Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Meet Geneva Anderson

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

What's her name?

Geneva Anderson


Why did you pick that name?

Geneva is the name of a lady who is the best friend of a friend of mine. Anderson is my grandmother and uncle’s last name. I picked Geneva because it sounds exotic and unusual. The name seemed perfect for my heroine who has a unique way of looking at things and lives an unusual life.


Give us a brief description of how she looks.

Geneva is about 5’5 with short, black hair that she wears curled under. She is chubby with light brown skin and wears glasses.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

No.


Who does she love? Why?

She is secretly in love with the leader of her poetry workshop, Xavier Lakemore. They have never dated. But the only reason that she joined the workshop was to be around him. She has always had problems with men.


Does this person love her?

No, he doesn’t know how deep her feelings for him go.


Tell us about her family.

She doesn’t have any family. Geneva’s father abused her mother and her mother died when she was young. She grew up alone. She only had her aunt Victoria who was murdered. Geneva idolized Victoria.


Where is she from?

She is from Chicago, Illinois.


Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?

She is very street smart and not afraid to take risks. She is not afraid to find out who really murdered her aunt.


What does she want out of life?

She wants to be a successful poet. She wants to be loved. Geneva thinks that she can only find this love in a man.


What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

She wishes that she had murdered her father before his abuse killed her mother. She thinks that she is coward for not doing this.


Did you write more than one story about her?

Not yet. This is the first book in a series featuring the protagonist, Geneva Anderson. I am currently refining the outline for the second book.


How would she describe you?

She would describe me as being slightly obsessive compulsive, reserved, and independent.


Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Geneva is resourceful and not afraid to step out on a limb. She focuses on getting the job done sometimes without regard to the consequences.


Please provide your website link.

http://www.bernadettesteele.net


What is the link to buy your book?

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Murder-Bernadette-Steele/dp/1892343088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199323260&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?TTL=&ATH=bernadette+steele&WRD=&PRC=&FMT=&AGE=&CID=&z=y


It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Meet Jane Downing Nelson

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

She is actually an anti-heroine if you consider that she commits the murder that sets the story in motion. But like many stories, you have sympathy for the anti-hero because of the life that created them.

What's her name?

Jane Downing Nelson

Why did you pick that name?

I don't actually recall how it came to be. But when I was thinking up various titles for the book, I remember thinking how I could use Jane for Jane-e-ology (which rhymes with genealogy) as an apt description of the book - the story is the history or study of Jane.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

She is from Texas so her hair is always naturally highlighted, especially around her face. Her eyes are blue, clear and confident. In many other ways, she is your typical pretty American mother who looks worn out at Wal-Mart, but who cleans up to a nine if she's going to a party.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

No.

Who does she love? Why?

Jane loves her husband, Tom. That is certain. He has drawn out her softer side, which wasn't really nurtured in her childhood. I think this is why she was drawn to him.

Does this person love her?

Immensely. This is the heartbreak of the story - loving someone whose mind is no longer her own. How do you love someone who doesn't really exist anymore? This is what her husband grapples with.

Tell us about her family.

This question makes me smile. Why? Because it is the heartbeat of the book. JANEOLOGY is the story of Jane's family. The chapters alternate through past and present and reveal eight of her ancestors. Who they were, what they did and how they were raised all trickled down into Jane's DNA. To say anymore is to begin writing the story for you again (which I would do except Ms. Leigh has space requirements.) Suffice to say, ask yourself about your own family. You would have a story about your mother, your father, your grandmother, your grandfather and so forth. These are the stories that make up JANEOLOGY.

Where is she from?

She is from Texas, born and raised. And it shows. There's a certain can-do moxie about her spirit. This spirit propels her in both good and bad directions.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?

That's something I hadn't thought about before. Perhaps. Texans have a certain wide open attitude. That there is enough room - physically and mentally - to do things in a big way. So, yes, I think that living in Texas must have affected her worldview.

What does she want out of life?

To be known. To have one person really understand her.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

That she had murderous/post-partum impulses before she acted upon them.

Did you write more than one story about her?

Actually, yes. I wrote Jane from several perspectives and ages. One of those - Jane at age nine - appears in the story. And it is one my favorite chapters in the entire book because I think it stands alone.

How would she describe you?

If she were to describe my day job as a stay-at-home mom she would say, “I completely understand what a tough job it is. Call me if you want to go garage- saling next weekend.”

If she were to describe my job as a novelist she would say, “You are too sympathetic to my husband. Do you realize all the things you DIDN'T see about him? Don't ever call me.”

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Jane is a complex, dark, hurting individual. She surfaced in my writing because of all the tragic stories I have heard about mothers who kill and my quest to understand why and how this was possible. I believe I gleaned a few answers to this question by knowing her.

Please provide your website link.

www.karenharringtonbooks.com

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/Janeology-Karen-Harrington/dp/160164020X/

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sinbad's Last Voyage by Toni Sweeney


Let's find out more about the woman in your book...

1. What is the name of the book where we would meet you? What genre is it?

It's called Sinbad's Last Voyage and it's a science fiction adventure.


2. Who wrote the book?

Toni V. Sweeney


3. What do you think of the author? You can tell us the truth.

I can't figure out how she got into my mind so! Some of the things I thought about Sinbad, especially when I first met him...it makes me blush now, even worse than I blushed back then.


4. Tell us a little about yourself. How would you describe your appearance? That's more than just really cute or drop dead gorgeous. Give us enough detail to get a clear idea of how you look.

I've been called a little runt. I'm about 5'3", weight about one hundred and ten. My godfather says I can lick my weight in wildcats! Even my husband Tran, who's 'way over six feet didn't talk back when I get angry! In spite of being a Navajo, I have blue eyes and blonde hair. I'm adopted, you see. I make my own clothes and help Tran run the farm that originally belonged to my grandfather, and until I met Sinbad, followed the precepts of the Naturals to the letter.


5. What character are you in the book? Are you the hero, the best friend, the side kick, the hero and heroine's child or someone else?

I'm the heroine, although at the beginning I feel totally lost! I never realized such things could happen or that people like Sinbad sh'en Singh existed!


6. Is there a specific reason why you're in the story? Don't give us any story spoilers, but you can share some teasers if you want.

I guess there wouldn't be much of a story without me in it. If I hadn't gone to Old Town to hire Sinbad to find my husband, nothing would've happened.


7. What time period do you live in?

It's in the future, somewhere around 2300, I think.


8. Where are you from?

I live in a valley near Angel City in California. It used to be called Los Angeles before the Great Quake made most of southern California fall into the ocean.


9. Do you live in the same place now?

At this precise moment, I still live on the farm. I'm waiting for Sinbad to come back from his last smuggling run. After that, I have a sneaking suspicion he wants to go home to Felida.


10. Tell us about your hometown and your current home.

I live on a farm which supplies most of the food for the local Federation base. Tran used to drive the wagon there each week. That was before he was arrested as a spy. We live as people did in the mid-twentieth century in a farming community--everyone gets together to help harvest, then we have a big celebration to give thanks for the bounty--the usual things.


11. Tell us how your hometown or your current home effects you, the things you do and how you feel about life?

I'm a member of the Naturals. We teach that everyone is equal under God. That precept was one of the reasons the Naturals were once placed on the Suspects List by the Federation. I was shocked when Sinbad told me how his people are still considered animals because that is their punishment for attacking Earth. He reminded me that I was being a little intolerant myself in my attitude toward him and I was ashamed. I've always considered myself a kind person, so I forced myself to see past his differences, and-- I fell in love with him.


12. What special skills or abilities do you have?

I'm fairly well-learned with it comes to herbal remedies. I can weave cloth and make leather boots, and milk a cow. A few weeks before my son was born, I went hunting and killed a deer. I have an old -fashioned Winchester which shoots lead projectiles.


13. How do those affect your part in the story?

Sinbad teaches me how to shoot an LX-14. That's a laser pistol. My other skills weren't much use when you're speeding through space, although my knowledge of herbals came in handy after Prince Ludsa's henchman beat Sinbad so.


14. Are you happy with the story?

I'm happy, in a way. I wish Sinbad hadn't decided to do that last smuggling run. I wanted him to stay with me then and there. So what if I refused to marry him? That was a very frightening step on my part, considering what my people think of living together outside of marriage! He'll be back though and he swears he'll never leave, and he's got some idea that he's going to convince me to wear that mate's ring of his, forever! I keep reminding him that he doesn't want a female he can bully--so how can I give in without it appearing that he's doing just that?


15. Do you have some ideas that the author should consider about the story? You can share them with us. We're all friends here.

I would've liked to know more about Sin and have him know more about me--how my parents died and how I came to live with Vicente Talltrees. There are so many things I wanted to ask him but I knew it wasn't the right time. He's still hurting from some of it. Perhaps in another story....


16. Tell us about your past. Can you share one really good experience and/or one really bad experience? I know that bad experience can be tough, but it would tell us more about what you've been through.

In spite of the fact that I was an orphan, my entire life was one good experience--I married a man I loved, had a beautiful son--until the war came. Afterward? I suppose it was the moment when the nurse came to me after Sin's surgery, after Tran shot him, and told me-- I can't say any more. That's be giving away an important part of the story. Besides, it still hurts to talk about it, even now.


17. Who is the most important person in your life? Tell us about them.

I suppose I should say one of my sons, but I have to say Sinbad. My children will grow up and leave but Sin's always going to be here, and we're going to argue and fight and make love and grow old together....


18. Is that person in the story we're talking about?

Most definitely.


19. How does that person impact you and your life?

He is my life.


20. Do you have any children?

I have one son, Acashi, with my husband Tran, and a son, Allan, with Sinbad. Allan is named after Sinbad's father.


21. If you do, tell us about them. If you don't have any children, you can tell us why not - but, only if you want to tell us.

Those are the only two right now, but if I know Sin--and I'm beginning to, pretty well--he's going to want to have more. Felidan males make great fathers, they tell me.


22. What do you see in your future?

If we stay on Earth, staying on the farm and working it. If we go to Felida---I'll have to learn a whole set of new rules. Between you and me, I can't see Sin being a farmer for the rest of his life. I think he's got something planned he isn't telling me....


23. Do you think your author is going to write another story about you? Or, are you part of a series?

Yes, most definitely. She says the nest book is all about me, and from what I've seen of it, I'm going to need all the courage I can muster! She says it's all true. Am I really that brave, Toni?


24. Do you like being a character in a book?

Are you sure I'm just a character? I feel pretty real, frankly.


25. If someone ever decides to make a movie based on your story, who should play you in the movie and why?

Natgurals are supposed to be self-asuming, so that's a really immodest step for me, but... I've been thinking about that. I think that singer, Fergie...now, she looks a lot like I do. I wonder--is she a small person, do you think?

Its been great to talk with you. If you want to tell us anything else, feel free. Also, tell us about a website where we can learn more about you and where we can buy the book. If you have a picture of yourself, feel free to send it.

I'm sorry. My people don't believe in having their pictures taken and I can't afford to have a portrait painted--not yet, anyway. Perhaps when I become the Pride Chief's Heir's Wife....

Sinbad's Last Voyage

Tell us about the villains in your book.

We want to hear about the bad guys, bad gals and villains in your book. Even if you don't have a murderer, thief or other "bad guy" there should be some negative force.

Who causes friction is the story?

There are three negative forces in the book: The first are the Albegensians who attack a deep-space freighter and destroy it, starting a war with Terra, thus setting the backdrop for the story. The second is the Federation itself, which has a habit of incarcerating anyone with an opinion contrary to theirs. The third is Andrea's husband Tran, the reason she meets Sinbad. Tran is an Albegensi and has been arrested simply because he's a member of the planet which attacked the Terran vessel, arbitrarily accused of being a spy.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I've written about both and I've made them as mean and evil as I can! It's fun to have someone who can say and do the things one might have always wanted to but society says one can't because of retribution.

How do you use your bad guys?

In this case, Tran doesn't appear to be a "bad guy" at first. He's simply an innocent victim who was from the wrong place at the wrong time. It's only when he escapes from Detention and leaves the planet and ignores Sinbad's messages to wait so he can bring Andi to him that things become suspicious. The fact that he's heading toward a planet known to be a hereditary enemy of his own people is strange, also. He brings about Andi's meeting with the man who'll change her life forever, as well as Sin's meeting with the woman who'll make him see that all Terrans aren't to be hated.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?

It was fun!

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?

My villains can say and do what they want, to whoever they want, whenever they want. I'd never do anything like that, but it's fun to pretend for a little while that I'm someone who can. Of course, they always get their "come-uppance" in the end, but it's a great ride while it lasts!

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?

I guess I'd have to say Mircea Ravagui in my unpublished novel Shadow Lord. Not only does Mircea get away with murdering Marek Strigoi's father, stepmother, little brother and sister, but he manages to get the hero sent to Hell for a hundred and twenty-five years!

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books?

I'd have to say Blackie Duquesne from the Skylark of Space by "Doc" Smith.

Please provide your website link.

Www.tonivsweeney.com

What is the link to buy your book?

www.lulu.com; www.doubledradonbooks.com

Thank you for telling us about your bad guys. We love to meet the "evil ones".

Dr Travis Anderson From Prescription For Love


Okay -- its time to tell us about that hunky hero in your book.

What's his name?

Dr. Travis Anderson

Why did you pick that name?

Travis seemed to be a virile sexy name for a man. I chose Anderson because it has a Swedish origin, which emulates his looks.

Give us a brief description of how he looks.

Powerful, well muscled, handsome athletic build. Intriguing rugged face, presenting with deep set, piercing blue eyes, a fine straight nose, and a wickedly charming smile. He has a tall, confident stride. His manner is always self assured and confident. He exudes a virile appeal!! Whew!!

Is there anything unusual about his appearance?

His unruly sandy colored hair!

Who does he love? Why?

He loves Head Nurse, Nicole Danley. They start out with a special camaraderie, working side by side in life and death hospital scenarios. This turns into a deep all consuming love. Her deep concern and compassion for her patients emulates his feelings. Then there is the electric sparks and chemistry flying between them with any sort of intimate contact!!



Does this person love him?

Nicole tries hard to fight back her desires for Travis, but he overrides this as he becomes the hero many times over in different scenarios. She loves his sincerity and compassion for his patients and knows deep down that everything will be okay whenever he is around.

Tell us about his family. Are they important to him?

His father had been a famous orthopedic surgeon. He had invested wisely making the scope of his wealth grow. Then tragedy struck when his parents died in a plane crash returning from a medical conference in Paris. Travis’s older sister, Liz, took over and raised him. She married Wade, a lawyer with political ambitions which turns into underhanded schemes and plots to transport him to the Presidency. This situation among others lends the many twists and turns to this pulse quickening love story.

Where is he from?

He is from Ada, Michigan. It is a wealthy community. He resides in a magnificent mansion overlooking the rippling Thornapple River.

Does his hometown affect his behavior, thoughts and attitude?

Although he was born and raised in a world of wealth and prestige, he also was taught to care for others. Being around his father who was a doctor, embedded this caring attitude into his very soul, thus making him want to become a doctor also.

What does he want out of life?

He wants to make his father proud by being the best doctor. He tuly desires a family of his own, since his family life was so wonderful when his parents were alive. He desires a wife that he can love and share his life with, as his mother and father did. They were excellent role models for him!

What's his biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

Sorry, it would be a spoiler!

Did you write more than one story about him?

I am currently working on a sequel to ,”A PRESCRITPITON FOR LOVE”, In which Travis will……………..

How would he describe you?

He would describe me to be a lot like the heroine in my book, Nicole. OF course I patterned a lot of her personality and actions after my own as I worked as an RN in the hospital. You could say that a lot of scenarios and people in the book came from the real life experiences I had!!

Is there anything else about your hero that we need to know? Feel free to share.

“His emotions become centered around his love for Nicole, but being a realist, he knows that hope and love have a dangerous tendency to surge out of control, sweeping away the best built defenses and opening the way to risks of unbearable disappointment.” This is just a glimpse into Travis’s thought process!

Please provide your website link.

http://www.lmstephenson.com

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Love-Leeanne-Marie-Stephenson/dp/1424165075/

It was wonderful to meet him. Thank you for bringing him to meet us. By the way, do you have a picture of him that you'd like to share?

It is on the cover of my book, “A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE”.

Meet Frankie A Unique and Touching Heroine


What's her name?
Frankie (real name Francesca)

Why did you pick that name?
I had Frankie's name picked out way before I found her. One of my favorite movies is "Frankie & Johnnie." I've always thought it was so cool that a girl's name could be Frankie. And it just so happens I have my own personal Johnnie who is my husband.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.
She has four, 2-inch legs, red silky soft fur, flappy ears, fawn brown eyes, a skinny tail and a black button nose

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?
Well I guess you could say the fact that her back legs are wheels would be unusual.

Who does she love? Why?
She loves everyone because dogs love unconditionally. Though I think she loves me most of all (I sure hope so!).

Does this person love her?
Absolutely, without a doubt! She would do anything for her little sweetheart.

Tell us about her family.
She has a wonderful, caring, loving Mom, a Dad who adores her, a big yellow lab sister, Kylie and a tabby striped cat sister, Dani.

Where is she from?
She is from the quaint village of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?
Oh yes! Her hometown has been so supportive and compassionate towards the "little dog with tires." Frankie loves to share her positive attitude for overcoming a challenge with everyone she meets.

What does she want out of life?
Probably first and foremost would be kibbles and treats. After that, all she wants is someone to love and cuddle with her.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)
Her biggest secret? She really does love her cat sister.

Did you write more than one story about her?
Not yet, but I plan to.

How would she describe you?
The best human mom a little dog could ever ask for.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.
Frankie taught me that we all have challenges. She taught me not to feel sorry for her or for myself. She taught me to look for a blessing in the challenge we faced when she became paralyzed. She showed me being positive will bring much joy and blessings to my life and it has. Her motto is: Be positive and Keep on Rolling!

Please provide your website link.

What is the link to buy your book?