Interview with Brenda Joyce

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Brenda Joyce . It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called DARK EMBRACE. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Everyone fears the shadows of the night. No one likes walking down a deserted street after the sun goes down, not in 2008—and not in 1508. Of course, we think we’re being silly to start at every little sound we hear—when we know nothing is lying in wait for us out there in the dark. And violence and crime is on the upswing because our society has broken down—and not for any other reason….right?

Welcome to the world of the Masters of Time.

The Masters of Time are Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages. They do not choose their destiny—it is chosen for them. The Masters are medieval men to the core—savage in war, ruthless in outlook, totally sexist in nature, and impossibly powerful—after all, they are descended from the old Celtic gods. And one of their greatest powers is the power to leap through time…

And then along comes a very modern and independent woman…

Dark Embrace is the third book in this series. Aidan of Awe has fallen. He is furious with the gods, has forsaken his vows, and now, he walks alone and wars alone, lusting for power and revenge. He is a Highlander without a clan, but the evil that destroyed his son is now trying to destroy him…

Brianna Rose fights evil from the safety of her laptop on the basement of CDA, a government agency. She met Aidan once briefly, when he was a Master, and has had a mad crush on him ever since. Which is fine with her—a crush is really safe. Because Brie is a computer geek with no interest in a real relationship. But, she is a Rose, and the Rose women have been fighting evil with their gifts for generations. And then once night she wakes up consumed with Aidan’s pain—in spite of the gulf of centuries which separate them. And she knows he is in danger. Now, she will do anything to find him—and redeem him.

Dark Embrace is a story of fury, desperation, love and revenge—and redemption. It is also Book One of the Rose Trilogy.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I have been published for 20 years, and I switch genres periodically to stay fresh and creative. But medieval men are my favorite heroes—the more alpha, the better, as far as I am concerned. Now, I get to write the most powerful heroes I have ever done—medieval Highlanders with god given powers and a mandate to save the world! To make matters even better, the romantic conflict when the hero meets his soul mate is amazing—medieval macho man meets strong modern women—and do the sparks fly. The collision of expectations, values and cultures is off the charts. I am having a blast writing about the Masters of Time.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

We meet Aidan in Dark Seduction and again in Dark Rival. He is Malcolm of Dunroch’s half-brother. It was a no-brainer to know that eventually I’d do his story. And his father is a demon who raped his mother—obviously this would torture him and be a fundamental aspect of his character’s journey. In Dark Embrace, he believes he is meant to be evil—neither man nor deamhan, just some evil being in between—a half-deamhan.

What are your favorite historical research books and why?

It depends on the current work. I love Highlanders, A History of the Scottish Clans, by Fitzroy Maclean, because it is short and concise and colorful, but for detail, Scotland, The Story of a nation, by Magnus Magnusson, is unrivaled.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

Aidan was hard to do. He is my first anti-hero, and when I was done, I said, never again. But I will absolutely do more heroes as dark! And Brie is a departure for me. She is a shy computer geek. But she rises to the occasion and really grows into a strong, tough woman in Dark Embrace. I do not have any single favorite hero—but to name a few, Rolfe in The Conqueror, Liam in The Game, and Royce in Dark Rival. My favorite heroines are Katherine (The Game) and Allie (Dark Rival.)

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

My characters come to me several years before I write their stories, unfocused, unformed, an image in my head, letting me know that they are in the wings demanding a story, sooner or later. Then they start to shape up. I will envision a dark, tortured hero who has fallen, like Aidan. And once I have the major theme that will propel character, (the cross he bears) I sit down and think it out while I am in the proposal stage of my plot outline. Character development and plot development go hand in hand.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

The first two romance authors I ever read were Rosemary Rogers and Johanna Lindsey. The greatest novels I’ve ever read were Tai-Pan by James Clavell and Gone with the Wind. I think I’d add Skye O’Malley by Beatrice Small. So my inspiration was a hodge-podge.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

My websites: mastersoftimebooks.com, thedewarennedynasty.com and brendajoyce.com, in that order. And the book trailers for the Masters of Time, which can be seen at mastersoftimebooks.com.

What do we have to look forward next?

January 2009 -- The Prize reissue.

March 2009 -- Dark Victory, The Rose Trilogy continues

Thanks, Brenda!

To celebrate her book release, Brenda is offering a wonderful Masters Of Time Starter Pak which includes: Signed copy of Dark Seduction, Signed copy of Dark Rival, MOT Mousepad, Dark Embrace Computer Cloth, Dark Rival Flashlight, Bookmarks and postcards to one lucky commenter on today's blog. She will be checking in today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio: Brenda Joyce is the bestselling author of fourty-one novels and five novellas. She has won many awards, and her debut novel, Innocent Fire, won a Best Western Romance award. She has also won the highly coveted Best Historical Romance award for Splendor and Two Lifetime Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. There are over 14 million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries.

A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs, and her Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions—writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.thedewarennedynasty.com and http://mastersoftimebooks.com/.

Buy at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-1361823-3840838?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Dark+Embrace&x=18&y=21