Melanie Atkins is my interviewee today. She has a new release out with Cobblestone Press, Voodoo Bones. (Can I tell you how much I *love* that title?) Let’s find out a little more about her…

Q. I see on your website that you are fond of quotes. Which is one of your favorites and why?

A. “Talk happiness; talk faith; talk health. Say you are well, and all is well with you, and God shall hear your words and make them true.” – Ella Wheeler-Wilcox

I like this one because I believe it’s true. Not that I do that all the time, but I should.

Q. You write pretty dark books. How would you categorize your writing?

A. I write romantic thrillers. Suspense is my favorite genre, and I love gritty plots.

Q. What can you tell us about your newest release, VOODOO BONES?

A. I came up with the idea after reading an online article about a real mutilated body found above a voodoo shop in New Orleans. I just thought, “Cool! What a great premise!”, developed my characters, and a book was born. In VOODOO BONES, Noel Galliano has always wanted her own business, and despite critics who believe she won’t succeed, she opens a tiny French Quarter Voodoo shop. What she doesn’t count on is finding a dismembered corpse upstairs. Detective Mathieu Bergeron is considered a screw up around the district station, until he puts away the Bayou Ripper. Then another body is found mutilated, and both his arrest and his competence are thrown into question. Matt and Noel must work together to solve this terrifying crime in the Big Easy…and along the way, they fall in love.

Q. Being a cat lover myself, I have to ask…how many do you have?

A. I have two cats; a gray tabby named Widget, and a white/gray-spotted manx named Shipper. She’s insane.

Q. What are you working on now?

A. Right now, I’m working on a 70K romantic suspense to submit to a major print publisher in NY, and a 100K single title romantic thriller.

Q. Is the South the setting for all of your books?

A. Yes. I’m from Mississippi, and have traveled to New Orleans quite often. I love using The Big Easy as the setting for my books, as well as rural parts of my state. My latest single title project, a three book series, is set in Atlanta, so I’ve had to make a road trip and do a lot of research. I want to get it right.

Q. Do you use your “Guys with Guns” page for writing inspiration? I think my favorite is Ryan Reynolds!

A. You bet I use those guys for inspiration. Chris Meloni from Law & Order SVU is my favorite.

Q. What can you tell us about your next two releases with Cobblestone Press, HAUNTED MEMORIES and EMILY’S NIGHTMARE?

A. Both titles were previously released in ebook form by Triskelion Publishing, which folded last year due to bankruptcy. I’m very excited that they’ll be back out there.

HAUNTED MEMORIES is a 75K single title romantic suspense. In it, Olivia Bartlett is stunned to find her old friend, Deputy Tucker Hawkins, living in the house she has inherited, but she’s even more shocked to glimpse her cruel stepfather lurking in the shadows. Has Walter come back to haunt her, or is he really alive–and trying to kill her? To survive, she must turn to Tucker, who not only stakes his claim to the old house, but also to her heart.

In EMILY’S NIGHTMARE, a 37K novella, Detective Emily Rawson has always considered fellow detective John Cutter a friend, until she finds herself falling head over heels in love with him. She’s managed to keep her distance so far, even taking the huge step of changing squads so she doesn’t have to work with him. Then she hears he’s following her to her new unit, and they argue. Heat turns to heat, and their passion flames to life—which changes their lives forever. Will their intense attraction for one another keep them together, or break them apart?

Q. Tell us one unusual fact about you!

A. While I was attending my local Citizen’s Police Academy (for research purposes, of course!), I went on two ride-alongs with Jackson, MS police officers and witnessed a drug bust. It was exciting!
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Thanks so much, Melanie, for stopping by today!

Kris

I got an email this morning from Whipped Cream reviews. Not only did they give my book, MOONLIGHTING, 4 cherries out of 5, but I was entered into their ‘Book of the Week’ contest! If my book wins, it will be seen at the top of the ‘new reviews’ page for a week. Not bad.

If you feel so inclined, please check it out and vote. The voting only lasts until tomorrow (Sunday), so act quickly!

VOTE HERE

Besides that fun little thing, the review itself was *wonderfully flattering.* Here’s a little quote for you:

“Hot, hot, hot!  Who hasn’t fantasized about hot sex with an even hotter stranger?  And Ms. Eton does a fabulous, stimulating job showing this reader just how exciting a forbidden rendezvous like that might be.” - Poppy

If you want to read the whole thing, check it out:

MOONLIGHTING review

I really needed some good news this week…because it’s been a hectic one!  Lord save me from the weeks to come. I am going to be one huge ball of stress until our renovation project is over with. Plumber comes next week. New dryer comes next week. Contractor dude comes soon after. Plus, buying new fixtures, furniture, getting the carpet cleaned, installing some built-in things a friend is building, etc.

Thanks for voting!

Kris

I live in a very rural area. We own quite a few acres, so we have our share of wild animals. Since we have two dogs, the deer tend to stay away from the house, choosing instead to graze in our fields. Occasionally, they nibble on a hosta or two or perhaps discover a tasty morsel in my flower bed by the dining room.

This year, I’ve been savagely attacked! Twice!

I have a lot of perennials in my flower bed. Two lovely phlox plants that the butterflies and hummingbirds love and several Asiatic lillies of all different colors.  Last week, the phlox were on the verge of putting out their yearly flowers and my lillies had buds bursting to open.

I woke up one morning to find my phlox nibbled to half their size and two lillies sans buds!

To make matters worse, some horrid little bugs had chewed up my hibiscus so badly, the leaves had curled up and browned.

The horror!

So, yesterday, I went to our local nursery to buy a few replacement plants, so I would have some color in my garden and to find some kind of deer repellant to put on my plants to give them a chance to grow and maybe put out new flowers.

I purchased another variety of phlox, taller and with variegated leaves that had flowers ready to go, a couple of shorter plants with flowers about to bloom, and something that had no tag on it, but looks rather bushy and full with white flowers. We had a big rainstorm on the way, so I thought I’d wait until today to spray the new plants and the old ones with the deer stuff. It needed to dry on the plants, and I knew it would wash away with the rain.

I woke up this morning….and the deer had once again invaded my garden chomping down on brand new phlox, so it is now half its size…and re-attacking one of my other phlox plants, which was just starting to make a comeback!

UGH.

I’ve never had such deer problems!  It’s driving me mad.

Today, I am going to spray the heck out of everything in my flowerbed. We have two fields FULL of ripe hay. Why can’t they go eat that?

Kris

I admit it. I’m not a writer who sticks to one story at a time. Sometimes I work on multiple projects at once.

I’ve been trying to teach myself how to stick to one project until it’s done, but each and every time I’ve tried, it hasn’t worked. My muse wants to do what it wants to do.

Besides writing erotic romance, I also write mainstream books under my ‘real’ name. I’m not published yet, but I’m trying hard. It was one of the reasons I got into erotic romance in the first place. I saw an opportunity to add to my professional author ‘resume.’

My mainstream books are all full-length…85K or so. And they take a lot more effort to complete. As I typically dive into a book without much plotting, you can imagine what happens sometimes: I get stuck.

Last summer I had a fantastic idea for a new book. It was one of those ideas I felt so passionately about I was almost afraid I wouldn’t finish it fast enough.

Ask any author. When you get that bright, shiny new idea, you really fear some other writer is going to beat you to the punch first. Finish a story with the same plot before you do.

And that’s where I was…with this GREAT idea and a desire to write it NOW NOW NOW. In two weeks I wrote 25,000 words. I thought I was on track to finish the first draft within 6 or 8 weeks. I was on cloud nine. I’d never written a full-length book so quickly before.

Then I got horridly stuck. I stopped. I decided the book was a mess and needed some major reworking. In fact, it might be too hard to fix!  Skip ahead about 9 months. On and off I’d added another 25K to that book. Painful word by painful word. I’d entered and finaled it in a contest. I’d gotten an agent request for the full. But it still lingered, undone on my computer.

Until today.

I’d been trying to work on my Den of Iniquity book for weeks now. I’d get out 500 words here, 250 words there, but not the usual amount of progress I’d grown used to. Then, I decided Monday I would stop pressuring myself to write everyday with the renovation work I had on my plate.

The minute you let your mind go, stop requiring things of it, amazing stuff starts to happen. After scraping faded bamboo wallpaper off of our future new bathroom, I felt the need to open up the file for my mainstream book and WRITE.

All the answers were there. Not perfectly laid out, but I knew what I needed to do. It just made sense. And even though there is a ton of editing to do once the first draft is done, I feel confident that I can do it! In about an hour I wrote 7 pages, and the only reason I stopped was because I needed to go make some dinner.

So, it seems that I need to give myself freedom to change projects midstream. Pick up an old project, drop a new one, write notes down for another. It’s how my creative brain likes to work and keeps from getting bored.

I wonder sometimes what will happen to me when/if I have deadlines and books bought on proposal. I’m hoping that I’ve learned to back off when my mind starts telling me to. The story’s in there, but sometimes I just need a break!

Kris

One of the hardest parts about being an author is that you usually have other jobs you do besides write. A lucky few make a lot of money by writing, but most do not. A lucky few don’t need to work (i.e. depend on a spouse for main source of income). But most of us have day jobs or children to watch/manage leaving us with a crazy balancing act.

Most of the time, this is not a problem for me. I have lots of moments during my day to fit in some writing. However, when I’m emotionally drained or stressed, it’s very very hard for me to get into the creative mindset.

Yesterday, I realized for the next month, I just might be a little too stressed to put a lot of focus on writing.

Why is that?

Well, we are just about to get knee-deep into a renovation project at our house, and I’m the one in charge! More or less…

Within a month, I need to have a new laundry room built, an old laundry room converted into a new bathroom, and a completed master suite.

Luckily, after some discussion, the husband and I have cut back on some of our ideas to make it simpler…and, really, better, I think. Less is more sometimes.

Today, our contractor dude will be coming to take a look at what we need him to do. We have a friend who’s a woodworker who is going to make us a built-in unit next to this lovely fireplace we have. I can hardly wait to see it done, because it will really finish off the space.

In fact, the whole thing when it’s done is really going to be spectacular, but the journey getting there is going to be ROUGH.

So, I will try to write in the next month, but I’m not going to put a lot of pressure on myself. I think once I see things in motion with our building project, the butterflies and stress will start to lessen, and I will start to feel creative again.

Wish me luck!

Kris

The fantastic L. Shannon is my author interview today. If you visit her website, you will see numerous book series, works in progress…it’s mindboggling. Check out her answers to learn more about this prolific author of paranormal romance.

Q. Since you have such a huge backlist, I’m going to concentrate on your newest book….what can you tell us about your latest Cobblestone Press release, Anom’tan 4: Walking Death’s Edge?

A. Edge is the final (as far as I know) book in the Anom’tan series. For anyone who has followed the series or even just read one book, this is the one that brings it all together. I had a little bit of a hard time letting this one go. It’s the first ending for any of my series. For anyone who hates to see the end come, don’t panic, I’m sure these demons will wander through my other book now and then. (and one tiny hint… after –not before- you read Walking Death’s Edge, go to http://heartoftheserpent.blogspot.com/ for some follow up on the missing baby.)

On another note, I just have to mention that my first print book will be coming out on July 25, 2008! The first of the Eagle Clan books, Father of the Wolf, went through some pretty serious editing/revising and will be available through Cobblestone Press. I’m very excited. I’m also looking forward to finishing the third book in the series, which I know readers have been waiting for.

Q. Speaking of that HUGE backlist, how do you keep all of your series/books straight? Are you one of those super organized people with folders and lists everywhere?

A. Super organized? LOL!! Umm… no, safe to say I’m not that person. I do have a system that has grown wild. Basically I keep all my books in folders marked for that primary story line. For instance all the files for my Anom’tan books would be in one folder labeled ‘Anom’tan’. That folder is stuffed inside a bigger folder labeled ‘Tascryn’ and that one inside a bigger one labeled ‘books’. I guess that means I do have folders and lists everywhere, but trust me when I say it’s not organized or logical to anyone but me and my demons.

Q. How many cocker spaniels do you have? And what is it about that particular breed of dog that has captured your heart?

A. More than I need. But most of my dogs are rescued and have nowhere else to go. Here they get to be much loved house dogs and are spoiled rotten. And why Cockers? Because they are the biggest suck ups in the canine world. After dealing with rejections there is nothing better than having Damian (or even Talbot) snuggle me, telling me I’m wonderful.

Q. Looking at the complexity of your website, is writing all you do for a living? I can’t imagine how you could have time for another career, but you just never know!

A. I actually have a degree in teaching Special Education. I worked as a teacher both in the public school system and did private tutoring and also did job coaching for adults with special needs. All of it was very rewarding, although not so much in the financial way. In 2006 I made the leap from working and writing to working as a writer. I haven’t looked back since. My first two novels and several of my novellas were written while I held down a full time job, but I have to say putting those 8+ hours a day into writing is much nicer. Oh, and I recently redid my website (I do that now and then) and I’d love to had folks stop by www.lshannon.net to say hello.

Q. When was the first time you really felt like a writer?

A. Might have been the first time I wrote “The End” or maybe my first rejection letter. Maybe it’s not a single moment, but a hundred moments. I think it’s something that gets a little bigger with every new success. Am I a writer? Yes… I think so.
Q. Is there any particular genre of book you would like to write, but haven’t?

A. Pure Urban Fantasy. I don’t mean urban fantasy romance, but actual Urban Fantasy. One of my more private babies is Dead Men’s Nails, which is how I would label that book’s genre. Not that there isn’t romance in it, but the romance is not the story. Oh, and my nephews want me to write children’s books. Although I want to do it for them, I’m not so sure that I have it in me to write kid-appropriate books.

Q. Where do you see L. Shannon in five years?

A. Sitting right here at my computer, drinking diet dew, typing away and bitching about my characters not behaving. Oh and probably with a dozen more series all bouncing around in my head. If you are looking for a serious goal… I don’t so much have them. Oh sure, I’d love to have a contract that brings in bigger money, but for me writing isn’t about the paycheck. It’s all about telling the story. So where will I be? Right here, telling my stories.

Q. If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what other career might you like to try?

A. Even if writing didn’t pay a nickel, I don’t think I would give it up. If the belt gets too tight and I had to take another job it would probably be teaching again. I already do a few things to make extra cash, including private dog training and helping out behind the scenes with Cobblestone Press. I’ve always been of the opinion that anyone who needs to work can, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get by, but as for career… I’m a writer. Everything else is just for making money.

Q. Does your husband read your books?

A. LOL! He will read any that I let him, but I know he skims all but the kinky ones. Those (of course) he actually reads and comments on! I won’t repeat his comments about any of the Anom’tan books, but suffice it to say one thing led to another… Love those books. (G)

Q. What kinds of books do YOU like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

A. I used to read everything I could get my hands on, but now I spend most of my time writing rather than reading. I still make sure I take the time to read in my genre and not for business reasons. I just quite simply love paranormal romance/urban fantasy/etc. As for favorite authors… I just finished JR Ward’s book, Lover Enshrined and loved it. But then I love the whole Black Dagger Brotherhood. I had a chance to meet JR at RT 2008 and was very impressed. The book I’m currently reading is Keri Arthur’s The Darkest Kiss, which is the kind of Urban Fantasy I was talking about earlier.

Thanks so much, Shannon, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. Make sure to check out L. Shannon’s very detailed website for more information on her books.

I’ve been seriously writing for about four or five years now. And in that time I have joined various writer Yahoo groups…a crit group, a few ‘industry insider’ type, and then one that was sort of a writing prompt group. There was one session where every week she took you through a Fast Draft seminar. I’ve saved all of her weekly posts for about a year now…just in case I want to go back and glean them for info.

Anyway, this past week she announced that Gena Showalter would be running the newest class. The class is called: Making a Stand: Creating Standout Paranormal Stories.

The first post is so informative, I’d thought I’d advertise this group to those who may be struggling with their writing or wanting to take their writing to the next level. Looking at what Gena has written so far, I think the class would be useful for anyone…not just those writing paranormal stories. So, if you’re looking for some writing prompts, some guidance in improving your writing, or just some inspiration, try this group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Write_Workshop/

There’s also a companion group where you can discuss the topics or ask any guest hosts questions and the like. I haven’t joined that yet, because I belong to so many damn groups. I don’t need to get bogged down in another one. But this particular class just might convert me to joining the discussion group as well.

Kris

Yep, today is the day I take back possession of my blog. What a fun two weeks it has been getting to know all those Cobblestone Press authors. It was entertaining to read everyone’s posts and not have to worry about content for awhile.

But I must admit…I really missed blogging! Pretty sad, I know. Not like I have a huge audience or anything. I mainly like to listen to myself, I guess. LOL!

What have I been up to for the past couple of weeks? Well, my writing has been very slow going. You can check on my homepage for progress. I’m trying desperately to get Den of Iniquity: Shake Your Moneymaker off the ground and running. But every page has been very difficult for me. Not sure why. Sometimes that just happens.

Meanwhile, my creative brain has been latching on to other ideas. Typically, I just take notes as these ideas come and let it all fall out of my head into a text file. Not like I’m ready to write these books, but if I get a thought that sounds cool, I try to strike while the iron is hot.

Most of the time thinking about the idea takes up a lot of my brain….and I worry about the writing of the idea. Sounds cool in my head, but will I be able to pull it off on paper? But when I get to writing, it usually comes out differently than I imagined and better than I thought it would be in my head. So going from head to paper can be very daunting sometimes. That first step is the hardest.

So, where does this leave the reader? Waiting some more, I guess. I still haven’t heard back about a couple of subs. Hoping to soon. That would be nice. Then I have something to announce, cover art to look forward to, etc. I’m hoping within a month to have some news to share, so keep coming back!

Oh, and sorry about the delay with the L. Shannon interview. We were having some communication issues, plus the Blog Tour kind of intervened. I’m hoping to have her interview up on Monday the 23rd.

Kris

I am one of those writers who has to have music playing in order to write. The music helps put me in the mood. I can see how this music could be a soundtrack to the movie going on in my head.

Here is the soundtrack I composed for A Chance Encounter. It is totally made of new songs. No old school songs here. Check it out. Even the titles create a picture in your mind.

A Chance Encounter Playlist
1.) Over You - Daughtry
2.) Fergalicious - Fergie
3.) No Air - Jordin Sparks
4.) When I See U - Fantasia
5.) Tattoo - Jordin Sparks
6.) Outta My System - Bow Wow
7.) Bye Bye - Mariah Carey
8.) Because of You - Ne-Yo
9.) Anonymous - Bobby Valentino
10.) Gone - Daughtry
11.) Lesson Learned - Alicia Keys
12.) Hate That I Love You - Rhianna
13.) Wait for You - Elliot Yamin
14.) It’s Not Over - Daughtry

I still love to listen to this one. I also have playlist for Vampire Oracle: Sacrifice, The Diamond Heartstone, and Soundwave’s Surrender.

www.leilabrown.com
www.leilabrown.blogspot.com
~Addictive Erotic Romance You Can’t Resist~

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www.leilabrown.com
Addictive Erotic Romance You Can’t Resist

As a writer, I’m always desperate for new things to put me in the proper mood. Here are some tips and tricks I use to evoke the atmosphere I need to put pen to paper (or more appropriately, fingers to keyboard):

1–Scents are often one of the most overlooked senses, and yet the human mind has scads and scads of memories associated with scent. Think of an emotional memory that ties in with a particular scent (perhaps one that makes you laugh, cry, or long for someone), and use that scent when writing to evoke those particular feelings in yourself. You’d be amazed how much easier it is to transfer those emotions to the page. For example, if you’re trying to evoke a feeling of home, maybe pop some chocolate-chip cookies in the oven (then bonus, you have cookies to reward yourself, too! hah)

2–candles (scented or unscented). I love the flickering of candles off the objects around me. When I’m trying to write something dark or romantic, I find candles help pull that mood out of me.

3–music. If there’s a mood you’re trying to create, there’s a song that can help. Some people love music without lyrics, while others love the lyrics. Play around with it and see what works for you.

4–sexy clothing. If I’m trying to write a love scene, I find I feel more confident and aware of my own sexuality if I dress in a more provocative manner.

5–watch a movie that has a similar feel to what you’re trying to evoke before writing. Visual stimulation is a fantastic aid when going to write a scene. It helps make things more tangible in your mind.

6–act out a scene before writing it, whether just in your mind or with someone else. This can apply to sex scenes, as well as any other. Go through the dialogue in your mind and let yourself feel the emotions so you can accurately transfer them to the page.

7–a little alcohol can help. I love sipping on a glass of wine while writing. Too much will make your writing sloppy, but just a little bit can help relax you enough to let you tap into your sensory emotions.

If anyone has any good tips or tricks, please share them!

You can find more details about me at http://www.sophieathens.com and more about my novella, The Vampire Oracle: Hunger at http://www.cobblestone-press.com/cat…pireoracle.htm. __________________
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