When did you know you wanted to write?
I can't remember a time when I haven't written, so I've always wanted to write. But if you're asking when I knew I wanted to write for publication, that would be around 1994 when I began seriously submitting my work to agents and publishers.
What does your writing corner look like? How do you get in the mood to write?
My writing corner is my bedroom, so aside from the bed and bureaus, my workstation is surrounded by piles and piles of manuscripts and piles of books to-be-read. My immediate area is strewn with Post- it notes and other writing paraphernalia.
Tell us about your most recent book? What inspired you to write this story? What message are you trying to convey in this story?
My most recent work is a May/December story between an older woman and a younger man and is a cross-genre erotic romance entitled Manifest Destiny. It's the third book in my The Matchmaker series and follows the story of two characters from three of my previous books (Evelyn Vega, the heroine appeared in the first two Matchmaker books--Beneath the Surface and Terms of Surrender) and Jason Makepeace, the hero, appeared in Spells Cast
in Shadows. Now they have their own story.
What inspired me to write this story were a couple of elements. Evelyn and Jason both had their own stories to tell and wanted the spotlight rather than just playing second fiddel to other heroes and heroines. Not only did the characters want me to tell their story, I wanted to telly Evelyn and Jasons story. They were two multi-dimensional characters that I knew prety well and who had numerous issues, conflicts and chemistry that I felt could carry an entire novel. Basically, they had engaged my senses past the pages of the books they had previously appeared in. The message of Manifest Destiny--which is basically the message in a lot of my books--is that love comes when and where we least expect it.
Is there a common theme in your works?
Most of my characters have some sort of emotional baggage from their past (i.e., in Beneath the Surface
both the hero and heroine deal with some serious issues. EJ deals with the suicide of a girlfriend from his past, and Tabitha has serious abandonment issues since her mother and father left her at eight). Having said this, a lot of my stories deal with character redemption, healing and family bonds.
Do you have any other books or contributions to the writing industry?
I have several other titles out with Siren Publishing, Awe-Struck Ebooks and Fictionwise.
My short stories, novellas and poetry have seen
exposure in various lit and art magazines and other venues--online and in print. Of particular note, heard over the airwaives on KFJC's morning show, Dancing in the Fast Lane with Ann Arbor (Unbedtime Stories) out of Los Altos Hills CA (an excerpt of my New Age paranormal urban romance, New Life Incognita was the story of the month for March 2000). I'm also a proud member of the Street News family and have seen numerous articles, poems and novel excerpts published within its pages as well as having a poetry reading on Pseudo On-line Network (Street News Reviews).
Whose work do you love to read? What is your favorite book?
Octavia E. Butler, Lara Santiago, Michael Barnette, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Shannon McKenna, Nancy Kress, Joey W. Hill, Poppy Z. Brite...just to name a few. What is my favorite book? Boy that's a toughy, but I'd have to say Octavia E. Butler's Parable books (Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents).
What can we expect from you in the future?
I have a few titles coming out with Siren Publishing in the next several months: my Sisters of Emsharra novella Sentinel's Hunger will be released mid-2007 as part of the Siren Scorchers Rapture 1 Anthology whic also includes novellas from Lara Santiago, Amanda Hilton and Emma Wildes. I'm excited about this third book inthe Emsharra series and even more excited to be include in this inaugural anthology with the other talented authors. Also from Siren Publishing, I have Eternal Designs, an erotic paranormal romance (interracial/reincarnation/suspense) coming out mid-2007. My erotic short, Leap of Faith, will be appearing in Zane's Eroticanoir.com anthology, Caramel Flava 2. I'm working on my second adult fairy tale, Zack and the Dark Shaft (it's my take on Jack and the Beanstalk). It's male/male erotic romance and my second story exploring a same-sex relationship (my first was a short story recently published by All Romance eBooks: www.allromaceebooks.com). I'm also working on Book 4 of The Matchmaker entitled Emilia's Emancipation and am planning a fifth and final book, Taming Donna.
What advise can you give aspiring authors?
The best advice I could give anyone chasing
a dream, is to never give up. Be prepared for criticism, work hard, network and always, always look for ways to improve your craft.
Where can readers purchase your work?
My books are available for purchase in electronic and print format from Siren Publishing, Inc., Awe-Struck E-Books , Fictionwise , and Amazon.com
Tell us something interesting about yourself that you wouldn't normally expose first meeting someone (we call this the sistah-confesion at our site meetings--to break the ice among old members and newbies)
Wow, I don't really consider myself that interesting outside of my writing (but I have been known to tell people I'm an erotic romance author upon a first meeting, trying to break out of my "shy" shell, LOL. Hmmm, let's see...Oh, I know. I have four tattoos!
