Author Interview with Robin D. Owens

This week I finished reading the charming book Enchanted No More by Robin D. Owens. The author has set her story in a magical world of the fae. It's beautifully written, making the reader feel as if they are there with the characters, whether they are eating luscious chocolate truffles, fighting off the enemy, taking a shower in an elegant fae bathroom that never runs out of hot water or making love to a Treeman.

I loved Enchanted No More for it's melding of fantasy and romance. The characters came alive for me as I read the story, and I was holding my breath for the outcome of the battles, both physical and emotional. This was truly a special read that lifted my spirits and inspired me to be more creative in my own writing.

I emailed Robin, asked if she would be so kind as to answer a few questions for me. I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I did.

Brenda: Robin, I loved Enchanted No More, especially many of the small details such as food the characters were eating and their reactions to its taste, or the descriptions of rooms, homes etc. When you're writing, do the details come out right away in the first draft, or do you add things later as you go back in? I imagine you had fun writing the descriptions, especially when it came to the brownies.

Robin: I did try and think what each character would prefer and what they'd like at the time, but I believe that I added the details of most of the meals later. As for rooms and homes...I do rough sketches so that I can see the layout. Most of the time, if I really track down what the rooms look like, I've based the view on a memory. It might just be something I saw in a catalogue or online, but it's there. As for the brownies, I've been writing Familiar Animal Companions in my "Heart" series for quite a while, and the brownies (like the Fams) come easily for me.

Brenda: Another of my favorite things about the book is how it revolves around family and forgiveness. Can you tell us just a little about why this was an important theme for you?

Robin: Again, I often write about family (and have recently realized it's a main theme). The forgiveness part was very hard. I had the idea for Enchanted No More for several years, and I had to rewrite the actual pages and rethink the story because it was seriously flawed. I believe we can be both blessed and cursed with our own natural families, and I think we can make families of friends. Also, I think that we are usually too hard on ourselves and that we must recall that we should forgive ourselves for whatever faults (or acts of commission or omission) we have.

Brenda: How long did it take you to plan and write Enchanted No More? Can we look forward to a second book in the near future?

Robin: Like I said, I had the idea of the book for a while. I sold it, and I wrote it in about nine months. I sold three "Mystic Circle" books (based on the magical cul-de-sac where Jenni lives), and Enchanted Ever should be out next year at this time. More brownies who are again focused on chocolate -- and candied violets.

Brenda: I thought your book was such a perfect mix of classic fantasy and urban fantasy with paranormal romance thrown in the mix. Did the thought of genres enter your mind as you were writing, or do you simply write and let that fall where it may?

Robin: I wanted something more contemporary than the Heart series (which is set in the future on a planet called Celta with descendants of Earth colonists). I am not an incredibly hard-edged writer, or with a lot of blood and guts, so I did the best I could with Urban Fantasy ;). Luna books usually focus on a primary female character and her growth, with a romantic subplot, so that's what I try and deliver.

Brenda: Thank you so much for answering my questions, and for writing Enchanted No More. I hope it's wildly successful:)

Robin: Thank you. And, as they say, from your lips to God's ears.

ENCHANTED NO MORE
Author:Robin D. Owens
Softcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Luna
Released: 1/1/2011
Available from Amazon

You can visit Robin and read excerpts of her books here:
http://www.robindowens.com/

~Brenda

Musical Interlude: New My Chemical Romance

My Chemical Romance is one of the most creative bands around today. I love listening to their music and watching their videos because they always inspire me in my writing. Sometimes the words to their music inspires me, but other times it's the visual images. The new CD is futuristic and campy. This is the video for Sing. Between this and my husband I rewatching all the Firefly episodes from Joss Wheadon I'm aching to write a science fiction romance:)



~Brenda

No One Speaks That Way!

I've heard this a few times from my kids over the years. Yes, I'm 50 years old, but the thing is I don't use slang from the 70's when I was a teenager. I tend to use odd words and phrases, and I'm not sure why they stick in my head. Here a few examples of words or phrases I love to use, whether I mean to or not:

Giddy: to me there isn't another word that really conjures the same image that giddy does. When I won my Kindle a year or so ago, I was giddy, as in laughing, smiling nonstop, excited, doing a jig and just basically happy.

Jolly: No, not Santa, though he is certainly jolly. Babies or toddlers with rosy pink chubby cheeks who have conversations only they understand, then they laugh as if they told the best joke ever...are jolly.

My Cup of Tea: Yes, I drink tea, but I also use the phrase "It's not my cup of tea." I think I've always use this phrase;at least as long as I can remember. "Books on quantum physics are not my cup of tea, but give me a story with an alpha werewolf any day."

Tomfoolery: *snicker* Who doesn't love this word?

Shenanigans: Use it in a sentence and smile.

Dastardly: What does this word make you think of? I always think of a bad guy that ties the damsel in distress to the railroad tracks.

Dubious: When you have teens this word can apply to many things such as lame excuses, reasons homework wasn't done etc.

I love words:)

~Brenda

My First Published Short Story

It's official. I'm a published author, along with my freelance writer status. I submitted my short story Home for the Holidays to XOXO Publishing back in October and it was used in their Christmas Anthology Volume II below:

I had written most of the story based on an idea my husband had in 2009, but I just didn't feel like it was going where I wanted it to. I saw XOXO's email asking for Christmas themed stories and decided to take another look at it. Within a few hours I had changed it to where the pieces were falling into place. I've always loved the holidays, and have written nonfiction articles about decorating, entertaining and cooking for many years, both offline and online. It was so much fun to create a holiday atmosphere from the thoughts in my head.

Story Summary: Ellie agrees to accompany her boyfriend Rory to his hometown for the holidays, despite her fear that his family will discover her secret. Rory needs to bring Ellie home so his family can help her discover her true self before it's too late. Will Christmas be the end of their relationship, or the beginning of something more?

This is an excerpt from the story after Ellie and Rory arrive at his parents home before the Christmas celebration:

Ellie turned to Rory, and slowly put her hands under his shirt. He felt so warm and incredibly sexy. He bent down and kissed her as she continued exploring his chest. He nibbled at her ear, slowly moving down her neck. She felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest.

“Do you think perhaps you could sneak out of your room, and visit me later tonight in the guest room? “ whispered Ellie.

“Already had that planned out. Did you think I was going to be able to stay away from you? I’m having trouble not ripping your shirt to shreds right now, so sleeping in here while you’re in another room so close to mine is not an option, “ he said as his hands roamed a bit more.

“I think we should continue on our little tour before we get caught in an awkward situation by Princess Maggie, who I’m sure will be hunting us down any minute, “ said Ellie, as she reluctantly removed her hands from Rory’s body.

The Christmas Anthology is available on XOXO, and it includes short stories, recipes and holiday themed poetry.

~Brenda

Release Day! Tempests Legacy

Tempest's Legacy
Jane True #3
Author: Nicole Peeler
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Releases: 1/3/2011
Available in Paperback & Digital

Summary: After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females -- supernatural, halfling, and human -- Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires. And she's not sure which she finds more frightening.

I asked to review Tempest's Legacy because I enjoyed the first two Jane True books and had also reviewed those stories. The new book in the series is slightly darker, and I thought it had more substance, and was more thought provoking in many ways. Don't get me wrong, I loved the first two books, and read them in a day, loving every word. However, I thought this third book really showed Jane's character growth as she discovered more about her mother, and her supernatural side plus her struggles to define who she is. Her feelings for Anyan and Ryu take her on a roller coaster of emotions, and I felt like I gained new insights into all three of them as a reader.

We meet new characters, good, evil and inbetween, and get to know quite a bit more about Jane's powers and her mother. Tempest's Legacy wraps up a few things for the reader, but also opens up more exciting and dangerous adventures for Jane. I'm looking forward to the next book for another reason though. Nicole Peeler has become the Mistress of Sexual Tension and I NEED Jane to satisfy her urges in the next book. Seriously. We both need some release:)

TEASER WORDS
Dirty Dreams
Woof
murder
secrets
magical muscles
Moo-Cow
kidnapped

Jane True Series
1. Tempest Rising
2. Tracking the Tempest
3. Tempest's Legacy

To learn more about the author and the Jane True series visit here:
http://www.nicolepeeler.com/

~Brenda

Happy New Year!

May your 2011 be creative, productive, blessed and happy:)

~Brenda (Moonsanity)

Release Day for Jill Myles and Jackie!

My Fair Succubi
The Succubus Diaries 3
Author: Jill Myles
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release Date: 12/28/10
Available in paperback and digital format

Summary: Jackie’s past mistakes catch up with her, spinning her life out of control once more. Just as her friend Remy’s inner demon comes out to play, Noah and Jackie are arrested by the angelic Serim Council. When Jackie seizes the chance to escape, she falls right into Zane’s waiting arms. As she’s pulled into a game of cat and mouse between vampires and angels, she finds she must also choose between the two men in her life. Can she decide between Noah and Zane, or will she lose everything she’s ever wanted? Because there’s more at stake than just her heart. . . .

I was sent a copy of My Fair Succubi for review, which tickled me pink, since I'd been reading each book in the series as soon as they were released. I love the author's sense of humor, as well as her quirky characters, and her steamy scenes. It's interesting because I've given a lot of thought to sex scenes recently (as a writer, of course!), and I've come to appreciate the talent some authors have of writing steamy encounters that make the reader oooh and ahhhh, and wipe the sweat from their brow without being crude or over the top. Jill Myles does her sex scenes up just right.

My Fair Succubi is, in many ways, the best of the series for me because Jackie figures out some important things about herself, and her feelings for Noah and Zane. After reading her adventures, romantic woes and struggles with being immortal, I felt like I was a friend, pumping my fist in the air as she gained confidence. We also meet a couple of new characters that really shake things up in this book. Ethan is a wonderful character; very naive and innocent, yet a fierce protector and warrior. I will let the reader meet Caleb and make their own decision about him.

I highly recommend the entire series and reading them in the order they were released. Jill also has two short stories I've linked to below. If you love humor with your paranormal romance, and heroines that don't fit the "mold", you'll love My Fair Succubi and The Succubus Diaries series.

TEASER WORDS
Pop-Tarts
Oil painting
deals
bo staff
Vampire Ball
necklaces
choices
possessed cat
Bite Me

Below is the order of the books in the series, plus links to the two free shorts. I've numbered them in order of the events in the stories. If you click on 2 and 3 it will take you to my reviews of those books. Again, I recommend reading them in order if possible.

The Succubi Diaries
1. Foreplay (free short)
2. Gentlemen Prefer Succubi
3. Succubi Like It Hot
4 .Zane's Tale (free short)
5. My Fair Succubi

You can find out more about Jill and her books by visit here website:
http://jillmyles.com/

~Brenda