Pump Up Your Book Promotion is currently running a virtual book blog tour with the author. You can find out more information here.

Lately, some of the comments I’ve received from readers regarding one of the bad guys in Forged in Fire, my debut romantic suspense, has reminded me of an interview she did after her book All The Queen’s Men came out.

All the Queen’s Men featured black ops specialist John Medina, a secondary hero she’d introduced in Kill and Tell, a prior book.  John Medina was such a strong character in Kill and Tell, readers everywhere were clamoring for his love story and I was no exception. I couldn’t wait for John’s story. But when I finally read the book, the character that intrigued me the most wasn’t John Medina, rather it was an arms dealer named Louis Ronsard. And no, Louis wasn’t the hero of the book, far from it, he was the villain.

But Linda Howard made me care about him, she made me understand why he did the terrible things he did. She didn’t white-wash him. She didn’t back off and make him redeemable. She didn’t turn him into a hero.  He was a villain plain and simple, but he was a villain who did very bad things for a good reason. A reason most people understood, a reason most people identified with.

Everything Ronsard did was for love.

Everything he did was to protect a daughter he adored, a daughter who was dying.  To save his daughter, he was willing to do anything, sacrifice anyone. Indeed everything Ronsard did, good and bad, was driven by his love for his child.

And because we understood Ronsard’s choices, we embraced him. Linda Howard said in one of her interviews the question she got asked the most was when she was going to give Ronsard his own love story.  Apparently, the volume of fan mail Ronsard got surprised her. But she said he couldn’t be turned into a hero, because even though he’d been driven by identifiable emotions, what he’d done was inexcusable.  Unforgivable.

He wasn’t hero material, because he wasn’t redeemable, the things he’d done made him unheroic.

But I wonder. . . .

A couple of months ago I read Maya Banks’ Hidden Away, the third book in her KGI series. One of the villains in this book reminded me of Ronsard, but with one big difference. In Hidden Away, even though the villain was capable of great love and felt it toward his sister—most of his dark deeds were not done in the name of love, they were done because he was a sociopath and he was looking out for his own interests. But Maya Banks did something interesting with him; she made me hope he wasn’t the horrific monster that the book’s hero believed him to believe. I kept hoping, right up to the end, that he was an undercover agent and hadn’t really done what everyone accused him of doing. Why? Because I liked him. The love he felt for his sister, and what he’d done to strike back at the men who’d hurt her—these things resonated with me. He wasn’t your token Godless monster.

Although, in some ways it’s easier to read about a Godless monster, one who is incapable of true feeling. It’s easier, because we can’t imagine doing something similar. We can’t identify with their actions, or motivations, so they’re safe. But when it comes to villains doing horrific things because of love, well we identify with that. And if we put ourselves in their shoes, yeah—that’s when the uncomfortable questions arise. What would we do to keep our loved ones safe?

Russ, the villain in Forged in Fire, is more like Hidden Away’s villain than Ronsard. He does terrible things because the outcome benefits him. But he does have one big soft spot. He has a family he adores, a family he would do anything for.  And when this weakness is used against him, he will do anything, sacrifice anyone—including himself—to save the people he loves.

Reader response to Russ has surprised me, as much as the response to Ronsard apparently surprised Linda Howard. I’ve received dozens of emails from people saying they felt bad when he died. Or that he made them uncomfortable, because they found themselves liking him. They kept forgetting what he’d done in the past.

This is a cold-blooded killer who’d sacrificed hundreds of people to his own self-interest. Who had no qualms about killing children if their deaths benefitted him, yet people felt sorry for him.

Because he was capable of love, capable of giving his life for those he loved, readers identified with him. Some of them actually liked him.

Apparently, all it takes to turn a cold-blooded killer into a sympathetic villain is a little love.

What’s the last sympathetic villain you’ve read? Are there any villains you would have liked turned into heroes and given their own story? I have to confess, I was one of the ones who wanted to read Ronsard’s story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Trish McCallan has been writing for as long as she can remember.

In grade school she wrote children’s stories, illustrated them with crayons and bound the sheets together with pencil-punched holes and red yarn.  She used to sell these masterpieces at her lemonade stand for a nickel a book. Surprisingly, people actually bought them. Like, all of them. Every night she’d write a new batch for her basket.

As she got older her interest shifted to boys and horses. The focus of her literary masterpieces followed this shift. Her first full length novel was written in seventh grade and featured a girl, a horse and a boy. At the end of the book the teenage heroine rode off into the sunset . . . with the horse.

These days she sticks to romantic suspense with hot alpha heroes and roller-coaster plots. Since she is a fan of all things bizarre, paranormal elements always find a way into her fiction. Her current release, Forged in Fire, was the result of a Black Dagger Brotherhood reading binge, a cold, a bottle of NyQuil and a vivid dream.

You can find Trish at www.trishmccallan.com.

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Beth Brown doesn’t believe in premonitions until she dreams a sexy stranger is gunned down during the brutal hijacking of a commercial airliner. When events in her dream start coming true, she heads to the flight’s departure gate. To her shock, she recognizes the man she’d watched die the night before.

Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters comes from a bloodline of elite warriors with psychic abilities. When Zane and two of his platoon buddies arrive at Sea-Tac Airport, he has a vision of his teammates’ corpses. Then she arrives—a leggy blonde who sets off a different kind of alarm.

As Beth teams up with Zane, they discover the hijacking is the first step in a secret cartel’s deadly global agenda and that key personnel within the FBI are compromised. To survive the forces mobilizing against them, Beth will need to open herself to a psychic connection with the sexy SEAL who claims to be her soul mate.

FORGED IN FIRE is exclusively available through Amazon.

Click here to buy!

Read the first chapter! 

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Trish McCallan’s is letting us giveaway a digital copy of Forged in Fire to a lucky commentor. This giveaway is open worldwide and will run through the month of February until 11:59pm Feb 29, 2012.

To enter the giveaway, answer the author’s question…

What’s the last sympathetic villain you’ve read? Are there any villains you would have liked turned into heroes and given their own story?

For me stories come in pieces. As they come I make notes because sometimes I don’t realize it’s the same plot just a different character’s take on the situation.

Hell On The Heart gave me the villain first.

My secret guilty sin is I like to read erotica. But after a few stories, I noticed a trend in the boy meets girl saga. The women had no trouble with the trust factor. To summarize the theme: within five pages of meeting, anything goes.

This has not been my experience in life.

In the books the hero was good looking, had earned a gold metal in the sexual Olympics, was financially successful and had spent his entire life waiting for the green-eyed, red-haired beauty who’s last words before being gagged were: “Let’s do it, daddy.”

What if a man had all those characteristics: looks, charm and wealth, but was intrinsically evil? What if, as contrast, the hero wasn’t pretty, rich or charming? And what if the heroine was the clever one of the three?

Mix in a few other issues like Gypsies, Native Americans, Federal Agents, white slave trading, murder and you’ve got a novel.

Caught In The Middle, on the other hand, began as a standard romance. The heroine had been the mouthy sidekick in Dance of Passion. I understand my characters through writing.  About 2/3’s of the way through the story it occurred to me that my forty-four-year-old heroine needed a family.

At the same time, a little girl who was the niece of an employee had been diagnosed with leukemia at about 18 months. We’d spent a year and a half hoping for a miracle as she danced with the disease that inevitably shuffled two steps forward, then bounced three steps back. Eventually we were reduced to watching her die.  In my story I gave her a different ending – the one she’s deserved – a chance to grow up in a loving family.

I tear-up when I talk about this story, not because through fiction I saved her, but because real life didn’t follow the script. Which is why I write romance. There are events that need a happily-ever-after ending.

We live in a time of uncertainty. Dangers we never believed existed are now very real.  At a recent conference the speaker said romantic suspense sells well when we don’t believe anything bad can happen to us. When threatened we invent heroes that are bigger than life. During the depression and into WWII, superheroes came of age. They could protect us from everything bad that was happening in the world.

We are now seeing a rise in movies of the superhero – Thor, Spiderman, Ironman, Batman, Captain America. But we are also seeing a rise in paranormal books and movies. Why? I think because vampires are stronger than humans and have supernatural qualities. The hero may begin the book as a blood sucking bad guy, but eventually with the love of a good woman they become a blood-sucking good guy. Or at least that’s my take on it.

We need a good story to let us escape the sorrows in our lives, an adventure that lets us travel to a new world, see new vistas and cope with problems other than our own. Books are on the decline and reading on the rise.

If you see it differently, I’d like to hear your ideas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Nancy Brophy grew up reading and writing.

Her imaginary friends have rich, larger-than-life lives with definite beginnings, snappy middles, and above all, happy endings. Her personal life is never as clearly defined. Beginnings are hard to locate. A new job, a school term, a family event like a death or wedding might signal the start of something new, but it’s never heralded with any fanfare. It appears as just another link in the chain.

She lives in the beautiful, green and very wet Northwest with her husband, two naughty dogs, PB and J, and forty rowdy chickens.

Like all marriages they’ve had their ups and downs, more good times than bad. Most recently they spent fourteen nail-biting months living in an apartment while their house was rebuilt from a house-fire in 2010. In the process she have acquired an in-depth knowledge of kitchen cabinets, bathroom plumbing fixtures and leaking roofs. If this writing thing doesn’t work out, she plans to investigate becoming a contractor who specializes in on-time, under-budget remodels. There is a fortune to be made by the builder who can deliver on his promises.

Her stories are about pretty men and strong women, about families that don’t always work and about the joy of finding love and the difficulty of making it stay.

FIND NANCY…
Author Website | Author Blog: Rebuilding from a House Fire | Multi-Author Blog: See Jane Publish

A romantic suspense with gypsies, forensics, mystery, and more…
Hell on the Heart by Nancy Brophy is a compelling romantic suspense that not only delves into the sinister world of human trafficking but also presents a fascinating look at how a community of gypsies keeps one foot firmly in their magical world while mastering the high tech potentials of forensic science. This may sound hard to follow, or overly intense, but it’s wonderfully presented and well paced. The story is strong and the suspense is interesting and creative.
- Terri Patrick (from Amazon reviews)

Agent John Stillwater’s scarred face reflects the life of man dedicated to protecting his country. Currently his team is dealing with a nationwide white slavery ring, but lack evidence to prove it. An unusual set of circumstances in a nowhere town in Texas leads John to investigate.

Cain McIntosh’s career is making him rich. In his chauffeur-driven limo, his tailored suits, his ten thousand dollar watch and his private jet, Cain visits different towns each week and finds the girl of his dreams. Or so he says as he convinces her to come home with him and meet his family. Unfortunately, the girl who agrees to go, knowing she will be the envy of her friends, is never heard from again.

Can a petite gypsy woman bring down a man the FBI can’t find? Agent Stillwater isn’t giving her a chance to find out. Like it or not, Stillwater plans to remain glued to her side. With her family watching his every move, it doesn’t take tarot cards to read the heat between them.

Gravity has always been a friend of mine. It binds me to the earth, it’s kept me close to the ground. No matter how high I get, how hard I jump, gravity’s always there to pull me back and make sure I don’t fly out into space.

Life’s strength is its weakness: it’s always in a state of flux. Life is ever changing, ever moving, forever evolving. This makes life hard to predict. Sometimes, we do the best we can. We give one-hundred percent and we still fail.

That’s why, for me, writing is all about gravity. Books keep me centered, they’re that universal constant that gives me stability and helps me predict the future. I need the prediction. I rely on the stability. When I’m writing, I find a safe place where I control the outcome and I can make sure the good guy wins and the bad guy’s punished.

I’m never certain of that constant in real life. Too often, I see the bad guy hire an expensive lawyer, and see the innocent dying for a lack of protection. But in my writing and my work, I can take those things I see, twist and turn them, until the story (and ultimately) the world around me makes sense.

It’s also why I like writing comedy.

Comedy (according to John Vorhaus) is about truth and pain. He’s right. In comedy, we take something painful, wrap it in an attractive package, and then shine a light on it in such a way, we see life in a different perspective. And in seeing that new perspective, we’re better equipped to deal with the trials and hurts life throws our way.

In What Happens in Vegas, we meet Binda Morningstar. She’s the Every Woman: trying to find love, trying to live a life of integrity, and trying to keep her job. Of course, in the story (as in life) nothing really runs smoothly.

Her boss goes missing. Everyone (but Binda) figures he just took off. She knows something’s gone wrong, but if she’s going to find him, she’s going to have to take big risks.

That’s kind of like life, too. Getting what we want means stepping out of our comfort zones.

For Binda, it doesn’t go well. In fact, it goes hilariously wrong. From meeting the cop who’ll help her, to taking on the bad guy, every moment Binda is metaphorically standing with pie on her face.

That’s like life, too. We try. We fail. We try again.

But she persists, because it’s the right thing to do. Her gravity is the sense of right and wrong. It’s what keeps her grounded through the battle with the YIFFS at the sex convention, through her fight with the mobster, and through the twists and turns of her falling in love with the cop.

It’s what keeps her laughing and centered as the clock ticks down and her world starts to crumble. Because that’s life too: finding the funny moment in the midst of chaos…like the time I had to phone 9-1-1 and after the ambulance arrived for my life and death situation, the funny-crazy juxtaposition of the ambulance guy getting lost and I having to direct him to the hospital.

There’s always a moment when we can laugh and find that sliver of light in the dark situation. As we spin in the midst of the hard stuff of life and as those jagged, terrible pieces send us into orbit, laughter is what breaks our upward trajectory.

In our laughter and smile, gravity finds us. It reaches out with gentle hands and catches us before we fly too high, and it brings us back to earth. To solid footing and soft sand, to sunny days and rainy nights. It brings us back to center and allows us to walk once more, to put one foot in front of the other and predict our future and find our stability. ~ Natasha Deen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…When Natasha was little, there was only one thing she wanted to be: a superhero. Unfortunately, being a klutz isn’t a super-power. She turned to writing because it allows her to be anything she wants, including a caped crusader. When not writing, she is an instructor and editor. Visit her at www.natashadeen.com, and hang out with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

What Happens in Vegas
It’s not that Binda Morningstar’s an idiot—the girl’s got more degrees than a thermometer—but there’s something about a crisis that makes her lose her mind…and accidently injure anyone within a ten foot radius. But if she’s going to rescue her boss from a cursed jewel, she’s going to have to keep it together. Unfortunately for her, the cop on the case, Corin Hawthorne, has her losing her mind and her heart…and if he gets anymore drool worthy, she’s going to lose her inhibitions, too. To save her boss and win her man, she’s got to outrun a mobster, outwit the YIFFS at a sex fetish convention, and outthink an ex-wife—and she’s got to do it all without breaking an arm or inadvertently hitting anyone with pepper spray…it’s all got Binda hoping that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Before we get into Deanna Raybourn’s interview I’d like to first give a background to how I got around to getting an exclusive interview with the author.

You see, I have this crazy cousin whom I’ve recently been reconnected with (gotta love Facebook). She loves reading as much as I do and she also happens to be a book seller. Remind me dear cuz to tell you all about my book store dream since I know you’re reading this.

One day last week we were discussing books and I told her to pick any author she wished to get an exclusive interview with. Mind you, at this time, I was just trying to impress her (don’t ask…lol), but inside I started to panic when she took me up on my offer because authors usually come to me or a tour coordinator coordinates an interview with me, therefore, I’ve NEVER approached an author before. Like I said, she took my challenge and within minutes she told me about Deanna Raybourn and how much she worshiped her and thought her to be a literary Goddess.

I did some research and hit Deanna up with an e-mail begging her to help me out in fear that my psychotic cousin might twist my arm off until she agreed to an interview here at The Book Faery Reviews. I figured that if I mentioned that torture would be involved surely she’d have no choice but to agree. In addition, I posted a book trailer with another plea to the author in hopes that she’d respond back to me.

And she did. Within an hour or two she agreed to save me from my cousin’s wrath if I didn’t deliver.

As soon as I sent dear deranged cousin (Paige, I love you!) the news, within FIVE MINUTES she had her questions (all.thirteen). Geez…seriously. Does my cousin carry around questions in the back of her pocket in hopes of one day interviewing one of her favorites?! Still, you gotta love her!

Because this exclusive interview did so well, I think I’m going to offer the challenge to more of the readers from The Book Faery Reviews. Let them pick a favorite author to interview and give THEM the opportunity to ask their questions.

INTRO TO RAYBOURN’S LADY JULIA GREY SERIES FROM CRAZY COUSIN…Well, the first book begins- and I can quote this from memory: “To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate.  Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”  HA!  I was hooked!

Basically I’d say the series is 80% mystery and 20% romance, with a dash of Gypsy magic tossed in. It follows the adventures of Lady Julia Grey- obviously widowed in the first book- and private investigator Nicholas Brisbane (yum). Basically, Julia is the weird one in her family because she is normal. Her maiden name was March- and they are known for doing crazy things like ride down the street naked on a horse or marry a footman. Julia is a mouse of a lady when the series begins, but she quickly begins to come out of her shell.

The series is well researched, funny (and witty), suspenseful and at times- romantic. The series is very character driven; Deanna really creates characters who you care about and you root for. And they’ll make you laugh- oh how you’ll laugh- which in my book is about as good as you can get.

Anyhoo…now on to Deanna’s exclusive interview at The Book Faery Reviews. Oh and Deanna? Thank you SO MUCH AGAIN for saving me.

Crazy Cousin via The Book Faery Reviews: Did the idea for Julia Grey come bursting into your mind all at once in a loud frenzy, or did she slip in quietly and lady like, gently encouraging you to write her story?

Deanna Rayburn: The story came together very quickly once I made up my mind that I wanted to write a nineteenth-century book about a poisoning. I had the crime, I had the sleuth, I had the killer, I had the victim. My biggest stumbling block was the setting itself! I initially planned it to be set in 1816, but I was about fifty pages in when I realized that wouldn’t work because the time period was just off. It needed dark and atmospheric gaslit streets, not the England of Jane Austen. So I reset the book in 1886 and it worked perfectly. And if you’ve read Julia, you know there’s nothing particularly quiet about her…

TBFR: The first time many people read your books, they assume you are British because as they tell me “you write British”…have you always been interested in British culture and history? Or did the interest start after Julia came to life?

DR: My father is a first-generation American—his mother is English—so I come by the Anglophilia honestly. I always read English books as a child and watched English television shows, soit was very easy for me to slip in to the syntax when I started writing a first-person English narrator. One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received is when I met the editor in my publisher’s London officeand he was shocked I was American! I think it takes a great deal of immersion to grasp the differences between American English and British English, largely because they are so subtle that you can pass rightby them without them registering. It’s something I still work on because it’s never going to be perfect, butI’m going to make it better every chance I get.

TBFR: Portia is one of my favorite characters ( as was Jane- sniff). Her loyalty, intelligence class and humor make her a lovable character to the reader. Did you decide she was going to be gay or did she tell you? Did you find it a challenge to write a character during that time period who was gay, seeing as it was not an open or accepted state of being in the 1880s? (Especially in London.)

DR: Portia is one of my favorites too. She was initially intended to be in the first book only, but she was such a great foil to Julia that I endedup putting her into every book. She’s just great fun to write. I deliberately made her a lesbian because Ihad a few rather unsavory gay male characters and I wanted a balance for that. I have several friendswho are tremendously important to me and happen to be gay; I didn’t want anyone to be able to seize onthe unpleasant homosexual characters I had written and use them for some sort of agenda, so the most logical solution was to present the other side and have a lovely character who happened to be lesbian as well. But Portia is not quite so much out of step with her times as people might sometimes think. There were Victorian lesbians—and even a lesbian commune with its own newspaper in London in the nineteenth century! Their relationships might have been discreet, but they were certainly part of English society.

TBFR: Did you always intend Brisbane as a romantic interest for Julia or did you find that once you started writing the book, they were naturally drawn to each other?

DR: Brisbane was always intended to be her other half. I deliberately left the first book hanging a bit in order to accommodate a series, but there was never aquestion in my mind that they would end up together.

TBFR: I find the Roma culture and history to be endlessly fascinating- do you intend to let that part of Brisbane’s life expand in future novels so we can learn more, or do you feel it’s best left as a side story?

DR: Brisbane’s past is coming out in bits and pieces through the books. It’s more enjoyable that way, I think,rather than getting it all at once. It’s also a necessity because I have never sat down and written a full back story for him. I knew parts of it, but the rest is coming out as I go along. The funny thing is that the details that are coming out in later books are popping out of my subconscious and fit perfectly into placesI didn’t realize I was preparing in the earlier books. Serendipity…

TBFR: How long does it typically take for you to research your books?

DR: The first book took quite awhile—two years to research and read—but much of that was because I started it just as the internet was really taking off as a place to find information. Now I can do it in a fraction of the time because it’s so much easier to track down out of print research materials or check a fact. It’s difficult to say exactly how long each one takes because I tend to write about things I was already interested in and had been reading about. It also makes a difference if I’m writing a Victorian book because I have half a million words’ worth of experience writing about it now so I tend to be pretty comfortable!

TBFR: Was writing “The Dead Travel Fast” a different experience for you as a writer, because it was a departure from Julia? Do you relate to different books in different ways?

DR: The Dead Travel Fast was the most difficult book I’ve written. I wrote the first version and my editor asked for changes; I ended up keeping only twenty pages out of five hundred! So I essentially wrote it twice in a very short period of time. It was a mammoth undertaking and absolutely pushed me to my limit as a writer. But the book was better for it, and even though it was pure pain at the time, the book has actually been nominated for two awards, and those nominations probably mean more to me than any others because they were so hard-won. I went through a phase where I didn’t want to think about that book at all, but now it’s become an example to me that whatever challenge I’m up against I can take it on.

TBFR: Can we expect more stand alone novels in the future?

DR: Absolutely! In fact, my publisher and I are chatting now about the next book–another departure from the series. It’s very important to my editor that I get regular breaks from the series because any series, no matter how much you love it, is going to provide you with constraints. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and be challenged to do something new. I think complacency is poison to creativity.

TBFR: As you grow as a writer and a celebrity, are you finding it to be an adjustment to deal with the publicity?(i.e.- crazy booksellers stalking you in Facebook?)

DR: It’s a difficult juggling act for writers sometimes because the skill set needed to be a writer is completely different from the skill set needed to be an author. One is quiet and introspective and requires solitude; the other demands that you put yourself out there and be sociable and comfortable with public attention. I’m very fortunate in that the public side of things doesn’t bother me at all—in fact, I love chatting with readers and getting to meet them, both in person and online! It’s a nice balance to all the time I spend in my tiny pink study with the cursor blinking at me. I also draw boundaries between what is public and what is private, and I am very quick to enforce them if I have to. For instance, I discuss my family sometimes on my blog, but I don’t actually ever use their names—except the dog. He has quite a following on Facebook.

TBFR: Is there any of your personality in any of your characters, or do you keep them totally separate from you as a person. (I find that many authors feel there is always a bit of them in the characters they write.)

DR: People who read Julia Grey always point out that she is me, albeit with a title and a fortune! We do have a very similar point of view and similar values, but she is also just a part of who I am and she has some qualities that are uniquely her own. I, for instance, have never felt compelled to sleuth out a murderer…

TBFR: Why historical fiction? What is it that draws you to the past?

DR: I think it has to do with the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. I am too familiar with today, and I like to romanticize the past. I like the differences in manners and customs, in ways of dress and organizing one’s affairs, although in fact I usually go looking for the things that have remained the same, the ways we connect to people who lived centuries ago. Strip away the clothes and the other trappings and we are pretty much the same as we ever were.

TBFR: What does your family think of your success? Do they contribute to your pool of ideas?

DR: There is absolutely no way I could have done any of this without my family. My parents were always hugely supportive of my intention to become a writer and encouraged me when I said I was majoring in history and English. And my husband has been my biggest champion—whenever I moaned about the lack of money and said I needed to go and get a job his response was always, “You have a job. You’re a writer. You’re just not published yet.” He said that for fourteen years until I finally got a publishing contract! My mother proofreads all of my books as they’re written; my father and daughter provide endless encouragement and cups of tea and errand-running. It might take a village to raise a child, but it really takes one to make a writer.

TBFR: What is one question you always wish an interviewer would ask you but never does? And what is the answer?

DR: No one ever asks about my favorite college football team. Hook ‘em, ‘Horns!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HER LATEST BOOK…A sixth-generation native Texan, Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her college sweetheart. She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history. During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time.

Fourteen years and many, many rejections after her first novel, she signed two three-book deals with MIRA Books.

“Sex, lies and awesome clothing descriptions” is how one reader described Deanna’s debut novel, Silent in the Grave, published in January 2007. The first in the Silent series, the book follows Lady Julia Grey as she investigates the mysterious death of her husband with the help of the enigmatic private inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane. From the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to a Gypsy camp on Hampstead Heath, Silent in the Grave deftly captures the lush ambience of Victorian London.

The series continues with the second book, Silent in the Sanctuary (January 2008), a classic English country house murder mystery with a few twists and turns for Brisbane and Lady Julia along the way. Silent on the Moor (March 2009), set in a grim manor house on the Yorkshire moors, is the third adventure for Lady Julia and the mysterious Brisbane.

March 2010 saw a departure from the series with the release of The Dead Travel Fast, a mid-Victorian Gothic thriller that chronicles the adventures of novelist Theodora Lestrange as she leaves the safety and security of her Edinburgh home for the dark woods and haunted castles of Transylvania. Deanna turned once more to Lady Julia and her companions with Dark Road to Darjeeling (October 2010). With an exotic setting in the foothills of the Himalayas and theintroduction of an arch-villain, Dark Road to Darjeeling is the most thrilling installment yet.The fifth book in the series, The Dark Enquiry, sees the return of Lady Julia and Brisbane toLondon for their most puzzling adventure and will be available in stores in June 2011.

Deanna plots her books from her home in Virginia. After one too many hot Texas summers, Deanna and her husband packed up their daughter and moved to the mid-Atlantic state, where they enjoy the fall leaves but deeply miss good Tex-Mex cooking.

Still Virginia has been good to this author. Deanna’s novel Silent in the Grave won the 2008 RITA® Award for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best First Mystery. The Lady Julia Grey series has been nominated for several other awards, including an Agatha, three Daphne du Mauriers, a Last Laugh, two more RITAs, and two Dilys Winns. Her latest novel, Dark Road to Darjeeling, was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Mystery and has also been nominated for a RITA.

You can find her blogging five days a week at www.deannaraybourn.com/blog, and be sure to sign up for her newsletter, check out her contests and book trailer videos, and catch her latest appearances at www.deannaraybourn.com.

THE DARK ENQUIRY…Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane’s private enquiry business.

Among the more unlikely clients: Julia’s very proper brother, Lord Bellmont, who swears Brisbane to secrecy about his case. Not about to be left out of anything concerning her beloved—if eccentric—family, spirited Julia soon picks up the trail of the investigation.

It leads to the exclusive Ghost Club, where the alluring Madame Séraphine holds evening séances…and not a few powerful gentlemen in thrall. From this eerie enclave unfolds a lurid tangle of dark deeds, whose tendrils crush reputations and throttle trust.

Shocked to find their investigation spun into salacious newspaper headlines, bristling at the tension it causes between them, the Brisbanes find they must unite or fall. For Bellmont’s sake and more they’ll face myriad dangers born of dark secrets, the kind men kill to keep….

• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Mira
• Format: Paperback , 400pp

BUY THE BOOK…AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE (I am a B&N Affiliate.)

HE IS HER ENEMY…AND HER DESTINY…
Cassandra holds the key to Michael’s power, and his pain. With loyalties divided and against insurmountable odds, Cassandra’s heart propels her to Michael’s side-but can her love do anything but destroy him…

No ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear-the world will never be the same…

• Pub. Date: May 2011
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
• Format: Mass Market Paperback , 416pp

BUY THE BOOK …Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Award winning author Lisa Renee Jones has published more than fifteen novels in several different languages, spanning multiple genres of romance: contemporary, romantic suspense, dark paranormal and erotic fiction. Her awards include first place in the Romantic Times Aspiring Writers Contest. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, CO, where she is working on the next Zodius Soldier novel. For more information, please visit http://www.lisareneejones.com/

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…The Legend of Michael was an excellent break from the typical paranormal romance. Instead of vampires or even werewolves, we get soldiers who’ve been injected with alien DNA to turn them into gifted (wind walking, telepathy, strength, lethal, intelligent, self-healing, etc) super soldiers. Half of this new population of soldiers are trying to dominate and control the world while the other half are trying to save the world. Jones did an excellent job in storytelling as well as write some steamy scenes. I found the balance between plot and passion to be the perfect balance and I could easily envision a movie somewhat like Hulk.

Cassandra and Michael, were a couple that through the story I could feel their powerful connection to the other as well as feel for them as they struggle with their own relationships with others in their life. They feel they must stay away from the other but their connection is so strong they are unable to. The secondary characters were just as well written in the story and have me looking forward to reading more about them in future installments of the Zodius series.

My Book Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

Deanna, IF by chance you happen to see this post, pretty please? May we interview you? We’d LOVE to have you visit The Book Faery Reviews.

Now enjoy her latest book trailer in the Julia Grey series…

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (February 22, 2011)
• Language: English

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Danielle Trussoni is the author of’Falling Through the Earth: A Memoir,’ which was the recipient of the 2006 Michener-Copernicus Society of America Award, was a BookSense pick and was one of The New York Times Ten Best Books of 2006. Her first novel “Angelology” will be published in 30 countries.

Find more about the book and the author: FACEBOOK ~ ANGELOLOGY WEBSITE ~ AUTHOR WEBSITE ~ TWITTER

THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Not only was that cover amazing but the novel itself was even more so! Pages flew frantically as I read this riveting tale of angels, humans, and the secret society. I enjoyed the twist of these angels.  They were nasty twisted yet you couldn’t help but be drawn to them and their physical beauty. I wanted to be an angelologist with the others simply because it was fascinating to read what Trussoni wrote about these angels. The end I admit wasn’t what I expected so I look forward to seeing if more gets written to continue the story. If you enjoy a good creative fiction that contains historical and religious elements packed with some wicked imagination and a hunt, you’ll likely enjoy Angelology like I did.

Follow Danielle’s tour stops with TLC Book Tours

• Tuesday, March 1st: My Two Blessings
• Wednesday, March 2nd: English Major’s Junk Food
• Thursday, March 3rd: Life In Review
• Tuesday, March 8th: Unabridged Chick
• Wednesday, March 9th: A Bookish Way of Life
• Thursday, March 10th: The Book Faery Reviews
• Friday, March 11th: Katie’s Nesting Spot
• Monday, March 14th: A Fanatic’s Book Blog
• Tuesday, March 15th: Book Reviews by Molly
• Wednesday, March 16th: Devourer of Books
• Thursday, March 17th: Chaotic Compendiums
• Monday, March 21st: Boarding in My Forties
• Tuesday, March 22nd: Café of Dreams
• Wednesday, March 23rd: Sara’s Organized Chaos
• Thursday, March 24th: The Infinite Shelf
• Monday, March 28th: Calico Critic
• Wednesday, March 30th: Alison’s Book Marks
• Thursday, March 31st: Booksie’s Blog

We’re giving away TWO copies of Angelogoy by Danielle Trussoni to two lucky readers of The Book Faery Reviews.
This giveaway runs now until 11:59pm ET on March 31st, 2011.
A winner is randomly selected using the ‘And The Winner Is’ WordPress plugin.

MANDATORY GIVEAWAY ENTRY…Just leave a comment telling me one thing you’ve heard or read about Angels in history. (This must be answered first for all other entries to count.)

EXTRA ENTRIES…(Be sure to leave a comment for each entry.)

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Go to The Book Faery Reviews to enter to win Angelology by Danielle Trussoni, book courtesy of the author and TLC Book Tours!

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The selected commentor will be noted within the comments at the end of the giveaway, within the Weekly Recap Newsletter that goes out on Sundays to all e-mail subscribers, and on our Facebook Page. You must either subscribe to these comments, check out the Facebook page, or read at least the Sunday email in order to find out if you are the winner as we will no longer be sending out individual emails to winners.

Good Luck!

A copy of the book was provided to me for review courtesy of the author and TLC Book Tours. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are of my own.

SOUTHERN COMFORT, SAVANNAH STYLE…

Bebe Fitzgerald’s hard upbringing taught her how to take care of herself, how to tell true friends from false, and how to be a good cop. She can also sweet-talk a man like she means it…until she stumbles into the arms of a damn sexy Yankee who’s gunning for Savannah’s favorite shady entrepreneur…

As far as Donovan McCabe is concerned, the main obstacle to his investigation is the one thing he can’t help wanting in his way. Bebe’s smart, sassy, and utterly oblivious to her own appeal. Add the fact that a Boston cop trying to arrest one of Savannah’s best-loved citizens is about as popular as the reincarnation of General Grant. What Donovan needs is a better game plan. What he’s about to get is southern “hospitality” that’ll make his toes curl… – FROM THE BOOK BACK

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Boy was this book one Hot and Irresistible book that I did not want to put down!! This is one of those books you need a fan nearby because it is fabulously HOT, HOT, HOT and have you guessing “whodunnit”. Ever have one of those hot dreams when you’re somewhere and this random HAWT HAWT man bumps into you, electricity is flying and you start passionately locking lips?! Oh yeah…that dream…Relive it AND help solve a mystery with Castell’s book Hot and Irresistible. I am DEFINITELY going to seek out Hot and Bothered by her now.

You can read her author guest post here at The Book Faery Reviews.

SOUTHERN COMFORT, SAVANNAH STYLE…

Bebe Fitzgerald’s hard upbringing taught her how to take care of herself, how to tell true friends from false, and how to be a good cop. She can also sweet-talk a man like she means it…until she stumbles into the arms of a damn sexy Yankee who’s gunning for Savannah’s favorite shady entrepreneur…

As far as Donovan McCabe is concerned, the main obstacle to his investigation is the one thing he can’t help wanting in his way. Bebe’s smart, sassy, and utterly oblivious to her own appeal. Add the fact that a Boston cop trying to arrest one of Savannah’s best-loved citizens is about as popular as the reincarnation of General Grant. What Donovan needs is a better game plan. What he’s about to get is southern “hospitality” that’ll make his toes curl… – FROM THE BOOK BACK

AUTHOR GUEST POST…How I got there and so much fun along the way
An old friend will help you move.
A good friend will help you move a dead body.

Okay, Lori Foster and I haven’t moved any dead bodies around but I think we’ve done just about everything else. We met at a Romance Writers of America meeting here in Cincinnati almost twenty years ago–Lordy, has it really been that long! And that was before either of us were published and we’ve been best friends ever since.

Lori and I both started out writing a Harlequin, Lori with the Temptation line and me for Harlequin American. Lori then moved to Kensington and wrote for Brava. She introduced me to her editor, Kate Duffy, and suddenly I started writing for Kate too. And the best part was Kate put us in anthologies together.

The first one was Star Quality. That was a blast to write because the stories all happened in the same small Ohio town and had the same theme of magic under a blue moon. Lucy Monroe was the third author in the book and we had so fun plotting out the town, where everyone lived and where the stores and houses and landmarks were located. This is how I met Lucy and we have been life-long friends too. (I’ve always said the best part of writing is the people I’ve met along the way.)

Luck struck again—actually Kate Duffy did—and put Lori and me together in I’m Your Santa along with Karen Kelly. This IYS was first released in trade-size then reissued in mass-market. It was this mass-market reissue that made USA Today and got me on “the list.”

Being a USA Today Bestseller is terrific, no doubt about it but my friendship with Lori goes way beyond making lists. When my husband died she was there for me every step of the way. When her mother died I was there for her. We’ve been through kids getting married and divorced and moving away from home then back again. Where would I be without Lori Foster, probably in a padded room somewhere. She’s my rock.

I think this is because we share so many ideals. This all came together six years ago when Lori suggested we do a Reader/Writer Get-together here in Cincy where we get authors and readers together for a fun weekend of talking books. Lori said to me, “So, how many people do you think will come?” And I said, “I think about thirty-five.” And Lori said, “That’s what I think too.”

So we did it and that first year we had over a hundred-and-fifty readers and authors and a NY editor and two agents and a huge bookfair and raffle baskets and we gave the proceeds of three-thousand dollars to very thankful Cincinnati YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter.

The next year we had over two-hundred attendees and this last year we had over three-hundred and donated over seven-thousand dollars to One-Way Farm, a home for abandoned and abused kids here in Cincinnati.

My friendship with Lori Foster is beyond words and beyond worlds. It truly is everlasting. When you find a friend like Lori she’s in your life forever. I am so lucky to have Lori Foster as my friend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…USA Today best selling author Dianne Castell writes for Kensington Books. She also writes a monthly editor interview column for Romance Writers Report. Her books have won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, been on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine and included in Rhapsody Book Club, Doubleday Book Club and have made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list.

The second book in her Savannah Sizzles series for the BRAVA line, Hot and Irresistible, hits the shelves Nov‘09.

Dianne lives in Cincinnati with her two cats and will do just about anything to get out of housework. You can visit her website at www.diannecastell.com or email her at dianecastell@hotmail.com.

Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment – a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body — and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.

Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn. – FROM AUTHOR SITE

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Sins of the Flesh was not what I first expected and that’s not a bad thing. It was a nice change to my typical paranormal reads. It was a read that had me turning the pages and crying in frustration when I temporarily misplaced it over the weekend right at the climaxing part. Talk about book withdrawals!

I enjoyed reading the bits of gene therapy science she based the new series on. The manner in which she portrayed the heroine, Caterina, playing the Cello both in her head and in hand had me swaying with eyes closed to the music in my head as she played for comfort. Watching her get stronger as a person after her ordeal and standing by her man is always a plus. Whiny wimpy women (say that 3 times) always annoy me and wanting me to slap them if I could. Pineiro did a grand job balancing the hero, Mick, as a hard man when it came to his work yet a soft man at heart when it came to his family. Mick’s younger sister, Liliana was a minor heroine I think in Sins of the Flesh. She’s the doctor who helps to heal Caterina and in turn I believe soften the heart of her older brother to finally find love.

After reading the preview to her next in the Sins series, I look forward to getting a copy to continue the story of finding the others like Caterina and seeing what happens next to Mick’s sister Liliana when’s she’s kidnapped. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in science, suspense, and love. Caridad will have you turning the pages to see what will happen next and if you’re like me, Googling more on gene therapy.

Check out the great book trailer that I’m sure will have you wanting more…

I’m often intrigued with what inspires an author to write a specific genre and Pump Up Your Book Promotion gave me that opportunity to ask Caridad Pineiro. Keep reading for her author guest post where she talks about what inspired her to write paranormals.

AUTHOR GUEST POST…People often ask me what inspired me to write paranormals and there is truly only one answer to that – Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I found Buffy by accident one day while flipping through the television channels.  There was a scene where Buffy and Angel were doing a martial arts routine and the sexual tension between them just burned up the screen.  I was transfixed and unable to change the channel.  By the time the show had ended, I was hooked.

Buffy had a combination of everything – romance, suspense, horror, comedy.  To make it even better, Buffy was a totally empowered heroine who still managed to be feminine.  Add the irony that it was a cheerleader that was the Chosen One and it was impossible not to love what I was seeing.

“Okay, so you love Buffy but how did that lead to you writing paranormals?” you’re probably asking.

Well, I had been writing contemporary romances and found myself battling to not stick in suspense and something dark.  Plus I insisted on writing stories with strong, take-charge heroines and I wanted them to be doing something more – something Save-The-Worldly.

I realized that the way that I could beef up the suspense elements, have a kick-ass heroine who could do the saving and explore the dark side I had been repressing was to write a paranormal novel.  When I started writing, I realized I had finally found a genre that complemented my natural voice and storytelling abilities.

But there was something else I learned from Buffy – to be willing to take a chance on something different.  After all, if a story about a cheerleader battling demons could make it, why not something else?  Maybe something like a paranormal where the “paranormal” elements are based on real life science, as in SINS OF THE FLESH.

I’d like to finish with that thought – don’t be afraid to try something new and different.  You never know if by doing so you will discover what you were meant to do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…New York Times and USA Today bestseller Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Caridad’s passion for writing led to a determination to become published and share the stories she loved with others. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, Caridad is the author of over twenty novels and novellas. Caridad hopes to continue to share her stories with readers all over the world for years to come.

When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or www.thecallingvampirenovels.com.

Since I have a tendency to fall for the bad boys and strong women who fight against loving them, I thought for sure that Hannah and Jonas’ story or Joley and Ilya’s would be my favorite but later discovered that Elle’s story with Jackson was my favorite.

Hidden Currents was intense and kept me on my toes from the first page all the way to the end with all the drama, action, and suspense the author weaved into the last story in her series. As usual, Feehan’s erotic scenes will leave you breathless and your heart pumping with desire while the love you see between the characters will have you longing for your loved one or wanting one.

Although the books can be read as stand alones, it is still recommended that you read the seven books about the Drake Sisters from oldest to youngest. The books are in the following order:

1. Magic in the Wind is about Sarah Drake (Security) and Damon Wilder (Retired Scientist) [This story can also be found in Lover Beware.]
2. The Twilight Before Christmas is about Kate Drake (Author) and Matt Granite (US Ranger)
3. Oceans of Fire is about Abigal Drake (Marine Biologist) and Aleksandr Volstov (Russian Agent)
4. Dangerous Tides is about Libby Drake (Doctor) and Ty Derrick (Firemen/Genius)
5. Safe Harbor is Hannah Drake (Model) and Jonas Harrington (Sheriff)
6. Turbulent Sea is about Joley Drake (Singer) and Ilya Prakenskii (Russian Bodyguard)
7. Hidden Currents is about Elle Drake (Undercover Agent) and Jackson Deveau (Sheriff).

Which Drake sister are you?!  Take the quiz here to find out: http://www.christinefeehan.com/cgi-bin/fog/questionsds/fog.cgi.

My results showed me as Sarah & Hannah at 82% for each one…

You are like Sarah Drake, a born leader and the eldest of your family. If there is a crisis people come to you. You have a quick mind and are able to solve extremely difficult problems. You are known for your hacking talents and no computer is safe from you. You are very reliable and considered “the rock” of your family. You are athletic and love to be outdoors. You have a penchant for breaking and entering; locked doors pique your curiosity. Your favorite pastime is curling up with a book by the fire and having a cup of tea. Brainiacs are for you, especially ones who can keep a secret.

Your colors: the colors of air — yellows and greens

You are like Hannah Drake, a true homebody. Your family is your whole world and their happiness is extremely important to you. You are the darling of the family and everyone’s favorite to be around. You believe in an “eye-for-an-eye” revenge when it comes to defending the ones you love. You are extremely beautiful inside and out, but you don’t always recognize your own beauty. You are shy in public, but are the life of the party at home. Your sense of humor often gets you into trouble and you can never resist goodhearted mischief. You are at home in the kitchen and can always be counted on for remembering your loved ones’ favorite dishes. Quick-tempered, bossy men are for you, especially ones who will make you the center of their universe.

Your colors: a spectrum of blue colors

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan has over 40 novels published, including four series.  Each of her four series has hit #1 on the NY Times. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature for 1999. Since then she has been published by Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards.

She is pleased to have made numerous bestseller lists including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Bookscan, B. Daltons, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Waldenbooks, Ingrams, Borders, Rhapsody Book Club, Washington Post, and Walmart. She has received numerous honors throughout her career including being a nominee for the RWA’s RITA.  She has received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and the Borders 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

She has been published in multiple languages and in many formats, including large print, palm pilot, e-book, and hardcover.  In October of 2007 her first manga comic, Dark Hunger was released in stores.  This was the first ever manga comic released by Berkley Publishing and it made #11 on Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller’s List. Her ground-breaking book trailer commercials have been shown on TV and in the movie theaters. She has been featured on local TV, appeared on the The Montel Williams Show, and her book Dark Legend was featured on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine.

Christine Feehan has also appeared at numerous writers’ conventions and book signings including: Romantic Times Convention, Get Caught Reading at Sea Cruise, Celebrate Romance Conference, Emerald City Conference, and numerous Romance Writers of America Conferences. – FROM AUTHOR SITE

Isadora wouldn’t have been able to hijack Steffie’s spirit if Steffie hadn’t still been in transit.
Spirits were dimensional travelers on a mission to right a wrong,
deliver a message, achieve some kind of closure before they reached their destination.

Laced with Magic ~Barbara Bretton

While you’re here are The Book Faery Reviews,
be sure to stop by Barbara Bretton’s author guest post.

Now it’s your turn! Add the link to your Tuesday Book Tease and let’s see what everyone’s reading!

Please welcome Kristin Callender!  She has taken time out from family and writing obligations to spend some time interviewing with The Book Faery Reviews.

” What if you found out that everything you thought you knew was a lie? That the people you loved and trusted kept a life changing secret from you? These are a few of the questions Amanda Martineau must answer in The Truth Lies in the Dark. As a child Amanda survived a plane crash that killed her parents and left her with no memory of her life before the accident. Raised by her grandparents, she only knows what they have told her about her past and her family. But her reoccurring nightmares tell her something different. They leave her feeling like a stranger in her own mind. Then an unfinished letter written by her grandfather thrusts her deeper into confusion. A business trip with her husband Nick quickly turns into a personal journey to expose the secret of her past. As she searches for answers she only finds more questions. Who can she trust? Who is there to help her and who is there to make sure that the truth remains…in the dark?” – FROM THE AUTHOR SITE…

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR…

BF: What was your inspiration to this book?

KC: I have always wanted to write a book and finally decided to try.  I started writing with a pen and a pad while I watched my kids play at the park.  I kept my writing hidden like a dirty secret.  I still find it hard to write when there are people around.  Once I had the characters and their backgrounds down on paper the entire story seemed to come alive in my head.  It was like I had already seen the movie and just had to put it on paper.  That was the hard part; finding time around the schedules of four children and a husband to concentrate on writing.  I finally set a time limit for myself to finish it or forget it.  I finished in two months.

BF: How did you go about creating the characters and places? Are any of the characters or places you wrote about significant to you?

KC: By the time I finished writing, reading, editing, re editing The Truth Lies in the Dark I felt like  Amanda and Nick were friends of mine.  I was so wrapped up in the story that I was talking to a friend and started to tell her something that Amanda did.  I caught myself and thought, “You really are losing it.  She’s not a real person.” But all of my characters are completely fictional.  I would get myself into trouble if I tried to base them on people I knew.

For the places in Connecticut, I chose ones that I was familiar with.  I used an atlas and the Internet to research the places in California and Nevada.

BF: Who was your favorite character to write?

KC: My favorite character in this book was Amanda.  She was not only the main character, but she changed the most in the story.  She started out very emotionally dependent.  I had fun giving her some guts.

BF: What was the most challenging part of writing the book?

KC: That would also have to be Amanda.  It was difficult to show her dependence on her grandparents and husband and not make her too weak.

BF: How long did it take to finish this novel?

KC: Once I got serious, it only took two months.  But that doesn’t count the year plus that I had my pad tucked away with all of my notes and the first chapter.

BF: If your book was being discussed by a book club, or a few friends meeting over coffee, what about the book do you think would drive the most discussion? (a particular character, event, theme)?

KC: Oh definitely the surprise twist after Amanda finds out that Nick knew about her mysterious past and didn’t tell her.  I am not saying anymore, but I have gotten a lot of comments on that.

BF: If your book was made into a movie, what actors/actresses would you like playing the main roles?

KC: First of all it would make a great Lifetime movie.  I’m not sure who I pick for actors.  Probably someone unknown, since I picture Amanda as a normal woman, slightly scarred and all.  As for picking who would play Nick.  All I ask is that I get to be there when they pick him.  Tall, dark, handsome and hopelessly devoted to his wife…yum

BF: Do you write during set hours of the day or do you write when the mood hits?

KC: I write the best when there is no one home, so not as often as I like.  When there are no snow storms or sick days ( or as I call them, kid holidays!) I try to write everyday.

BF: What types of books do you most enjoy reading? Who are your favorite authors?

KC: I love all types.  I always have a book next to the couch that I read while watching TV with the family.  I have read most of Ernest Hemingway, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steele, Mary Higgins Clark, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, and just read the first book in her J.D. Robb  Death series.  I also have a over flowing shelf of books that cover every aspect of writing, thanks to my book lovin’ mother.  She is always picking up helpful books for me at library sales, book stores, etc. 

BF: Do you have any advice to those working on their first novels?

KC: Yes, be patient.  Publishing takes a lot more time than most realize, and rejections are a normal part of the process.  And be prepared to do a lot of your own promoting and marketing.  The book world is changing and even big publishers are expecting more author involvement.

BF: Are you currently working on another novel and if so could you give us a sneak peek?

KC: I have a second manuscript being considered by a New York publisher now.  It is about a real estate agent that buys an investment property to “Flip” and flips his whole life instead.  I will hopefully have more news on that soon.  I am also working on another mystery.

Thank you Farrah for interviewing me on The Book Faery and thanks to all that took the time out of their own busy lives to learn a little about me and my book.  Anyone that is interested in following my Book Blog Tour, or just want to see where I’ve been, you can go to my website http://sites.google.com/site/kristincallenderbooks.

The Truth Lies in the Dark by Kristin Callender is available at www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-Dark-Kristin-Callender/dp/1604520140 and is currently the “Featured Book of the Month” at www.bluewaterpress.com.
- Kristin Callender

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Kristin for spending the time to allow me to interview her and for sending me a copy of her book.  I enjoyed getting to know her more apart from just being an author but as a mother and individual as well.  I always enjoy an author who likes to connect with her readers on a more personal level and that I feel we did with our previous interactions for this interview.  I’m just as thrilled as she was when she told me that her son designed the cover for the book.  It looks great and gave it a good image for your story.  As a mother I know that she was excited to share with others her son’s talent and the fact that he was involved in her process.  I personally enjoyed the suspense in the book and the feelings she created with the characters.  There was a moment that I was annoyed by the character Amanda’s dependency and constant “need” and the way that her husband Nick seemed to act too lovey.  However, after reading the whole story it made sense and answered the whys I had.  What man wouldn’t want to protect and love his wife as much as Nick did?  I have to admit I was a little shocked to read who actually caused all the pain for her once it was revealed.  Good book and one I’d recommend to someone looking for a quick read that will keep you engaged to the end.

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Now it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!! 1 randomly picked commenter will receive a copy of Kristin’s book!

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The Book Faery Reviews is hosting a Book Giveaway 3/24-3/26!!

• Giveaway ends on: 3/26/09 at Noon ET, Winner to be randomly selected and posted by 3/27/09. Winners have 48 hours to contact me with mailing addresses once notified of winning.
• Copies available: 1 copy
• Countries available: USA & Canada; No PO Boxes

5 Ways to gain an entry (please leave a comment for EACH item completed):

1. Leave a comment below with your e-mail address
2. Leave a comment in another post here at The Book Faery Reviews
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4. Post about this giveaway and provide a link
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I understood then that neither Miz Verlow no Mama saw Mamadee in the mirror.
I don’t know. I don’t know where I am. But I know I see who killed me -
~ Candles Burning by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell ~

I know, I know…I cheated and added two extras…HAD to for it to make some sense!!