Bellatrix Press Halloween Hop: Character Interview

 Magic comes in all shapes and sizes, and so do the people who use it. To celebrate Halloween, four authors got together to interview their magic-using characters and share the responses. And, as always happens when the four of us get together, to make some fun trouble.

That being said, the four of us have decided to break the interview pieces up so you can read them across our blogs.

Interview with April L. Wood's Winter Rose-Thorne

Q: Do you remember the first time you used magic? If so, please tell us about it.

Winter: When my mother gave birth to me and I took my first breath, the air fueled the budding natural magic inside me. Even though the element of air belongs to the Widow-Tears clan, and I am a Rose-Thorne, it has been rumoured that I may have some Widow-Tears ancestry.  So, I guess you could say that I am a mere vessel and magic breathed life into me!

Q: What is something you wish you could do with magic but haven't been able to yet?

Winter: I wish I could use magic to discover the true creator of the prize - winning cauldron soup recipe, to end the stupid argument between Grandmother Iris and High Priestess Ruth, once and for all. 

Q: What is something you wish you had never done with magic?

Winter: Ugh. Asking for proof of my spell from a great Goddess. She showed me proof, all right... 

Q: Do real witches have broomsticks and/or black cats?

Winter: I have both. A girl's gotta get around somehow and a broom is much more fuel efficient than a car. ;) And my grandmother's black cat, Madison, is awesome.

Q: If you lost your magical abilities tomorrow, what would you pursue instead?

Winter: I want to say a good psychiatrist, but April won't let me. Lemme think... If I lost my magical abilities tomorrow, I'd lose my connection with the element of earth and that would be very sad. I would be very sad. When the Elders strip magic of the witches it is usually for a very bad reason and to explain it simply, is our version of the death penalty. If I deserved it, that would be one thing. But if it just happened, you know, randomly... I'd seek revenge. 

April is shaking her head right now.

BLURB:

Winter's Curse, Season of the Witch 1

Before the light is reborn within the womb of darkness and the Sun returns, will Winter reverse the curse? 

When High Priestess Iris Rose-Thorne bets her granddaughter’s womb in a broom flying contest–-and loses, Winter wonders where the real danger lies: from the Witch Hunters she fled from the far North or her shady grandmother.

She finds safety with Turmeric of the Wormwood clan. His eagerness to protect her warms her frozen heart. But her love for him defies the Segregation Curse of Old, cast by the Elders to preserve ancient clan bloodlines.

Can they find a way around the Segregation Curse of Old to be together?

And with time running out as the Winter Solstice nears, will Winter be able to reverse the curse on her womb? Or will she agree to her fate and remain barren?

Print Edition: 310 Pages

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Pre-Order Kindle Copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Winters-Curse-Season-Witch-Book-ebook/dp/B01M59RS62/

Winter's Curse will be available in Print : Amazon and Barnes & Noble on 10/31

Winter's Curse will be available in Nook edition: Barnes & Noble on 10/31

About the Author

April L Wood is a debut author, book blogger for A Well Read Woman Blog, an author interviewer, a professional beta reader, and a caffeinated book reviewer. When she is not glued to her computer or pressing her nose in a book, she is busy obsessing over her gardens to the point of insanity, feeding wildlife, and propagating her ever-growing collection of African violets. She lives in a beautiful historic Tudor-Colonial filled to the brim with her family, two cats, and three dogs.

She is currently working on Spring in Summerland, Book 2 of Season of the Witch, and A Diamond in the Rough, Book 1 of the Precious Gems book series.

Below are all the blogs participating in the hop. Go check ’em out and tell me what you think about the witchy women of of Bellatrix Press.

April L Wood https://awellreadwomanblog.wordpress.com/

JA Noble http://www.27kingdoms.com/

Jennifer Allis Provost https://authorjenniferallisprovost.com/ 

 

Author Nicky Peacock: Notebooks, Chanel, and the Iron Throne

It's been a while since I featured an interview with an author, but when you talk to a lovely English gal who writes spec fic, loves fashion, and has a great sense of humor, you can't pass that up! I'm very excited to feature this interview with Nicky Peacock. Read on to find out more about her, her books, and her favorite fashion designers...

Ugly notebook or beautiful notebook?
Oh, beautiful notebook. When I have a great notebook in my hand, it makes me what to fill it with beautiful things.

Do you make playlists inspire you? If so, what are three songs off your current favorite writing playlist?
Music is a big part of my writing. Listening to the right songs when you’re writing an emotional scene or an action sequence can make all the difference. I’m currently listening to Imagine Dragons. Their song ‘Friction’ is perfect for fight scenes (I seem to write a lot of them!)  I’m also listening to Fleur East’s Sax which is a real feel-good montage song. And my favorite love song right now is Cut by Plumb, so sharp and meaningful – it’s like a love story in itself.

Have you ever traveled for writing research? If so, where did you go?
I haven’t physically traveled, but I’ve used Google Street View many times. It’s a time and cost-effective way of researching a place. It’s not the same of course, and I wish that I had the time and money to go to every place I write about, but for now, it’s proving useful.

Where would you LOVE to travel for writing research?
I want to go to Venice for the carnival, Mexico for the Day of the Dead and New Orleans for Mardi Gras. It would be the world-wind trip of dressing up, great food, celebrations and wonderful music – and of course, I’d worm the locations into my writing to justify it!

What's your favorite character name you've ever made up?
I like Britannia in the Battle of the Undead series. She’s a vampire who has been working for the British crown for centuries. She’s very patriotic and is inspired by the ancient warrior queen, Boudica.

Who do you think should get the Iron Throne in HBO's Game of Thrones?
Daenerys Targaryen – the throne is hers by right, and she’d make a fair queen. Also, with the White Walkers bearing down on the Wall, they’re going to need her dragons, it looks like dragon glass is the only thing that can kill them.

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?
For only one day? Hmmm, I guess I’d like to see what it would be like to be an animal rather than a person. Perhaps a wolf in the forests of Romania running wild with the pack.

What's the best way for your fans to keep up with your adventures?
My blog http:nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com  and my Twitter, @Nickyp_author

When you're not writing, you are usually...
Working, promoting my writing or attempting cook healthy meals and exercising. I’m kind of boring, really. All my fun is had in my imagination, and then that spills onto the page for readers.

My fashion obsessed alien, Griffin, would want to know: do you have any favorite high fashion designers?
LOL, we should probably send your character Griffin shopping with my vampire character Britannia. Even in a zombie apocalypse, she’s keeping an eye on her outfit choices! I’d go classic for my favorite designer with Chanel, but to be honest, I’m more of a high street girl. Here in the UK, we have some of the best clothes shops in the world. My favs are: H&M and TK Maxx and online Hell Bunny, Collectif and Lindy Bop.
 
Flat shoes, running shoes, boots, flip-flops, or heels?
Boots, I hate my fat ankles, so they would cover them up! They’re comfortable and look good with both tight jeans and skirts. Also, I get cold quickly, so they’d keep me warm and snug all day.

You can spend a day at Jurassic Park. Would you do it, and if so, where would you spend most of the day?
The gift shop! LOL, I’d probably like to pet some baby veggie dinosaurs, so perhaps the petting zoo part. I'm too cowardly to get near any big dinosaurs or even the roller-coasters!

Author links:

Blog:   Twitter: Y  A Facebook Page:   UK Amazon Author Page: 

US Amazon Author page:   Good Reads: Tumblr:  Authorgraph:

Thanks so much for joining Kendry Bird!
Thank you so much for having me here today. Readers, don't forget to check out Kendra's interview on my blog.

Friction by Imagine Dragons

This Is Why We Write

Sometimes being an author is hard. After all, you're almost textbook crazy (you make up conversations and get really upset about people who don't exist), and you get paid very very little for the amount of time you put into your work. It's a love thing, I guess, and sometimes the love can hurt. Recently life has been a bit harder than normal in my little world, and I've spent time battling real life monsters and villains like depression, anxiety, distance from friends, and the loss of loved ones. It makes battling book monsters even harder, sometimes.

In all of this, though, I've tried to keep in mind that the books I've loved in my life, the ones that have really changed me as a person, were written by people who probably felt the same way at some point.

Today this review was posted for Dating an Alien Pop Star: http://talknerdywithus.com/2016/08/10/book-review-dating-an-alien-pop-star-by-kendra-saunders/ As I turned in the rewritten draft of Dating's sequel, Engaged to an Alien Pop Star, I read this review and almost cried.

This is why we write. This is why we give up our free time, why we are frequently a little lonely. This is why we stay up late. This is why we keep going, even when people hurt us desperately by saying ignorant, hurtful things about our passions. This is why we don't give up even when we're told to get a "real job." So thankful to read this today, truly. I hope this book and the rest in this series will continue to touch people in this way. There's no greater reward as a writer.

 

 

(The Decemberists: This is Why We Fight)

One of These Books Is Not Like the Other

It's been an interesting journey, writing Engaged to an Alien Pop Star. This is the first ever sequel that I've written over the years, even after writing about 8-10 books (including poetry collections).

 

Sequels in a trilogy are already hard enough, when you think about it. A sequel must keep old readers interested even though they know everyone. It must keep new readers interested, even though they don't know anyone. Oh, and it also needs to set events up for a third book. No big deal!

This book was challenging in more ways than just by being a sequel, though. I started writing an early version of it almost two years ago, the day after I finished Dating an Alien Pop Star. After about 70 pages of enjoyable, funny content, I realized that what I had written was better suited for a third book than a second, and I temporarily scrapped the project. After all, real life was taking over, and I had just written two books back to back in the space of about 9 months (Unlove Spell, and Dating an Alien Pop Star).

I spent the first half of 2015 living in Columbus, OH. The art scene there was cool, the food was great, the people were fascinating and colorful. I worked as a waitress at a dive bar, soaking in all of the grease, rampant sexual harassment, and crazy drama that the place had to offer. It wasn't a great job, maybe, but I really enjoyed the work, and it left me plenty of time every day for writing.

My writing during that time was awash with the new life I was living, with the people I'd met, the surreal nightclub experiences I took part in, the daydreams I was allowing to grow bigger and bigger in my head. My writing became both introspective, but also maniacally huge, reaching out into the very tendrils of my known universe.

The second half of 2015 was spent in my favorite city in the world, New York City. I soaked up life there, too. Every day was a new story, a new experience. I didn't write much while I was there, but I did sign the dotted line on something very exciting... a contract for Dating an Alien Pop Star, the first book in the Alien Pop Star series. 

After a 48 hour editing bender that launched me from couch to couch in various Starbucks locations across Brooklyn, and then to a red high table in a quiet Five Guys location near Union Square, I realized something.

I needed to write a sequel. Within a few months.

In early January, I had to make a difficult decision and return to New Hampshire to see my doctors here about a sinus infection, and write Engaged. Depression and bad health colored everything, though, including the writing. Some scenes leaped onto the page, others crawled. Some had to be dragged like a cat on a leash. I had to restart the book several times, delete chapters at a time, carve things up and move them around. It was stressful even before the deadline loomed, but especially after.

The revision stage is one of my favorite stages, because it takes whatever you managed to write, and makes it amazing. I'm so thankful to be in that stage now, and for the first time since the beginning of the year, I'm looking forward to writing again. The third book will surely be a challenge. I can't expect it to be as fast, fun, and super easy to write as the first book. But I also don't think it will be the stressful learning experience that the sequel was.

Even after a lifetime of wanting to be an author, over ten years of hard work to make that happen, and five years of professional writing experience, there's always something new to learn. This book was not like any of the others, especially the book before it, but I can't wait for the adventure the next book takes me on.

Opal Carew: Erotic Fiction, Modern Women and Healing Stones

Sex has always sold, but recently it seems that it sells more than ever! Any subject that creates a little controversy is going to live the longest in headlines, and sex has caused controversy since the beginning of time. With the recent global impact of erotic fiction aimed at women, though, sex has taken on some new and exciting layers. Finally, we hear women talking about confidence (both personally and sexually) and being just a bit more choosy about what they expect from their partners. It's an exciting time, indeed.

I had the extraordinary privilege of speaking to Opal Carew, bestselling erotic and romance author, about erotic fiction, modern women, and healing stones. Read below to catch the whole interview!

*Sex seems to be having its day in America right now, but it’s not like it’s actually a new thing. Anyone with access to the internet and even a passing interest in a movie or band fandom knows there’s been some surprisingly high-quality fan fictions out there for a long time, delighting readers. And a lot of those are pretty explicit in nature. In 2014, however, the stories written on livejournal accounts, tumblr pages and fanfiction.net have finally broken out into the open and are living on the printed page in bookstores everywhere. And all of this, arguably, began with 50 Shades of Grey. What first brought YOU to reading and writing erotic fiction?

I have always liked pushing boundaries.  When I first started writing, the hottest thing out there in romance fiction was Harlequin’s Temptation line, then later Blaze.  Even then, my writing was too hot for those lines.  I wasn’t trying to write erotic, just show the intimacy between a couple falling in love.

A couple years later, I heard about Black Lace, a line of erotic fiction for women.  That was exciting, but when I read the books I found that they didn’t have the romance element, which is fine, but I wanted romance in the books I read, and wrote.  I was happy to see these books pushing the boundaries though.  (Note, this was about twenty years ago now.)

I didn’t really start writing erotic romance until I was published with New Concepts Publishing. I sent them some of the books that had been turned down by Harlequin and my editor at NCP asked me to make them even hotter!  Yay!  I was then able to pull out the stops and go!

My big break, though, was when I wrote a romance novel with an erotic theme, called Twin Fantasies, rather than just a romance with explicit sex scenes.  St. Martin’s Press was just starting to look for erotic romance and my agent found me in her slush pile and sold my book to them within a week of signing me!

*You hear celebrities from Hilary Duff to Victoria Beckham to Kate Hudson talking about reading these books, with as much excitement and enthusiasm as the rest of us. These are ladies we generally think of as having exciting lives, already. Would you say that erotic fiction has been a great leveling field for women everywhere, and if so, why?

Sure.  No matter what your real life is like, you have fantasies.  Living a glamorous life like they do doesn’t mean they have that perfect lover, or multiple lovers.  And even if they do, a well written erotic book makes you feel the emotions and the excitement that the characters feel.  With a book, you can have great sex anytime you want!   ;)

*I’ve heard people say that erotic fiction has raised women’s expectations of the men in their lives. Would you say that’s true, and is that a good thing?

I’m not sure about that.  Characters in fiction are bigger than life.  Um… cough cough.  I mean they have big personalities.  Big issues.  Big emotions.  Big sexual expertise.  Yeah, okay, and big… feet.  :)

But seriously, I would hope that's true! And if it is, I think it's wonderful. I don't believe that women now expect their men to buy them islands - but if more women expect a deeper level of love and devotion, then that’s a very good thing. The heroes in my books care deeply for their women, and prove that regularly. While real men may not be able to go to the same lengths, they can make an effort to show their love to the women in their lives - and vice versa! That's what is really exciting about these books - the depth of love and desire the heroes and heroines possess. Couples who care for each other like the characters in my books are the healthiest, happiest couples I see. And that is something I can only hope people are aspiring to.

*What’s your greatest advice for women who are new to reading the genre but considering dipping their toes in?

Start with a sub-genre you already know you enjoy. One of the best things about erotic romance is there is something for everyone! There is historical romance that takes place on estates like Downton Abbey, science fiction novels about romance in space, on other planets, in other universes, paranormal romance for Twilight fans, mystery, contemporary - anything, really. So my best advice would be to go with the types of characters and stories you already know you want to read about.

I would like to say myself but I don't want to shamelessly plug myself that hard haha. But if you like contemporary romance, billionaires, bikers, or just plain super sexy men…  J

Dive right in and have an open mind. If it is your first erotic fiction book you need to let yourself be taken by the story and environment... and by the Alpha Hero!

*What do you do in your own life to boost your confidence on days when you’re feeling a little low?

 

Talk to my husband.  He is always so totally encouraging.  Also, my sons and my friends.  If they aren’t available (because I’m often up at odd hours) I look at my reader reviews (the good ones! Lol!)

*You’re very into crystals (as well as loads of other cool things). What crystals do you suggest for general well-being and/or to fight anxiety and stress?

Amethyst is great for dissipating negative energy, so that’s good for a lot of purposes.  I have various ones around my house—one right in front of my computer.  I have a fluorite wand (so pretty with purple, teal and white bands) by my writing space for creativity.  I have a big rose quartz sphere for a loving, romance energy.  I mention these because they’re all part of my well-being as a writer!  Also, I had an interesting find a few years ago—a sculpture of an eagle sitting on a branch done in jade.  As soon as I brought that home, I was inspired with all kinds of creative ideas and energy.  So much so that I had to put it away for a while!  My son kept it in his room and was convinced it helped his grades!  (He’s working on his second Masters degree right now!)  I also like the idea of worry stones, which I’ve often seen in sodalite, but I don’t actually use one.  (I did have one in my book His To Possess in White Lace Agate.)

*How can your fans help you out in your writing career?

I am so thankful to all my readers for buying my books!  Without them, I would have no career!  Beyond that, the best thing they can do is tell other people about my books and how much they enjoyed them.  Doing reviews on the on-line bookstores is also extremely helpful!

Finally, what’s your current favorite…

TV Show:  American Idol

Website:  Pinterest

Singer:  Adam Lambert

Beverage:  Hot chocolate

Find Opal on twitter and say hello!