What is one book everyone should read? You’re asking me to choose just one? That’s a question I can’t answer, but I will say the one book that made the most significant change in my life was the Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice who wrote under a pen name for that series. Being from a small rural town in Alabama, I never knew that people even considered this type of erotica, and it put me on a two year journey of research.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. Because it may get me kicked out of the Bible Belt and I need all the resources I can muster up to prepare for my move!
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? My co-author, Karl Jones and myself, are working on the second book in the Forbidden Desires series. We have five projects in the works for 2013 and it should be a very busy year. I think we’ve got more ideas than we have time to write at the moment, but I’m excited about all of them.
What inspired you to want to become a writer? Dreams of Cara and Rafe are my soul inspiration for becoming a writer. Rafe has been my muse since the age of fifteen, and he came into my life at a time when I was suffering great mental and physical anguish. It was through his inspiration that I managed to survive those horrible years and I will always consider him my guardian because of it.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. My most rewarding experience came just recently when I actually had a bigger paycheck than my husband. To understand that, you would have to know that my husband is very successful in money management, and it’s something I had never aspired to do. He was just as pleased and now believes that there is more to writing that just a dreamers way of passing time. We are very polar opposites, which I think gives our children a very balanced view of life. He believes in only what he can see and I live in a fantasy world.
If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be? Outside of my Tears of Crimson books, that would be the world of Charlaine Harris. I of course would be Sookie and Bill Compton would be a forgotten memory as I lived out the rest of my days with Eric Northman. Sorry Bill, I think you’re great, but I love Eric.
What is your dream cast for your book? I actually did a Pinterest board for this and I would love to have Ian Somehalder, Alexander Skarsgard, and my cousin Candace LeRae. I have no doubts that they could create a box office hit and it would be incredible to see this on the big screen.
What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? I was reading Harlequin Romance novels at eight years old, and I can’t say there was just one favorite. I loved all the happily-ever-after endings, and I think it might have given me a warped view about what relationships should be. It took several years into my adult life to understand that you had to work to make any relationship last.
Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters? I love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rhianna. It’s a very emotional, and disturbing song that speaks to the soul about the intensity of a relationship. Leah and Rhett have this volatile passion and it just works with that song. In the second book to this series, we are introduced to Alex, and he does balance things.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Pull on your big girl/boy pants and be prepared for hearing many things you don’t want to know about your work in the beginning. The business of writing, especially as an indie author, is not an easy road and you should be prepared to work harder than you ever have in your life if you plan on succeeding.
If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play the lead role and why? First let me say that if they ever did that I hope I’ve already passed away. There are things in my life that I would rather the entire world didn’t see. But to answer your question, I guess Vanessa Hudgens would be the person I would choose. I’m not sure why I find this young actress so fascinating, but she really impresses me.
How did you know you should become an author? I still question myself about that, and I have to say it’s because all these dreams in my mind needed an outlet. Writing seems much better than spending an hour on a Shrinks couch every week.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had? Last year I began having nightmares about the Illuminati and Blood Oaths and I came up with this crazy idea that I wanted to research all the celebrity deaths that had been hooked to Blood Oaths. I gave the idea up when I started having nightmares about being killed for uncovering information the public wasn’t supposed to be aware of. When I attempted to write anything on that story I became physically ill, so I took that as an indication to stop doing it.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? Don’t give up and don’t let any negative person influence you to give up your dream. That was actually the best advice I’ve ever been given because in the beginning there was a lot of negativity in my writing career. In 2009 I honestly had no clue what I was doing and was having huge trouble with formatting and tenses. Read enough bad reviews and you learn exactly what it is you’re doing wrong! Those horrible reviews helped me even as I cried into my pillow about what a failure I was becoming.
I began researching my craft, and discovered how to fix the problems that were apparent in my writing. Live and Learn! Now I might still get the negative review, but at least (for the most part) it’s because they don’t agree with my characters.
What was your favorite children’s book? Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss. I still read this one to my youngest kids, and one of them is highly addicted to that book now as well. I don’t know why I’ve always loved that book, but it makes me laugh.
How do you react to a bad review? I no longer cry my eyes out, so that’s a good thing. I try not to read them these days. One of the great things about having a co-author that reads reviews is I can spare myself the agony.
If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why? You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy? Property in New Orleans to turn into the Tears of Crimson Nightclub. That has been my dream for many years, and I hope one day that it will become a reality. New Orleans desperately needs a vampire bar.
Genre – Contemporary Romance
Rating – R
