Today I have romance author Tracy Cooper-Posey on my blog after having her contact me about scheduling an author interview, author guest blog and a book review. I will be reviewing Tracy's upcoming release, Ningaloo Nights, which I got an advanced copy to read and you can get your own copy this Friday, October 9th. Don't forget that this Thurday Tracy will be back to blog about how she came to write her novel, Ningaloo Nights. Now onto my interview with Tracy:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance? Tracy Cooper-Posey: George Lucas inspired me to write romance, which sounds bizarre, I know. I fell in love with Star Wars (the original movie), and wrote the sequel. I didn’t realize that what I was doing was called fanfic—they didn’t have a name for it then, and I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. I was too embarrassed. But I had Han Solo and Leia falling in love long before George Lucas got around to it in the second movie. But nothing I wrote ever topped Han Solo’s damned near perfect “I know” in response to Leia’s confession of love in the second movie—or Harrison Fords desperate expression as they put him into the carbon freezer. That moment, and the lesson in romantic conflict, character, emotional intensity and the art of not saying everything has stayed with me and I’ve been striving to deliver the impact of that moment in my romance novels ever since. Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you? Tracy: Oh, lordy, I tried everything, and I’m still skipping around the genres. Thanks to the wonders of pen names, I can write different genres of romance for as long as I have the energy and time, and for as long as publishers will continue to pay me to do so. Because I read everything, and I mean everything (I read science fiction, straight science, straight fiction, suspense novels, historicals, histories, biographies, thrillers, and more) I really couldn’t settle on a romance sub-genre I could stick with. There are drawbacks to floundering around and trying everything—you never really build up a true readership in a single genre. I learned this the hard way, so these days I try to stay true to one or two genres. Romantic suspense, contemporary romance and historical romance are my big three under my own name, with romantic suspense being the central core. Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you? Tracy: Ah, well, that would be the sequel to Star Wars. I wish I did have it! I continued to write stories after that Star Wars effort...the die was cast. And apart from those very early efforts, I have kept just about everything, especially as I bought a computer very early on—I bought my own personal PC in the early eighties, and I’ve never lost my files. The earliest work I wrote was science fiction romance...even then I was romance-oriented. Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and does it take you a long time to gather that research? Tracy: The amount of research will depend upon the genre I’m writing in, and the setting of the novel, and if I’ve written a book in that setting before. For instance, if I’m writing an historical novel set in 5th Century Britain: Most historical romances takes oodles of time to research because you have to get the history straight, and I’m one of those writers who doesn’t just paint a pretty backdrop for the hero and heroine to stand in front of. I have real events and characters moving around, political ramifications, suspense storylines that have an effect on the main characters. So you can’t fudge the research. But for 5th Century Britain, I’ve written at least two books in that time period already and I know it really well, so that’d cut down the time. Plus, if the book was, say, an erotic romance, then there would be far more story time devoted to the sexual subplot than the politics, and that would cut down on the amount of research time you’d have to spend on who was doing what back then. On the other hand, you’d have to spend some time finding out how they thought about sex in those days, and that can be very difficult research to conduct! Also, 5th century Britain is technically Ancient Britain. In other words, The Dark Ages, when there is very little to no information available about the times, the people, or the way they lived. So that can either complicate or simplify your research, depending on your point of view. In my case, it complicates matters, as my editor has an advanced history degree, and doesn’t let me get away with anything! Simply settling for a contemporary setting just to get away from the research doesn’t work much either. As soon as you move away from your home territory, you have to make sure you’re being accurate, and that takes research. There’s some whopping inaccuracies in some very popular books out there right now that have quite ruined those books for me...to the point where I simply can’t read them, and that’s a pity. If the author had taken the time to look up the matter as they were writing they could have avoided disappointing the reader. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed these glaring flaws that could have been fixed with five minutes research on the Internet. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your currently released novel, Dare to Return? Tracy: I wanted to write a book about the town where I spent my teenage years. (Geraldton, Western Australia.) That’s where the book started. Most of my teenage years I spent windsurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving in and around Geraldton, just as the heroine does in the book—and the heroine’s run-in with the grey nurse shark is actually auto-biographical. So when I sat back and thought about what I’d done with my teenage years, it didn’t seem like a very useful way to have spent one’s time. Just like the heroine, I’d hid out at the beach because I wasn’t one of the popular kids at school (too busy reading and writing my stories and getting straight A’s)...and my mind starting turning over what a waste it had all been, and what would I have done to make it more useful, and that’s how the story starting to form. I fantasized about burning my school year book as a symbolic “up yours!” for those years of purgatory...and my imagination took it from there. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel, Ningaloo Nights? Tracy: Ellora’s Cave approached me about writing a story set in Australia that would make readers want to go there. They’re doing a series called “Going Down Under” and they invited all their Australian authors to contribute to the series. Ningaloo Nights was my contribution. Ellora’s Cave wanted settings and heroes that were evocative of Australia. Ningaloo Reef and the town of Ningaloo isn’t too far north of Geraldton, and my family and I toured around that country when I was a teenager, so I knew it well. Sitting here in Canada, with evergreens and mountains around me, makes me remember that flat dry land with a certain amount of sentimentality, so it was with pleasure I wrote Ningaloo Nights. Phoebe: How do you come up with each of your characters for your novels? How do you choose their names out of so many names out there? Tracy: How long is a piece of string? This is a complex question to answer and basically would take a book on character building to answer it completely! The two central characters in a romance...well, one of the two characters are usually in my mind to start with because of the story demands. In Ningaloo Nights for instance, I already knew that I wanted the heroine to be American, so that the primary readership, North Americans, would feel more comfortable reading the story. Then, as an author I’m always looking for the most amount of conflict possible, I asked myself who would be the most uncomfortable in a tiny little town like Ningaloo? Well, that’s easy: Someone from a big, big city like New York. And so Sherry Abandonato started to form. The second character in a romance must add to the romantic conflict, so I always ask the question: Who would be the worst person for Sherry to fall in love with? And that’s who Mason Hayward must be. Names...I love playing around with names. I always try to have a good reason for a character’s name, and Mason does in Ningaloo. Names have meanings, and even if I can’t work it into the story, I try to pick names with appropriate meanings or with a nice feeling when you say it. I use Behind the Name a lot to help me research names. They have a last name page, too, that I use for last names. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your currently released novel, Dare to Return? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your currently released novel, Dare to Return? Tracy: I always like my characters when I’m writing them—especially the heroes. I tend to fall a little bit in love with them myself. I think that’s almost inevitable, if you’re a romance writer. If you can’t empathize and like your heroes, how are the readers going to like them? But I really liked Vivien. She had guts that I sometimes wish I had myself. She walked away from the hero and built her own life despite loving him. That takes backbone and a strength of character that not a lot of women can claim. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your upcoming novel, Ningaloo Nights? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your upcoming novel, Ningaloo Nights? Tracy: I’m going to have to confess that Mason was my weakness in this one...all the way. Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels? Tracy: I’m a plotter, and have been since very early on in my career. I like the speed it gives me in writing novels. The first step is usually brainstorming story ideas. I used to do this on paper—great sheets of paper everywhere, but lately I’ve learned to do it on the screen, so no more dead tree wastage. Plotting evolves out of brainstorming. There’s no dividing line. Just gradually the ideas become more concrete and detailed and I start making firm decisions. Then the book’s plot coalesces out of that morass. I keep plotting, adding more and more detail, until I’ve reached a point where I feel I’m ready to write—usually at the point where I believe I have a scene by scene breakdown. I say “believe” because it never ends up being quite as detailed as I think it’s going to be. The final book never looks exactly like what I’ve plotted and often ends up looking quite a bit different, but that’s the joy of writing versus plotting. Phoebe: Have you ever considered writing a series or are writing stand alone novels your preference? How would writing each be different for you? Tracy: I am currently writing a series for Ellora’s Cave. Red Leopard and Black Heart are the first two books in a series called Guns ‘n Lovers, set in a fictional island nation called Vistaria, off the coast of Mexico. The third book, Blue Knight, is currently a work in progress. I have written series under other pen names, and don’t mind writing them at all. They give me a chance to develop really solid characters and storylines that you just can’t build in a single title. However, I also like a decent single-title book that is well written, well balanced and solid, like a decent meal. You don’t get many of them these days. Authors and publishers all seem to be going for the trilogies, which are great to read, but sometimes you like to have a damn good read in one sitting. Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long? Tracy: Yes, I struggled to get published about as much as any author struggles, I believe. My saving grace was that I was struggling about the same time the e-book industry was coming into being and Ellora’s Cave was opening its doors. Otherwise I might have ended up taking a completely different path. I started trying for publication while I was still living in Australia, and aimed exclusively for publication with Harlequin Silhouette. I won the Romance Writers of Australia’s inaugural Emma Darcy Award (their equivalent of the Golden Heart) for Eyes of a Stranger, and Harlequin ended up looking at it twice (before and after the win), and rejecting it twice. Then I began sub-genre hopping, second-guessing what I “should” be writing. By then I was living in Canada, and the e-book industry was firing up, and Hard Shell Word Factory bought everything I’d ever written. I was suddenly published...in a format that no-one would buy, that bookstores wouldn’t stock, and that I had no idea how to promote, when readers had never heard of e-books. That was ten years ago. A few years later I heard of Ellora’s Cave, and co-wrote a manuscript with a friend of mine, that we sold to them. A rather tame regency romance, as it compares to what EC are selling these days. The money we made on that romance was staggering. Suddenly I was really published, in a way that made sense. Now, e-books and e-publishing is a legitimate business, and readers understand what an e-book is. Cerridwen Press, Ellora’s Cave’s non-erotic imprint, is now re-publishing all my books from ten years ago, and this time I have a chance to actually find readers that I didn’t find back then. Phoebe: Do you ever get writers block? What do you do to get rid of it so you can get back to writing your novels? Tracy: I rarely get blocked. Not truly blocked. When I start dithering over writing and procrastinating about getting on with the manuscript, I’ve found that it’s usually because I haven’t plotted in enough detail and I’m not entirely sure about what comes next. A few minutes or an hour or so of detailed plotting cures the problem and I can get on with writing with renewed confidence. I’ve never experienced a “block” such as other writers have described—the psychological blank wasteland where word simply have not flowed despite every trick they’ve tried to bring them to the page. I’m not sure what I’d do if that happened. Perhaps I’m too practical and anal about my work habits? I’ve never considered writing to be a matter of courting my muse. It’s a matter of putting my butt in the chair and cranking out pages. Phoebe: What is your biggest reader pet peeve, if you have any? (stock characters, unresolved endings, predictability, everything wrapped up hurriedly in the end, etc.) Tracy: I think I may have touched on this one already: Getting your facts wrong. It’s my biggest peeve right now only because lately I seem to have been getting my nose rubbed it all over the place. Some very prominent authors who really ought to know better have included the most awful whoppers in their stories. One author who shall remain nameless built an entire series around a basic premise that simply couldn’t happen in the real world and to this date, no-one has called her on it. It drives me bonkers. As for predictability, as a romantic suspense author used to plotting to stay ahead of wily readers, I’m used to being able to spot where the author is leading me, so I’m resigned to predictability. It’s a nice change when I pick up the occasional book that surprises me. Charlaine Harris manages it every now and again, for instance. Phoebe: Which aspects of writing do you enjoy the most and why? And what is your biggest writing pet peeve? (overuse of exclamation points, adverbs, bad guys named Wayne, etc.), if you have any? Tracy: I love almost all aspects of novel writing, but I think the biggest and most exciting part of it has to be the story-concept stage. The potential for what sort of story you might come up with next is essentially endless and you may well come up with the idea, the one that is going to send shivers down your back, the Gone With the Wind for this generation, or the one that is going to keep you up for the next month while you scribble it down. Many writers get struck with ideas as they move about their day. As a full time writer I don’t get that luxury because I’m writing or immerses in book business all day already. So I have to deliberately generate story ideas in specific sessions, and that’s when I get to have those idea moments. Phoebe: What is the one writing tool can you not live without? Tracy: My computer. Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane? Tracy: I’m an anal geek, and Outlook rules my life. If it isn’t talking to me on my computer, it’s beeping at me on my Blackberry. I think it has more conversations with my husband via email than I do—letting him know what I’m doing next. But at 5pm, it tells me to get my butt upstairs so I can become a normal person and a wife, and on weekends, I turn into Mr. Intensity’s adoring side kick (my husband is a professional wrestler). So it all works out. Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing? Do you have any hobbies? Tracy: Hobbies, no. But after writing all day I work out with weights at the gym (my husband weight trains with a vengeance and oversees my own workouts) and I run a couple of miles doing wind sprints on the treadmill every second day, and spend my evenings with him. We also attend romance writing and reader conventions at least once a year. Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Tracy: Plenty, but most of it has been said by others. Unfortunately, there is not sure path to success in this industry, and there’s no single path. We each get there in different ways. The one thing I learned and continue to be reminded of is that you never know what’s around the corner, so don’t give up. It could all change tomorrow. Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Tracy: I have a ton of articles, advice and resources on my website, on the articles page. I would encourage anyone who’s interested to wander through that page and read the articles there. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)? Tracy: I don’t have a favorite genre. I read all over the map. Honestly. Favorite authors: Classic Stephen King (The Stand and earlier), Stephen O’Donnell (Modesty Blaise books), Mary Stewart (Merlin series), Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising series), Desmond Bagley (anything with his name on it), Neville Shute (anything), Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Stephanie Myer (Twilight Series...yeah, I ‘fess up), Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Lora Leigh, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne McCaffrey, Ken Follett, Mike Resnick, Joe Haldeman, Peter F. Hamilton, William Goldman, J.K. Rowling, T. H. White, J.R.R. Tolkein. Phoebe: What are you reading now? And what do you plan to read after that? Tracy: I’m currently reading Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. I have The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger up next.

The concept for Beast Warrior: Viking Werewolf, came about when I was finishing up Werewolf Sanctuary, book 1 in the Wolf Maiden Chronicles. My main character Wyatt was doing research on lycan history and he mentioned a wolf maiden once taken by Vikings. The next day I read the travel section and there was an article about the Gascony Coast in South Western France. I found the area to be beautiful and read about Viking raids when it was part of the Frank Kingdom. I decided that my heroine would be a Frank wolf maiden, Emelisse, daughter of a powerful Frank lycan knight. My hero, Sigurd, would be a werewolf from Scandia who became a Viking in order to find the berserker bear men who slaughtered most of his pack. I kept to a strict schedule and finished the rough draft in four months. After editing with both my critique partners and my editor the story was ready in a few more months. My research was just as much fun as the writing of the story. I always loved Norse mythology and werewolf lore so I truly enjoyed creating this story. In the Viking world to be a member of the Wolf Clan, Ulfhednar was the greatest honor. Viking warriors believed that if they died a heroic death they would be turned into magnificent wolves. Vikings also believed wolves chasing and devouring the sun and moon caused eclipses. Two wolves accompanied Odin, ruler of the Norse Gods. He created the wolves Freki (Hungry One) and Geri (Greedy One) as loyal companions. I introduced Fenris as the wolf god of my Norse werewolves. Their enemies became the berserker bearskins, men who shift into bears. Like berserkers of legend who raided with massive weapons, wearing nothing but animal skins my berserkers lead the pillage throughout and were feared even by the Norse Jarls who hired them. In my world my characters not only had to deal with enemy lycan packs and the berserker bear men but also the dreaded disease we all know as rabies. What happens when a werewolf gets rabies? Throughout history there had been stories of wolves that boldly attack village people. The culprit for these attacks must have been rabies, which causes animals to attack in rage. The disease makes swallowing extremely painful so the animals salivate. Rabies is known as hydrophobia, which literally means fear of water. In my story Emelisse is directed to find a cure to hydrophobia from her wolf goddess, Feronia. My story is filled with werewolf lore, disease, magic and the romance between an alpha and wolf maiden. Emelisse and Sigurd must learn to love one another despite their different culture and wolf gods. Blurb: Beast Warrior: Viking Werewolf is a historical paranormal romance that takes place during the Viking Era of the Dark Ages. A time when only the strong survive. It is the second book in the Wolf Maiden Chronicles, which depicts alpha lycans and their human wolf maiden mates. Sigurd, an alpha Norse wolfskin, son of Gunnolf the Red seeks revenge against shape shifting bearskins, Bork the Mad and his son, Mord the Blood Claw for the death of his parents and his older brother Guda. Orphaned, he has been raised by his older sister Brynhild, who convinces him to take a wolf maiden in order to increase their small pack. Despite the warning by Hungerd the wolf witch, he takes a farmer’s new bride with tragic consequences. Alone he joins a long ship until the day he can avenge his pack’s demise. Emelisse, a Frank wolf maiden, has been raised and educated in the classics, science, literature and languages by female lycans of the Lupercal. Born a runt with a weak heart her father has been overprotective. She refuses to be treated like a delicate vase and rebels by seeking out riding and falconry. Now at age eighteen Emelisse frets that her father wants her to accept Radulf III the Cruel, an alpha lycan of a pack of powerful warriors. She tries to run away with her human lover. Viking werewolf, Sigurd rescues Emelisse, from the claws of the berserker bear men. He claims her as his ulf hexen or wolf maiden, but she wants to leave lycan society and live with humans. To complicate matters she has been called by her goddess Feronia to save the lycans from a dreaded disease. Their union is wrought with great peril in a world where werewolves must battle against their own kind as well as their fierce enemy, the berserker bear men. Will Emelisse accept Sigurd a foreign lycan as her alpha mate? Sigurd vows to protect her from their enemies but how can he save her before she dies from her ailing heart?

SWEET INSPIRATION by Penny Watson $ 6.99 (Book 1)(206 Pages)(Coming out on December 2, 2009)

Today I have paranormal romance author Eva Gordon who contacted me about scheduling an author interview, author guest blog and book reviews. I've already read and reviewed her first two books in her Wolf Maiden Chronicles series which are called Werewolf Sanctuary and Beast Warrior: Viking Werewolf. But that is not all because I will be chatting live with Eva Gordon on my live podcast show TAMFA—Phoebe Jordan on Thursday, October 8th at 9PM EST (8PM CST or 6PM PST). Also don't forget that this Wednesday Eva will be guest blogging about her Wolf Maiden Chronicles series. Now onto my author interview with Eva:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Eva Gordon: I’m a sucker for happy ever after endings. I hate finding out at the end that the two lovers cannot be together. Phoebe: Which author inspired you to start writing romance? Eva: Diane Gabaldon with her Jaime and Claire stories. Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you? Eva: At first I thought I was going to write fantasy and science fiction novels. But my stories always ended up having a strong romantic element. I love paranormal and fantasy romance, and also hope to write science fiction romance. I love historical romance as well and love combining paranormal and historical romance in my ‘werewolf historical’ series The Wolf Maiden Chronicles. Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote besides any school work? And do you still have it with you? Eva: I re-wrote the story of Little Red Riding Hood. I made the wolf the good guy. This was in my high school days and no, I don’t still have it. Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and does it take you a long time to gather that research? Eva: Quite a bit. I have done research on real wolves and for my paranormal historical novels I do a lot of research. I love the research process. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your current release novels, Werewolf Sanctuary and Beast Warrior, which is also the first two books in your Wolf Maiden Chronicles Series? Eva: Since I love wolves, wolf and werewolf lore I knew I wanted to create a lycan universe. After volunteering at a wolf sanctuary I decided to start my series with a contemporary Werewolf Sanctuary, where we learn about the secret lycan society that leads to the other ‘werewolf historical’ novels. Beast Warrior: Viking Werewolf takes place in 840 AD. I love Norse mythology and Viking history, which I was delighted to include in my lycan universe. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel, White Wolf of Avalon: Werewolf Knight, which is also the third book in your Wolf Maiden Chronicles Series? And what are your titles and plans for any of your future books in your Wolf Maiden Chronicles Series? Eva: I love early Britain. I read about a werewolf in King Arthur’s court named Gorlagon and who sometimes goes by the name of Marrok. Gorlagon became my ‘bad guy’. White Wolf of Avalon: Werewolf Knight is my Arthurian werewolf tale where there are cameos by Arthurian characters but the story is about my lycans and most importantly Sir Bledig, a lycan who rejects his nature to become a knight of the Round Table. Annora, is the wolf maiden who simply wants to be a scribe and historian. Court intrigue and lycan battles bring danger to all. Currently I am working on Lycan Gladiator, which takes place in Ancient Rome. Many more are planned which will touch on known werewolf lore. Even a Western one is in the works. Phoebe: How do you come up with each of your characters for your novels? How do you choose their names out of so many names out there? Eva: There is always a hero who is an alpha lycan and a heroine who is his chosen wolf maiden or human life mate. All other characters are lycans, humans or other shifters such as bearskins. How they are chosen depends on the story and time period. For naming characters I go on several websites of names from various periods in history. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your current release novels, Werewolf Sanctuary and Beast Warrior? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your current release novels, Werewolf Sanctuary and Beast Warrior? Eva: I like Sigurd from Beast Warrior because the idea of a Viking werewolf was fun to work with. His love for Emelisse is all encompassing. I can relate to Madeline Styles from Werewolf Sanctuary because like me she is scientist and I could relate to her because she refused to believe in werewolves, until Wyatt, the hunky alpha lycan drops into her world. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your upcoming novel, White Wolf of Avalon? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your upcoming novel, White Wolf of Avalon? Eva: I loved Sir Bledig, the reluctant werewolf because unlike my previous heroes he only wants to be human and fights his true nature. I can relate to Annora because she prefers intellectual pursuits rather than being the intended mate to a powerful pack leader. Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels? Eva: I select a time period and a place, I then research the local werewolf lore of that particular area. For my forthcoming novels I create the world and the major conflict. Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you? Eva: I love the series but unlike most, each of mine can be stand alone novels. In my soon to be released fantasy trilogy, The Realm Trilogy you follow the couple throughout all three books. Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long? Eva: I sent hundreds of query letters both to publishers and agents. It seemed like it took forever but in reality less than a year. Phoebe: Do you ever get writers block? What do you do to get rid of it so you can get back to writing your novels? Eva: Fortunately, I don’t get writer’s block. My problem the opposite. All the stories in my head want to come out. I have to focus on my work in progress. Phoebe: What is your biggest reader pet peeve, if you have any? (stock characters, unresolved endings, predictability, everything wrapped up hurriedly in the end, etc.) Eva: Unresolved endings, which are rare in romance but not in fantasy novels that are part of a series. I think each book should have a solid ending and not leave you hanging for another year or more. Phoebe: Which aspects of writing do you enjoy the most and why? And what is your biggest writing pet peeve? (overuse of exclamation points, adverbs, bad guys named Wayne, etc.), if you have any? Eva: I enjoy creating the first draft because I watch the characters develop and fall in love for the first time. Editing is fun because you are making your story better. I don’t really have a writing pet peeve. Phoebe: What is the one writing tool can you not live without? Eva: My computer. I don’t know how Jane Austen did it. Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane? Eva: I try to write 2000 words per day after I clean up the previous chapter. I’m an early bird and do most of my writing in the morning to early afternoon. I try not to let it interfere with my personal life, including my time working with animals. Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing? Do you have any hobbies? Eva: Part of my routine includes going on a run with my dog or biking. I also try volunteer at local animal sanctuaries. I want to be a falconer’s apprentice but for the moment that has been suspended while I start my writing career. Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Eva: Get a good critique partner who will help without changing your story and voice. Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Eva: For research create a folder for each particular book with bookmarks. In terms of promotion and marketing I am still a novice, but a good internet presence is a must. Be everywhere. I still need help with marketing because all I really want to do is write. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)? Eva: I like fantasy and historical novels. I like Jacqueline Carey, Terry Goodkind and Diane Gabaldon. I don’t have a particular favorite author for historical novels. I also like non-fiction natural history books as well. Phoebe: What are you reading now? And what do you plan to read after that? Eva: Nothing at the moment since I’m writing my current novel and the only reading I do for the moment is research material. But I will read Diane Gabaldon’s next Jaimie and Claire novel due out next month.

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I have read a couple of ebooks published by Wild Horse Press which include ebooks by Jessica Coulter Smith, Linda Palmer and Paige Warren. So when Wild Horse Press contacted me to inquire if I accepted review requests from publishers and asked me if I would like to review Paige Warren's short contemporary romance story I accepted. I love their website because it is so clean and easy to find everything you would like to know about their authors, books and submission guidelines and more. I might really consider submitting my manuscript to them if I ever get it finished and editing enough to fit their requirements for submission. I have read and reviewed Paige Warren's other short story called Baby and All for Wild Horse Press so I was looking forward to reading her newly released short story. Well onto the book review for Paige Warren's latest short contemporary romance story, Unexpected Wife, that I will say right off I finished off in less than 6 hours after starting it.

This novel when I first read the blurb reminded me of her novel, Baby and All, because it was about a woman on the run from a man. It begins with Ainsley McCullough, the heroine, being on the running from her past for a while and when she stumbles across an abandoned farm house, she thinks that maybe things will start to look up. Getting a job in the small Texas town, she's surprised to learn the man who owns her home is in jail since she is on the run from the police because she thinks that she killed her ex-boyfriend when he tried to kill her. Braedan O'Connor, the hero, was falsely accused of a crime and has spent the past year in jail and so he's anxious to get home and see what kind of damage has been done to his home. When Braedan enters his home and smells homemade apple pie, he's surprised to say the least because then he spots the woman responsible for the mouth watering smell and all of his senses come alive. Ainsley hadn't expected to get caught in the man's home and so when she comes face to face with the handsome stranger, she isn't sure what to expect. Knowing he was in jail frightens her, almost as much as his good looks turn her on and so now she wonders what price will she have to pay for invading his home?

Well though I found some similarities in this book from her previous short story it was unique with it's own plot that had me wanting more. I really enjoyed reading about Ainsley and Braeden who are complex characters in their own right which is something I like in a story. I don't read that many short stories because I feel that I don't get to know the characters that well in such a short space of time but I couldn't stop reading this short story because it was GREAT! It was a bit fast paced but I loved reading about Ainsley who is a woman that wants to make a life for herself even though she's scared that she may have killed her abusive ex-boyfriend. I also really loved reading about Braeden who is a strong and handsome man who is so honest and a real gentleman though he was sent to prison for a crime that he didn't commit. Paige Warren delivers yet another wonderfully romantic romance short story that will keep you reading from start to end wondering what will happen next for Ainsley and Braeden. I'm a fan of Paige's short stories and will be looking out for more in the future but I'm hoping that she will one day write a full-length romance novel for me to enjoy because these short stories are only whetting my appetite. I give this book 4 Open Books:

Here is the description of the book from Paige's website and picture:

UNEXPECTED WIFE by Paige Warren $ 3.98 (56 Pages)

Ainsley McCullough has been running from her past for a while. When she stumbles across an abandoned farm house, she thinks that maybe things will start to look up. Getting a job in the small Texas town, she's surprised to learn the man who owns her home is in jail. Braedan O'Connor was falsely accused of a crime and has spent the past year in jail. He's anxious to get home and see what kind of damage has been done to his home. When Braedan enters his home and smells homemade apple pie, he's surprised to say the least. Spotting the woman responsible for the mouth watering smell, all of his senses come alive. Ainsley hadn't expected to get caught in the man's home. Face to face with the handsome stranger, she isn't sure what to expect. Knowing he was in jail frightens her, almost as much as his good looks turn her on. What price will she have to pay for invading his home?

Romance author turned Young Adult author Linda Palmer who I've met online through the wonderful online publisher Wild Horse Press. She contacted me about reviewing her debut young adult novel, The Cinderella Swap, and then J.M. at Wild Horse Press contacted me about reviewing Linda's upcoming young adult novel with them called, Jaguar Moon. That led Linda to contacting me about scheduling an author interview and author guest blog so today's the day I post my interview with Linda. And don't forget that on Thursday, October 15th I will be chatting live with Linda on my live podcast show TAMFA—Phoebe Jordan about her change from writing print romance novels with Silhouette books to writing young adult novels in ebook format. Now onto my interview with Linda:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing young adult romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life after having written Silhouette Romance novels? Which author inspired you to start writing young adult romance? Linda Palmer: After ten years and 21 books with Silhouette Books, I was very tired of genre romance. I really didn't want to read it, much less write. I focused on other things for the next ten years, specifically my mother, who had breast cancer, and my daughter, who had a baby. I became "Nana" and had a ball with that. When I began to read again, I found Meg Cabot. Her YA novels absolutely captured me. I could not put them down. I decided then and there that's what I wanted to write. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books have been a total joy, too, and really confirmed my choice. Phoebe: Did you know what type of young adult romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you? Linda: I deliberately dissected my favorite YA books to find out why I loved them so much. Based on that, I made a list of what I wanted in mine. I've tried to stay with that "formula" since it ensures a book that I would want to read, myself. Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote besides any school work? And do you still have it with you? Linda: Writers write, and that's what I've always done, starting with poems in grade school and moving up short stories in junior high and high school. I still have spiral notebooks of handwritten poems and romance short stories from that time period. Hopefully, no one will ever read them! Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and does it take you a long time to gather that research? Linda: I research as I write, using the internet. Everything has to be looked up from the weather in a certain state to the food in a restaurant. Sometimes a quick peek will work, and other times I print off entire articles and maps. For the book I'm working on now, I've already printed off articles on the Appalachian mountains, a holistic health college, and the University of Alabama, as well as a list of mystical herbs...and I'm only twelve pages into the story. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your current release, The Cinderella Swap? Linda: Meg Cabot's 1-800-Where-R-You series really inspired this book. The heroine in those books is a tomboy with a psychic gift and a boyfriend to die for. Keeping those things in mind, I created Ren Montgomery, a girl who can't stay out of trouble for all the right reasons. I deliberately brainstormed her psychic gift—seeing a flash of color that reveals character—trying to come up with something different. Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel, Jaguar Moon? Linda: Twilight and "Ghost Hunters" on the SyFy channel inspired me to think outside the box for this one. I wound up with Livvie Merick, an empath, who encounters a couple of ghosts and a shapeshifter in the course of the novel. Phoebe: How do you come up with each of your characters for your novels? How do you choose their names out of so many names out there? Linda: My characters just come to me. Not sure how. But I always have a clear picture of them in my head and can hear each one's distinct voice. I choose names very carefully off the lists that are on the internet. I get last names from the phone book. I say them out loud and try to match them to my character. I also look at the meaning of the name, and sometimes I honor people or beloved characters from books or movies. For example, I got Livvie's last name, Merrick, from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Almost all my characters have nick names. Ren is short for Serena. Livvie is short for Olivia. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your current release, The Cinderella Swap? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your current release, The Cinderella Swap? Linda: My favorite character in this book is Dugan, the hero. As senior, Dugan has a lot on his plate, including a mom and stepmom who've died of cancer, a dad whose not around, a stepsister going through her awkward junior high school phase, and a grandmother with Alzheimer's. He's hard working, self-deprecating, and totally perfect for Ren. That said, I relate more to Ren, who sympathizes with the underdog and often takes on more than she can handle. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite character that you really enjoyed writing about in your upcoming novel, Jaguar Moon? Did you have a character that you felt you could really relate to in your upcoming novel, Jaguar Moon? Linda: My favorite character and the one I relate to most is Livvie, the heroine. She's a bit of an outsider, as I always was, and has a very open mind. Unfortunately, I'm not psychic. Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels? Linda: I usually start with a single scene and from there build up the back story. I make charts and lists and timelines. I also write short character summaries. I usually have a whole file of back-up stuff by the time I've finished. Phoebe: Have you ever considered writing a series or are writing stand alone novels your preference? How would writing each be different for you? Linda: I think a series would be hard to write if the same characters were used over and over because the relationship between the hero and heroine would have to be spaced out over the course of the books. That could get tricky since I'm all about happy endings. On the other hand, it might be fun to take minor characters from one book and give them their own story in another. I know that some of my "test readers" have wanted to read more about the secondary characters in Jaguar Moon. Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long? Linda: The first time around, it took me 2 ½ years and four books to find an agent. The seventh agent I queried took me on. She sold my first paperback romance, Heart of the Matter, to Silhouette Books in six months. I didn't know at the time how lucky I was. The second go round, ten years and a new genre later, I tried for 2 years to get an agent and bombed out. So I did a little research and turned to e-publishing. Though a lot of paper writers seem leery of e-books, I think they're the wave of the future, and I'm having a ball writing them. Phoebe: Do you ever get writers block? What do you do to get rid of it so you can get back to writing your novels? Linda: I read. What goes in must come out, at least in my case. I read books that open me up to new ideas, for example Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books and Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books. Before long, I have to write again or explode. Phoebe: What is your biggest reader pet peeve, if you have any? (stock characters, unresolved endings, predictability, everything wrapped up hurriedly in the end, etc.) Linda: Point of view mess ups drive me nuts. I'm a real purist where that's concerned. I'm also a grammar nut, which is not to say I don't make mistakes. I do, but I try to catch and fix them. Phoebe: Which aspects of writing do you enjoy the most and why? And what is your biggest writing pet peeve? (overuse of exclamation points, adverbs, bad guys named Wayne, etc.), if you have any? Linda: I hate to plot. I'm lousy at it, and it's stressful. Thank God for the friends who brainstorm with me. But once I've got the story in my head and a synopsis on paper, I'm good to go. And nothing makes me happier than finding the right word and condensing a ten-word sentence into a five-word sentence with clear, concise meaning. It's all about word play and rhythm. It takes me about an hour to write a page, but when I'm finished with it, I'm finished. No second and third drafts for me. Phoebe: What is the one writing tool can you not live without? Linda: My computer. I started with a manual typewriter, worked up to an electric typewriter, then a word processor, then a computer. Couldn't live without it now. Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane? Linda: Good question. I've always worked full-time and written on the side, which means a lot of late nights, early mornings, and weekends at the computer. I try not to get stressed when I'm kept away from my story for weeks at a time, but it's hard. And there are days when I want to give up. But the rewards are worth the sacrifices. I know that I'll be able to retire from the "day job" in a couple of years, and then the challenge will be to stay off the computer. Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing? Do you have any hobbies? Linda: I read and watch movies to relax and refuel. I also like to draw. Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Linda: I can't really think of anything. I will say that s lot of amazing writers helped me get on the right path by offering kind, constructive critiques. Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you? Linda: The single most important thing I ever did was read Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain. That book showed me the way, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Another good book is Writing Novels That Sell by Jack Bickham. As far as promotion and marketing tips, I'm still learning those, myself. I think the main thing is to create a web presence. There are a lot of wonderful e-romance web sites out there, including this one. Take advantage of their promo ideas. Phoebe: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)? Linda: I'm totally into paranormal books at the moment. I particularly admire JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Charlaine Harris, and Jim Butcher. Phoebe: What are you reading now? And what do you plan to read after that? Linda: I'm re-reading Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (love that Eric!). After that, I'll continue with the Harry Dresden books. I'm on number six now and loving them.