Q & A with author Sabrina York

Thanks for being here today, Sabrina. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, writes naked erotic fiction for fans who like it hot, hard and balls-to-the-wall, and erotic romance and fantasy for readers who prefer a slow burn to passion. An award winning author in multiple genres, Sabrina loves writing hot, humorous stories in all kinds of settings from contemporary to fantasy to downright horror.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?  

People who know me would laugh out loud if they heard me say that yes, I’m shy. But it’s the truth. Years ago, as a painfully timid college student, I took an acting class and learned to play the role of an unabashedly confident person. Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” I took that advice to heart. As time passed, I found it easier and easier to pretend I was an extrovert. Now it seems normal and I have no problems grabbing a microphone and blabbing in front of a crowd. But deep inside—if I stop to think about it—I’m scared to death.

So I don’t think about it.

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?

I believe that in many ways, my reluctance to be ‘famous,’ or even ‘noticed,’ stopped me from taking the chances I should have taken throughout my career. I often second guessed submissions and queries. One area I felt very comfortable in was entering contests, because there was feedback without it being as personal. I started winning contests and it became even easier. Addictive. When my friends started referring to me as the ‘contest ho’ and editors and agents began questioning how I won so many awards and never sold, I realized it was time to toss my caution to the winds and make some serious moves.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

My characters carry with them an element of my shyness, which makes them warmer and more human. They all have self doubts that they miraculously overcome within the narrative. If I hadn’t experienced the same, my stories simply would not be as authentic and warm as they are.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

For a shy writer, creating steamy erotic love stories can be a challenge. While I am composing, I have to forget that there is a world of readers out there soaking in my words. The fact of the matter is, I am an erotic writer. I didn’t plan to be or try to be…it’s just where my fingers go. And I’m good at it. Ignoring other people’s opinions of my work—or what I think they might be thinking—is tough. But it has to be done. Fortunately I have a wonderful editor and amazing critique partners who keep me inspired.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

I live outside my comfort zone. Every day. Because my comfort zone is a hole in the ground with a nice palm-leaf cover. 

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

Remember that you have something rare and precious. Your way with words, your thoughts, your ideas. No one else has that miraculous element that makes you you. Someone out there is waiting to read what you write, waiting to enjoy the talents you have to offer. Put your shyness aside. For the good of all. And share it. When you think of your writing as a service you offer the universe, reticence has no place.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

My first novel, Adam’s Obsession comes out April 4th from Ellora’s Cave. It tells the story of hopelessly shy and utterly repressed (sound familiar?) Katherine Hart who is so reserved, she only indulges in her risqué sexual fantasies online. Her virtual lover, Savage, is willing to meet her every need, especially once he discovers her naughty little secret—that, more than anything, she craves a masterful man. Fortunately, Savage is just that. And then some.

When Adam Trillo (aka Savage) discovers that the incredibly erotic woman he’s been tangling with online is actually his adorably demure co-worker, he is determined to seduce her IRL—in real life. He longs to release the wild Kat he knows lurks just below the surface. Using a beguiling mix of domination and persuasive charm, he draws her, relentlessly into his web until she is helpless to deny their mutual passion. Most especially when she’s tied to the bed…

Where can my readers find you on the web?

You can check out an excerpt for Adam’s Obsession, and my other coming books, at www.SabrinaYork.com. While you’re there, read about how you can sign up for my HotSheet and enter to win an exquisite tiara from Her Royal Hotness. You know you want it!

Q & A with romance author Josie Malone

Thanks for being here today, Josie.

Hi Becky. Thanks, for inviting me.

Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

As Josie Malone, I write mainstream western romance. Under my “real” name, I write young adult realistic and paranormal fiction.

I live on the family farm, a riding stable in the Cascade foothills. I organize most of the riding programs, teach horsemanship around my day-job as a substitute teacher, nurse sick horses, hold for the shoer, train whoever needs it – four-legged and two-legged. And write books in my spare time, usually from 8PM to 2AM, seven days a week after a long day on the ranch.

When I can’t write, due to the overwhelming needs and pressures of the “real” world, words and stories fill my mind.  Even when I muck the barn, I think about books or short stories or pieces in progress and map out the writing in my mind. My newest project is a spin-off of The Daddy Spell, the story of Audra Dawson who has been holding out for a hero and actually finds one.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

Yes, I am shy.

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?

It’s always been difficult for me to speak up to outsiders and that includes editors and agents in a face-to -ace meeting. So, I really like the new email approach. I feel much more confident at the computer.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

I think it’s easier to identify with my characters. They’re usually brave, bold and risk-takers. When I’m feeling wimpy, I pretend to be one of them and as Louis L’Amour used to say, “Attack, always attack!” It’s also one of the reasons why I use my grandmother’s name as a pseudonym. She was incredibly strong and a real hero to me. So, I know when people call me, Josie, it’s time to step up.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

Oddly, it’s social media – I love my emailing and staying connected, but I had a real tough time figuring out Facebook and I still don’t have a handle on Twitter.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

Writing for me has always been a case of stepping out of “my comfort zone.” The expectation in my immediate family was that I’d marry during high school or as soon as I graduated. Instead, I followed my uncle’s advice. He told me, “Don’t settle!” So, I opted for a life of adventure not one that I saw as “quiet desperation.” Or as Robert Frost wrote, “…I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference…”

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

As the cliché goes, “follow your dreams,” and never “give up on yourself.” Or as my uncle still tells me, “Don’t settle.” By that he meant for me to hold out and keep writing even when my books weren’t selling. After 20 years of only selling newspaper and magazine articles, I’m an overnight success! I have three books out from BookStrand and my new young adult series will start coming out in the fall of 2012.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

My newest mainstream western romance will be out next month from BookStrand.

Trailing a serial killer, Homicide Detective Beth Chambers is thrust into 1888 Washington Territory where she encounters injured Rad Morgan, a ruggedly handsome marshal who believes A Woman’s Place is behind her man. Now, Beth must save Rad’s life, apprehend the killer, and prove herself capable as a law officer.

Former soldier and survivor of Andersonville Prison Camp, Marshal Rad Morgan faces his toughest challenge in Beth Chambers, a determined woman from the future who’s never learned “her place.”  But when he is shot and left for dead, he must put himself in Beth’s hands if they both want to survive.

Can these two headstrong people put their pride aside and work together to find the deadly killer and stop him before he destroys this world and their future?  As they fight for justice, love helps them discover A Woman’s Place is what and where she chooses to make it.

A Woman’s Place will be available through Bookstrand, Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com

Where can my readers find you on the web?

I have two websites, one for my mainstream western novels – www.josiemalone.com and one for my young adult stories, www.shannonkennedybooks.com

Thanks so much for being here today, Josie!
Good luck with the newest book!






Q & A with author Christy Hayes

Thanks for being here today, Christy. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?
Thanks for having me! I live with my husband, two tweens, and two dogs in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve been writing for over ten years and have a journalism degree from the University of Georgia. I love college football, cable news, and exercise.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

Yes!

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?

I wrote in secret for years, querying agents, editors, attending writing conferences. When I decided to indie publish, I had to let the cat out of the bag in a big way. The response has been wonderful, but it has been a challenge overcoming my knee-jerk reaction to hide what I spend all day doing.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

I think being shy helps me to focus on the work. I’m not shouting from the rooftops about my accomplishments, but trying to put the next manuscript together and focus on the business end of things.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

Promotion, bar none! I’m not comfortable passing out business cards to everyone I meet, so I don’t do it. I prefer for someone to read my work and want to read more. Promotion is a necessary evil, but you just have to decide what you are comfortable doing and focus your efforts there.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

When I was trying to get a traditional publishing deal, the biggest step outside my comfort zone was pitching to agents and editors. My nerves were out of control. Once, my friend and I were stranded at a small airport for many hours with an agent after a writer’s conference. After spending the afternoon getting to know the agent as a person, I felt more comfortable pitching to all agents and editors, but never TOTALLY comfortable.

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

Sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone is the best thing you can do for yourself. I like to challenge myself—not get too lazy and do the same things over and over. I always look at stepping outside my comfort zone as a good lesson for my kids. If mommy can do this, certainly you can do that.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

My latest release is The Sweetheart Hoax.

When urbane architect, Phil Williams, must bring a woman home to quell rumors he's gay, his only choice is the one woman least likely to impress: his dowdy receptionist. Margot Manning has been secretly in love with Phil for years. She's just quit her job and is ready to begin her life anew as a nurse. Phil's outrageous offer is one she can't refuse. As Margot readies to accompany Phil to his hometown, she steels herself for heartbreak. After Margot's makeover and a weekend spent attached at the hip, Phil admits he misjudged his former employee. He's ready to pursue her in earnest, if only her scandalous past didn't stand in their way.

The romantic comedy is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, as well as iBooks, Diesel and Kobo.

Where can my readers find you on the web?

            Website: http://www.christyhayes.com

            Twitter: https://twitter.com/ - !/SeaHayes

            Blog: http://www.womenunplugged.wordpress.com


Q & A with GENIE GABRIEL

Thanks for being here today, Genie. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?
Thank you, Rebecca, for having me as a guest! I grew up in a small town--though not as small as the fictional town of Halo in my LEGACY series. When I moved to the city in search of better jobs, I took a lot of small town expectations with me. Once in the city, I spent twenty years working for the state social service agency, where I became fascinated with the question of why some people who experience unspeakable trauma crumble and others come through triumphantly stronger. Exploring this question--as well as my passion for writing romance--became the basis for my stories, starring heroes and heroines who overcome great difficulties and find true love.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?
Though I've learned to be sociable for a limited time, I'd definitely choose staying home with my doggies over attending a party. Which is kind of a contradiction, because I truly enjoy talking to people once I'm out in public. Go figure!

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?
I also have perfectionist tendencies. An introverted perfectionist--what a combination! Having these personality traits made me very cautious about sharing my work. What if it wasn't good enough? What if I forgot to cross a "t" or dot an "i"? What if I repeated the same word three times on one page? It was years before I felt confident enough to share my work with a critique partner and even longer to submit my work to a publisher. Fourteen years from first writers' meeting to a sale, but then I sold three full-length novels and two novellas very quickly, as well as being contracted for nine books in my LEGACY series, which started March 1.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?
I'm slower to jump on the latest "hot" story--which would be out-of-favor by the time I finished writing it anyway. So I've focused on stories I love and, being an introvert, I'm quite happy sitting at home alone and writing.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you? Hands down, it's jumping on the social media bandwagon. I have a Facebook page, but it's woefully out of date. Friends have offered to help me with this, but it's an abyss I keep backing away from. Unfortunately, when I would like to support others by "liking" them or retweeting, I don't know how! That's become embarrassing, so figuring out the social media maze is quickly rising to the top of my "to do" list.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?
I'm going to cheat and give you more than one: Moving from my small hometown where everyone knows your business to a city of over 100,000 people where I knew no one. Sharing my writing with critique partners. Submitting my stories to a publisher. Pitching a story to an editor in person--that was waaaay out of my comfort zone.

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?
I'll pass on what I've heard from others, "Fake it until you make it." I don't mean be phony, but take a deep breath and step into who you want to be until it's not so uncomfortable. If you want to speak in front of people without passing out, find a topic you're passionate about, make sure your research is solid, practice in front of a mirror or with a couple of friends, pray like crazy, and do it!

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?
The most serious crime in small town Halo, Oregon, is one of its citizens "borrowing" a gorilla costume from an abandoned store. Until unconventional caseworker Marly O'Shea comes to town looking for the birth mother of a stolen child. Her search stirs up secrets long buried, and tangles Deputy Dawson Browning in personal and professional knots. As he works to stop the revenge of a beast-man who is supposed to be dead, he also faces challenges to a relationship with Marly from her seven overly protective brothers.

Available now!


Where can my readers find you on the web?
My main online hangouts right now are my website  or my LEGACYblog.

Once again, many thanks to Rebecca for having me as a guest. And if you stop by my LEGACY blog and leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a $25.00 gift card in a drawing on March 23. Hope to see many of you there!