RYDS Tour Stop - Interview with Amber Scott

Welcome to Day 2 of the Romancing Your Dark-Side (RYDS) tour set of author interviews here on Reviews and Interviews. The tour itself is Aug 5 - Oct 31, and here's the full schedule. I'm hosting all 7 authors here this week.

Today's guest is Amber Scott.

And at the end of the week, there will be a Virtual Gift Basket Giveaway for one commenter - Ebooks upon Ebooks, swag, and other goodies. So make sure to leave a comment today and each day this week!

Dawn, please tell us about your current release, Fierce Dawn.
"X-MEN action meets True Blood heat!" *****5 stars
---Ann Charles, Nearly Departed In Deadwood, 2010 Daphne Winner

Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after her.

The man who haunts her dreams enters her reality, claiming she's transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for her life, but for mankind's as well.

What inspired you to write this book?
A few things. Fierce Dawn’s delicious hero, Elijah, first appeared to me in dream sequences that Sadie, the heroine, had then found herself needing to paint. I’ve long been fascinated by the idea, what if hallucinations of mental illnesses were real? What if these persons could actually see what others can’t? I’m fascinated with the human brain and this what if helped ParaRealm come to life along with the idea of humans becoming changelings, a cross of immortal and human, evolved due to environmental needs.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m working on the second ParaRealm book Stealing Dusk, Lyric’s story. Lyric is a feeder, an immortal who gives and takes energy and images. In ParaRealm human blood is a drug and immortals who are addicted to it are vampires. Lyric is fighting his own vampirism as he helps hunt down the leader of an evil faction out to annihilate humankind. His best friend’s ex proves to be key to helping him and tempting him beyond redemption.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was about four when I first declared to my mom that I was going to be a writer. I credit her taking my claim seriously for that seed planting and growing over the years.

It wasn’t until I became a stay at home mom, staring at the walls during naptimes that I decided, if not now, when? I participated in NaNoWriMo and found I didn’t just love dreaming of being a writer. I actually love to write, too! Phew!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I need to make soundtracks for my novels to nail down characters, scenes and mood. I’m so dependent on my iPod that when it went missing, I had a serious anxiety attack. I grew attached to having it next to me, earplugs in. And I love shopping for songs for scenes. For Stealing Dusk, for example, I just found the perfect Deftones song for one of Lyric’s bloodsport battle scenes.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An author. My back up plan is a hair stylist, though. I love hair.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
My reader/fan group is called the HOT Club and my motto is “Spoil the HOT!” If any readers would like to join, since it is a secret Facebook group, I’ll just need us to be friends and then for them to let me know they’d like in.

In the HOT Club, you get all Amber Scott and release news first, a HOT swag kit (Swag so HOT, your mailman wants it, is the slogan for it) and just some all around fun. I’m also on Twitter and have a list called the HOT Club there, too.

Thanks, Amber!

Remember, at the end of the week, there will be a Virtual Gift Basket Giveaway for one commenter - Ebooks upon Ebooks, swag, and other goodies. So make sure to leave a comment today and each day this week!

Interview with paranormal romance author Minnette Meador

Today is a virtual book tour blog stop with paranormal romance author Minnette Meador. She's touring her new book, A Ghost of a Chance, with Goddess Fish Promotions.

Minnette will be giving away a Kindle and a $100 Amazon gift certificate to a lucky commentor. See details below.

Bio:
Somewhere between thirty and dust...red hair, blue eyes...six kids, one slightly used husband, and any number of pets from time to time... wanttabe hippy... wanttheirmoney yuppie... pro musician and actress for 30 years... native Oregonian... lover of music, beauty, and all things green. Willing slave to the venerable muse. Minnette currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband, having replaced the children with one dog. The dog, Pierre, pretty much runs the show.

Her works include: Starsight, Starsight II, The Centurion & The Queen, The Edge of Honor, A Boy and His Wizard (w/a M.A. Smith), A Ghost of a Chance, The Gladiator Prince (August 2011), and The Bell Stalker (October 2011). She has also contributed to the award winning Cup of Comfort Series and 150 Oregon Stories celebrating Oregon’s Sesquicentennial. For more information on her books and excerpts, visit her website.

Welcome, Minnette. Please tell us about your current release.
A Ghost of a Chance is a paranormal romantic comedy that released June 22 from Resplendence Publishing.

Keenan Swanson is your typical, everyday graphic designer. Well, except for the hundreds of pesky, prank-loving poltergeists that make his life interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). He finds his situation precarious yet manageable — until witty, smoking-hot coworker Isabella enters the scene and Keenan decides he wants her all for himself. With a horny succubus who has other ideas, a burly city cop determined to lock Keenan away, and an evil entity who’s hell-bent on using Keenan’s seed to create a living demon, the reluctant psychic realizes he just might not come out of this alive — or with heart intact.

"Hysterical and very original!" 2-Time Rita Winner Wendy Warren

What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write about ghosts, having been a big fan of all things ghostly for most of my life, plus some real hair raising experiences of my own. I asked myself: What if someone saw hundreds of ghosts floating around him, in fact he talked to them? What would his life be like? How would he function in the “normal” world? What would his love life be like? What would the ghosts be like?

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently working on the third book in the Centurion Series, The Gladiator Prince, which hits the stands on August 17th. Set in ancient Roman Britannia and Rome, it is a standalone book in the series featuring the last royal of the Briton Trinovantes Tribe, the spoiled daughter of his owner, a dashing ancient pirate, and the search for the gladiator’s two daughters who have been taken to Rome as slaves.

Excerpt:
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans after the Boudicca Revolt to save his two daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes, forcing the daughter of his master to take him to Rome to save his children. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all? Book III of the Centurion Series.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I penned my first Star Trek script at the age of 8. It wasn’t very good, but, oh, what fun it was to pretend!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have to work full time like most writers, but I do set aside time on the weekends and evenings to write. I also try to get away for small retreats to write, which really helps. Most of my hobbies get put aside when I’m on deadline, but I try to take a long break during the year to recharge for the next book.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Believe it or not, I like to listen to funky music when I write. Don’t know why, but I tried classical and other mellow types of music, but for some reason a funky female vocal about her bad boyfriend seems to do the trick! ~teehee~

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a singer and actress more than anything when I was a kid. I got the opportunity when I was 13 to sing at a night club in downtown Portland and never looked back. I’m retired from singing and acting now, but I spent a good 30 years doing what I really loved.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Just want them to know that if they want a chance to win lots more prizes, visit http://minnettemeador.blogspot.com for a complete list of where I’ll be this month. The more blogs you visit and comment on, the more chances you’ll have of winning Amazon gift certificates, totes full of goodies, jewelry, make-up, and even two drawings to win a Kindle, loaded with great books (even some of your choice!), plus lots of surprise contests.

Here's the buy link for A Ghost of a Chance.

Thanks so much, Lisa, for inviting me to your amazing blog. I really had a blast! Minnette :o)

My pleasure, Minnette. It's been fun getting to know a bit about you and your writing. Best of luck with the rest of the tour!

Interview and blog tour stop with romantic suspense author Terri Reed

Today I'm happy to host romantic suspense author Terri Reed as part of her virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. She's talking about her newest release from Love Inspired Authors.

As part of her tour, Terri is going to give away a $25 Visa gift card to a lucky commentor. Details below.

Bio:
Award winning, multipublished author Terri Reed discovered the wonderful world of fiction at an early age and declared she would one day write a book. Now she is fulfilling that dream and enjoys writing for Love Inspired. She is an active member of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband, two wonderful children, and an array of critters. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening and playing tennis.

Terri, welcome to Reviews and Interviews. Please tell us about your current release.
In The Innocent Witness, Vivian Grant finds her estranged husband murdered and realizes her autistic son is the only witness. It soon becomes clear she and her child are the killer’s next targets. Hired bodyguard Anthony Carlucci quickly realizes the threat against his clients has far reaching power and trusting anyone could get them all killed. Anthony and Vivian must work together to solve the mystery of her husband’s death and bring down a murderer, all the while fighting their growing attachment to each until they are ready to risk their hearts and their lives for a future together.

What inspired you to write this book?
A news article detailing the plane crash that killed a US Senator sparked the idea for the plot of my book, but Anthony was already an established character from my May 2009 book Covert Pursuit. He had a scene where he warned the hero of that book not to romantically hurt his baby sister. Anthony’s protectiveness really appealed to me. I wanted to write his story and see what his life was like since I’d last ‘seen’ him.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently working on a Love Inspired Suspense contemporary continuity series about a family of Irish cops and a murder in their small New England fishing village. My book will be the last in the six book series and will be released in June 2012. The continuity series features five other wonderful Love Inspired authors. Half the fun of writing a continuity series is working with other authors.

In The Deputy’s Duty, Ryan Fitzgerald must team up with freelance reporter Meghan Henry to trap a killer, rescue a child and bring down a band of illegal baby smugglers. As Ryan and Meghan work together, they grow closer, but a family secret threatens to tear them apart.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer and longed to put the stories in my head to paper but it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my daughter that I decided to do something about it. I took a class at the local junior college and started my first story. I didn’t call myself an author until I held my first published book in my hands. I had a novella published in 2001 with Barbour and my first Love Inspired novel, Love Comes Home, came out in 2004.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I consider myself a full-time writer though I can’t say I write everyday. I am very involved in my children’s schools, which require time away from the computer. Most writing days start at 8:30ish and go until 2:45ish. Somewhere in there I will stop for lunch and/or workout. I try to do e-mail and anything that needs my attention on the computer either in the evening or first thing before I start working for the day because once I get into the writing zone I don’t want to leave.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I can’t write in silence. I have to have music playing. I used to play classical music but found it was making me too relaxed, so now I play pop, rock and show tunes. I take inspiration from the music and the faster paced tempo helps my writing pace.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer. I used to tell myself stories as a way of coping with my extreme shyness as a child. My peers in grade school teased me because I was always ‘talking’ to myself, which only added to my shyness. Go figure. I wrote my first romance story in sixth grade about two wooden clothespin dolls I’d made. After I had my first book published, my mother sent me the stories from my grade school and high school years. I was amazed she’d hung on to them for so long.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
The Innocent Witness is the first book in my own mini-series titled the Protection Specialists-Guarding the Innocent. Book two, The Secret Heiress, will be out in January 2012. Book three, title to be determined, will be a September 2012 release. Book four, title to be determined, will be out in 2013. I have other Protection Specialists books planned for the future as well. I hope readers will enjoy the series as much as I’m enjoying writing about the men and women of the Protection Specialists.

Folks can find me at the Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog and the Craftie Ladies of Romance blog as well as Love Inspired Authors.

Terri, thank you for sharing a bit about yourself and your writing projects.

Readers, Terri is giving away a $25 Visa gift card to a lucky commentor at the conclusion of her virtual book tour. Leave a comment here to be entered. And if you visit other tour stops and comment, you'll give yourself more chances to win. Terri's other stops can be found here.

VBT stop for Yvonne Perry for her new book The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children

Today marks the kick-off of Yvonne Perry's book tour for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children geared toward 2-5 year olds.

What is The Sid Series about? Listen to a 30-second explanation.

Yvonne will be stopping here on Sunday, December 6 to address any comments left via the book review I will be posting. Below is her full schedule, if you'd like to follow her along her tour and see the variety of stops she has included.

•Today: Yvonne will run a media release about The Sid Series blog tour. Great information for authors who may want to do their own virtual book tour some day.

•Nov 19, Yvonne will post a video on Youtube about The Sid Series.

•Nov 20, Yvonne's article about psychic children and their imaginary friends will post to Irene Watson of Reader Views blog.

•Nov 21, WITS Blog will feature an interview with 8-year-old Sidney, the inspiration for the writing of The Sid Series. Join him as he discusses with his grandmother the books and his spiritual gifts.

•Nov 22, Janet Riehl is hosting a question and answer interview about Yvonne's process for writing, publishing, and marketing The Sid Series.

•Nov 23, Yvonne will be the radio guest of Maxine Thompson on Dr. Maxine Show. The Shift Guru, Barbara Joye, will feature part 1 of a 3-part article on how Yvonne shifted from religion to metaphysics when her grandson, Sidney, (for whom The Sid Series was written) started manifesting psychic gifts.

•Nov 24, Yvonne will also be Suzanne Lieurance's radio guest on Book Bites for Kids

•Nov 25, The Shift Guru, Barbara Joye, will feature part 2 of a 3-part article on how Yvonne shifted from religion to metaphysics when her grandson started manifesting psychic gifts.

•Nov 26, Yvonne will be visiting Karen and Robyn - Writing for Children where Karen Cioffi is the hostess. Yvonne will tell how she self-published The Sid Series.

•Nov 27, Stephanie Ward will post information about Yvonne’s book on Stark Raving Bibliophile. The Shift Guru, Barbara Joye, will feature part 2 of a 3-part article on how Yvonne shifted from religion to metaphysics when her grandson started manifesting psychic gifts.

•Nov 28, Yvonne will post a press/media release about the book's debut. This will go to multiple online sources.

•Nov 29, Amy, the owner of Equinaut and Vitesis has invited Yvonne to stop by and share an article titled, “The Writing of a Children’s Book.”

•Nov 30, Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s blog, The New Book Review, will feature a book review written by Katie Chalfont that highlights how The Sid Series has influenced her three children.

•Dec 1, Barbara Techel and Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog welcome Yvonne. You won’t want to miss this article on pet death.

•Dec 2, Shayne Packer of Grandparents TLC will host Yvonne as she offers an article about young age grandparenting.

•Dec 3, Dallas Woodburn’s Writing Life will introduce authors to Skype, an Author Network’s virtual classroom feature.

•Dec 4, Elena Dorothy Bowman will post an article titled "Why I wrote The Sid Series." This article features why Yvonne wrote the book and discusses some of the spiritual gifts Sidney manifested at an early age.

•Dec 5, Yvonne will upload to Youtube a book trailer for “A Powerful Potion,” one of the stories in The Sid Series. Jennifer Brown will post Yvonne’s “Love List”.

•Dec 6, Yvonne will be stopping here to reply to any comments left with the book review of The Sid Series!

•Dec 7, Liana Metal will host Yvonne on Art Stories with an article about how she worked with 15-year-old Hayley John to create the illustrations for The Sid Series.

•Dec 8, Hal Manogue of Short Sleeves Insight will host Yvonne on with the posting of an article about children having remembered past lives.

•Dec 9, Chelle Cordero will host a “Woman in Charge” interview of Yvonne as an author and business entrepreneur. You don’t want to miss “Combining Authorship and Free-Lance Writing Business” on Chelle Cordero’s Promo Page.

•Dec 10, Sidney’s mother, Amanda McCurley, will host Yvonne on Fashionably Late by providing a book review and her thoughts about her son being the main character and inspiration for The Sid Series.

•Dec 11, Mama Paro and her three kittens: Elina, Bibble, and Tuktuk, will write a book review for The Sid Series. You’ll get a child’s perspective of the book when you visit.

•Dec 12, Anita Revel has invited Yvonne to stop by Daily Blissings and discuss why she is thankful for the learning process of self-publishing using Lightning Source.

•Dec 13, More Than Meets the Eye will feature an article, “Out of the Mouths of Babies! Channeling 101” about how Yvonne’s grandson at age three channeled an import message from his higher self.

•Dec 14, Lillian Brummet will host Yvonne Perry as she reads “Sid’s Fairy ~ Learning About Inner Guidance.”

•Dec 15, In a radio interview, Yvonne will discuss why The Sid Series was written for her grandson, Sidney. Hot Books - Great Authors is hosted by Valerie Connelly, publisher at Nightengale Press.

•Dec 16, More Than Meets the Eye will feature a flip book version of "Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet," which is one of the twelve stories in The Sid Series.

•Dec 17, Heart Song's Hymnal will post a book review for The Sid Series.

•Dec 18. WITS blog will feature a question and answer interview with Hayley John, the 15-year-old student who illustrated many of the stories and the cover for The Sid Series.

•Dec 19, stop by Dennis Martin's blog, I Write Some, and read “A Book for Kids (and Adults) Who Love Fairies” and listen to an audio of the author reading the story, “Sid’s Fairy ~ Learning About Inner Guidance.”