#MFRWauthor Interview: Raven de Hart @dehartslist

MFRW Author Raven de Hart sits down to answer some questions about her writing...

How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?
I started writing seriously in high school, where I would write stories of a particular adult nature and circulate them. I daresay my name would still be known in those maroon-painted halls, if you find the right graffiti. Unless, of course, they've remodeled.

And no, I didn't always want to be a writer. At least not professionally. I saw myself as a painter or a photographer, and an English teacher, in my later years, when I got a little more grounded.

How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I currently have four books written, and am drafting a fifth at current. I have two published (Wild Ride and Duetto Culminante), as well as one under contract (Street Magic) and one that I have relegated to the 'Needs Heavy Rewrites' file

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
I would actually direct you to Wild Ride, for the time being. Of course, I have another book in with a publisher, which would take that spot (Street Magic), but for now, I think Wild Ride is a decent representation. It's not terribly erotic, has a strong outside conflict, and of course, it's fantasy, which is how most of my erotica and erotic romance work ends up.

Among your own books, do you have a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
My favorite book I've written is Street Magic. It felt like a free book, to me. I'd finished my previous project two weeks ahead of schedule, so I got to write it in a flurry of unplanned glory. And I loved the way it turned out.

My favorite hero is probably Gidid, from Wild Ride. He was such a zen character to work with, very in tune with nature and the universe. And the way he looks (at least to me) is breathtaking. From a purely artistic point, not just a matter of physical appeal.

What is the single most important part of writing for you?
For me, it's the feeling. Writing is catharsis. It not only allows us to feel, it thrusts emotions upon us. Emotions that we may or may not always get the chance to experience in our outside lives. Reading is a path to it, but I obviously feel most connected when I'm writing the characters and actions and emotions myself. It's healthy.

What do you enjoy most about writing?
The surprises are the best part. When you're writing, you can plan all you like, but sometimes, things will fit together just a little too well. Things that you didn't purposefully put in there. I don't know if it comes about by chance, or if it's a subconscious mechanism, but finding them is pure exhilaration.

List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
This one's tricky. I have a hard time narrowing it down to as few as ten. I guess I'd have to say Katey Hawthorne, if I'm in the mood for erotica or erotic romance, and Christopher Moore, if I'm more in the mood for just a good book without sex. Of course, those are hardly the only two, but I do tend to read them an awful lot.

Tell us about Wild Ride, your Erotic GLBT Fantasy with Torquere Press.
Larik rides for the Zathinian cavalry, and he's happy to lead his men against the Kipzian threat. But during a fateful battle, he's lost, trapped with his enemy and forced to stay with the Kipzian man in their city, sealed from the rest of the world.

With a sickening truth staring at him, Larik doesn't know what to think. He focuses on the one thing he can: Gidid, the man who saved him. Because faced with a new reality, his feelings are the one thing he has some control over. But even that could be torn away by the conflict, leaving him alone.

And possibly dead.

BUY LINKS

Torquere Books  |  Smashwords  |  Amazon

Excerpt

A sudden movement pulled Larik's attention away. On the smaller hill, the mage corps dropped their invisibility. He saw them raise something, some sort of gray stone, and start maneuvering it, but he didn't risk a real look. Instead, he forced Tufex forward, rushing in to help Bincha even though he knew he wouldn't arrive in time. Damn fool.
The rider he'd seen before locked his manticore's horns with Bincha's, lodged them together in an unbreakable hold. The two beasts warred, both pulling back, but the Kipzian won out. His manticore stood a bit shorter than Bincha's, but he swung and tossed his beast's head, keeping Bincha off balance. They inched ever-closer to the mouth of the tunnel.
""Move!"" Larik hit Tufex's sides, harder than he needed to, probably. The roar, like the trumpets of the Gods, forced all the other manticores away, clearing a straight shot. He pushed as much speed as he could from Tufex. Wind slapped against his face.
General Zart chased after him, screaming, ""Stop, Lieutenant! That's an order!""
""That's one of my men!"" Horns first, he crashed into the two locked manticores, breaking the hold. The three of them tumbled into the cave. Larik wheeled around. ""Bincha, go back!"" He led Tufex lower to the ground, tightened his fingers over the reins. Bincha darted away, leaving Larik to face off with the Kipzian. The spines on Larik's boots brushed through Tufex's fur, ready to launch the beast into an attack.
Something up at the mage corps' hill caught his eye. Up there, a pillar of gray stone shined, casting multicolored rays of light from the top. Six of the mages moved the pillar, pointing the top straight at the cave. The rest of them stood behind it, the same light that came from the pillar emanating from their bodies, joinining it in one massive aura.
""Lieutenant Larik, get out of there now!"" Zart waved a red flag at him. ""They're going to blow the cave! It's the last one!""
The skin on the back of Larik's neck tightened. The hair on his arms prickled. ""The last what?""
Zart spat out an obscenity. ""Just get out of there!""
Get out. Larik rushed closer to the exit, but the Kipzian nobleman blocked his way, the body of his manticore a wall of red. Tufex rammed his horns forward, but the Kipzian jumped, lashing out with his manticore's tail. The side hit Tufex and knocked them both back.
Larik pushed Tufex forward again and shouted, ""Stall them!"" over his shoulder. The end of his sentence cut off in a rumble, and not one from a manticore. The cave shook. ""Damn it!"" The hardest kick he'd ever given Tufex. They rammed into the Kipzian's flank, but red sandstone already showered down. ""Damn the Gods!"" The rest of the cavalry disappeared as rock piled into the mouth of the cave. General Zart's words echoed in his mind. It's the last one!
He never got his question answered: what was this the last of?

About Raven de Hart
After years on hiatus, Raven de Hart returned to writing her tantalizing tales of gay love. When not writing or researching, she can be found tending her herb garden, playing with her Basset hounds, drinking wine, and trying to figure out this new-fangled Internet fad.

Blog: http://dehartslist.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehartslist
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110501476113550423585/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RavendehartMM

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: @JL_Sheppard #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author J.L. Sheppard released Heavenly Desire, a Paranormal Romance, with The

Wild Rose Press on September 10, 2014.

Jade Ashley has a past she’d like to forget and a destiny she isn’t aware of. A stranger, Clyde, saves her from an attack and demonstrates extraordinary abilities she believed only she possessed. She soon realizes he’s her guardian angel sent to reunite her with her long lost sisters, who like her are part of a new breed of immortals, Elementals, prophesied to determine the outcome of the upcoming war.

Clyde, an angel, battles the one thing he believes will lead to his fall from heaven—his new found emotions, forbidden among his kind. Nonetheless, the Angel Lords promise to promote him to warrior when he completes his last assignment—to find Jade. When he does, emotions he never knew possible arise. For the first time in two thousand years, he curses his existence, knowing she can never be his. Will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can't keep?

BUY LINK

Excerpt

He bent toward her, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her back, then buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled.
Relishing the feel of her body melded against his, he forgot the worries consuming him. She soothed his ache with a mere touch, with a mere embrace.
Exactly what he’d wanted, exactly what he needed.
She then pressed her full lips against his cheek, kissing him lightly.
An innocent kiss. There was no passion behind it, but an unconscious consuming need, one he’d never felt, swelled inside him—desire. It was exciting, overwhelming and terrifying, blocking logic and reason.
All he wanted now was a single kiss. All he could think about was how her soft lips would feel pressed against his.
Marvelous, he concluded.
It was absurd to want what he did and feel what he felt, for he was an angel. Carnal desires even as insignificant as kisses were for others, for all others except his breed, and yet he felt it so deeply it seared him.
The desire that gripped him didn’t release him even after she unhooked her arms from around his neck, and the warmth of her body melted away.
There he stood, immobile, battling the desire she’d sparked. He didn’t want to leave yet knew he had to before he’d acted out his longing.
He willed his body to move. Finally, he placed one foot behind the other, stepped back and strode away praying the yearning he had no right to feel for a woman who would never be his would soon subside.

About The Author
J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

A Quick 'n Quirky Interview with #MFRWauthor @LaurenLinwood

Who's Lauren Linwood?
Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

Quick Questions with some Quirky Answers!
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
If I had the big bucks, I wouldn't limit myself to one residence. My permanent home base would be located on Kaanapali Beach in Maui, with a pied-a-terre in both London and New York. I'd also keep my Texas home because I wouldn't want to move all my junk from it!

If you were a tool, which would you be?
As a tool, I would be a green, fine-tip felt marker. People would write with me, making important notations on a sticky note.

If you were a store, which would you be?
If I were a store, I'd definitely be Target. It's my favorite place to shop. It has EVERYTHING--food, clothes, books, linens, make-up, chocolate, vitamins. I'm a bit of a chameleon, so I think Target's eclectic stock would suit me well. It's also very affordable, and I'd love all the people that came in to shop.

Your guilty pleasures?
There's no secret to it--my guilty pleasures are eating dark chocolate every day and singing. Now I'm a terrible, truly awful singer, but I love music. So I sing in the shower. In the car. When I cook. I even catch myself singing along to my iPod as I walk. I guess that explains some of the strange looks I get when I pass other walkers and joggers!

Who would you want stranded on an island with you?
My tropical island companion would be Theodore Roosevelt. He was a true Renaissance man. He would be entertaining and very enterprising. He'd either find a way to get us off the island, or we'd be living in style with all his clever ideas. I think he'd have a lot to teach me, and we'd never run out of things to talk about.

If you were on a reality show, what one would it be?
Although ""Survivor"" is my absolute favorite reality show of all time (I've never missed an episode), I couldn't do it. I sunburn easily. I'm a mosquito magnet. And I actually enjoy eating on a regular basis. I'm deathly afraid of snakes, and there are way too many at the locations they select. I won't even get into those nasty rats. Instead, I would love to go on ""The Amazing Race."" I would enjoy seeing so many different countries, meeting the people, and learning about their cultures. The competitors take part in so many fun challenges and roadblocks. Plus, I'd love to hear Phil's accent every time my partner and I arrived on the mat--as long as he never said, ""Lauren. You are the last to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race."" That would break my heart.

City or Country?
I'm definitely a suburban gal. I like being close to city life and all its conveniences without putting up with the traffic. I like being a little bit out and having green space around me . . . just not TOO far out! I have a need to be close to a good library, some nice restaurants, and a little bit of shopping--especially if Target is nearby!

Ebook or Paperback?
I love being able to pick up my Kindle and drop it into my purse when I travel. I'll also pull it out while I'm waiting at the dentist or doctor's offices. As nice as it is, I still love the feel of a paperback in my hands, smoothing the pages. I'm a bit possessive that way.

Zebras or Elephants?
Zebras are beautiful, but they seem a little skittish to me. I've actually stroked an elephant and find them to be beautiful and friendly. I love watching them with their babies.

MFRW Lauren Linwood released Written in the Cards, a Historical Western Romance, with Soul Mate Publishing in May 2014.

Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees to the American West,
where she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes under the pen name Lud Madison.

Civil War veteran Ben Morgan marries his childhood sweetheart and takes her to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her in an Indian attack, Ben becomes a gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge.

Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie interviews him for her next story. Sparks fly as they wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

When dime novelist Maggie Rutherford interviews cowboy Ben Morgan for her next book, she falls fast . . . and then learns he’s actually a gambler with a gunslinger hot on his trail. Will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and an outlaw’s promise of death—or will he make a stand for his life—and love?

AMAZON Buy Link

Connect with Lauren

Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com

Blog: http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood

#MFRWorg gets Down 'N Dirty with #MFRWauthor @BarbCaffrey

Let's get Down & Dirty with MFRW Author Barb Caffrey
BARB CAFFREY is a writer, editor and musician from the Midwest. She is the author of the humorous urban fantasy/romance AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and is the co-author of the Adventures of Joey Maverick series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey). Barb is an inveterate reader, a huge baseball fan (Go, Brewers!), reviews books at Shiny Book Review, and wonders when her little dog will ever stop doing "the paw trick."

How long does it take you to write a book?
It usually takes me a year, maybe eighteen months, to fully write a book and polish it up.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I try to have a set schedule with writing, but lately I've been ""going with the flow"" quite a bit. I do my best to set aside several hours a day, at least six days a week.

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre.
My latest book is called AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and it is a YA comic fantasy/romance that I call ""relentlessly cross-genre"" because it also has elements of paranormal, mystery, and suspense. It's all about Bruno the Elfy, a three-foot-tall youth from another dimension where magic is the norm and he believes he has little of it; he comes to our Earth, is immediately taken captive, and must make common cause with young Sarah, who's also short and magical. Along the way he finds out he has a lot more magic than he thought, he has enemies -- lots of them, too -- including a Dark Elf who's main interests include corrupting the local humans and killing any luckless Elfys who might happen to be in the vicinity -- and oh, yes, he falls in love with Sarah. Hard.

Barb released AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, a Young Adult Fantasy with Twilight Times Books in April 2014. 

One Elfy for an entire planet?
He’s supposed to be the Watcher for his people, the representative on Earth from his dimension, but the small being known to his enemies as “Jonny-Wonny” wakes up to big trouble — trapped in a bizarre house in Knightsville, California with humans straight out of reality TV. Jon knows that something has gone dreadfully wrong — he’s starving, lonely and dressed in funny clothes.
Enter the couple’s ten-year-old diminutive daughter, who is “Not Daisy!” but is brilliant, sweet…and using high level magic with ease. She’s also desperately in need of a friend.
Insisting her name is really Sarah, and christening him Bruno, his new friend asks him how they’re going to get out of there.
The only thing that comes to mind is for Bruno to ask his teacher, Roberto the Wise, for help. But Roberto’s attempt at help only enmeshes all three of them further in a web of deceit and treachery. Bruno finds out that, unfortunately, most of what he thought he knew about himself was very wrong…and much of what Sarah knows about herself is also wrong, including her age.
Worst of all, a Dark Elf is on the scene and is intent on corrupting the local Humans, including Sarah’s parents.
New names, new locations, a new mission–Bruno is going to get to the bottom of all the craziness, and Sarah will be there for him every step of the way.
Watch out, universe–an Elfy is on the loose! 

Amazon BUY LINK  |  Barnes & Noble BUY LINK

How do you come up with story ideas?
This particular story idea came from a dream I had after reading an anthology about Elves. (Sorry, I can't remember which one.) The editor said that the Elves in this particular anthology were not your typical ""Elfie-welfie stuff,"" so my mind apparently wanted to figure out what this ""Elfie-welfie stuff"" actually was. So I had a dream, where a short young boy all dressed in black said, ""It's not like that!"" And I proceeded to write down everything that youngster -- Bruno the Elfy -- told me.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels? 
I like love scenes in novels, personally. In YA novels, they have to be age-appropriate, which can be a challenge . . . but I'm all for love scenes.

What does your husband/wife think of your writing? Do you ever ask him/her for advice?
My late husband, Michael B. Caffrey, was a huge advocate of my writing, and was my first editor. He believed very strongly in what I was doing. It's because of him that I kept after it, even after he died suddenly in 2004; it took me years, but I managed to keep going, keep writing, and found a home for AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE at long last.

And yes, I used to ask Michael for advice all the time. (He gave it, too. And I always took it. He was the wisest person I've ever known and understood the urban fantasy genre extremely well.)

Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
I have had a number of people influence my writing. My husband. Rosemary Edghill, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, and Stephanie Osborn -- the three best mentors any writer could have anywhere. And my friend Jeff Wilson (1963-2011) . . . he was also a writer, and I listened to whatever he had to say whenever he said it.

What can we expect from you in the future?
What to expect in the future? I'd say a few more novels in the Elfyverse, a transgender fantasy romance written for adults, and a couple of paranormal romances (one featuring a baseball-loving psychic who's married to a werewolf). And I'll also continue to finish up my late husband's work, too . . . lots of stuff to do!

How do we find out about you and your books?
The easiest way to find out about me and my books is through my blog, Elfyverse (aka Barb Caffrey's Blog), or any of the links below.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads

Fans' comments and letters are warmly appreciated, and I do listen very closely to my fans.

Your favorite comment from a reader? ""More, please!""

Your favorite author?
Can I pick three? Because the reason Rosemary Edghill, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel and Stephanie Osborn are my mentors is because I love their books and I love their writing.

Your favorite book? Favorite book?
The one that comes to mind right now is John M. Ford's ""The Final Reflection,"" which is a Star Trek novel about the first Klingons ever to go to Earth. It's an excellent first-contact novel and features a low-key but worthwhile romance between Klingon Captain Krenn and one of his officers, Kelly . . . and it has a wonderful friendship between Krenn and the first human Ambassador to the Klingons, Emanuel Tagore. But my favorite stand-alone science fiction/fantasy romance is Linnea Sinclair's ""An Accidental Goddess,"" due to its excellent dialogue, great romance, and nifty descriptions.

My favorite series is the BEDLAM'S BARD series by Mercedes Lackey, Ellen Guon and Rosemary Edghill (Guon wrote with Lackey early; Edghill wrote with Lackey later). This is urban fantasy and features flutist/bard Eric Banyon and a rotating cast of characters, including many interesting Elves Underhill.