SUPERNATURAL SUNDAY

Please welcome author, Charisma Knight. Charisma's newewst release is Just an Average Vampire, which was recently released by Amira Press. Other books written by Charisma are Soul Seduction and Her Dark Desires.



In honor of April 15th being tax day, we’re asking 15 questions this month...so, let's get started:

GRACEN: Speaking of taxes, are you’re taxes finished, or do you procrastinate with them? Do you do them yourself or do you have a taxman do them for you?

CHARISMA: My taxes are completed. My uncle does them for me, I don’t play around with Uncle Sam. I’m eager to receive money. ; )


GRACEN: As it says, “April showers bring May flowers”. What flowers do you hope to see the first thing in spring?

CHARISMA: Oh, it doesn’t matter. Anything in bloom makes me happy.


GRACEN: Do you plant your own garden? Why or why not and where is it (are they) located? What type(s) will it (they) be and where is it (are they) located on your property?

CHARISMA: No, I don’t have a green thumb.


GRACEN: If you could have a garden, what kind of garden would it be, how big would it be and what would you plant in it?

CHARISMA: I would have a beautiful large rose garden. I’m partial to roses of all colors.


GRACEN: Have you ever considered getting involved with a local community garden? Why or why not?

CHARISMA: No, I haven’t. I’m not a natural at gardening. I don’t have a green thumb.


GRACEN: For your produce, is the local grocery store just fine, or do you like to hit your local farmer’s market? What is your favorite fruit or vegetable that you like to get?

CHARISMA: There is a local stand around the Hanover area where my grandmother lives. It is next to the Peach Orchard. They grow beautiful plants, vegetables, and fruit. My favorite fruit is watermelon, and I love fresh green beans and corn.


GRACEN: Now, let’s get to your writing, Charisma…What is your main genre (erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, etc.)? What was the draw for you?

CHARISMA: Main genre is erotic romance. There are no drawbacks.


GRACEN: Besides your main genre we just discussed, what elements do you prefer to use in a story and why those elements over others?

CHARISMA: I enjoy writing interracial erotica; erotic romance. I enjoy writing about vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. As you can see, vampires are my first love. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired with writing them.

I write about interracial romances because I’m an African American woman who has always been involved in an interracial relationship, so that is what appeals to me. I use these elements from my point of view.


GRACEN: Do you prefer red roses or black roses? If so, does that show in your writing? If so, how? If roses aren’t your style, what flowers are? Do they influence your writing? If so, how?

CHARISMA: I love them both. Actually, I don’t include flowers in my writing, but I should start. Actually, in one of my stories, the hero gives my heroine a bouquet of blood red roses. Does that count? Honestly, flowers don’t influence my writing.


GRACEN: The jury’s still out on this question, so we’re still asking it! - Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one planting the seeds? How do you cultivate those seeds regardless of who plants them?

CHARISMA: I must say, it is 50/50 sometimes. Other times, I follow my muse wherever she leads me. There are times when my muse plants the seeds and leaves. I cultivate the seeds by sitting down and creating a rough outline of this story. I do this with the characters, because it sometimes helps me set the stage for everything. It is rare when I do this. Other stories have just flowed to me thanks to my muse, and I didn’t have to do anything, just write.


GRACEN: In your opinion, what author had the most influence on your writing? What about their writing did you find so influential and why?

CHARISMA: I have to say, Celeste Anwar, and Dahlia Rose inspired me to launch my writing career in March, 2009. Other authors such as J. Hali Steele and Eve Vaughn are my most recent influences.

Their writings are so influential because they stay with you long after you’ve completed the book. These ladies have written memorable stories that tingles the senses and warms the heart. There is a melancholy feeling when the story has ended. I strive to invoke those feelings within readers.


GRACEN: While authors can definitely influence us, inspiration can be everywhere for a writer, but specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits or things that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, Just An Average Vampire, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

CHARISMA: A very good friend who suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her ex inspired me to write this story. I dedicated this story to her because she was strong enough to gain her freedom. When a woman is trapped within an abusive relationship, her mind and body are sadly no longer her own. Horribly enough, she feels there is no way out of the relationship.


GRACEN: Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is a second book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

CHARISMA: There is no dialogue of how Trina and Cecil met, just Cecil’s thoughts while watching her sleep.

Cecil remembered the first day they met. It had been October 2008 when their paths crossed at Burt’s Café, a coffee lounge. He’d stood in line behind her, waiting for her to place her order. When it came time to pay, Trina searched for the money she thought she’d had in a small pocketbook. Cecil stepped in, paying for her purchase.

In awe of his kindness, Trina had given him a huge hug, and the two bonded. A lone, silver tear slid down Cecil’s cheek while recalling the moment she’d told him how Rick treated her. She’d had money in her wallet, but Rick used to steal from her. With these thoughts, Cecil lay down beside Trina, remaining awake until dawn approached.

Vampire, Cecil McKagan is English, tall handsome, and good looking. He is six feet tall, has shoulder length black hair, charming, and quite the gentleman. He lives in Edison, New Jersey, lives in an average apartment, and holds an average job in a pub. He’s friends with my heroine, Trina Jones. Well, Cecil wishes to be more than just friends, however, he fears he may be a little overbearing for Trina, especially since she is the victim of an abusive relationship. Cecil fears as a vampire he may harm her emotionally, perhaps even physically.

Trina Jones is a beautiful African American woman who discovered the courage to escape an abusive husband. Unfortunately, after her divorce she suffers a few financial struggles. Once learning she is being evicted from her apartment, she relies upon Cecil for a place to stay. Trina has shoulder length black hair, smooth dark brown skin, a voluptuous build. She is funny, witty, and a handful. She’s very independent and stubborn.


GRACEN: The main characters are usually great, but sometimes, secondary and tertiary characters are known to steal the scenes. Who are the secondary/tertiary characters in your story and what do they look like? What’s unique about them? What is their relationship to the hero/heroine? Have any of these gone on to become scene-stealers? If so, who and how did they do it? (Again, please give us a small bit of dialogue to illustrate this – thanks!)

CHARISMA: My other characters, Izzy and Ivanna may steal the scenes a little. Izzy is my Spanish vampire, a long time friend of Cecil’s. Izzy is a show off, down to earth, wise cracking and very charming. His mate, Ivanna is a petite blond who chastises Izzy every so often because of his child-like nature. They are close friends to Cecil and Trina. In one of the scenes, Izzy shows off his vampire speed while they help Trina move her belongings out of her apartment.


Blurb:

After discovering the courage to divorce her abusive husband, Trina Jones rises from her ashes like the legendary Phoenix. Strong-willed and determined, she rebuilds her independence. After her divorce, a string of bad luck sets her back tremendously. Faced with eviction and repossession, Trina becomes frustrated. To make matters worse, she is laid off from her job.

Vampire Cecil McKagan graciously accepts Trina into his home once he discovers her hardship. The bond between them ultimately strengthens, and the pair become lovers. However, past negativities threaten to tear the couple apart...


EXCERPT:

Across the alley, on top of the abandoned building, an ancient being peered through Cecil's bedroom window. Witnessing the affection between Trina and Cecil, venomous curses escaped its lips. Consumed by hatred, and unaffected by the bitter wind whipping it's long raven locks against flawless ebony skin, the creature dug it's talons into the brick ledge on which it perched. Another opportunity would arise to drive a wedge between them, it decided as it expanded black wings and leapt off the top of the building. Enraged, it released a blood-curdling scream and soared high into the starlit sky.


* * * *

The screech jarred Cecil and Trina from their embrace. Cecil sat up and dashed to the window. His keen senses had alerted him to something seconds before hearing the blood-curdling scream. Now, he sensed nothing.

"Was that a cat, or something?"

"It was a vampire."

"Maybe it was Izzy or Ivanna."

"No, the presence I felt was over there. And the scream, well, we vampires make those noises when enraged. This presence seemed familiar, but I can't bloody place it." Cecil was puzzled, and then an eerie thought crept into his head.
What if…?

"Cecil, you're scaring me. Stop looking like that. Are you sure everything is all right?"

"Yes." He returned to the bed and slipped beneath the bedcovers.

"Liar."

"Oh, Trina." Cecil shook his head. He looked at her, sighed, and fell against the large, goose down pillow. Trina turned on her side to face him, running her fingers through the silky soft hair dusking his broad chest.

"Do we have more secrets, Cecil? That sound, whatever it was, caused my damn skin to crawl. I would bet my life you know what, or who, it was, and this time I would appreciate an honest answer."

"Along with living many lifetimes comes the threat of many enemies. I was a knight in England. This scar came from a werewolf attack, as I was returning from the Crusades. I fought with honor for King Richard, no questions asked."

"When were you made a vampire?"

"Almost a week after my attack. Once I returned, I learned my wife and child had been murdered by the hands of someone I thought to be a comrade. After a day of mourning, my sire introduced herself to me, taking my life as though I'd accept the monster I'd become afterward. I wished for death, but not like this. Nydia was my sire. She was a cold, ruthless vampire who hunted for the thrill of the chase. She is an enemy."

"Why would she be an enemy?"

"Oh, I'm getting to that. Trust me."

"I'm sorry for the loss of your family. Do you regret becoming a vampire?"

"For centuries, yes. Then I met you. Fate has a way of making things happen. If I weren't a vampire, I would never have met you," he said and kissed Trina on the head as she snuggled close, allowing him to continue his story.

PHANTASM FRIDAY

TARA S. NICHOLS TAKES A BITE OUT OF THE MOONLIGHT

Tara is the author of numerous books and can call Amira Press, Noble Romance, Cobblestone Press and Siren Publishing as her publishing houses. There's lots of fun information about Tara on her website, so make sure to check it out.

First off, thank you for joining us, Tara. It's an honor to have you with us and I'm excited you joined us! I know everyone is anxious to learn more about you, so, let's kick off this interview with some questions about you:

1. Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

You know, I don't have a favorite movie to watch on Halloween, but I really should remedy that. As for scary movies... well... Lost Boys was pretty awesome, but I might have been distracted by all the eye candy in that movie. I confess, my fondness for vampires is only a recent thing, until I tried my hand at a vampire anthology call, I would have said werewolves had always been my favorite scary hero. Now I might say vampires are tied with werewolves.

2. Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

I used to throw great Halloween parties; huge bonfires in the dark woods with all my closest friends, carved pumpkins lighting the winding forest trail, and plenty of sugar to keep the party going late, but we've taken a break from that since my son was born. Now that he is four I think it's high time we renew that tradition. I haven't worn a costume since my husband, myself and two other friends crashed a Star Trek convention and won first prize for unique costume. We went as 18th century vampires.

3. If you do you dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

I have a hideous green mask that I might wear if any unsuspecting "tricksters" come round my country home, ie, MY DAD!

4. Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

I wish I wasn't superstitious, but sometimes certain things can't be helped. A stray black cat showed up under a ladder on my wedding day. (So far so good), knocks on wood. But there is a scene in a story that I just can't bring myself to write for fear that it will come true.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

I believe it's possible that ghosts exist. Both my parents swear they heard a ghost in our old farm house, and I myself have never felt at ease there, but as for what happens to our spirit, I really can't say.

6. Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

I mentioned earlier that my dad might be try to scare me witless this Halloween, well, we have a tradition to scare the heck out of one another. He got me and my sister-in-law good last time. Let me just say there's nothing creepier than getting into a car where you aren't sure isn't already occupied. Those horror flicks where someone is lurking in the backseat are scary for a good reason.

I was camping once with my boyfriend (now husband) and another young couple in the woods on a moonlit night. This was a strange place to camp though because it was just a granary that had been renovated into a small cabin on a farmer's land. We were sitting out by the fire when my friend and I saw something at the top of the hill. It was coming down a narrow path cut through the thin sapling trees. What ever this thing was made a horrible noise, a huffing, grunting sound. It glowed white and faded in and out of view. One moment it was illuminated bright white one moment, then gone the next only to reappear much closer.What was even worse was that it was headed right for us, and we just stood there, frozen to the spot, and watched it advance on us. We should have run instead of stare with our eyes open, but then if we had we wouldn't have learned that it was just a white bull walking in and out of the moonlight. I plan to write that into a children's story someday.

One of my funniest costumes has to be the year my neighbor and I dressed up as ghosts. The costumes were simple, two holes cut into a sheet, but for some reason my family didn't have a white sheet to spare. All we had was a pale pink one. Thankfully Pacman was all the rave at that time and I just told people I was Pinky and my neighbor was blinky.

7. If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

Oh, that is hard. I think a werewolf, but I'd love to be able to fly. I am an avid nature buff and living part time as a wolf really appeals to me, but if I were a vampire, perhaps I could be like my winged vampire hero, D'iamonte, or at the very least have the ability to change into a bat.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

8. Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

I suppose, "because it's cool" isn't going to cut it, is it? :)

That said, I think it's because there are so many possibilities with paranormal plots and characters. I write contemporary fiction as well, and sometimes it's nice to be able to say the hero leapt tall buildings to rescue the damsel in distress. In a fantasy realm, the bad guys can be even more evil, capable of mutating, tearing an opponent apart with fangs, claws, even laser eyes for that matter. I also like the turmoil and angst that comes with paranormal heros. They're strong, usually an underdog, and yet gentle and compassionate. They've been outcast, not all of them, but they war with their inner demons just a little more than a mere mortal seems to.

9. If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

I like a little humor in my writing, hence the mutated animal/human creatures in Awakening the Blood, for comic relief, but I also love a sizzling sex scene. Most of my work is contemporary erotica, but my paranormal stories are just as steamy. I plan to write two more stories to go with Awakening the Blood, (hopefully they will be sold as a unit someday). I also have another vampire novella partially written, and two werewolf stories, all with an erotic theme.

10. Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

Oh I like playing tricks. I hope it shows in my writing. When a reader or reviewer states that they couldn't predict the ending or certain unexpected events were revealed, I smile. To be called boring is one of the worst things I could imagine being said of my work.

11. Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

I'll have to confer with my muse, lol, or muses, hmm. The way I write is rather hard to pin down. Sometimes an idea pops into my head as a whole scene. I have to scramble to gt it all down, and the next moment I'm plotting, making lists of what will happen next to pull the whole story together. Someone once describe this as a Patcher, a combination of a Pantser and a Plotter. I like the term. How else does one stitch together all those pop in the head moments?

12. What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

I really enjoyed the creatures; small mutated/morphed animals and humans that haunt Meara, who follow her around and unintentionally freak her out. I included a five legged worthog, and my favorite Izod, an ugly ex convict, man-mouse.

13. If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

I do believe D'iamonte is welcome over at my house anytime. He's tall dark and handsome, and did I mention he can fly? And the monster-sized helldogs that corner Meara outside her apartment aren't welcome, anytime.

~~~~~

Tara as a Witch

~~~~~

BLURB:

AWAKENING THE BLOOD

Reeling from her recent break up, Meara ditches a Halloween party held in a cemetery at the edge of town, and seeks out the one reliable man in her life - who just happens to be a statue with large bat wings. The winged man had always intrigued her, but that just seems to go along with her other idiosyncrasies – her ability to read emotions and dream the future.Even after years imprisoned in marble, D'iamonte can feel and see everything that goes on around him. Most of the time, his encounters have been unpleasant, but when his beautiful young mortal comes calling, late one Halloween, he is surprised and pleased that she feels bold enough to crawl in to his lap and have her way with him.Neither of them expects him to wake up.

EXCERPT:

This book should be considered 18+

Buy Link

What an agreeable awakening, D’iamonte thought as he stretched his unused muscles and shook the moss that had accumulated over the years from his hair.

His elbow thumped the wall, and his wingtips bent over at an uncomfortable angle. The small space, in which he huddled, didn’t allow him much movement. It was some sort of small storage building, full of holes and leaning. It smelled too, but anything was better than perching on top of that pedestal again. He’d run far, feeling it had been necessary, and then crawled into the derelict shelter to give himself enough time to recuperate, just in case he needed to fight.

He hadn’t anticipated not being able to fly. It was unnerving. Nevertheless, he’d have to stay where he was until the threat passed. Besides, he needed to shake off the blissful daze he found himself in. His encounter with that lovely mortal had energized and drained him at the same time.

He smiled, thinking about his narrow escape. At first, he couldn’t place what was wrong. His head was fuzzy, his legs had gone soft, and his heart was full of unexplained joy. He felt inebriated, but he didn’t know whether it was his body’s reaction to freedom or something in the blood of his victim.

Some victim, he thought with a smile. He’d recognized those bottomless, dark irises anywhere. She was the beauty who had returned to his side, time and again. She’d sat at his side professing her fears and her heartache to what she thought was just a statue. Most of the time, her mood had been subdued, perhaps a little coy, but this time, she had advanced upon him, seduced him, and freely given herself up to him in the most carnal of acts. In all his experience, that had never happened before, and he had to confess that it had been a very pleasant surprise. She was everything he desired; young, slim, a little bit wild, determined, and very mortal.

And then there was the taste of her, he smiled, remembering it fondly. She had an exotic flavor. There was something else hidden within her veins, something ancient. Her blood had tingled upon his tongue, but she was mortal.

He purred with satisfaction, and it vibrated off the walls surrounding him. He preferred mortals. They were warm, and he loved the sound of their heart beating in their chests. While his existence was bleak and filled with bitterness, mortals’ minds were most often pleasant and filled with hope. When he was with a mortal, the person’s happiness became his, even if it was only for a few moments. Some called it a perversion. He considered it fair play. If he was going to take something from them, then they should get something back, and they most certainly did when he chose his victims carefully. Most of them never knew what he was or what he’d taken from them. All they felt was intense pleasure.

This mortal had known what he was, though. For the first time, a lover had advanced upon him. Even though she took advantage, the act was not entirely selfish. He’d heard her tender words, her sympathy, and her sorrow. He’d responded to her seduction like any mortal man would, and his release had been even more agreeable than the taste of her blood on his lips.

Sliding the tip of his tongue along his teeth, he lingered on that thought. That was what had woken him, he was certain. Her blood was powerful, and for the first time, he wanted more. Once with her would not be enough, yet he feared it had little to do with hunger. She sent a thrill coursing through his veins, but it was not wise to return to the same victim time and time again. The risk of exposure was too great.

What did it matter? He was far too weak to do anything about it now anyway. Even though he’d taken blood from her it had not been enough, but perhaps after he found nourishment and rested a while, he’d go pay her a visit. He would just watch her for a while and see if he could figure out what was so special about her. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find her. He’d recognize that intoxicating scent anywhere.

PHANTASM FRIDAY

ANIDA ADLER STIRS UP

A HOT CELTIC BREW

~~~~~

Writing as Nadia Williams, Anida Adler is the author of The Pebble, a spicy paranormal romance published by Amira Press, and the author of, Offering, a paranormal romance published by The Wild Rose Press. Ms. Adler’s newest book, The Ancient, is a celtic mythology/shapeshifter paranormal erotica, which was recently released by Loose, Id.

To learn more about Ms. Adler, drop by her website at: http://www.anida-adler.net/home.htm

~~~~~

It’s a pleasure to have you with us today, Anida. October is a month long paranormal event for us Moonlighters, so we’re delighted to have you with us. Let’s start with some trivia about you:

1. Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

Aaargh! Scary movie! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! I am incapable of watching scary movies. One of two things happens:
a) I get really involved with the whole thing and I’m petrified, have nightmares for days to come. I jumped from a standing position over a double bed to get to a door once from a scary scene in 1988’s The Blob. Yes, that’s right, The Blob.
http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/the-blob-eats-a-jock.jpg

Once, at a video night (this was in the days when owning a video machine was still unusual, which was not as long ago as you might think), I was trapped at the far end of a carpet of teenagers and couldn’t get away. I had to watch all of the 1987 film The Curse, and developed a lifelong fear of rotten vegetables.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/curse%201988/udar55/curse1.jpg

b) I use humour to distance myself from the film, making fun of every single thing in it. This unfortunately spoils it for everyone else. This technique didn’t work for The Omen. Not at all.

http://api.ning.com/files/vpVxQeNmkOZO72HghjvmP3pUJr7ea6ZHkEqn6xOhIv7auQMYFM10shDRXv3pmCcUeNk-j5gBr*E-gLU8bKM-pC7qM90e4-Mr/omen1.jpg

2. Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

In South Africa, Halloween is not traditionally celebrated. Strange, I know, but there you have it. It was surprising to move to Ireland and find quite a big deal made out of Halloween. My family agree that I look scary enough when I wake up in the mornings to not need a costume.
http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/ARP/ARP115/medusa_~Medusa.jpg

Also, as the resident mild eccentric in the neighbourhood, I think people are wary enough of me.

3. If you do you dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

Not having dressed for Halloween doesn’t mean I don’t have a fond memory of dressing up as something scary. I did a monologue for a yearly talent competition, in which I portrayed a witch. I can still remember the first few lines, and apparently I did a mean cackle. So much so that I was asked to perform the monologue again at the school concert. My dad, who’d dabbled with amateur acting as a younger man, did an excellent job with my stage make-up. I even scared myself, when I looked in the mirror. That was really awesome.

Choosing now, I’d die to celebrate Halloween with the characters from The Big Bang Theory, one of my favourite television shows. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J43lAESftPs&feature=related

4. Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

Superstition is fascinating, especially when you start looking at its origins. Sometimes it’s logical: don’t open an umbrella in the house, as it brings bad luck, the people hereabouts say. Well, I don’t know about bad luck, but have you ever tried going through a door with an open umbrella? Don’t walk under a ladder - someone is usually up on the ladder doing stuff like painting or drilling. Something could fall on your head.

But something like knocking on wood… apparently, in ancient times, people believed deities often lived in trees. So if they spoke of something they hoped for, they knocked on wood to probably wake up the darn deity so s/he could hear the request and get working!

Tossing salt over your shoulder, I was told when I was a child, sprang from the belief that spilling salt brought bad luck, and tossing some of it over your shoulder got salt in the devil that resides there.

I myself am not superstitious, but I love doing something at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve that embodies what I hope for in the year ahead. This last New Year’s Eve saw me cycling, with my laptop in a knapsack on my back to represent the writing I hoped to keep devoting my time to.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

I don’t, though I believe we don’t just cease to be when we die. I get the eeriest feeling when I visit an historical site, such as Roche Castle just down the road from us http://iol.ie/~scphadr/roche.html It’s as if I can hear the echoes of the people who had lived and died there.

6. Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

We’ve only celebrated four Halloweens so far, so there’s little to work with. Beyond the everyday odd things such as that dismembered hand which always passes you things from the kitchen drawer and the headless man next door, I haven’t had any strange experiences on Halloween. Yet.

7. If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

I’d be one of the Tuatha De Dannan as I envision them, because I love life (they’re immortal) and I think being able to do magic would be cool.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

8. Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

I’ve been a fan of fantasy since I was a child. I am most intrigued by the problems people would face if they had supernatural abilities, how it would influence their personalities and the course of their lives.

9. If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

Delighted fascination. I absolutely adore writing, I live for it, and if my readers can come away with just a fraction of the awe and rapture I feel when I create a story, I will have achieved something really special.

10. Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

I prefer bestowing treats, though they may look like tricks at first. I sometimes feel like a sadist, as I love throwing a character into a near impossible situation. Yet my goal is always to bring him or her through to the other side a better, more fulfilled person who has a deeper knowledge of self and the world.

11. Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

My muse is an absolute bitch and I hate her. And I love her, adore her, worship at her feet. I am her slave, but a willing slave, an addict who runs from the drug that is writing in vain, who always comes back for another fix, allowing the pleasure-pain of her cruel ministrations to drag me through hell into heaven.

I also tend to be a bit melodramatic.

Stories come and reside in my skull. They live there until I know them like I know the face I see in the mirror every day. I know where they start, and vaguely where they will end. From there, they do what they like, and I am no more than a medium for them.

12. What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

I loved taking Irish mythology and filtering it through my mind to produce something fascinating. I loved creating this race and seeing what effects their particular abilities had on their psyches.

13. If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

Oh, dear, this is a difficult one. I would love to befriend Tadhg from The Ancient, because I think he and I would get along like a house on fire. I am particularly fond of Ronán from The Pebble, but I’m afraid he would probably not get along with me very well.

I would rather not under any circumstances meet Dian Cecht. The man is truly evil, he killed his own son because he was jealous of him. How mean is that!

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BLURB - THE ANCIENT:

What would you do if you fell in love with the goddess of death?

Tadhg Daniels’ gift of days is at an end. When Morrigán, goddess of death, visits him to announce his impending death, she sees something in his eyes which she has never observed in any of her charges. She wants him, in every sense of the word. But can he handle the consequences of sex with an Ancient?

A part of Tadhg accepts his fate, but there’s another part of him that wants to live at any cost. How can he die, when he has just met a woman who sparks a consuming need in his soul?

There is a way for him to gain eternal life. Tadhg will have to face hidden desires, needs he has always denied. The shackles are waiting, and time is running out.


EXCERPT - THE ANCIENT:

Tadhg glanced at Morrigán and hesitated. Her gaze rested on him, and he saw eternity in her eyes. “No, Morrigán. No.” And with that he followed Mark, lifted his body from safety -- and felt the bullets slam into his chest as if time had slowed to a trickle. He fell and slid back into the shell hole, stared up at the blue sky in stunned disbelief.

Sound receded until he lay in utter silence among screams of pain and anger, in the midst of pounding boots and rattling guns. He felt no pain, but it was difficult to breathe, and something wet bubbled on his lips.

Morrigán crouched beside him. Why did she look angry? “You want to live, poet? You want to live no matter what?”

Again he felt that odd sensation of a part of him accepting, looking forward to entering the land of shades. He could blend with the power of running horses, exist in the steaming joy of early-morning gallops across dewy fields. Yet inside him, another part rebelled, struggled for life, even as he sensed the last few grains of sand sink to the narrow waist of the hourglass of his measure of days. And as he lay dying, he rested his gaze on Morrigán’s beautiful, pearl white face, and the part that wanted to live grew, filled him, became all of him.

“Tadhg, answer me. Do you want to live, no matter what the price?”

He couldn’t speak. Dear God, she offered him a chance, and now, because his lungs were filling with blood, he could not force his voice to reach out for what he craved with his entire being. Blackness tinged the edges of his vision; he fought to hold the receding image of her face. He nodded his answer, and she reacted in an instant, flicked her cloak over his body, and Tadhg felt himself falling, falling into a landscape of terrible dreams