The Qwillery

Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview - Diana Castilleja

2012-02-12T08:21:00.001-05:00

Please welcome Diana Castilleja as part of The Qwillery's Author After Dark Author Spotlight Interviews.

TQ: What inspired you become a writer?

Diana: Honestly, boredom. I was a stay at home mom with a two year-old toddler. I had a small mobile crafts business (think small city fairs and events), tent and everything. I'd pack the kid, enlist my BFF for company and spend the day hanging out. Unfortunately, we moved and sold the van I used, which left me at home. All day. Every day.

When I was younger, I had a job where I was pretty much left alone. I read. A lot. One of the books I read was by Jo Beverly, and I got it in my head I could write one like it. Uh... Yeah. No. Suffice it to say, the only thing that taught me was I couldn't write historical.

Fast forward to being at home with said child. Add one computer and hours alone. I went back to stuff I'd tinkered with and actually *gasp* finished something. Then I finished another. Then I wrote one from the word go. And I never looked back.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Diana: Getting hung up or blocked. Oftentimes, I get interrupted and I won't be able to get back into the stream. It's not like watching a movie. I can't just take it off "pause" and start again. It's hard for those around me to really get that.

TQ: What writing achievement are you most proud of?

Diana: Oh wow... Um, really, just being here, doing what I love. Nothing gets to me more than a note that someone read my stories, whether they loved or hated it. Regardless of how they reacted, they felt something that made them react to either the characters or the story. That tells me I'm doing my job right.

TQ: What one thing should everyone know about your writing?

Diana: Don't always think you know what's coming. I do my best to not write the same story twice, or to write "cookie-cutter" type stories. Not saying I'm perfect. I know I've written some bombs. We all have those struggles. I just hope I can continue to write entertaining stories. Happy endings are my ultimate goal.

TQ: Please tell us about your latest and upcoming works.

Diana: Right now, my latest and upcoming are both under my pseudonym, Diana DeRicci. TOUGHER TO LOVE is by Diana DeRicci, through Purple Sword Publications. There's nothing tougher than trying to love a man who hides from the world, and himself. When a small town cop meets that man, there's fireworks that no one could have expected, or kept under wraps.

Upcoming is GLITTER. For those who have read THE CHARLIE FACTOR and/or DOING LOVE RIGHT, this is Josh and Laurence's story, and how they came together. Funny how though they weren't planned, friends' stories happen.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Diana: Thanks so much for having me! I enjoyed being here today.

About Diana

With more than a dozen ebooks currently to her credit and her first print book released in 2008, Diana Castilleja has kept busy since she started writing professionally in late 2004. Diana currently resides in central Texas with her husband and son. When not focusing her energy on her family and her writing, she loves to travel and haunt bookstores. She's lived in several states across the south and midwest, as well as traveling to Mexico. With moving every year or changing schools since the fourth grade to her sophomore year, she learned reading was a fast escape. The freedom to read about anything and everything has fueled her adult imagination. She also enjoys romance, horses, and yes, still loves to read. Right now, she's probably attacking her keyboard writing her next book. If she's not, she should be!

Website
Diana's Author Loop
Twitter

Interview with Adam Christopher and Giveaway - February 11, 2012

2012-02-11T08:12:00.002-05:00

Please welcome Adam Christopher to The Qwillery as part of the 2011/2012 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Adam's debut, Empire State, was published on December 27, 2011 (US/Canada) and January 5, 2012 (UK/RoW).

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Adam: Y'know, I'd love to say I get up at 3am, pour a shot of single malt, and write on yellow legal pad in red pen until the cat needs to be fed at 9am... but I suspect I'm the most unquirky writer around. I write to a routine, a couple of hours in the morning, a couple of hours in the evening. I write my drafts in Scrivener on my Macbook Air downstairs in the library, then I do the edits and rewrites upstairs at my desk in the office. I drink lots of tea. The cat is usually on hand to provide moral support by sleeping next to me/on my lap as I type.

I think I need to invent a quirk. Does writing in a superman bathrobe count? Because I totally do that. Hey, it's comfortable, and when you work at home you can wear your pyjamas all day if you want.

TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Adam: Stephen King, Lauren Beukes, Robert McCammon, Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, Erin Morgenstern, Diana Rowland, Kurt Busiek, Gail Simone, Dan Abnett, Paul Cornell - actually I'm influenced probably in equal parts by prose and comic writers, and of course many write in both forms. I certainly split my reading between them.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Adam: Sort of half-half, I think! I think outlines are very important, although I tend not to write ones that are very detailed because when I start the actual writing, characters tend to take on a life of their own and do their own thing. Often, this isn't quite what I had in mind during the planning, so for me there is no point spending a lot of time writing a very detailed outline when I'm going to go off tangent anyway. Non-writers tend to think it's a little weird - how can a character do their own thing? You're the writer! - but when that happens, you (as a writer) know things are working well!

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Adam: Ha, sitting down and writing! Again, that's the same thing for lots of writers I think - it's very hard work. When it goes well, it's a dream. When it doesn't, it's like getting blood out of a stone. But that's the way it always will be, I know that! But there's no better feeling in the world than the satisfaction that comes from a good day's work.

TQ: Describe Empire State in 140 characters or less.

Adam: Rescued from masked agents by a dead superhero, PI Rad Bradley is called to find a missing person, but finds an alternate universe.

TQ: What inspired you to write Empire State?

Adam: I had several different ideas - I'm a fan of period science fiction, and wanted to write something set in the 1930s. I'm a fan of American superhero comics, and am fascinated by their weird and wonderful Golden Age of the late 1930s. Then around 2009 I discovered Raymond Chandler while on a long-haul flight from the UK to the US. Long-haul flights are, well, long, and things can get a little weird. I remember being blown away by Chandler's prose and after maybe a few too many free champagnes I remember thinking how great it would have been if Chandler had written science fiction too.

That was the seed, I think. I already had a character knocking around, this tough pulp PI called Rad Bradley - slightly down on his luck, slightly gone to seed and perhaps he's only just realising this. He was ready-made for the story; I think I even made some notes about the book on that flight! "Raymond Chandler meets the Rocketeer in Gotham City" was perhaps a little wordy for an elevator pitch, but that was what I was aiming for. A fun pulp adventure combining all that period detail - detective fiction, Golden Age comic books, with a dash of Art Deco and Prohibition. Oh, and a load of parallel universe weirdness!

TQ: What sort of research did you do for Empire State?

Adam: I've always had an interest in Prohibition and the 1920s and 1930s, but for Empire State I did a fair amount of digging into Prohibition particularly in New York. It's a fascinating and bizarre period of history, and really it's amazing Prohibition even went ahead. I also had to educate myself a little on New York geography, although setting the book as I did in an alternate universe I was able to quite deliberately fudge details (the differences between the real Manhattan and the Empire State are part of the story). New York is about my favourite place in the whole world - a feeling helped, I think, by writing a book about an alternate version of it!

One of the aspects of the book that plays a major part in the plot was actually an accidental discovery made while researching. I was looking for a historical figure to use in the alternate universe, and - without wanting to go into any spoilers here - I actually found one who really did go missing in the early 1930s. I could hardly believe my luck... and so the course of the novel was changed, based on this stroke of serendipity.

TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Adam: Rad and Captain Carson were both very easy to write - Rad because he was doing his best to work out what was going on, and I basically just had to follow him around the story. It's a wonderful thing when characters take on a life of their own. Carson was another who wrote his own story, but in a different way to Rad. Carson was a lot of fun, being an odd eccentric old man who perhaps likes the sound of his own voice. He pulled a few tricks on me too, including one in particular that was quite a surprise, even for me!

I'm not sure any character was particularly difficult to write. Both the Pastor of Lost Souls and the Chairman of the City Commissioners were tricky to balance within their own story threads - and they actually needed to follow my outline perhaps more than Rad or Carson anyway - which didn't make them hard to write, but certainly they required a different approach.

TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Empire State?

Adam: I love everything set in Carson's house - it's very weird and somehow disconnected from the rest of the city (at least that's what Rad thinks), and Carson is such a hoot. But my favourite scene in particular is Rad's unexpected trip that happens at the end of Chapter 28!

TQ: What's next?

Adam: My second novel, a spandex-clad superhero epic called SEVEN WONDERS, is out from Angry Robot in September 2012. Aside from that, I've got a number of projects on the go - more information on those when I have them!

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Adam: My pleasure!

Read Adam's Guest Blog - In Blackest Night: blending science fiction and noir - here.

About Empire State

Empire State

Angry Robot Books, December 27, 2011 (US/Canada); January 5, 2012 (UK/RoW)
Trade Paperback, 416 pages

It was the last great science hero fight, but the energy blast ripped a hole in reality, and birthed the Empire State - a young, twisted parallel prohibition-era New York.

When the rift starts to close, both worlds are threatened, and both must fight for the right to exist.

File Under: Science Fiction [ Pocket Universe | Heroes or Villains | Speak Easy | Loyalties Divided ]

About Adam Christopher

ADAM CHRISTOPHER was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and grew up watching Pertwee-era Doctor Who and listening to The Beatles, which isn’t a bad start for a child of the Eighties. In 2006, Adam moved to the sunny North West of England, where he now lives in domestic bliss with his wife and cat in a house next to a canal, although he has yet to take up any fishing-related activities.

When not writing Adam can be found drinking tea and obsessing over DC Comics, Stephen King, and The Cure. His first novel, EMPIRE STATE, is out from Angry Robot books in January 2012. For more information, please visit angryrobotbooks.com.

Adam can be found online at adamchristopher.co.uk and on Twitter as @ghostfinder.

The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: One commenter will win a copy of Empire State from The Qwillery.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who or what are your favorite superhero(es) or supervillain(s)?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Authors After Dark Spotlight Interview - Samantha Kane

2012-02-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Samantha Kane as part of The Qwillery's Author After Dark Author Spotlight Interviews.

TQ: What inspired you become a writer?

Samantha: Well, I've always loved writing. I wrote poems and stories when I was a child, always took creative writing in school, wrote for my school papers, and my college degrees were in liberal art subjects that required a great deal of research and writing. But the one thing that made me sit down and start writing my first book was the unexpected death of my beloved aunt and a young age (53). It was traumatizing and, cliche though it may be, made me realize you just never know if you're going to have the time to do all those things you've been promising yourself. So instead of putting off until tomorrow, I sat down and started writing. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, encouraged my writing, too, which was a huge factor, I think, in getting past that initial hurdle of should I finish this or just let it drop?

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Samantha: Starting a book. Not plotting it, but actually putting your butt in the chair and writing that first sentence. It's a little scary. Just because you have the blueprint doesn't mean it's any easier to build a story from scratch.

TQ: What writing achievement are you most proud of?

Samantha: Finishing my first book.

TQ: What one thing should everyone know about your writing?

Samantha: I write fiction. I try to stay true to historical accuracy, reality-based conflicts and resolutions, natural dialog, etc. But in the end, I write fiction. I don't write about your neighbors or your neighbors' dog. I write about people who are larger than life, and who find themselves in extraordinary situations that create a STORY. I make it up as I go along. Enjoy at your own risk. ;-)

TQ: Please tell us about your latest and upcoming works.

Samantha: My most recent release is Love's Surrender, the 9th book in my erotic Regency historical romance series Brothers in Arms. Love's Surrender is a short novel in ebook, but it has just been released in a print anthology called Arms of Love with another short novel in that series called Love's Strategy.

Lady Vanessa Carlton-Smythe is from one of England’s most well respected families and the daughter of an earl. She has lived an exemplary life: the perfect daughter, the perfect lady. Until one Christmas Eve she meets two men who unleash her secret desires. She can’t surrender her heart, only her body, and only for the next twelve days. After Twelfth Night their affair must end and she will return to a life that is slowly suffocating her.

Veterans Nick and Oliver have been constant companions since Waterloo. They share everything, including women and a bad reputation. When Lady Vanessa catches them in a compromising position, they are seduced by the longing in her eyes. Cool, distant, unattainable—the more she protests, the more they want her. Vanessa’s desires prompt the two men to finally give in to their feelings and become lovers. When desire becomes love, can they convince Vanessa to leave her privileged life behind and surrender to them forever?

Note: Includes m/m/f and m/m scenes.

I've also got a brand new mainstream Regency historical romance series coming this year from Ballantine Bantam's new romance line Loveswept. The Saint's Devils is about a group of men who were friends in school, and because of their rakehell ways society has nicknamed them The Saint's Devils, based on the name of their unofficial leader, Sir Hilary St. John. Sir Hilary is a Sherlock Holmes type character who will help one of his friends solve a mystery involving his heroine in each book. The first book, The Devil's Thief, is about devil Alasdair Sharp and Miss Julianna Harte, a thief with a heart of gold, and it should be released in November of this year.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Samantha: Thanks for inviting me! I'm looking forward to seeing you at AAD this August.

About Samantha

Samantha Kane lives in North Carolina with her husband of fifteen years and three children, two boys and one girl. She spent seven years as a high school history teacher before becoming a full time writer and mom. Ms. Kane has a Master's degree in American History.

Interview with Kylie Griffin and Giveaway - February 10, 2012

2012-02-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Kylie Griffin to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Vengeance Born (The Light Blade 1), Kylie's debut, was published on February 7, 2012.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Kylie: I write from beginning to end when I draft – I can’t write scenes out of order. I jot points down, or a few sentences when a scene comes to me and save them in a BITS file, but until I arrive at that point in the draft, it’s sequence in the plot and the full impact of it isn’t realized.

TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Kylie: Ahh, such a complicated question, and only because I straddle the fence with genres. When I first started getting into reading, I devoured straight fantasy and science fiction, stories written authors like Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, David Eddings and Rowena Corey Daniells.

In my late teens I discovered the romance genre and then paranormal romance – all my favorite genres combined – I was in heaven!

Must-buys for me in this genre are Nalini Singh, Lora Leigh, Joss Ware, Elizabeth Vaughn, Larissa Ione, Denise Rossetti, JRWard, Sara Creasy and JRWard.

But of all of these authors, Anne McCaffrey had the greatest influence on me as a writer. Her stories fired my imagination and inspired me to write my own. I loved how well she combined all the elements of good fantasy/SF and never shied away from including a romance in the story. The best of all worlds! :-)

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Kylie: I’m evolving. In my early years as a writer I was a definite panster. I have boxes of unfinished manuscripts stored under my bed thanks to this rather inefficient method.

But as I’ve developed my craft, and now that I’m published and required to submit sample chapters and a synopsis to my editor, I’ve had to evolve into a semi-plotter.

I usually know how I want to start and end a story but everything else in between is fuzzy. I begin writing and as the story takes shape I see scenes.

Imagine walking through a foggy valley and every so often you come to the crest of a hill and see another in the distance and head for it. That’s how I get through the middle of the story. I just have to make sure the journey takes me to the ending I want. Most times this method works.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Kylie: Writing the first draft, particularly the first 30000 words. It’s the time when the story, the characters, the world is all new.

I’m uncovering elements of each as I write. I’m getting into the characters heads, learning who they are and how they think, feel, and act. I’m discovering their world step by step beside them.

Once I get past that first third of the book I know them and the rest comes a lot more easily.

TQ: Describe Vengeance Born (The Light Blade 1) in 140 characters or less.

Kylie: A bastard born heroine and warrior hero uncover ancient secrets, struggle with prejudice, and who discover a love that will save three races.

TQ: What inspired you to write Vengeance Born?

Kylie: Ideas for new books usually come as I’m writing another. It was about a year before I put fingers to keyboard to write Vengeance Born that I saw Annika, the heroine, in exactly the same scene as the one that opens the book.

She was descending into father’s dungeon about to meet a human Light Blade warrior for the first time, about to begin her escape and achieve her goal of beginning a new life.

The scene was so vivid I jotted down the details and, as I finished writing another paranormal manuscript, Annika remained at the back of my mind. I daydreamed a lot of ‘what if…’ scenarios to discover her story.

It seems a strange thing to say that I had fun considering the possibilities of a crossbreed child born as the result of a rape.

How would the environment influence her development? Could any one person influence or balance her upbringing? What role would they play? How could they affect her? Which character traits would develop because of her situation? What strengths and weaknesses would she have?

I decided that Annika would have strength and courage backed by a determination to free herself – there would be no waiting around for someone to save her (I love a strong heroine) – but, because of her upbringing, she’d also harbor a flawed sense of worth and need for acceptance.

TQ: What sort of research did you do for Vengeance Born?

Kylie: The wonderful thing about the paranormal genre is that a lot of what I write can be all made up, but I suppose we have to base our ideas on something that’s familiar with then give it our own unique twist.

I drew maps, so scoured atlases for geographical details that I could include in mine.

Scriptures from the bible and the Christian ethos also influenced the development of the deity character, her followers – the Light Blade warrior caste and some others in Vengeance Born.

I poured through numerous costume and ancient weapons books for details about clothing, daggers, swords, shields, armor etc. but for most part everything else came from my imagination.

TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Kylie: The easiest was Annika. I had that connection with her from the very first time I saw her descending into the dungeon. I focused a lot on her in the initial daydreaming stages.

Kalan proved the most challenging and a lot of that was trying to make the dialogue sound like a guy speaking.

TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Vengeance Born?

Kylie: There’s an escape scene in the opening chapters of the book that I just loved writing. The whole emotional tug and pull of the characters in conflict but then also connecting.

Annika and Kalan have this tentative thread of trust born of a common need to escape her father and Na’Reish territory. They discover some of the more unpleasant facets about each other in that scene – their inbuilt prejudices of one another’s races – yet they reach a point where they realize what they believe isn’t necessarily true. It’s one of the first major turning points in their relationship with one another.

Another of my favorite scenes is in Chapter 15. Without giving too many details away, readers learn more about Annika's past, see Kalan's reaction to it and both explore the physical attraction developing between them. It’s all about trust, commitment and connections.

No spoiler but here’s just a snippet...

     Annika swung her legs around to sit on the ledge facing inward, her gaze fixed on him as she tried to sort out the tangle of emotions his words evoked. He was treating her as if she were human, and making it easy for her to forget the fact that she wasn’t.
     She shouldn’t like that but she did. She clenched her hand around the edge of her cloak. His recent behavior was making it safe to share things she’d never have thought to reveal to anyone else. He didn’t criticize her, didn’t laugh at her ignorance, hadn’t taken advantage of her weaknesses. Other than Hesia, no one had ever kept their promises to her.
     He treated her like a friend.
     Annika started to shake. Not in fear, but with the strength of an unknown emotion filling her heart. With every beat, the warmth of it spread through her. He stood close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, even through two cloaks. She lifted her hand toward him then hesitated.
     Touching Kalan, exposing her need for him, lifted the hairs on her neck. She hated being vulnerable. But she wanted to show him the same amount of trust he’d finally given her.
Mouth dry, she cupped his cheek then trailed her fingers along his stubbled jaw and shuddered, liking the rough sensation of it beneath the palm of her hand. Her gaze dropped to his lips. They looked soft, unlike the rest of his lean body. She wanted to kiss him but wasn’t sure if she had the courage. The scent of his arousal filled her lungs.
     “I don’t bite.” The corners of his mouth turned upward ever so slightly. “Not unless you want me to.”

TQ: What's next?

Kylie: ALLIANCE FORGED, the second book in this series is out 3rd July 2012, so I’m at the tail end of the publishing process with it as I type this.

And, all going well, Book #3 (untitled) is scheduled for an early 2013 release. Both books feature characters introduced in VENGEANCE BORN.

On the new manuscript/writing front I’m thinking of finishing off a sci-fi/space opera romance that I started just before I received ‘the call’ from Berkley back in late 2010…unless, of course, I’m contracted for more in the Light Blade series! :-)

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Kylie: Thanks so much for having me – it’s been a hoot and I really enjoyed answering your questions.

Read Kylie's Guest Blog - Hail the Strong Heroine! - by clicking here.

About The Light Blade Series

Vengeance Born

Light Blade 1
Berkley Sensation, February 7, 2012
Trade Paperback, 336 pages

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born...

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na'Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father's people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she's gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy...

With the Na'Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na'Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons-and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father's dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council-and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Fishpond : Penguin Australia : Penguin USA

Alliance Forged
The Light Blade 2
Berkley Sensation, July 3, 2012
Trade Paperback, 368 pages

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Fishpond : Penguin USA

About Kylie

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service organizations in her local community. Visit her website at www.kyliegriffin.com

Kylie's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads:
Shelfari

The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: One commenter will win a copy of Vengeance Born (The Light Blade 1) for Kylie!

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who is/are some of your favorite strong heroine(s)? (books/comics/TV/movies)

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, February 17, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Guest Blog by Donna Grant - Scotland - and Giveaway

2012-02-09T07:19:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Donna Grant to The Qwillery. Donna's most recent Dark Sword novel, Darkest Highlander, was published on January 31, 2012.

Scotland

There’s always been something so alluring about historical romances. When I first began reading romances at the age of 12 (yes, my mother knew. I read hers. Lol) they were mostly historicals.

It got to the point where that’s the genre I preferred. And for years that was all I read. I’ve always loved being transported to another era where society could – and did – dictate what a person could and couldn’t do.

But it was also the clothes and the period itself. I read anything from ancient up until the early 1900s. And enjoyed them all.

Medieval, however, became my love. Not that I don’t enjoy Regency or Victorian. There’s so many out there and I adore the heck out of them. But for me, it was always Medieval.

So it was no stretch of the mind when I began to write my books were all set in the medieval time. I loved the swords, the castles, the gowns, and…well, everything. I did set several books in England, but it wasn’t long before I found another love.

Scotland.

I’ve always been drawn to that land and the rugged Highlanders who make it their home. When I first thought up my Dark Sword series, there was no doubt in my mind it was going to be set in Scotland, and my heroes Highlanders. What better way to have a hero then men who are known for their bravery, manliness, and stubbornness?

Since I also love to incorporate paranormal aspects in my books, I wanted my heroes to be immortal. And my heroines to hold magic as Druids.

Scotland has long said to hold magic. Myths and legends of all kinds have sprung from the land where Druids once walked. Some places are a perfect lure for magic and historical settings.

For me, that is Scotland.

My love is still historical romance, and most likely always will be. I’ve expanded some, however. I read a lot of contemporary paranormal as well. But when I’m at the bookstore and I’m looking at all the books, I’m drawn first and foremost to the glorious historical novels.

Take a look at my newest release, DARKEST HIGHLANDER (Jan 31, 2012), which continues the saga of the Dark Sword series.

I’ll be giving away the fifth book in my Dark Sword series, SHADOW HIGHLANDER, to a commenter who answers this question:

Why do you love historical romance, and who are some of your favorite authors?

To find out more about me, learn more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, search characters, take the quiz, or watch the book trailers please visit my website at www.DonnaGrant.com.

Hugs,
D

About the Dark Sword Series

Darkest Highlander
Dark Sword 6
St. Martin's Paperbacks, January 31, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

In the acclaimed Dark Sword series, the darkest, fiercest warriors of Scottish legend finally meet their match—in the brave, fiery hearts of the women they cherish…

HE IS HER SALVATION

For years, Broc has watched over her, protected her—and hidden his love for her. But when his beautiful Sonya finds herself in a hopeless situation, the Highlander flies to her side to save her. Unfortunately, before the Druidess can thank him, Broc is captured by his enemy and destined for eternal pain…

SHE IS HIS DESTINY

Sonya vows to help her noble warrior, though he is imprisoned in a mountain of pure evil—bound in chains of the darkest magic. With Sonya’s own magic fading, she must summon the greatest power of all to save the man she loves. But even if these two hearts are united, will they be strong enough to defeat the heart of darkness? Or will their undying love doom them for all eternity…?

To read an excerpt and find buy links: www.donnagrant.com/darkest-highlander

Shadow Highlander

Dark Sword 5
St. Martin's Paperbacks, August 30, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Sent on a dangerous mission into the shadowy world of the Druids, Galen must find a powerful ancient relic to defeat the enemies of Castle MacLeod. But what he discovers is far more powerful—and far more dangerous. A Druid lass whose beauty is as spellbinding as any magic…

Reaghan is the most enchanting woman Galen has even met—and the most enigmatic. She alone is immune to his mind-reading gifts. He alone makes her feel safe and secure. But Reaghan holds a secret power deep inside her that could destroy them both. And if Galen hopes to hold this captivating woman in his arms every night, he must defeat the darkness that draws closer around her every day….

Untamed Highlander

Dark Sword 4
St. Martin's Paberbacks, April 26, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Druid-born and magic-blessed, Isla is one of the deadliest she-devils ever to serve the forces of darkness. As an immortal Highland warrior, it’s up to Hayden Campbell to destroy her and her kind. But for Hayden, Isla is more than a sworn enemy. She is temptation…

Taking Isla captive, Hayden hopes to avenge his kinsmen who died by Druid magic. But when he looks into Isla’s eyes, he sees the secrets of her past. When he touches her skin, he feels the passion in her soul. And soon Hayden comes to realize that this beautiful, beguiling woman is not his enemy at all—she is his destiny. And, even as the forces of darkness conspire against them, their love will conquer all…

Dark Sword 1 -3

About Donna

Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She's the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.

The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: One commenter will win Mass Market Paperback copy of Shadow Highlander (Dark Sword 5) from Donna!

How: Leave a comment answering Donna's question:

Why do you love historical romance, and who are some of your favorite authors?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Interview with Jennifer Safrey - February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T06:37:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Jennifer Safrey to The Qwillery. Jennifer's most recent novel is Tooth and Nail.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Jennifer: I'm not sure if you'd classify it as interesting or disturbing but my writing quirk is that I write on no kind of schedule. I'm not one of those authors who can write every morning for an hour before work, or every night before bed, or at lunch breaks, or even every day. I've tried all that and failed because I was working against my own sensibilities. The only way for me to write is when I organically feel like writing. Sometimes it's every day for four or five days in a row at whatever time of day feels right. Sometimes I write nothing for two weeks, then have a weekend marathon where I forget to eat and shower while I write pages and pages. Now, when I'm on a contract deadline, I shoot for 6,000 words a week and sometimes I can do it day by day and sometimes in a long haul on a Sunday. Some writers and aspiring writers seem very disappointed when I tell them this, and I suspect it's because they expect better from a professional, but I can say that for my six published novels, I never missed one contract deadline. Squeaked a few in there under the wire, but I've never been late.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jennifer: I'm a reformed pantser. Because I've surrendered to my need to write when it suits me, I had to transform into a writer who at least knows what she's doing when she does get around to sitting down at the computer. I'm not a hardcore plotter with pages and pages of outlines and notes, but I'm a three-chapters-ahead plotter. This means that I know the beginning of the story, I know the end, I know some scenes in the middle, and at all times, I'm plotted three chapters ahead. This leaves room for some aha! moments but closes me off to the kind of literary meandering that leads to a dead end and wastes my time.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing to you about writing?

Jennifer: I think it's writing humor into a novel. I'm pretty funny in person and in first-person prose like blog posts or diary entries or Facebook rants, but in fiction it is very difficult to know if your humor is translating well to a wide audience, and if it plays well into your story. I've written plenty of scenes that seriously slay me, but when I bring them to another reader, they are like, "uh, what?" Sometimes I am lucky enough to hit it on the mark. But writing funny fiction is very, very hard.

TQ: Describe Tooth and Nail in 140 characters or less.

Jennifer: Gemma Cross is an amateur boxer who learns that she is a faerie warrior who must protect the innocence--distilled from human baby teeth--that the fae need to re-create their lost world.

TQ: What inspired you to write Tooth and Nail?

Jennifer: It was actually a writing exercise that I was doing with a group of writers that met every couple of weeks to casually freewrite. The prompt was writing something from the point of view of the tooth fairy. I wrote a little bit and quickly realized that my tooth fairy was not exactly who I thought she was. I developed the idea over a number of months and finally decided to write it. Up until that point, I wrote exclusively romance, so it was a departure for me -- but a liberating one, because I expected nothing of myself in a new genre. It was freeing to think, while I was writing, that this manuscript would never see the light of day. Of course, now I'm a little nervous that it's way out there in daylight!

TQ: What sort of research did you do to create the mythology in Tooth and Nail?

Jennifer: I researched the tooth fairy myth and the information about its origin is pretty limited, so I felt like I had a lot of free rein there, which was great. I had to learn about some methods of cosmetic dentistry, and how to make toothpaste. I had to research boxing gyms and skills -- I have some boxing experience, but I'm mostly martial arts, so I had to absorb a lot of that information again. I had to do my Washington DC homework. I read a lot of urban fantasy novels over a few years. Turns out there is a lot to learn before you can start just making stuff up. :)

TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Tooth and Nail?

Jennifer: One of my favorite scenes is when Gemma has to collect a tooth -- her first -- from Watergate. I loved the idea of the tooth faerie sort of breaking and entering Watergate at night. I got to really play with her newfound fae abilities to navigate her through the scene. And I also love the climactic scene in the book...but you get nothing from me now about it!

TQ: Who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Jennifer: I think the most difficult character to write was the blogger, the D.C. Digger. He needed to be a snarky, annoying, and ultimately threatening journalist, but I had to give him reasons for his behavior. When I fleshed him out, he became one of the most compelling presences in the book. The reader will love to hate him -- and hate to love him. The funny thing is, he wasn't even in the original outline for this book. Now, without him, so much of this story wouldn't work. The easiest character? Hm, no character is easy, but I think Frederica Diamond, the fae recruiter, was the easiest for me to immediately understand. She is the archetype of a fairy godmother, a calm and soothing presence, a guide through the magical, but also a source of strength for Gemma the warrior.

TQ: What's next?

Jennifer: I'm not absolutely sure yet, but you probably haven't seen the last of either me or Gemma Fae.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at the Qwillery.

Jennifer: It's an honor to be asked to contribute. Thank you!

About Tooth and Nail

Tooth and Nail

Night Shade Books (Feburary 2012)
Trade Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

Gemma Fae Cross, a tough-girl amateur boxer whose fiance is running for congress, has just made a startling discovery about herself. She is half faerie--and not just any faerie, but a tooth faerie.

A hybrid of fae and human, Gemma is destined to defend the Olde Way and protect the fae--who are incapable of committing violence--from threats to their peaceful and idyllic way of life, which must be maintained by distilling innocence collected from children's baby teeth.

But when a threat to the fae mission emerges, Gemma is called upon to protect her heritage, and become a legendary fae warrior... even if it means sacrificing everything she knows about being human.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Baen Ebooks

About Jennifer

Jennifer Safrey is an award-winning author of four romance novels. TOOTH AND NAIL is her first foray into urban fantasy. Jennifer is the co-owner of Emerald Yoga Studio in Pembroke, Mass., where she teaches vinyasa flow yoga. She holds a black belt in taekwondo. She grew up just outside New York City and graduated from Boston University.

Mash Ups and More Update - Oliver Twisted - February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T06:11:00.000-05:00

It's been quite some time since I've had the pleasure of writing a Mash Ups and More Update. Believe me, I keep looking. Oliver Twisted was published by the Electric Monkey imprint of Egmont UK. Check out the Oliver Twisted website. I've no idea weather is will be published in the US as well, but I will certainly check.

Oliver Twisted
Author: J. D. Sharpe (and Charles Dickens)
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Electric Monkey (February 6, 2012)
Price: English
Genre: Horror/Mash Up/YA
ISBN: 9781405258173

"FLESH," the woe-begotten moaned at Oliver, baring teeth which were ragged and black. "FLESH" came another moan, and he turned to see two more behind. They began to shuffle towards him, barefoot.

The world according to Oliver Twisted is simple. Vampyres feed on the defenceless, orphans are sacrificed to hungry gods and if a woe-begotten catches your scent it will hunt you for ever.

On the advice of a corpse, Oliver flees his ghastly orphan life to seek his destiny in the dark streets of old London Town, despite the perils of the woe-begotten zombie-infested journey. There he meets the shadowy Dodger, the evil old soul-stealer Fagin, and the menacing Bill Sikes, who is more beast than man. But will Oliver Twisted be the world's salvation, or its downfall?!