An Author Interview by Jerelyn (I-F-Letty) with Lucinda Brant

I became aware of Lucinda Brant through a facebook/goodreads group.  She writes romantic historical fiction.   There is real scholarship here and the writing is well crafted.  Lucinda calls herself a Georgian Junkie and is one of the principle contributors to a blog by that name.  I was looking for sedan chair images for my Pinterest board, and near the bottom of the Google search page was a photo of Lucinda with a quote. 

“When not bumping about Georgian London in my sedan chair or exchanging gossip with perfumed and patched courtiers in the gilded drawing rooms of Versailles, I write historical romances and crimances with wit and adventure.”   

I am a history nut, unapologetically, so I can relate to this statement.  I would like to thank Lucinda Brant for agreeing to this interview.

Jerelyn:  Would you tell us a little about yourself?

Lucinda:  I, too, am a history nut! Have been since a little girl. History was my favorite subject at school and at university and I taught history at a girls’ boarding school until very recently. My daughter, who is in her first year of university, has also decided to major in history. So my husband has to contend with two history nuts in the family! We’ve been together now for 28 years; we met at university. I have an Italian greyhound Bella and I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen, as I am now writing full-time, which is heaven.

Jerelyn:  From the sources I could access it looks as if you released five full-length novels in 2011, is this because that is when they were released in the US and UK?

Lucinda:  Six full-length (100,000+ words) eBooks have been released worldwide since September 2010. Five Georgian Historical Romances and the first book in my Georgian Historical Mystery series are now available in Trade paperback, Hardback and eBook (all formats). DEADLY AFFAIR: A Georgian Historical Mystery has just been released as a Kindle eBook and will be available in all other formats from July 2012.

Jerelyn:  Was Salt Bride of Noble Satyr, your first book?

Lucinda:  NOBLE SATYR: A Georgian Historical Romance was my first book. It won the $10,000 Random House/Woman’s Day Romantic Fiction Prize and went on to be published as THE DANGEROUS GAME in Australia, and was a finalist for the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year. Random House changed the name (head of publishing didn’t know what a satyr was!) and I changed it back to its original title upon re-publication.

Jerelyn:  I just read Noble Satyr; I was wondering if you have a favorite male lead? I admit Roxton is rather a dish.

Lucinda:  He is, isn’t he! ; -) That’s putting me on the spot! Actually, I love all my male leads. Each in their own way is a dish best served hot!

Jerelyn:  Did you struggle with the age difference between Roxton and Antonia?

Lucinda:  Not at all. In the 18^th century it was common for noblemen in their 30s to marry women much younger than themselves. Noblemen were expected to go on the Grand Tour, experience life and “sow their wild oats” before settling down and marrying, hopefully an heiress, and having a family. Girls on the other hand were kept in the schoolroom until “launched” into Society around the age of 17 years, some were married off as young as 15 without a chance to even have a Season. If a girl from the aristocracy wasn’t married by the time she turned 21 she was seen as a failure and “on the shelf” and to be pitied.

And there is my own life experience. My mother was 18 yrs old when she married my father, a career soldier who was in his late 30s. He had never married, was a British soldier during World War Two who fought in Europe, and finally got around to marrying and having a family in the 1960s; so age difference was not something I thought about.

Jerelyn:  I loved Salt Bride; it had the feel of a classic romance novel but with the heat of a modern novel.  Do you struggle with the love scenes?

Lucinda:  I’m so glad you enjoyed Jane and Salt’s story! I don’t struggle with love scenes because they are an integral part of the story of how two people express their feelings for each other emotionally and physically. If by love scenes you mean sex scenes, well I don’t write sex scenes. It’s the highly sensual, emotionally charged moments leading up to the act itself that I explore. The actual mechanics I leave to the reader’s imagination. : -)

Jerelyn:  Your newer books are the Alec Halsey series you describe as crimance.  Will you tell us about those?

Lucinda:  I decided that Crimance (crime + romance) – crime with lashings of romance –is the best way to describe the type of historical mystery I write. There is a crime or crimes and a mystery to solve but romance is just as important to the story. That’s an irresistible mix.

In DEADLY ENGAGEMENT – my amateur sleuth Alec Halsey has to sort out his feelings for two women as he tries to solve a crime and a couple of interrelated murders. In book 2 DEADLY AFFAIR, Alec investigates the suspicious death of shabby vicar and at the same time his love life is falling all to pieces.

Jerelyn:  You are one of the Georgian Junkies, what draws you to this time period?

Lucinda:  Now I could rave on all day about the eighteenth century! : -)

The fashion – all that gorgeous embroidery work on silk bodices and gowns, gentlemen in velvet and lace, the neat, simple lines of Georgian townhouses, the vast wealth of the aristocracy, and then there is the breathtaking Louis XV style of furnishings and furniture.

The 1700s was a time of adventure and discovery on the high seas, revolution and freedom for the American colonies, scientific discovery and the rise of naturalism and humanism – all talked about and discussed in London’s elegant drawing rooms and the gilded salons of the Parisian elite. Exciting times!

To see what I’m talking about visit my Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/lucindabrant/

Jerelyn:  So which country do you most prefer to set your books in France or England?

Lucinda:  I don’t have a preference, although, most of my books are set in England with occasional crossings to France. I do love the court of Louis XV and the rococo splendor of Versailles. But as a political scientist, I am fascinated by eighteenth century English politics.

Jerelyn:  Would you share your educational back ground with us?  I’d wager you were a history major.

Lucinda:  I graduated from university with a double major in History and a double major in Political Science (honors level).

Jerelyn:  Do you miss teaching?

Lucinda:  I miss the classroom. Interacting with the girls – teaching them new and interesting things about times past, people and places. Seeing their enthusiasm for the subject was very rewarding.

Jerelyn:  What was the first romance novel you read?

Lucinda:  The Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault as retold by Shirley Goulden. I was 5 years old. I still have the book – it’s folio size and illustrated in the 18^th Century manner.

In my early teens I would sneak into the Senior Section of the School library to read Jean Plaidy, Taylor Caldwell and the Angelique novels by Sergeanne Golon (which were classified too racy for 13 year olds!). Katherine by Anya Seton was and still is one of my all time favorite historical romances.

Jerelyn:  When did you know that you had to be a writer?

Lucinda:  I’ve always been a writer. : -) I wrote stories from a very young age and in high school, during math classes, I wrote an historical romance novel and distributed chapters to my classmates to read and appraise (thanks, Donna!).

Jerelyn:  Who inspired you?

Lucinda:  First? My father. He wrote all the time – mainly diary entries. Once he showed me his collection of wartime regimental magazines (I have them now). They were full of articles, cartoons and the like to help maintain morale amongst the men during World War Two. My father was a regular contributor – he wrote a series of laugh-out-loud pieces (very Goon show) and he was also a wonderful cartoonist.

In high school it was Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt/Philippa Carr. I devoured her historical novels as Jean Plaidy, and of course her Georgian Saga novels and those set during the reign of Louis XV are my favorite.   Later, during university, I read Georgette Heyer and became a devoted fan, not only of her Regencies but also of her detective novels.

Jerelyn:  What drew you to the mystery/thriller genre?  I have always liked a mix of romance and mystery.

Lucinda:  Me too! Romance and mystery are an irresistible mix, aren’t they?

I’m a big fan of amateur sleuths. Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion mysteries are my all time favorites. I’m also a huge fan of Kate Ross’s Julian Kestrel Regency historical mysteries.

Jerelyn:  The second book in the Alec Halsey series has just been released, would you tell us about it?

Lucinda:  DEADLY AFFAIR: A Georgian Historical Mystery sees amateur sleuth Alec, Lord Halsey investigate the death of a poor vicar who up and dies, literally at Alec’s feet, during a party-political dinner. But the vicar is hiding a few secrets, not least of which is his true identity. And just to complicate his life, the woman Alec loves, Selina Jamison-Lewis, has decided not to marry him, won’t tell him why, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. Of course this impacts on his investigation because while he is trying to solve a murder, at the back of his mind he is thinking of possible reasons why Selina won’t marry him.

Jerelyn:  I would like to thank Lucinda for taking the time for the interview, and would like to wish her luck with Deadly Affair.   If you want to know more about Lucinda you can find her at the Georgian Junkie http://georgianjunkie.wordpress.com/ or http://lucindabrant.com/ follow her on face book at https://www.facebook.com/LucindaBrantGeorgianHistoricalRomanceandCrimance on Twitter (@LucindaBrant) and on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lucindabrant/

Lucinda:  Thank you so much for inviting me to do this interview. It’s been fun. : -)

Book List
Salt Bride
Noble Satyr (Roxton 1)
Midnight Marriage (Roxton 2)
Autumn Duchess (Roxton 3)
Deadly Engagement (Alec Halsey 1)
Deadly Affair (Alec Halsey 2)

Mirah’s (mwelday) Interview with John Shors

Several years ago my husband and I moved from Hawaii to Japan and I was a little obsessed with novels set in the Pacific. And being a Navy spouse, a book with a military connection would be the jackpot. I found ‘Beside a Burning Sea’ by John Shors, a novel set during World War II and centered on an American nurse and an injured Japanese soldier.  I was so impressed by the book I had to read more.  I ordered ‘Beneath a Marble Sky’ and was blown away.  I thought it was remarkable and I quickly added ‘visit the Taj Mahal’ to my bucket list.  Put simply, John can capture the essence of a location and characters in a way that allows readers to connect with people and places much different from themselves. He has quickly become one of my favorite American writers and I know his books will stand the test of time.   In addition to these two works, John is the author of ‘Dragon House’, ‘The Wishing Trees’ and ‘Cross Currents’, which will be discussed in this Q & A.

I am so honored John agreed to answer some questions about ‘Cross Currents’, his most recent work.  The novel’s setting is beautiful Ko Phi Phi, Thailand and he weaves the stories of Americans Patch, Ryan, and Brooke with locals Lek, Sarai, and their family.  All of the characters deal with family conflict and find themselves fighting for love, family, and survival.  I was wary at first to read a fictional account of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, not sure how someone could write about such a tragedy and remain respectful to those who experienced it. I shouldn’t have been worried; John handled the scenes with grace and sensitivity. 

MIRAH:  Before we get to ‘Cross Currents’ could you describe how you became a novelist? How did you get on that path?

JOHN:  I grew up reading several novels a week and at some point (I believe in high school) I decided that I wanted to become a novelist. Of course, it’s a tough profession to break into, so the process of doing so wasn’t an instant one. After graduating from college, I became an English teacher in Japan, and later a newspaper reporter in my hometown of Des Moines. I worked on my first novel, ‘Beneath a Marble Sky’, at night and during the weekend. Under those confines it took me five years to finish the novel, but fortunately, it was embraced by readers after its publication and became an international bestseller. The success of ‘Beneath a Marble Sky’ (which tells the remarkable story behind the creation of the Taj Mahal) allowed me to quit my day job and become a full-time novelist.

MIRAH:  I love to travel and your novels are set in various countries and cover such diverse topics. I really enjoy this because it allows to me to travel to new locations without even leaving my house! How do you select your next book topic and/or location?

JOHN:  Well, first of all, thank you for the compliment. In terms of how I select my next novel, I identify a place somewhere on the globe that I have been to and believe is special. I then try to wrap a story around that setting. For instance, I am currently putting the finishing touches on a novel about Angkor Wat, which is a legendary temple located in Cambodia. One of my goals as a writer is to take my readers on a journey to some of the world’s most beautiful and unique places. These are the kinds of novels that I like to read, and I couldn’t imagine writing about anything else.

MIRAH:  Your novels seem very comprehensive because you tap into local mannerisms, dialects, and customs. What is involved in your research for a novel?

JOHN:  I spend quite a bit of time within each setting that I end up writing about. I get to know the local language, food, music, dance, topography, climate, people, etc. I don’t stay at tourist hotels, but at small places near where the locals live. It’s really important to me that my novels accurately portray the culture that I am trying to reincarnate on the page. Spending several weeks at a particular site allows me to create novels that are authentic.

MIRAH:  I love that you write in a way that brings the location to life and it becomes another character. But in ‘Cross Currents’, Thailand (specifically Ko Phi Phi) and the ocean both become characters. How did you prepare to write about the tsunami?

JOHN:  I first visited Ko Phi Phi in 1994–long before I was a novelist. Upon landing on the island’s shores, I was convinced that I had stumbled upon one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I was lucky to return to the island several times after that. I fell in love with the place and the people. Years later, when the tsunami tore through Ko Phi Phi, I was quite upset. I wanted to help, but wasn’t able to return until long after the event. When I did get back, I spoke with locals who had survived the event, had stayed, and were rebuilding. I was so impressed with their stories, with their perseverance, that I decided to write a novel that would bring the strength of the human spirit (which they all displayed in such a profound way) to vivid life. Once I began the novel, I again returned to Ko Phi Phi to interview survivors, ensuring that I was accurate in terms of how the tsunami swept across the island.
MIRAH:  You traveled to Ko Phi Phi before and after the tsunami. Can you describe how your feelings were different each time?

JOHN:  Ko Phi Phi is one of those places that was truly a paradise. It still is, though there are many more hotels, boats, and people than there used to be. It’s been a bit painful for me to witness this transition, but again, the island remains a special place. The waters, the cliffs, and the people are unchanged. In terms of my post-tsunami experience, I was impressed with how the Thais had rebuilt everything. Something like 7,000 tons of debris were removed from the bay by hand–an amazing accomplishment. I was also delighted to see children from all corners of the world running along the beach, laughing with each other.

MIRAH:  Patch and Ryan seem to be two very different brothers in the beginning but throughout the book I perceive them becoming more alike. Did you know the fate of both brothers at the start or did that reveal itself to you as you wrote?

JOHN:  I wasn’t sure how the relationship between Patch and Ryan would evolve. I wanted there to be conflict and love within their relationship. I wanted it to be tested. But I had no idea how the tsunami would affect them. It really wasn’t until I started writing those final scenes that I decided what to do.

MIRAH:  The love/hate relationship between locals and tourists seems to exist everywhere, to some degree. Lek and Sarai love living on Ko Phi Phi and understand tourism keeps them there but they obviously work day and night to make ends meet and they aren’t always treated well by tourists. During my trip to Ko Samui, I felt very welcomed by the locals but at the same time I felt tourism was taking over the island and I felt some guilt about that. How do you feel about the small islands of Thailand becoming more dependent on tourism?

JOHN:  I’ve been to many places where tension exists between locals and tourists. I don’t feel that way in Thailand. I’m not sure why this is other than the Thais don’t take life too seriously and realize that tourist dollars help them build new schools, hospitals, and roads. Yes, tourism leads to the creation of hotels and an infrastructure to support countless foreigners. But that same tourism enables the Thais to maintain good jobs, to live in beautiful places.

MIRAH:  Which character did you enjoy writing about the most in ‘Cross Currents’ and why?

JOHN:  My favorite characters were the Thai characters. I enjoyed writing about the three-generational family that runs a resort on the island. I tried to bring the joys and difficulties of their lives to life, as I had witnessed those highs and lows during my travels to developing countries. Such families often struggle to find balance. For instance, the Thai mother and father in ‘Cross Currents’ struggle with the fact that they need their children to work in order to help pay all of their bills. Of course, they want their children to go to school, to play and be happy. But they also depend on the productivity of their children. Consequently, they often muse over the finding right sort of balance between work and play. For me, as a writer, putting such issues down on the page allowed me to examine them within my own life and family.

MIRAH:  Through reading your novels I know you donate to various charities, including proceeds from your books, and try to get the word out about the charities you support. What groups are you currently involved with and how can we learn more about them?

JOHN:  All of my novels have gone to support various charities. I’m most proud of the work that I have done with the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which is located in Vietnam, and supports homeless children. The sales of my novels have allowed me to help buy complete sets of school books for about 1,300 homeless kids in Hanoi. This outcome has thrilled me. Additional information on the charities I support can be found on my website at www.johnshors.com.

MIRAH:  And one final question, can you give us a sneak peek into your next novel, ‘Temple of a Thousand Faces‘?

JOHN:  ‘Temple of a Thousand Faces’ is an epic work of historical fiction centered around Angkor Wat. It will be full of action and intrigue, love and betrayal. I’m quite excited about it, though the novel won’t come out until February, so I have to be patient. For updates on that book, and other elements of my writing life, please friend me on Facebook or Twitter.

In closing, I would like to thank John for his time and willingness to answer my questions. I am a passionate reader and it’s a dream come true to be able to connect with a writer I admire.   It’s really been exciting for me to have the opportunity to communicate with him about ‘Cross Currents’.  So, if you’re in the mood to learn about another culture, delve into the emotions of the human spirit and be transported to amazing locations, pick up ‘Cross Currents’ or another of John’s books.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

To learn more about John and his books, visit his website at www.JohnShors.com or follow him at facebook.com/JohnShors or twitter.com/JohnShors.

Author Interview with Timothy Ashby by Jerelyn  (I-F-Letty)

I first became aware of Timothy Ashby when he spoke about his book to a Facebook group.   As with many first time authors they find that they get precious little help from publishers. What PR departments once did, authors have to do.  Also another phenomenon of today’s publishing is the free e-book.  As anyone can tell you a many of these e-books are amateur productions in which much is missing.   Well Timothy Ashby’s The Devil’s Den is far from that, it is a gem.

I am excited that there will be a second book in the series which features Seth Armitage, and he is a wholly likable protagonist.  The time period in which this is set is a fascinating one 1920’s Washington DC. 

I would like to thank Mr. Ashby for agreeing to participate in our author interview series here at PBS.

Jerelyn: I have read your bio and you have lived a very interesting life, will you tell us a bit about yourself?

Timothy: I grew up with a keen interest in history and adventure.  As a child my elderly relatives related stories about our family’s experiences in the Revolution and Civil War (one kinsman was a famous Confederate cavalry general).  At the age of 13, I moved to the little Caribbean island of Grenada – at that time a British colony steeped in a past of battles, ghosts and lost treasure.

Jerelyn: Was becoming a novelist something that you had intended to do, or was it one of those lovely zigzags life often takes?

Timothy: I wrote short stories and poems as a teenager, but stubbornly let the “practical” side of my personality dominate so got a PhD, MBA and law degrees and worked as a senior government official, international businessman and lawyer.  During those years I had several successful non-fiction books published, as well as a prize-winning ghost story submitted on a whim.  But becoming a novelist at this stage of my life – starting with DEVIL’S Den – was indeed one of those unexpected “lovely zigzags” of life.

Jerelyn: Will you tell us about Devil’s Den and Seth Armitage?  I’ll admit I got much more than I expected with this book.

Timothy: I’ve always been fascinated by “history’s mysteries” – genuine events with unresolved questions.  I knew that several attempts were made to assassinate Abraham Lincoln before the sad event of April 14, 1865, but the identity of the earlier plotters is unknown.  I used such an assassination attempt as the genesis of a plot, but wanted to link it to a 1920s political conspiracy to show the profound corruption of Washington DC during the Harding Administration (which included murder and high-level cover-ups).  I also wanted to show how the 1920s were a pivotal era in US history, when modern technology (radio, airplanes, telephones, moving pictures, phonographs) was encroaching on a country that was still largely rural and little changed from the 19^th century.  Also, many Civil War veterans were alive in the 1920s and some were active in politics.

As for Seth Armitage, he is a Virginian from a family that suffered terribly in the Civil War, and he has been affected despite the passage of three generations.  Armitage is a decorated World War I veteran and lawyer who joined to Bureau of Investigation as much for a belief in public service as for a hunger for adventure.  But his cynicism about the Federal government and “justice for all” is now threatening to engulf his innate idealism.

Jerelyn: When you wrote this did you see this as a murder mystery or political thriller?

Timothy: I saw DEVIL’S DEN as a “historical mystery thriller.”  The corrupt, labyrinthine politics of the 1860s and 1920s provide a personally fascinating historical backdrop.

Jerelyn: I always wonder what draws a writer to the time period they set their books in.  What drew you to this particular period?

Timothy: As mentioned earlier, the 1920s were a pivotal time in American history.  I also love the music, cars and fashions (I must say that I absolutely love BOARDWALK EMPIRE, which features some of the same real-life characters that I use).  Finally, I was influenced by knowing three of my four grandparents who would have been contemporaries in the age of Seth Armitage.  One of my grandmothers played the background for silent films when she was just a teenager, and she taught me many of the old songs, and even how to dance the TURKEY TROT and the “CHARLESTON!”

Jerelyn: The other thing that astounded me was the research that went into this book; did you run across anything that surprised you?

Timothy: One thing that surprised me was how rapidly technology was advancing in the 1920s.  We may think we live in a time of rapid change, but the rate of technological adoption by Americans – as well as the creation of new inventions (e.g. the first public demonstration of a television broadcast was in 1925) – was astonishing.  For example, in 1923 there were 600 radio stations broadcasting to 3 million American households.  Just five years earlier, there were no public radio stations and not a single private American family owned a radio.

Jerelyn: I think I loved this character so much because Seth was a WWI vet, as was my Grandfather, I grew up on stories of him; he passed a few years before I was born.  Do you have a family connection to the Civil or WWI?

Timothy: A number of my paternal relatives served in the Confederate army during the Civil War.  Two relatives – brothers – were at Pickett’s Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg in the same regiment – the 8^th Virginia – that Seth’s fictional grandfathers served in.  Also, like one of Seth’s grandfather’s, one of my relatives, 19-year-old Private James Ashby, was killed in action and his body was never found.

I was fortunate to have known many WWI veterans while growing up and I am so glad that I paid careful attention to their first-hand stories before they passed on.  My grandfather’s first cousin was a Marine officer like Seth Armitage who fought at Belleau Wood, and he told me how the Southern boys in his unit gave the “Rebel Yell” before charging the Germans – the Marines had learned the “Yell” from their Confederate veteran grandfathers. Wonderful piece of history that will be included in my next Seth Armitage adventure, IN SHADOWLAND.

Jerelyn: The other thing I’ve noticed proves the old adage: The more that things change the more they stay the same.  This could have easily been a contemporary novel.  I am referring to the shenanigans on Wall Street, the every man for themselves attitude in politics. Was that a conscious thought on your part while writing The Devil’s Den?

Timothy: I lived and worked in Washington DC (including for the Federal Government), and like Seth became thoroughly disillusioned with the corruption, cronyism and waste.  So my continuing ire and disgust definitely influences my writing.

Jerelyn: I love mysteries and I love more romantic relationship driven novels too.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a love story in the story.  Did you set out to have Seth find love?

Timothy: Yes, I wanted Seth to find love (he’s searching for expiation as well as solace), but as my readers will note, Peggy has her own agenda.

Jerelyn: Will Peggy be in the next book as well?

Timothy: All I can reveal is that Seth continues his quest for love!

Jerelyn: I always ask authors what they read as a child.  What were your favorite books?

Timothy: Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and the wonderful series of historical novels by Rosemary Sutcliffe.

Jerelyn: What do you read for pleasure now?

Timothy: I’ve lately discovered some terrific mystery/thriller writers: Alex Berenson, P.J. Alderman, and Barry Eisler.  My perennial favorites are Nelson DeMille, Wilbur Smith and Frederick Forsyth – true masters of the thriller genre.

Jerelyn: Will you tell us a bit about your next book In Shadowlands, and when will it be released?

Timothy: The plot of IN SHADOWLANDS, second in the “Seth Armitage” series, is derived from the mystery surrounding the “death” of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt, son of former President Teddy Roosevelt, who was shot down behind German lines in 1918 during a dogfight over the Western Front.  The book is still a work in progress!

Jerelyn: Thank-you Tim and I hope to be reading In Shadowlands soon.  If you would like to read more about Tim; please visit his website www.timashby.com  or you follow him on face book at http://www.facebook.com/TimAshbyBooks  and Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/TFAshby

To read my review of  Timothy Ashby’s book, Devil’s Den on PBS, click this LINK

Interview with Abigail Roux by Mary (kilchurn)

Abigail Roux is a gay fiction author with Dreamspinner Press and Riptide Publishing.  She has nine novels and four ebooks available.  Her tenth novel, Armed and Dangerous (Cut & Run, Book 5) will be released tomorrow, May 18^th.  She was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in pratfalls and sarcasm, she currently spends her time coaching middle school volleyball and softball and dreading the day when her little girl hits that age. Abigail has a baby girl she calls Boomer, four rescued cats, one dog, a crazyass extended family, and a cast of thousands in her head.

Special thanks to our members, Issa S. (Issa-345), Denise L. (fangrrl) and Kim M. (RomanceLuvr) for their interview questions.

How has it been writing books without Madeline?

It’s been an easier transition than I would have imagined.  I knew I could write a solo book because I had done it before plenty of times, and I’ve found that all the tasks that are difficult with a co-writer – deciding on plot points, naming a character, finding the right time of the day to write – are much easier when it’s just me making the decisions. The biggest difference so far has been the time it takes to produce a fully formed novel; where before it would take nearly a year for us together, I’m now able to finish a project in about 2 months.

You set up playlists for all of your books. How do you come up with the lists?

I like music, and I love the way music can make you feel at certain times of your life. I also like to listen to music when I write because it works as a dampener for my brain, it cuts off all the daily distraction and lets me focus on the story. So at first I would put together playlists for myself to write to, full of songs that either helped with the mood of a story or reminded me of a certain scene or feeling or character. When the book was done and published, I would look at this playlist and think, ‘What do I do with it now?’ We decided that readers might like them too, and I finally realized that it was another way to torture readers who are impatiently waiting for the next releases!

What books are in your “To Be Read” pile?

I always cringe when I admit this to readers, but I have a very small TBR pile. I know the advice to most writers is to be a voracious reader, but let’s be real here. I’m a single mother with a 3-year old who appears to be smarter than I am, so my free time is pretty rare. When I do get a few hours, I’m usually plotting, writing, or trying to watch a ballgame. But when I do find that I can sit and enjoy a book, I go for the summer blockbuster types, anything that combines action with history, knowledge with gunfire, I love it! Steve Berry, James Rollins, Preston and Child. I love Elizabeth Peters and could read her Amelia Peabody series a thousand times over.

What would be the name of your unauthorized biography?

Drugged & Amused. I’ve been injured and hurt so often since I was 14 years old, I feel like I’ve spent my entire life on painkillers or recovering from an injury.

Aside from the Cut and Run series, what other new projects do you have on the horizon?

I’ve got a number of projects that are in various stages of disaster. I’ve got a ghost story that comes out in October. As for stuff that hasn’t been submitted, I have a baseball story that I’m still tweaking, a treasure hunt that needs some more research, a detective story that needs a crime, and a few others that are basically just a scene or an idea in my Cryogenic Suspension folder.

With the upcoming release of Armed and Dangerous, your readers have some questions specific to Ty and Zane.

Ty has always been your character. Do you feel you know Zane well enough to make him your own as well?

I had my doubts when I first started working Armed & Dangerous alone, but it only took a few days for me to get into the character and feel comfortable with him. Readers might detect subtle changes, but they’re supposed to. The characters are growing and changing, and I think I’ve got a handle on them both.

You’ve said there are at least 9 books planned. Has the whole series been mapped out in your head all along or have the characters taken you in some different directions.

The bare bones of the series have been mapped out in my head for a while. With each book subtle things change, both to the plot of that book and to the series, but in the end I’ll get us to the same place. Mostly.

What do you enjoy most about writing this series?

I love these characters. I enjoy everything about it, from the creation of the stories to the fan reactions to the momentary panic when I can’t get my laptop to turn on. But in the end, my favorite thing about it is the characters themselves. I see a lot of myself in Ty and Zane, and I think readers do as well. They’re real and relatable, but still over-the-top action heroes that most people will never be. The dichotomy is what makes them so much fun.

What are the challenges in writing this series?

I don’t think it comes with any unusual challenges. Keeping the characters consistent, making sure the quality of the storytelling and the writing stays high, walking a tightrope between tension and romance, making sure the plots stay relevant and provide an interesting backdrop for the romance aspect of the story. I like to think I do all of the above for everything I write. The massive following Ty and Zane have accumulated can get a little overwhelming at times, and in the past few months I’ve seen a lot of people questioning whether I can handle the series solo. I hope I can answer that question May 18^th when Armed & Dangerous releases, but the doubt in people’s minds has weighed on me at times.

Some of Ty and Zane’s fans have written fanfic and some of them have even set them up on tumblr! How do you feel about this? Do you read or follow any of it?

I think it’s kind of awesome! People love the characters, and fanfiction is a way to stay close to a character or story you love. I’m flattered and I hope RPers and fanficcers are having fun.

There has been some criticism about some of the side characters in the Cut and Run series. How do you handle fan criticism?

I try to handle it with grace and understanding (read that as silence), but sometimes I just have to shut the laptop and step away. I’ve seen a lot of criticism about the characters’ actions, especially in Divide & Conquer. The characters do what I tell them. Once I put that character in ink, it’s out of my hands how a reader interprets him or her, and I don’t really mind if readers love or hate a character. The one time it got nasty for me was when I was accused of introducing a character as a lazy plot device. I take pride in the way I weave a story, so when someone with no knowledge of my overall plan tells me that Character A served no purpose, it’s insulting, to say the least.

Without giving anything away, can you give us some generalities of where you are going to take Ty and Zane in this series? We assume there are still relationship issues to work through.

I’m going to take them to Hell and back!  Mwuahahahaha!  No, really. I hope to take them to a place where both men are fulfilled, and that readers will love seeing.

If Ty and Zane each had their own “song”? What would it be?

This is a harder question to answer than I thought it would be. I see songs in two ways: the lyrics speaking a message to you, and then the overall feeling of the song. So since the lyrics change as the stories do, I’ll go with the songs that FEEL like Ty and Zane. Ty: Rockin’ Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu by Johnny Rivers. It’s a loose, happy song that makes your feet bounce and the world feel like a party, and I think of Ty every time it comes up on my iPod. Zane: Like Red on a Rose by Alan Jackson. It’s smooth and calm with an edge of dark sadness, but it’s still beautiful and sexy.

The covers for the Cut and Run Series were the inspiration for this interview.  I was standing in the elevator at the hospital heading for a mammogram, when a lady in the elevator saw carrying “Fish and Chips.”  She asked me if I was reading a cookbook.  I was extremely thankful for the life preserver on the cover.  That being said, the covers for this series are very non-typical for the genre.  How did you decide on them versus a cover with people on it?

Ever since I first got published, I’ve requested of my publishers that I don’t want naked manchest, and I don’t want faces on my covers. The former is for obvious reasons, and the latter is because I want the readers to form their own picture of the characters, not what me or a cover artist imagine. I don’t like people on my covers. When we were looking for an idea for the Cut & Run title, we came across a lot of different images. When I saw the knife, I fell in love with the idea. Simple. Elegant. Easily turned into a series if we wished to write more. And it was most certainly different from anything else being done at that time, or even still being done. I fought for that style of cover and for that knife. My co-author hated it and nixed it right away. But the cover artist loved it for the same reasons I did, and after months of trying to convince everyone that sometimes less is more when you’re trying to grab attention on a bookshelf, the books got the covers they now have. I still stand by my style of covers, both for this series, and for most of my solo works. I think they’re striking, and I think just because it’s fiction, M/M, or erotica, doesn’t mean it can’t have a beautiful, nude-free cover.

I’ve been wondering about Zane’s family and if we’ll read more about them? Ty’s family has been seen, and given readers insight into Ty’s personality development. But other than the deceased wife and a couple passing comments, we do not have much info on Zane.

When I took over the series, I also took over Zane, his back story, and his development. Readers will get to meet his family and see where he comes from, and yes it will take an entire book to do it!

Is T-Shirt hell giving you a cut for pitching their products? Are you still getting Ty’s T-shirt sayings from there?

I don’t get all of the T-shirts from there, but I have gotten some ideas in the past. I’m an affiliate, and can link to them with their permission. I try to make sure that the shirts Ty wears are real shirts that readers can find and buy, but sometimes I just make them up.

Several readers have commented on Ty’s resemblance to Dean Winchester.  What do you think of that and are you incorporating some of Dean into writing Ty?

After I had my daughter, I spent many nights sitting up with her, holding her as she slept and nursing, and I ran through all the DVD series I owned and had never watched. Supernatural was one of those, and I fell in love with the show. But I remember sitting and watching and thanking my lucky stars that I had formed Ty’s character and already had two of the books published before I ever saw an episode of Supernatural. Dean and Ty were so very similar that it was uncanny. I love Dean Winchester, he’s obviously the type of character that I identify with and admire. But I’m glad that I can say with all honesty that Ty was not modeled on him. Sometimes I do see Jensen Ackles/Dean when I’m writing Ty, it’s the attitude that does it, and there might be some unconscious incorporating. I try to keep Ty his own man, though, and simply admire Dean from my couch.

I just finished reading Caught Running and the setting is one very familiar to me as a graduated from a High School in that county.  How is it you are so knowledgeable of that area?

Honestly, Caught Running was meant to be everyone’s high school. We tried to keep the details to a minimum, to give the town and school a name but nothing that your own memory of your own high school couldn’t overcome. We wanted the reader to identify with the setting as well as the men. I picked the high school because I’m an Atlanta Braves fan, and I knew it was a nice big school where athletes would have been scouted hard (and because the school colors, orange and blue, were my school colors too!)

And now for the silly stuff:

Onion Rings or French Fries? Onion rings. I love onion breath.

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi, but only insofar as that’s the closest one to Dr Pepper.

M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces? Reese’s Pieces. Not a fan of chocolate at all.

Anchovies or No Anchovies? None, please. I don’t like the way they look at me.

Bugs Bunny or the Flintstones? Bugs Bunny, but only by a hare.

Early Bird or Night Owl? Most definitely a night owl. I like it when the world calms.

Steak or Chicken? Steak.

Red Wine or White Wine? I don’t like to judge my alcohol on color. I like my drinks fruity!

Folgers or Maxwell House ?  Neither. Just the smell of coffee makes me want to yark.

Beach or the Mountains? Beach, usually. But sometimes the mountains call my name.

Ms. Roux has generously offered a copy of her new book Armed and Dangerous to a member who comments on this Blog. A Winner will be chosen at Random. Good Luck!.