Other romance authors have said that writing a love scene is very
technical and it is not the same experience for them than it is for the reader.
Do you find that to be true?
Technical wouldnβt be the word Iβd use, though there is often a lot of pressure
to get it right, to avoid cliches, purple prose, and to try not to be corny or
crude when it comes to the naming of parts. I personally refuse to compare
sexual organs with fruit or flowers.
However, sometimes my love scenes literally pour out of my fingers out of
nowhere and Iβm sitting there reading the screen, blushing and saying, βOh my
goodness, you guys!β To my characters.
Since you write a few different types of romance β contemporary,
historical, paranormal, etc. β what is your favorite type of book to read? What
do you enjoy most about each sub-genre you write in?
I love to read all genres, though my favorites to read are Historical, Fantasy,
Paranormal, and Horror.
When I write historical, my favorite aspect is that itβs like stepping into
another world with different rules and parameters. I also love researching
customs and events from the past and working them into a real story.
I love paranormal because I get to create my own world with its own rules. Also
since I set my Brides of
Prophecy series in my hometown, itβs extra fun to turn my stomping
grounds into a character of its own.
I am new to writing contemporary but Iβve discovered that what I love most about
it is tackling current issues men and women face and how it helps or impedes
modern courtship.
Gavin Drake, Baron of Darkwood β the hero in HIS RUTHLESS BITE β was a
supporting character in your previous book, and the hero in BITE AT FIRST SIGHT was a
supporting character in the book before that. Do you plan, at the start of a
series, which character will have his own book, or does something about a
particular supporting character stir your imagination as you write?
Since I originally had a 3 book contract for my Scandals With Bite
series, Rafe (BITE AT FIRST
SIGHT) was intended to get his own book right from the start. However, Gavin
popped into BITE AT FIRST
SIGHT out of nowhere and I leaned back in surprise saying, βOh wow, this guy
is totally getting a book.β
And HIS RUTHLESS BITE
was supposed to be my last historical paranormal novel, but then it happened
again. Another character popped in, not only demanding his own book, but
inspiring a new spin-off series, so be sure to stay tuned for more on that. :D
I love paranormal historical romance and a good gothic romance and your
Scandals With
Bite series has all of those elements. What is it about these types of
stories that you enjoy writing about?
My first venture into the paranormal was with Anne Riceβs vampire chronicles. I
immediately fell in love with the rich detailed history with a supernatural
twist. And later I fell in love with regency romance and eventually decided to
place vampires in that world. So not only do my characters have to navigate the
tedious social strictures of the day, they also have their own supernatural
rules to abide by.
Every authorβs vampire mythology differs in some way β what is the vampire 101
in your Scandals With
Bite series?
My vampires are NOT animated corpses. They have a preternatural mutation, so
theyβre perfectly alive. They have heartbeats and can even eat and drink minimal
amounts.
My vampires cannot go out in the sunlight and can be killed by major heart
damage or decapitation. Theyβre also sterile, so they can do the deed, but they
canβt have babies.
Their governing system is a cross between Feudalism and Bureaucracy. All
vampires are ruled by a Lord of a specific territory and forbidden to enter
another territory without written permission. Rogue vampires are exiles who do
not have a lord or home. They are often hunted and killed off, though sometimes
they may petition a Lord vampire to become one of his people.
In HIS RUTHLESS
BITE, one of the characters is a mesmerist β what made you use that in the
story? Were you inspired by a historical figure?
My editor enjoyed my use of historical figures so much in BITE ME, YOUR GRACE, that
she made it a caveat for the entire series.
Personally I was more focused on the themes of each book. BITE ME, YOUR GRACE focuses
on literature, ONE BITE PER
NIGHT focused on art, BITE AT FIRST SIGHT focused
on medical practices of the 19th century and HIS RUTHLESS BITEβs theme
is psychology⦠which was in its infancy back then.
Mesmerists such as Dr. John Elliotson could be considered one of the forefathers
of modern hypnotherapy. And since vampires mesmerize people on a regular basis,
it was a perfect match for this story.
What are you currently working on? Do you have an ending point in mind
for your Scandals With
Bite series, or will you continue with it as long as you find stories to
tell?
Iβm currently working on the 4th book in my Brides of Prophecy
series, which should release in the late summer or early fall.
As for βScandals With Bite,β I have a feeling that series isnβt over, but for
now Iβm looking to start a spin-off series set in the same time and world.
Is there a heroine you created that is similar to yourself? How long
have you been writing for?
I have a bit in common with all of them. I used to be a mechanic like Akasha in
WRENCHING FATE, I love
to sing and talk to cats like Xochitl in CONJURING DESTINY, Iβm one
of the guys and a metalhead like Kinley in KISSING VICIOUS, Iβm a
writer and a feminist like Angelica in BITE ME, YOUR GRACE, a
painter like Lydia in ONE
BITE PER NIGHT, and a nerd like Cassandra in BITE AT FIRST SIGHT.
Lenore (HIS RUTHLESS
BITE) is probably more different than myself over all the heroines Iβve
written so far. However, one major thing I have in common with her is that we
both suffer from PTSD and experience the same symptoms.
Iβve been writing all my life, but I only got serious about it back in 2009
after my mother passed away and Iβd been sitting on 2 complete manuscripts and
countless files of partial books and story notes.
Why vampires instead of werewolves, or some other type of magical being?
Do you prefer vamps?
Okay, first a disclaimer: I LOVE reading werewolf books. Carrie Vaughn, Terry
Spear, Trina M. Lee, and Patricia Briggs are highly recommended.
However, werewolves just arenβt logical in my fictional universe, where magic is
molecular manipulation and has little to do with lunar cycles. I suppose some of
my more powerful sorcerers could use magic to shapeshift, but the classic
werewolf just doesnβt work in my world. Also, for some reason I keep thinking
that werewolves would smell like wet dog.
I DO have other magical beings in my books. If you check out my Brides of Prophecy
series, youβll meet mutants, psychics, sorcerers, luminites, and Faelinβ¦ as well
as my vamps.
A lover of witty Regencies and dark paranormal romance, Brooklyn Ann combines
the two in her new vampire series. The former mechanic turned author lives with
her family in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.
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