Interview with romance novelist Christine Church

My special guest today is novelist Christine Church and she’s chatting with me about her new fantasy romance, Beyond a Veiled Reflection.

During her virtual book tour, Christine will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Christine Church is the bestselling author of the Fate of the True Vampires series.

Welcome, Christine. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Prepare for a new world, and a new Dimension.

Dane and Meirah are back, but they are not alone...

An enemy from their past has returned and is determined to get revenge on those he felt betrayed him and destroyed his life, his home. You've seen Mikaire, now enter Almareyah, where even a mere step into a puddle of water can mean torture, agony, and death.

After a fight separates Dane & Meirah, they discover their enemy has survived the death of Mikaire and he is out for revenge. And this time he has powers - wizard powers! Creating his own Dimension in the folds of time, he is unstoppable in his quest to make Meirah his Queen and Dane his blood slave.

Though this is Book Two, there is enough information to understand the plot without having read Book One.

What inspired you to write this book?

It’s the 2^nd book in a series. I had written the first book (Beyond Every Mirror) 20 years ago and put it aside, not sure what to do with it. Several years ago, I pulled it out, updated it and self pubbed it. But, then I discovered the tale didn’t end there. I have just finished book three in the series and have book 4 in mind.


Excerpt from Beyond a Veiled Reflection:

Prelude

Dane Bainbridge died under the heat of a desert sun. At the moment of death blackness surrounded him and the pain of life vanished.

Then came the light. Beautiful azure bound his body-less mind. And everywhere flowed water.

Peace.

All the troubles, tortures, fear and worry drifted away on the tides. He could have remained there forever. But soon there was something else. Red. Just a color, but not a color. Hair. Red hair. A word.

Meirah.

The word drifted through his unconscious mind, but he didn’t know what it meant.

Kaeplan.

Yes, that was a name he knew all too well. Kaeplan had killed him. They’d been fighting for centuries. And it was Dane who lost in the end.

But, if Kaeplan was here, then he must be dead too. But, where were they? Heaven? Hell? Or some other place? Hell. If such a place existed, they both deserved its fiery end.

So, even those from other dimensions went to Hell. But then…what was Hell but another Dimension in the folds of time. Just as Mikaire had been. Just as in Almareyah.

Someone was speaking. He couldn’t yet hear the words. He blinked open his eyes. That’s when he saw it. Just a sliver at first, but it grew into a ball of bright white light. Not Heaven, for if he had landed there, Bruce would be chastising him for his disbelief.

A face came into focus then, blocked out the light. She was beautiful with long brown hair that perfectly framed a sculpted face, high cheekbones and big brown eyes. She drew closer to him, and behind her he saw another. Both scantily clad.

As beautiful women closed in around him, Dane reveled in the paradise of his own thoughts.

A dream.

He tried to move, to reach to them. But the pain returned. His back aflame, his arms ached, legs stiff and sore.

Hell hath no fury… And the blackness returned once again.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Besides Book 4 in this series, I also have Book 6 of my Fate of the True Vampires series. But, the next book I will be writing is a time travel romance that has been requested by a big literary agent in NYC (something I’ve been working towards for 25 years).

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

That’s a hard one to answer. I have been writing since I was a little kid (I wrote picture books, drawings and all, at age 9), and I always wrote short stories throughout my teens, so I have really always been a writer. In the early 1990s I met a small-time literary agent who also had a newsletter (back then they were paper) and I used to write articles for it. So, I guess I considered myself a writer “officially” then. I considered myself an author once my first book was published by Howell Book House (back then, a division of Simon & Schuster) in 1998.

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 do NOT write full time. It’s not another job that prevents it, but mental illness. Though my writing is how I find sanity in an insane world, so is my horse. So I spend days with my horse and writing articles, blog posts and nonfiction (at the barn and at home), then I work on my novels between midnight and 3am.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Writing only from midnight to 3am is pretty quirky.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a really little child, I wanted to be a mermaid. Then a rock star, an actress, and a novelist.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Please review the books you read. It’s difficult for us writers to get honest feedback and we work in a solitary environment. I revel reviews, even if they’re not super positive, because it teaches me what I might be doing wrong that I can change going forward. Reviews don’t have to be extensive, yet I have noticed people just don’t leave reviews like they used to.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for having me.

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Interview with author Taylor Hobbs

My special guest today is author Taylor Hobbs and we’re talking about her new historical fantasy romance, Cloaked.

During her virtual book tour, Taylor will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Taylor Hobbs lives aboard a 38 ft sailboat named Story Time with her husband, baby girl, and dog. They are a military family and who love to travel, whether it is by sea or air. When she's not writing, Taylor enjoys doing yoga and planning her next adventure.

Welcome, Taylor. Please share a little bit about your current release.

As the Cloaked Shadow, Fawkes has made his career breaking into prisons for any contract with a large enough purse. He takes advantage of the kingdom's impending revolution by playing both sides of the conflict. Each rescue contract he fulfills turns a tidy profit until he angers the wrong duke.

Charlotte is a criminal-in-training who yearns to crack her mentor’s guarded façade, but is unprepared to confront the depths of his dark past. As her sense of right and wrong blurs, Charlotte discovers just how far she will go for the Cloaked Shadow and the sacrifices he requires.

Now hunted throughout the land, Fawkes must face long-buried secrets in order to survive, but they could destroy him. Charlotte risks everything, including her heart, to set Fawkes on the path to redemption. Will Charlotte have the strength to pull Fawkes into the light, or will she follow him into the shadows?

What inspired you to write this book?

This story poured out of me, and I wrote 80,000 words in 80 days. I was going through a difficult time in my life, so I needed a sweeping fantasy novel to escape into and a kickass female protagonist to encourage me. The opening line came out of nowhere, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I wrote it down. I built the story from there. For those wondering, this is the opening line: ‘Naked as the day she was born, Charlotte felt the earth’s grip tighten around her with an unyielding hold.’ It was a visceral, no-holds-barred way to introduce her.

Excerpt from Cloaked:

Fawkes’ attack pressed Charlotte backward, and soon they were outside. As Charlotte’s feet slipped in the mud, she realized she had lost her size advantage. Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating her surroundings long enough to blind her, and she failed to anticipate the next punch. It landed hard on her right shoulder and spun her around.

            Before she could steady herself to counter, her arm was wrenched behind her back. Fawkes had a grip on it with one hand, the other around her throat. She stood flush against him, feeling his harsh breath and pounding heart as it beat against her back. They stood like statues, neither one of them wanting to the first to break the spell.

           

            The roar of thunder made her jump and brought them back to reality. “I’ve gotten better, haven’t I?” Charlotte couldn’t help asking. She’d meant it as a quip, but it came out too hopeful.

            She felt Fawkes sigh, tensing his hold on her before dropping his grip. With her back still to him, she waited for his answer. Instead, his hand brushed wet hair back from her face before a finger traveled down and traced her jawline. Charlotte leaned into the touch, but then it was gone. She turned to see only darkness, and then a flash of lightning showed his tall frame heading back to the cave.

What exciting story are you working on next?

It’s about an American woman who buys a village in Spain. I based it off an article I read in 2015 about the Spanish government putting abandoned properties and villages up for sale after their economy crashed. It has a healthy dose of magical realism and an unreliable narrator. Under the Tuscan Sun meets Rebecca.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Probably when I finished my first manuscript. It was terrible, but there was such satisfaction in seeing a story through to the end. Cloaked is my third novel, but first to be published. I’ve felt like a writer for a long time, but now I get to call myself an author, which is a strange feeling. I don’t fully consider myself to be one yet.

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 am a military spouse and mom to an 8-month-old. Let’s just say my writing productivity has definitely nosedived in the past, oh, 8 months or so. I used to write full time, but now I squeeze it in during naptimes, after dinner, and on the weekends.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I always draft single-spaced until I type ‘The End.’ Then I double space the manuscript and watch it get so much longer! It’s my weird little reward for finishing it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An Olympic gymnast. By the time I was twelve, I was a level 8 gymnast who practiced 4 hours a day, 5 days a week after school. I ended up getting burned out and said goodbye to my Olympic dream, but started coaching in high school instead! Being a writer never crossed my mind. I loved to read, but didn’t start writing until after college.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I live aboard a 38 ft sailboat named Story Time with my husband, baby girl, and dog. When I’m not writing, I enjoy doing yoga and planning our next adventure.

Links:

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Publisher: The Wild Rose Press | Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank YOU for the support!

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Interview with fantasy romance author Ronelle Antoinette

Author Ronelle Antoinette is here on a holiday to chat with me about her fantasy romance novel, Errant Spark (Elemental Trials, Book 1).

Welcome, Romelle. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in western Colorado with my husband, two cats, and one dog-who-believes-he's-a-person. While I'm a mother of none, I'm an auntie to what feels like a small army...our newest recruit joined us in April 2016. (I will neither confirm nor deny that I Facebook-stalk her mommy and daddy to see every picture of her little smiling face.)

I was born in Phoenix, AZ and raised in beautiful Colorado with my two younger brothers, who taught me to have a thick skin and a ready smile. They are at least half the reason I find inspiration the way I do and I love them for it. Despite my mother's best efforts, I am NOT an outdoorsy girl; I'd much rather curl up with a good book or play through my favorite video game. (Yup, nerd all the way, right here!)

​I'm a caffeine addict, chocoholic, and a hopeless romantic. I've carried on a passionate love affair with the genre of fantasy since I was old enough to read 'chapter books', but I developed a particular soft spot for romantic fantasy while in my teens. I find inspiration in hot showers, time with my nieces and nephews, and in random meanderings through mundane places.

​I dabbled in creative writing for many years and even considered it as my major in college. (I ended up getting a Bachelor's degree in Counseling Psychology.) The inspiration for the Elemental Trials series was born while I was in a high school creative writing class. It sat, unloved and forgotten, in a binder for years, only to be discovered while moving into my first apartment. The fire was rekindled and it grew from a single, sophomoric tale to a full-blown series over the next decade. I published the first installment in the series, Errant Spark, in July of 2016. Dream. Come. True.

​Please tell us about your current release.

Here’s the technical low-down first. Errant Spark is the first of what will likely by four books in the Elemental Trials series. It’s a fantasy romance that I self-published it in July of 2016. Now, the fun hook! They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but in Egalion’s Imperial court, you can't always tell one from the other...especially when loyalties change at the flip of a coin. Behind the luxury and splendor lies a realm of treachery where cloak-and-dagger political maneuvering threatens to destroy the peace of two thousand years.

Battlemage Jex Xander has a mouth that gets him into trouble; while Enari Namelum speaks not a word. Amidst the mounting chaos, passion and romance should be the last thing on their minds, but life and the Goddess seem to have other ideas.

Errant Spark is the hush before the storm, the last deep breath before the plunge. The flint has been struck and it’s possible the world might go up in flames.

What inspired you to write this book?

Errant Spark actually had its beginnings in my high school creative writing class—and that was 12 years ago—so I don’t remember what specifically what started it. The dream of becoming an author and falling in love with the story is what inspired me to continue!

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m tinkering with Child of Flame and Spirit (Elemental Trials, Book Two) right now. I’ve received some feedback from a potential literary agent that I’m pondering, so a rewrite may be in my future. I’m also trying to break onto the book blogging scene, which is harder than I thought!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oooh, weeeell…I’ve always been a writer, but I hadn’t considered it as a serious career until just a few years ago.

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 write almost full-time. I spend a lot of time babysitting my nieces and nephews, so I write in the evenings on those days. On my days off, I start writing as soon as I’ve made a cup of coffee. My life doesn’t run without caffeine!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I need to be slightly inebriated if I’m going to write a romance scene.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A unicorn, a fairy princess, and once I got old enough to realize that neither of those gigs paid very well and that adults need money for things, I thought I wanted to be a teacher.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’d simply like to thank everyone who has supported me, put up with my authorial sulks/pouts, and read my work!

Links:

Website | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Thanks for being here today, Ronelle! All the best with your writing.

Conversation with paranormal fantasy romance author Debbie Peterson

Paranormal/fantasy romance author Debbie Peterson is here chatting about writing, and her new novel Bound by Oath and Honour.

During her virtual book tour, Debbie will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

A little bit about Debbie:

Debbie is an author of paranormal and fantasy romance because she has a soft spot for fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, making an impossible love possible, and happily ever after endings. She loves animals of every persuasion, music, art, beautiful sunrises, sunsets, the smell of rain, and thunder storms.

When she is not busy conjuring her latest novel, Debbie spends time with the members of her very large family in the lovely, arid deserts of southern Nevada, where some of those spectacular sunsets occur. She also pursues her interests in genealogy—which she also teaches—mythology, and history.

A little bit about Bound by Oath and Honour:

Fresh from her photo shoot in Northern England, wildlife photographer Tala Westbrook makes a promised stop at the family manor in Staffordshire, desperately in need of renovation. Though she didn’t plan to stay longer than it took to find a contractor, she is caught up in an ancient paranormal war. Despite the danger all around, she finds herself falling for the handsome, enigmatic man assigned to protect her.

Micah Berrington, elite guardian from the realm of the Bewitan Fierd, is used to protecting men of strength in the greatest of peril, not a female looking for someone to repair her home. Yet the assignment is far more than it seems and so is the beautiful woman destined to capture his heart, regardless of the cost.

Excerpt from Bound by Oath and Honour:

After he chambered a round in his rifle, he placed a finger against the trigger. He faced Tala with lifted hand and palm out. “Wait here while I check out the second floor.”

She gazed at him for several moments as if he had quite lost his mind. “I think not. In case you have forgotten, this house belongs to my family, Micah, not yours.”

“I will not debate the issue with you right now. Either you can wait here as directed, or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to the cottage. I’ll then lock you inside for the remainder of the night. The choice is yours.”

She sucked in a breath while her mouth dropped another notch. “You wouldn’t—”

“Oh, but I would,” he whispered as he leaned in close to her face.

In evidence of his staunch determination, she gritted her teeth. She turned her head to the side. Once again, she refused to meet his gaze. “Fine.”

The dreaded “fine” escaped her lips for the second time in less than ten minutes. This one had a bit more oomph and resentment behind it than did the first. He ignored it. Instead, Micah turned his attention away from her little snit fit and focused on the task ahead.

Conversation:

Every now and again I’ll be reading a book or watching TV when out of the blue a character, minor or main, beloved or not, does something unbelievable. I mean really—as in the character I’ve come to know would never, ever say or do that—unbelievable. Has that ever happened to you? Were you puzzled like “where in the heck did that come from?” or just plain annoyed?

How about when in the beginning of a movie or book, a character says he’s an only child and then far later talks about an experience with a sister or brother? Movie goers are quick to pick out these flaws and inconsistencies. Once found, they gleefully list them on various websites. Book lovers are quick to do the same. In succinctly written reviews, they’ll happily mention such mistakes for all the world to see, and ridicule, never mind the story might be positively awesome.

Ouch…

In light of that fact, I believe creating a character bios is kind of an important part of writing a book. You wouldn’t want to say Richard has velvety brown eyes in the first few chapters of your book and then toward the end say his “emerald green eyes flashed with anger.” Believe me, readers notice the mistake.

So what’s important to know when creating each character besides name, age and gender? I’ll mention just a few.

A complete physical description which includes far more than the obvious height, build, eye, hair, and skin color. Does this character have dimples? Tattoos? Scruff, mustache or beard? Full face freckles or just a smattering across the nose? How about that nose? Sharp, rounded, bulbous?

Temperament. Is this character easy going or quick to anger? Patient or impatient? What are his or her qualities and weaknesses? Does he or she carry a grudge?

Where (location) and under what circumstances did your character come from? What about his or her family? What led this character to the here and now?

What are his or her values, beliefs and goals? Does he or she have any quirks either endearing or downright annoying?

What does your character feel about other characters he or she encounters? Why?

These are just a few things a writer should know about each created character, whether the information makes into the book or not and whether an editor edits it out or not. (I’ve had that plenty of times.) If you know, really know your character well, you won’t have to wonder how they’ll react in any given situation. If your characters are anything like mine, they’ll stubbornly veer off in an unplanned, unmapped direction. When they do, and they need to react, you’ve already got their back!

Thanks for being here today, Debbie.

Thanks for inviting me over Lisa! I’ve enjoyed every minute.

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | AmazonAuthor Page | Pinterest | Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

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