Rie McGaha

What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?
RM: Writing romance. Seriously, it is writing romance but also creating worlds from my own mind and then having other people get lost in them too and say, "Oh, I just loved"…it's a great feeling.

What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
RM: Suspense from James Patterson. Romance from Karen Marie Moning. Vamps from Lynsay Sands.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
RM: Getting my cat to stay off the keyboard. lol I've got this kitten who thinks he's my baby and when I'm trying to write he usually wants me to cuddle him and bite him on the ear.

Do you have travel when researching your books? If yes, where is the most interesting place you’ve visited?
RM: My books all take place in America and I've been to every one of the places I use as a backdrop in my books.

When writing your description of your hero/ine what feature do you start with? Eyes, age, hair color, etc?
RM: Hmm, I don't know. I've never really thought about it before. It seems like they are real people to me so I just know them as who they are (in my mind) and describe them as I would anyone else I know.

Is there anything special you do to get in the mood to write?
RM: Well, not really but lately, I wish there was. On June 18, 2010 our house burned to the ground and I joke that the only fatality was my muse. Except it's getting less and less of a joke and I'm beginning to wonder when I'm going to really write something worthwhile again.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
RM: That depends on what I'm writing. Grounded and Two For Hire had no plot, rhyme or reason. They just sort of came out and I went with it. I write humor on the cuff like that but the others are kind of plotted out, not on paper but in my head. I get an idea and roll it around and around and around, sometimes for weeks or even months before I have a real sense that I know the characters and story well enough to begin writing.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
RM: I would first ask what you prefer because even though I write romance, the sub-genres are as varied as one author can get. I've got suspense, paranormal, historical, time travel, humor, shape shifters, fantasy and sometimes, that's all in the same book! For men I recommend Blood Line because it's more of a "manly" type story, which makes perfect sense because the idea came from a dream my truck driver husband had. The sequel to that, Ancient Blood also has male appeal.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
RM: Enjoyment. I don't write to make a statement, to change anyone's view of life, or to instill some moral into their life. I write for the same reason I read.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
RM: Use condoms.

How long have you been a writer?
RM: I began writing as soon as I could make my letters. I told stories before that. I wrote my first novel in the eighth grade, followed by the requisite morose poetry and song lyrics as a teen, then bedtime stories for my children, and I've never stopped writing or progressing.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?
RM: That's a quirky story. The very first published work took about a month but it didn't work out with that publisher. I was new to being a published author, had no idea what to do next, and the publisher didn't help. About two years later, with more than a hundred WIP's in my files, I met Jill Noble of Noble Romance Publishing. NRP was new at the time and Jill had time to help me learn what came next. Not only that, she was kind enough to teach me the mechanics of writing for publication. I was very lucky to have met her and that she was so patient and had time to kill on her hands.

Did you have any other careers before devoting yourself to being a full-time writer?
RM: Ha! Quick list: LSI Assessor for Community Corrections, AOD counselor, drug court counselor, drug counselor in an all male prison on a unit with me the only female and 120 male inmates, cross country truck driver, bartender, waitress, cashier, floor sales person…

Do you write under more than one name? Why?
RM: I was going to say no, but that would be a little white lie. I have in the past, I wrote 3 books under another name because they were way off genre and I was just kind of feeling my way through something. And no, I'm not telling any more than that!

Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
RM: I think all my characters take on something of their personalities from actual people I've known but the only one that really intentionally did is in Closure. I killed off my ex's!

How would your friends describe you?
RM: My friend Candi lives in another state and thinks I'm awesome! My husband says I'm a painintheass.

What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?
RM: I really think I'm so normal I'm nearly mundane but most people seem to get a kick out of the fact I ride motorcycles, rescue dogs and have 12 kids and 33 grandkids.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?
RM: No book other than the Bible has influenced my life. I do enjoy reading James Patterson's Alex Cross series. I also enjoy the classics like The Great Gatsby, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Of Mice and Men, etc. Two of my very favorite books are Two Old Women and One Thousand White Women.

How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
RM: They couldn't care less. Seriously, it's something that keeps mom busy and none of them are the least bit impressed with me!

Where are you from?
RM: I was born and raised in northern CA but I've lived in eight states and I've been to all except Alaska. I've lived in SE OK for the past twenty years or so.

How do you come up with the titles?
RM: That's the worst part for me. My titles usually suck so bad the publisher's change them but recently I've gotten better at it.

Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?
RM: Not one iota. I live in a very small town in SE OK in the Kiamichi Wilderness with the rivers and lakes nearby. No one here cares what I do and don't really even seem to know I'm a writer. When someone asks what I do and I say I'm a writer, I get this weird look from them. Then I say I'm an author, they grin and say okay. I don't know if the concept is just really strange or they don't believe me.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
RM: When I write I usually have three or four stories going at the same time, plus I'm doing promotions, chatting with my friends, Casey or Bryl, and talking on the phone. I guess you could say I multi-task.

When not writing, how do you relax?
RM: Um, I'm sorry, I don't think I understand the question.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
RM: I've had some pretty good luck and the last few months I saw a lot of releases. My personal favorite, Cross The Line came out December 2, 2010 from Solstice Publishing. This book was five years in the making. The research alone was several months. This book takes on prejudice, slavery, and interracial relationships just after the Civil War during a period of time known as The Indian Wars. The hero is a former slave, and the heroine is the daughter of a former plantation owner who meet because of an accident and then develop an on going relationship that becomes a romance. This book received a 5-cup review from Coffeetime Romance before its release.

In March 2011 One Good Man is coming from eXcessica publishing. In this one, the heroine is a BBW whose boyfriend runs off with her best friend, so she takes a job on one of the floating casinos in Biloxi, MS. She's through with men, and then her mother falls in love with her boss, her books come up short, the boss's hot and sexy son who only dates long-legged blondes is pursuing her, and to top it all off her sleezy ex shows up like nothing happened. Could anything else go wrong? Oh yeah!

What song would best describe your life?
RM: Wild, Wild Life by The Talking Heads

If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?
RM: Weremouse

What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
RM: All of them

What sound drives you crazy?
RM: The keyboard tapping

If you were a tool, what would people use you for?
RM: A couple of minutes at a time

What’s the perfect romantic evening?
RM: Answering these questions

You can erase one embarrassing experience from your past. What will it be?
RM: Wouldn't you like to know

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
RM: Hot

A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be?
RM: Seriously?

What’s for dinner tonight?
RM: I don't know, what are you fixing?

What is sexier boxer or briefs?
RM: Skin

Who’s more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?
RM: Perfect gentlemen who can have their inner bad boy coaxed out. Why? Cuz it's fun.

Where is the craziest place you’ve ever had sex? Or where is the craziest place you made your characters have sex?
RM: In Ancient Blood Ganda has sex in an Egyptian tomb. The graveyard is the closest to that I've ever come.

If you were a superhero, what special power would you have?
RM: Invisibility

What’s your favorite curse word?
RM: Crap.

If you could have three wishes granted, what would you wish for?
RM: My dogs wouldn't fart in my face at night
My cats would learn to use the toilet
My husband wouldn't fart in my face at night



If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be the most essential for you?
RM: My dogs
My cats
My husband

If you could be a shapeshifter, what form would you take and why?
RM: Weremouse…small, sneaky and deadly, come on who wouldn't want to be that?

What’s number one on your list of things you hope to do before you die?
RM: Finish this interview

What is your favorite candy bar?
RM: Dark chocolate Milky Way-frozen

http://www.riemcgaha.com
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Laura Tolomei

What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

To make up my own twists and turns in plot and characters is what I like most about being a writer, particularly when I decide how little or how much sex I’ll put into it. I guess this is basically the reason I became a writer in the first place, because I didn’t always agree with how authors handled the plots in the books I read as I got older.

Do you have travel when researching your books? If yes, where is the most interesting place you’ve visited?
Actually, I travel for the sake of traveling, then use it extensively in my books to describe settings, culture differences, moods, nuances. I guess it depends on my having traveled around and changed countries since the age of five when my parents got transferred to Lagos, Nigeria. We stayed there five years, my formative ones as it turns out, and loved growing up on the Equator, under fierce sunlight and sweltering heat all year long. Then I moved to the States and this experience was the basis of my first full length novel, Piccolo Crocevia A Cinque (loosely translated Little Five Points), available only in Italian I’m afraid. I also lived for a brief time in India and the country, which already attracted me even before I ever set foot on it, fascinated me to the point I couldn’t keep it out of my books, from Trespassing All Hallows Ever, to Divinitas, to Re-Scue and Tasting Leon’s Mark. I keep traveling today and many of the places I visited find their way in my books, like Sicily in Spying the Alcove, and Jordan above all because it was the setting in which I based the planet Sendar of my ongoing fantasy series, Virtus Saga.

When writing your description of your hero/ine what feature do you start with? Eyes, age, hair color, etc?
Actually, I start with how tall they are. This is the foremost feature my characters all have in common. But I don’t linger on their build, rather concentrate on the face, with eye color and shape of jaw being the things I mention most. But these are just teasers to introduce what I notice primarily in a person, the hair. And I like them long, like many of my characters from Prince Duncan Caldwell, the hero of my Virtus Saga, to Leon Sterling, the protagonist of Tasting Leon’s Mark. The interesting thing is my latest release, Visionquest, focuses a lot on the hair issue. In Ilenio’s, the main character and narrating voice, own words: “And of course, the rugged features were partly covered by raven black hair hanging down below his shoulders as was common to most noblemen in our area. I liked this tradition so much I had taken the liberty to imitate them, even against my father’s strenuous objections, by letting my hair—” So naturally, Ilenio, who is just a peasant, breaks the rules and lets his hair grow long, which is what will get him noticed and will eventually change his life.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m still not sure on how to go about creating a series since mine, believe it or not, simply happened to build itself on its own. Virtus started with a recurring image in my mind—a horse rider lost in a place close to home who finds shelter from a thunderstorm in a beautiful woman’s run-down shack, and she looks too familiar to be a stranger, though he has no recollection of her, of who she is, not even of a name—and everything developed out of this, details being added as I went along without any pre-conceived plot. As incredible aw it sounds, it felt like I was reading the Virtus Saga, rather than creating it, for I gathered information much like a reader does, without the possibility of glimpsing ahead. All I had was a concept, which I’ll gladly share with your readers for the first time ever.

The planet Sendar is controlled by a mechanical device as part of a vast social experiment. This sophisticated mechanism channels people's aggression into sex, which in turn guarantees their feudal society knows no violence.

Other than the above, I didn’t know myself where the story was going when it started, so much so I still don’t have a definite ending to it.
It’s obvious therefore, I’m more of a panster, usually letting inspiration lead me, however strange or inconclusive it may sound at first. Then again, I’m too straightforward to be a good plotter or think up outrageous schemes beforehand LOL.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
If you liked the M/M genre, something easy would probably be my best choice, so I’d recommend To Seduce A Soulmate, my bestseller. It’s an intense novel about making choices in life, which is what my writing’s all about. I like to raise doubts in order to make people think and not blindly accept the prejudices and conventions society wants to feed us. And in To Seduce A Soul Mate, new as well as old readers are challenged to think with their own heads, like Drake is forced to do by the chance encounter of a special person however wrong his gender is.

Where are you from?
Italy, specifically Rome, the Eternal City, a place so full of history, art and culture one lifetime wouldn’t be enough to live it whole. It’s also the reason I love history and put it into my books often, like in Roman Seduction and Divinitas,.

How do you come up with the titles?
I don’t. My husband does and he’s great at it. One word and he describes what takes me a whole book to tell. It amazes me every time! How he does it is beyond me, but it’s perfect to tell readers exactly the kind of story they’re going to be reading.

When not writing, how do you relax?
Lying on a beach under a hot, sweltering hot sun, letting the heat sink to my bones and enflame my imagination.

What song would best describe your life?
“An Easier Affair” by George Michael, not because I’m gay, but because it talks about being free from the inside and that’s exactly what I strive for in life.

What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
I feel no guilt or regret in pleasure, only sadness when it’s over because it always lasts too little. And that goes for all pleasures, mostly the sexual ones.

What sound drives you crazy?
My husband’s voice.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
Highly intoxicating material!

A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be?
Mmmmm….have to ask my husband about that.

What’s your favorite curse word?
Damn!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be the most essential for you?
My husband.

If you could be a shapeshifter, what form would you take and why?
My husband’s to know what goes on in that wonderful brain of his.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
Is it kind of obvious I’m in love with my husband? And to think it took me 20 years to find out about it!

*Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.
My future’s as busy as a bee…I have to finish up the edits on Re-Scue, which is probably my most original concept to date, even if I already used it in Divinitas somewhat. To be fair, Re-Scue came before Divinitas, only it’s such an extreme, borderline story, it had trouble finding the right editor. Now it’s housed with Romance Divine and it’ll be coming out first months 2011. The originality is in the fact it’s not one book, but four where the protagonist are the same two souls, only reincarnated in different bodies every time. But if in Divinitas these souls had a purpose, and a strong religious one at that, in Re-Scue there’s no high ambition except in their pursuit of a bloody game of knife and bondage, which neither character can do without no matter how many lives he undertakes. And their connection is so strong, they inevitably pull one another into the same life so that they get a chance to play their game over and over. But of course, the game’s just an excuse and the underlying feelings will bring them to tragedy every time unless something changes soon.
Then I have to continue with my fantasy series, the Virtus Saga. Already released the first three chapters—The Sex, The Game and The Festival—I have the next two almost ready, The Leader and The Pledge, so watch out for those beginning next year.

Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.
My Web
Website http://www.lallagatta.com/

GoodReads Author Page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2903352.Laura_Tolomei

Amazon Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002DBFPDQ

Authors Island
http://www.authorisland.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=874&category_id=27&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=44

Whiskey Torrid Publishing Author Page
http://whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com/authors/Laura_Tolomei.shtml

Coffee Time Romance feature page
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/OurAuthors/LauraTolomei.html

Authors Den http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=93230,

Biblio Scribe
http://www.biblioscribe.com/profiles/LallaGatta/


Networking
MySpace
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=152533159

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1464230924#!/profile.php?id=1554716201&ref=nf

Twitter http://twitter.com/LallaGatta

Goodreads Friendship requests
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1025370-laura-tolomei

Gay Starta http://www.bebo.com/c/home/index.html

The Blood Bank (Bitten by Books)
http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/profile/LauraTolomei

Erotic Romance Writers & Readers
http://eroticromance.ning.com/profile/LauraTolomei

To Seduce a Soulmate
Laura Tolomei
Extasy Books
Gay, Holiday, Contemporary, m/f, m/m, m/m/f
Available now
Buy at Extasy books HERE

He thought finding a soulmate would be his hardest task, but he was wrong. To seduce Pirate Drake…that proved Martin’s real challenge.

Finding a soul mate was the easy part. To seduce him proved Martin’s hardest challenge for nothing in Pirate Drake’s black intriguing eyes seemed to recognize the one person destiny had selected for him. But can the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas be enough to convince him of the contrary in spite of his dilemmas about gender, feelings, connections and sex or can Pirate Drake find a way around the burning desire, the erotic heat, the uncontrollable passion wrecking his senses at Martin’s mere sight?


PG Excerpt:
Martin was about to reply when the waitress brought their platters. He pulled back to give her room, then leaned forward again. “Listen, I’m not asking you to believe in it, but don’t tell me you didn’t feel it because I read it in your eyes, too.”

“Read what?” Drake asked, suddenly feeling very cold.

“The flicker of recognition. When our eyes met, you knew who I was just as surely as I knew who you were.”

“That’s impossible, Devil,” he argued, biting his cheeseburger. “We’ve never met before in our lives.”

“You wouldn’t believe how many unexplainable things defy rationality, Pirate. When I lived in India, I saw more than my share of them.”

“They’re all visionaries over there.”

“I beg to differ, Pirate. They have an age-old tradition, a mix between magic, religion, logic and belief in the unknown. To them, the soul is something alive even when the body dies, with a million journeys behind it and a thousand more ahead, which shape it and mark its path in each successive passage.” He paused to eat a french fry. “And it’s not just an individual affair. I believe there are souls that start out together, soul mates some call them, which inevitably call for each other because alone they’re incomplete. So they go through life seeking their missing half, the essential piece that will restore them to the unity they had started out with.”

“And you think I am—“

“I don’t think, Pirate, I know.” Spoken without any emphasis, the words rang even more forceful despite Drake’s thundering heartbeat clogging his ears. “I’ve been waiting a lifetime to read what I did in your eyes and your reaction was exactly as I’d imagined it a million times in my head. That’s why I behaved like I did that first night.”

“I don’t believe this, Devil.”

“That’s your choice, Pirate. I can’t and certainly won’t force you to believe in this. When you ran away that night at your parent’s house, it became quite obvious that you weren’t ready to accept the truth anyway.”

“What truth?”

The Irish devil stretched across the table. “Just answer me honestly, Pirate. Before you met me, have you ever felt you recognized a complete stranger before in your life? Or felt an electrical current run through your body merely by standing next to someone? Or felt your heart beat so fast you feared it might fall out of your chest?”

With a heavy heart, the pirate realized there was no point in lying so he had to shake his head in denial, long hair flying around.

“But you did the moment you saw me, right?”

Interview with Rhonda L. Print

What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
RLP: I read mostly paranormal romance. I just finished reading Broken by Kelley Armstrong. I also read a lot of Nora Roberts and everything written by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Do you have travel when researching your books? If yes, where is the most interesting place you’ve visited?
RLP: I always have a character or two talking in my head ( does that sound crazy?) so I always take my surroundings in and use them in my books. I live in the desert and its beauty had a profound effect in Nightwalker, A Leah Wolfe SINS Novel.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
RLP: I hope my readers will embrace a love of reading and close the book anxious for the next one!

How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
RLP: My family and friends have been extremely supportive and encouraging. My husband and best friend are my critique partners and read the books before I submit them.

When not writing, how do you relax?
RLP: I read and maybe watch a little television. My favorite shows at the moment are House and Vampire Diaries.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
RLP: I love hearing comments and reviews from my readers. Please feel free to contact me at my blog, www.rhondaprint.blogspot.com or my web page at www.RhondaLPrint.com

I try to answer all of my comments and questions and occassionally post reader reviews on my pages!

If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?
RLP: My children and my daughter’s boyfriend are in the room as I answer this so I’ll give you his answer. He says, with a laugh, that I would be a vampire because I am a lifesucking witch. :D Then he ran away! LOL

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
RLP: Do not talk to me before I’ve had my coffee!

What’s for dinner tonight?
RLP: Again, my kids chimed in on this one. My son said ‘nothing’ and my daughter answered, ‘whatever you can make yourself.’ The real answer, "I have no idea!" J

What’s your favorite curse word?
RLP: Depends on the day. Usually it’s "Shit!" But on occasion it’s been "Evil Cockroach Fucker!" "ECV" in front of the little ones. LOL

What’s number one on your list of things you hope to do before you die?
RLP: I want to hold my great-great grandchildren!

*Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.

I am currently working on the second book in the Leah Wolfe SINS Novel series.

Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.

http://www.rhondalprint.com/
http://www.rhondaprint.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Nightwalker-ebook/dp/B004D9FYKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1290638329&sr=8-1

http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=linda018&product_name=Nightwalker&return_page=&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact

　

Blurb:

Leah Wolfe has retired from serious police work in favor of seeking a normal life. Her unique, yet not fully

discovered supernatural abilities allow her to speak to the souls of the dead, providing vital information in the search for their killers. Her abilities have also cost her almost everyone she has ever loved including her mother, who abandoned her to fend for herself on the streets, and, most recently, her ex-fiancé Joaquín Wildhorse, Chief Detective of the Native American Reservation Police Department. But when Joaquín’s new lover is found brutally murdered on the reservation, he turns to Leah for help. The hunt for a vicious killer leads Leah to sexy Ian Nightwalker and Leah is unable to walk away from the case that may cost her her most guarded possession of all.

Her heart.

Excerpt:

Ian raised his eyebrows at the question, looking slightly amused. "Do you think I am a killer, Leah?"

I paused for a moment. Did I really think Ian was capable of doing that to anotherperson? God I hoped not. The energy emanating from him had always been serene. I was sitting close enough that I could smell the scent of his skin, feel the warmth of his body. I needed only to lean closer to… I cut off the thought.

Work. Focus Leah… Focus on work. Sure, that would pacify my hormones. Riight.

I took a deep breath, all the while Ian sat patiently, an impassive and slightly amused look on his face, one dimple glinting at the corner of his mouth. He had the calmest aura of anyone I’d ever encountered, even the constant chatter in my own head calmed when I was with him. Violence and fury, at least the kind of rage that was used to kill these women never really cooled, it stayed red hot, a constant glow. It was always boiling just below the surface of the person containing it, releasing its own feel of aura.

"No, Ian." I felt the tension in my body ease. "I think you’re dangerous, but you’re not a killer."

"I appreciate you actually considering the matter." His tone let me know that he could be sarcastic, too. Point for him.

"Now that you know that I did not murder her, what avenue will you pursue?"

"I still have tons of questions about you, Ian."

He spread his hands wide. "Ask away, my love."

"Stop calling me that, it’s irritating as hell."

"Again, my apologies. Can you, however, deny the attraction you feel toward me? I can feel your fascination."

I felt myself immediately tense again. He was right, and worse, he knew it. I felt the attraction between us, too. The question was, should I give in to it or learn to shield like hell to keep him from sensing it.

Maybe both. While my hormones reminded me that I had not been with a man in months, months, my battered heart and head took control and reminded me why. Was my attraction to him simply a need that had been denied or was it truly him? It might have been fun to figure out the answer to that one. However, I didn’t know who or what he was.

Only one way to find out.

Z.A. Maxfield

1. What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

ZA: I grew up reading books of all genres and my favorite part of writing romance is the chance to right (or re-write) the wrongs done to all those hapless couples who suffer tragic endings in literary novels.

While I would never rewrite any specific book, everyone should be aware by now that I truly believe in maturity, loyalty, redemption and just plain good luck.

And okay, the literary books were great, but Catherine should have valued Heathcliff and… I dunno. Gotten some serious therapy because wow... Dysfunction Junction. Romeo and Juliet should have just hitched the first ride they could get -- maybe from a wine merchant -- to France where they could join a theatrical troupe of because dang, drama much? And Cyrano de Bergerac…I can’t be the only person who saw Roxanne as wholly unworthy of a guy like Cyrano. (That shallow biznatch.)

Don’t get me started on Jack and Ennis. Just… don’t. *sobs*

I want to write about lovers who win against all odds. That happily-ever-after is both my goal and my reward. That’s romance!


2. What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?


ZA: Like most of the writers I know I schedule reading time into my workday. (Bwahahah… it is good to be me.) I’m always reading romantic stories, because that’s my thing, but my choices aren’t always specifically from romance: the genre.

I love mystery, suspense, and humorous writers like P.G. Wodehouse and Douglas Addams. I read Arthur Conan Doyle and police procedurals, literary novels. Owning a Kindle is like having a never-ending box of really fine chocolates that don’t make you fat. At any point, when life gets a little boring, you can just open it up and say, hmmm…. What looks good today?


3. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

ZA: I wish I could say I’m a plotter but the ugly truth is I’m not organized enough to give a children’s birthday party, much less plot out a novel. Usually I have a loose framework, like…These guys meet (and a few lines about that). These guys have conflict (and a few lines about that). These guys overcome (with a few more lines).

For me the sequence of events in a book is dependent upon the characters in it. As I write, and my characters interact, I’m creating people and the plot follows. Of course I guess I always have the “story” in the back of my mind. Like a blurb, that tells me what is going to happen as far as exterior conflict, but sometimes how the characters handle that conflict will change based on what I’ve learned as they become more fully realized for me.


4. What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?

ZA: I’ve been told I have the running theme of redemption through my work, and my husband teases me that I am going to singlehandedly create a new “Inspirational Erotica” genre. I believe it’s perfectly wonderful when people with hard, unused, or uncertain hearts open up and let love in.


5. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

ZA: I guess if I had a theme, it would be: Sometimes, when people are at their emptiest, that’s when they have the most to give.


6. How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

ZA: This is actually funny since it’s my kids who dared me to write in the first place. My genre, m/m romance, isn’t the first thing people think when they get to know me, and my kids very much enjoy telling their friends (now that they’re old enough to understand what m/m romance is) that I write gay love stories. I got my pen name from mixing up all their names, and my son Maxfield still rolls his eyes and asks why couldn’t I be M.A. Zachary so his twin’s full name would be on the books.

My family is so terrifically supportive. If I had a magic wand I’d wave it and the house would be spotless, I’d be at every event at school, I’d always know when permission slips were due, and I’d arrange fantasy erotic nights out with my man. Since I’m all out of wands, and they love me anyway, I’m the luckiest writer in the world.


7. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything on your road to publication?

ZA: If I had anything to do over, I think I’d get started WAY sooner. I spent a lot of time imagining that my chances of being published were statistically pretty bad, like… getting hit by a piece of Skylab or marrying the Prince of Wales.

While this might be true in the hallowed halls of New York’s publishing giants, e-publishing, POD printers and small presses, niche-driven markets, and affordable, respectable self-publishing has changed the playing field entirely and it’s up to writers to change the way they think.

I tell young writers all the time to spend ten minutes in bookstore just picturing that each and every one of those books was written by a person who gets up in the morning, brushes their teeth, and does virtually the same things we all do. Every writer has doubts. The only difference between all those published writers and you and me --besides the obvious gifts of talent and whatever cocktail of genetics and divine intervention one has no control over– is that they actually acted, at some point, on their dream.

Raine Delight

What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?
Raine says: *grins* I get to torture my characters, make up new worlds/setting and have fun with them.

What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
Raine says: It depends on my mood. Lately it has been a mix of M/M, paranormal/Fantasy, sci-fi/futuristic along with thrillers/romantic suspense.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Raine says: Well *looks over shoulder and makes sure editor is not around*, I am a pantser all the way. I tried the outline method and my characters laughed themselves silly over it. Where I wanted to go left, they went right, upside and sideways. *grins*

Describe your day.
Raine says: Well, I wake up, stumble to put coffee on, get the kids moving for school, shuffle to the shower when DH is done and pray I have hot water, to wake up and then after getting ready for day, have my first cup of coffee heaven as I shoo the kidlets and DH out the door as I get my day job work ready. I then spend an hour answering/checking email, marking down any that are from clients and at 9 AM, I am busy working till lunch then I take a 40 minute lunch then back to work till kids are home. I go offline to make dinner and such but once kidlets are in bed, I am either checking email or answering items while I play on facebook for a little bit. Then I relax with an hour of video game fun with DH or by myself as I unwind before bed.  Very boring and not very entertaining I am afraid. *grins*

When not writing, how do you relax?
Raine says: I spend time with my DH and kids, reading, watching movies/DVD’s of my favorite TV shows and listening to music. We also enjoy hiking in the summer when it is nice.


If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?
Raine giggles: a fairy of course. I love fairies and to have the pointy ears and magic while being beautiful is one thing I would love. *grins*

What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
Raine says: Oh man….*thinks*…..white chocolate caramel cappuccino and good white chocolate. Hmmmm think I like white chocolate don’t you? lol

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
Raine thinks: Maybe…”Make sure you cover your ears and wear oven mitts when opening”

If you could have three wishes granted, what would you wish for?
Raine says: world peace, gay marriage equality and kittens. *blinks* you mean this isn’t the Ms. Universe tournament?
Ok…then…I want a cabana boy to do the house work and laundry; Johnny Depp for inspiration of course *wide evil grin*; and an unlimited supply of white chocolate.

What is your favorite candy bar?
Raine thinks: I like Kit Kats and Reeses Pieces every now and again. Not a big candy eater. It’s for special occasions.

*Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.


Future projects include the following:
Club Fantasy trio-Paranormal BDSM club
Book 1 is called Unleashed Passion and is a ménage.
Devon Falls 5: Moonlight & Magic (Paranormal erotic romance)
Devon Falls 6: Yuletide Magic (Paranormal/holiday)
Untamed Passion-Vampire BDSM Novella/Short
Finding Heaven-My first M/M Holiday story

Website: http://authorrainedelight.com/
Blog: http://rainedelightbooknook.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Raine_Delight
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaine-Delight
Email: rainedelight@yahoo.com
Yahoo reader group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Author_Raine_Delight