Tag Archives: paranormal romance

I Lose My Skin and Glow Indigo with Paranormal Romance Author Joanne Brothwell

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I met Joanne Brothwell in person at the RT Book Lovers Conference and it was epic, epic I tell you! We rocked the bar, we rocked the dance floor, and she rocks the writing, rocks the writing right. And she’s from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Can you hear the wind blowing? I live in Colorado. The wind always blows, so you’ll have to let me know.

Joanne is a fellow Crescent Moon Press writer, and her book Stealing Breath just came out. Skinwalkers, love, and Indigo children. Here’s a quick synopsis:

 

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty–one-year-old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing–eyed, transparent…creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn’t even know she had.
Sarah meets the enigmatic Evan and the drama deepens into magic. Pure magic.

 

Joanne agreed to chat with me and it was wonderful! I generally only make writers suffer through 20 minutes of conversation, but with Joanne we went over.

Aaron: My first question: why set the story in North Dakota and not in Saskatchewan? The answer will shock you! Joanne, let us in on the shocking secret!

Joanne: Well, as a writer based in Canada, I wanted to have wider appeal than just Canadians. But to tap into the US market, I was told in no uncertain terms, that Americans do not like to read about anything but America *ducks*. I’m sorry, I can’t say whether that is true or not, but I also wasn’t about to challenge it and find out it was true the hard way. So I wrote about North Dakota, which I believe is the most similar, geographically, to Saskatchewan.

Aaron: So I’m always asking writers when they started writing. We have both extremes. Some started writing fifteen minutes ago, others were scribbling in the womb. With Joanne, her story was different. She started writing when she wrote her father’s memoirs. Joanne, how was that experience?

Joanne: It was both challenging and rewarding. In terms of challenge, I had to wade through hours and hours of audiotapes my father made for me and transcribe them. This was fun at first, listening to his fabulous stories of prairie life in the 50’s, but there were so many words and expressions he used that I was unfamiliar with, I was constantly having to rewind and listen over again.

In terms of the process being rewarding, I now have all of my father’s stories, forever captured in a book that will be enjoyed by me and my family for years to come.

Aaron: How was writing your father’s memoir similar to writing fiction?

Joanne: It was nothing like fiction. It could have been, if I’d attempted to find a theme, highlight a character arc, etc. But that wasn’t the goal. The memoir was transcribed nearly verbatim from his audiotape, because I simply wanted to ensure my father’s memories were preserved.

Aaron: I loved your story about the inspiration for Stealing Breath. Tell us how it all started! How did the Skinwalkers tie in with the Indigo children?

Joanne: One of my friends, an Indigenous Canadian, told me a story of a time she was on a road trip in the US. It was the middle of the night and she was growing too tired to continue driving, so she pulled her car over to the side of the road, somewhere in Arizona near the “four corners” (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah). She planned to have a nap, but was startled awake when her car started rocking as if someone was jumping on her car, their mocking laughter outside sending shivers up her back. Quite abruptly it stopped, and when she spoke to some of her Navajo relatives later, they said these tricksters were Skinwalkers, people who practiced “Bad Medicine” and could perform astral-projection!

How does Skinwalkers tie in with Indigo Children? About four years ago I had this story idea of a spiritually-evolved human, based on the New Age concept of the “Indigo Child.” This person would be spiritually closer to God, with psychic abilities and a purple/blue aura. This concept came long before the Skinwalker story. But after the Skinwalker story, I began to think— if Skinwalkers can walk outside of their skin, can they walk inside the skin of another? If yes, can they steal the souls of their victims? If they can steal souls, wouldn’t they want a special purple/blue one that’s closer to God?

Aaron: Saskatoon has a population of around 272,000. Give or a take a hockey player. Saskatoon. That’s just fun to say. All of you people at home, say it out loud to yourselves. You’ll thank me. But Joanne, you didn’t grow up in Saskatoon, but in a small, rural town. Your novel also takes place in a small town. Are you afraid that someone from your burg will come out and say, “Hey Joanne, eh, I read your book. How come I’m not in it?” Or will you accidentally out someone? “The mean guy in the store has a facial scar, and Carl Masterson has the same scar. That Joanne is telling stories out of school.” Any danger of that happening?

Joanne: I have two words for you, Aaron: plausible deniability.
Just kidding! Without a doubt, the setting of the novel is based on my home town. Heck, I even admitted as much to the local newspaper! However, I don’t think anyone would say they see themselves in the book. If they did, it would certainly be news to me.

Aaron: Okay, Joanne, first time you were ever really critiqued – what was your reaction – what happened? Describe, in detail, the blood, sweat and tears.

Joanne: The first time was after I’d paid for a manuscript evaluation. I got it back in the mail and it took a long time to muster up the courage to open it. It was about four pages long, with approximately three sentences highlighting the manuscript strengths. The rest was solid criticism. Too much telling. Too many adjectives and adverbs, improper grammar, no story structure. The negatives went on and on.

I felt positively sick. I can honestly say, I’ve never felt so deflated and mortified in my entire life. It was a good thing the critique was done by someone anonymous, because I’m certain their Inbox would have been filled with hate mail.

I took a short break from writing after that, to decide whether I even wanted to continue. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had a 100,000 word manuscript already written, I may have quit. But I felt like I’d already invested too much time and energy to give it up. So I picked myself up, licked my wounds, and got right back on the saddle.

Aaron: Last question, so we have to make it a good one. Without giving anything away, what is your favorite moment in the book? The moment that sums up the emotional experience of writing the novel and spending three years working on it. March 8, 2009 to March 8, 2012. Hit me, baby, one more time.

Joanne: There is a seduction scene about a quarter of the way in that I’m very proud of, where Sarah and Evan are playing pool in the town bar. It’s a hot and steamy moment that showcases the wonderful euphoric feeling of intense infatuation. In real life, those moments cause a cascade of powerful brain chemicals, the highly addictive ones we all crave. After getting the characters all hot and bothered, I finish the scene off with a big bang. Literally!

That pretty much sums up Stealing Breath:

Infatuation + Supernatural = Flash/Bang.

Check out Joanne’s website
Joanne’s Crescent Moon Press page
Her Facebook fan page
Follow her on twitter
Her books on Kindle

Thank you, Joanne! Your awesomeness transcends all international borders!

I Rush into the Wasteland with Lynn Rush and her First Book, Wasteland!

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Lynn Rush works it like a dog on ice. That’s a lot, for those who don’t know about husky dogs and the Iditarod. Or if you haven’t read Jack London. She’s White Fang dynamic.

Her first book, Wasteland, came out in September, 2011 from Crescent Moon Press, and the sequel, Awaited, is due out in May, 2012. We even have a sneak peek of the cover for book #2.  It’s wicked cool, yo. She’s a former speed skater and Minnesotan, and she’s lived in Castle Rock, Colorado for four years. Now she works at a bookstore, writes, and works it like a Saint Bernard in the Yukon.
Lynn’s bio.

Her book, Wasteland, is full-on demony:

Bound by the blood contract his human mother signed four centuries ago, half-demon David Sadler must obey his demonic Master’s order to capture fifteen-year-old Jessica Hanks. But as he learns more about her, he realizes she may be the key to freedom from his dark enslavement.


So, here is the interview. I interview. You interview. He\she\it interviews.

Aaron: Lynn, so you came to the writing game a short five years ago. Tell us what happened. What was the first day of writing, in your life, as a novelist, like for you? Were there angels singing? Dogs barking? Tea brewing?

Lynn: Ha! Angels singing! That’s a good one. I barely remember writing that first novel other than just typing like a mad woman. Seriously. I just know that in late November 2007 I had an 87,000 word novel with NO CLUE what to do next. It was a blur. Now, the second book, that I remember. Because I had finally found a writers group, so I was going on a critique or two by then, so I had some directions.
Angels might have sung on that one. ((LOL))

Aaron: How do you handle the overwhelming amount of work? Writing, social media-ing, editing, et cetera? Any tricks? Tea? Coffee? Illegal substances that I can’t spell?

Lynn: I try and lay off the illegal substances since I’m a recovering former Addictions Therapist.  For the most part, I have TONS of extra time because I don’t have kids. I’m not sure how I would navigate all the demands if I did have little munchkins to chase around to tell you the truth! Plus, I only work about 30 hours a week at my “day” job, sooooo, I get to spend a lot of time doing what I love. WRITING!

Aaron: You write all the time, but is there a time you prefer for writing? Under the dark of the moon? In the morning’s red glare? In the rocket’s red glare?

Lynn: Anyone who follows my Facebook or Blog knows I LOVE sunrises and sunsets. I tell ya;, though, with writing, I’d have to say sunset on my patio. I just love the serenity involved with that type of setting. But you’re right when you say I write all the time. Really, if I have an idea, pretty much it’s GAME ON and I’m writing every free minute to get that story done. Otherwise, the voices in my head just get too loud and keep me up. And I get grouchy without sleep!

Aaron: Which do you prefer? The rough first draft or the three hundredth edit? And yes, there are people who love to fiddle with every word for the three hundredth time. You know who you are.

Lynn: FIRST drafts are my FAVE! There’s nothing like the rush of sitting before a blank page and typing CHAPTER ONE…LOVE that. I really enjoy the editing, too. Like, when I get a crit back from one of my crit partners, I’m all shaking and stuff while I open it, crazy excited to see what they said. I know it won’t all be sunshine and roses, but that’s okay, because I know it’ll help my story get better. And that is the point! To make our stories shine!

Aaron: What was the inspiration for Wasteland?

Lynn: While I was writing it, I never really thought about it to tell you the truth. But I looked back once I got asked that question by an interviewer once and this is what I came up with. It was December 2009. I was in my fourth month of unemployment. I didn’t asked to be laid off from my job. Didn’t want to. Couldn’t control it. As I looked back, I noticed that DAVID, the hero in Wasteland, is in much the same situation. He didn’t ask to be half-demon. He couldn’t control his mother’s actions (selling his soul) before he was even conceived. And mostly, he didn’t WANT to be half-demon tied to the devil to run souls. So, I could see some similarities coming through there.

Aaron: Did the Wasteland series colonize your head all or at once, or was it book by book? Put another way, was it War of the Worlds all encompassing, yes, I have all the books in my head. Or was it more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, piece by piece, bit by bit, you imagined the books? Or did you forget the original question with the sci-fi references?

Lynn: ROTFLOL. Believe it or not, I remembered the question! But yeah, I’d go with Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Don’t laugh, but I don’t always know if a book will be a standalone or trilogy. I write books as they come to me. I don’t think I’ve ever written a first book, then the second, then the third right after one another for any of the trilogies I’ve written. I just start with the first then as I go along, if more ideas come in, I’ll write that second and third book.  I have four trilogies done. Two are contracted for publication, the other two are not. One might be battling dust bunnies under my virtual bed because it was one I wrote WAY WAY in the beginning (it’s really bad).
Aaron: If Wasteland has an antonym, what would it be? For example, for my novel The Never Prayer, the antonym would be those cute, chubby, naked, cheruby angels you see on greeting cards. Yeah, my novel, the exact opposite. What is an antonym for Wasteland? Could be another book, a movie, an image, or an idea. You’ll be graded on accuracy and originality.

Lynn: Fluffy white clouds, cute little puppy dogs, and shimmering rainbows.

Aaron: Okay, for this next one, big lead-up. Picture your typical movie-type biker bar on the outskirts of Barstow, California. Whiskey dark and leather tough. Okay, the hero, the heroine, and the villain of Wasteland walk into that bar separately at midnight on random Saturday nights. What would happen to them? To the bar? To Barstow?

Lynn: Okay, so you said separate. So, if they don’t meet up with one another, all would be well. If they happen to…”mingle”  Have you ever seen that little mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion? You know like in Terminator 2 when Sara Connor has that dream? That’s what I envision happening. **just kidding** sort of. Guardians and demons don’t mix. Lots of swords swinging and some heads rolling. But Beka would be working to preserve human life through it all.

Aaron: Are you more demon, or more angel? Would this change for you in your home versus if you were in a biker bar, outside of Barstow, California, on a random Saturday night?

Lynn: Angel. Nope. I’d stay with the Light through it all. There’s strength in that and I’d kick some demon butt right beside Beka!

Aaron: Last question. Make it a good one. Hit me baby one more time. Would you want to live in the world of Wasteland? Why or why not? You’d be there as a character, living your life; however, the paranormal aspect would be in full swing. Could you deal with it? Could you turn and face the strange?

Lynn: Their world is pretty much this one. Same technology, luxuries, etc. But to be a part of their supernatural battles…hmmm. That’s a little scary. But if I could have Beka’s confidence, sword handling skills, and strength in battle, I’d say BRING IT!

Thanks to Lynn for being a willing victim…er, participant! Check out her awesome, ubiquitous web presence at these links!

Lynn’s website.
Lynn on Facebook.
Twitter.
Goodreads.

I Get Lunar With Perigee Moon Author Tara Fuller

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So, Tara Fuller is a Crescent Moon Press writer, and her first book, Perigree Moon just came out.  Get it while it’s hot, yo.  Since she is a newbie, like me, and since she is awesome, like me, and since she has a new book, which will be me, I badgered her into letting me interview her.  After the restraining order didn’t work, she agreed.

 

Her book is all Salem Witch Trials, time travel, smoky teen angst and a boy with dark hair and piercing blue eyes.  As you’ll see.  For the full story, you can check out the full pitch and full bio at Crescent Moon Press.  Fully linked.  Also you can click above, to her website and to Amazon.

But don’t go yet.  Let’s get to it.

Aaron Michael Ritchey: Let’s start right off with the hardest question of all. How do you cope with the brutality that is the writing life? The rejection, the constant self-doubt, the fist-shaking rants at heaven? That’s how I deal with it. Shaking my fist at heaven. And ranting.

Tara: Lol, there have definitely been some fist-shaking moments for me too. Lots of moments when I didn’t think I was good enough. For me, I just remind myself every day that anything worth having doesn’t come easily. And this has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I don’t think any amount of rejection could make me walk away from it. Writing is just part of who I am. I love it.

Aaron: What was the inspiration for Perigee Moon? Was it a sparkly-vampire-type of dream? Or were you walking along, and suddenly, yeah, witches, man, witches.

Tara: Nope. No sparkly vampire dreams for me. I had known for a while that I wanted to write a time-travel story. And then one day I was watching a documentary on the Salem Witch Trials (yes that is the sort of thing I do for fun) and it hit me. Why not combine the two? After about three days of plotting (Definition of plotting: me lying on my floor listening to music and staring at my ceiling fan thinking about witches and kissing) the idea for Perigee Moon was born!

Aaron’s Response: That made me laugh. Witches and kissing. Laying on the floor, listening to music. Great answer. I walk. For me, walking is plotting. Cool.

Aaron: How did you pick the title? I can’t do titles. I used up all my good title ideas in high school and college. I call most of my books by numbers. Yes, I’m working on Book 123. Kidding. Titles, talk to me.

Tara: I’m not great with titles either, but this one was pretty easy. The spell in this book that the entire story in hinged on must take place during a Perigee Moon (the time when the moon is closest to the earth). So this time, thankfully, I didn’t have to pull too much hair out coming up with one.

Aaron Responds: It’s a great title. And interesting. You can google perigree. Dang, you learn something every day.

Aaron: Speaking of witches, what drew you to the whole Salem thing? Do you enjoy the smell of burnt flesh? Please answer both questions. It’s important for our readers.

Tara: I have always been fascinated with history and the Salem Witch Trials were something I loved learning about. It’s really crazy to learn about the events that went on back then. It’s heartbreaking to say the least. As for the second question: the only burning flesh I’ve ever smelled was mine when my flat iron attacked me recently, and no I wasn’t too fond of that moment, lol.

Aaron Bites Back: Had to google flat iron. Okay. Gotcha. And yeah, Salem Witch Trials were fascinating. Those wacky Christians.

Aaron: Rowan Bliss is the name of your heroine, which is awesome. How did you pick that name? And can I use it as my stage name for my transvestite show in San Francisco this summer? Please, both questions, hit me.

Tara: Well, thank you! I love her name. When I name a character I approach it just like I did with my kids. I break out the baby name books. When I found the name Rowan it just felt right. As for your stage name, have at it. I’m sure Rowan would be flattered, lol. 😉

Aaron Ain’t Done: I’ll come out, dressed in black, very witchy woman.

Aaron: So, we talked, and you love music. Love the playlist section of your website. Link here. And yeah, that Snow Patrol “Run” song is awesome. How do you pick the music you write to? Random, or do you have a special way? For example, when I wrote The Never Prayer, I searched my music collection for all songs that had “Angel” in the title. Do you do something similar?

Tara: I am a huge music fan, so when I hear a song that speaks to me or a project I’m working on, whether that be from lyrics or just a melody, I store it away. The console of my car is jammed full of old receipts and scrap paper where I heard a song on the radio and said “Oh! That song is so Finn!” then proceeded to pull over so I could write it down so I wouldn’t forget.

Aaron’s Quip: That’s so sweet. Having a playlist really helps me, especially during the re-write process.

Aaron: Can you write without music? Can you revise with music? How do your writing routine and music intertwine?

Tara: I can write without music, but I usually don’t. It’s a very useful tool for me in the writing process. When it comes to revising I can go to the song I had on while I wrote that chapter and it helps take me back to the tone and mood of that scene.

Aaron Shamelessly Agrees: Me too. Same, same.

Aaron: Last music question. You will be judged on style and content. If suddenly your MP3 player was taken over by demons, and you could only choose ONE band/artist to write to for the next fifty years, who would it be? If you say Justin Beiber, I will love you forever. Others will judge. Oh Lord, will they judge.

Tara: Lol! I’m sorry to say that Justin Beiber wouldn’t be my choice. I would have to go with “City and Colour”. They are too amazing for words and have actually inspired a lot of the current series I’m working on (Kissed by Death).

Aaron Acts Out: I’ll have to check that “City and Colour” out. Because I’m completely self-centered, I must say, my answer would be Moby. And not just because he’s a hardcore vegan Christian.

City and Colour; Comin’ Home

Aaron: At its heart, what is Perigee Moon about? What transcendent human truths does it contain? In other words, theme. Crush me with theme.

Tara: At its heart, Perigee Moon is a story about growing up. Rowan is dealing with loss, falling in love for the first time, and finding out who she is and what her place is in life. She’s really not different than most teens. They are going through all of this too. She’s just going through all of this under extraordinary circumstances.

Aaron’s Muttering: Ah, coming of age. Traversing rocky waters.

Would you date Alex, the love interest in your book? Or would it merely be a physical thing? No blushing. But don’t go into anything beyond PG-13 rated descriptions.

Tara: Would I date Alex? Well, if I wasn’t married and was ten years younger of course! Alex is a good-looking guy but he is so much more than that. He is a character that broke my heart. But in a good way. He is strong, caring, intelligent, and just a little bit broken. And when he loves someone he does it with his whole heart. Even if that person doesn’t deserve it. Alex believes in family and respect. He’s an old-fashioned kind of guy.

Aaron Risks Embarrassment: What a great answer. I might be crushing a little. If I wasn’t married, twenty years younger, and well, you know, into guys with black hair and piercing blue eyes…

Aaron: What aspects of Perigee Moon did you draw from your own teenager years? For me, the answer is simple. I can’t remember that far back. I just steal everything from the Gossip Girls, since, of course, that is so totally reality.

Tara: One of the things I loved about writing this book was being able to draw from those memories. Feeling lost, not knowing who you really are yet, or what you’re going to be. The awkward moments when you finally meet a boy that you can’t walk away from, but don’t know how to act. The wonderful butterfly sensations of first love.

Aaron’s Second Shameless Agreeing: Me too. Same, same.

Aaron: You’re a late night writer. Can you write during the day if forced to? Or do you draw power from the night like a vampiric H.P. Lovecraft? What is the latest you have stayed up? Any all nighters? All funny stories welcome.

Tara: I do most of my writing at night because I have two small kids. But I write whenever I get a chance. On the weekends, I escape to a local coffee shop to write during the day. As for all-nighters? I’ve had plenty of those. Too many to count. I have sacrificed sleep for finishing up a chapter or reading a good book or catching up on True Blood more times than is probably healthy, lol.

Aaron’s Sleepiness Showing: In insomnia terms, I’m an early waker. But yeah, understood. It’s great your spouse is so supportive.

Aaron: For question 13, if you could be someone in Perigee Moon, who would it be? And why? How long could you stand being your villain? Or is that too many questions in one question? Pick one and love it. And thank you so much!!!

Tara: If I could be anyone in Perigee Moon it would be Rowan. Obvious choice I know, but she is so much stronger than I will ever be. The things that she manages to overcome in this story inspire me. I admire her. Plus she gets to kiss Alex. I mean, who wouldn’t like that? 😉

Aaron’s Final Finale Finally: Well, thanks so much to Tara Fuller! Great answers to what I have to say are great questions. Greatest. Interview. Ever.

To read the greatest review ever of Perigee Moon by Sam at Falling Books, go here: