Interrogation Room and a giveaway

 Did you ever hear something about dreams coming true when you were a kid? well here is the proof, I bet when she started blogging under another pseudo-name - Lia Bal, she did not know she would have to get serious so soon and become a published author; but it did happen and I am so happy for Angelina Rain; Please check her out - she is good people.

Joanna: You are still sort of an enigma in the blogging world, tell us a little about yourself Angelina: I’m the wife of a bad boy, the evil stepmother of a spoiled ten year old, and the mother of an energetic fur ball. I’ve been writing ever since my late teens, although I haven’t attempted to publish until now. I have a rather boring life so I write to entertain others as well as myself.

Joanna: What made you start writing? Angelina: I’ve wanted to write ever since I was in my early teens and had a dream that I was a bestselling author. Besides, I’ve always enjoyed reading, and after a while everything I read seemed to be the same thing over and over. It was time for me to write something I could enjoy reading.

Joanna: What is your writing process (Plotter or pantser)? Angelina: Both. I start out as a pantser but eventually write an outline and go from there to the end.(at this point I am proud to announce I am slowly dropping my pantser card)

Joanna: Chocolate, books or wine? Angelina: All of the above. Add a hot bath with good music and I’ll be in heaven. A good looking guy wouldn’t hurt, either. (as long as its not Johnny Depp or Enrique we are good)

Joanna: who would you rather? small press or big press? Angelina: Small Press. I write for small press because everything I write is too short for big press. I’m very happy with my first publishing house and the experience I gained through it. E-publishing is growing in popularity and I’m proud to be a part of this new community.

Joanna: I know you want to open up an animal shelter in the future - so your love for animals is apparent, do they often show up in your writing? Angelina: Yes, they do. My contemporary novel (out sometime in late 2011) is about animal abuse so there are a lot of dogs in that book. And in “The Problem with Love Spells”, there’s a werewolf. I can’t say if animals will appear in future books or not as none have been written, however, my current WIP has a cat in it.

Joanna: You write erotic romance amongst other things, how does this slip into conversation when you want to talk about it? Angelina: Oh boy! My in-laws still don’t know I’m getting published. I don’t think they would be happy to hear I’m trying to make a living writing about sex. My family was shocked to hear about it. And with everyone else I say I write romance.(don't 4get to blog about it when you tell them)

Joanna: Is Angelina Rain a pen name? Why did you decide to go with this name? (You will be competing with Ms Jolie for SEO optimization) Angelina: It is a pen name. When I was fifteen I had a dream I was a bestselling author and in that dream I was published under the name Angelina Rain. That name stuck with me. I never really thought of the Angelina Jolie thing, but I guess if any of her fans accidentally stumble upon me and buy my books, I won’t complain. 

 

Joanna: Why don't you tell us all about your book?

 

Indecent Encounters

A Ménage Anthology, including “The Problem with Love Spells” by Angelina Rain

 Sometimes a woman needs more than a lover…
Independent, lustful ladies find pleasure and intrigue with more than one man, from a scandalous vacation in Australia, to a forced seduction at a cabin in the woods. A witch needs to break a shameful spell, and an older woman slakes her sexual needs with two younger men. Cougars purr with unrequited desire and werewolves compete for the love of their mate. Satisfaction is just a sigh away as a surgeon bends the rules for her patient, and an over-stressed boss finds more than a little peace with secret admirers.
Find out what wicked delights await you with Indecent Encounters.

 

The Problem with Love Spells

When you’re cursed to live your whole life unloved, can you really be held responsible for casting a love spell? When Gretchen realizes that her love spell went wrong, her only option is to reverse it before too much damage is done. However, when she wakes with a werewolf and a vampire in her bed, she learns that even reversing a love spell could have its consequences.

 

~*~ GIVEAWAY ~*~

Angelina Rain is giving away one free copy of “Indecent Encounters” and it could be yours. All you have to do is comment or ask a question (she will answer it in the comments). One lucky winner will be announced on Feb 13^th on Angelina’s blog. Leave your e-mail address so Angelina can e-mail you if you win.

Links:

Website: www.angelina-rain.com

Blog: www.angelinarain.blogspot.com

Internals & an award

I usually don't do my internals on a Monday, but for once in my SAHM life I am strapped for time on a Monday morning.
Rachael Harrie - the avatar now turned human won Michele Hauf's giveaway
Talli Roland -won herself a copy of Clarissa Yip's Snowy Encounters
Nas Dean - won a copy of Silke Juppenlatz's Smitten
Sondrae Bennett - won a copy of Clarissa's Snowy Encounters too

Talli, Nas and Sondrae, I already have your email addresses so you do not need to do any thing; Rachel could you please mail me your address so we can have the books sent out to you?

I told you I got the Fair Dinkum Award from L'Aussie, and I guess I was so Fair Dinkum, Dom de Mattos awarded it to me too.
In the spirit of fair Dinkumness (I do plan to use this word till it beats me over the head with a stick from over-use), I am passing it on to other bloggers whom I have recently found. You can pop on over to say hello.

Kimber Leszczuk - A writer and a  gaming enthusiast amongst other things
Rula Sinara - has the best "Serenity Now" tips on Thursdays
Angelina Rain - who just sold her first manuscript
Jolene Perry - Apart from living in Alaska, could pass for my blogger twin
Colene Murphy - She is still trying to get over the shock that I have not read any Harry Potter books or at least watched the movies.

And now last but not the least guess what I got in my mailbox - A Christmas Card from Madeleine(I normally expect hate mail right after I do a Crit), I am so super chuffed I spent my weekend making this for her.
I hope she likes it and will over look my childish scrawl (this is the equivalent of those macaroni themed gifts)

Interrogation Room and giveaways

I have been sitting on this suspect since October and it has not been easy. I finally got her to crack and tell me her name - She is none other than Michele Hauf, the woman editors have been indicating as the whodunnit in the paranormal world. She has signed her confession on a couple of books, which I shall pass on to you for your perusal. Michele has been writing for 19 years, France, musketeers, vampires and faeries populate her stories. And if she followed the adage 'write what you know', all her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately, she steps beyond her comfort zone and writes about countries she has never visited and of creatures she has never seen.

Joanna: Why did you choose the paranormal route?
Michele: I don't think it was a decision, it just happened.  The first book I wrote was a vampire romance (Dark Rapture '97), and I had just seen the remake of Dark Shadows starring Ben Cross, and it occurred to me that a vampire could be a romantic figure.  The next thing I know, I had a story in mind, and started to explore that.  And now I write paranormal because non-paranormal just doesn't feel as interesting to me.  I need that added weirdness.  :-) 

Joanna: How do you decide what works for you when you are examining your legends(otherworldlies)?
Michelle: I start with the basics, like with vampires: they must have fangs, must drink human blood, etc., and then I alter some of the mythology to suit my needs and also make up my own stuff.  I like that vampires are hurt by holy objects, but decided in my world that if the vampire has never been baptized then holy objects have no effect on him.  I think I created the 'shimmer', which is what occurs when two vampires touch.  A shimmery sort of feeling, which is the only way they know they have touched a vampire (unless of course, they see fangs).  And I do like that a vampire must drink from a human to survive, as opposed to bags of blood (which would have no soul).  I need that dilemma of having to use human life to survive.

Joanna: How dark would you go with a paranormal so as not to alienate the fainthearted?

Michele: I think I get pretty dark, but on a scale of 1 - 10 I'm probably about a 7.  I've read some paranormal romances that go all the way to 10 and it puts me off.  You lose the romance.  Yes, we're dealing with paranormal creatures who do not follow human rules and may be accustomed to committing vulgar acts, but these are romances, so I keep that in mind when writing.
 
Joanna: Are you all for the good guy vampire or the dangerous vampire who wont change his nature but falls in love all the same?
Michele: I'm not sure what a good guy vampire is?  To me that might be the kind who refuses to drink human blood, and that sort of turns me off.  I like my heroes to have a quality of danger about them, and that danger must be tied to their survival.  And I really love it when the bad boy doesn't want to change his nature, yet love softens him a bit.

Joanna: What are you thoughts on the sudden influx of paranormal romance authors on the scene lately?

Michele: Well, paranormal is hot right now, and it is what editors are buying.  I think a lot of authors who have always wanted to write paranormal, now have their chance.  Others, who are just jumping on the bandwagon, hmm...   But I hope the quantity of paranormal reading choices remains.  I love that my favorite genre is finally so hot!  More choices for me when I go to the bookstore! 

Joanna: Does writing ever get any easier, once you have had some experience?
Michele: You would think it would, but some days it just feels impossible.  Every story can be easy and hard.  When you have the initial idea and start to draft out the story and everything is new, it's like love when you are under the influence of romance and the whole world is right.  But after working on one project for months and reading over the chapters again and again, it is bound to get a little boring, and maybe even difficult.  Most of my books go through that stage, and I tend to forget, that after the difficult part usually comes the 'falling in love' stage again.  (Hmm, can you tell I'm in the 'difficult' stage of a story right now?)  :-)  What is easy is you learn your process over the years and how you do research and you don't stumble over trying to develop a system because you've got it down.

Joanna: Any advice on handling book reviews?

Michele: Well, there's good reviews and bad reviews.  Some reviewers really know what they are doing, and whether or not they liked the book, they can succinctly synopsize it and explain to the reader exactly what appeals (or didn't appeal) to them.  Other reviewers, it seems, just want to let others know they hated the story, and because they did, you should too.  As a writer, I know not everyone is going to like what I write, and wouldn't that be weird if everyone did?  I think the most interesting books are the ones that reviewers both love and hate, with very little middle ground.  That book caused some very strong feelings, one way or another, so how cool is that?  Much better than getting mushy, middle of the scale reviews, I'd say.
 
Joanna: What advice would you give the up and comers like me?
Michele: Is that writers hoping to become published?  Write.  Every day.  Read, watch movies, do creative things to keep your creativity sparked.  Always write.  Hone your craft by reading 'how to write' books (I still do).  Go to workshops and listen to how other writers do it, then take away from it what works for you, and ignore what you know won't work for you.  Learn the 'rules', then break the rules.  Again, write.




Now check out this really cool place, its called Club Scarlet and its where Michele's otherworldlies go to hang out - you can hang out with them too (but you have to be careful).



Michele will be giving out 2 of her books SEDUCING THE VAMPIRE and ROGUE ANGEL: THE BONE CONJURER to one winner (international), if you are like me and love paranormal stories or would like to give the genre a try leave a "me please" comment and you will be in the running - winners will be announced next week and the winners of my Five Oaks giveaway will be announced tomorrow.



The Ninja Vampire's Girl - out now
Coco Stevens was looking for an angel's halo to help out her sister, who is a muse. She found the halo, and an angry angel—and a sexy man weilding a deadly blade and make-her-weak-in-the-knees kisses. He may not exactly be what she thinks he is, but he's got the ninja moves—and fangs.

Seducing The Vampire - out in January
He was mesmerizing, a vampire like none other...but the fire between Viviane LaMourette and Rhys Hawkes would begin a centuries-long clash between two powerful vampire brothers.

In Marie Antoinette's Paris, the beautiful vampire Viviane seeks a male patron who will allow her to live on her own terms. Courted by two feuding brothers, Viviane succumbs to the handsome rebel, Rhys. She's unaware that Rhys has other, darker, motives. He seeks vengeance against his brother, Constantine—by stealing Viviane and tainting her with his blood.

But just as Rhys is realizing the depth of his love for Viviane, his brother take his revenge. By casting a spell on the woman they both desire, he condemns her to a living death inside a glass coffin.

Two centuries later, Rhys hears the urban legend of the Vampire Snow White, imprisoned deep in the tunnels under Paris. He must find her and set her free, but will he be able to save her from the evil still intent on destroying them?

Michelle Styles in The Interrogation Room

First of all, my apologies to Liz Fichera's blog hoppers, My post goes up tomorrow. My Cp and I heart Michelle Styles on so many levels, she gives the best writing advice ever and spends a lot of time answering all our newbie questions over at eHarlequin. Michelle is an American author who lives in England (I used to think she was English) and she has the most amazing call story read it here.  

Joanna: Coffee or Tea? (I just had to ask)

Michelle: It depends on my mood. Mostly tea though and I am very partial to Earl Grey

Joanna: What is the difference between writing a short and a long story?

Michelle: Mostly layers and the complexity of the conflict between the two protagonists when you are writing a romance.

Joanna: Why did you choose to write Historicals?

Michelle: I write historicals because I love history. And I think writing historicals is a lot of fun. History fascinates me.

Joanna: Can you explain your writing process to us?

Michelle: Umm. Sometimes I wish I could explain it to myself. Each time it is a little different. I am somewhere in between the complete pantser and the super plotter. I'd love to be more organised but I am not. I do hate filling out forms and questionaires about my characters and instead I love doing discovery drafts with arough outline as road map.

Joanna: What is the best writing advice you have ever received? and would love to share

Michelle: Dare to suck and be prepared to rewrite. Between you and the blank screen, there is little that can help but afterwards you can work with the material. It is all about not letting your words harden to concrete and staying in love with the story while you examine ways to make it stronger.

Joanna: You obviously do a lot to help out other aspiring authors, why is this so important to you?

Michelle: It is important because without the mentorship and wise words of a few published authors when I first became serious about writing, I would not have done it. Besides, I think generousity does come back to you and you get out of life what what you put in. Ultimately it is up to the individual whether or not they will succeed. And if I have helped someone, then I have helped me. Can you tell that Girl Scouting played an important part in my formative years?

Joanna: If you did not become a writer, what profession would you have been happy in?

Michelle: Hard question. I am a far nicer person when I am writing as I put my drama into my writing rather than into my life. I'd hate to think about not writing. It took me a long time to get to this place in my life. And really anything else would be utterly dull. I suspect it is why I persevere at writing because really if you can find anything else to do, you should do it. There are a lot easier ways to make a living but I can't really think of a better way.

Michelle's Book: A Question of Impropriety

 

A very improper seduction…

Diana Clare has had enough of London – the balls, the rakes you can never trust… Now, having returned home in disgrace, she is trying to forget what drove her from the ton.

But rake and gambler Brett Farnham, Earl of Coltonby, seems intent on making Diana remember exactly what it was like to be whirled around the ballroom and seduced by the glint in your partner’s eye…

But Brett has ‘mistress’ rather than ‘marriage’ in mind, and Diana is not sure her reputation can stand up to another scandal…

Michelle is also going to be hanging out with us today as well as giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter, so if you have any questions she will do her best to get to them.

Michelle Styles can be found at her website, blog, twitter and on eHarlequin and if you sign up for her newsletter there is a contest that runs out on the 21st of November and it is an epic contest too.

Facing the truth

Thank you to Jessica our guest last friday, she had some pretty amazing advice didn't she? and now as picked by grabby toddler2; grabby toddler1's girlfriend and my french teacher. Here are the recipients of Jessica's book.
Liz Fichera
Lia Bal
Jami Gold
Jennifer Shirk
Kelley Vitollo

Quinn
Nas
Kath
Clarissa D
L'aussie
Please remember to send me your American adresses and email adresses - Quinn, Nas and L'aussie I have your email addresses so don't worry, Liz I have yours too (looks like the lego system works for you).

Congratulations my winners, I have learnt today that all toddlers are just grabby, they don't ever pick one at a time.
Today I shall be talking about a counter advice and facing the truth.
1. Write from the heart - I agree but just like we all know that being in love is not the only thing that makes a relationship, I also have to realize that loving to write one genre does not guarantee I can write in that genre. What do I love to write and often tries to sneak into my manuscripts even though its been banned? Paranormal romance, I have written a few and even when I picked up my pen again in June I penned a Paranormal which I sent off to Carina Press and got a big fat R in 6 weeks. I still believe my manuscript prompted Angela James to tweet about the 20 reasons why manuscripts get rejected.
I have since told my cps to hit me over the head if I ever give them a paranormal to crit for me,  at this stage in my life I simply don't have the knack for it.
I shall keep up this topic for the rest of the week, what about you? Are there any truths we need to face regardless of what we are told? or am I just a grabby toddler writer who will soon be able to write all genres that I fancy soon?

Interrogation Room and giveaways

Has anyone ever seen my picture? I blame my recent chubby cheeks on Jessica's book Becca's Best. It was so well described I could feel the scones melting in my mouth and my addiction to bran muffins got a whole lot worse. That said let me introduce you to Jessica Barksdale Inclan, I have learnt a lot from reading her blog.

Joanna: Looking back how would you rate your first book against your current book out on the market?

Jessica: This is a very hard question, as my first six novels were contemporary fiction and my last six were romance.  So inherent in the two genres are differences.  Romance needs, well, romance, and contemporary fiction doesn't always have the big HEA that romance readers want.

But I think that my last novel (The Beautiful Being) and my first novel (Her Daughter's Eyes) both revolve around a character's or characters' wanting to be connected, longing for a connection with other people--or, that singular, romantic connection. They may be very different novels, but that core is there in both.

Joanna: Where do you get inspirations for your books from?

Jessica: I find inspiration in so many things--newspaper articles, my friends and family, dreams.  The problem facing so many writers is that the "concept" or the "platform" is taking over inspiration.  What may inspire me may not be marketable.  I've been told that certain ideas "won't sell," and that is a hard thing to hear, especially if I am inspired.

Bottom line, though, is that I try to write about what moves me, and often if I am moved, others will be, too.

Joanna: You teach creative writing at college level, are you able to read books for pleasure (without going into professor mode)?

Jessica: Absolutely!  I read like crazy, though if something is poorly written on the sentence level or full of cliches (and so FEW published novels are, though some slip through) I do react.  But I let myself fall into a story and enjoy.  I need that escape and I need the example of another writer's imagination on the page.

Joanna: What advice would you have for first time conference goers?

Jessica: Part of the advice is counter-productive.  Often, I want to tell folks at conferences to stay home and write.  I have met a few aspiring writers who participate in so many conferences that they don't get to the very thing they are at the conference for--writing.

The other part is to let it all swirl around you--the ideas and information--and then make sure to not take anything personally or get defensive.  Find the one idea or writer that inspires and then go home and write! 

And then if there can be three parts--meet up with folks at conferences and stay connected to them.  They are your peers and are often at the same writing level--forge writing partnerships and writing groups.  I have two long time friends, both of whom I met at a conference and both of whom have read much of my work (and both of whom were just at my wedding in September!).  These connections are the important ones.

Joanna: How does it feel when people truly connect to the characters you have created?

Jessica: Well, that's about the best feeling ever.  It's hard to imagine how satisfying that is.  When a reader tells me he or she has identified with anything I've put down on paper, I feel as though I've connected in a real true way.  And that's amazing.

Joanna: Jessica has kindly agreed to give out five copies of her latest book titled Being with Him, but for logistical reasons we can only send it to American addresses, so do me a favour in your comments today kindly mention what country you live in. I will let Jessica tell us about her latest book now

Being With Him

They are here among us…

Far from home, gifted with special abilities, hunted for their powers. And they are desperate to find their other, the one who completes them…before it’s too late…

SOMETIMES, TIME REALLY DOES STAND STILL

Mila Adams has always known she was different. It’s not just that she’s a Mission District bohemian artist in rarefied San Francisco society. No, it’s that for as long as she can remember, she has had the ability to shift time, and who would believe that? Certainly not the obnoxious blind dates her mother keeps foisting off on her. Mila can’t help feeling there’s someone out there for her, a soul mate who might understand her unique ability. And when she looks into the dark eyes of financial whiz Garrick McClellan, time feels as if it has opened up on its own—and this time, Mila has nothing to do with it.

Any man would lust after a beauty like Mila, but the moment Garrick touches her—feels her shifting time just as he can—he recognizes her as his partner in power. Their connection is immediate, passionate, raw, and beyond anything either has ever experienced. But who are they? What is this gift that joins them so intensely? Are there others like them? And why do they feel that time is running out?

Jessica Barksdale Inclan is the author of twelve novels, including Her Daughter's Eyes, The Matter of Grace, and When You Believe.  Her seventh novel, Being With Him, was released Septmeber 2010 in mass market.  She teaches creative writing, literature, and compsotion at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and novel writing for UCLA Extension.
Jessica can be found at her website and blog or on Twitter

TGIF and let the party begin

Yay for us Non Americans Jessica is giving away 5 more E-Books so we etrangeres can win too, that makes this a 10 - book giveaway.