INTERVIEW WITH RENEE WILDES An Amazing Fantasy Author

Today on The Romance Room Blog we have Renee Wildes with an interview to introduce her new release, A Guardian's Heart, Book 1 in her new series Guardians of the Light. 

She will be giving away a digital copy of her new release to a lucky commenter. Please leave your contact with your comment to allow us to reach you if you are the winner of Renee's new release.

Thank you for allowing an interview with me at THE ROMANCE ROOM blog.
Sarah J. McNeal

What happens when Cinderella saves Prince Charming?

BLURB:

Dara Khan Androcles was trained from childhood to be a healer. But as a demon-possessed invader threatens Safehold, and she defends a wounded warrior on the battlefield, her hidden inner dragon thirsts for blood. 

When she lifts the warrior’s blond, blood-encrusted hair away from his ear, she discovers he is more than King Hengist’s outlander ally. He is an immortal. The elven heir to the throne of Cymry. 

Loren ta Cedric senses something different about flame-haired, falcon-eyed woman who saves him. A healer, wreathed in raw, dark power, who wields knives with deadly skill. A mortal who prays to the Lady, not the human gods. Now he owes this thoroughly distracting female a Life-Debt. Which, in the heat of their flight to Loren’s homeland to raise an army, somehow becomes Life-Mate. 

Dragon-human and elf, peasant and prince, logic says they have no future. Yet the power of their unlikely bond could be the only thing that saves their world from a demon poised to tear it apart.

Warning: This new twist on Cinderella contains a grouchy dragon, a sentient war mare with the dry wit of a certain English Dame, and a fiery heroine who strikes serious sparks with a mercenary elf.

Preorder

THE INTERVIEW

What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? 

When I was younger I was really into caving—love being underground & exploring.

What adventure would you like to have that you haven’t done yet if money and skill were no problem?

I would love to tag along with Josh Gates on one of his Expedition Unknown archeological adventures!

Who are some of your favorite authors?  What commonality do you see in them? 

Mercedes Lackey, Sherrilyn Kenyon and J.R.Ward – their characters are so multi-faceted and imperfect, like real people.

I believe color says something about a person’s personality.  What’s your favorite color?

I love the grayer shades of light blue—very calm & restful.

If you could have a do-over life, what one thing would you do differently?  What would you do again?

I never would have taken that job after HS at that rabbit farm…

I would marry my husband all over again!

What is your writing process from conception to finished MS?

If I get an idea or concept I write it down. I have an obsessive brain that keeps me up at night, often churning bits of dialogue or whole scenes at ungodly hours. I get by on less sleep these days, but have to take the occasional nap to “catch up.” I think while working my day job and hit the computer as soon as I get home. It’s hard to stay on “this” book when my brain’s crowding in “the next” book (and the next…) I’m a plotter, so if I get stuck on one point, I just do a different scene and piece it all together later. I always write secondary characters with an eye/ear to give them their own book later—that’s how I did seven books in my Guardian of Light series, and now I’m working on their kids, the Daughters of the Guardians.

Are you a planner, panster or both?

I am a total plotter, and what’s worse is, I tend to edit as I write so I’m pokey as all get-out.

How did you research for your book?

Between kids and a day job, I don’t get out much—and I’m always broke! So I live at my local library, do tons of online research, and pick my friends’ brains whenever they get back from somewhere interesting. I love talking to experts in whatever field/skills I want to incorporate in a book.

What is your all-time favorite movie?  TV show?

Movie – tie between Rob Roy and The Last of the Mohicans (Mary MacGregor and Cora Munro are two of the strongest heroines to ever grace the silver screen!)

TV Show – Fiction – tie between The Librarians and BBC’s The Musketeers

Non-Fiction – Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates

How important do feel writing workshops are to a writer?

Writing workshops and conferences are huge opportunities to both network and learn. As a romance writer, I highly recommend joining both national & your local chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America).

If you could learn one new skill, fear and money no deterrent, what would it be?

I would love to sail around the world in one of those big tall-masted ships! They’re so cool!

If you had a million dollars to donate to any one charity, what would it be?

http://www.nokidhungry.org

I find it appalling, the dichotomy in this country that makes this charity even necessary. Kids need nutrition to grow, to fuel their brains to learn. It’s hard to focus on the future when they’re stuck in a present without basic necessities. They have to have stability and hope.

What advice would you like to give to an aspiring writer?

Don’t write what you know. Write what you love, what interests you and gives you passion. Your enthusiasm with lead to fuller research and a flair on the page that will make it easier for readers to catch the fire as well!

Did anyone mentor you or help you along the way?  Please tell us about your mentor and what you feel he or she contributed to your writing career.

WisRWA author Jane Toombs was a judge for the Fab 5 contest when I entered Hedda’s Sword. She loved it and wanted me to let her know who picked it up b/c she said “You WILL be published.” (It’s Guardians of Light Book 2 – renamed A Guardian’s Hope, it comes out from Champagne in early May 2018.) She is the one who got me to Query Champagne after Samhain folded, and I inherited her entire Colonial American research library several years ago.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Don’t dwell on the past – always more ahead, move forward.

If you could live anywhere in the world you wanted to, where would it be? (Language is no barrier)

As much as I HATE the cold, I would love to live in Scotland – so wild and scenic, with so much history and fascinating people!

Where do you write? 

These days at the dining room table, using my daughter’s boyfriend’s PC, since both of my laptops recently crashed and the Geek Squad recommended a Viking funeral…

How much time do you devote to writing each week?  Do you have a day every week that you take off?

I groom dogs in my EDJ, but I come home and work on something writing-related every day before/after work. If I’m not writing, I’m usually either editing or promoting. (Okay, sometimes I have 4-H or school stuff with my daughter—she’s a graduating senior in HS, has already started college classes, and shows our Morab mare in 4-H & open horse shows.)

What is a genre that you have not attempted that you would like to try?

I have all those Colonial American research books from Jane Toombs, would love to write a 18^th century historical romance someday.

Is there anything you would like readers to know about you?

I am a super-history geek – Love History & Travel Channel. You can usually find me getting distracted by Forged in Fire, Mysteries and the Museum, and…oh yeah…Josh Gates!

 Renee Wildes

Renee Wildes grew up reading fantasy authors Terry Brooks and Mercedes Lackey and is a huge Joseph Campbell fan, so the minute she discovered romance novels it became inevitable that she would combine it all and write fantasy romance. Renee is a history buff and research junkie, from ancient to medieval times, esp. the Dark Ages. As a Navy brat and a cop’s kid, she gravitated to protector/guardian heroes and heroines. She’s had horses her whole life, so became the only vet tech in a family of nurses. It all comes together in her Guardians of Light series – fantasy, action, romance, heroics, and lots of critters!

LINKS:

Website: https:// reneewildesromance.com

Blog: https://reneewildes1.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeWildes (@ReneeWildes)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeWildes1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/reneewildes/

Could You Have A Past Life? by C. Marie Bowen

Could you have had a Past Life?

Many years ago, I knew a woman who swore she had lived a previous life. She believed she was in Georgia during Sherman’s “March to the Sea”. She told me she had never given the Civil War much thought until she watched Gone With the Wind for the first time. As the war drew closer and closer to Scarlet in the film, the woman said she became increasingly agitated. As Scarlet walked through the remains of the battlefield, the woman became so ill she had to leave the theater. She swore she wasn’t squeamish, but could never watch that show without experiencing physical and emotional pain. She blamed her visceral reaction on having been killed during the Civil War.

I also knew a man who believes he had died on the Titanic in his previous life. He claimed to have memories of being trapped beneath the deck as the ship went down. He relayed this story to me in the early 80s, well before the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. I thought of him as I watched Jack and Rose fight their way to the upper deck, and I wondered...what if?

Past lives. Reincarnation. Could it be a learning process for the soul? Do we choose to be born again, or do we earn a new life by learning a specific lesson in this one? Perhaps all this talk of reincarnation and past lives is nothing but superstitious nonsense. Each person decides their own truth.

Many eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, hold reincarnation as a central tenant. While in the West, popular culture has brought the idea of reincarnation into contemporary books, movies and songs. For me, the fascination with past lives began with the Paul Williams song, Old Souls from the 1974 film, Phantom of the Paradise, sung by Jessica Harper. Here, give it a listen. It’s a beautiful love song.  -  Old Souls

The song is haunting, romantic, and filled my young imagination with the idea of loving someone so much you could find them in your next life, or long for them in your present one. The notion stuck with me, and the central theme of Passage was born.

 PASSAGE: Soul of the Witch, Book 1

In Passage, my heroine, Courtney Veau has a near-death experience, and returns to her past-life in the post-Civil War west. When she wakes in a present-day hospital, Courtney realizes she’s returned to her own hollow existence. Heartbroken, she knows she left behind not only a family she loves, but life with the man who shares her soul, a man she’ll love forever, Merril Shilo.

A carriage accident nearly takes beautiful Nichole Harris’s life, stealing her memories completely. Plagued by amnesia, she is confused by flashes of memory that are out of time with the world around her, and seem to belong to someone else. Only Nichole's own strong emotions remain to guide her—and as others try to take control of her life, she fights a desperate battle to survive. Merril Shilo is someone she should know, and though her memories fail her, she is stunned by her passion for him—and the remembered agony of a broken heart.

Merril Shilo is the love of Courtney’s life—no matter when that life might be. The memories and emotions of her life as ranch heiress Nichole Harris consume Courtney’s mind—and her heart. Courtney soon finds her desire for Merril threatens her sanity, as he beckons from a past she can no longer reach. Can she find the PASSAGE back to the soul-mate she left behind?

Excerpt from Passage:

The long shadows faded into twilight. She'd found what she came for—proof this house existed. There was no longer a reason to stay; and yet, just the possibility she might hear his voice again kept her waiting one more day.

Outside the window, night took final possession of the day. A few porch lights came on down the block. Headlights swung around the corner as a car turned onto the street and illuminated the pavement. The headlights winked off and a car door slammed.

Behind her, the room took on a familiar chill. She turned from the window and pressed her back against the heavy drapes as the echo of boots pounded up the back stairs. She gasped when he raced into the room, vaguely luminescent in the darkness. He was dressed in denim trousers and cotton shirt, with a silk scarf tied loosely around his neck. Where's his hat? Had he lost it in the dash up the stairs? That wide-brimmed cowboy hat was such a part of him he seemed naked without it. His hair had come loose from its binding, and he shoved it out of his face with a familiar motion. She stood close enough to read the emotion play across his face, a mixture of fear and bewilderment. His breath was labored, and his anxiety tangible as he stopped and looked right at her. Her mouth fell open in surprise and her heart tightened in her chest. Does he see me?

He took a hesitant step toward her. “Nichole?” His voice filled with horror, he whispered her name from another life.

“Yes! Merril, it's me.” Courtney stepped toward the specter.

His head turned. His attention called away from her open arms. “Oh, sweet Jesus.” Merril fell to his knees and reached for something no longer there. “Nicki, please don't go. Stay with me.”

“Merril, I'm here.” Her heart ached for him and for herself, but her plea went unheard.

Sobs shook his wide shoulders.

Her heart clenched to witness his despair. She longed to comfort him, to assure him she was there, but could not. In defeat, she sank to her knees beside the grieving apparition.

“Nicki, don't leave me. Look at me—” His hushed voice, choked and broken.

“I'm right here, my love,” she whispered, but the room grew warm and Merril Shilo faded back into the past. Courtney hung her head in the darkness and fought back tears. One question was answered, at least for now.

WIN A FREE BOOK!

Comment and leave your email address. Do you believe you had a past life or lives? If you could choose a past life, who would you have been?

The winner will receive a free e-book of Passage, Soul of the Witch – Book 1.

C. Marie Bowen

Connie (C. Marie) Bowen is an award winning writer of paranormal adventures laced with suspense and romance. She grew up in Denver, Colorado and has a love of western history, science fiction, and fantasy. Her life travels have taken her from Denver to Wichita, KS and eventually settling in North Texas to raise her two boys. A LEED accredited professional, she worked as an Architectural Project Manager for retail construction prior to deciding an empty nest gave her the opportunity to follow her writing muse.

She plans to release Prophecy, Soul of the Witch, Book 2 this summer, and the final chapter, Paradox, Soul of the Witch, Book 3 by the end of the year.

She is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America, Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Sub-chapter of RWA, North Texas RWA, and Savvy Authors.

Learn more about her books and works in progress at her website: http://www.cmariebowen.com/

Miriam Newman on Writing the Next Book in a Series

Writing a series isn't as easy as it may seem. Miriam Newman gives us some insights into developing the next book in a fantasy series. Here is what she has to say:

Writing Ice Maiden, Part III of The Chronicles of Alcinia, was almost a foregone conclusion.  The first book of the series, The King’s Daughter, laid out all the history and background for what was to follow.  Part II, Heart of the Earth, ended  the story of Queen Tarabenthia of Alcinia, much beloved of her time.

But what of her children?  And what of the many lands in which she lived?  Most of all, what of her eldest son, perpetually restless warrior son of a famous general?  Where in this mythical world was there a place for Simius Magistri?

The answer to that question took a long time to formulate.  It was several years, in fact, before I realized that although I might have thought I was finished with the Chronicles, they were not finished with me.

In Ice Maiden, Simi’s wanderlust has taken him to a large island known only in legend as the Land of Fire and Ice.  Of course, I needed a canvas.  Although I have never been to Iceland, friends have described a land that fit with neat precision inside the image forming in my mind.  Seduced by photos of incomparable stark beauty, I was hooked. 

That is how the son of a general from sunny southern Omana comes to the Land of Fire and Ice from his adopted home in northern Havacia.  It is there that the prince of that land gave shelter to his mother, and where Simi was raised.  But his heart yearns for another place—one that can be his.  Lured by trappers’ tales, he sails west until, much like other explorers, he finally makes landfall and claims what he has found.   It is a land where waters run warm from the earth, where mountains of fire give life and death, where enemies lay claim to the shores.  And only when he has paid for his land in blood can the son of General Magistri lay claim to the beauties he has found and the heart of Sigra, the woman he loves.

I hope you will enjoy their story.

BLURB:  When a simple farm girl attracts the notice of the King’s half brother, it leads to a dazzling world of privilege, intrigue, passion and war. 

EXCERPT:

Snow lay on the ground. It was only first snow, a taste of winter, but enough to let us follow churned-up prints and splotches of blood down the slope towards the beach. That was where our men had made their stand. I saw that the ships that had brought us supplies had been roped together to make a great floating platform and put out to sea away from the beach to intercept ships coming in. A second line—of men—seemed to have been deployed on the beach. There were bodies there and in the water with more washing up, and a few ships half sunk in the tide, their sails burned. Everything smelled charred.

There were Havacians and Omanis on the beach, helping the injured—ours, at least. If they were Armatican, that was their last dawn. No one would bring them to us for care.

My lord was easy to spot. He was taller even than most Havacians, and he was unhelmeted. I wondered with a sense of exasperation if he had even bothered to shield his head. That man was born for battle. Probably he had enjoyed it. Son of a general indeed. Now I believed it.

Regardless, I went down to him through small hummocks of bodies and battle gear strewn across snow and sand. All of the women were looking for their men, and now I was one of them.

He was flushed with cold and battle fever, still carrying a gory sword that he plunged into the snow as though cleaning it, but he was not. He didn’t want me to see the blood, but I caught his distinct look of victory touching on defiance as he did it. He was what he was, that look said. Take it or leave it.

This now blood-drenched island was not what I had ever envisioned as a home. He was not the man I’d thought of in my dreams. I had never had much time for dreams, anyway, and I wouldn’t now—there was going to be too much work to do. But I thought now I would do it with him.

Ice Maiden – pre-order link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PPTDKDK

CONTEST ALERT: Miriam will be giving away a digital copy of the first book in The Chronicles of Alcinia series, THE KING's DAUGHTER to someone who comments. Be sure to include your email address in your comment to contact you shuld you be chosen the winner. 

Miriam Newman

Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been Miriam’s passion for as long as she can remember.  She was published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug.  She brings that background to her writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where she nurtures her muse.  Her published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic, science fiction and historical romance.  Currently she lives in rural Pennsylvania with a “motley crew” of rescue animals.  You can view her books at http://www.miriamnewman.com/Miriam_Newman/Books.html

Interview With Shauna Knight

 Shauna Aura Knight

An artist, author, and presenter, Shauna’s work is inspired by the mythic stories of heroes, of swords and magic, and of the darkness we each must overcome. She’s a fantasy artist and author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy including Werewolves in the Kitchen, A Winter Knight’s Vigil, and forthcoming A Fading Amaranth. Her mythic artwork and designs are used for magazine covers, book covers, and illustrations. She travels nationally offering intensive education in the transformative arts of community leadership, facilitation, and personal transformation, and is the author of numerous articles and books on those subjects. 

Website: http://www.ShaunaAuraKnight.com/books

Fiction Blog: https://shaunaknightauthorartist.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaunaKnightAuthorArtist

INTERVIEW WITH SHAUNA

What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? 

I’ve helped build a pipe bomb, climbed through steam tunnels under a university, and pulled a twelve-inch piece of glass out of my hand from an art project gone wrong…but probably the biggest leap I have ever taken was when I divorced my first husband and moved out into the rural Ozarks in Missouri to live at a retreat center. I lived in a cabin with no running water and went from being a graphic design consultant in downtown Chicago to being a land maintenance grunt.

What adventure would you like to have that you haven’t done yet if money and skill were no problem?

Aside from visiting a few hundred of the British megaliths, I’d want to go to some of the megalithic sites and other archaeological sites located in more dangerous areas. Puma Punku, the pyramids, Naptha Playa, Takt-i-taqudis…lots of cool stuff out there.

Who are some of your favorite authors?  What commonality do you see in them? 

Emma Holly, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Angela Knight, Jory Strong, Anne McCaffrey, Guy Gavriel Kay, Janny Wurts. The first few write erotic paranormal romance, the rest write epic fantasy, but they all are masters of evoking a powerful world. Anne McCaffrey’s my favorite author, particularly her book Moreta.

If you could have a do-over life, what one thing would you do differently?  What would you do again?

There are definitely a couple of relationships I’d have ended sooner instead of trying to “fix” the unfixable. What I’d do again is rediscover dancing at a drum jam at the Renaissance Faire.

What is your all-time favorite movie?  TV show?

It would have to be a tie between Return of the Jedi and The Dark Crystal, but I’m also a big fan of a lot of 80’s fantasy movies. One of my favorite TV shows is Farscape.

If you could learn one new skill, fear and money no deterrent, what would it be?

Sword fighting and a martial art like Kung Fu.

If you had a million dollars to donate to any one charity, what would it be?

That’s a tough call! I’d likely go with an environmental charity, since the problems we’re creating in our environment are going to cause the diseases and social justice problems of the future.

What advice would you like to give to an aspiring writer?

Write. Write more. Find someone to read your work and give you feedback. Finish what you’re writing, and then submit it. You can’t get published if you don’t finish what you’re writing.

If you could live anywhere in the world you wanted to, where would it be? (Language is no barrier)

Probably the British Isles for a time; I’d love to go visit a lot of the megaliths like Stonehenge. I’m fascinated by what our ancient ancestors built out of stone!

What is a genre that you have not attempted that you would like to try?

I have written in pretty much every speculative fiction genre, I just haven’t had those stories published yet. I currently write paranormal romance and urban fantasy, but I’m working up some epic fantasy and sci-fi/space opera stories. I can’t wait to get those finished up!

Giveaway:

Comment about your favorite aspects of paranormal romance in order to win a free copy of Werewolves in the Kitchen or A Winter Knight’s Vigil.

Logline

After a hot, wild night with Jake and Kyle, Ellie finds herself in the dangerous world of shapeshifter magic. Will their love be enough?

Blurb
When Ellie moved to the SpiralStone retreat center to figure out her life, she expected peace, quiet, and spiritual practice. She had no idea that the two sexy men running the kitchen would seduce her…much less at the same time. Kyle and Jake turn out to be wilder than they seem and Ellie finds herself wrapped up in devastating magic. She must choose: stay with Jake and Kyle and risk who she has been, accepting the dangerous world of shapeshifters? Or leave them and risk madness, or worse?

Excerpt

“Do you want us to stop?” Jake murmured. Ellie shook her head, gasping when Kyle kissed her neck. Jake stroked her cheek and kissed her lips gently at first, and when she moaned he pulled her closer. Kyle lapped at her neck, nipping now, slipping his hands over her breasts, and Jake was making love to her mouth with deep velvet strokes of his tongue.

She moaned weakly feeling Kyle behind her, his hard heat rubbing against her buttocks, and felt Jake in front of her, pulling her close against his hips. Kyle slipped his fingers into her shirt to tease at her nipples, and she leaned back against him, bucking into his touch. Kyle drew the straps of her cami-top down even as Jake started dragging her shirt up.

She pulled back to breathe, and Jake stroked her cheek, nibbling at the other side of her neck. “Guys…I need a shower….”

Kyle chuckled, lifting his head. “Not like we haven’t been baking in our own juices; we can take care of that. Come with us.”

“Come with you?”

“To our room,” Jake whispered into her ear, and she moaned, closing her eyes. “Come on,” they urged, drawing her to the stairs.

“But…I…” Ellie shook her head. “Why now?” Kyle turned her to face him.

“We both wanted you, but we didn’t want to scare you.”

“I saw you watching us. Don’t you desire us?”

“Oh yes, but I thought you two were...that is…didn’t think you’d want….”

Kyle kissed her deeply. “I want you. Jake wants you. We’ve been trying not to crowd you, but well…”

“You didn’t seem to get our signals.” Jake sucked hard on her neck.

“I just thought you were being nice.”

“Oh we were being nice,” Kyle grinned. “We’re going to be nicer. Come on.”

To buy Werewolves in the Kitchen:

Jupiter Gardens Press: http://jupitergardenspress.com/shop/werewolves-in-the-kitchen

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Werewolves-Kitchen-Shauna-Aura-Knight-ebook/dp/B00HVJMUSI

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/werewolves-in-the-kitchen-shauna-aura-knight/1118063246

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-werewolvesinthekitchen-1396618-340.html

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398121