Spotlight on author Connie Flynn

SHADOW ON THE MOON
Dana rushes to the Arizona mountains to save the wolves she has vowed to protect. They aren't the ones killing hikers and campers, but something is, and before Dana knows it, that 'something' is hunting her.

SHADOW OF THE WOLF
Lily wasn't born a predator, someone made her that way and she managed to escape, but her past is chasing her -- the Shaman who's vowed to avenge his dead wife and the werewolf who made Lily and intends to drag her back for punishment.

THE FIRE OPAL
A Cajun woman returns for her mother's funeral to a bayou she fled from so long ago. Unspeakable evil lives in that swamp and the only hope for the town residents is the Fire Opal that she must get back. But not alone. The childhood sweetheart she deserted has returned to stand by her side.

OLD BONES
All she wanted was a beautiful remodeled home, but when digging brings up a skull of unknown origin and her rebuild is put on hold, she finds herself racing for her life inside the natural history museum with no idea who or what was chasing her.

Author blurb:

 The books of Connie Flynn, a bestselling, award-winning author of ten novels and several short stories. She has been putting her legacy books on Kindle as time allows and is also working of several new novels. She writes in several genres, including paranormal romance, romantic comedy and action/adventure, contemporary fantasy. She also writes mystery/suspense as K.C. Flynn. Look for several new releases in 2013.

Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/connieflynn -- link for books
Website, http://connieflynn.com
Blog: http://imaginationgonewild322.blogspot.com/
Facebook Social Page: https://www.facebook.com/connie.flynn.378
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieFlynnAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConnieFlynn
Email: connieflynn@yahoo.com
Subscribe to Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/qOHbT

Interview with Connie Flynn

I’d like to welcome our guest today, our very own Connie Flynn. It’s a pleasure having you as a guest here 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 reissued two of your paranormal romances, SHADOW ON THE MOON and SHADOW OF THE WOLF. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous werewolf series?

My pleasure. This is my debut paranormal novel so it has a special place in my heart.

Psychiatrist Morgan Wilder was on a quest to discover the unrealized powers of the human mind. Quixotic Lily promises to reveal centuries old secrets, but instead she transforms Morgan into an inhuman monster. Rejecting his new state, he retreats to the Arizona mountains. Lily, intent on making Morgan her eternal mate, chases him down.

Wolf biologist Dana Morgan devotes her life to reinstating the wild wolf. After learning that a pack has been accused of the savage slaughter of humans, she races to the snow-swept mountains to prevent their destruction. Soon she and Morgan discover she is fated to lift the dark stain from his soul.

Dana puts her life in mortal danger to perform a ceremony of love and Lily uses every supernatural power at her disposal to reclaim Morgan's soul, ending in a violent showdown under the SHADOW OF THE MOON.

The werewolf books have interesting titles. How did you come up with them?

By drawing on the old Lon Chaney cliché that a full moon triggers the werewolves' transformation. I’m big on using clichés and giving them my own touch. In these books, the classic legend allowed me to build a redeeming ceremony which was dependent on the full moon and other astrological aspects.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I've always loved the paranormal genre, which back then was populated with mostly horror or fantasy titles. Some sci-fi, sure but those titles still stuck to strict conventions. When Silhouette launched a line called Silhouette Shadows I went for it. Eventually, Silhouette rejected it but it sold to NAL and transformed my career.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

By asking questions. Ann Rice had broken big ground with her vampire books and she completely owned the species, so I asked myself which species were still fair game. I wanted something alpha, edgy, and dangerous, but also capable of being physically attractive. Beauty and the Beast came to mind and thus Morgan Wilder was born.

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

I have two favorite sites: Lady Gryphon’s Mythical Realm [www.mythical realm.com ] and Mythical Creatures and Beasts [www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com ]. There are several other sites I have found but failed to bookmark effectively enough to find them again. One is a site with mpg files of hundreds of animal cries and the other is a little app that helps you devise new names for locations in your story. If I ever find them, I’ll be happy to share.

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

Lily, the villain in SHADOW ON THE MOON and White Hawk, the shaman. I gave them their own story in SHADOW OF THE WOLF.

The why is that I like quirky, flawed characters. Partly because I find them more interesting, but most of all because I love stories of redemption and true forgiveness which these kinds of characters cry for.

Tell us 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 chaacter development?

I’m a writing teacher and I wish I could say that I do everything step-by-step the way I teach in my classes. While I almost always have my setting and story premise in mind, I generally write about thirty to fifty pages to discover the protagonist’s voice. When I've done that I begin pulling together the structure. I must confess that a few times I pretty much wrote the whole book before I discovered the protagonist's vital internal conflict. Let me tell you, that makes for some ugly rewrites.

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

Somehow I manage to keep much of this kind of detail in my head and I’m also willing to go back and make changes if something better comes to mind. I only make sketches and diagrams if I get stuck on the mechanics of how a scene will play out.

Do yo have any authors that inspired you?

Too many and in too many genres: Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kathleen Woodiwiss, the poet Kahil Gibran, Richard Bach, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Charlaine Harris and, of course, J.K. Rowling. There are more among the 21st century authors but I'm afraid the list will go on and on.

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

At the moment, I’d say Bookbuzzer and probably a Twitter barrage, but I’m still learning how to self-promote in this new marketplace. What I have learned is that it's terribly time-consuming. So if y’all have tips on how to use my time more effectively in this area, I’m listening . . .

What do we have to look forward to next?

It was early last year that I decided to self-publish my previously published books and to launch my mysteries under the pseudonym K.C. Flynn with a romantic suspense called THE MAN IN THE STETSON.

I’m also in the processing of reissuing two more of my paranormal backlist. Next up is THE FIRE OPAL, probably in April for the ebook version. I've also planned a number of personal appearances this year. What's coming is the Chocolate Affaire. I'll be there Friday, February 3rd and Saturday, February 4th with the newly designed print version of SHADOW ON THE MOON.

For those of you who prefer straight romance, I'd like to announce that last fall Harlequin Superromance reissued two of my earlier romance. A third will show up in 2012.

Thanks, Connie!

To celebrate the print reissue of SHADOW ON THE MOON, Connie is offering a free copy to one lucky commenter on today's blog. The only catch is that printing is still in progress so you will probably have to wait until the end of January to get it. If you're the impatient type or if you just prefer ebooks, she will alternately give you a coupon for a free download compatible with the ereader of your choice.

(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...

Check out author’s website at www.connieflynn.com or at her author page on Amazon www.amazon.com/Connie-Flynn/e/B000APBBD0/ to buy SHADOW ON THE MOON and SHADOW OF THE WOLF.

Interview with Cara Marsi

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Cara Marsi. 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 Cursed Mates. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Thank you for having me at Much Cheaper Than Therapy. I’ve just grabbed some dark chocolate and have settled into a comfortable chair, and I’m ready to talk about Cursed Mates, my dark, sensual, werewolf paranormal romance set in Maine. Cursed Mates was released Dec. 13, 2010, from Noble Romance Publishing.

Nick Radford is a reluctant werewolf who’s been fighting the Beast within for nearly 500 years. He’s never killed a human, but the Beast is gaining strength and Nick may not be able to ward off his inner demon much longer.

Kyla Yaeger is an elite were-hunter with a scarred past. Her life’s mission is to slay the werewolves who slaughtered her parents. Her quest has brought her to Maine where she's been summoned to destroy the werewolf terrorizing the quaint little village of Heavensent. The last thing she needs is to get distracted by her mysterious--not to mention hunky--new neighbor Nick Radford.

By the time Kyla learns Nick is her target, she's already fallen for him, making her task of killing him that much harder. She is torn between her love for him and her duty to kill her sworn enemy. Nick fights his forbidden love for Kyla, knowing she is duty-bound to kill him. Kyla and Nick must join together to fight an even bigger threat--one that will destroy all humanity. Only by their combined powers can they destroy the evil and bring an end to a centuries old curse.

Cursed Mates is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

The original title was Love Came Howling because the story started out as a light paranormal and gradually got darker and darker. After an editor told me Love Came Howling was “corny,” I knew I needed another title more fitting to the story. One of my critique partners came up with this title. Although the story has a witch and assorted demons, I needed a title that focused on Kyla and Nick, who are truly cursed mates.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I love paranormal and I wanted to write one. I always write the type books I want to read, and Cursed Mates has a storyline I love. I also love wolves, real wolves, and I’m afraid of vampires, so writing about a werewolf came naturally.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I’d visited Maine a few years ago and fell in love with it. I decided to set the story there because of the rocky coast and all the quaint towns. Maine’s terrain lends itself to mystery. After all, Stephen King lives there. I thought, “what if one of those quaint towns harbored a terrible evil?” There are no wolves in Maine, but what if I put one there? I wanted to do the werewolf hero and I wanted a kick-ass heroine. So why not make my heroine an elite were-hunter who’s not afraid of anything except losing control? And what if she meets a man who makes her lose control? But what if that man’s her target and she’s duty-bound to kill him? And what if something far more evil than a werewolf is terrorizing this little town? As you can see, I love playing “what if.”

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

Before I started writing Cursed Mates I read a lot of Harlequin Nocturnes and paranormals from a variety of publishers. I also researched werewolves and the phases of the moon online.

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

Nick, my hero. He’s so tortured, yet so determined never to kill a human despite his bloodlust at each full moon. He fights his inner demon, then falls in love with a woman whose job it is to kill him. But there’s something else lurking in the woods, and to save his soul and the world, Nick has to fight that too.

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?

I usually write out, in longhand, each main character’s background, what they think they want, what they really want, what they fear the most and what they’re willing to sacrifice to get what they need.

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

I build the world in my head. In the case of Cursed Mates, I drew on my memories of my visit to Maine, but embellished the setting. I also used a little of the flavor of the old Dracula and Wolfman movies. I decided to throw in some demons and witches to make things more interesting and dangerous for Kyla and Nick. And an ancient curse figures prominently in the story. I tried to put myself in Nick’s place. In 1530, he was a noble Englishman, and then one foggy, evil night he was cursed to life as an immortal werewolf. How did that make him feel? I tried to portray his frustration, anger, and despair as he feels his humanness slipping away. And Kyla, so controlled, so sure of her powers, is suddenly thrust into a world where her powers are diminished. I asked myself how that made her feel, and what would I do in the same circumstances. Also, what would I do if made a vow to kill the man I love? Would I do it, or would I try to find a way out?

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Jude Deveraux and Heather Graham are two. I love their books. Also, a writer named Elizabeth Howard, who wrote YA romances many years ago when I was a young teen. I even wrote to her once and said I wanted to be a writer, but didn’t own a typewriter (told you it was many years ago). Ms. Howard wrote back that I didn’t need a typewriter to be an author. I wish I’d saved that letter.

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

Not sure yet. You know what they say about advertising: only half of it works, but no one knows which half.

What do we have to look forward next?

My romantic suspense novella, Murder, Mi Amore, from The Wild Rose Press, was released Dec. 15, 2010. Murder, Mi Amore is set almost entirely in Rome, Italy, and tells the story of an American, Lexie Cortese, who comes to Rome to forget a hurtful breakup and finds herself involved with murder, kidnappings, terrorists, jewel thieves and a hunky, mysterious Italian named Dominic Brioni who may or may not be involved in the things happening around her.

Thanks, Cara!

To celebrate her book release, Cara is offering a free e-book of Cursed Mates 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.)

We're also doing something different this year and you will get an extra entry if you are a follower fo this blog.

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

Bio.

Cara Marsi is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller with a romantic soul. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about strong heroes and feisty heroines. She loves to put her characters in dangerous situations and see how they’ll get out. Cara has recently gone over to the dark side with her romantic suspense, Murder, Mi Amore, set in Rome, Italy, and involving murder, jewel thieves and terrorists. And she’s gone even darker with her paranormal romance, Cursed Mates.

She credits her love of romance to the old Thirties and Forties romantic comedies she watched on late night TV growing up. Cara is published in traditional romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and has published numerous short romance stories in national magzines. Cara and her husband enjoy traveling and she loves to write about the places they've visited. They share their house with a fat black diva of a cat named Killer.

Check out author’s website at www.caramarsi.com
Buy Cursed Mates: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=212

Also available on Amazon Kindle. Buy Murder, Mi Amore: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/murder-mi-amore-p-4345.html

Also available on Amazon Kindle.

Watch the video trailers for both books here: http://www.youtube.com/user/CarolynMat2

Interview with Terry Spear

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Terry Spear. 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.

Thanks so much for having me, Kim! I can always use the chocolate therapy!

I understand you have a new release out called Destiny of the Wolf. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Lelandi Wildhaven is on a mission—find out who murdered her sister. But what she doesn’t expect is to find is that Darien Silver and his gray werewolf pack run Silver Town, and he believes her sister committed suicide. All he needs is for the little red lupus garou to turn his already upside-down world into more of a mess. And she’s ready to oblige.

Destiny of the Wolf is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

My publisher. ☺ It was originally Don’t Cry Wolf. ☺

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I love the paranormal and had been writing psychic stories, then got into hardcore paranormal—vampires. ☺ But the market was becoming saturated, so I shifted to something that wasn’t at the time, Werewolves. And since the only ones I’d seen were of the sort where the poor guy was changed into a werewolf and didn’t know if he was a good guy or was killing people at night or the strictly horror stories where werewolves are monster-like creatures who kill for the sake of killing and had to be killed, it was fun changing the whole idea. In none of the previous examples was the werewolf allowed to live. They had to die, these hideous nonconformists.
So with mine, I wanted to make them human, well-adjusted to the notion they wore a fur coat sometimes, having their own secretive society, and enhanced abilities due to their wolf counterpart. But their wolf part of them is always with them, just as their human instinct is when they’re a wolf. Plus, they’re sexy, powerful, and protective of their kind—which made them perfect romance material. They mostly have trouble with other wolf packs, although humans can cause some angst as well. ☺

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

In Heart of the Wolf, I don’t really show the pack dynamics in a functional pack. So in Destiny of the Wolf, I wanted to show a pack running the town in Colorado, unlike most packs that live within the human confines, and how they deal with problems within that pack, including how to resolve the trouble one little red lupus garou female causes when she arrives.

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

I really don’t use sites for researching the paranormal. Instead, I research wolves, werewolf legend, real werewolf cases. The paranormal element is based mostly on stories I’ve read or movies or plays I’ve seen that have influenced the way I create my own paranormal worlds.
Which character did you like writing about the most, and why? Carol Woods was a fun character because she’s human and I wanted to show how a human who wants to save the heroine from being a werewolf gets into trouble. But she’s not just any human. She has psychic abilities and can foresee future and past events.

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

Just as we as characters evolve from how we deal with issues daily, my characters do also. It’s not that it wouldn’t be fun creating character sheets and all that. But it just doesn’t work for me. I have to set my characters loose, and then see how they deal with conflict, with others, with trying to reach their goals. ☺

How does your research and/or world affect your character development?

I try to make the world as real as possible, even if they’re werewolves or have psychic abilities. So I create characters who readers hopefully connect with and then think, wow, my next-door neighbor could be a werewolf! For real. That’s what makes creating a paranormal world as real as possible fun.

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

In Heart of the Wolf, I printed off map elevations and figured out distances to place my fictional cabin near Wolf Mt in Oregon. I used the description and pictures to “draw” from for a ranch that was for sale in the country also for one of the werewolf characters. For Destiny of the Wolf, I used pictures of silver mining towns, and since I’d been to some of them, I just incorporated things I liked and made up my own to suit my story. In To Tempt the Wolf, I used to visit the Oregon beaches when I lived in Portland/Tigard/Beaverton. But even so, I looked at pictures for the various beach areas, and made up my own that would suit the story.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Too many to name. I’ve loved both historical and paranormal romance authors, many of whom inspired me to write books that entertain just as they have done.

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

Having new releases out! When readers see that you’re not a one book author, it sells earlier books and new releases. ☺ I’m finding that a lot of folks hadn’t heard of Heart of the Wolf, until Destiny of the Wolf caught their attention. Since then, Heart of the Wolf has been selling like crazy again. The same with Winning the Highlander’s Heart. Plus, I got a new review of Winning the Highlander’s Heart which was a surprise since the book has been out for a couple of years. I posted it all over and sales picked up considerably. ☺

What do we have to look forward to next?

To Tempt the Wolf is coming Sept 1. The cover is posted on Amazon, although I’ve been told it might change. But the story is set on the Oregon Coast. In this, we have a hunky hero whose pack has mutinied, his sister has disappeared, and the woman who rescues him turns his whole world upside down. ☺ In every story, the mystery and adventure unravels, but they won’t be the same old story. Every one of them has a total new take. I’m currently working on an Arctic werewolf story also.

Also, Deadly Liaisons, my new vampire romantic suspense from Samhain is due out Mar 31. It just received the Golden Blush Recommended Read from Literary Nymphs, Amazon Nymph! ☺

Thanks, Terry Spear!

To celebrate her book release, Terry Spear is offering a free ebook of Destiny of the Wolf to one lucky commenter on today's blog. She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.

Award-winning author of urban fantasy and medieval historical romantic suspense, Heart of the Wolf just named in Publishers Weekly's BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, NOR Reader Choice for BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE.

Terry Spear also writes true stories for adult and young adult audiences. She’s a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and has an MBA from Monmouth University and a Bachelors in Business and Distinguished Military Graduate of West Texas A & M. She also creates award-winning teddy bears, Wilde & Woolly Bears, to include personalized bears designed to commemorate authors’ books. When she’s not writing or making bears, she’s teaching online writing courses.

Originally from California, she’s lived in eight states and now resides in the heart of Texas. She is the author of Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Allure of the Wolf, Winning the Highlander’s Heart, Deadly Liaisons, The Vampire…In My Dreams (young adult), Deidre's Secret (young adult), The Accidental Highland Hero (2010) and numerous articles and short stories for magazines.

Check out author’s website at www.terryspear.com

And you can friend her at: _http://twitter.com/TerrySpear

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=698072929
http://www.myspace.com/terryspear

Buy http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Wolf-Terry-Spear/dp/1402216688.