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Wednesday 12 September 2007

The Wednesday Interview


Rena Marks is our brilliant author this week. Her latest book is Born Again and its another hot cover that entices you to buy the book. Next week Solange Ayre talks about her excellent book One Thousand Brides
Born Again – The blurb

Sara Michaels is a woman caught between two very different men. Mortal enemies. And she’s having a hard time choosing just one of them. Beau Pierson. Blond, blue-eyed, tanned. A boy-toy to worship the ground she walks on. Aric Ishee. Dark-haired, green-eyed and sexy. A sultry promise that whispers in the night. How can she choose?

It’s never easy to have psychic visions and feelings. It’s even worse if your past life starts to unravel, mixing with your present-day problems. A new boyfriend into the mix causes tension. A second boyfriend causes conflict. Just as in a previous lifetime, Sara must choose between the two, which will surely cause her death. Again.

This time however, there’s no chances left for reincarnation. And Sara’s last life impacts this one. As Seraphina Samorra, she was caught between the same two men centuries ago.

Can she relive the past without influencing the future? Can she change the future before it’s too late?

The interview

1. You have some sizzling sex scenes in your book. How hard is it to write sex and make it convincing?

Writing sex is easy for me. I love to make my characters become three dimensional with emotions and heat, using all those luscious senses. How to make it convincing? LOL, research!

2. Romance and the condom. How hard do you find to slip it in or on when the action is hot between characters?

The condom is difficult for me. It interrupts my flow. It’s one of those things that you know about and you know happens, but do you have to read it was put on? Like with writing historicals. We love to read them, especially the sex scenes, but do we want real life details pointed out? Like the fact that bathing was rare back then? Following along those lines, then the easiest way so far to slip in the condom issue is to point out that it’s a Magnum – your character can slide it on while your reader is thinking ooh-la-la!

3. Do you think romance just happens or do you make your characters work for it?

In my worlds, it just happens. It was meant to, it makes us human. My characters can either like it or not. If not, they’ll definitely have to work for it in addition to the conflicts in the story.

4. What is it about your hero that makes him irresistible to women?

I’m not good at writing alpha males so I concentrate on making a tortured hero we all want to hug to our breast. I also try to make my heroes the savior of my heroine. To where she, and the reader, can’t live without him.

5. Do you think readers want to escape or do they want to identify with a character?

It depends on the individual reader and their mood at the time. I know I’ve gone both ways. I think most readers have active imaginations that tend to want more of an escape. Imagine a world where a man is perfect. Perfect looks, perfect body – yet not cocky. Only has eyes for one woman, yet he’s not gay. Thinks like a woman – yet he’s all male. Perfect in bed, capable of giving her multiple orgasms, never slips up and has the premature…you know. (If I voice it aloud, it may jinx us.) Now as far as identifying with the character – um, who doesn’t want to identify with the heroine of the book with a man like that?

6. What do you think is the most important thing to remember when writing romance?

Hmmm. Definitely the happy ever after. I also think it’s important to not make the ending too abrupt – the reader feels cheated when they’ve read two hundred pages of conflict and yummy sex, and then the ending is wrapped up in fifteen.

7. What are you working on now?

I usually have several projects going on at once. One story, called Dark Desires, is about an embittered half woman/half demon who’s rage at an ex-boyfriend puts her into a testing phase – the once in a lifetime decision on which dimension gets her, good or evil. Unfortunately, Keara Knight’s overzealousness in punishing men attracts the attentions of the demon lord who’s decided she’ll make the perfect queen with the new-found ardor she uses against them as a revenge mode. Should she fight to stay good and look for love again even though she was burned? Or shall she be naughty and give in to her dark desires, where it’s hot?

The other project is called Liquor Again, a sequel to my Liquor Where It’s Hot novel about a local bar named Liquor’s. Dr. Randall Reed has just gotten bad news and drowns his sorrows there. Amber Norris is a hereditary witch who owns the bar and has the ability to not only read the future, but actually change it. A matchmaker at heart, she’s found the perfect barmaid to pair with the doctor. Unfortunately, the doctor’s ex-girlfriend got herself pregnant with his child to trap him into marriage. And Rachel, the barmaid, was tricked into pregnancy so her baby could be taken away. Talk about trust issues!

And I just finished Forgotten Kisses, coming soon to Ellora’s Cave. Anjelia Romere is a human woman caught between two men, a good vampire and an evil werewolf. Leo the werewolf king swears she’s his mate, yet she’s already committed herself as a human servant to Julian, the Master Vampire. Then she discovers that Julian has erased her previous memories of Leo, leaving her with questions and doubts of whom does she really love, and whom can she really trust?

Fans of Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton will be sure to love this one! My wonderful critique partners call it a cross between the worlds.

***Click on the cover and buy the book***


Last weeks brilliant author – Sandra Cox and Boji Stones

Did you see where Anny took the blog serial? If not, go immediately to www.annycook.blogspot.com. Thursday Kelly - www.kkirch.blogspot.com once again takes up the challenge to drive me insane. Lots of luck. I wear insanity well.

www.freewebs.com/janetdavies

4 comments:

Phoenix said...

Nice cover. AJ I think that blond guy is the one on your new cover from TEB.

Had a bizarre dream about you last night. We were leaving RT and you came by my room for eye make up advice. This is interestesting as we've never met and I don't wear eye makeup unless I am seen in public...which isn't often. Anny had to get her roller bags off the train in the hallway so we could hear her yelling. Anyway. You kept insisting you weren't a softy but you were crying and I gave you a stiff hug because I know how you feel about hugs. I woke up laughing. Literally laughed myself awake.

Molly Daniels said...

Hmmm...interesting concept! I'll have to check this one out:)

Anny Cook said...

I want some of whatever Kelly was having!

Excellent interview Rena and Amarinda. The book sounds great, too! Good answers!

Unknown said...

Right...everyone just smile and nod at Kelly and back away slowly.