MUSE, MUCH?

My guest today is paranormal romance author, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom. She is the author of Vampire Moons series, and her latest is Golden Vampire.

Linda's a southern California native who teaches at the University of California. Napkins everywhere are now happy Linda writes her stories on the computer. I'm not so sure about her poor car. It's had a lot to worry about with a crazy author manning the wheel. 

While she loves dark historicals and gothics she has been known to write lighthearted stories as well. I'm thinking her muse may be schizophrenic. Or just likes variety. But, her topic today is about her muse and inspiration. Like she says, "What are we without our inspirations?"


Muse. You have got to love when one comes a calling. You know - that ethereal, nebulous, misty presence that’s defined as “an instigator of inspiration,” but is actually, as we all realize, a real species of otherworldy personage. Maybe even with wings...

Yep, I have a Muse (thank heavens! ) Maybe two. I’ve never actually seen her or their faces, in person, but figure that because they work pretty much non-stop at singing to me, one would get tired. So maybe mine has a twin.

My Muse sings at the top of her lungs. I either have to listen, or fear she might be disgusted I’m ignoring her help, and leave. (!!) She rarely takes a vacation, but every now and then has been known to disappear for short stretches at a time. I think she’s resting her voice, and prefer to call her time off as “tune-ups.”

She has a tendency to sing at times when I’m trying to do something else, like driving. Or when I’m working out on my elliptical machine, or out for a walk.. I’m probably really dangerous to drive behind, because I write down ideas that come... by having a notebook handy on the passenger seat. You just never know when that inspiration will show up. My motto is to be prepared!

I am lucky to have such inspiration. I know it, and thank my lucky stars every single day.

Without a Muse, and inspiration, how would we get any writing done? Books done and published? I just find inspiration everywhere. In a particularly interesting word, a stunning visual, or a haunting melody. I have at least a hundred yellow sticky notes on the walls above and beside my desk, with titles, words I like, and beginning sentences of stories I’d eventually like to get to write. So far, in my career as a writer and published author, the well has not run dry, and my Muse keeps hanging in. This makes writing very exciting for me. A thing I love.

Talk about Muse fodder, and paying attention... GOLDEN VAMPIRE has it’s own unique story about getting published that I’ll spill sometime. In the meantime - here, I’ve tweaked the Arthurian tales for this book and its full sequel, due out early in 2012, and brought some of the Round Table’s Knights into the current century.

“GOLDEN VAMPIRE.” is a re-writing of a legend about sone of those Round Table Knights, who were perhaps unearthly beautiful and undefeated I battle because they were unearthly!

For history fans like myself, you might recognize my immortal Knight in Golden Vampire. His name is Lance. And thought this is a contemporary story about the woman who finds him, Lance’s backgound as an immortal plays a major part in who he now is.

So.... let’s chat. I’m here today.

You can probably tell by this post how excited I am to be writing, and publishing the kind of stuff that inspires me. Paranormal all the way! Yay!

My Muse stays because she likes the energy surrounding me, and vice versa. I am truly blessed, and do not take this for granted. After paying my dues in the writing business, I’m finally starting on my second career, and hope that my destiny is to write many many more books!

Chatter points:

• Do you have a MUSE?
• Do you have to share her with someone else? Blackmail her to stay?
• Do you like the Arthurian tales?

GOLDEN VAMPIRE

For former cop Jesse Stewart, giving herself—mind and body—to sexy vampire Lance Van Baaren meant losing her soul. Hired by the government to find a senator's missing daughter, she instead found a haunting link to her past. And now something is drawing her to the one man she should despise….

Once a knight, Lance had sworn to protect the innocent. And one of those young innocents had been Jesse. Now face-to-face with the alluring woman she has become, he's determined to help Jessie solve her case and make her his own. But would finding the truth of her past—beneath a Blood Moon—push her further away? You can read an excerpt here.

Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books a Million Books are available in e-book or paperback format.

 
 

I write both dark and light paranormals. Vampire and Werewolf tales with titles like Midnight Court, Barbie and the Beast, Red Wolf, Blackout, Wolf Trap, Vampire Lover, etc. And now, my latest book from Nocturne, just released this month is a vampire series called Vampire Moons... and the first full book is “GOLDEN VAMPIRE.”

You can find Linda: Website, Nocturne Authors,

Monday Musings—Juggling Life And Writing

Seems like whenever I get a good writing streak going, something in life pops up that needs my attention. Stat. I don’t know about the rest of you, but this past fall and winter seemed to bring one thing after another.

Still I did manage to participate in NaNo. I was about 12,000-words short but I feel good about participating. NaNo writing was an experiment in writing a sub genre I hadn’t tried before. I learned a lot. I also have some major editing to make it viable, but that’s okay because it’s a story I want to tell and so I’ll get back to it. The characters there are content to rest a bit since I put them through hell. Me too.


I’m back working on a story that is moving along well, if slooooow. Why is it slow? Because things and people (life issues) won’t leave me alone. If it isn’t kid problems, it’s extended family problems, or health. All of which zap me emotionally, overwork my energizer bunny batteries, and suck my creative spark somewhere into the cosmos. The good thing is, the characters in this story aren’t quiet. They bellow at me in dreams, creep into my thoughts when I’m doing chores, or simply sitting still with a nice cup of coffee. They whisper to me when I’m reading the pile of books I have assigned to me for review. They’re relentless.


Despite life’s chaos, I manage to meet the deadlines of the blog and scheduling. Sometimes it’s by the skin of my teeth and from time to time my creativity is at low ebb, but I get it done. I’ve dealt with deadlines of some sort or another all my working life. I don’t fail to meet them. It’s a matter of professional commitment. I keep my commitments and don’t believe in doing something half-assed. My blog reflects that.


Don’t get me wrong, I love my blog and I’ve had, and will continue to have, some wonderful guests. Most of them are so much fun.

Poor little bunny is a bit worn and pale

Where it gets tough is when you’re juggling so many balls in the air, and your energizer bunny looks for someone who is less maintenance, it gets tough to get back to writing. If I had a deadline for them to be done I’d find a way to do it, as I always have. Having a goal and having a deadline are two different things (no matter what I tell myself). When something has to give, I tend to prioritize and let go of things lower on the list. Consequently, my story is taking much longer to finish.

One of the things I've learned to do is carve out little bits and pieces of time and usually in the early morning when I’m fresh. If I’ve had a hard day, forget it. Writing isn’t smooth or as much fun as it usually is. Smooth, quantity, and fun require energy, and my poor little energizer bunny is just plumb worn out by the end of the day. I do keep a small notebook in my purse so when I hear whispers or shouts, I can jot down scenes and dialogs, or, at the very least, notes so as not to forget the epiphany when it hits me.


How do you juggle life and writing? Any special tricks you've learned to apply?






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Gary Alexander--The Writer's Life--Interview

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

Gary Alexander says he’s been “abusing mystery readers for over thirty years” with various short stories and two series. As a writer he knows all about writing because it’s a burning desire within and the hit and miss vagaries of getting published.

His latest book isn’t a mystery but uses his experiences and knowledge of Vietnam to create, Dragon Lady, his first literary novel.  

Gary stopped by to chat with us a bit about a writer’s life.   






 When did you decide or know you wanted to be an author, to get your works published?

I think it’d been in my subconscious since I was a kid. I was a voracious reader and really appreciated good writing. In my early 30s, I finished reading an anthology of published stories, very disappointed with most of them. I told my wife, Shari, that I could do better than this guano. She said, well, why you don’t try? Six or seven years later I sold a story to the late Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, $25 on publication.

What other kinds of jobs have you held?

Mostly in the insurance industry. I worked in the field and could set my own hours. I carried around a tape recorder and often plumped out a story idea while stuck in gridlock.

Dragon Lady is obviously based on some personal experiences. Was it difficult to write about these?

Difficult and cathartic, more of the latter. Over the years, Dragon Lady evolved, all versions rejected or (mostly) ignored by editors and agents. Ones who responded said they weren’t interested in a Vietnam War story. It isn’t a war story, it’s an anti-war story. I emphasized humor to highlight the absurdity of it. The parallels to Afghanistan are stunning. I could go on and on---

How did writing this novel differ from writing other books/stories where the characters and plot were so far-removed from your personal life?

When I’d drop the manuscript into the mailbox, the character went with it. The exception to that were my series characters. They became friends.

Like a lot of authors, you’ve suffered your fair share of rejections. Do you think a writer’s life is difficult?

I was thinking about that the other day while taking a walk. Passed a garbage man unloading our Dumpster. Walked by a convenience store as the clerk cleaned up trash in the lot. Stopped by a bar for a beer; the bartender was running her butt off because the waitress didn’t show up for work. On the way home, a police car and fire truck zoomed by, sirens on, headed for who knows where. I’d say there might be a few jobs more difficult.

But the rejection is tough. Do you have a low opinion of the editors and agents who rejected you in the past?

I used to. But then I’d set manuscripts aside that the “idiots” had rejected. When I’d completely forgotten what they were about, I’d read them again. Guess who the idiot was? Almost half the 150+ short stories and 12 novels I’ve sold have been repair jobs after I’d let the works ripen.

What was the oddest/worst rejection you ever received?

What hasn’t been the worst? The uniformity of the comments makes me want to tear what remains of my hair out. “Not what we’re looking for.” “Not quite right for us.” “Not what we need.” Ad nauseam.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

In the old days, I’d pace around the office, sharpen pencils, and mutter obscenities.

And in today’s electronic era?

I pace around the office, sharpen pencils, and mutter obscenities.

How do you know if you’re a writer?

Easy question. A writer is one who cannot not write. Would-be writers have told me that they plan to take up writing after they have time, after the kids are grown and out of the house or after they retire from their day jobs, after after after ─

I believe it was Ross Macdonald who said that nothing ever got written because the writer had time to write it.

We’ve all read stories about 28-year-old first novelists who write bestsellers. How do you react to that?

Homicidal thoughts.

Seriously, have you ever read a bestseller and wondered, “How did this get published and become so popular?” How do you deal with those negative feelings? Do those feelings have an impact on your own work?

Many, many times. Just makes me work harder. I try not to dwell on anything over which I have no control.

Gary, thank you for taking time from your writing schedule to visit us today. What about you?

• As a reader or a writer, have YOU read a bestseller you wondered how in the world became published much less a bestseller?
•  
• As a writer, how do you deal with your rejections?

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Dragon Lady synopsis

  

In 1965 Saigon, Joe, a young draftee, becomes obsessed with a Vietnam girl named Mai, his own "Dragon Lady" from his beloved Terry and the Pirates cartoon strips that his mother still sends him. As he pursues a relationship with her, Saigon churns with intrigue and rumors--will the U.S. become more involved with the Vietnamese struggle? What's going on with a special unit that's bringing in all sorts of (for the time) high tech equipment? Will the U.S. make Vietnam the 51st state and bomb aggressors to oblivion?

But for Joe, the big question is--does Mai love him or will she betray more than just his heart? Excerpt

Gary Alexander’s intelligent voice, filled with dry wit, and his own experiences give this story a sharp sense of truth, recounting the horror and absurdity of war. Reminiscent of books such as Catch-22, Dragon Lady serves up equal measures of outrageous humor and poignant remembrance. Gary Alexander was one of 17,000 US soldiers in Vietnam that spring. When he left in the fall, there were 75,000 troops in-country.

Buy: Available as an e-book: Amazon, Smashwords, Istoria Books

~*~*~*~

Gary R. Alexander enlisted in the Army in 1964 and served in Saigon. When he arrived in country, there were 17,000 GIs. When he left, 75,000. Dragon Lady is Gary’s first literary novel. He is the author of several mysteries featuring stand-up comic Buster Hightower--Disappeared, Zillionaire and Interlock--published in hardcover by Five Star/Cengage. He has had short stories published in several mystery publications, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. He resides in Seattle.


His website can be found here: http://garyralexander.com/

Istoria Books is giving away free copy using a 100 percent discount code from Smashwords.com that will allow a reader to "purchase" the book for free in a variety of ebook formats.
 

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Editor's View: Show Vs Tell

Monday, I touched on emotional impact in your writing. Today, I wanted to share an article on showing and telling written by a friend of mine, Beth Hill, who is both writer and a highly skilled fiction editor. 

Sounds easy doesn't it? It always reminds me of Fridays in grade school. We had show and tell. It was always fun because you never knew who would pull out what for our show in tell.


Invariably one of the boys would come to the front of the class and tell us they had a critter of some sort, but it had gotten away. Our teacher's rule was simple. You still had to talk. So if Jonny lost the frog then it was up to him to tell us about it. That wasn't quite as exciting as the frog. Who cared if it could jump six feet and was sorta green with a pointy nose. We didn't want to hear the description; we wanted to SEE the frog (unless you were one of those silly squealing girls). 

This is the same with storytelling. We don't want to hear/read the description, beautiful though it might be, we want the action. See the greenish frog and pointy nose. We want to see the little suckers on its toes and hear the sound it makes, not have Jonny TELL us.


Show and tell is a hard concept to master. We often get showing confused with describing. Not quite the same thing, as Beth explains.

 

 Fiction writers are hammered with the admonition to show and not tell.

Writing teachers pound it into us. Books on writing repeat it until we feel we've been beaten. And if we're brave enough to put our work in front of our peers for review, we are pounded yet again—Show, Don’t Tell, our critics intone.

Great. I’ve already added 10 more adjectives per page. Isn’t that enough showing? I can only paint the night sky so many shades of lavender and violet.

Here is the doorway if not the key for many new writers—showing is not the same as description. A writer may paint a clear and colorful scene but still be telling rather than showing.

Telling forces a reader to stand outside a candy store window, able to see, perhaps, and hear what happens inside. But he remains outside. Yet when a writer shows, he invites the reader into the store to taste the bite of bitter chocolate or the tang of a lemon drop. The reader will feel the stretch in taffy; maybe even become mired in a mess of spilled molasses.

• Telling is impersonal 

Showing is intimate

• Telling is aloof 

Showing is up close

• Telling is an essay about a vacation trip 

Showing is going on the trip

 Telling is often a simple recitation of he did, she was, I felt. Too much of this and the reader loses interest. 

 An example: 

• Marie walked into the room. She looked at the blue walls and the torn curtains at the window. She was afraid. In the sink were a rusted pot and two dirty glasses. The room made her feel both anxious and nostalgic. 

vs.

Marie stepped into the kitchen, faltering at seeing the deep blue murals on the walls and ceiling. She shivered. The dark color absorbed the morning sunshine that filtered through frayed curtains.

Drawn to the sweet odor rising from the sink, she stepped close. She ran a finger over the porcelain. Still smooth after all these years.

“Damn!” Marie yanked her hand out of the sink. She picked at the Teflon flakes embedded in her index finger.

“Stupid, rusted frying pan.”

 
Both offer nearly the same information. Yet the mood created, the intimacy level, differs.

If you find yourself skipping long sections of a novel, chances are those passages are all tell and no show—you’ve not been invited in, so you pass over the text.

In your own writing, look for clues in words and phrases: Use of is and was and were, especially there is, there was, and there were; has, had, felt, and thought; uses of always (I always ate ice cream after a good murder); use of and then or used to.

Such words and phrases are not always inappropriate, but their use or overuse warrants a second look.

Is there a use for telling in fiction? Of course! Declarative phrases can be powerful when used appropriately.

• Use telling narrative summary at the beginning of a scene to indicate a new setting or the passage of time.
•  
• Tell in brief spurts to shock the reader, to make a phrase stand out, or to bring a scene to a sudden and complete stop. This can be particularly effective when a brief sentence is used as a paragraph.
•  I froze when I saw the gun in his hand. 
• Telling can work well as a throwaway tagline for the end of a chapter.
• The clock began its ominous tolling. 

And sometimes you can use telling to change the tone or to reveal character. Think private detectives who recite every detail of a new client’s appearance—her long legs were. . . ; her slit skirt fell just below her. . . ; her tear-filled eyes blinked. . .

Such a section, usually brief, is used to slow the pace of a suspense or murder story and to allow the P.I. to show off his smart mouth.

If you must include long stretches of telling (and must you?), break them up with dialogue or thoughts, or vary the sentence length.

•  Show to engage the reader. 
• Tell to impart information or stop the story. 

Show and Tell. Use both. And use them well.

If you have any questions for Beth, she'll be glad to answer them.

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I love the written word, the ability we have to create worlds and emotions with well-chosen phrases. It’s my intention to share tips and insights and encouragement with writers at all levels, to help you craft stories that will entertain and satisfy your readers. That will help satisfy you as writer as well.

I am both writer and editor. My editing focus is on long fiction, primarily novels. I also mentor beginning writers.
 
Beth has many articles on writing craft on her webiste and she covers craft and other subjects on her blog:
 

A Novel Edit, The Editor's Blog,

 

 

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Creating Emotional Impact

I’ve heard it said, and no doubt you have too, that to write emotion you first have to feel it. Author blogs and writing books will tell you all sorts of things. Write what you know, write what you love, and write what you feel. These are all true statements in so far as they go. It’s how we understand those statements and what they mean, and how to apply them that the trouble starts.

I think there is a mistaken assumption about writing emotional impact into our writing. What it is and what it’s not.

I can write about fear because I know what fear feels like. It doesn't mean I have to feel my heart racing, have clammy hands, and hyperventilate as I'm writing the scene. I know what anger feels like too, and what makes me angry, but because I am choosing to put my characters in an emotional situation of anger or fear doesn’t mean I’m feeling those emotions as I write. You see what I mean?

As a writer, I'm ultimately the narrator carrying the story from point A to point Z. To do that, I have to be able to keep my wits about me. I have to keep my goals clearly in mind, which means I can’t get bogged down in emotion as I’m writing. Look at it this way, a writer is dealing with a set of people going through various situations, having problems, facing heartbreak, making love, laughing, anger and fear—the gamut of emotions. As narrator of this group’s story I have to be able to relay everything clearly. I have to stay removed from the situation to be focused. Otherwise I’ll go off in a tangent or lose the thread of where my story and characters are going.

I’m rather clinical as I write certain scenes. In that sense I’m the observer as well as narrator. I equate it to being a therapist. Therapists hear the most heartbreaking details of people’s lives. While they have to have compassion and understanding for their patient, they also have to remain detached to effectively do their job.

Knowing what an emotion feels like gives us a base from which to write emotion for our characters. Our characters have to be real not only to our readers but to us. They have to act and react realistically. As we write, we put our characters (or they put themselves), into certain settings/situations. Much of the inner conflict for our characters is about them facing their fears. So we produce external conflicts in our story so they have to face those internal demons.

For example, if we’re writing romance or a suspense and we have a character that has grown up in an abusive home that got so bad she and her mother have to run for their lives. They’re always looking over their shoulders, always changing their names, always in fear because they’re hunted. Never taking a stand and able to fight back. Now we have her background and some idea of her inner conflict. As an adult she stays clear of anything that resembles the trauma of her childhood. What is the worse external conflict we could put her in? To keep it simple, let’s place her in a situation where she has seen a murder, and the murderer knows she’s seen him. Now he’s after her. Just like that she is again on the run, living in fear. But now she is an adult, not a helpless child. She has to take her stand at some point. Add to it a hero whose job it is to keep her safe, keep her from harm. He’s tough and strong and very good at his job. But let’s say as a child he came face to face with the inability to keep those he loves safe because he was too young and inexperienced. Now his job choice makes sense, as does his inner pride/need in being very good at his job. But internally his greatest fear in not keeping someone he cares about safe from harm. Hero and heroine come together, and emotional attachment forms. Now we have both characters facing their inner conflict/fears while dealing the external conflict/fear. Now we have in place a plot specifically designed to trigger emotional responses from the hero and heroine. And the reader.

Writing what you feel is the ability to write or invoke an emotional response in your reader. You don’t have to be feeling whatever the emotion you’re writing as you write it (although I’ll confess there have been time or two I have). You do need to know what a particular emotion feels like to set it up and then amplify it via your character’s reaction to the stimuli. If you know the feeling then it follows you should be able to imbue that emotion in your writing by the story set up, character reactions and hence trigger the reader’s reaction.

That’s writing what you feel and what you know. That’s creating emotional impact for your reader.

What are you thoughts? 

HARD ROCK: Sedrick Lionheart Interview

TWO COPIES OF ROCK HARD WILL BE GIVEN AWAY BY THE PUBLISHER TO  TWO READERS. US AND CANADA ONLY. Deadline to enter is Sunday at mid-night.

It’s my pleasure to have Olivia Cunning and lead sinner himself, Sed Lionheart, as guests. For those of you who have been on another planet the past few years, Sed is the lead vocalist for Sinners and has been nice enough to stop in to chat with us.

My impression of Sed: Tough, Charismatic and definitely sexy. His eyes are gorgeous as is his smile. Not a man to go unnoticed in a crowd. I can see where he could irritate people because he has a take-charge personality, strong opinions, and not particularly tactful. Sed is very intense, focused, and has little patience with stupid and foolish. For such a large man, 6’4, he moves with the grace of a lion and you have no doubt he’s used to being in charge. When he speaks of his love, Sinners, he’s very professional and proud of the band and it’s members. He’s a very protective person with those he cares about which implies a loving heart under his swagger. Myrna once said of him, “I know he pretends to be tough and all Don Juan Casanova, but he has the most delicate heart I’ve ever seen in a man.”

Sed, welcome to Over Coffee. Sinners are an awesome group and I can tell you’re very proud of both the success of Sinners and it’s members. Sort of like having a family, isn’t it?

Thanks, Sia. Glad to be here. The guys are like brothers to me. Which means most days they’re a pain in my ass.

You were not part of the band originally. How did you meet up with Brian, Trey and Eric?

Everyone always asks me this question. I went to a bar with a fake ID. It was the kind of bar that didn’t really care if you had the ID or not, they just wanted to be able to take the blame off themselves if the cops ever showed up. Anyway, some punk kids, and I do mean punk, Trey’s hair was vivid orange (not his color) and Brian had this three foot high mohawk, I kid you not, were playing. The two of them were amazing together. You’ve heard them play guitar together?


Yes and I agree, they are incredible musicians. They play off each other’s music and revamp it to a better piece.

It’s like they’re two parts of a whole. It’s always been that way between them. Anyway, I just stood there in awe and knew I had to become of part of what they had. I didn’t have anything to offer them but my voice, which at that point in time wasn’t that great.

But didn’t they already have a lead vocalist?

If you want to call him that. Eric Anderson, who now goes by Eric Sticks, was their singer at the time. The guy is still tall and lanky, but as a teenager he was a twig with giant feet. He could sing okay and is a decent bass player, but he had the stage presence of a comatose DMV employee.

A comatose DMV employee? Oh my God, I hope you didn’t tell him that.

Nah, I’m not that crass. I just told him he needed a new goal in life. The guy wasn’t meant to be a front man. He was meant to be a drummer. He has this incredible talent with percussion... He doesn’t just play rhythm. He makes music and melody by banging on stuff. There aren’t many drummers who do that. I know he thinks he got “stuck” playing drums, but he has a gift with them. It would be a tragedy if he gave them up.

Wow. You’re very proud of him. I hope he realizes that.

I digress. Anyway, by a stroke of luck (or temporary good sense), the guys agreed that I could become their singer. Eric switched to the drums permanently and we picked up a new bassist.

Brian mentioned you pretty much took over the band? Pretty highhanded of you, even though the band is quite famous now.

Hey, they could have refused. Or walked away. No one threatened to break their fingers.

Any hard feelings over that move? If so, how did you handle it?

Eric mopes about it sometimes, but it’s Eric. A few shots of tequila and he’s over it.

Lol! If you had to pick a band on today’s scene you respect for their songwriting or music ability, who would it be and why?

Any band that can make a living doing this has my complete respect. Hell, even if they can’t make a living at it, they deserve respect. Connecting with enough fans to turn a profit is a total crapshoot. We all do this out of love for music. That’s what’s important.

You had to cancel some of your tour due to Trey’s injury. He’s a real favorite of mine. How’s he doing these days? When will we see him back on stage?

I can’t speak for him. Last I checked he was getting some rest and relaxation by his parents’ pool.

You have quite a reputation for the ladies, Sed, and more fangirls than Las Vegas has lights. How do you handle that? And what’s this about your shirt. I’ll admit, one the guys mentioned I should ask you that.

Fangirls are easy to deal with. You tell them what to do. They do it. Unfortunately, they think my shirt is fair game. I lose about a shirt a week. Saves on laundry, I guess. I used to wear chains, but it frickin’ hurts when someone gets a hand wrapped around one of them. I’d rather them rip off my shirt if they insist on a souvenir.

You’ve been seen a lot in the company of Jessica Chase, especially in Las Vegas. Are you two back together?


Yes. She’s mine.

Well. That certainly sounds possessive of a known ladies man. Kind of risky considering it’s reported she broke your heart when she left you before. In fact Brian Sinclair doesn’t think you’re over her and he doesn’t understand what you see in her given she walked out on you. Seems like your fan girls agree.

Do I care what Brian or anyone else thinks about any of my relationships? No.

Is it true Jessica is working with Myrna Sinclair and touring with you guys too? How are you and the guys dealing with that?

Jessica needed a job. Myrna hired her. Without consulting anyone. Myrna will be finishing up her study this summer, so all the estrogen on the bus is just a temporary situation. We’re off tour right now, but when we get on the road, the bus is sure to be crowded. The partying will probably all but come to a standstill. I’m okay with that, but I’m sure that will make Trey cranky.


Moving on. Sed, I understand you have two younger sisters. I‘ve seen pictures of your sisters. They’re beautiful women. I’m sure they know all the guys in the band; I’m surprised they haven’t dated one of them, like Eric.


If any member of my band went anywhere near my baby sisters, they’d pay. The guys are not allowed to look at them, or talk to them, and especially not touch them. That goes double for Eric.


Lol! Sounds like a typical big brother.
I know you’ve always had an interest in music and I understand you played the violin in school. You have my curiosity piqued; did you play it as a fiddle as well as in a more traditional mode?



I played violin in a strictly classical sense. Mary Had A Little Lamb is classical, right? I’m no Charlie Daniels, that’s for sure. There’s no chance of me ever winning a golden fiddle from Satan... or even a third grader.


Are you planning on using the violin in any Sinners songs? Like Korn does with bagpipes and Skillet does with violins? Yellowcard does a fabulous job of incorporating violin in Breathing.


Uh, no. Why would I ever use a violin? Not Sinners style. Plus, my playing is a little rusty, to say the least.


Hmmm. Just curious, Sed. I want to thank you for stopping by. Before you go, I happen to have a T shirt with me. Has your Sinner’s logo on it which I got off the website.  Would you mind signing it for me?

No problem, babe. Anything for a fan.

Sed and Olivia will be checking back in around 3:30 this afternoon with a few of the other Sinners checking in too. Since they're not on tour presently, they'll also be around Saturday. If you have a question post it and one of them will get back to you.

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Rock Hard blurb:
 
Sinner’s lead singer, Sed, had his heart shredded when Jessica left him to pursue her dreams, so when she dances her way back into his life, he's not sure he's ready for her brand of pain, or pleasure, again.  When she convinces Sed to engage in a benefits with benefits relationship, things seem to be going his way, until one of his fans catches their explicit public display of affection on film and posts it all over the internet.  Will Jessica ever trust Sed again?  And has Sed become the man of Jessica’s dreams or is he just posing to get what he wants? Excerpt

Sed and Jessica are reunited with a bang! Readers will love the characters and enjoy their scorching love scenes and passionate fights. 4 Stars RT Book Review.

Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Chapters Indigo

My 5 Star Review of Rock Hard

Living With Imaginary Friends

My guest is the delightful Linda Wisdom. She writes paranormal romance, among other things, and I find her witches irresistible. I’ve read quite a few of Linda’s books and have enjoyed her realistic characters and her sense of humor in writing those characters.


I love the comfortable office she has inhabited with all her imaginary friends. She explains a bit of how she gets the friends to migrate from their 3D form in her mind (I’m sure it gets quite crowded in there) to the pages of her books.


I’m so glad she could visit with us Over Coffee!




First off, thank you so much, Sia, for having me here today!






A kickass witch walks into a bar one night.


Yes, it sounds like the beginning of the typical joke, but what can I say? That’s how Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend begins with Hellion Guard Maggie O’Malley walking into the underground club, Damnation Alley, looking for a Bloater that’s been a bad creature and needs to be taken in. If she knew that would begin a crazy path in her life, she might have stayed in and let her team take care of the Bloater.


Writing is a challenge. Every day I sit down at my computer with the intention of coming up with ideas that I hope my fans will love or at the very least, not hate.


I’m what you call a pantser writer. Namely, I write by the seat of my pants. For me, it’s all about the characters. They make the story work, so no surprise they’re pretty much formed in 3D inside my head and tend to hang out with me while I write. I like it like that. I want my readers to believe the unbelievable. That there’s nothing unusual about a witch sporting a black widow spider tat that speaks in a French accent and can put a perp down with barely a hiss. Where the local messenger service is made up of over-caffeinated ferrets and the librarian is a stiff-necked wizard who believes in rules with a capital R.


And who wouldn’t want to hang out with a witch who shares your mocha latte addiction and be a shopping buddy? She might even make sure that dress you want so badly is there in your size or at least fits you perfectly. And if your ex-boyfriend is giving you trouble, she just might have the perfect solution to get him to back off or end turned into a warthog.


No wonder I believe my characters live in the house. I was the shy little girl who lived in her own little world populated with imaginary friends. I wrote about them back then and now I have a whole new cast of characters and creatures that I like to think are as quirky as I am.


All you’d have to do is see my office to see just how offbeat I am. You’d see a variety of dragon figurines, witch and faeries, my collection of Halloween Barbie dolls that increase every October, and wonderful magick candles to inspire creativity. I have a plush panda bear my dad gave me when I was three years old, a few plush wolves in sheep’s clothing. Hm, isn’t that how we see some men? And other plush critters that I’ve added over the years. Not to mention my own hellhound, Barney, my white mini-Schnauzer who’s waiting for his turn in one of my books. Between all of that, my DVDs, and a variety of reference books I feel at home in my very own imagination space.


That’s the kind of place I like to play with my ‘what if’ scenarios. I have two large windows where I see trees, rabbits, and birds. Sometimes I’ll even catch a cat on the prowl. Don’t worry, thanks to Barney doing his part to warn the cats off, the birds and rabbits always get away.


The way I see it, my space is perfect for a pantser writer. Nothing is super organized, my favorite figurines that offer inspiration are at hand when I need it, and coffee is always within reach. It’s cluttered and comfortable and I’d say very me. And I’m sure that a tidy minded person would have a heart attack if they walked in. If there’s dust I’m sure it’s faery created. My bunny slippers sneak around looking for licorice root and chocolate and there’s a gargoyle I have to make sure stays away from Pay Per View TV.


Just like my childhood, my characters and creatures don’t just live inside my imagination. They’re as real to me as the animals living outside. The witches tag along to Starbucks or if I window shop at the mall. There’s a vampire who’s with me when I drive at night. Could I have a better bodyguard? A wizard attorney who whispers “are you sure you should write that?” in my ear and now a very sexy half fire demon who just inspires all these sexy thoughts.


What can I say? This shy kid found a way to give life to the people inside her head. I just hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

• Now let me ask you something. Were you a shy kid with imaginary friends? And did they help you? Or did you wish you had a pair of fangy bunny slippers?

DEMONS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

A Bewitching Woman on a Mission…


Feisty witch Maggie enjoys her work as a paranormal law enforcement officer—that is, until she’s assigned to protect a teenager with major attitude and plenty of Mayan enemies. Maggie’s never going to survive this assignment without the help of a half-fire demon who makes her smolder…


A Hotter-Than-Sin Hero with an Agenda…


Declan is a proprietor of an underground club and busy demon portal. No way he’ll allow his demon race to be blamed for the malicious acts of some crazy evil Mayans. But he’s already got his hands full when the sexy witch offers him a challenge he can’t refuse…5 star review

I apologize. I don't have a direct link to an excerpt, but both Amazon and Barnes and Noble will give you a preview.

Buy: Books a Million, IndieBound, ChaptersIndigo

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Linda Wisdom has published more than 70 novels with 13 million copies sold worldwide. Her bestselling books have been nominated for RT Book Reviews awards and the RWA RITA Award. She recently won the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Hex in High Heels. Linda lives with her husband in Murrieta, California, where she is working on her next book, A Demon Does it Better, set to release in January 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.lindawisdom.com/.