Denise K. Rago

Interview with author Denise K. Rago

Steps away from Central Park, among careworn books and paintings, the vampire Christian Du Mauré quietly watches over two modern mortals. Amanda and Ryan are the last two descendants of a painful affair Christian had more than two centuries ago with a mortal aristocrat in Paris. On the eve of revolution, he made a promise to his dying lover that he would secure their safety without ever involving them in his own twisted world.

When Immortal Obsession begins, Christian’s promise is intact; his young ancestors suspect nothing of their origin. Amanda's life is happily predictable: she landed her childhood dream job working for New York's monolithic Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she unites her fascination with Revolution-era Paris and her abiding love of art. During one especially late night at work, Amanda is roused by an unexpected phone call. Her brother Ryan (and only living relative) needs her help urgently; can she come right away? Against her better judgment, she rushes to meet him in Central Park—and unwittingly becomes entangled in a world she never imagined was real.
1. Why did you decide to start writing Immortal Obsession? Your website mentions a chance encounter. Can you elaborate?

Let me start off by saying thank you so much for giving me the honor of an interview. Immortal Obsession was inspired by an otherworldly experience I had in a New York City diner one night five years ago, when my path crossed with that of a beautiful, unusual stranger who sat down at a table behind my husband and I. He was very tall, with waist-length blond hair and dressed entirely in black. When our eyes met and he said hello, he felt familiar to me as I fell into his dark eyes.
That weekend I began writing Immortal Obsession and when my husband and I talked about this mysterious stranger, I realized we saw two very different people that night. The experience was unnerving, yet exciting. This stranger was the inspiration for my main character, the vampire Christian Du Mauré. I have since learned that this being is someone I have known from a past life. He continues to guide me as his role in my writing and my life continues to unfold. He is my muse. 
2. Amanda's love for art shines through as you read Immortal Obsession. Is this something you have in common with her?

Very much so. I have always dreamt of working in a museum so I continued onto graduate school and obtained a Masters’ Degree in Museum Professions. I did my internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan which is one of my favorite art museums. I have been going there since childhood and like Amanda, it is one of those places that I love and feel at home.
3. If so, what kind of art mesmerizes you? Amanda seems to be particularly fascinated with Parisian art.

Amanda is drawn to anything to do with the French Revolution, a period that I love as well. I love all types of art really, from all periods of time. I am also fascinated with non-western cultures as well as their material culture. I love paintings, decorative arts and especially sculpture.

4. What was the inspiration for Amanda, Christian, Michel, and any of your other characters? Do they represent anyone in your own life?

I did mention my inspiration for Christian and I also talk about my resemblance to Amanda. Tony, who is Christian and Michel’s human servant, is loosely based on the mailman at one of my previous jobs, a young, blond haired fellow named Anthony who was really warm, funny and without guile. He said what was on his mind and he always stuck with me. When I imagined a fellow who would admire and yet stand up to two vampires, Anthony came to mind. I changed his name to Tony.
One morning while perusing a magazine I came across a black and white photo of a male model and said to myself, ‘this is Michel.’ His personality is a bit trickier for on the surface he seems to be the exact opposite of Christian in every way, but Michel is much deeper than he lets on. On the surface he is much more outgoing and funny, but underneath he is a pained soul. He just hides it a bit better than Christian.
5. Which of your characters resembles you most? Why?

Amanda and Christian probably resemble me the most, with their love of art, books, antiques, history, New York City and Paris. They are both solitary figures with a rich inner life. Christian loves to read and Amanda loves being in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hobbies I love as well. They both see beauty in nature and in the man-made world as I do and they both have an element of a sixth sense. Amanda has the gift of psychometry, which is the ability to obtain information from touching an object. This information may be in the form of music, words, sentences or images. Christian’s gift’s come from another place which will be revealed in future novels.
6. Why do you enjoy writing? Are there any parts of your novel that you enjoyed writing most?

I love creating, especially when a chapter comes together and suddenly two and three chapters fall into place and the story takes off and the characters are talking to me, leading me in a particular direction. I wrote many drafts of Immortal Obsession that never made it into print but I still enjoy the process. I think I enjoy writing the romance the most.
7. Besides writing, what other hobbies do you have? Are you a thrill seeker with a passion for sky diving and extreme snowboarding?

No, I am not a daredevil in the least. I love the beach, reading, visiting museums and antique shops. I have a teacup collection as well.
8. Is there anything else you would like to share (about you, your novel, or the art of writing)?

I am working on the sequel to Immortal Obsession. I envision three novels in this series which is tentatively called The Enchanted Bloodline Series. I love to hear from readers, as I especially love their perceptions of a character or their interpretation of events. Sometimes I am too close to my characters and it takes a reader to point out something so obvious that I missed completely!

I plan to attend the Self-Publishing Book Expo in Manhattan on Saturday, October 22nd, 2011. Please stop by if you attend as I would love to meet writers and readers.

I would love to share my website link which is www.denisekrago.com. Please visit me there to see portraits of some of the characters from Immortal Obsession; reviews, interviews and guests posts.    

    I just want to take a moment to thank Denise for the great interview! She was kind enough to answer all of my questions so thoughtfully and everything. Hopefully everyone will enjoy getting to know this author a bit. Her novel, Immortal Obsession, was an interesting read. My review is here, if anyone is interested. Again, thank you so much!

 

Allan Richard Shickman

     Allan Shickman has graciously agreed to share some things about himself today!

Interview

1. What encouraged and inspired you to write your two prehistoric novels?
     I never intended to write two books. The idea of the second came much later. The first was inspired by travel across the American West, where, it occurred to me that it would be difficult for anybody to survive without modern technology. From this came the notion of a survival adventure. I started collecting ideas, but it was a long time before I wrote anything. Long afterward my nephews encouraged me to write a sequel.

2. Did you have to do much research on the era? Is any of it fact-based?
     As an art historian, I studied some of the art and artifacts of prehistoric cultures, so I knew a little of how they lived. Of course I had to do a little research too. Tribal societies sometimes were afraid of twins, I discovered, and would put them and the mother (never the father) to death. That fact became important in the first Zan-Gah story. My home state, Missouri, is rich in caves, and I visited Onondaga Cavern. That was a wonderful experience, and generated a number of ideas.

3. How did you come up with the different clans? They were all so different from each other.
     It was half knowledge and half imagination—a fertile combination. There actually are totemistic societies—those that consider themselves related to animals in one way or another. I invented a people who had a totemistic relationship with wasps. They lived in, and were comfortable in trees. There are actually a very few tribes that do so. The Ba-Coro, Zan's people, perform a unification ritual that I actually saw (on video) performed in New Guinea. So I borrowed, mixed, and invented.

4. Zan and Dael were immensely close when they were young, but grew apart after Dael's torment. Does this parallel any of your own relationships? Is family particularly important to you?
     I have no doubt that my own family life unconsciously inspired relationships in the books, but they are all the products of reverie. I dream in fragments, and then I put the pieces together, polishing as I go. Who knows where those dream come from? They have to come from somewhere.

5. Which of your characters would you say is most like you?
     I wish I could answer that question with exactitude, but I really can't. There is a side of me that is a little like Zan, that is, virtuous. There is another side of me that is angry, bitter and disturbed, like Dael—but not so much, I hope. I can be stupid/wise like Chul, ingenious and inventive like Rydl, and somewhat like my female characters as well. It is said that Charles Dickens had a little of Ebenezer Scrooge in him, and I do not doubt it.

6. Which part of your novel (either one) was most fun to write? Why?
     I liked writing the climactic ending of the first book. It's fun when solutions come together dramatically. I thought that happened when the characters' danger and their personal "profiles" interacted. I also had fun describing the land of the red rocks in the first book and the volcano in the second: "Soon only the fiery cataclysm was visible against the night sky. A burst of yellow sparks thrown from the molten heart of the mountain stood out against the blue-black sky, reflecting its brilliance in the fixed eyes of the watchers, while a glowing vein of lava trickled like blood down the smooth slope."

7. Given the chance, would you go back to the prehistoric era or would you choose some other time instead?
     I have just finished the third book, Dael and the Painted People, which is the sequel to the second. So I did go back to the same prehistoric era. It is not impossible that I will write a fourth; or I may invent something in an entirely different era—ours, for instance. It depends on where my dream life takes me.
     But as for visiting the prehistoric era physically, not a chance!  Why would I want to go to a time when life was "nasty, brutish, and short"?  No, but it might be fun to go back to a period when the economy was running smoothly and a person could find a job.

8. Is there anything else you would like to share with readers whether it is about you, your novels, or writing in general?
     Dael and the Painted People is in the hands of a professional editor at this very moment. Soon, I will have to put together a cover. I intend to quote a passage of the story on the back, and comment, just as I did on the other two books. Here is what I think I will quote (nobody knows this yet):


     The whole time the shaman was speaking, he shook a boney finger at Dael, his enemy—a finger that was almost doubled in length by its long nail.
     "Did you dare to strike my brother?" Mlaka demanded, not without an evident note of sadness.
     Dael did not answer. His eyes were fixed on an empty corner of the room.  Something back there was bothering him, and he looked more closely.  His vision was blurred and he was a little dizzy.  Who was that standing apart in the shadows?  Dael stopped listening to the voices around him and intently focused on someone he only gradually recognized—a wrinkled, haggard old woman that nobody else could see.  She had glazed eyes, and a spear in her breast.  It was Hurnoa, dead and yet alive!

     When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it he made a powerful enemy.  A story of conflict and love.

     A big thanks to Allan for such a wonderful interview! His novels, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, are wonderful reads. I can't wait to get my hands on the next, Dael and the Painted People!

Lou Aronica

     Lou Aronica, author of Blue and several other novels, has graciously agreed to do an interview. His book was absolutely amazing and I'm glad I got the chance to know him better. I hope you enjoy the interview...

Interview

1. What inspired you to write Blue? Were there any specific events that led to your writing it?

     Interestingly, the thing that inspired me to write Blue was the fact that my oldest child was going away to college and I was worried about losing her. I realized that no one would want to read a novel about this, so I turned everything into a metaphor. My imagination just took over after that.

2. How did you create the fantasy land of Tamarisk? The names you came up with for some of the creatures were interesting, but how did you think of them? I have never heard of a wacasassa before...
     Before I started writing, I had a long history as a publisher, and my first serious job in the industry was as running the science fiction and fantasy line for Bantam and founding their Spectra imprint. I have a great deal of affection for the genre, but I often thought the way writers chose names left a good deal to be desired. When I decided to invent a world in Blue one of the first things I decided was that I would have a rational naming convention. Therefore, all of the characters are named after plants that represent them in some way (this is true for all characters, not just the Tamarisk characters), the places are named after explorers, the food is named after accomplished chefs, the trees and plants were named after US national forests, and the wildlife is named after US wildlife preserves. Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park is on the west coast of Florida.

3. Family relationships play into the events of Blue quite a bit. Is family something that is important to you?
     Gigantically important, which is why I was so freaked out about my daughter going to college in the first place. Family meals and little traditions are a big part of our lives, and I didn't want to see that go away. As it turns out, I had nothing to fear. It took me so long to write Blue that she's actually finished with college and living nearby. We didn't lose her at all.

4. Becky, Chris, and Miea are amazing, dynamic characters. What was the inspiration for them? Do any of your characters represent people in your own life?
     Several people have wondered if Blue is autobiographical. Just about nothing in the novel actually happened to me or anyone I know. However, I do consider it to be an "emotional autobiography" in that I felt or experienced with others most of the emotions that happen in the novel. Similarly, Becky shares many of the characteristics of my oldest daughter, though none of the circumstances, and Chris is very much a mouthpiece for me, though our experiences are very different. Miea is an amalgam of several people.

5. Which of your lovely characters would you say is most like you? Why?
     Without question, Chris. Chris is in an endless state of trying to figure things out, and I absolutely share that with him.

6. Did you have a favorite part of Blue that was most fun to write?
     The scenes between Becky and Chris after she learns she can travel to Tamarisk were the most fun for me because I loved the way the two of them sparked together. I also had a great time writing the extended scene where Becky goes on her first waccasassa ride, as it allowed me to show a great deal about Tamarisk in a short stretch.

7. If you could travel to another time period, where would you go?
     I wouldn't go far because I would miss too much of what we have in the world now. I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere that didn't have the internet, molecular gastronomy, and The Decemberists for very long. That said, I think I would have loved to have been a young adult in the early sixties. There was so much possibility then, and I think I would have embraced those opportunities.

8. Is there anything else you might like to share about yourself, Blue, or the writing process?
     Nothing other than to say that I'm extremely interested in what others think about the themes in Blue. If anyone wants to discuss them with me, they can reach me at laronica@fictionstudio.com.

H.A. Goodman

     H. A. Goodman is here to give us a bit of information about himself and his novel, Logic of Demons: The Quest for Nadine's Soul!

1. What led you to write Logic of Demons? Was it something that happened to you, or something you witnessed? Why did you decide to actually publish Logic of Demons?

     About one year ago, a couple of close friends betrayed me. This event, along with several other issues I was going through, inspired me to write Logic of Demons. Essentially, the novel is about how human beings justify their actions, the thought process (or lack thereof) pertaining to decision making, and how even good people are at times capable of immoral behavior. Getting back to my squabble with several close friends, I remember that during the last conversation I had with one of them, he actually quoted a Bible verse in an attempt to give me advice. Thus, the theme behind my book stems from an observation of how religion can be used to legitimize a point of view, or even to circumvent logic. Writing the novel was a catharsis and helped me heal from the hurtful actions of others and my mistakes as well (I wasn’t perfect either). It also enabled me to make a statement about humanity – all at once. I suggest that anyone going through heartache write a story and vent emotions through characters, a plot, and a storyline. If your literary endeavor is fueled by emotions that you’d normally bottle up inside, it will automatically be successful because the pursuit of writing will help alleviate stress and perhaps heal some wounds.

2. How did your background in history and international relations have an impact on the events in the book? On the characters?
     Well, there are two wonderful books that I think anyone interested in politics, world events, and human nature should read. The first book is entitled, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Mr. Grossman’s On Killing is an unbelievable look into the human mind, and how people can be conditioned to kill a legitimate enemy (in battle) and even innocent people (during genocides or slaughters). Mr. Grossman taught psychology at West Point, and the case studies and research found in his book are eye opening and reveal a part of all human beings most of us don’t like to recognize. Ultimately, he highlights how the human mind can justify an entire array of cruel acts, and how these rationalizations can lead to dire emotional consequences. Another wonderful book is God is Not Great, by Christopher Hitchens. Mr. Hitchens analyzes how religion has been utilized throughout history to legitimize irrational, dangerous, and often times deadly behavior. Both books helped me also see how one of my friends (who happened to be quite religious) was able to justify his actions, even though these actions were not only contrary to religious values, but also in opposition to logical and rational thought. In addition, I did research on the Rwandan Genocide, the Iran-Iraq War, and various other historical events that are addressed in my novel.

3. Your novel takes the idea of 'good' versus 'bad' to a new level. The main character himself has acted immorally, but is he truly a bad person? Is anyone entirely 'good' or entirely 'bad', in your opinion?
     I think Devin is a good person; he just wanted to avenge the death of his wife, which in turn caused him to commit a horrible act. Ultimately, he pays for his lack of self control in the afterlife, and quest for Nadine’s soul begins. I think that the vast majority of people on this planet are good, wonderful people. However, it unfortunately only takes a small number of people to cause a tremendous amount of pain and havoc for everyone. But to answer your question completely, everyone is capable of committing evil, and even though it can be difficult at times, it’s up to each of us to control our behavior and act in accordance with decency and goodness.

4. Devin made a huge mistake, but he was eventually able to redeem himself. Do you think that everyone deserves a second chance?
     I’d say most people deserve a second chance. However, when it comes to mass murder, for example, such killers in my view don’t deserve reprieve.

5. Religion plays an immense role in your book, as does the idea of religious fanaticism. Did you create this added tension in order to convey a particular message?
     Ultimately, I believe that positive actions speak louder than words or even “faith.” A person can have all the faith in the world, be able to quote Bible verses, give 10% of their income to a religious institution, and do everything their religious leader tells them to do, but if their actions are inconsistent with logic and rationality, and if their behavior hurts other physically or emotionally, then all their beliefs don’t help the world. Although I’m Jewish, philosophically I’m agnostic in my view of the world. I don’t believe “the guy upstairs” plays favorites, and if I wasn’t so frightened of the notion of nothing happening when we pass on, I’d probably be an atheist. Also, I believe that tribalism, or any viewpoint that leads a person to think that their culture or religion (or manner in which they separate themselves from others), is better than another person’s background , is the scourge of humanity. History has shown that millions can be slaughtered if certain people are deemed by more powerful groups to be less than human, or below the worth of the powerful group. A quick look at world history easily sheds light into the phenomenon of tribalism and its consequences.

6. Which character is most like you? What are some of the similarities and differences?
     I’m probably a combination of all the characters – hopefully a lot more of the angels than the other guys!
7. You put a lot of historical references into your book. Is there a time period you would like to visit, given the chance?
     It might sound odd, but knowing what I know about history, I’d probably like to just stay in 2011.

8. Is there anything else you would like to add, whether it is about yourself, your novel, or the writing process?
     I’d like to thank you, Alex, for taking the time to review the novel and I appreciate the interview! Also, I encourage everyone who is going through stress or a tough time in life to write a story, a poem, or something that will allow them to display, or vent emotions on paper.

     Thank you so much for the wise advice and for taking the time to answer my questions honestly! Make sure to check out Hal's own website and his book. I hope everyone enjoyed the interview, because I certainly enjoyed coming up with the questions.  

Lacey Weatherford

     This is my first ever author interview! I will be forever grateful (and indebted) to Lacey Weatherford, the fabulous author of the Of Witches and Warlocks series, for agreeing to bare with me as I come up with questions for her. She was incredibly patient, even though I told her I would have questions for her by a certain date and then didn't send her anything until a week or two later.

     Without further ado, I present Lacey!

Interview

1.   Portia and Vance have an intense relationship. How did you develop that? Did you have any personal experience of the sort? ;)

     I have long been a lover of romance and at the risk of sounding silly I have to say that I was often termed as “boy crazy” during my younger years. I was fortunate enough to be able to experience some of those breath stealing kisses from some of the boys I dated, and I have never forgotten the way those moments made me feel. But when I met my future husband we hit it off almost instantly and there was just this spark with him that I had never felt with anybody else. We have always had a very close and caring relationship with one another, to the point of being best friends as well as spouses. I’m certain some of those attributes from my life were key in helping me form the relationship between Vance and Portia. It’s easy to draw off from bits and pieces of myself to help to create something fun. When it came to these two characters I wanted them to be able to have a relationship that was both romantic and able to withstand the tests and trials they would have to face together.

2.   Is there anything specific that led you to finally write and try to publish The Trouble With Spells?

     The idea for The Trouble With Spells actually came from a funny hair dying experience that my daughter had. She had dyed her hair from a very light blond to a near black color and someone made the comment that people were going to call her a witch. After laughing about this together the idea just stuck in my head for some reason and I began to ponder on it for a few days. Initially, the story was going to revolve around the two best friends of Portia and Shelly, but after I had the first chapter written I decided that I should add a hunky bad boy to play the boyfriend in the story. Thus Vance was born and the storyline change to be his story, told through Portia’s eyes.
     When I was finished writing the book I passed it around to some of my family and friends just to let them read it and see what they thought. They loved the story and told me they thought I should try to get it published. I didn’t know anything about getting a book published so that was very scary for me. I sent out about 20 query letters and had an offer in two days from a publishing company. I accepted it since it was the first one. I wish now that I would have waited because I received multiple requests from several other agents and publishers clear up until the book went into print. It would have been interesting to see how some of those might have played out.


3.   Portia's family is immensely important to her. Are you close to your parents/family?

     My family and I are extremely close! I’m close with my own spouse and children, my parents, my siblings, and was fortunate enough to marry into a family that’s exactly the same way. If feel as if my husband’s family is my own flesh and blood. I feel extremely blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful network of people. There is nothing more important to me than my family!


4.   What was your favorite part of The Trouble With Spells? Your favorite part to write?

     I actually have a hard time answering this question when people ask it. I enjoyed writing all of it so much. Because I am a sucker for romance, probably any interaction between Vance and Portia is a favorite scene of mine. As far as my favorite part to write, that may have been the explosion scene and what comes after. I used to work in the emergency medical services, so it was fun to kind of draw on some of those experiences I’ve had in that line of work and put them into that part of the book.

5.   Which character is most like you? Can you tell us some of the similarities or biggest differences?

 

     Hmmm. That’s a tough one too. I really haven’t considered what character would be like me. Portia has a lot of the attributes of my oldest daughter and she is very similar to me so I guess maybe Portia. Love for family and loyalty to those she trusts would be similarities I think. I think I’m much quicker to laugh and more sarcastic than Portia is though, maybe a little self depreciating too. But Portia may have more backbone than I do when it comes to stepping up and doing something scary on her own.

6.   If you could travel through time, where might you want to go? Why?

     I’m a huge history buff so it would be very difficult for me to pick one thing that I would like to go see. I think I would love to make travel stops in many different time periods and locations just to observe their traditions and way of life. It would also be fun to witness some of the big events throughout history that have changed the way we live in the world today as well. But right now books serve as the best time machine I know of, so I tend to lose myself in the pages of those, and I feel much safer reading about a battle than I would standing in the middle of it!! :D


7.   Who would you meet, if you had the chance to meet anyone (dead or alive)?

     This is the easy question for me. I would most definitely want to meet actor Matt Lanter, who was the inspiration behind the character of Vance Mangum in my books! Matt is currently known for his roles on the CW’s 90210, where he plays the character of Liam Court, his voice over role of Anakin Skywalker on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and for his recent role as Edward Sullen in the movie Vampires Suck. I have had the privilege of being friends with Matt on Twitter and getting to know him a little bit, as well as being able to send him my books. He has been very friendly and supportive of me so I hope that someday soon we will get to meet and visit in person. He is a super nice guy!


8.   Is there anything else you would like to share whether it be about the writing process, your novel, or you?

     For any would be authors out there I would encourage them to keep writing and trying to get their work out there to be seen. My advice to them would be to go to a wonderful site called predatorsandeditors.com and look up agents and publishing houses there. That will help you to avoid some of the bad sharks that are in the industry out there. I found my second publisher through them for the rest of my books and they have been truly amazing. So really do your research to make sure your end up with the right people for you.

     As far as my novels go, the third one in the Of Witches and Warlocks series, Blood of the White Witch, was just released so be sure to check that out. You can find out more information and links on the website at www.ofwitchesandwarlocks.com. This site has sample chapters, extra stories that didn’t make it into the books, reader reviews, media appearances, purchase links, and even a tribute page to actor Matt Lanter, who was the muse for Vance. So go check it out! It’s lots of fun! There’s also a Facebook fan page for the books at Of Witches and Warlocks- Paranormal Book Series.

     And as far as I go, I just want to say thanks for hosting me here and giving me the opportunity to visit for a bit. I really love book blogs (I even have one of my own at http://thedelusionaldiaries.blogspot.com) and I think it’s a wonderful network and way to share the love of reading with everyone. I love hearing from people too so you can always feel free to leave me a comment or you can follow me on my social media pages. ( http://twitter.com/LMWeatherford , http://www.myspace.com/LaceyWeatherford , Facebook at Lacey Jackson Weatherford) I’m always up to chatting with people so come on by!!

     If you are interested in learning more about Lacey's books (which you should be!), you can check out my reviews for each of them. I loved both The Trouble With Spells and The Demon Kiss! You can also visit her on her website, blog, or personal pages as listed above. I loved getting to know Lacey and I hope everyone else enjoyed the interview as well!

     Thank you again for agreeing to do this for me Lacey!