Interview with Nancy Gideon

I’d like to welcome our guest again today, Nancy Gideon. 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 BOUND BY MOONLIGHT. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

A: BOUND BY MOONLIGHT is the fourth installment in my dark paranormal BY MOONLIGHT series with Pocket Books. It concludes the romance arc for NOPD detective Charlotte Caissie and her shape-shifter lover Max Savoie who is pulled between his obligation to the criminal empire he inherited from his mentor and the Shifter clan who believe he’s their prophesied leader. When Cee Cee discovers her new serial killer case might involve the missing daughter of one of her colleagues, she enlists Max’s preternatural skills and his former illegal connections to try and find her before time runs out. As he struggles to keep his secret from spreading, Max must also find a way to protect his family and his clan from the danger that stalks him. There’s plenty of action, steamy romance and surprises as Max and Cee Cee reach for their happily-ever-after. You can read it without having first read the other books.

BOUND BY MOONLIGHT is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

A: No, it has nothing to do with whips or chains. It refers to the bond between the main characters; both the emotional connection of love and trust, and the paranormal link they’ve established through their unprecedented mating, but don’t quite understand.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

A: I’ve always loved paranormal stories ever since cutting my teeth, so to speak, on Dark Shadows when in middle school and becoming fascinated by the Dracula legend. I like to be led along by a scary, suspenseful tale, but I’m a sissy, so I also enjoy the happily-ever-after safety net. Writing paranormals gives an author an extra dimension to play in, that of making anything possible as long as you make it believable.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

A: I started the BY MOONLIGHT series with the idea of having the same continuing hero and heroine throughout, but when Pocket asked that I branch out to feature different characters in that main role, as well, I wanted BOUND BY MOONLIGHT to wrap up Max and Cee Cee’s emotional involvement without necessarily tying up all the series’ loose ends. So, as you’re reading, see if you can spot the cameos for the next pair of lovers.

What are your favorite paranormal research books or sites, and why?

A: I love to cull inspiration from old myths and legends. I couldn’t get enough of them when growing up, and went through all the volumes in my area libraries: Norse gods and godessses, American Indian lore, Celtic folktales, right down to campfire urban legends. If someone thought it up, maybe there’s a grain of truth there somewhere...

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

A: I love making each secondary character strong enough to carry his or her own book. They are the most fun to develop because even if they start out as villains, they can be redeemed. I got a kick out of Jacques LaRoche and Giles St. Clair and their relationships with Max and Cee Cee. And recently Philo Tibideaux has gotten pretty interesting…

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

A: Plot and characters have to support each other so they grow together rather organically. I do very brief character sketches, mainly so I don’t have eye color changing half way through the book and to lay out the main conflicts, both internal and external. Once I get the ‘look’ of my character in my mind’s eye, finding the right name is the next important step. A name says a lot about personality and setting. How characters react to their surroundings and each other depends upon background and environment so that’s where the research comes in. The world that surrounds them sets up their reactions and circumstances. I think of plotting and character like knitting or weaving, everything going in and out and around to form one solid whole.

How do you go about building your world if you use one? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?

A: If it’s a real setting, I like to visit to get a tactile feel for the place through the five senses and a look at the culture. I use street maps, Chamber of Commerce, weather sites, etc. so I know what my characters are exposed to. A character’s personal involvements re: job, family, recreation, interests are another layer. Then there’s the social hierarchy in which the characters function. In a paranormal, you have the luxury of building supernatural social structures as well. My By Moonlight world has been unfolding book by book as Max learns about his heritage so I’ve had time to think out a firm foundation. That’s about to explode into all new directions with the next two books. I visualize it like a big family tree, how one branch interacts or interlaces with the next. I’m OCD. I love a complex network!

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

A: I adore Dean Koontz. I admire the way he pulls you in with his very real characters to ground you, then hits you between the eyes with the unexpected and unnatural. I also recently met Sherrilyn Kenyon in New York and was just awed by her personal story of overcoming adversity. And then there’s my critique group: Seven wonderful and very diverse ladies who’ve kept me focused and looking at the big picture instead of momentary setbacks and annoyances. They are my idols!

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

A: I guess we’ll soon see. I did no social media before the first book in the series except for a rarely updated website. Now, I’m on FB, Twitter, Pocket After Dark and Goodreads, blogging, posting photo diaries, making book trailers, romance trading cards, doing giveaways, and, while in New York, my first video interview. I’m proudest of my own blog which just debuted with an awesome contest giving away a Kindle. Check it out and try your luck at http://nancygideon.blogspot.com.

What do we have to look forward to next?

A: HUNTER OF SHADOWS, the next book in the BY MOONLIGHT series will be out on November 29, 2011. I had such fun writing it, expanding the Moonlight mythology and creating two of my favorite characters, a dedicated Shifter cop with his own agenda and a fearless assassin determined to interfere with it, both professionally and intimately. The sixth book will be released in July, 2012, but I don’t have the title yet. I’m also planning some interesting things for my historical backlist. I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks, Nancy!

To celebrate her book release on July 26, 2011, Nancy is offering a free copy of BOUND BY MOONLIGHT along with a set of her Romance Trading Cards to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.

With over 50 books sold, Portage MI author Nancy Gideon’s writing encompasses romance genres from historicals and regencies to contemporary suspense and the paranormal.

Her 25-year career journey has traveled from writing her manuscripts by hand then typing them up on her Smith Corolla to learning social media skills (but she still doesn’t text!). Two grown kids and a full time job as a legal assistant later, she is still going strong with her six book BY MOONLIGHT dark paranormal series from Pocket Books.

A prolific writer, Nancy attributes her creative output, which once peaked at seven novels in one year, to stubbornness, a gift for storytelling, the discipline learned through a background in journalism, and OCD. She’s a member of GDRWA, MMRWA, PASIC, FF&P and Novelists Inc.

Check out author’s website at http://nancygideon.com/

Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Bound-Moonlight-Nancy-Gideon/dp/1439199485