Guest Interview -- Anne Brooke

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

Anne Brooke

1. Tell us about your most recent release.

My most recent release is The Delaneys and Me from Amber Allure Press. It’s a gay m/m/m story and the blurb is this: When Liam makes a scene in the middle of a restaurant after his boyfriend, Brandon, dumps him, he knows Brandon’s cousins, the Delaney twins, will be after him. The Delaneys head up the local gangster scene and are not to be messed with. Liam knows their retribution is imminent, especially since, in the heat of the moment, he threatened to take what he knows (and, really, he doesn’t know much) to the police. It’s a recipe for disaster. But when the Delaneys confront Liam, they give him a choice between being shot or having sex with both of them, and Liam senses that his evening might turn out to be rather more interesting than originally expected...

2. What genre do you prefer to write? Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet?
   
   I do love writing gay fiction – it’s where I feel most at home. Most of the time, I write contemporary stories, either psychological crime or a mixture of romance and crime. I’d love to try an historical at some point, but need to get some good solid research under my belt first.

3. What do you like to read?
   
   I enjoy reading gay fiction and I love a good solid storyline, so it’s not just about the romance elements. I also read other crime and contemporary novels, particularly as I’m a reviewer for Vulpes Libris Reviews. Beyond that, I also enjoy contemporary poetry, biographies or other non-fiction, and I always have some kind of spiritual book on the go. My tastes are very wide-ranging!

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
   sexual tension, sex scenes????
   
   I’m best at the sex and/or violence scenes, which very much links in with character – I enjoy writing moments of high drama, but I do come from a long line of amateur dramatic enthusiasts, so it must be in the blood! Readers do seem to respond very positively to those sections in my books, so I hope I’m doing something right.

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
   you?
   
   I don’t have a pen name – to be honest I don’t see the need. I’m more than happy to write under my real name and to write in a variety of different genres with the same name too. I think readers can deal with this far more easily than publishers believe!

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
   years.
   
   I’d like to continue building up my list of good solid gay fiction in a variety of genres – psychological crime, comedy romance, and more recently fantasy. I’d like readers to see me as a writer they can trust to give them off-beat stories with depth and human interest, whatever genre that might be in! In four years time, I’d like to have the whole of my fantasy trilogy published – the first one, The Gifting, is being published by Bluewood Publishing, but I still have to write the third one so I’d best get a move on!

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites?
   
   Aspects of my husband always appear in my secondary protagonist, and aspects of me appear in my main protagonist. Make of that what you will! My mother has also appeared twice – once in romantic comedy, Pink Champagne and Apple Juice, and once (with my stepfather) in psychological (bisexual) thriller, Thorn in the Flesh. She loves it! Secretly, I think she’s a little miffed if she doesn’t spot herself …

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
   evenings?
   
   I’m better in the afternoons – the flow has set in by then. In the morning I’m edgier and nothing gets into a rhythm easily (darnit!). In the evenings I’m usually way too tired to do anything but flop!

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
   achieved the same level of excitement?
   
   She’s not well-known, but Maria McCann (author of gripping gay historical, As Meat Loves Salt) inspired my first gay contemporary novel, A Dangerous Man, which led me onto my gay crime series, Maloney’s Law and The Bones of Summer. So I have a lot to thank her for. I also find inspiration in the sinister depths of Patricia Duncker’s writing, particularly in her gay fiction.

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Why?
    
    My husband and I love birdwatching – it’s incredibly relaxing and wonderful when you spot something new. I also enjoy getting out onto the golf course – again because you have to be relaxed and have some kind of balance in order to play at all – but I’m definitely not good at the game!

Learn more about Anne at:

http://www.annebrooke.com

http://annebrooke.blogspot.com

http://theprayerseeker.blogspot.com

Guest Interview -- Barbara Elsborg

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

Barbara Elsborg

Tell us about your most recent release.

Digging Deeper comes out on April 29^th with Cerridwen Press. It’s a romantic comedy set in Yorkshire, England, where I live. It’s about an archeologist on a summer dig whose life is thrown into chaos by an accident prone female. I think it’s probably the funniest story I’ve written and sad to say, much of it happened to me – but not the unexploded bomb. Phew!

What genre do you prefer to write? Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet?

That’s hard to answer. I write psychological thrillers, contemporary erotic and straight romance, paranormal erotic romance and sci fi erotic romance. In fact – so long as there is some romance in there, I’ll write anything and enjoy it. I like M/F, M/F/M and M/M. I’ve never tried to write a regency romance and I’d like to give that a go one day.

What do you like to read?

Regency romances! I love them, especially if they are funny, so authors like Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Mary Balogh are my favorites. I like straight historical stories about people like Genghis Khan. I love gory thrillers, psychological thrillers, paranormals, in fact – it would be easier to say what I don’t read – biographies, or autobiographies or hard core sci fi. I’ll give anything a try but for a comfort read on a cold night – a regency romance every time.

What do you feel is your strength as an author?

Zappy dialogue combined with strong characterization. I love writing dialogue more than anything else. I hope I create memorable characters. I have a lot of people telling me they’ve fallen in love with Charlie out of my book ‘Strangers’. But he’s mine, I tell you, mine, MINE!! Oops – sorry about that.

How did you choose your pen name?

I write under my real name. I spent a long time waiting for a publisher to take a chance on me – I want MY name out there. Though because I write erotic romance I had to check that my lawyer daughter and marketing manager son didn’t mind because our surname is very unusual.

Where do you see your writing career taking you?

Talking dream scenario here? I’d love to get my psychological thrillers published. I’d love to see my name on a print book for one of the big publishers. I’d love to get one of my stories picked up for a movie. Why not aim big?

Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites?

Never as direct characters but I suppose all my characters are composites of people I know or have read about. My husband’s buddies are always asking to star in one of my erotic books! With enhanced attributes of course.

Do you find your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon or evenings?

Morning, definitely. Before I even get up, I’m working out issues with my current story. By late afternoon I am spending more time on the Internet than I am writing. I also don’t write well when it’s sunny. I’m too tempted to go into the garden.

What well known author would you compare your work to or hope that you’ve achieved the same level of excitement?

Jenny Crusie with sex? Hard to answer that – I’m not sure I’m like anyone but I’d hope that readers finished one of my books and thought – that was fun.

What’s your favorite leisure activity and why?

Writing. Sorry, I am so boring. I hate shopping of any sort, hate most sports, hate cooking, hate eating, hate socializing. I should be locked in a box with my laptop. Oh wait – I am. Let me out!

About Barbara:

Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. After several years successfully selling cyanide -try saying that fast - she dropped back into the world of writing by selling stories about family holidays to the local paper. A short step then to erotic romance. She writes for Ellora's Cave and Loose-Id and so long as she can make up stories about bad boys, she'll write in any mix and in any genre.

www.barbaraelsborg.com

www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com

Guest Interview -- Melissa Bradley

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

Melissa Bradley

1. Tell us about your most recent release. I am so excited because this is my first novel. I’m turning cartwheels, can you tell? Maxie Briscoe: Werewolf is a wicked cool tale about a feisty, no-nonsense female werewolf in south suburban Chicago. It’s hard out there for girl like her, acting like a normal human while secretly indulging the beast within, but she manages until a killer sets his sights on her. The heat is on as Maxie tries to survive and avoid getting outed in the process. She gets some unexpected help with her fight in the form of Damien and Noah, two hot-as-hell male werewolves. The attraction between the three of them is an instant firestorm that redefines complicated.

2. What genre do you prefer to write? Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet? I love to write erotica and romance, but I’d love to eventually write a historical novel or maybe an epic fantasy series.

3. What do you like to read? My bookshelves sag because I love to read such a wide variety of works. Just about anything under the sun from history to science fiction to erotica and horror can catch my interest at any given moment.

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
sexual tension, sex scenes???? Definitely characterization. There’s nothing more fun for me than coming up with new people for all the story ideas running around in my head. I love to delve into their background and figure out how they operate.

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
you? I don’t have one. I use my own name because seeing it on a cover is tangible proof in my mind that I am finally starting to live the dream I’ve worked so hard for.

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
years. Two years from now, I see myself with an agent and pushing to break into one of the big NYC publishing houses. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I know I want to try other types of writing like graphic novels and screen plays. I’d also like to start a group for young writers who don’t have access to creative writing classes for whatever reason. I had a lot of help to get me on this road and I want to pay it forward.

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites?

The names have been changed to... Kidding! I’ve never based a character on a real person, but I’ve used traits of various people I know to create a couple of my characters.

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
evenings? I am definitely an evening and nighttime writer. I can never get started during the day. I was born late in the afternoon so I think it’s probably a genetic thing.

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
achieved the same level of excitement? I can’t really compare myself to another author, but I hope to always give my best to my readers out there. Who knows where this journey will take me? Maybe I’ll become a reclusive author living in a dark, mysterious mansion, and wear a pair of those big old sunglasses like Jackie O whenever I venture outside.

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Why? My favorite leisure activity is curling up under my quilt with a good book. It relaxes me, is totally free and takes me to faraway places.

A little bit about Melissa Bradley: She grew up on the south side of Chicago, where she still lives, in a book-loving, story-telling family. She has a passion for books, movies and chocolate. You can find out more about her and her works by visiting http://myspace.com/melbwrites.

Amber's contest winner...

...was Sandy. Sandy, please drop me an email so we can get your prize to you! :)

Cassandra

Showing your PRIDE

May is upon us and right after that is a highly celebrated month for all of us in the GLBTQ world. It's PRIDE time. June is designated as Pride month and to celebrate I'm hosting a month of chats on my yahoo group to give all the voracious GLBTQ readers and fans chances to win free goodies. To top it all off I'm in the process of scheduling an erotica reading for the end of the month at a close by club. Whooo hoo, be sure to bring your ID with you as proof that you are 21 or older. (Yep we're reading the really naughty stuff and I will have autograohed copies on hand to sell as well) Plus free goodie bags!
For info on either or both of these events you can email me offlist at b.wylde@yahoo.com

Now for a little bit about why Pride means so much to me.
It took me a long time to admit to myself what I find attractive and what turns me on. Based on what I was taught as a child these attractions of mine were wrong and perveted. I hated that feeling that I had to hide my desires cause what I liked was out of the ordinary for the masses. No one should have to hide like that. Why are only m/f marriages recognized? Why are only certain types of love legal? Is it only recently that people have noticed and reacted based on their attractions to the same sex? Hell no. It's been going on for ages only now it is more out in the open so there is more room for criticism.
It should be an all or nothing world. As long as it is consensual and your of age then have at it. We can't control our feelings or our desires. (At least I can't. If you can, then hooray for you!) Who are we to judge and tell people what type of relationships are right or wrong? That isn't our position. That's up to the man above and if what I was taught as a child is right then heaven is going to be mighty empty and hell is going to be really over crowded.
I don't mean to poke fun but I often do that when I am frustrated with something. I try to laugh about it even when inside I'm cringing or seething mad. My reply to prop 8 was a charity anthology for Marriage Equality that I put together along with the author's from my lesbian writer's group, Sapphic Planet. I would love to see GLBTQ recognized world wide as a mainstream genre and that people wouldn't resort to violence when they see two guys or two girls holding hands. Why can't we decide if we want to change sex or we want to dress up like our opposite gender? Can't we all just get along? I guess that is one reason I am fascinated by the world of BDSM. Newbies to the life style are always genuinely welcomed no matter their kink, color, gender or orientation. I wish the rest of the world would adopt that type of easy going, let's all play together, mentality.
That's it from me for today. I have edits waiting on me.
Beth
www.bethwylde.com

Prepping for RT

Apologies for posting this so late this morning. I've been bogged down with preparations for RT (Romantic Times Conference) and didn't even get close to the computer until a few minutes ago.

I have to say I'm excited about attending RT for the first time, but the butterflies in my stomach are becoming mammoth in size. There's going to be so much to see and do in the four days I'll be attending. Day job will require me to return on Sunday instead of Monday, but that's okay. It's the costumes for the two big parties that has me burning the midnight oil (almost literally!)

Seems I got ambitious for this first trip to RT and decided to make my own costumes for the Fairy and Vampire Balls. Not a wise choice for an obsessive/compulsive personality with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.) Going to the fabric store to get supplies is like setting a magpie loose in a jewelry store. (Or for those of you who are familiar with Sherrilynn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series--giving Simi the Ash's gold Amex, a telephone, and the remote control to the tv with the shopping network on every channel--Sparklies!!!) My imagination went wild with the various outfits and costumes that could be made from this fabric or that fabric.

Then there's the getting started and realizing you're missing an item or two, so you run to the fabric store, get it and come home. Only to discover an hour or two later that you needed something else so it's back to the store....Needless to say, although I was up at 7 am with fabric laid out and scissors at the ready, I didn't actually get to the cutting and sewing until nearly 2 pm.

Twelve hours later I had two Renaissance corsets. Now, there are just four skirts, two shirts, and a dress to get finished before I pile them into a suitcase and head to the airport on Wednesday morning. Hmmm, I'd better get back to work.

Hope you all have a great day!!

Guest Interview & CONTEST -- Amber Skyze

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

Amber Skyze

1. Tell us about your most recent release.

My latest release (just yesterday) is Pretend With Me from Ellora’s Cave. This is book one in a three book series – Freedom Fantasies. A place where women can live out their ultimate fantasies.

2. What genre do you prefer to write? I prefer to write contemporary/bdsm erotic. Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet? I’ve recently tried M/M, but would like to write paranormal some day.

3. What do you like to read? All sorts of erotic and I love romantic comedies. I also read a lot of non-fiction.

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
sexual tension, sex scenes???? Dialogue, my muse has been known to disappear when it comes to sex scenes. LOL

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
you? My pen name holds some significance. I owned and published a romance magazine called Romancing the Skyze some ten years ago. I got ill and had to cease publication. When I returned to writing I knew I wanted to use Skyze as part of my name. That magazine meant the world to me. I enjoyed helping newbies get published. And Amber, well..it just seemed to fit.

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
years. As much as I love writing erotica I’d love to get published in women’s fiction. I write romantic comedies. Some day I’d like an agent and be published in one of the big NY houses.

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites? I try to keep people I know out of my book. I once used a friend’s name, which I meant to change during edits and totally forgot. She kept asking when she was going to get her royalties and wanted to know why she didn’t get any action. I’ll regret using her name for the rest of my life. UGH!

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
evenings? Definitely the mornings. My energy slows by the afternoon and the evenings – I just veg out.

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
achieved the same level of excitement? Oh I can’t compare my work to any well-known authors, but I’ve been enjoying a wonderful excitement for the past year. I just hope it continues. :)

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Hanging out in my pool, soaking up the sun. Why? It’s so relaxing and calming. Plus no one bothers me when I’m in the pool. :)

Learn more about Amber at: http://amberskyze.blogspot.com

**Amber will be picking a random commenter to win a copy of her latest release, Pretend With Me! **

Guest Blogger -- Shelia Goss

Please welcome guest blogger Shelia Goss!

Reviews - Don't Take It Personal

By Guest Blogger Shelia M Goss

When I decided to pursue a career in writing, I thought I knew what to expect on this writing journey. I did my homework, took the workshops, courses, etc, but nothing prepares you for "the review." Not just any review (the ones we all love to get–the one saying your book is the best thing since sliced bread), but the review that not only tears your work apart, but also takes a stab at you personally; although 99.9 percent of the time, the person writing the review doesn’t even know if that’s really your name or a pen name.

How do you respond to such an attack? Some people ignore them and others go head to head with the reviewer. How should you respond? No simple answer here.

What is a review? A review is a critique. It’s a judgment about a body of work and can be written favorably or unfavorably. Keeping that definition in mind, realize that when you do get a review on your book or body of work, that it’s not a personal reflection of you (although it might seem like it). A negative review shouldn’t define you.

If written correctly, an author can learn something from a review regardless if it’s positive or negative. Don’t let a negative review deter you from your course. Reviews, whether good or bad, are just one person’s opinion.

Yes, there’s a difference between criticism for the sake of tearing someone down and constructive criticism. I’m sure some of you have encountered or read reviews that seemed to be personal attacks and they don’t back up why XYZ book is the worse thing since the stock market crashed. This is a gray area. It's hard to tell if the person has a hidden agenda or not, so tread carefully when responding to reviews written in this manner.

As writers, we have to develop a thick skin and go with the flow or as some people would say, roll with the punches. Know that a review is only one person’s opinion; whether you agree with it or not and most importantly, try not to take it personally (I know there are exceptions but rise above it). A review doesn’t define you–unless you let it.

If you receive a review that is a personal attack instead of an actual book review, don’t fret. Readers are smart enough to read in between the lines. The person writing the nasty review may have done you a favor. Controversy also sells books.

Shelia M Goss is the national best-selling author of six women's fiction novels: Hollywood Deception, His Invisible Wife, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and three young adult books: The Lip Gloss Chronicles series: The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, and Paper Thin. For more information, visit her website: www.sheliagoss.com or www.thelipglosschronicles.com.

Hollywood Deception is Shelia's 9th book and she decided to make my blog a stop during her Hollywood Deception Red Carpet Tour.

Writing and the WorkLoad

Once every so often I publish a post or do a radio show where I talk about my current work load as a writer. I believe this serves as a reminder to non authors and newbie authors that writing is at it's core, a business.

We don't like to talk about that aspect but it is what it is. No one who writes for publication writes for anything other than two reasons that go hand in hand:

1. They have to write.
2. To make money.

So here's a list of what I'm working on currently. It being May, this is subject to change.

1. Plot new novel for Jean Marie of Renaissance E-Books. She wants my best of collection to take to print so I have to go through 10 years of writing and collect, edit and update at least 60k of stories published through them, plus probably write a new one at 5k.

2. Write the Third book in the Mistress Turned series. This is the story of Jackie, mistress turned submissive courtesy of Master Collin and his wife Jackie. I've left some readers hanging after book two but I had commitments to fulfill, which I'll explain below. 30k here.

3. Finish and edit first draft of Dark Desires - This is a menage story for Total E-bound that was due May 10th. Raven is a seductress bent on avoiding anything to do with love while maintaining a highly sexual relationship with her employer and his partner. 15k here.

4. Synopsis, query and first two chapters done TIGHTLY for Blood Bound. This is my mainstream erotic romance based on a very dear loved one who deserves a happy ending. It's also the first book in my Dark Elementals series. Query=300 words, Synopsis 1-2 pages and chapters 10k. This is being sent to agent Marisa I at Lori Perkins Agency as she's got a modicum of control of Covenant of Wolves 1: Stalker(Dub Mix) as I sold that to Lori at Ravenous but told her I'm still aiming for traditional publishing.

5. Plot out "Haunted." This wolf/demon story is aimed at Harlequin Nocturne Bites line. Details to come, but word count is 15k and that means a TIGHT story with great sex, romantic relationship focus and plot.

6. WriteSEX posts - This blog as you know by now defines erotica in all forms and discusses the ins and outs of writing for authors of ALL genres. We just finished teaching at Savvy Authors.

7. Radio Dentata UnNamed Romance Show PR - Not "true" writing but I have to do the PR for the shows, plus misc blog posts for Total E-bound and Midnight Seductions Authors.

8. Let's not forget that I'm editing a gay sci fi erotic romance anthology. Details found at the White Wolf Writing Blog

All of this has been a targeted effort for my writing career. This is a business, I am an author and I'm damn proud of what I do and how I do it.

Guest Interview -- T.D. McKinney

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

T.D. McKinney

1. Tell us about your most recent release.

I’d love to. It’s titled “Solitude & Sea Glass” and is a modern twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast scenario. Once again I was lucky enough to team with the amazing Terry Wylis to delve into true romance. We were able to explore the lives of two very different men who come to need each other at an almost cellular level.

For a decade and a half, Holland Faust has locked himself away in a house without mirrors, seeing no one from the outside but his agent and his summer interns. A former child star renowned for his beauty, Hol's world imploded when a crazed fan, incensed that Hol starred in a sensitive portrayal of a young gay man, slashed Hol's face. His beauty destroyed and along with it all sense of self-worth, Hol's retreats from the world. He now lives alone on a island off the coast of Maine with just his groundkeeper and cook, his Wheaten terrier as his only companion. Though his island is a place of beauty, it's also a place of deep solitude and loneliness.

Ruby Keagan is a free spirit with an unparalleled zest for living. Impossibly beautiful, he's determined to devote his life to bettering the lives of those in need. Fresh from helping with the aftermath of Katrina, he takes a position as Holland's intern, helping the retired actor administer his vast charity foundation. He doesn't want to believe the rumors about the celebrity he crushed on so hard as a teenager. There's only one problem -- the rumors are true. Hol never hires men; his interns are always female.

And with good reason, Holland's gay but hiding that as securely as he hides his scarred face. Infuriated that his wishes have been ignored, he initially orders Ruby to leave but Ruby's as stubborn as Hol and arranges a bet. He has three days to prove he's the best assistant Holland's ever had. Along the way, Ruby discovers he wants to prove much more than that.

2. What genre do you prefer to write?

I don’t actually think about genre when I write. Terry’s the same. We get ideas for a story. And we write that story. We’ll have some idea of how it will be categorized as we decide on protagonists and setting and plot but we don’t write with any genre elements in mind. We just write.

Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet? Oh, I’m sure there is. I come up with new things all the time. I’ll just have to see what the next plot egg hatches out to be.

3. What do you like to read?

Non-fiction. I read a lot about criminal profiling and historical dress—talk about diverse tastes. Since I edit and do acquisitions screening for Red Rose Publishing, as well as cover art and my own writing, I don’t have a great deal of time to read much so I tend to a lot of reference material when I do have free time.

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
sexual tension, sex scenes????

Emotions. I like for the reader to be able to immerse themselves in the characters and feel everything right along with them. If you can’t get into a character’s head, how can you care about them? If you don’t care what happens to them, there’s no reason to read the book. All those other elements are important but you have to have that emotional link. Even for the sex scenes. As my favorite profiler once told me, sex is 95% mental any way.

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
you?

It’s not a pen name. That’s my real initials. I used a pen name briefly—Jacqueline Quaid—but discovered almost immediately that concealing my identity just isn’t me. LOL – I’ve always said never do anything you’re ashamed of and never be ashamed of anything you do.

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
years.

Oh lord – I want that New York Times best seller now! Not two years from now. LOL. “Solitude & Sea Glass” is my tenth release in two years. I’d like to have another ten by 2012. What I’d like is to be able to devote myself to writing full time. Right now, I have a day job. I love it and the people I work with but I’d rather be home writing.

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites?

Sure. Sometimes friends even ask to be put in books. I’m currently writing one based on a friend who’s a former FBI agent. He wanted to be the hero in a novel. Not hard to do since he’s amazingly heroic and looks the part, too. I even let him pick his character name.

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
evenings?

I can write anytime, anywhere. I just need my laptop (which is usually with me everywhere I go much to everyone’s dismay) or something to write on. Stories are in my head constantly.

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
achieved the same level of excitement?

I try very hard not to compare myself to anyone else or be influence by them. I don’t want to subconsciously “steal” from anyone. I don’t want to pick up their voice or borrow a minor character, or end up as derivative. Another reason I don’t read a lot of fiction.

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Writing. Why? Because I have to. It’s like crack. You gotta have it. If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. It is my drug of choice. So to just be able to sit somewhere quiet or exotic and write – it’s wonderfully relaxing. Of course, sitting somewhere hectic and loud writing is great, too.

About T.D.: T. D. McKinney writes Gay Romance, Romance, Mysteries, and Crime stories. Her publications have garnered three EPIC award finalist designations and a Dream Realms finalist designation.

Growing up on the American Gulf Coast, T.D. McKinney gained a great appreciation for all things Southern and a fascination with what the community around her. There is very little she doesn’t find interesting whether it’s art, music, history, vampires, web design, or forensic science. Everything is there to be explored, investigated, and attempted at least once. This trait often carries over into her writing. She loves exploring characters that are not afraid to take a risk or step outside the constraints of society or family. And if the character doesn’t want to take that chance, she likes creating situations that require they do so.

T. D. lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of north Texas with her husband and young daughter. In her spare time, she studies criminal profiling and shares her husband’s interest in vampires, the internet, science fiction, collecting swords, and all things Japanese.