Author Interview: Paloma Beck

Today we have an interview with the wonderful Paloma Beck...please welcome here to MFRW Authors Blog!

Where can your readers find you?

BLOG:                                   http://RomanceBeckons.blogspot.com

TWITTER:                           https://twitter.com/PalomaBeck

FACEBOOK:                        http://www.facebook.com/PalomaBeckAuthor

FACEBOOK PAGE:            http://www.facebook.com/SevenSinSistersSeries

GOODREADS:                    http://goodreads.com/PalomaBeck

AMAZON:                             http://www.amazon.com/Paloma-Beck/e/B008XMXGGW

ROMANCE REVIEWS:     http://www.theromancereviews.com/PalomaBeck

PINTEREST:                        http://pinterest.com/PalomaBeck

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online? (From the list above.)

Facebook!

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

Lustful Cravings is the first book in the Seven Sin Sisters, a seven-part paranormal romance series. The first book focuses on the youngest sister, Layla. She’s also the sister least likely interested in fulfilling her destiny as a woman of the Magdalena Circle. Layla’s sin is lust so she’s not experienced the sensations until the moment she locks eyes with her mate – just as the prophecy states. Mating with Madden, and her Tre Adoro, makes this book a delicious ménage read as well.

What can we expect from you in the future?

The Seven Sin Sisters will be published over the next year with the final book coming in August 2013. I also have a contemporary romance book, Coming Home, releasing in November 2012. And don’t even get me started on all my WIPs!

How do we find out about you and your books?

My blog is the perfect place to stay up-to-date.

How many readers/fans contact you?

Use any of my contact links – follow me – friend me – like me – fan me.

Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I love to read – always have – to escape from the reality of life. As an introvert, the escape is a re-charge for me so I select books that are happy (or at least have that happy ending). Most of the time, I was reading romance. It was only natural when I decided to write for publication that I chose romance.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
*cringe* This is that question my husband dreads getting from his friends. Of course, it’s usually followed up with a manly shoulder bump and a wink. So let’s put the kinky stuff aside and just say that the themes of what I write are familiar to me.

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

Every book is different and I can simultaneously be working on up to two manuscripts at a time, all in various stages. I always seem to be in a state of revision so a definitive answer is impossible. The shortest time was a single month (for a first draft) and the longest was three years.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I write 5 days/ week. Sometimes I have to work to a deadline and that takes priority but in the best moments, I am following the character’s urgings. Whichever character is loudest in my head that day gets my attention. Fighting your personal thread of creativity is only one step short of insanity. I allow my characters to lead.

Now that I write full-time, I have to guard my time. I usually use the first hour of my day (after boys are at school and I’ve had my first cup of coffee) to check in on business. Then I write until the boys come home. Sometimes I take a lunch break but most days, I eat a kashi bar and keep going.

What is your writing routine once you start a book? Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

After I plot my story lines, I sit down with a bottle of wine and my two beta readers. They give me their take on it and I make changes that work for me. Then I begin any research important to the themes. A lot of the time, I’m creating a photo board (Pinterest is great for this) with photos to inspire scenes and characters as well. Then I draft – without an outline – and I do not necessarily write the book in order because it’s all about letting the characters guide me. After draft one, I edit and send it off to my beta readers. When I get it back and we’ve shared another bottle of wine, I do one more sets of edits before the book is off to my editor.

How do you come up with ideas?

My story ideas come from my observations. You know that saying about being careful because you could end up in a book? Yep, that is so true. I gather ideas for stories in a little net as I wander through life. I’m always looking for an inspiring message to serve as a foundation for the book. And as crazy as this might sound coming from an erotic romance author, my strong background in religion provides me with great ideas to incorporate (like the significance of Mary Magdalene in the Seven Sin Sisters series).

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels? Do you find them difficult to write?

If it makes sense to the natural flow of the book, it shouldn’t be difficult to write. If I am ever struggling with a *sex* scene, I take a step back and question if it belongs. Sometimes, sorry to say, too much sex is not a good thing in a romance.

What kind of research do you do?
Most of my research is done on-line or using non-fiction books. I try to use themes I am already familiar with to make it easier to convey an ease with the topic. For the Seven Sin Sisters, my research was on the Italian Wars from the 1500s, Italian language and architecture. I chose Italian from my own heritage since it just made it easier and was already an interest of mine. For another WIP, I’ve friended some people on-line to answer questions for me. Personal knowledge can go a long way in creating believable characters.

How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing since high school and always wanted to be an author. When I went to college, I was talked into getting a degree that would get me a real job and my writing was set aside. When my parents were cleaning out their house years later, my mother sent me an old box. It contained all the writing I’d done in high school. Reading through those stories inspired me to start again. I was staying at home by then to raise my family and the boys were all now in school so it was the perfect time for me to focus on my dream.

What is the single most important part of writing for you?

Releasing everything inside of me. There’s a lot there that goes unsaid, so many characters that I develop that need a home on paper, so many thoughts an introvert like me would never say but can write.

Ocean or mountains? MOUNTAINS WITH LAKES

City life or country life? COUNTRY

Hunky heroes or average Joe? HUNKY HEROES

Party life or quiet dinner for two? DINNER FOR TWO

When I'm alone, I READ.

I'm always ready for DESSERT *wink*.

Dessert… ICE CREAM.

City... PORTLAND, ME.

Season… SUMMER.

Type of hero… ALPHA.

Type of heroine… SUBMISSIVE (and that doesn’t mean weak).

  

Series: Seven Sin Sisters Series, Book One

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Elements: Adult language/ Ménage

Author: Paloma Beck

Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-61885-352-3

Page Count: 96

BLURB

Seven sisters are entwined in a legacy bigger than anyone ever expected. One by one, they will find their mates from the immortal Valendite breeds and secure their place in history. Each sister embodies one of the seven deadly sins only to be cast aside once claimed. But claiming comes at the price of separation, causing a weakening of their combined powers, which none want to happen... until Layla, holding the sin of lust within her body, locks eyes with Madden.

Madden is one of the strongest of the Valendite Breed, a group of near-immortal men originating from the Italian Wars in the 1500s. Today, the Valendite Breed serve as the Terrorist Elimination Unit (TEU), an invisible arm of the CIA. Their only weakness is their need for a mate to carry on the Breed.  So now that Madden has found Layla, he will never let her go.

With forces mounting up against the Breed, Madden and Layla will need to rely on all of their powers combined to get them to their Pronouncement.

BUY LINK

Secret Cravings Publishing

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=383

PG13 EXCERPT

Madden pulled away from her, just slightly, and she whimpered in protest. He chuckled and kissed her nose when he saw her wrinkle it. Struck by the flush of her cheeks, Madden noted the same flush running down her throat and to the very top of her breasts. As she took deep breaths to calm herself, he placed his forehead against hers. But Madden only paused for a moment because he had no intention of letting the emotions he was pulling from Layla subside. He would not let her gain the control she was wrestling for. A woman off-balance was what he needed her to be.

As part of the Valendite Breed, Madden had been raised to know the prophecy, to appreciate the significance of finding your mate and claiming her. He planned to worship Layla until the day they died. The sharing of blood so sacred, nothing could tear them from one another. Not only would their blood bond them together but it would also sustain Madden and prolong Layla’s life so she lived as long as he did.

Madden moved his hands to frame her face and drew her head up to meet her eyes. He brushed a soft kiss against her full lips before speaking, his voice husky with desire. “Take your tongue, Layla love, and touch it to my sharpest teeth. The blood exchange will bind us and I can take you then. Ho bisogno di te. Please don’t make me wait.”

Madden’s words were barely finished when he took her mouth again. Gently his tongue drew hers out, slowing to let her catch up to his need. When he felt the puncture wounds and tasted the first drop of her blood, he moaned low inside himself. He felt Layla tense at first and then soften her body as it settled into his own. Her moans began to mirror his. He could feel her desire as if it was his own, and it multiplied the urge to claim her and demand she submit to him as his mate.

Madden held back with every piece of control he had been trained to possess. This moment required him to remain in control, to ease her in the mating. He felt her pull away. Her body shuttered and a small whimper bubbled up from her throat. He was suddenly struck by her vulnerability.

“What’s happened, Madden? Why do I feel this way?” His Layla was frightened and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. Her feisty golden eyes now appeared panicked. Madden couldn’t bear it.

“Layla love, we’re bonded now. You will forever feel what I feel just as I will feel the emotions inside of you. It is a powerful thing for mates. It will make the next act we perform even richer than any romance book you’ve ever read.” He rose then from the floor between her legs and pulled her to him, carrying her out of the room.

“Which way to your bedroom, Layla?”

AUTHOR BIO & LINKS

Paloma Beck is an erotic romance writer in both the Contemporary and Paranormal realms. Happily married and living a life of total contradiction, Paloma runs carpool service for her three sons, volunteers in PTA and teaches religious education.

Then in the moments when her characters talk to her, she journals their stories - and they are anything but PG. As a natural introvert, quiet time with her characters is necessary to keep sane while writing is the perfect outlet for her creativity.

Paloma believes a daily dose of coffee and a good book make any day better.

Lynn Crain's Indie Book

            I had never intended to become an indie author but when the opportunity presented itself, I thought why not? I had the rights revert back to me from a publisher for an anthology and that story needed a new home. It really wasn’t something too exciting or new, so I decided to revamp it by totally rewriting it, get it a cover, hire an editor and a copy editor then put it up on all the major ebook sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

            I really wasn’t new to publishing in this way. In the past, when I had owned a print shop, I had my own speculative fiction magazine. I knew about editing and how to format things. I knew how to put an ebook into PDF format but not the new formats like epub. Furthermore, I didn’t have the required software. While I knew I could do this if I spent some big bucks, I decided to hire someone to actually do the formatting. All I had to do was provide a clean Word copy and another more intricately formatted version for the PDF.

            Once the edit was complete for the book and it was returned to me all shiny and new, I sat on it. I drug my feet and rethought my decision. I’d heard many varying stories on how authors were either wildly successful or disappointingly failed. I’d heard that some of the traditional publisher would never even look at a book of mine again if they knew I’d self-published. For me the point was that I’d never get all my stories published if I didn’t do a variety of things, both traditional and non-traditional.

            When all the arguments were worked out in my head, I plunged forward as the holiday season was fast approaching and it needed to be there for that. On December 22nd, 2011, I published my story A Lover for Rachel with Smashwords who made it available in every format as well as on Kobo and Diesel. I had decided to use a book aggregator for the other places (Amazon, B&N, Sony and Apple) and uploaded to them as well. It was soon available at Amazon and the rest have come filtering in since it was submitted.

            I had done it. I had published my own story and while it was a lot of work, it wasn’t as traumatic as I had expected. From the moment it was up, I started to promote as much as I could. I had certain ideas in mind. One of the things I knew is the fact that most indie books take up to six months to really start selling. Yes, that’s right, I said six months. While that is a long time to see any return on my investment, it gives me time to really promote the book as well as decide what stories will be next in this part of my publishing adventure.

            If any of you are interested in self-publishing, just let me know and I’ll answer any question you may have. It isn’t for everyone and it certainly isn’t the only thing I’m going to do with my publishing career. For me it’s just another avenue to get my work in front of more people. It will also, hopefully, give me more income so that I can continue to live my dream of being a full time writer.

Lynn



The Magic of Love comes to everyone.

Rachel Hamilton comes to Stonehenge to celebrate her birthday on Summer Solstice, only to find herself trapped beneath the massive rhyolite bluestones with sexy wizard, Dewin Kingston, who convinces her that she is the key to their escape.

Excerpt:

A Lover For Rachel

“Come on, we’re going to be late! You’re the one who wanted to go to this thing. Besides, it’s the dead of night, so who’s going to see us?”

Rachel frowned at her best friend, Samantha Andrews, again. Yes, she was the one who wanted to go to the summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge. Who wouldn’t if their birthday fell on June twenty-first and they happened to be in the area? Last time they’d come to England in June, they avoided the place because of the massive crowds attending the event. This time there was no way she would miss the opportunity.

“I’m almost done.” She sighed. This was the best it would get. She glanced at herself in the mirror of the bathroom in the luxurious bed-and-breakfast that had been their home for the past week. Everyone told her she’d gone from frumpy to svelte in the last year, but she couldn’t see what they meant.

“You’d think you’re meeting a lover or something.” Samantha stood in the doorway and tapped her foot impatiently. “Come on, Rach, you look beautiful. I envy your curves.”

Rachel smiled at her in the mirror. “You’re only saying that because you love me.” She wiggled her eyebrows and the women burst into laughter.

“No really, you are. You’ve changed so much this past year. Still, we need to leave if we’re ever going to get there and through the gates before the sun rises. Do you have the tickets?”

They had applied to get special passes to participate with the group performing ancient celebrations at the site. The members of the large group were as close to Druids as anyone could be, considering that not much was left in the way of their history. And from everything she’d read about the ceremony, it was a very special and personal event.

She nodded, straightened her shoulders, and brushed her hair away from her face, determined not to worry about her appearance. “I do, and I know what you’re talking about. I have changed. I just feel weird about it, that’s all. Especially when someone calls me beautiful. I’ve just never seen myself that way.”

Samantha clutched her arm, smiling at her reflection. “Come on, how many people can say their birthday is on summer solstice? So what? You have baggage. I do too, now let’s get going before we miss the whole celebration.”

 “I know you’re right. I’m just not going to participate in the getting naked part. Okay?” She was relieved when her friend nodded her agreement. One more glance in the mirror and she pulled the steely reserve around herself that she normally used in the courtroom. Today was the day to have fun and no worries. Today was her day; she wasn’t going to let the past cloud it in any way. Smiling, she grabbed her backpack from the bed and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

Their drive through the English countryside was always an adventure from start to finish. First, they had to drive on the wrong side of the road. The narrow roads barely managed two compact cars, let alone anything bigger. Rachel and Samantha dodged the predawn traffic racing along the Salisbury Plains to get to their destination. Thank God, they only had a short distance to go through the darkness of the night. The only thing piercing the shadows were the stars that shone bright in the night sky.

Lynn Crain realized at an early age she wanted to write. She took the long way to being published by doing a variety of things like nursing assistant, geologist, technical writer and computer manager all of which have added to her detail-oriented stories. Now she’s a full-time storyteller and weaves fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal tales, as well as erotic stories for various publishers. She normally lives in the very hot southwest with her husband, son, two dogs, three cats, and she’s gotten rid of her snakes. Don’t ask. Other members of her clan live nearby and include another son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, plus various long-time friends. She is a past national board member of the RWA; founding president of Las Vegas Romance Writers Chapter of RWA; has held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary and contest chair of EPIC. Her latest adventure has taken her to Vienna, Austria with her husband as he works for a UN-affiliated organization. You can find her hanging out at A Writer In Vienna Blog (www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com) and various other places on the net (www.theloglineblog.blogspot.com; www.twitter.com/oddlynn3; www.lynncrain.blogspot.com ). Still, the thing she loves most of all is hearing from her readers at lynncrain@cox.net.