BROOKLYN ANN—WRITING THE UNUSUAL

My guest is paranormal author, Brooklyn Ann. She writes fun paranormals with memorable characters, set in both historical and contemporary times, and filled with humor, sass, and a bit of snark. 

Brooklyn was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me.

Welcome back to Over Coffee, Brooklyn! 

In your latest book, Wrenching Fate, you've introduced some unusual job choices for both your hero and heroine. A mechanic with a muscle car fetish? A vampire who is a financial adviser? Both are…hmm…different job choices. What made you decide that?

Akasha's character came to mind when I was in the process of restoring my 1980 Datsun 210. I kept envisioning a character who was much more knowledgeable and stronger than I was, chugging a Coors (ewww) and working on big muscle cars, which I'd always admired. She was always so gruff and angry that I wondered what had happened to make her that way. Well, she showed me, and, well, you'll have to read to find out.

As for Silas, although I'd envisioned him becoming a vampire when he fell on the battlefield in Scotland in 1513, his character seemed more reserved than that of an ancient berserker. As a clairvoyant and a Lord Vampire, he would have to be very good at handling money. The finance industry fit him like a glove. He definitely is a businessman... but he's still a warrior underneath his Armani suits. :)

One thing I admired about your characters (especially the women)—they aren't weak or whiny. They've overcome quite a bit. What’s something you admire about Akasha? About Silas?

I admire Akasha's refusal to take shit from anyone and willingness to do anything to protect those she cares about.

I admire Silas's diplomacy and the way he doesn't judge others.

How did writing this novel differ from writing other books?

For one thing, writing a book that takes place in my own back yard was extremely different from my works set in 19th Century Britain. For another, even though these characters are definitely more "real" in my head, getting them to translate to the page was hard for some reason.

Tell us a bit about you? When you were little what did you want to grow up to be?

When I was younger, I kept vacillating between "Paleontologist" and "Rock star." Alas, neither came to be. I was a mechanic for a few years and now I'm a romance author. I never would have believed it. :)

When you’re not writing or working, what are things you like to do?

I like to work on cars, draw, paint, cook, watch cheesy B-horror movies, and of course, read.

What was the single best or luckiest thing that got you published?

I hate to admit, but I think it was the title I came up with for my first regency paranormal romance, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE. That title was originally a joke title I threw out on twitter, but people liked it so much that I took the dare and queried it under that name. I ended up getting a lot of interest among agents and editors and eventually landed my book deal.

What was the biggest adjustment you had to make in life to include your writing?

I had to cut back on movies and book binges and completely stop doing Karaoke and playing on the dart league. I need all that time for writing, researching, and editing. In short, I became a hermit.

What will we see next from you?

My second historical paranormal romance, ONE BITE PER NIGHT releases in August. 
Here’s the blurb

• Since Sia brought up my characters’ unconventional jobs, what are some of the more interesting character occupations you've seen in romance novels? 

Comment for a chance to win an e-copy of WRENCHING FATE!

                                                                                                                                                      

WRENCHING FATE--Brides of Prophesy I

Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is elated when he finds Akasha Hope, the woman his psychic visions revealed to him centuries ago. 

To his surprise, Akasha is infuriated when Silas interferes with her life. Furthermore, she is nothing like the sweet woman he’d envisioned. Instead she's a foul mouthed mechanic and, due to being the accidental result of a military experiment, she possesses the strength of ten men ….and government agents are looking for her. 

BUY: Amazon, Apple (ibook store),B&N (Nook and Print)
Kobo Google Play



                                                                                                                                            

A former mechanic turned paranormal romance author, Brooklyn Ann lives in the beautiful city of Coeur d’Alene with her son, her cat, and a 1980 Datsun 210. She can be found online at http://brooklynann.blogspot.com as well as on twitter and facebook.

Published by SourcebooksBITE ME, YOUR GRACE (April 2013)
ONE BITE PER NIGHT (August 2014)BITE AT FIRST SIGHT (To be announced)    Published by Broken AngelsWRENCHING FATE (February 2014)IRONIC SACRIFICE (To be announced)

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED TO BE ORGANIZED

My guest is historical paranormal author, Brooklyn Ann. Her topic is one that many writers have struggled with--being organized. How does one keep track of those great snippets of ideas that come to us a midnight-thirty when we're just falling asleep or organizing different story lines and the stray scene that pops into our head--usually when both hands are involved with something else. 

Organization, it’s a horrifying, mystifying word of which I can barely grasp the meaning. One thing I know for sure is that it’s a necessary evil.

One author friend has a notebook filled with story ideas. Another has spreadsheets and all sorts of things to organize everything from stories to workout schedules. Others focus on one project at a time with the tenacity of a bloodhound. And some just seem to wing it.

I long to be more organized, but my cluttered house and the toxic waste dump of my car's interior seem to indicate that I'll never be an orderly person. However, there is still a method to my madness. I do have a notebook, though no one but me will likely ever make sense of it. The pages contain everything from random scenes, quickly jotted notes indecipherable to all but myself, to do lists, rough synopses, etc.

A little more sensible are my files dedicated to each series I'm working on. I have one for my historical paranormal series, one for my New Adult paranormal series, one for my contemporary rock star novellas, and another for random ideas. Each time I have a new idea or a quick scene pop into my head, I do my best to put them in their corresponding file.

Little by little, each "project to be" becomes more detailed and clear. One or two are usually close to actual books. Some are the basic building blocks for a story. Most are still pretty fragmented and incoherent.

Crazy as it is, this method seems to work best for me. I am able to focus on whatever project needs the most attention as well as placate my muse by assuring him or her that a new idea will be addressed in the future.

However, things don't always work out and often I forget ideas before I can get them typed up. Especially when an idea comes when I'm trying to sleep. For that, I wish I had some device in which a notebook, pen, & flashlight are mounted on the wall by the bed w' chains so I can write them down and not worry about forgetting it in the morning.

• How organized are you? What methods do you use to keep track of your projects?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, WALMART

BITE ME, YOUR GRACE
Brooklyn Ann

London's Lord Vampire Has Problems

Dr. John Polidori's tale "The Vampyre" burst upon the Regency scene along with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein after that notorious weekend spent writing ghost stories with Lord Byron.

A vampire crazy broke out instantly in the haut ton.

Now Ian Ashton, the Lord Vampire of London, has to attend tedious balls, linger in front of mirrors, and eat lots of garlic in an attempt to quell the gossip.

If that weren't annoying enough, his neighbor, Angelica Winthrop has literary aspirations of her own and is sneaking into his house at night just to see what she can find.

Hungry, tired, and fed up, Ian is in no mood to humor his beautiful intruder...Excerpt

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

A lover of witty Regencies and dark paranormal romance, Brooklyn Ann combines the two in her new 
vampire series.

The former mechanic turned author lives with her family in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. 

She can be found online at http://brooklynann.blogspot.com as well as on twitter and Facebook.