SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR INTERVIEW - EROTIC ROMANCE AUTHOR SKYE MICHAELS!

BIO: I was born in New Jersey and grew up an only child on a small farm in the “Garden State”. 

After my job as a paralegal was ended by the economic downturn, I decided to finally write the stories I’d had in my head for many years.   I had always wanted to write romance novels. 

Books have always been my escape into love and adventure, and through reading I have been able to be many people, do many things, and go to many wonderful places I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to be, do or see.

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Skye! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

SKYE:   After losing my job three years ago and seeing what was happening in the e-book industry, I decided to give it a try.  I sent my first manuscript to Siren Publishing because I had enjoyed many of their authors.  They accepted the book, and I have been with them ever since.  I have always been a big romance reader starting with Silhouette way-back-when, and really wanted to give it a try.  Everyone thinks they can be a writer.  What makes the difference is actually doing it.  You have to put yourself out there and possibly court failure – or hopefully success.

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

SKYE:  When my daughter bought me a Kindle for my birthday and I downloaded a few of the erotic romances, I found I really enjoyed them.  They had much more of an edge than the traditional “sweet” romances.   I had always wanted to give romance writing a try but was too busy with work, etc. to buckle down and actually do it.  Now I write love stories that don’t end at the bedroom (or dungeon/LOL) door.   Sex is an important part of life and one of the great gifts, and we should celebrate it.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

SKYE:   I started writing in the summer of 2011, and my first two books were published in January and February of 2012 by Siren Publishing, the first publisher I sent them to.  The first was Calleigh’s Collar, Book 1 of the Le Club Series.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

SKYE:  Well, the editors at my publisher are all over head hopping and point of view, about which I knew absolutely nothing when I started.  I didn’t even know what they were talking about when they requested changes in the manuscripts.  Now that I understand what it is and how to write to avoid it, edits go a lot more smoothly.   My questions is:  If I can’t head hop, why can Nora Roberts???  Oh well, when I have that many books out there maybe I can make my own rules too!  Just kidding.  Nora is one of my favorite authors and she is amazing.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your spicy BDSM series – The LeClub Series and The Golden Dolphin Series.

                                                                                                 

SKYE:  I WISH I KNEW!  The story for the first Le Club book, Calleigh’s Collar, was just in my head.  I have a small farm and vacation home in Ocala, Florida, and the downtown historic district is one of my favorite places.  The story of Calleigh and Jason was fun and easy to write.  It’s the shortest of my books and introduces most of the cast of characters in the other five books of the series – a group of friends that belong to a secret BDSM club located in the historic district in a renovated Victorian mansion behind a ten foot wall (Calleigh was the project architect but didn’t know it was a BDSM club!).

The Golden Dolphin series is a spinoff – Jamie Devereau from Anne’s Courage (Book 3) a bad boy billionaire bought the 300 foot mega yacht, the Golden Dolphin, for BDSM cruises!  If  you would like to see the actual ship that is the basis for these books just Google Attessa IV.  I have made a few changes to fit the stories, but basically that’s my boat, baby.    Also, I just couldn’t bear to say goodbye to my Le Club characters.  While each book focuses on a different new couple, occasionally some of our old friends take a cruise on the Golden Dolphin so we can see them again.  My next book coming out (Pandora’s Box, the Alaska cruise) has three of the original couples on board, as well as continuing stories for some of the sexy crew members.

GRACIE: What about BDSM intrigued you enough to build two series around this theme?

SKYE:  It’s interesting, sexy and a little edgy.  I was writing in this genre before I ever heard about 50 Shade of Gray.   My heroines (while submissives) are not downtrodden spineless women.   They are accomplished women who have minds and hearts of their own and choose to give the gift of submission-or not (witness Paula Greenley in Paula’s Commitment who is always topping from the bottom).   They are not all perfect Victoria’s Secret women.  Anne in Anne’s Courage had body image issues due to scars from her breast cancer surgery and Jamie had to break through some serious barriers.  My heroes are not all perfect either.  They are all successful, but they have their own issues to overcome.

GRACIE: As an ambitious attorney and a Domme, Harper Cameron, by necessity, has a strong and dynamic personality. What do you think is the powerful attorney’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it in Harper’s Submission?

SKYE:  My hero, Morgan Court (pharmaceutical entrepreneur) has a hard row to hoe with Harper who was abused as a child and has trust issues.  She tried various therapies over the years and it was suggested that she try being a Domme in order to gain control of her life.   Morgan thinks that if he can get her to submit and trust him he can break down her walls.  I have a friend who faced this problem, and I know some of this was hard for her to read.

GRACIE: In Ivorie’s Surprise, what is it you believe makes ultra-successful businessman Drew Blessingame a perfect match for his second assistant Ivorie James and vice versa?

SKYE:  I LOVE these two characters.  Drew has to learn to become human, and Ivorie is just the girl to kick his butt.   She’s taken the second assistant’s job because even though she has her degree good jobs are hard to come by, and she wants to get her foot in the door of Blessingame’s conglomerate.  However, he is far from a pleasant guy to work for.  He’s had his challenges too.  Having to basically take over running the family business at 25 years old after 911, the stress has been enormous and has soured his easy-going personality.  As the guy at the top, he takes his obligation to make sure his employees can earn a living very seriously.   It takes her a while but Ivorie eventually gets under his skin, and he realized he has to make some changes in the way he deals with people.

GRACIE: With its equestrian theme of polo and international level dressage riding, what sort of research went into The Appearance of Impropriety and did you find realistically portraying this intriguing world for your readers challenging and/or fun?

SKYE:  This was my first book started 20 years ago.  After my parents both got sick and died, I put it aside half finished.  When I was between other books, I took it out and finished it, so it is my first love and was lots of fun to write.  I am a horsewoman and have played around with musical freestyle dressage myself.  (Played around being the operative words here.)  If you would like to see some musical freestyle, you can view the YouTube video entitled “Ravel & Steffen Peters – FEI CDI Grand Prix Freestyle – An Evening of Musical Freestyle.   It feels like riding the drums in the band when your horse is right on the beat and not just going to elevator music.  My daughter rides dressage as well.  I also love going to the polo games in Palm Beach (especially the practice matches at the private polo fields in Wellington), so I really already knew quite a bit about both of those worlds.  Nonetheless, there was some research to do to make sure I got it right.    Actually, the technological side of the story involving the computer program stolen by email etc. was more challenging to write.  Thank goodness my daughter, the Goddess of Technology as we like to call her, was able to help with that.  She sat me down and clued me in on the changes that had taken place in 20 years-Yikes!  I love to be able to take readers to places they might not have been able to go in their lives and make them feel like they have attended a tailgate party at the polo club or watched international dressage.  After all, this is romance and escape from our daily lives.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

SKYE:  That is so hard to answer because I love them all like children.  They are all different, but equally loved.  I would have to say The Appearance of Impropriety is my absolute favorite because I never thought I would finish it.  It was a huge undertaking to just sit down and start writing that first book.   I love Tori and Zack, and I adore Rocky (Rachmaninoff), the dressage horse who has a running competition with Zack for Tori’s attention.   That the backstory is set in the legal field is also part of the attraction since I spent my entire adult working life in that arena.   I am also particularly proud of Book 5 and 6 of the Le Club Series, Madison’s Choice and Belinda’s Crown, which are set against the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown.  As the song says, “My horse naturally won.”  I love the horse character in these books, Rockstar, the one-eyed race horse.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

SKYE:   I love Jamie Devereau (Anne’s Courage, Book 3, Le Club) because he gets it.  He gets Anne, and he loves her no matter what and no matter that she fights him tooth and nail the whole way.  He definitely has a sexy edge, and it would not be wise to cross him twice.   I also really like Drew Blessingame (Ivorie’s Surprise, Book 1, Golden Dolphin) because he came so far in his personal development.  Of the girls I love Anne because I too had breast cancer and some issues.  I also love Paula (Paula’s Commitment, Book 4 Le Club) because she is always getting into trouble.  If God lined up all my men in a row and then said, “They are real, and you can have only one” I don’t know what I would do.  But it would be a wonderful dilemma!  Thirteen of the handsomest men on the planet-how would one choose?

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

SKYE:  I try to make each of them different and set them in a different location or profession.  None are stock characters, and all have obstacles to overcome.  I have them in my head all the time and will frequently wake up with snippets of dialog in my mind that I write down immediately before it slips away.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

SKYE:  When a story is flowing, there is nothing like it.  Your fingers can’t go fast enough on the keys.  Then about in the middle, I may have to slow down and figure out where the story is going.  Since I don’t make an outline first, that can be a problem.  In Violette’s Vibrato (Book 3, Golden Dolphin), my heroine, first violinist with the New York Philharmonic, has a problem with a jealous competitor and the Russian Mob.  Well, how do you get rid of the Russian Mob? – not very darn easily that’s for sure.  I had to figure that out and then go back and write in some changes to facilitate my solution.  I love everything about writing.  It is so much FUN!   And these people live in my head.  I’m really never alone – don’t tell the guys with the white jackets who are knocking on the door.

GRACIE: LOL, you already answered my next questions, but I’ll ask it anyway: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

SKYE:  I never outline.  I just sit down, write a prologue and Chapter One and GO.  I will have the main characters in my head and a few sentences of what the story is about.  Sometimes that can be a problem if I haven’t thought the plot out far enough in advance.  I will often discuss a plot line with my friend/editor or my daughter, and they always have good ideas.

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

SKYE:  I was a commercial real estate paralegal for many years.  I loved it.  The big deals are exciting to work on, and I got to meet some really interesting people.  If I had known what I wanted to do when I younger, I probably would have become an attorney, but I couldn’t face going back to school and all that would have entailed.

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

SKYE:  Of course, I love Nora Roberts (even if she does get to head hop occasionally), particularly The Bride Quartet, and I recently read all eight of the Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley and loved it.  Sometimes I have to get out of my own head and give it a rest.  You can see a theme here.  I love the groups of friends and how they interact.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

SKYE:  In February, 2014, Pandora’s Box, Book 5 of the Golden Dolphin series will be released.  That is the cruise to Alaska.  It’s fun to see some of the original characters again and to follow the continuing stories of some of the crew members (Captain Con Cortelis and Purser Casey Campbell as well as First Mate Alex Dragados and jewel thief Baylee Baxter).  The main characters are Pandora Wescott, wildlife photographer, and Dr. John (Gray) Grayson, neurosurgeon.  Researching a whole Alaskan cruise was daunting not to mention gold mines and other assorted things.  Thank goodness my friend had just gotten back from one and brought me tons of literature.  I have an idea for a third series, but I am still mulling that over in my mind.

I’m currently working on Book 6, Hannalore’s Treasure, which continues after the Alaskan cruise.  The Golden Dolphin goes down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal to Miami and has an archaeological back story that takes place in Guatemala.  I’ve currently got 38,000 words – a little more than half – finished.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

SKYE:  I have a Facebook fanpage, Skye Michaels Books, and can be reached by email at skyemichaelsbooks@yahoo.com

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

SKYE:  My fan page has the covers of all the books and first chapters.  The books are available on Bookstrand.com for the first six weeks after release and then are available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and various other sites.

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

SKYE:  Just sit down and start.  If you have an idea that keeps buzzing around in your head, go for it.  Get something on paper even if it’s very rough or just notes and ideas.  That’s what editing is for.  I constantly go back to the beginning and re-read my work as I go, so there is not so much editing –at least until my first editor get her hands on the first draft before it goes to the publisher.  We don’t call her Ms. Red Pen for nothing.   But everyone works differently.  The thing is to just get started.  You will feel so proud of yourself if you do.  Don’t be the one to say “I wish I had…”  For me the story is the main thing.  If you don’t have a good story, you don’t have a book.  You can have all the kinky sex in the world, but if the story isn’t good it will be boring.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

SKYE:  I just want to thank everyone for their support and friendship.  I know I can’t please everyone every time, but I do try.  I love to hear from readers and know what they think.  I recently had two surprises.  Two of my readers told me that they stayed up all night to finish Cassandra’s Revenge and were sad that it was over.  Another person told me that her HUSBAND was my biggest fan, had read all the books and loved them.  I was really surprised since they are erotic romance geared to women.   Some readers have said they wanted longer books, but then complained when the prices went up.  They probably don’t realize that the price of many of the books is controlled by the length and that the publisher and/or Amazon etc. set the price, not the authors. 

GRACIE:  Like you said, you can’t please everyone, but your output and quality should bring you pretty close, Skye! Thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

Deep Discount for SEXUAL HEALING FOR THREE!

Donna Vega is a dedicated woman on a mission. Matchmaking sister Angela is determined the mission include a love-life with Dominant and architectural landscaper Russ Merrick and his younger brother, Chance Novak, a gifted and sensitive ER doctor. The mission goes awry, however, when Donna lands on the radar of a psychotic employee obsessed with Russ.

Escaping an abusive past, Donna Vega is determined never to be the victim of a man's whims again. She doesn't have the inclination or time for one man, much less two. 

  

Wiccan and drowning survivor, Chance Novak has inherited psychic gifts that he's wary of using. When he meets Donna at a domestic abuse seminar, Chance recognizes an injured soul that he'd like to heal. But can he get past Donna's armor to make her see him as more than just a colleague? 

Russell Merrick has always put everyone's needs before his own, pursuing a vanilla ideal of wedded bliss. But now since his divorce can he abide sharing the one woman who could fulfill his every sexual fetish, when his younger brother is the other man?

More importantly, can Russ deflect the twisted attentions of a killer who's willing to go through Chance and Donna to get to him?

To learn more, read excerpts and/or to purchase, visit here: http://www.bookstrand.com/sexual-healing-for-three   

SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR INTERVIEW -- YA GLBT AUTHOR JOHN H. AMES!

BIO: My real name is Juan H. Alvarado and I was born in El Salvador, C.A. I currently live in Belize and my passions are writing, reading and spending time with the ones I love. I began writing in 2009 and After posting some of my work on an internet website and receiving positive feedback, I went on to write several full-length novels under my penname, John Henry Ames. My first completed series is the Surviving Elite High Trilogy which chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies.

You can Like me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnHAmes Or visit my site: http://jhabooks.webs.com/

 The Interview

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, John! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

JOHN: Hi Gracie! Thank you so much for having me here today. It’s an honor. Well, let me start by saying that my real name is Juan H. Alvarado and I was born in El Salvador, C.A. I have always loved reading and writing but never had the courage to sit down and write something. After graduating from college in 09, I took a night shift at a small motel. To keep myself occupied, I began writing and completed several full-length novels under my penname, John Henry Ames. My first completed series is the Surviving Elite High Trilogy which chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies.

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

JOHN: This is an excellent question since there are so many people who have inspired my writing and the genre I write in. The first person to ever inspire me was the amazing J.K. Rowling. The first time I read a Harry Potter novel was back in 2003. That novel instantly pulled me into a world that I had never seen or heard of before, leaving me wanting more. When the last novel came out, it blew my mind to the point that it made me sit down and write a novel of my own. I spent a few months writing, and the finished product was called Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories.

Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories is my first and only straight fiction novel. It tells the story of two guys who meet in high school and find out that they have more in common than they thought, since they share the same memories, dreams, and nightmares. Soon enough, they discover that they are unearthly beings from another world and that they are the incarnation of the beautiful Raven and the amazing Crow. You might be wondering two guys, the incarnation of a man and a woman? Not much of a Twilight novel, right? True, but let the story flow, and you'll see that not everything isn’t quite what it seems. I’m currently looking for the right publisher for this novel, and when I find one, I will let you and all my readers know where to get it.

Another individual who has inspired me and got me into the world of gay fiction is the incredible Jeff Erno. The first m/m romance that I read was A Better Place by Mark A. Roeder. That little novel has a jock/nerd theme in it, and I absolutely fell in love with that theme. I immediately researched for that theme and came across Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno. I fell in love with that novel almost immediately. It was like love at first sight. That little work of fiction inspired me to write Surviving Elite High in 2010 and the rest is history.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

JOHN: I definitely got The Call after reading Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno. OMG! I loved that novel so much that it inspired me to write my debut novel, Surviving Elite High. Jeff Erno is amazing and he’s one of my favorite authors of all time. His novels are emotional and incredibly cool. I have to thank him for getting me into this amazing little world.  

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

JOHN: Not to take reviews seriously. Yes, constructive criticism is an excellent way to improve your writing and grow as an author. However, in this modern era where everyone has access to a computer and everyone is a critic, readers often criticize novels with their emotions. If they had a bad day and read your novel, you will mostly get a bad review. That’s why I don’t take reviews seriously. They are tied to a reader’s emotions and feelings.     

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your YA Trilogy, Surviving Elite High.

JOHN: The novel Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno was my main inspiration for my debut novel because of the jock/nerd theme found inside. I wanted to write something similar to that theme, but unique at the same time. At that point in time, I was also dating someone who stole my heart and, sadly, broke it. He was also my main inspiration for Surviving Elite High. Since he was an American citizen and had attended a small high school in Buffalo, New York, I drew inspiration from his high school life and wrote Surviving Elite High. I simply added a few unique twists and turns that would leave readers wanting more.      

GRACIE: In Surviving Elite High, aside from being a star quarterback, Nick Anthony Hawking is not the best student academically. Besides his doing poorly in school, what do you think is Nick’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?

JOHN: I think that Nick’s Achilles’ heel is his tendency to want to be a protector. That got him into big troubles because it blinded him from seeing people’s faults. For example, look at what happened in Surviving Elite High: Senior Year, especially with Emily Roberts. Nick was trying to be kind and protective with her and that blinded him to the bad things she was doing behind his back. That almost got John killed a second time. In the novel, Nick realized his mistake by apologizing to John and focused on protecting John and only John.

GRACIE: In Surviving Elite High: Loving James, what do you think it is that makes Nathan so irresistible to James, despite Nathan’s complete incompatibility? By the same token, what makes James so blind to Jacob Ashmore’s feelings for him?

JOHN: In James’ little world, there is no one more perfect than Nicholas Anthony Hawking. He’s obsessed with the idea of having someone like Nick to love and protect him, someone who acts rugged, straight and manly. That’s all he wants in life, someone like Nick. That blinds him to see what an incredible person Jacob is to him and how Jacob really feels toward him. James wants someone like Nick so badly that he will do almost anything to make Nathan into another Nick. That fails of course and almost gets him kill.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

JOHN: Whoa! I have to say Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories. Why? It’s my first completed novel and it comes straight from my heart. I absolutely love that little story and I am hoping and praying that my readers fall in love with it as well.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

JOHN: Oh my God! I would have to say Nick Hawking. To me, Nick is the bomb! He’s not close to perfect and he can be a huge a****** to people most of the time; however, he can be so sweet and sensitive with John. I absolutely loved the way he changes for him and becomes a better person for him. It just goes to show you that people can change if they set their minds to. 

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

JOHN: My characters are not perfect or even close to perfect and that makes them real and unique, relatable to readers. Each one of them has so many issues to deal with and as the story unfolds, they grow into better and responsible individuals.  

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

JOHN: My favorite aspect of the writing process would be sitting down and plotting the entire novel from top to bottom. I love that part so much! Ideas flow in and I love sticking them together into a beautiful story. My least favorite aspect of the writing process would be editing. Oh. My. God! I hate it so much! It’s stressful, long and tedious. I wish I could just skip that part, but sadly, I can’t.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

JOHN: I have to admit, I am both. When I have something solid or concrete in my head, I write it down before I lose that precious information. Everything is outlined thoroughly from top to bottom and my writing goes smoothly. Sometimes, I can be a pantser though. I simply sit down and write with no direction whatsoever. I do, however, take longer to finish a novel this way. 

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

JOHN: I think that I would have been a model. LOL! Nah, I can’t model. I don’t think I the looks. I honestly think that I would have been a manager or an accountant. But, I love writing and I don’t see myself doing something other than writing cool and kickass stories.

GRACIE: I think you’re being modest about your looks, John, but who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

JOHN: I have so many favorite authors but I would say that my top two would be the amazing J.K. Rowling and the incredible Jeff Erno. Both of them have inspired me with their work and they keep on doing it.

As for my favorite books, I would say:

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling – I couldn’t pick one, to be honest. Every single book in that series is so good that they inspired me to write Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories.

Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno – This is my favorite GLBT novel of all time. Yes, there are so many out there, but this one is the first one to make me cry. This novel was so thrilling and inspiring that it led me to write my first GLBT novel, Surviving Elite High.

Something Like Autumn by Jay Bell – Dear God! This novel is so awesome! Mr. Jay Bell came up with one the most amazing little pieces of literature ever and this is the third and last novel to make me cry. (Something Like Summer by the same author was the second novel to make me cry).

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

JOHN: Right now I’m working on my fourth GLBTQ novel called, Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain. Now, this novel is special because it’s my very own collection of short stories, three shorts to be exact. They can stand on their own or act as a long one if you want them to. I absolutely love them. Here are their names:

1)         The not so unrealistic detailed account of how my best friend and I swap bodies for a short period of time. Swapatize for short.

2)         The Spirit Indestructible.

3)         And The Lake View Psychopath.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

JOHN: Yes I do. I can be found online in several places actually:

1)         http://jhabooks.webs.com/

2)         https://www.facebook.com/JohnHenryAmes

3)         https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnHAmes

4)         http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820153.John_H_Ames

5)         https://twitter.com/JohnHenryAmes

6)         http://instagram.com/authorjohnhenryames

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

JOHN: My work is everywhere, but here are the major links to them:

Surviving Elite High - http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Elite-High-ebook/dp/B00BIOF58E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361488153&sr=8-1&keywords=surviving+elite+high

Surviving Elite High: Senior Year - http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Elite-High-Senior-ebook/dp/B00BKLG98A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1361727037&sr=8-4&keywords=Surviving+elite+high

Surviving Elite High: Loving James - http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Elite-High-Loving-ebook/dp/B00BKKTOZQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1361727091&sr=8-3&keywords=Surviving+elite+high

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

JOHN: Never give up. If you want to be a writer, know that the journey will be long, tedious, and hard. But remember that classic Lao Tzu quote, 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. You'll get there eventually. Just keep a positive mind and attitude and aim for the stars, because you might just end up on the moon.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

                      

JOHN: Yes, there is a little question that fans always ask. Will there be more books in the Surviving Elite High Saga? Yes. Right now, I’m working on a possible plot for Rick Sanders, a minor character in the Surviving Elite High Saga. I also want to write a third for Nick and John. Wish me luck guys!

GRACIE:  We wish you much luck, John and thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

JOHN: No, Thank you for having me here today.

Spotlight Author Interview - Paranormal Romance Author Tianna Xander!

BIO: Tianna Xander is an eclectic, multi-published, award-winning author of paranormal romance and erotica. Harassed by her muse daily, she rarely puts the pen down. However, she’s the first to admit that, when she does set the pen down, or her muse has momentarily deserted her, she spends too much time on the internet.

She lives in Michigan with her family, four cats, a German Shepherd Dog, and a raisin addict disguised as a Netherland Dwarf bunny named Babs.

 

Interview begins here:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Tianna! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

TIANNA: Thank you for having me, Gracie. I’m excited to be here!

I started telling romantic stories to my friends at a very young age. However, my first book wasn’t published until 2006 when Tina, the owner of Extasy Books, offered me my first contract. I have since been published by Siren, Cobblestone Press and the Extasy Books sister company, Devine Destinies.

I’m a bit outdoorsy. I love to camp, hike and ride my mountain bike anywhere it will take me. I love watching sci-fi shows and movies. Netflix is great and a sci-fi geek’s dream. My newest book, Woman Beware even has a few red shirt references. LOL

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

TIANNA: My husband inspires my writing on almost a daily basis. He’s the type of man who still opens doors and walks between me and the street. After over thirty years, he still holds my hand. He’s a perfect romance hero come to life and I consider myself a lucky woman to have his love and companionship.

As far as who influenced the genre I write in, I would have to say Christine Feehan. I had never read paranormal before I read her Dark series. After that, I was hooked on all things paranormal. I would also say Sandra Hill played a roll in my writing time travels. I love her Viking series.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

 

 

TIANNA: Virgin’s Blood was my first published book. I borrowed this from one of my son’s English papers—with his permission, of course. “Note to self: Never take 1000 dollars to a drug dealer. He will kill you for it.” When he read that sentence to me, something snapped and I suddenly had this picture of a man killing a woman amidst a mess of pizza boxes and spilled cocaine in my mind. I looked at my son and said, “Oh, my goodness! I just had a great idea for a book. Can I use that?” LOL

The first few lines of Virgin’s Blood were, “Never take 6000 dollars with you to a drug dealer. He will kill you for it.” After that, the rest came easily and The Chosen series became my first series of many and the only series I write in first person.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

TIANNA: That it’s not as easy as everyone seems to think and you don’t get rich doing it. LOL Don’t get me wrong. I love writing and I do it because I love it, but those dreams of buying a new house and car were very nice, but still dreams, nonetheless. J

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your long-running Paradise series.

TIANNA: Actually, I started the Paradise saga writing a story for the Extasy Books Tarot series. I needed a book with characters that would fit the King of Wands card.

True to the character of my overachieving, sadist of a muse, I was forced—forced I tell you—to make the King of Wands book the first of a series with villains so nasty they would give most shape-shifting heroes the creeps. Thankfully, said muse allowed me to kill off most of the bad guys quickly and with extreme prejudice. Believe me, they deserved it.

GRACIE: What do you think are the drawbacks and perks of writing a series like Paradise?

TIANNA: The perks of writing a series are revisiting old friends, not having to dream up a new premise and stories almost guaranteed to be accepted by your publisher. LOL The drawbacks are few, but there.

After a while, you wonder why you’re still writing about a town or people who feel like relatives and start having a difficult time telling their stories because you feel like a voyeur. Isn’t that crazy? These people don’t even exist, but somehow, you feel as though you just might be invading their right to privacy.

GRACIE: In Woman Beware what do you think is Lena’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?

 
TIANNA:  I’m not sure. She hasn’t shown a weakness yet. Well… other than Artu. Maybe a red shirt will be the death of her after all. LOL

GRACIE: In The Water Dragon Summer is an independent heroine who knows what she wants. Despite her being claimed by a chauvinist what do you believe makes Summer the perfect mate for Adrian and Adrian the perfect mate for Summer?

TIANNA: I think they will work well together. Water gives him strength and she can bring on the rain at a whim, now that she has his strength to anchor her.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

TIANNA: Alicia: The Awakening is my favorite. There is a lot of history (sort of) in that story for me. If her emotions seem real, it’s because they are real. They are mine. Writing that book was a catharsis for me. It rid me of old fears, by making me see that I have become a strong woman just as Alicia became a strong woman after her ordeal. Letting go of all of that emotional baggage opened doors for me that had remained closed for years. It changed me and I’m better for it.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

TIANNA: Gabriel in Alicia: The Awakening. He was so patient and loving with Alicia, just as my husband has always been patient and loving with me. Well… he is when it really counts. LOL

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

 

TIANNA: They have their own unique code of honor. None of them are perfect, but they are always perfect for each other.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

 

TIANNA: Plotting and writing are my favorite parts, right up until I get to the sex scenes. Bedroom scenes seem to get harder to write as I write more and more of them. One would think it would get easier, but there are times when I wonder if I’ve already written a certain passage the same way. I don’t want to plagiarize anyone—including myself. It cheats the reader.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

TIANNA: I do a little bit of both. I’m a pantser when I’m especially excited about a storyline. I sometimes feel as though typing 100 words per minute isn’t fast enough. LOL

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

TIANNA: Actually, I would have been a quantum physicist—believe it or not. LOL

 

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

TIANNA: As I said, I love Christine Feehan’s Dark series. I love Sandra Hill’s Viking series and I adore the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands.

I like Sandra Hill’s Viking series because I like the old-fashioned heroes who only want what’s best for their women. Guys like that are difficult to find these days. It isn’t impossible. I have one. He’s definitely a keeper.

I like Lynsay Sands and Christine Feehan’s vampire books because there is just something about a tall, dark and hungry vampire who can get rid of the bad guys with a flick of the wrist.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

TIANNA: I’m working on book three of the Gate To Fate series, Reporting from Paradise, the next in the Dragon Bound series and I’m waiting for Viola to finish adding her part and ship the next DARE book back to me to write more in it.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

TIANNA: Of course! My website is www.TiannaXander.com I’m on Facebook as Tianna Xander or readers can like my Tianna Xander Fans page. I’m also on Twitter @TiannaXander

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

TIANNA: My website www.TiannaXander.com/books has blurbs and excerpts as well as my publisher’s websites. However, some excerpts are more explicit than others. There are also buy links for my books on my website.

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

TIANNA: To borrow a phrase from Galaxy Quest, “Never give up. Never surrender.”

Always keep learning about the craft. I’ve been published many times over and I’m still learning something new every day. Don’t let rejections get you down. EVERY published author has been rejected at least once. The secret is to keep on writing and keep on submitting your work. Sooner or later an editor will see the potential in your baby and tell you what you can do to convince them to make you an offer.

One more thing: You will never, and I mean never, please everyone. Don’t try. Don’t read reviews that have less than four stars if you must read reviews and never let a snarky or poor review stop you from writing book two or book two-hundred.

GRACIE: LOL, love the quote from one of my favoite movies! Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

TIANNA: I love that my readers take the time from their busy lives to visit my worlds and fall in love with my characters. I thank them for their time and the effort it takes to leave reviews for their favorite titles.

GRACIE:  Tianna, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your prolific writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

TIANNA: Thank you for having me here at the G-Spot. It was a blast!

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