sit here and stare at these pages?"

If your answer is not very much, then it's time to take a break, whether it's in the form of disc golf, yoga, Tai Chi, or aerobics. Exercise is such a wonderful way to get fresh oxygen to your brain. Do it long enough to ensure you work up a sweat and stop thinking about what you're working on. When you stop thinking about a problem or issue, the answer will soon present itself.

Think of your story ideas as unicorns. The virgins don't chase after them, but sit there and wait for them to come to them. Or, you say it's like taking the time to smell the flowers. In the same way you aren't going to know what the flowers smell like if you don't take the time to smell them and contemplate their aromas, you can't find a story if you don't take the time to listen to all the stuff around you and contemplate what it is you are hearing.

So, what does it for you? What do you find that helps give you the clarity to the stories that exist all around you?

A Little Mayhem with Toni Andrews, author of Cry Mercy

Hello, today I am pleased to welcome Toni Andrews into the Moonlight, to spread a little Mayhem about her new book, Cry Mercy. In a twist to the question and answer interview, Toni has vlogged her answers. Here they are:



You can also check out Toni's first post in her tour at:

http://toniandrews.bravejournal.com/

Cry Mercy is available on Amazon.com

Thank you, Toni, for spreading a little Mayhem with us here today! ~ The Moonlighters

The Ritual

THE RITUAL

They danced around her, chanting in some ancient foreign tongue. Or, maybe they weren’t even words. She couldn’t tell.

The light from the bon fire glinted off their semi-naked sweating bodies. Behind them the acrid smell of the blue and red flames crackled into the sky and disappearing into the blackness of the night.

Her chin drooped against her chest. She was tired, so very tired. She was thirsty, so terribly thirsty. They’d been at this for hours.

The ropes wrapped tightly around her wrists burned into her skin. Her arms were numb and her shoulders ached. She was naked from the waist up. No shirt, no bra. Both had been stripped from her before she’d been bound. Embarrassingly her nipples were puckered from the cool night air.

She’d thought the men’s intention was rape, until she’d been bound to a wooden cross. The hard path of the cross down her spine chafed, burrowing into her back, splinters pricking her skin.

Oh, God! she cried. What were they planning? Why had they chosen her?

Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her nose was clogged, making her gasp for breath.

Their chanting elevated a higher octave, speeding up in its beat, in its intensity. The rapid pounding of their feet ramped up, creating hollow thuds against the desert foundation, as the beats and stomps echoed through her heart. Each heartbeat pulsated with the cadence of the dance.

“Shut up! Shut up!” she screamed at them.

They ignored her. Continued their performance without so much as glancing in her direction. Maybe they couldn’t hear over their chanting.

She retched. Immoveable as she was, it trickled down her chin and neck.

Her head lolled against the wooden frame. The song and dance was really getting on her nerves. If only she could cover her ears. If only she could close her eyes and blot out the reality too. There were too many ‘if onlys’. They served no purpose and she wouldn’t allow herself to contemplate them further.

Suddenly they stopped. The crickets silenced. All slithery things ceased to move. The rustle of wildlife stilled. The sudden dead quiet was suffocating to her ramping fear.

Each one turned toward her. Suddenly she was wishing they’d start dancing and singing again.

One man threw back his head—his ornamental headpiece quivering—and screamed into the thick, muggy night air, “Father! A sacrifice!”

“NO!” she screeched, the one word echoing back off rock and stone.

Panting and crying hysterically now, she pulled and yanked at her bonds, slicking wrists and rope with blood.

This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. She chanted, muttering to herself. This is the United States. Things like this do not happen here. It is illegal here.

Happy thoughts…happy thoughts, she chimed, the voice in her head reaching a new level of hysterical.

The man with the headdress—he wasn’t a Native American, but blonde headed, muscled and very attractive—sliced his palm, allowing his red-black blood to pool in an ornate wooden bowl. When he was finished, he slowly twined cloth about his hand. He dipped the thumb of his other hand into the bowl and smeared an inverted cross on her forehead.

Now she was sobbing, gagging and begging them not to sacrifice her. She’d do anything—anything she told them—if they’d let her go. She promised not to tell anyone either. Her word had always been good.

They didn’t listen.

The ache in her shoulders was obliterated by the fear of death. The song and dance number was desirable to the death hum they were now making.

“Give us your strength, Father!” the blonde man intoned, meeting her gaze dead-on.

The blade he slid from his waist was jeweled, pretty to her untrained eyes. The glint of the blade was starkly red from the flames.

“Please…no…” she whimpered. “Please,” she tried again as he approached her.

She gasped when he carved an inverted cross over her heart.

“In honor of you, Father,” the man said and slowly sawed the blade, back and forth, inch by slow inch, into her skin for maximum torture, directly over the inverted cross.

She screamed. The sound of animals scuttling was distant to her ears, her heart pounding there all too noisy.

He pressed his palm to the hilt of the knife and shoved it forward, cracking a rib and sinking it deep into her heart.

She screamed again. Their humming escalated, becoming louder as the sound of her heartbeat receded.

“In honor of you, Father,” the man said again, his eyes sinister black, staring her straight in the eyes as he watched her die, a lusty gleam in his black eyes.

She whimpered as a skeletal image imprinted over the blonde man’s features. A demon clothed as a human.

Her heartbeat silenced. A final breath rattled from her lungs as a whoop echoed on the night breeze.

~~~~~~~~

© Gracen Miller ~ This story may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

Please Welcome Author...Crystal Jordan!!

It's Raining Men by Crystal Jordan

She loves them too much to change them. Until they turn the tables on her…

Every one of Candy’s werewolf instincts tells her that Michael is her mate. He’s a lawyer—smart, sophisticated, and handsome. The catch? He’s gay. There is no way she’s going to try to change who he is. Then she meets his lover Stephen, a seductive Fae-siren jazz singer, and she’s positive she’s got a screw loose somewhere. Mates with not one, but two gay men?
She’s definitely doomed to be single forever.

Michael and Stephen know that their unexpectedly flirtatious advances have thrown Candy for a loop. But there’s method to their madness—they’re both serious about her. And they plan to make sure she never spends another birthday alone. Warning: Nekked men doing dirty, dirty things to each other and a very lucky woman, sexy biting of mates, seductive siren singing and a naughty masturbation in a public restroom. Hey, a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

Buy it here!

Your Three Wishes are Granted!

Genies! Other names for Genies are Jinn and Djinn. They date back to Islam and pre-Islamic Arabian folklore and they were thought to be either good or evil. According to Wikipedia, Genies are mentioned in the Qur’an and in Islam Satan was the iconic genie that refused to bow to Adam when ordered by to do so by Allah.

Okay, enough of the history lesson. When I say Genies I think of the show I Dream of Jeannie—a classic, right?—and Charmed, the episode where Phoebe was tricked into trading places with an evil Genie. Brought to mind is even the Supernatural episode where Dean Winchester is trapped by an evil Djinn (genie), the Genie creating an alternate life in his mind, while the Genie slowly drinks his victim’s blood.

So, I got to thinking…what if I found a Genie bottle? What would I ask for? The classic of course, made popular by beauty queens is the world peace response, but I wanted to go further, be a little more shallow and self-serving. :D

Imagine for a moment…

Sea salt is pungent on the air, the moon full and bright, emitting beams of light. Hand-in-hand with my love, sandals dangling from my fingers, the cool surf rolling in and washing over our feet, before receding back out, I look at the man beside me and smile as the wind whips my hair into my face. Pushing it out of my face, I stumble over something, my love catching me. We retrace our steps and find a bottle. Intrigued we hurry back to our condo to get a better look.

In the fluorescent light, the bottle is a smoky shade, swirling a rainbow of colors within its murky tint. The stopper appears seamless against the rainbow glass.

“Beautiful,” I mutter, thinking it’s nothing at all like the pink I Dream of Jeannie bottle I’d watched growing up. Unsure what I had expected, but this wasn’t it. Fascinated, I can’t take my eyes off the shiny texture of the bottle, transfixed by the coalescing rainbow that seemed to expand and move about the bottle, as if it were alive.

And that’s when it happens. Feeling compelled, I reach out and caress it. The stopper pops like a champagne cork wrenching gasps from us both as we stumble away from it. A male djinn appears in a smoky mist, better looking than any man has a right to be. Eyes as blue as the ocean, he peers at me, a sly smile toying with his sexy lips, “I will grant you three wishes. Make them count.” And then he asks the first of three million dollar questions, “What is your first wish?”

1. Happiness and Health — For my family (me included of course). Those are my first thoughts. But is that one wish or two? And does each person count as a wish? If so, I’m screwed because I’ve used up all, plus some, of my three wishes. LOL

2. Financial security — That would be so nice not having to worry about how to spread the income between the bills. And in this economy who doesn’t fantasize about financial security? It might not make me happy, but I think it would certainly make me less worrisome or stressed.

3. Best sellers! I’m making a huge assumption here, but I’m guessing mostly all writers would want their books to be published and become best sellers instantly! Right? LOL ;-)

Okay, so those were my first three wishes I came up with. If I had time to think about it, I might alter some of these, but I answered off the top of my head.

I challenge you to come up with your perfect three wishes? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Have some fun! What would you ask for?

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

In the Moonlight with Sherrie Hansen

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! Sherrie Hansen’s newest release is Night and Day. Her full length romance novel became available in paperback / e-book in March, 2009!

http://sherriehansen.wordpress.com/
http://www.secondwindpublishing.com/SherrieHansen.html
http://sherrieh.gather.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Day-Sherrie-Hansen/dp/1935171283
http://romancereaderatheart.com/pubsandpromos/2009/mar09/ND_SH.html
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Day-Sherrie-Hansen/product-reviews/1935171283
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6321819.Night_and_Day
http://www.videyoarts.tv/VideoClips/NightAndDay_RevisedTrailer01.wmv
http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/05/04/news/local/doc49fe21ae71d6e519492676.txt
www.BlueBelleInn.com
Coming Soon! www.BlueBelleBooks.com


When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I’ve been writing stories and plays since I was a little girl. I started writing novels about 10 years ago, after a reading blitz that occurred shortly after I’d taken a long hiatus from reading.

(I used to write plays with my older sister when I was a girl! Nice to know someone else did, too.)


How long did it take you to become published?

I’ve been submitting for about 8 years. In retrospect, I’m glad none of my earlier books / versions were published. I’ve learned much in that time. It happens when the time is right, and when a book is ready.

How long does it usually take for you to research a book? Write the book?

I research as I go, checking out facts and places as needed. But since I write contemporary novels about things I know and places I’ve been, research is minimal. It takes me 6 months to a year to finish a first draft. In some cases, rewrites have taken years. It’s usually about a year from start to finish.

Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

In one very real aspect or another, I am Jensen, Rae, Sherry, Janie, Allianna, Hope, and Rose. Names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.

What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

Be persistent. Keep writing. Keep submitting. Learn all that you can from other authors. Don’t just talk about it, do it.

Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

Story ideas usually come to me from an incident I’ve experienced myself or hear about. Many of the events that occur in my book have actually happened to me in some form or another. Anders is based on a very dear friend I met online.

You just recently were published. How does it make you feel?
It’s been absolutely thrilling, and a little terrifying, too.

(I know the feeling! Isn't it wonderful?)

Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

Night and Day is already available – expect old-fashioned romance and modern-day dilemmas, hard choices, trouble, trouble and more trouble, mystery, poignant revelations, a great twist at the end.

When and where can we purchase your books?

Night and Day is available at www.Amazon.com, www.secondwindpublishing.com, and at several shops – The Book Loft in Solvang, CA, Pottery Place Art Co. in Red Wing, MN, Hy-Vee Stores in Austin, MN and Mason City, IA, Sweeney’s on Main in Osage, IA, several shops in St. Ansgar, IA, and by mail from the Blue Belle Inn B&B, also in St. Ansgar.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished reading Julie Garwood’s Shadow Music.

Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

Maud Hart Lovelace, who wrote my favorites, the Betsy / Tacy books. Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House on the Prairie fame. I attended a conference led by Madelaine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time and many others) and she was wonderful. I’ve heard LaVyrle Spencer, Jennifer Crusie, Julie Garwood, Jill Marie Landis, Debbie Macomber, Dorothy Garlock and Susan Elizabeth Phillips speak, and each inspired me greatly.

What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

Several of LaVyrle Spencer’s books – The Gamble, Years, November of the Heart – touched me on a very deep level. I knew this was the kind of book I wanted to write – characters that touched you so deeply you felt like you knew them.

If you had a book club, what would it be reading — and why?

Night and Day, of course! I love to hear what people think of it, how it could be better, what works and what doesn’t. Anything I learn at this point can only make the next book better.

What are your favorite books to give — and get — as gifts?

I like to give and get anything that’s written by one of my favorite authors.

Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job, the inspiration for your writing, any fun details that would enliven your page.

I’m married to a pastor, and hail from a very conservative, Baptist background, so I am conscious of the fact that my books should be just steamy enough without crossing that always ambiguous line. I’ve lived in Austin, Minnesota, Chicago, Illinois, Bar Harbor, Maine, Augsburg, Germany, Lawton, Oklahoma, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and St. Ansgar, Iowa. While in Germany (1977 – 1980), I learned to disco dance with the best of them.

(Wow, that's an eclectic background!)

What else do you want your readers to know? Consider here your likes and dislikes, your interests and hobbies, your favorite ways to unwind — whatever comes to mind.

I love to travel, and love spending time in Canada, Wales, England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria… I love to quilt, play the piano, walk, bicycle, travel, and spend time with my little nieces and nephew.

What are your experiences with publishers and agents?

Everyone at Second Wind Publishing has been simply wonderful to work with. I’ve met or submitted to several agents and editors at conferences who have all been helpful, but ultimately weren’t a good match for me.

What will the role of the Internet play in the future of publishing?

A huge one, I suspect.

What's your next project?

I’m in the process of rewriting a trilogy about Rae, Sherry and Janie Jones… three sisters who are very different from one another. I’m also working on a series set in Scotland. Blue Belle of Scotland is almost done, and Wild Rose of Scotland is in progress.

Why did you choose your genre?

I write what I like to read.

Have you ever gotten to a point where a story wouldn't come? If so, how did you get back on track?

For me, there’s always a story waiting to be written – the problem is finding the time to get it out of my head and on to paper.

What do you think is the most important characteristic of a prolific writer?

Determination (stubbornness?) and discipline.

If you could choose one thing to be remembered by, what would it be?

That I made my family proud and did right by them, and all the other people I love.

How do you come up with original story lines?

No clue – they just kind of come to me.

(Hm, I know that feeling, too. And usually at the most inconvenient times, too.)

Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I start with a character to whom something life altering has happened, which essentially gives me both plot and secondary characters.

Do you use a pseudonym? More than one? Why?

Sherrie Hansen is my maiden name. I eventually hope to be published in the Christian Inspirational Romance genre and plan to publish any Christian Inspirationals as Sherrie Decker, which is my married name. (My husband is a pastor.)

Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch over to another genre?

I anticipate a few problems, since some of my books will be steamy and some chaste. The reason I plan to publish under a different name is to avoid confusion over which books are appropriate for the church library and which are not.

When did you start writing?

I started writing 10 or 11 years ago.

Where did you receive your most valuable lessons in becoming a writer?

I belong to an online critique group, jCW, or just Cherry Writers. The things I’ve learned there have been invaluable.

You mentioned that you belong to a critique group. So you also have a specific critique partner? Which do you prefer?

I am active in my critique group and have no formal critique partner. Several friends (some readers, some writers, a school teacher) have helped me with critiques over the years, but no one consistent person.

Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

I have found them to be very helpful. My critique group is very structured and has specific rules for posting and critiquing. I think it is important to be honest, and to share both the good things as well as the things that need work.

Do you ever look back and think, "I wish I had written this differently?"
I suspect when my book has been out a few years, I may think this. Right now, I’m very happy with it. (Except for the night before it was released when I had a full-blown panic attack and thought it all needed to be changed!)

Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

I own and manage a Victorian bed and breakfast and tea house called the Blue Belle Inn in St. Ansgar, Iowa.

(Sounds wonderful. I love Victorian houses/architecture.)

How long does it take you to complete a book, from the time the idea for the book is conceived, to when you submit it to your editor?

We’ll soon find out!

How important is it to attend writing conferences?

I have attended several, have met some wonderful people and heard some very inspirational speakers. It’s a great way to network and make new friends.

Do you write more than one kind of book? Do you have a preference? Is one type of book easier to write than another?

I only write contemporary, romantic, single titles in one form or another.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read primarily romance - single titles. I read some suspense. I like to read anything by LaVyrle Spencer, Jennifer Crusie, Julie Garwood, Jill Marie Landis, Debbie Macomber, Dorothy Garlock, Pamela Morsi or Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown are right up there. I’m also a huge fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books.

What do you do to unwind in your free time?

I don’t have a lot of free time, but my two favorite times of the week are Wednesdays, when I take my two little nieces (7 and 5) on an adventure. I’ve been doing this since the oldest one was born. I also love Sundays, at the 11 a.m. contemporary worship service, when I get to play the piano with our great worship team. When I play the intro to “We Are An Offering”, the drums come in and everyone starts to sing… what can I say? I love it!



Thank you for joining us here today, Sherrie, and sharing your publication story with us. ~ The Moonlighters