Interview with Christine Young writing as Ann Christine

Today's guest author is Christine Young writing as Ann Christine. She's talking about her newest book, Safari Moon, and other works in process.

There are several giveaways available to several lucky commentors. Details are at the end of the interview.

Bio:
Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling. Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children. Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.

Welcome, Christine. Please tell us about your current release.
Safari Moon is about two best friends who can finish each others sentences. Nyssa finds that love at first sight truly does exist. The first time Nyssa sees Solo, she is smitten. Feeling as if she is a plain Jane nerd, Nyssa hides her feelings for the handsome, charismatic Solo never guessing that they are compatible on every level. Both are highly intelligent and both have a travel/adventure gene. After college Nyssa follows Solo on some of his photographic adventures, visiting exotic locales.

Solo denies his feelings for Nyssa, surrounding himself with witless yet gorgeous females always wondering why his relationships don't last. With his grandparents as examples, he should understand true love but the concept seems to evade him.

What inspired you to write this book?
My parents were avid bicyclists. When they retired, they took bicycle trips all over the world. They said you always saw more of the countryside and its people when you traveled more slowly. Their trips sent them to places like Bali, New Zealand, The Natchez Trace, Greece, Alaska, New England and I know there are more…

Nyssa started her career as a Wall Street investment manager and eventually the stress, power, greed and overwhelming need to make money with money was not a career she enjoyed. An athlete at heart she decided to start her own business in a much slower paced world.

And I love to write contemporary romance. It is so much fun to be able to think and write with modern slang and not worry about word usage, inventions, mode of travel, authentic costumes and again much, much more.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am in the process of editing Rebel Heart. This is a erotic fantasy with a few paranormal elements. A seer, a woman who can see into the future, predicts unnerving and frightening events. This book is set in the future, has gliders, masked heroes, and very evil villains.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
This one is hard. I've been asked this question before and I'm not sure how I answered it. There were stages in my writing career. After I joined national RWA, my local chapter and later as president of this chapter, I managed to finish several books, all rejected. Then I wrote a time travel, did I say I love time travel? I sent it off to Kate Duffy at Kennsington. She was very interested and called me. She didn't want to buy this book because "Kennsington was not buying time travel at this time but she would look at my next book. Please address it to her." Wow! I was so frightened. One of my critique partners encouraged me to write down all my feelings, but alas, I never did.

After that I sent Kate Dakota's Bride and I promptly received a two book contract. Kennsington Published Dakota's Bride and My Angel. Both these books are available at Rogue Phoenix Press in print and as an ebook and at Amazon on Kindle.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am a retired high school math teacher. Since I retired I try to write a little bit each week. But I have a lot of hobbies and interest. I also love to walk and workout. So all of these take up my time. I spend time editing and critiquing when I am not writing or doing other things. Oh, I also have two adorable granddaughters who take up some of this time.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have many quirks. If I'm thinking and don't have the next words at the tip of my fingertips, I will do a number of things: lift light weights (triceps always need work), play Cityville, and other games.

Pertaining to my books, most of my books will have a water/swimming scene. There is nothing sexier than water over naked bodies. But I discovered that I don't have a water scene in every book. Safari Moon has a shower scene though.

Safari Moon is my first contemporary novel and I decided to write under a different name, not too different, my first and middle names. Yes, I'm strange that way too, I go by my middle name. I just was never really an Ann.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Interesting, but unlike other authors that was not my dream. I first wanted to be an oceanographer. And although I loved science, I really did not want to stay in school that long. The next I think I wanted to be is a French interpreter at the United Nations. But I never could really conjugate those French verbs. I went to Oregon State University as an art major and immediately was labeled a dumb blond art major. At that point and for a few other reasons I switched to a Biology major. I thought then that I might be Medical Illustrator. While my science skills were great, I did not have an art portfolio that could compete with other artists. Well…I think I got a bit carried away.

There were more steps, but now I truly am doing what I love to do.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you so much, Lisa, for hosting me on this blog. I hope we get lots and lots of comments.

Oh, everyone don't forget to buy Safari Moon by AnnChristine. Stop by my blogs and leave a comment just to say hi. I would love it if you followed my blog. (a bit of shameless self promotion)

Website
Rogues Angels blog
Facebook
Twitter
Publisher

Readers, Ann Christine will be giving away the following prizes during her virtual book tour:
* A Safari Moon bookmark to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop.
* ebook copy of The Gift (part of A Valentine Anthology) and Star Crossed (part of St. Patricks Day anthology) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
* One commenter during the tour will win the right to have a character named for them in her next release--either Ghost Dance (a western historical romance) or Rebel Heart (science-fiction romance)
* Two randomly drawn commenters during the tour will each win a $25.00 GC to Starbucks

I encourage you to follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning.