Romance Author Hotspot

Please welcome the amazing PJ Schnyder today!  She’s filling in for us at the last possible moment, and offering a giveaway to boot!  Many <3′s to her.

First question:

Wine or Beer? (If you say club soda, we’ll have to send you to the corner…)

What are we eating? LOL. I like either wine or beer, but especially enjoy when paired nicely with a scrumptious meal.

Cake or chips? Are youa sugar or salt kind of person?

Cake! Or even better, cupcakes! Red velvet, or chocolate lava cupcakes from The Georgetown Cupcake Company are particularly fantastic. I just had a few the other night as a guest at a good friend’s wedding.

*squints eyes* Are you old enough to drink?

Oh yeah. For a long, long time now.

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us?

Blurb:

Hunting Kat As a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn’t have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she’s just another biped. Most of the time.Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat.One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy’s demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.Status: Released July 4th from Carina PressYou can purchase Hunting Kat in eBook format at the following locations:

Carina Press

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

You can purchase Hunting Kat in Audio book format at the following location:

Audible.com

What makes your characters so special?

There are different kinds of strength. Some of my characters are kick a$$ and wicked strong in the physical sense. Others are challenged in a physical way and their strength is the kind that comes from recovering, overcoming odds and building a new life.

Every one of my characters is tested in my stories, beyond the limits they knew they had. Every one of them is a survivor.

So, what do you write? And why?

 I write sci-fi and paranormal romance on the sweeter side. There’s something about all the possibilities and sheer fun of writing romances with science fiction elements or paranormal twists. The world building becomes every bit as much a part of the story telling as the characters are. And honestly, I love writing happy ever afters (or for nows) for my characters.

Steampunk is another love of mine. My steampunk stories are not all romance, but they all have the Victorian aesthetic particular to steampunk worlds and technology.

And then there’s urban fantasy. These stories allow me to get darker, grittier, and not centered on the romance although there may be romantic elements in them.

Writing in these various subgenres allows me to stretch my imagination and step outside my comfort zones a bit. Every new story brings a new challenge.

What would your characters say about you?

 I’m mean to my characters. Not gonna lie. I put them through hell and bring them out the other end evolved. So whatever they have to say about me, there might be a lot of cursing involved.

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous?

 I wouldn’t say my hobbies are dangerous…I do enjoy training in mixed martial arts. Specifically, I’ve studied Muay Thai (Thai Kickboxing), Jun Fan/Jeet Kun Do (Bruce Lee’s style of martial arts), Kali (weapons training) and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (grappling). Fitness is very important to me and I try to keep up a healthy routine of yoga, strength training and cardio.

Also, I very much enjoy playing StarCraft II and World of Warcraft, as well as Diablo III and similar games. I’m interested in trying out Mass Effect III.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Continuity. Now that I’m in the second and third books of my series, it’s important to me to maintain the voices of my characters from book to book. I also want to be sure details I’ve mentioned in previous books are carried over accurately in later books in the series.

What else are you working on right now?

The draft of the second book in the Triton Experiments series is close to complete. I’m also revising the third book in the Terra’s Guardians series. Plus, there’s lots of plot bunnies for future books in both series as well as more steampunk stories in the outlining stage.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you and your work?

1. a.     Twitter: http://twitter.com/pjschnyder
2. b.     Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjschnyder
3. c.      Website: http://pjschnyder.com
4. d.     Others: http://pjschnyder.tumblr.com/

 Thank you so much for joining us at Romance Author Hotspot, expecially last minute PJ!  You’re our saving grace

Even better for readers – PJ is offering a giveaway (ebook copy of Hunting Kat) to one randomly selected commenter!

Today we have a guest blog from Natalie Damschroder, read on to hear praise be given where praise is most definitely due!

Most authors include profuse thanks to their editors in their acknowledgements at the beginning or end of each book. But I wonder how many readers (and unpublished authors) really understand how important the editor is, and how much they influence the book?

I thought this might be a good opportunity to publicly thank my two no-word-superlative-enough editors and give some insight into the “process.”

I work with Elizabeth Bass at Carina Press and Kerri-Leigh Grady and Liz Pelletier at Entangled Publishing, and I am so. freaking. lucky. to have three people who really get what I’m trying to do and are willing to work extensively with me to make sure I get it right. This is my love letter to them.

The first thing readers might not think about is how many times the editor has to read the book. They read it when it’s submitted, then again after they offer the contract. They write a letter (sometimes a really, really LONG letter LOL) detailing all the weaknesses they see and offering suggestions for how to improve them.

After reading the letter, cursing and crying, and wondering why the editor bought the book when the author obviously sucks, said author then contacts her editor and says how brilliant she is. There is usually some discussion about how to approach some of the suggestions. A good editor gives the author ideas for fixing what seems to be wrong, but allows the author to find her own way—yet doesn’t hesitate to tell her she’s being stupid. (Usually not in so many words.)

The author makes the revisions and submits the book. The editor reads it again. If the author did a good job, the editor now does line edits, which is more specific changes for improvement. They point out discrepancies and repetitions and harp on little things that obsess them. The author responds, either accepting the changes as is, making a passionate defense for why that’s the only word that really works in that spot, or editing to address the problem in a different way, perhaps one more suited to her voice.

Then the editor reads it again. Then it goes to the copyeditor. And the editor reads it again.

Can you imagine reading a book that many times in about a two-month span? I wouldn’t even want to read one of my favorites that many times!

Every author has strengths and weaknesses in their writing. When we’re matched up with an editor who appreciates both, it can be magic. For my most recent release, Acceptable Risks, my editor helped me make the romantic conflict more powerful. She told me the ending was stupid in a very polite way, and sparked a more interesting one in my imagination. And she supported me when the copyeditor attacked my Laundromats.

Once a book is through production, an author might not talk to their editor for a while. But they’re always there, the first responder to any emergency, the author’s in-house advocate or conduit for information, and the one person who can directly understand the joy of something like this:

“Nonstop action, pulse-elevating romance and a fast pace keep this book flowing smoothly. Damschroder definitely knows how to write one sexy, saucy, exhilarating tale.”—Diane Morasco for RT Book Reviews about Acceptable Risks.

Love with a Shot of Adrenaline

BLURB:

When security expert Jason Templeton’s team is ambushed while protecting a weapons manufacturer vital to U.S. interests, he risks his life to save the man’s daughter…and loses. Unbeknownst to Jason, his mentor had been funding experimental medical procedures after losing his young wife. Using the untested drugs, Jason is brought back to life, stronger and faster than before, but also vulnerable in new ways. He’s determined to find the traitor in their midst, who is after the miracle drug.

That means protecting the brilliant scientist Lark Madrassa. Their attraction and compatibility are undeniable, but Jason tries to deny his growing feelings for her, thinking he is too damaged. When Lark’s father is kidnapped they have to rely on each other in a dangerous plot to uncover the double agent. Before, Jason always accepted the risks–but what about when the life of the woman he loves is on the line?

Natalie is also awesome enough to be hosting a giveaway for a randomly selected commenter of:

“Winner’s choice of a digital copy of Fight or Flight, Behind the Scenes, or Acceptable Risks”

Today, our guest of honor is Boone Brux. It’s so nice to have you here! Hope you’re ready to party!

 Thanks so much for having me. I’m so excited.

First Questions:

Wine or beer? (If you say club soda, we’ll have to send you to the corner…) Definitely beer…no wine…wait beer. Can I say both?

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt kind of person? Chips. I’m completely a salt person.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink? I love you, but yes, I’ve been legal for two years and 298 months now. Hard to believe, I know. I still love it when they card me, even though I know it’s the law, no matter how old you are…or how old you look.

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us?

Releases on Saturday!

Blurb: ‘Tweet’

When one time ultra-shy girl, Faye Albert, decides to live a little, she inadvertently binds her soul to Satan by following the Dark Prince on Twitter.

Now she needs to break the contract or face eternal damnation. With time running out and her desperation growing, Faye enlists the help of Christopher White, a gorgeous photographer from work and her secret crush.

To sweeten the deal Satan’s minion tempts her every step, offering her things she’s only dreamed of. Will Faye be able to say no to a lifetime of earthly treasures and possibly lose the only man she’s ever loved or will her leap of faith finally deliver exactly what her heart has yearned for?

What makes your characters so special?

First of all, I have to say what makes this book so special is that it’s the brainchild of Entangled Publishing. 100% of the profits will go to AutismNOW, an organization that helps families deal with autism and conditions on the autism spectrum such as Asperger’s Syndrome, by providing information and resources. It’s a great project.

  On a personal note, I love my main character, Faye, because she does all her socializing through the internet. Besides her job and watching the neighbor’s dog, Flash, Twitter is her life. She’s socially awkward and sweet, but a leader without realizing it. People naturally turn to her for guidance, but a lot of times she ends up giving too much.

Alright, I guess you can come in. Now off to the roast!

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous? I love camping in our camper. We live in Alaska and there’s a lot of state to explore. It can be dangerous because of the large predators. I do not love bears.

I also love thrift store shopping for treasures. If I didn’t write I’d have a store called Revamped. I’d take what’s old and make it new again. Sounds like a song.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why? It’s probably the paranormal author in me, but I’d love to go to Paris to see the catacombs. My daughter is itching to check out all those bodies stacked up. I love that kid. I’d also love to go to Romania and do the whole vampire, Carpathian Mountains thing. Again, I think it’s because of the stuff I write.

Oh, and I want to sleep in the Ice Hotel in Sweden. Cuz I can’t get enough of the cold and dark.

What was your first sale as an author? Was it special? Shield of Fire was my first sale. Oh yeah, it was special. Shield was the first book I ever wrote…before I knew how to write. It was probably the best learning experience I could have as a writer. I learned more about editing, dealing with reviews, editing, cover art, did I mention editing, in six months than I could have on my own. I’m grateful for the experience. I don’t want to repeat it, but I’m grateful.

Do you have a favorite of your own books and why? I’m working on a new humorous series called The Grim Reality Series. The stories take place in Alaska and are about Lisa Carron, a 35 year old widow and mother of three, who finds out she’s a reaper. Since her husband’s death she’s really let herself go. It’s difficult to catch souls when you’re over weight and sucking air.

Her assignment is to reap stupid people, those who have died in idiotic ways. I love this series because her daughter’s story will be running in tandem in the young adult line of the Grim Reality Series. The daughter, Bronte, is an underage reaper and isn’t supposed to take souls.

To Catch Her Death is slated to release at the end of June and the young adult book, Sudden Death, will release in September, then Lisa’s next book, Read’em and Reap, will release in December. That’s the plan anyway. It’s a real challenge to keep the mom and daughter oblivious of each other’s reaping. Their lives intertwine and the reader will see the same events happening from different perspectives. For instance, at the end of To Catch Her Death, Lisa is rushing to the hospital because Bronte has been in a car accident. At the beginning of Sudden Death, Bronte is in the hospital waiting for her mom to arrive. Fun!

What else are you working on right now? I’m almost finished with book two in my Bringer and the Bane series. It’s titled Kiss of the Betrayer and will be out in December. I’m also plotting out a three book, humorous romance series set in Alaska and a single titled called Spanked. It’s about a school teacher, male, whose wife leaves him with the kids to find herself. In order to make ends meet, he starts writing erotic romance. It’s another humorous story that entails a lot of bad dates, enraged parents, and of course a good woman. That’s a fun story to write.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you and your work?

Website: www.boonebrux.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/boonebrux

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BooneBruxAuthor

Thank you so much for coming!

Guess who’s here? Yup! It’s Nina Croft! Fabulous Harlequin, The Wild Rose Press, Shadowfire and….I forget where else she’s pubbed. Can’t keep track of this girl. Let’s play!

*clears throat* Admittance pass please. No pass? Alright, fine. Answer these questions and we’ll talk about it.

First Questions:

Wine or beer? (If you want a club soda, I’ll have to send you to the corner.)

Wine, preferably red wine, but I’m quite partial to cava (Spanish champagne).

Hmm….never had spanish champagne. We’ll have to barter something. *eyeing the book in your hand*

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt person? Chips!

Blah! Salt… Are you at least old enough to drink? LOL. Probably too old – I should have given up years ago!.

*chuckle* Still not good enough. Can’t come in. Show me some thing first!

Oooooooo, pretty!

The Darkness

Blurb:

Twenty-two years ago, vampire Darius Cole abducted and seduced witch Gina, forging an emotional bond between them and leaving Gina with a daughter. Then Gina’s sister witches tore them apart and the bond faded—until she feels the Darkness within Darius threatening to take control and calls him to her instead.

Darius had wanted Gina from the moment he laid eyes on her—and he can still sense her arousal around him. Though he’s bitter about her betrayal, he cannot deny their rekindled passion. But with the Darkness and Gina’s fellow witches threatening them once again, will this be the last time they make love for eternity?

All right, I guess you can come in. Now off to the roast….*gesturing reluctantly* But I might need more surprises later…

Let’s start!

So, what do you write? And why? I write mainly paranormal romance, but also love to write Science Fiction and there are masses of other genre’s I’d like to try. I write the sort of things I like to read, and as I read most things, it doesn’t narrow the field much.

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous? I have a horse, Gencianna, and I ride. My husband thinks she’s dangerous, and she is big – but I don’t plan to fall off so…

OOoooo, horsey! I like her name. Sounds Italian!  So, where do you dream of traveling to and why? We used to travel a lot, whenever we got the chance, and we’ve seen some great places: Africa, India, South East Asia. Now I have a whole load of dogs and goats and other animals, which makes getting away difficult, so I try not to dream about travel too much.

(blinking then turns to another)  Did she say goats? ( turns back with smile) Do you have a favorite of your own books and why? My favorite right now, is the last one I wrote. I suspect (and I sort of hope) that’s always going to be the way of things. Anyway – it’s a space opera with a vampire hero. I had great fun writing it and have just started subbing the manuscript, so hopefully it will find a home, and then I can write a follow up or two.

Cool! Space Opera and Vampire! Awesome mix! Do you like more Alpha or Beta heroes? Alpha!

Love alphas! They’re the best heroes! How much do you write in a day? Day or Night? Everyday? The most I’ve ever written in a day was 10000 words. It was a personal challenge – I did it but it’s certainly not something I’d want to do very often. If I’m working on a first draft, I tend to aim for about 1500 to 2000 words per day, and try to keep to that every day.

Wow. We got a writing machine in the room… *grins* Are you a pantser or plotter? Plotter. I’ve tried both, but I’m much happier really getting to know my characters beforehand, and so I know how they will behave and can plot the whole story before I start, including a scene by scene break down.

I totally agree. Now, do you have any suggestions for beginner writers? Keep writing! It’s easy to be discouraged when things don’t happen as and when (especially ‘when’ – the waiting can be so hard) you want them to, but if you love writing then you need to keep going and always strive to get better.

Awwww, good advice! Is there anything you’d want your readers and friends to know about you? There’s a few things I don’t want them to know!

*chuckles* Too late! We all know! Bwahhahahah. *clears throat* Sorry. What else are you working on right now?

A Christmas anthology story with my ace crit group – Passionate Critters. The stories all revolve around the same small town. My hero is a vampire – of course!

Woohoo! Sounds awesome! Now before I let you wander around this party, I think we deserve to see what else you’re hiding. No wine until you hand it over!

Tiger of Talmare

Blurb:

Melissa Stark will take on just about any job as long as the price is right. But this particular job she would gladly take on for free because Captain Zachary Knight has been a thorn in her side ever since she stole his starship ten years ago.

Back then he was a genuine hero and poster boy for the army’s hybrid breeding program. Now things have changed. Zach has been accused of a massacre on the planet of Talmare and is being shipped home to stand trial.  But certain influential people want to make sure Zach never reaches Earth and Mel and her crew on The Revenge have been hired to intercept him and return him to Talmare.

It should have been easy money. The problem is, Zach is impossible to resist and once Mel gets her hands on him she’s doesn’t want to let him go. Now those same people are also after Mel.

Cool! This Captain Zachary Knight sounds hot! LOL. *clears throat* You hiding anything else?

(Shakes head innocently)

Pfft. Fine. Go drink. Go socialize. I know you’ve been eyeing the bar. We’re all glad you’re here!

Ready to party, guys? Nina’s giving away a copy of her books! Now put those dance shoes on and show her your moves! Comment, comment, comment! Pick her mind, pick her brain! (Don’t hurt her. I want her to come back).

Thank you all for coming!