Warm up your winter!
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: February 9, 2010
There’s some exciting news to share on the Believing is Seeing blog this coming week, and it all centers around Valentine’s Day and getting those warm fuzzies for that someone special.
Friday, I’ll be hosting an all day loop chat over at Author Roast and Toast, talking about my two Valentine’s Day releases and much more. I’ll be giving away several prizes throughout the day so bring a favorite recipe to share and settle in for the fun. Hope to see you there!
http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/
This weekend, I’ll be participating in a couple of blog tours. One with the Classic Romance Revival Gang and the other with authors from Liquid Silver Books. Stay tuned to this page for all the fun and excitement. Prizes will also be given.
On the 14th, I’ll be guest blogging about kisses over at Cindy Jacks place. Hope you’ll come visit me there:
http://cindyjacks.blogspot.com/
Then finally on Monday, the 15th, my latest book will be released from Liquid Silver Books. It’s a full length, hot, sexy and creepy historical/paranormal crossover called Unraveled Souls. More information to come! Can’t wait, go to http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com and click on Coming Soon!
It’s a good time to prop your feet up and settle in for some good reads! As always, to find out more about me and my books, please visit my website at http://www.sandrasookoo.com
Wolf Reborn by Rebecca Royce
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: February 8, 2010
Joining me today is the multi-published and talented Rebecca Royce, author of the popular Westervelt Wolves series with Liquid Silver Books.
SS: Welcome, Rebecca. It’s nice to have you here today.
RR: Thank you. I’m so glad to be here.
SS: Wow, I can’t believe time’s sped up and now here we are with another release in the Westervelt Wolves saga. Tell me a little bit about Wolf Reborn.
RR: Wolf Reborn picks up the story with the love story of Theo Kane. If you have read Summer’s Wolf, you know that Theo really needs his Happy Ever After. It’s not easy but this is the story of how that happens.
SS: I’ve read the first two books in this series and I was so excited to learn you’d written a book about Faith. What inspired you to create her character?
RR: Faith presented herself to me in the middle of Summer’s Wolf. She was a woman with a past, lots of secrets, who was capable of taking on tremendously difficult situations. She seemed the perfect partner for Theo.
SS: Tell me about your hero. And, if the airlines were to lose his luggage, how would he handle it?
RR: Theo? Oh my goodness. At the beginning of the book, he would freak out about the luggage. Actually, he wouldn’t be anywhere near an airport to have his luggage lost. But I think as time moves forward, his reaction would change. He’d probably raise an eyebrow and plot his next move.
SS: How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?
RR: No. I have an idea of how the series has to move. I know where it is going and what each pack member has to accomplish to get the end but each individual plot comes to me when it comes to me.
SS: What is the worst, best, most embarrassing or funniest situation your writing career has put you in?
RR: I think rejection is hard. Every writer tells you that. You get thick skinned or you get out. The funniest situation? We have a lot of fun at both my publishing houses. Lots of laughs, lots of good times.
SS: Thanks so much for joining me today at Believing is Seeing. Wolf Reborn is now available with Liquid Silver Books.
Blurb: A lone wolf is a dangerous creature, until he meets his mate. Then he’ll become lethal to protect her.
Faith Anderson never asked to be a wolf shifter, but one strange encounter with the Westervelt Wolves and she suddenly has a past she knows nothing about and a future wrought with danger. No one is more disappointed than she to discover that the island does not hold a mate for her…that is, until she collides with Theo Kane, the missing prince of the Westervelt Wolves who has chosen isolation to save his pack from what he believes are his insane tendencies.
Theo couldn’t imagine anything worse than the near death experience that left him scarred and forever changed. Until some of the same things start happening to Faith. Now he has no choice but to face what he has avoided for over a year if he doesn’t want the past to repeat itself, this time taking Faith along for the ride. Together they will battle demons, invisible wolves, and worst of all his father to find their eternal love.
But if the price is eternity, are they willing to risk it all?
For more information about Rebecca, please visit her website.
New book releases just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: February 1, 2010
I’m pleased to bring you two brand new book releases in time for the season of love.
CUPID IN BLUE available now from Lyrical Press, Inc.
Blurb: Aaron Bernhart — the new Cupid — finds previous experience in love is a prerequisite for the job. 
He’s all ready with a golden bow and a quiver of magical red arrows. Sadly, what he’s lacking is a girlfriend. On his first day at work he meets Catherine, and literally tumbles head over wings…from the sky that is.
Catherine is a skeptic regarding all things romance, but finds herself turned on by Cupid’s wings. The only thing holding her back from a happily ever after is herself.
Can Aaron convince the lovely loner to take a chance on romance with him, or will he be the only single Cupid in the history of the world?
Except #2:
“You said you’d pick me up.”
“I am.” Before she could protest, Aaron plucked her from the balcony and held her against him as he descended to the ground. “I just didn’t tell you how I’d be doing it.” For long moments, his arms remained wrapped around her as he gazed into the deep blue pools of her eyes. He could easily stay there for hours. Desire slithered through his gut when she shivered against him.
The box of chocolates slipped to the ground unnoticed and she pulled out of his arms as he leaned in to kiss her. “Back off, Lover Boy.”
Aaron stepped away, acutely aware she was the one who broke the embrace. “I’m sorry.”
By willpower alone, he kept the warmth in his neck from spreading to his face. “So, are you ready for dinner?”
Confusion clouded her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere unless you put those things away.”
She glanced pointedly at his wings. “But before you do, can I touch them?”
“Why?” Suddenly suspicious, he retreated another step. Curiosity blazed in her eyes as she closed the distance between them. “Why are you so interested in them? They’re just wings.”
“I’ve never seen anything like them before.” Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. “Did you think I’d be afraid and run away? Maybe call one of the tabloids and sell your story for a couple thousand bucks?” She stretched out her right hand then stroked the feathers of his left wing.
Tremors rocked his body at her touch. Aaron had no idea his wings could bring such intense spikes of pleasure, but as Catherine drew her fingers over the soft, downy feathers, his knees buckled. Intense waves of need crashed into him with enough force to make him flinch.
“Catherine…” His voice was rough with a passion he couldn’t explain.
“You’d better be careful, Cupid. If a simple touch has you nearly doing cartwheels, I can’t imagine what a kiss would make you do.”
He met her gaze and almost pleaded with her to stop her torment, but he quelled the urge.
He wanted to know what else would happen. “Catherine.” Urgency flooded his voice. She swept her palm down the length of his wing. Aaron shivered and clutched at the hand she placed on his chest. He groaned as his arousal strained against the front of his jeans. Never had he felt this way, and all because a woman touched his wing. “Enough.”
Catherine’s laugh was throaty and smugly feminine, but she removed her hand. “I can honestly say I’ve never turned a guy on quite like this before.”
“Damn.” He felt the loss of contact immediately, as the extreme sensations subsided and his ragged breathing returned to normal. “You almost killed me.” He stared at her with newfound respect and a healthy dose of shock.
“In order to be the authority on love and passion, wouldn’t you need to experience it for yourself?” She shrugged then turned away. “I’m going to the diner. You’re welcome to join me when you’re able.” At the last moment, she glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t know how you men function with those things between your legs. Seems to me they spring to life at the most inopportune moments.”
His jaw dropped. He stared after her for long moments as “that thing” calmed down enough so he could walk about town without embarrassing himself. Not for the first time did he wonder what exactly went on behind Catherine’s confident façade.
Aaron folded his wings beneath his skin, cringing when joints snapped and the skin on his back stretched. He’d never get used to that sensation. He took a deep breath and let it hiss out between his teeth. Being Cupid was not the problem. Being Cupid with the hots for an unattainable woman definitely was.
Publisher’s Website: http://www.lyricalpress.com
Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQPZUyRdIvI
and
THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE available now with Desert Breeze Publishing
Blurb: Love felt a whole lot like PMS—or so Madelyn thought when her childhood friend, Gordy, kissed her.
In the midst of her crumbling business venture and lackluster love life, he breezes back into town like a snowstorm, with dating on his mind. To top it off, she’s got a kinda/sorta boyfriend, a secret admirer who leaves her flowers every day, a cat who’s scared of her own shadow, and a single’s group that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
The question remains: just who is this mysterious love interest? And what will she do about Gordy, the man she never thought she’d have romantic feelings for? That’s the trouble with love. She’ll have to put her brain on auto-pilot and let her heart decide.
Excerpt #2:
“Madelyn? Madelyn?”
With a groan, Madelyn came back to consciousness, disoriented and confused. “I lost your keychain.” She looked up into Gordy’s face from her prostrate position on the sofa and frowned. “I’m sorry. I really meant to keep it forever but I don’t know what happened to it.”
“What are you talking about?” He pulled a tendril of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.
“Where did you go? I was worried about you.”
Closing her eyes briefly, she shook her head and enjoyed the sensation of his cool fingers against her skin. “You know that Indiana University keychain you gave me when you left for college? I lost it.” The throbbing of her thumb brought her eyes open. “I passed out, didn’t I? How embarrassing.”
“You did. Lucky for you, I caught you before you hit the ground. I sort of expected it given your history with blood.” He held her gaze. “The good thing is the cut isn’t deep. Once I got it cleaned up, it was barely a scrape. You’ll be fine.” He traced her cheek with a fingertip. “There’s more good news.”
“Oh, what’s that?” Her heart fluttered as she stared into his eyes.
“You didn’t have a panic attack.”
“True.” She struggled into a sitting position. Watching Gordy’s face upside down did nothing to steady her stomach. “I can’t believe I passed out.” She glanced at her injured thumb, frowning at the gauze wrapped around the appendage. “Thank you for being here.”
“I’ll always be around to rescue you, Madelyn.”
Her heart flipped over at the seriousness of his tone and her eyes searched his, finding intense questions burning in the brown depths. “Gordy, I think—”
He kissed her.
After her initial shock, she relaxed as his arms came around her. He urged her closer and teased her lips with an insistent pressure that made her heart pound.
She sighed against his mouth and mimicked the teasing way he nibbled her lips. Hordes of butterflies busied themselves in her stomach to tickle her internal organs. She’d experienced kisses before, of course, and even Derrek had attempted the act once or twice, but not one of those past kisses was like this one.
Kasey was wrong!
Kissing Gordy wasn’t gross or disgusting. Kissing Gordy was like Christmas, bonfires, and summertime picnics all in one. Why hadn’t she done it before? She brushed her fingertips through the wavy brown hair at the back of his head and sighed again.
Because we’re only friends, that’s why.
Pulling reluctantly away from him, Madelyn regarded the man before her and saw her own disheveled reflection in his eyes. “What just happened?” He kissed her because it was the emotion of the moment, right? “Why did you do that?”
He wore a lopsided grin as he stared at her. “I just felt like it. Are you okay?” He brushed his fingers over the nape of her neck. “No panic attack?”
“I’m fine.” She stared unseeing into the distance and touched her mouth as she recalled every detail of his lips on hers. What did it mean? She shivered at his touch, never wanting it to end.
Madelyn didn’t have time to ponder the issue since the screeching smoke alarm pealed through the apartment and smoke billowed from the kitchen. “My chicken!”
Publisher’s website: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com
Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQDIvomssyk
Doing some Disney Dreaming
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 31, 2010
I’ve decided, as a change of pace, that every Sunday I’ll be using the Believing is Seeing blog for a little bit of Disney Dreaming.
In recent days, I’ve been longing to go back to Walt Disney World, especially since it’s been so cold here in Indiana. A Disney fix call help.
So, it’s a good thing the hubs and I have finally booked our 2010 vacation! We’ll be leaving Thanksgiving weekend and staying a full week in the World. I’m so excited! We’ve selected the Boardwalk Inn as the place to rest our heads, which is great because we’ve stayed there twice before. It’s hubby’s favorite resort and he likes the fact we can walk into Epcot for dinner or snacks. 
For your enjoyment, here are so of my favorite pics from our last trip, in August 2009:
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and actually this was our second stay here. It’s a great resort. In the summertime, it can get a little crowded at the pool, but you can’t beat the close proximity with the Magic Kingdom.
And speaking of the Magic Kingdom, here’s a great shot of Cinderella’s Castle. 
Sometimes, the best thing to do is goof around at Downtown Disney. Best to get there in the morning to mid-day because after that, it’ll be a nightmare trying to find parking. Especially if it rains LOL
Tune in next week to see how the vacation plans are progressing!
Design your own hero contest!
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 30, 2010
Don’t forget! Time’s running out on this a unique opportunity.
In a writer’s life, characters are always around: primary, secondary, stand-ins, but have you ever read a book and been disgruntled with how a characters is portrayed or how they look?
Now’s your chance to do something about it.
From now until the end of the month, I’m running a contest that will allow you to design the hero in my next book.
All you have to do is either post here in the comment section or email me at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com the specs of the man. Physical description, personality, quirks, scars, tats, idiosyncrasies, etc. February 1st, I’ll choose a winner and you’ll get a free copy of an e-book of mine published in 2009 along with a goodie bag and your name in the acknowledgment section when the book is published.
So, get those creative juices flowing and let’s see what you’ve got!
Interracial Romance in the Old West by Gem Sivad
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 28, 2010
Today, we’ve got talented Gem Sivad guest blogging with us today!
Interracial liaisons are not foreign to any culture, but historically, they have been frowned on. 1880 Texas was no different. In a time when Indians and whites had recently fought over land, accepting a mate from the other side was perceived as almost treasonous. Besides that, the intermingling of the races was seen by both cultures as a dilution of pure blood.
In my Eclipse, Texas series of western romance novels, I have written two interracial stories. In each case, the hero is part Kiowa, Apache and the heroine a woman of European descent. I like to play the, what if game when I write.
Wolf’s Tender ~ What if an independent and practical teacher needs help saving eight young girls entrusted to her care? Would it matter if the help came packaged in a muscled suit of bronze skin?
Naomi Parker doesn’t think so. All males, white, brown, black, or red are an irritant to Miss Parker. She’s been on her own long enough to resent a man’s take-charge attitude.
But, when Naomi must save her students captured by Comancheros, bounty hunter, Charlie Wolf McCallister seems like the answer to her prayer.
Charlie Wolf McCallister has been on the fringe of two worlds all of his life. In his experience, most white women find him a little too savage for their taste. Not Naomi Parker. She stands toe-to-toe (and hip to hip) with Charlie as he dictates terms. When the bossy school teacher sees him as a man, not a half-Kiowa man, Charlie knows he’s found his mate.
Wolf’s Tender – Available now @ Liquid Silver Books.
Breed True ~ What if a woman’s children were threatened and her only choice to save them was marriage to a man of another race? Would it be a fate worse than death or an adventure as she explored a new way of life?
Julie Fulton is alone and without a person in the world to ask for help. What’s worse, she has twin daughters to protect as a charge of murder threatens her freedom.
When Grady Hawks finds the gambler’s widow in distress, he sees opportunity. He is about to lose his 10,000 acre ranch because his neighbors fear that he’s too Indian to be trusted.
Want plays a poor second to need. Grady doesn’t want to dilute his Kiowa blood and Julie doesn’t want to marry again, but need forces them into a year’s bargain. Julie gets the protection she needs for her daughters and Grady gets the chance to produce a white heir to secure his land.
Soon though, skin color is forgotten and passion gives new meaning to want and need.
Breed True ~ Available Feb. 1 @ Liquid Silver Books.
For excerpts and author events, visit Gem’s Place
Interview with author Linda Swift
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 25, 2010
- In: writing
- 11 Comments
Please welcome author Linda Swift to the Believing is Seeing blog!
SS: Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
LS: I am a native of Kentucky but my husband and I now live in Florida. I married and had two children, then went back to school when they did and became a teacher, counselor, and psychometrist. All of these jobs were fulfilling but writing was always a part of my life, too. I have been writing since I was ten, first poetry, then short stories, articles, plays, and finally I realized my dream of writing books.
SS: Wow! You’ve been busy! What genre do you like to write best in and why?
LS: Fiction of any kind is a joy to write. Most of my work has been contemporary but I am focusing more on historical books now, probably because I’m pretty historical myself!
SS: How do you find ideas for your books?
LS: There are many different ways that I get ideas for my books. Some come from a memorable image, others from an unforgettable character. Sometimes an incident will take on momentum and develop into a book. The characters will usually live in my head for a while until they are fully developed and ready to tell their story.
SS: How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?
LS: Getting into “writer’s mode” sometimes takes hours, depending on what distractions I have. Or I may want to write but not be able to put anything on the blank page. But often I am in the mode long before I have a stretch of uninterrupted time to actually write. And once I get going, the words usually flow with few revisions.
SS: Tell me a little about your new book.
LS: I have two new books, both released in December but I am going to talk about Single Status. It is a contemporary romance set in St Croix, in the Caribbean. I wrote it when I was living in Northern England while my husband was a consultant for a power plant being built. I sat at my desk in a second floor flat overlooking the muddy River Humber during a cold winter and wrote of tropical seas and sand and palm trees. The contrast couldn’t have been greater.
SS: A tropical island sounds good right about now. How did the inspiration for this work come to you?
LS: My husband had worked in St. Croix on a single status job, sharing a villa with a male co-worker. I was able to visit there for a week when the man took home leave. The setting was perfect for a romance so I had a location. I knew the hero had to work in a power plant and my husband could give me any information about the subject that I needed. Then I remembered an earlier job when I had seen a female engineer leaving work with a group of men one day. Why not have a heroine who worked there, too? And through a mix-up have the two share a condo on a single status job. My agent said the story wasn’t plausible and discouraged my writing it. But I knew such a thing was possible so I continued to write the story without his blessing.
SS: Do you identify with the characters you write about?
LS: I always identify with my characters, both the good and the bad. I may not have had the experiences they have, but I only have to ask myself what they are feeling about their experience in order to write their story. There are a limited number of emotions common to us all and we can always identify with those in another person if we try.
SS: You have several books in print/e-print. Is there a favorite among them? Why?
LS: Like having more than one child, you love each one in a different way, not really better.
My favorite is always the one I am currently working on. And when I go back after a period of time and read it again, I get caught up in the story all over again because my characters are very real to me.
SS: How many books do you have in print/e-print now? Do you have a favorite?
LS: I’ve sold five e-books so far, four have been released, two of which are also in print. I am currently still working on the sequel to my first contracted historical. And I have three other finished books I am eager to send out for consideration. All three would be labeled mainstream or women’s fiction, not romance. And I have some characters living in my head, waiting to have their romance stories written.
SS: Wow! That’s great! What do you love about your editor or publisher?
LS: I have found e-publishers and editors to be so much more accessible than those in NY
with whom I had earlier experience. They offer greater support and I’ve been given more input in the production of the books. But the downside is that I’m making less money.
LS: Do you have a specific place where you write?
LS: I am fortunate to have a room I call my study which contains all the equipment I need and is in a quiet location. However, we live in a condo and the room also serves as a guest bedroom. But that is not a problem for when guests are here, I don’t have time to write.
SS: What piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers that you wished someone told you when you started?
LS: Don’t try to write to “what is selling.” Don’t try to make your story fit “The Hero’s Journey” or use the phrases guaranteed to please a romance editor, including the accepted names for all the body parts. I’m embarrassed to admit I’m guilty on all counts!
SS: Good advice! What is your next project?
LS: I want to get my unaccepted manuscripts sent out. They can’t be accepted (or rejected) if they are not read. And if you don’t submit, the outcome is always rejection. Then I want to do some new kinds of promotion and arrange some book signings. And finish the book I have started. So that’s projects, plural, isn’t it?. Multi-tasking with a one track mind as usual.
SS: Now for a little fun! If you could interview any of the characters in your books, which one would it be, and why? What shocking thing might that character say?
LS: I would interview the Civil War surgeon in my yet unpublished historical. Phillip Burke had all the qualities of a perfect hero. He was intelligent, educated, skilled, passionate, handsome. But he was torn between love and honor and no matter which choices he made, he stood to lose something he treasured. I would ask him if he ever regretted his final choice and I’m not sure what his answer would be.
SS: Who was the most entertaining character you’ve written?
LS: I loved writing about Jondalar Wykham, a castle guard in my historical set in 1573 in Yorkshire, England. He was so different from any character I’d written before and it was a challenge getting inside his head–and heart. He was ambitious to a fault but his love for a comely maid finally saved him.
SS: What else would you like to share?
LS: I would just like to thank you for the opportunity to visit today and talk about my writing and especially Single Status. This was a book I loved writing and I think anyone who reads it will find it amusing but sometimes serious, a reflection of real life and emotions. If you like gutsy women, you’ll like B.J. If you like golf, you’ll surely like the game she played with Dana. Add a pompous ex-husband, an interfering mother, a sex-pot sister, a wolf in engineer’s clothing and I think you’ll keep turning pages to the end.
SS: Thanks for being here, Linda!
Blurb: A handsome man. A beautiful woman. A secluded villa in the Caribbean. A perfect setting for romance? Nothing could be further from their minds.
B.J. is a woman with a mission–to show that she can handle a start-up engineer’s job as well as any man. Then maybe she can prove to her ex that she is not the helpless wife he left for another woman. Dana is a man grieving the deaths of his wife and young son in a terrorist plane crash. Through a mix-up at stateside headquarters, they are forced to share a villa in the single status job in St. Croix. B.J. is the scapegoat when things go wrong at work and Dana becomes her reluctant defender when he is not defending himself against her unjust conclusions about him.
Despite their attempts to prove otherwise, the powerful attraction between them grows. B.J. is blamed for a bad accident at the plant and her job is on the line. When Dana is almost killed trying to find the real culprit, will B.J. finally admit that the love they have found together is the most important thing of all?
Book trailer of Single Status:
To buy Single Status and The Twelve Days of Christmas, visit Awe-struck:
To buy Circle of Love and Let Nothing You Dismay, visit The Wild Rose Press:
Interview with Pamela Hearon
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 19, 2010
Today, I’m welcoming author Pamela Hearon to the Believing is Seeing blog!
SS: Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
PH: I’ve been writing stories since as far back as I can remember. My parents recognized the talent and encouraged me to major in journalism in college. I balked at that idea. Not being able to embellish the facts didn’t sound like much fun to me. I wanted to tell the story my way, which might not necessarily be the way it actually happened—if it happened at all.
So, yes indeed, I’ve always wanted to be a writer, have always thought of myself as a writer. Becoming a published author was something I dreamed about but kept in the dream category until a few years ago. When I had that first completed manuscript, I began to believe it was a dream that could come true.
SS: What genre do you like to write best in and why?
PH: I’m bi-genred . I love writing both romantic fantasy and romantic single-title contemporary. I enjoy being able to let my imagination run wild with elements of magic. If I can think it, I can make it real in some alternate universe, and that is a heady experience.
But life itself is a heady experience, so writing about experiences that could actually happen is intriguing and fun as well. I love coming up with interesting, quirky characters and dropping them into situations that take them out of their comfort zones. Then, I just sit back and write what I observe—from the vantage point of my imagination.
SS: How do you find ideas for your books?
PH: Sometimes a picture or a statement will set my mind whirring, connecting idea to idea. I’ve always had an overactive imagination, so it doesn’t take much to get it revved. The idea for The Timestone Key came to me during a vacation in England. I’ve always loved the legends of King Arthur, so I convinced my husband we should build a vacation around Arthurian sites. As we traveled from one ancient site to another, a story started germinating, then growing in my mind. By the time we were on the flight back to the States, I had the basic story plotted in my head. I wrote the first draft in about six months, and then I rewrote … and rewrote … and rewrote … and …
SS: How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?
PH: I usually wake up in writer’s mode. Figuring out plot points during my sleep seems to be a major part of my process, and my best time to write is as soon as I get up. If something deters me, my CP gave me a creativity CD that I keep close at hand. It works for me every time.
SS: Tell me a little about your new book.
PH: The Timestone Key is a modern twist on the King Arthur legend. A present-day heroine unwittingly accepts a mysterious family legacy that has been passed through her family for fifteen hundred years and leads directly to the Pendragon himself. Arthur is alive in Avalon but teetering on the brink of madness. Only the secret that Halley bears can heal his mind. She has to gain entrance to Avalon, but first she must find the two halves of the Timestone Key.
SS: Do you identify with the characters you write about?
PH: While not based on me, I think all of my heroines have parts of me infused into them. It may be one of my quirks, a habit, a favorite food, an interesting perspective, but it helps me identify with them and therefore write them more intimately.
I have a V-shaped birthmark on my forehead. My mother told me it was the sign of a Healer. I gave Halley Winsted, heroine of The Timestone Key, the same birthmark. It kept me connected closely to her throughout the writing process.
SS: What piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers that you wished someone told you when you started?
PH: Get involved in a writing organization such as Romance Writers of America. Join a chapter that meets your needs. Being in contact with other people who are as passionate about writing as you are will keep you sane. Then go a step further and connect with a critique partner or a writers’ group.
Writing can be a frustrating existence, and there are some aspects of the experience that only another writer will understand. With the availability of the Internet, even those of us in rural areas can surround ourselves with like minds.
Many writers are introverts. Don’t let your shyness keep you from your dream.
SS: Thanks so much for joining me today! I love getting to know a writer’s process!
THE TIMESTONE KEY
Can a modern heart entwined with an ancient mystery prevail against a terrifying future?
When she was three, Halley Winsted was given a mysterious family legacy and told to follow her heart. But now that she’s thirty-three, love and commitment don’t come easy, even in the arms of sexy Tom Rutledge. A trip to England seems the perfect chance to sort out her feelings, and to indulge her obsession with the Arthurian legends.
But the legends are true. Arthur is alive in Avalon, teetering on the brink of madness, unable to fulfill his role in mankind’s terrifying future. Can the legacy Halley bears heal Arthur’s mind in time? Can she trust her heart to lead her to her destiny?
Content warning: This book contains sensual descriptions of consummated love scenes. Not for those under 18 years of age.
To purchase this book, visit Lyrical Press, Inc.
To find out more about Pamela, go to her website
Interview with Darcy Campbell
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 18, 2010
Please help me welcome author Darcy Campbell to the Believing is Seeing blog.
SS: Hi Darcy. Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
DC: I’ve been always starting to write, getting sometimes as far as 10 or 15 pages before I lost interest or the story line. Finally about three years ago, I found a niche that seemed to work for me and I wrote my first short story, Twisted Reality. Strangely enough, most of my initial stories were written as short stories (3,000 words or less) for contests or anthology submissions that were turned down. I expanded on the stories, resubmitted them to other publishers and now I have four books and a series published.
SS: That’s great! What genre do you like to write best in and why?
DC: I started writing erotica with a lesbian theme, because this type of genre is sadly lacking in the marketplace. I have since written one gay focused short story and my new series is heterosexual only.
SS: How do you find ideas for your books?
DC: Lots of places. I might see something on TV or on a billboard that gets me to thinking. Most are ideas that were created with the thought of “what would have happened if they turned left instead of right, or if this happened instead of that?”
SS: Interesting! How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?
DC: I write in various pieces. Since I’m on the road so much with my day job, I use a digital recorder to do the first draft. When I began transcribing, I flush out the story and combine the pieces. I need quiet to do the transcribing since I need to get deep into the story and the mind of my characters
SS: Wow! I’ve never heard of anyone transcribing a book before. Tell me a little about your new book.
DC: My book releasing today is the third book in the Arienta Guardian series. The series is built around jewels, the powers they contain and the guardians that were chosen to protect them from birth.
In The Warrior, Book 3, Cado is a merman that discovers a secret about himself as well as the power he seems to have over women. Haunted by a woman he’s only seen in dreams, he goes on a quest to discover her identity and the truth about himself.
SS: Nice! How did the inspiration for this work come to you?
DC: The storyline of the jewels was originally for submission to an e-publisher focusing on monthly stories of birthstones. The stories just grew too detailed to fit into the 3,000 word count so I gave up on that submission and let the stories be told to completion.
SS: Do you identify with the characters you write about?
DC: I think all authors include pieces of themselves in their characters. Many of my characters have evolved from what I originally planned on.
SS: How many books do you have in print/e-print now? Do you have a favorite?
DC: I have three short stories, three stories in an anthology and the Arienta Guardian series currently in either electronic or print format. There was a fourth short story published by a e-publisher which closed its doors last year. I’ve yet had a chance to submit that story to other publishers.
My favorite is probably the one I’m currently in the process of completing. It is book four in the Arienta Guardian series.
Blurb for The Warrior: How far will a lonely merman walk for true love?
Merman Cado has discovered just how much fun he can have with human women. In fact, they’re lining up to service him because this is something he’s very, very good at.
All is well until he begins dreaming of a woman he’s never met and his search for true love and his destiny as the Guardian of the Aquamarine stone send him on a quest far from familiar waters to another world.
Pursued by relentless enemies, can Cado save his lover, master his powers, and return to his home?
Warning: Explicit Sexual Content
To purchase The Warrior, visit the Lyrical Press
To learn more about Darcy, please visit her website
Insight into my characters’ minds…
Posted by: Sandra Sookoo on: January 16, 2010
I originally had this post up at another blog site last week, but I like it so much I’m re-vamping it here (pun intended!)
I’m talking about my recently released paranormal book entitled The Art of Fang Shui.
Sandra: The great thing about writing this book was that, since it was my first foray into full-length paranormal,
**banging on the door**
Sandra: Just ignore it. They’ll go away eventually. Probably some Girl Scout or something. Anyway, I loved the freedom it brought in creating a world and populating that world with pretty much whatever I felt like throwing in.
And I…
**insistent banging now**
Sandra: Sorry, apparently the moron assaulting the door is going to bash it down if I don’t answer.
**opens the door**
Sandra: Oh look, folks, it’s Edwin Mason and Hannah Weybourne, the couple whom The Art of Fang Shui revolves around. You two might as well come in and get comfy. At least then you’ll stop committing crimes against real estate. I don’t want my living room messed up.
Hannah: That would be Edwin’s fault. He has no patience and doesn’t like to be kept waiting.
**she runs her hands through short, spiky red hair. Petite and curvy, don’t get her mad or she’ll chew you out**
Edwin: I merely assumed that my knock would be answered in a timely manner.
**he wears a fierce frown and his long, dark hair is tied at his nape like a Revolutionary war hero. He’s the tall, dark and sexy type**
Me: **rolling my eyes as the pair seats themselves on a sofa** What do you guys want? Shouldn’t you be out trying to save the world from some oversexed forest witch or an obnoxious demon lord? I mean there have been rumors…
Edwin: People will always talk, Ms. Sookoo. You should not believe everything you hear.
**snorting**
Hannah: Oh please! Don’t listen to him. He’s too modest for his own good.
**she gives him a good-natured shove on the shoulder**
Edwin: I was simply stating the facts.
Hannah: We’re in-route to Indianapolis. We’ve gotten a good lead on where to find Andre and hopefully take him down.
Sandra: I see. Sounds like a war is imminent. From the looks of your muddy, stained clothing, it would seem you’ve been camping
Hannah: Ugh! If it weren’t for the fact that Edwin kidnapped me and dragged me into some stupid forest—
Edwin: **interrupting** Except for the goblin you attracted. I would remind you, once again, that I did not kidnap you. You came willingly.
Hannah: Willingly is a relative term. You pretty much told me I had no choice and that you needed my Enhancer powers to save the world.
Edwin: This is the truth. You are one of an extremely tiny minority with such energies. You are obligated to help.
Hannah: Don’t remind me. Because of Mr. Cranky Pants here, I’d be safe at home, tucked away in my bed—
Edwin: Not a bad suggestion. You, in bed with something sexy on or not on, however you’re more comfortable…
**heated, intense looks are exchanged between the two**
Sandra: Settle down, kids. You’re liable to burn a hole through computer screens everywhere. What’s an Enhancer?
Hannah: **sighs**Edwin explained to me it’s like a supplemental power pack to someone who already has mind powers. Apparently, I’m in high demand by him and the criminal element in the paranormal world.
Edwin: It is extremely annoying that she has an elementary grasp on her powers. More often than not, she creates havoc around her which I have to rescue her from.
Hannah: I do not! Some of those episodes were your own fault. Remember the goat man?
Edwin: I choose to never think of the goat man, thank you.
Hannah: Besides, you like rescuing me because there’s always a reward.
Edwin: Speaking of which—
Sandra: **interrupting** So it’s safe to say that over the course of your travels you’ve encountered a good faction of paranormal life? That must be fascinating.
Hannah: **an indignant snort**Fascinating? I doubt it. Living day after day in a forest with these freaks is stressful, especially if your traveling companion is too anal for his own good. I mean, hello, he won’t unbend enough to allow me to call him a nickname.
Edwin: I would caution you once more that Snookums is not a pleasant moniker any man wishes to be known by.
Sandra: Actually, I’d have to agree with Edwin on this point.
Hannah: **green eyes flash in a glare** You’d better watch it, author lady. He may be a flawed half-vamp but he’s mine.
Edwin: **a grin lifts his well-shaped lips** I appreciate the defense, Hannah. As you can see, Ms. Sookoo, Hannah fits in with the Prophecy quite nicely.
Sandra: Wait, there’s a Prophecy, too? Can you tell me about that?
Hannah: What did I just tell you? **she stands and yanks Edwin to his feet** Since the woman obviously can’t keep her eyes to herself, we’re leaving.
Edwin: **rolls sparkling blue eyes**You will need to excuse Hannah. She is extremely jealous of any woman I talk to, although I will say, the feeling is mutual, especially when she shows an unhealthy interest in that poor excuse of a blond werewolf…
Hannah: Do you see what you did? Now he’s all hot and bothered and it will take me a good half hour of kisses and reassurances to calm him down. Like I’ve got time for that while we’re supposed to be saving the world.
Sandra: Oookay. Thanks for dropping by. Good luck with that whole demon lord thing.
Edwin: You are most welcome, Ms. Sookoo. I regret we have no time for a proper conversation. My Hannah is under the false assumption I am interested in any woman beside her, even though I show her on every occasion how sexy I think she is.
Sandra: I’ll take your word for it.
**the two finally leave, bickering back and forth**
Sandra: Well, there you go, folks. If you’d like to know exactly how Hannah and Edwin came together and into this mess, and if they’ll live to tell anyone else about it, I invite you to pick up a copy of The Art of Fang Shui. It’s a long story and best told in book form.
Here’s the blurb: Hannah doesn’t believe in things that go bump in the night – until they start accumulating on her doorstep. A Power Enhancer, her gift jumps to the forefront of her life, and she has no choice but to take notice when dishy, arrogant Edwin attempts to kidnap her as part of a covert mission to save the Eight Realms.
Edwin is a half-vamp, intent on collecting the bounty on errant paranormal beings. His best-laid plans go awry when he meets stubborn Hannah. He needs her energies in order to vanquish the power-hungry Demon Lord, Andre who’s bent on destroying the world. He’s thrown off guard as she bewitches him with her sarcastic nature as well as her tempting curves.
Together the unlikely duo finds themselves flung into a sticky web of supernatural foes and dark deceit in their quest to protect the world’s magic. If they’re lucky, love will meet them on the other side.
The good folks at Eirelander Publishing can be reached here: www.eirelander-publishing.com
Or please drop by my website for more information on this and all my other books: www.sandrasookoo.com
Sandra Sookoo