Interview with Peter Kassan

Thank you for stopping by my blog, Peter!

Thanks for inviting me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

For those who haven’t heard about your book could you give us a quick rundown?

Well, since I wrote the blurb, I might as well just quote it:

What if you suddenly discovered you had a sense—and powers—that almost no one else in the world did?

When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light—but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they're the happiest they've been.

But not for long. All over the world, people who've been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them—some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows—and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life.

How would you describe your main character, Amanda?

Amanda is a young woman living in Queens, New York, who finds herself with an extraordinary sense and extraordinary powers. Before the events that transform her, she’s a normal person living a normal life.

Is Lightpoints going to be part of a series? If so, what do you foresee for the series?

I didn’t conceive of it as part of a series. I started a sequel that followed Amanda about a year after the end of Lightpoints, but I wasn’t happy with the way it was going, so it’s on hold. A few readers have expressed interest in finding out what happens next. If there’s enough demand, I suppose I’ll have to return to it. As far as a series is concerned, I don’t see one. If other people want to write stories based on the same premise, though, I’d be happy to talk with them about it.

Can you tell us about the paranormal world you have created? How does it differ from our own?

It differs quite a bit, I hope—although several readers wondered if what I described could be real, and at least one reader asserted it was real.

In my world, under very exceptional circumstances (if you have a near-death-out-of-body experience and are resuscitated just at the moment you touch the Light but before you merge with it), you come back with a new faculty, which includes the ability to perceive the life energy of those around you, and to transmit and absorb that energy. Your ability to transmit and absorb life energy is especially acute with people who also have the same faculty.

Are there any authors that have influenced your work in any way?

Every author I read influences me in some way, even if it’s only to be more conscious of something I want to avoid in my own writing. But in terms of someone I admire, I’d say Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire was probably the most influential.

How did the initial idea behind Lightpoints come about?

I had had the vision of someone who could perceive others as points of energy a long time ago. When I decided to write a paranormal novel, that image came back to me as a starting point.

Do you ever draw inspiration from real people or situations?

Some of the characters in Lightpoints are based on real people, but only as a starting point. And I’ve long been interested in the phenomenon of near-death-out-of-body experiences. I also drew on my familiarity with Tibetan Buddhism and several other subjects. Overall, however, the entire story was a work of imagination.

What was the last great book you read?

It depends on what you mean by great. If you mean important and enduring, it’s been so long since I’ve read one of those I’d have difficulty naming one. If you mean terrific, it’s not all that recent, but I loved Alice Seybold’s The Lovely Bones. I admired the originality of her conception of heaven and the way she described her protagonist’s extraordinary experiences naturalistically. I also thought she had a masterful control of tone. There were no false notes.

Is there anything you are currently working on that you could share with us?

I’ve just started working on the first installment of what I’m planning as a trilogy based on the same premise as Lightpoints. It’s set on the West Coast, with an entirely new cast of characters, including a new protagonist. It takes the premise in a different direction, though. To give you a hint, the working title is The Zombie Problem.

Combining my love of writing with my interest in computer programming, I became a technical writer for several software products companies, eventually becoming a minority shareholder and executive vice president of a small, privately held company. There, I wrote and managed the writing of everything from software design documents to marketing literature.Twenty-five years later, after it was sold to a large computer company with a three letter name, I became one of those celebrated risk-takers we’ve heard so much about. I started a company based on what I thought was a bright idea of mine. Within a couple of years, I’d crashed and burned, and discovered myself in financial ruin and without a job. Trying to find a job in my industry or to establish a consulting practice, I learned it was no industry for old men. Mostly to keep myself sane, I decided to write a novel based on the germ of an idea I’d had in my twenties. That became Lightpoints.

To find out more about Peter, visit his website.

Interview & giveaway with M.J Scott

Welcome to Strange Candy Reviews, M.J. Thanks for joining us!

Thanks for having me on your blog!

For those who have not yet heard about your book, can you tell us a bit about it?

Shadow Kin is a dark fantasy. It’s about a half-Fae assassin who botches her current assignment. Because of that her world begins to fall apart.

How did you feel when your book had been picked for publishing?

Thrilled! I was at work and got an email from my agent that said we had an offer. I had to casually stroll off to a meeting room so I wouldn’t start jumping up in down in the middle of the office. Though by the time I got the final offer it was more thrilled and exhausted as it was a two week process that involved many sleepless nights!

What has been the most exciting thing that has happened to you since your book was released?

Having a book launch a few weeks ago was lots of fun—there was a queue of people to get a signed copy. But really, just knowing that people are reading and liking the book is the most exciting part.

I love the world and characters you have created in Shadow Kin. How did the idea for it come about?

It was one of those books that sprang up from nowhere. I’d written two books in an urban fantasy series that was being shopped by my agent and another more futuristic urban fantasy and was trying to figure out what to write next, playing with a few ideas. Then one night I was lying in bed, almost falling asleep and a voice in my head literally said “revenge is silent”. At first I almost ignored it but then the voice said it again and I started thinking “why is revenge silent?” and started to get the first scene and had to get up and write for an hour or so. By the time I’d finished that scene I had my heroine and hero and the basics of the world. Which is a longwinded way of saying “I don’t really know with this one”.

Is there one place you'd love to go but have never been before?

I’d love to go to Tuscany. Whenever I see pictures of that region in magazines or movies, it just looks beautiful. I want to live in a villa in Tuscany and eat great food for a few months.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote my first stories when I was quite young…around seven or eight. I wrote stuff off and on throughout high school but then did the sensible thing and picked a sensible career. Because working writers were sort of fabled mythical creatures. But the stories never really went away and I decided I really wanted to give it another go about ten years ago.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I still have a part time day job, so it varies. On day job days I write after work (and sometimes on the train or at lunch if I really need the time). I try and do four pages or so on those days. On non day job days, I tend to write in the afternoons (and sometimes at night). My muse, like me, is not a morning person. I aim for more pages on those days.

What do you think makes a good story?

For me, it’s the characters. Give me interesting characters doing interesting things and make me care about them. Make them real and flawed and entertaining. If you do that and have good world building, I don’t mind the odd plot hole and will read away happily. But if you have a brilliant plot but boring characters (or worse boring characters and boring plot) chances are that book is not going to be finished.

If you could tell aspiring writers one thing, what would it be?

Listen to your stories to find what you really want to write, write a LOT, read a LOT, do whatever you can do to learn about writing and publishing and don’t give up.

Name five things you can't live without.

Books, my cat, my iPod, dark chocolate and a computer.

M.J Scott is an unrepentant bookworm. Luckily she grew up in a family that fed her a properly varied diet of books and these days is surrounded by people who are understanding of her story addiction. When not wrestling one of her own stories to the ground, she can generally be found reading someone else’s. Her other distractions include yarn, cat butlering, dark chocolate and fabric. She lives in Melbourne, Australia. Her website is http://www.mjscott.net/.

Leave a comment with your email to win a copy of Shadow Kin from The Book Depository! Giveaway is international and ends 21st October! Just for fun, what are five things you can't live without?

Interview & giveaway with Rebecca Sinclair

Here at Strange Candy reviews, I was lucky enough to interview Rebecca Sinclair. Rebecca is the author of 13 romance books. I have been lucky enough to be sent a review copy of Montana Wildfire, which has been released as an ebook.

Welcome to Strange Candy Reviews, Rebecca. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions.

Hi and thank you for asking me, it's great to be here! :)

For readers who haven’t heard of you, can you give us a quick overview of your books?

Sure. I've written 13 historical romances of the hot, sexy, steamy variety. Some are set in the 19^th century American West, some in the 16^th century on the turbulent Scotland/England border. I know that sounds strange, the two time periods/settings being so dissimilar in just about every way, but I thrive on the variety.

Have you ever had to do any kind of research for your books?

Tons! I do an abundant amount of research for each and every book. Only by thoroughly and immersing myself in whatever time period/setting I'm writing in do I feel I can do the same for my reader. It is my job to make my reader, say, feel the crisp, dry paper crackling beneath his fingertips, smell the layers of dust and disuse in the air. The only way I can only do that sometimes is if I know what these things feel and smell like myself, and for many things, the way I find out is research. Going to libraries, museums, taking house tours or traveling and visiting scenic areas. Often times we plan vacations around places I need to research for my current book. Or I plan my books around upcoming research/vacation trips.

Lately it seems urban fantasy/paranormal romance books have taken over. Why do think that is and would you ever consider writing one?

They really have. Isn't it great? Speaking in terms of romances, I think that in a good paranormal it is exactly those paranormal elements that bring a sense of the unearthly and magical and impossible to life in the reader's mind, providing a light of deep escapism in the otherwise dark and dreary tunnel of day-to-day existence. And is it any wonder? With the current wars, gas prices topping $3.00/gal, and the American economy tanking, a deeper form of escapism in the shape of some good, and solid paranormal/fantasy you can really sink your teeth into seems like just what the doctor ordered. Who couldn't use a dose of that right about now?

As for your second question, I did. I wrote two. The first is a sexy historical romance time-travel (I consider time-travel to be only the fringe of paranormal, btw.) The manuscript is on my agent's desk. I'm also proud to have completed my first contemporary YA (much more paranormal in nature), which, of course, is sitting right next to my time-travel on my agent's desk. Both are as yet untitled.

I really enjoyed Jacob & Amanda’s characters from Montana Wildfire. In your opinion what makes for great lead males and females? 

Thank you for saying so, that means a lot to me! :) For lead characters I am drawn to three qualities: strength, humor and flaws. Strength is a character's storyteller, it speaks in word or deed where the character has been, how much the character can endure and where their breaking point is. Humor is intrinsic to every human being at birth, real or fictional—so if a character has entirely lost his sense of humor, I guarantee there's an intriguing story there. It is flaws, I think, that really define a lead character for me. Flaws intensify every aspect of a character; their speech patterns, mannerisms, how they react to things, how they think. Flaws can affect something as simple as preparing a meal. In one book, I had a heroine who had been burned in a house fire and who, even years later, was still tormented by the event. Imagine her cooking around an open campfire! That this character was an excellent cook—very calm, very precise, and fearless around the flames--spoke volumes about her.

What, for you, determines a characters personality? Are they ever inspired by people you know or meet?

Using “real” people could potentially cause too many legal headaches. Besides, it's much more fun to steal an interesting quirk in someone' real's personality and imbue it in one of my fictional characters. It could be a main flaw, a hidden weakness, or—you decide! What really matters is how the character I create slowly grows around the borrowed trait. Or despite it. That growth is part of their own personal journey through the book.

There are several things that determine a character's personality for me. The book's time period/setting, plot, theme, tone, etc. are very important. Also, in a romance, I need to know and gauge the personality (and wants, needs, and secret desires) of their perspective mate. That adds into the equation. I believe in HEA, so I know at the end of the book these two people are going to fall in love and end up together. Forever. Forever's a long time, so their personalities damn well better be compatible in more ways than just really great sex!

Who or what inspires your writing and why? Is there a certain type of music you listen to when writing?

Music inspires my writing, definitely. I really can't specify what type of music because it varies depending on the book I'm writing. They're like your own kids; they're all different. Visuals, OTOH, now they really inspire me. I have two cork boards hung near my work computer , eye level to where I sit so I can see them at all times. On them I have pictures of people—lots and lots of pictures! I don't know about you, but I'm the sort to embarrass hubby by snipping pic out of magazines in the doctor's office. I'll print out one I like from the Internet. Anywhere I spy a picture that speaks to me, and I think I can get away with it, I snag the pic and sneak it home. I'm not particular. These pictures can vary widely in content. Some are the expected glam shots of the hottest new celebrities (male, female, old, young, a historic figure, someone contemporary in the news), while others are the ads for the latest-greatest perfumes or sports coats. So long as the picture pushes my emotional buttons and somehow wordlessly conveys the feel, deep at the bottom of my stomach, for the book I'm working on. Each book has its own cork board. The pictures aren't recyclable.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That there was really a town called Pony in Montana in 1878. Pony! Who’ve thought it! I'd pulled the name out of a hat with every intention of making the town up. No one was more surprised than me to find an actual town on the map with that same name, located in approximately the same place I'd decided, pre-research, to set down my Pony. It was back to the research books for me—if there was a real town named Pony, I was going to use it, so I'd better know about all about it. For another book, I found out the number of people who actually died on the Overland Trail crossing their way to the California gold mines (or to “see the elephant”, as some called it); the total was heartbreaking because it was so high. I can honestly say, for each book I've written, I've learned at least one exciting new something.

Do you still get excited when your novels are accepted for publishing?

Every. Single. Time. :) Honestly, I'm crazy. I'm like a small child on her birthday that got the gift she secretly wanted but wasn't expecting: excited, emotional, deliriously happy … and at the same time scared so bad my knees shake when it really dawns on me there people other than myself and a select few reading my book.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I wasn't sure about this, so I asked hubby to help me out. After refusing to print his first response, here's his second. “She likes to listen to weird music over and over again, constantly, constantly, on repeat, so much that everyone in the house is sick of it to the point where we beg her to please, please, wear your headphones. The Sarah Brightman Incident comes to mind. Ahem.” My reaction? Humph!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love spending time with my family. I also love the Internet. A lot. Keep in mind I've been online since the '80s. I cut my teeth on the big three: AOL, GEnie, and CompuServe. Modern day social networking sites like G+, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, which a lot of writers think are time-sinks, I enjoy. Depending on what you use them for, those sites can be a smart way to keep your mind limber and your writing sharp when taking a break.

Growing up did you always know you were going to be a writer and did you have favorite genre you liked to read/write about? 

No. Growing up I always wrote, but I never thought I could be an actual get-paid-to-do-it writer. Things like that happened to other people, and I was fine with that. Then, in my early 20s, after a series of personal tragedies, as I was writing through my feelings one day, a light bulb turned on. I suddenly realized there was absolutely no valid reason I couldn't be a real writer. The only thing holding me back was me. I knuckled down and wrote specifically for publication from then on, and I haven't looked back since.

I don't really have a favorite genre. I strongly favor historical, but also enjoy paranormal. I favor romances, but also enjoy classics (Dickens is a favorite). I favor Young Adult, but I also an occasional have been known to pick up a Sci-Fi. Basically, I'll read anything. If I'm stuck in the car while hubby pumps gas, I'll soak up the car's owner's manual; in the grocery store in the long checkout line, I'll scan the nutritional value of a can of beans, or evaluate the unpronounceable ingredients in a Snickers Bar. Also, I'm very much a product of my generation. While I can entertain myself endlessly by mentally juggling characters and plots for my books, outside of that I get bored easily. When I am writing a book, however, hubby tells me I often stare off into space for so long he wonders sometimes if I'm in need of medical attention. In reality I'm holding an imaginary casting call for characters, or letting dialogue trickle like fish in a stream, or untying an unexpected plot twist. In the end, though, whether it's what someone else has written for me or what I have written for someone else, it all boils down to two things: My incessant fascination with words, and, as in the case of this interview, my blatant disregard for word count. <Wince>

Again, thank you for having me! Your readers are invited to stop by my new Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaSinclairBooks) and say hello, “like” me if they don't mind, and just get a general feel for the layout Heather Powers so skillfully set up for me. In the very near future I'll be running contests, giving away free books (traditional and e-pubbed), and doing all those things authors do … so stop back often! :)

Leave a comment with your email to win a book! Giveaway is international and ends 8/10.

Day 8 - Interview with Noah Mullette-Gillman

Welcome to Strange Candy Reviews Noah, thank you for stopping by.

Can you give us a little information about your book/s?

I have three titles available. First, I have a novella called The White Hairs. It’s an unusual story about a white furry creature named Farshoul. The story begins with him participating in a ritual with his people. He is learning how to leave his body and travel in the wind and the snow. When he returns to his physical self, despite what he has experienced, he is told that he failed. He never left his body at all. Farshoul is left with no choice. He has to discover the truth of his experiences on his own, without any help from his society. It’s a gently moving philosophical story.

I then published a short story called The Song of Ballad and Crescendo. It’s available for free on Smashwords (99 cents everywhere else.) This is a love story and a fable. It takes place in a mythical forgotten time when the sky used to be covered with stone and everyone had to whisper so that massive rocks wouldn’t fall and crush them. The story is illustrated with a series of my photographs.

Luminous and Ominous is my first full-length published work. It’s an end of the world horror and science fiction story. Henry Willingham gets three days warning that an alien vegetation has invaded the world. He has to decide which friends he saves and what supplies he gathers. There isn’t enough time. Some terrible decisions get made. Then, after a year or so underground, Henry and two other survivors walk through the transformed ruins of upstate New York, past alien trees and alien animals trying to survive.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Early on, I think I saw all arts as one. When I was a child, there was no real difference between drawing a picture or telling a joke or writing a poem. By the time I got to high school I wanted to write and draw comic books. But I reached a point when I discovered that my real talent, and my real passion was for writing.

I started with comicbook plots, then poetry, then I sang in some bands in Boston and wrote all of my own lyrics. Then eventually I started writing short stories, then movie scripts, and then finally novels. I see my work as having really evolved from fully-gilled fish to woolly land walker. My hope is that the next stage will be when my work starts to glow in the dark. 

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

I’m not yet at the point when I have written enough books to know what normal is. I wrote my first novel in a month. My second took two years. I then started and abandoned a few. Luminous and Ominous took me a few months. Since I published that, in late November, I have been hard at work on two novels and a novella. When I’m “in the groove” I think 3,000 words is a decent day.

What was the hardest thing you've had to research?

Without competition, that was my senior project in college. I went to Bard College, in upstate New York. I graduated with a multidisciplinary degree in Philosophy and Creative Writing. My senior project was on the expression of experiences.

That said, I do a considerable amount of research for my writing. I am working on a science fiction novel about magicians now. To prepare for this I have read about the Hermetic magicians, the alchemists, Emperor Rudolph II of Prague, John Dee and Edward Kelly’s communications with angels, etc, etc. I’ve read several books on the history of stage magic. I don’t approach a book about magic as a Dungeons and Dragons-esque opportunity to just make up a story off of the top of my head. I take it seriously.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Far more chaotic than I wish it were. Life isn’t simple. I do also teach. I have a lot of other responsibilities. Also, the fact that I do do so much reading and research for my books means that a large portion of the time that I spend on my stories doesn’t immediately result in any pages at all. But, all of that being the case, I am still hoping to publish four books in 2011.

Do you think you have an interesting writing quirk?

“Quirk?” I don’t think of my work as quirky. I hope that there’s a lot about the way I approach my work which is interesting, at least. One thing that readers might want to know is that I do give a lot of thought to the symbolic meaning of the events in my stories. The symbolism is never the point. The plot must always be paramount, but if you see a snake in my story, I will have considered what snakes represent on the psychological level and how this symbol relates to the others in the story.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

I put a lot of intentional work into inspiring myself. I carefully select the books I read, movies I watch, music I listen to. The walks in the woods, the drives across the country, the hours spent walking through the streets, the time I spend abroad… It’s all intended to generate ideas.

There is a myth that authors and creative people are simply gifted their ideas like Christmas presents which require no work or effort. There is nothing harder than keeping the fire burning.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I could have a single coherent thought which went on for hundreds of pages.

What do you think makes a good story?

Ha! Is that all you want to know? I’ll tell you what I aspire to. I like to be imaginatively competitive. However original my ideas have been in the past, I always want to surpass them. Whenever I read a book or watch a movie and the ideas amaze me, I see that as a challenge to be more original than they are. I never steal anyone else’s ideas because my stated goal is always to try to outdo them. I wouldn’t be satisfied with any work wherein I wasn’t at least trying to accomplish this.

But of course, writing is even harder than that. We need to make people care. We need to move them. We need to be of psychological use. We ought to be honest. AND we have to catch all the typos…. I’m telling you, writing is hard!

Why did you choose to take the self published route?

I did seriously consider submitting Luminous and Ominous to agents and publishers. Here’s why I didn’t. If I were to submit the book, I could expect to wait 6-9 months for a reply. IF I were lucky enough to find someone right off the bat who was interested in my book, I could then expect to wait another year or more to see it actually published.

Instead, I published the book with very little delay. It’s done. It’s in the world. More than 500 people have read the book in a little over four months. I have moved on and am working on a sequel and other works. I’m getting a modest check every month. I continue to own all of the rights to my work and I enjoy 100% creative control. I have begun to build an audience, and I have earned a 4/5 star average of reviews on Amazon.com with 26 reviewers. I’m off to a good start!

Do you have any advice for others who are thinking of self publishing?

Edit. Take the time and catch all the typos. Also, spend some time thinking about if the book is the best it can be.

Then do it.

Name five things you can't live without.

1. Input: Movies, music, books, ideas, conversation. Deep thought.
2. Output. I need to write and create.
3. Friends and animals.
4. Rain.
5. Cheese.

Summer Lovin' - Interview with Mel Teshco & giveaway

Welcome back to Strange Candy Reviews, Mel. It's great to have you here. Can you tell us about your books?

Thanks for having me again Jo-Anne, it's great to be here!
My books are a little dark and sensual, my characters a little bit 'out there' even in my contemporary stories. (I mostly focus on paranormal). I've written gargoyles (a series for Ellora's Cave) a vampire and dhampir (Harlequin Nocturne Bites) and werewolves (Ellora's Cave) as characters. In my contemps I've written about a stripper, and a bitter divorced woman. At present I'm writing and almost finished a trio of alien heroes and their earth woman (g) and another ms, a co-authored book about a psychic girl in and out of a mental hospital, and her brilliant doctor brother, trying to repress that same gift/curse. I have quite a few other's on the go too LOL!

Where would you want most to go for summer if money is not an object?

I'd LOVE to hire a car and explore Europe with some of my family, with no particular itinerary other than visiting where my grandparents lived in Germany, tasting the food in Italy and drinking wine in France *sigh*. That has been a dream of mine for a long time. Of course, I'd also love to explore the great open spaces of my own country, Australia has so much to see. 

Do you prefer the ocean or a pool?

I love the ocean, there's something peaceful yet powerful about the sea that draws me. Of course, I have my own pool, have always loved to swim laps and just generally muck around in the water. But definately the ocean =)

Where do you think Cray and Loretta(from Stone Cold Lover) would spend their summers?

I imagine Cray would take her into the mountains where he could take her in his arms and soar through the skies, sight unseen. (*sigh* so romantic!)

What's the best way to spend a summer day?

Relaxing with a bourbon and coke in the arvo, a family bbq and perhaps a swim. A few hours of uninterrupted reading or writing and then maybe watching a good movie. And perhaps a horse ride to top it all off.

Why do you think we love romance novels so much?

It's the escapism from our 9 - 5  jobs, the sometimes harshness of reality. And who doesn't love a Happily Ever After?

What’s your perfect summer date?

My husband buying me a Thai Beef Salad, (or pizza) sharing a couple of drinks and a laugh. 

Surfer Boy or Cute Lifeguard?

Ummmm.... Lifeguard. One who has a brilliant career when he's not volunteering at the beach (g)

Who are five people you would invite over for a BBQ?

My husband, my three daughters and my mum. But if my loved ones weren't allowed, it'd be Stephen King, J.R Ward, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and a barman LOL

Do you have a favourite romance author?

I love paranormal romance, so I guess J.R Ward would come under that category. Go the Black Dagger Brotherhood!

What summer food can’t you live without?

Where do I start??

If you could pick any three items that you could have when stranded on an island, what would those items be and why?

endless pen and paper (for that soon-to-be best seller once I'm rescued), lots of fresh water (perhaps a waterfall LoL) and an orchard

Which would you like better: A mojito by the pool with cabana boys or wine overlooking the ocean with your friends?

ah, what's a mojito?? (will have to google) so I guess it's wine overlooking the beach - hopefully sparkling wine!!

You can find out more about Mel and her books on her website.

Mel is giving away a copy of her next release, Moon Thrall to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is name your favourite romance author. Don't forget your email. Giveaway ends Feb 2nd.

Larissa Ione Interview

Lorraine and I are massive Larissa Ione fans, and we are lucky enough to present an interview with the lady herself. If you haven't read Larissa's Demonica series, you are seriously missing out! 

Welcome to Strange Candy Reviews Larissa. It’s so great to have you here. How are you?

Larissa: Thanks for having me! I'm doing great! Busy, but great!

SCR: For those who haven’t read your books, can you tell us a bit about them?

Larissa: I write dark paranormal romances under my own name, and erotic action-adventure/sci-fi romances under the name Sydney Croft with a writing partner, Stephanie Tyler. My individual romances have been described as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets E.R.," since they take place in and around an underworld hospital run by vampires, demons, and were-creatures.

SCR: I’ve heard some authors have a play list they listen to when writing. Do you have one?

Larissa: Nope. For some reason, I can't listen to music when I'm writing.  I think it's because I start singing and can't concentrate. Oddly, I can write with the TV on...

SCR: When you have a deadline, do you rely on coffee much? Have a favorite blend?

Larissa: Mmm...coffee.  Yeah, I all but run it through and IV line. I live on coffee. I even keep a jar of instant coffee in my pantry on the off chance that I run out of brewed coffee. I NEED it. :)  I don't really have a favorite blend -- I love all coffee.  But I do enjoy flavored coffees a lot.  Love hazelnut and vanilla!

SCR: Do you need peace and quiet to write?

Larissa: Depends on my mood and how difficult the scene is. I can write with the TV on most of the time, but generally I can't write with my family running around. For the last year since we've moved, my writing spot has been the couch in the living room, which isn't conducive to writing AT ALL. But in a couple of weeks I'll have my own office, and I'm SO excited! I anticipate getting a lot more work done!

SCR: Is it ever awkward writing sex scenes?

Larissa: Only when my family is home. I don't have a problem if I'm home alone or in my own space.

SCR: Your Demonica series is so vivid, it’s almost as if you can visit Underworld General. Did the idea for the Demon brothers or the hospital come first?

Larissa: The hospital came first, after watching an episode of the Buffy the Vampire spinoff, Angel.  Angel, a vampire, was injured and needed medical attention, but where could he go?  I started thinking, and that let to Underworld General.  Then I had to populate it, and I wanted to do something different than vampires, simply because there were already a lot of vampire romances popping up.  So I came up with the demons....not realizing that demons were already in the works by a couple of big authors -- namely, Kresley Cold and Gena Showalter (who I love!)

SCR: Do you have a preferred reading genre?

I have a few, actually.  I love historical fiction, fantasy, and romance!

SCR: The most exciting thing that’s happened to you since your books have been published?

Wow...there are so many! I'd have to say that the first time I hit the New York Times was a huge highlight. It really was a dream I thought was untouchable. I think I screamed for an hour that night!

SCR: Have you been to any amazing places on holiday?

Hmm...it's a tie between Greece and York, England. Actually, anyplace in England is amazing. But I loved Greece so much too. I'm not normally a beach/tropical/hot weather person, but I loved Greece's laid-back atmosphere. And the food!

SCR: When did you realize you wanted to write or has it always been a passion?

Always a passion. Ever since I could hold a pencil. I learned to read very early, and I read well, so I was reading several levels above my grade, and I got a taste for a good story. Got my imagination going, and I started putting stories on paper. Wrote my first full-length novel when I was 13.

SCR: If you were stranded on a desert island, which of the brothers would you prefer to have with you?

All of them?  No?  Okay, I'd probably go with Eidolon, because you never know what kind of medical emergency you'd have on a deserted island. Wraith might be a better hunter, but I'll bet Eidolon could hold his own.  And he could heal you when you broke your ankle while trying to climb trees for coconuts!

SCR: You recently attended a school reunion, did anyone at your at your reunion know you’re a famous author?

*laughs at the famous thing* And yes, they did. Since the reunion was organized on Facebook, I'd already hooked up with several of them, so they knew. I took books for the raffle, and I still need to send some for the organizers *ducks*

SCR: What inspires you to write. Do you have a muse?

Inspiration?  My deadlines! *g*  I really don't have a muse.  I write because at this point, I have to.  Before the contracts I was more...musey.  But now I can't afford to wait for inspiration to strike. I just sit down and do it.

SCR: What made you choose paranormal romance as your writing genre?

I have been fascinated with the paranormal ever since I can remember. As soon as I was old enough, I started reading horror, and I love, love, loved the vampires. In fact, my first stories were horror stories.  Then, as I got older, I started reading fantasy.  So I wrote fantasy.  Then I read historical romance.  Wrote three of those.  Then contemporary romance. Wrote several, and ended up getting two novellas and a novel published.  But it wasn't until the paranormal romance genre really took off that I decided to combine my love of horror and romance into one.

SCR: Have you attempted another genre, and did it turn out okay?

See above. *g* I'd actually like to write a Star Trek novel someday. As a Trekkie with a Trek tattoo, it's totally my dream.

SCR: What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?

To not polish the voice out of your manuscript. See, I used to polish my books to death, making the PERFECT before I'd send them to an editor. I mean, why use "red" when I can use vermilion? Um...yeah.  Nothing wrong with vermilion in the right book and for the right author, but I'm not that author.  I kept getting rejections praising my writing, but "something" was missing.  It wasn't until I followed that advice and started submitting my work more...raw...that I sold.  Because "raw" is me, and that's all there is to it. :)

SCR: What’s up next for you?

The first book in my Demonica spinoff series, the Lords of Deliverance, is up next.  Eternal Rider, which is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, will release in April, and I'm really excited about it.  It will feature several Demonica characters and is set in the world.  I think it'll make both Demonica fans and new readers happy. (I hope!)

SCR: What are five things you can’t leave home without? 

Cell phone, purse, aspirin, lipstick/chapstick and a book!

You can find out more about Larissa by visiting her website.