Victoria
Danann's Self-Interview
Hey.
If Rembrandt and Van Gogh can go self-portraits, I can do a self-interview. I
know what you're thinking. "Yeah. Well. You're not Van Gogh." You're
right, of course. But doing three blogs around the release of three books in
the space of ten months has created the answers to a whole lot interview
questions.
On
occasion I interview other authors. I always ask if there was a question they
always wanted to be asked and had never had been and, if so, what was it? That
was part one of what led me here. The second part is character interviews. When
I do character interviews - let's face it - I'm interviewing my own
imagination.
Soooooo,
why not just ask myself the question I'd like to answer. The following is a
sampling of some of my favorite all-time blog tour questions followed by one of
the one questions I've never been asked, but would like to answer. (There are a
lot.)
PART ONE: THE BOOKS
1. Do you feel that you can relate to one character in
“this book” more than any other? And why?
I think that will be true if more authors don't stop the vamp-by-number, more-weres-the-better rehash and try for something different. Before I started writing I spent two full years reading every PNR that had enjoyed any success to find out what had already been done, then set out to create something new. I get a lot of feedback that starts by saying, "I don't really know what genre to put this in..." I love comments like, "She explodes stereotypes." Also, I'm writing true Paranormal Romance. It's not paranormal suspense or paranormal mystery or paranormal thriller with a love interest back story. The romance is the main plot for me. And romance is never going to be on the way out.
I read Stranger
in a Strange Land by
Robert Heinlein when I was about twelve-years-old and have always been fascinated by the concept of
other worlds that are similar, but not identical. I combined that with my formal academic education in Paranormal
Psychology, the fact that I always got along super well with boys, and voila.
PART TWO: WRITING
1. Do you write
full time?
Snort.
2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
If people "decide", they're not really writers. My working theory is that, if you watch children carefully, they will show you who they really are by the time they are eight or nine. At that age I had two stacks of legal pads on my bed. One I used to sketch glamorous evening wear. The other I used to write my own Bobbsey Twins novels. I did spend a few years as a designer of glam dresses and was copied by the biggest names in the business. I had a big following in the Northeast, South America, and Europe and still see some of my dresses show up in the movies. So I checked that off the list and did it until I was done. Now I'm writing.
The answer is yes, but the someone was one of the characters. My Familiar Stranger started out to be a different story. My heroine was supposed to end up with the character of my choice. I was about 80% finished when another one of the guys (characters) started insisting that he was the one who should get the girl! I let him make his case and finally had to agree, but it caused a lot of overhaul. Since then I have done a poll on Facebook asking fans who they wanted to end up with the girl and the big majority agreed with my character. It was him all along.
4. What unique factor do you think you bring to the book/story market?
First, I waited to start writing until I was old enough to really have something to say. Secondly, one of the comments I hear most often is that people enjoy the chronicle style of ongoing story. I call it a serial saga. If I were not an Indie, it never would have happened because it doesn't fit the commercial "formula" of how to pie chart a paranormal romance. (Yes. I made a verb out of the phrase "pie chart".)
5. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
6. Who were your major influences?
Stephen King, Anne Rice, my tenth grade literature
teacher without whom I might never have read Julius Caesar, MacBeth,
Random Harvest, or Lord Jim, my seventh grade English teacher without whom
I never would have read
the entire works of William Saroyan, my father who bought me the Scribner
Collection which included
all the classics appropriate for young readers. (I learned to love the art of
story AND the art of Maxfield Parrish
who illustrated the covers.)
1. What are 5 fun/interesting facts about you?
I play bridge. I like going to movies in the
daytime by myself (though I rarely get to). I teach magickal arts online. I worked for the airlines when I
was very young and have traveled a lot. I speak canine. (Bonus #6. I do all my own
graphics work: covers, ads, book trailers, etc.)
2.
What is the most inspiring quote you have ever heard?
a. This actually relates to how busy I am. It's a motto used as my email
signature on personal mail. THE QUOTE: "It's better to burn out, than fade
away." - Rock of Ages, Def Leppard. Some people have wrongly attributed
this to Kurt Cobain. Sorry. No. Others have said it wasn't Def Leppard, it was
Neil Young, "It's better to burn out, than to
fade away," - My, My, Hey, Hey. Also wrong. Neil Young used an extra
"to". Big difference you see.
b. Winston Churchill is reported to have given a commencement address in
which he simply took the podium and said, "Never give up," nine
times.
Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice. Also high up on the list: The Gate to Women's Country by Sherri S Tepper and Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. HOWEVER, I wouldn't recommend any of these to someone unless I knew that they were students of religious studies or, in the case of Gate, feminism.
4. Greatest joy?
Reviews.
5. Greatest aggravation?
Reviews.
Now, about A Summoner's Tale... If you haven't read
Books One and Two, I hope you will do so before you read Book Three. Black Swan
is a serial saga meaning that each book is actually a chapter installment in an
ongoing story. This particular installment involved characters that were
introduced in the first book.
If you read
by Kindle, you will find A Summoner's
Tale available at Amazon after release. If you another e-reader, you can
still get the book in the form of an anthology that will be available in
electronic format everywhere. The Order
of the Black Swan Collected Tales, Books 1-3. $6.99 for all 330,000 words.
This is a dream come true for me because readers will experience the first
three books as conceived as one story.
The Order of the Black Swan, Book 4
Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy romance
Publisher: 7th House
Date of Publication: 05/26/2013
ISBN: 978-1-933320-69-4 ebook
ISBN: 978-1-933320-64-9 paperback
Number of pages: 390
Word Count: 90,000
What would you do for love?
Coming on the full moon, May 25th.
Book Description:
Moonlight, The Big Bad Wolf, is the fourth installment in the serial saga, The Order of the Black
Swan. READING IN ORDER STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
The story continues to touch on the lives of former B Team members and
their families while new characters and situations are introduced.
THE NEWSLETTER: Ram and Elora move into temporary quarters at Jefferson
Unit to protect mother and baby. Storm gives a surprising answer when he’s
tapped by Sol to replace him as Jefferson Unit Sovereign. Litha solicits her
father to help Black Swan.
THE SURPRISE: B Team learns the shocking truth about the origin of the
vampire virus. Monq races to develop a defense system to repel invasion by
Stagsnare terrorists and assassins.
THE ADVENTURE: Desperation drives Stalkson Grey to embark on an adventure
beyond his wildest dreams in a bid to save the Elk Mountain werewolves from
extinction.
THE ROMANCE: In the process of migrating the Elk Mountain werewolves to a
new home, Grey learns that true love can find you in the strangest places, even
when you’re far, far from home.
17+ Steamy scenes. No menage. No BDSM.
CHAPTER_1
"What
do you know about my sister and that prancin' prick of a fairy prince?"
Elora
blinked, but in the space of that flutter he learned all he needed to know. He
had found out the first night Storm brought her to poker, back at Jefferson
Unit, that her very expressive face telegraphed even the tiniest nuance or
feeling or thought. By now he knew her so well that she was as transparent as
air. She was caught off guard because she hadn't expected that question while
Ram was cooking a leisurely Sunday breakfast.
"Say
that three times fast?"
"No'
goin' to work this time. Stay on topic."
"You
just don't like him because he can stand toe to toe with you and not be cowed
by the H.O.H. elfster."
"ELFSTER!?
What in Paddy's Name, Elora? And what is H.O.H.?"
"Hall
of Heroes."
Ram
turned away from frying bacon and gave her a look. It probably didn't have the
effect he intended. He was wearing jeans, a long sleeve black tee that
stretched across his chest enticingly, and a black Jack Daniels apron tied
around his waist. She thought perhaps nothing was sexier than watching Ram's
muscles ripple while cooking her breakfast.
"Do
no' try to deflect. 'Tis I. And Paddy knows I can tell when you're hidin'
somethin'." Ram looked determined.
"Speaking
of hiding. You're going to have to do something about all these guys
overrunning our property. Our home -
the one that was intended to be our very
own, very private property.
Please, Ram. Make them go away."
His
expression softened a little as he decided to allow himself to be temporarily
derailed.
"Sol,
Simon, and every one of your friends agree that we can no' leave you and Helm
vulnerable after the threat those alien buggers left hangin' in the air. That
goes especially for your friend, Sir Storm."
"My friend, Sir Storm?"
"Aye.
Your friend. The bloody wanker
suggested that I'm no' responsible enough to be entrusted with lookin' out for
you. Said, 'You're no' takin' good care of my namesake's mother. I'll be forced
to give the job to someone else if you do no' shape up and begin takin' it
seriously'."
Elora
laughed. "He said that?"
"Aye.
As if 'twas all my doin' that you ended up givin' birth alone in a freezin'
wolf cave. With. No. Phone."
"Well..."
Ram
narrowed his eyes at her. "Think very carefully about what you are about
to say before you say it."
Elora
smiled brightly. "I was going to say that no one in his right mind could
fault you."
Ram
nodded and resumed turning the bacon. "Exactly. I should have reminded him
what happened when he was in charge
of the Baka interview at Unit Drac. He pouted for hours after learnin' first
hand that the Lady Laiken does as she fuck-well pleases."
Elora
concurred by nodding vigorously. "It's a burden, but you bear it well, my
love."
"All
kiddin' aside. I do. I really do." He began setting strips of cooked bacon
out to drain the grease.
"Well,
Sir Storm is going to be plenty busy with his own burdens."
"What's
your meanin?"
"They're
expecting."
"Expectin'
a baby?"
"No.
They're expecting Publishers Clearing House to pay for their villa renovation."
Ram
gave her a look. "You know, I'm thinkin' there's only enough of this
lovely bacon for one and, since I cooked, I really should be keepin' it for
myself."
"Yes!
They're expecting a baby. Litha thinks it's a girl."
"A
girl!" Ram practically whooped. "Paddy's Great Balls Afire. I can no'
wait to see Storm try to be da to a girl." He laughed enjoying that idea
and then grew serious. "As for the buggers who violated my grandda's
forest, I'll no' be givin' 'em a second chance at my family."
"Rammel.
I hear you and I understand you."
"I
do no' suppose the next sentence will be 'and I obey you'."
Elora
smirked while she snagged a piece of bacon. "Have I ever mentioned you
make great bacon?" She nuzzled his ear on the way back to her stool.
"Almost as good as chocolate."
Ram
pointed a spatula at her. "I swear to Paddy you have that thin'... that
ADDD."
"ADHD?"
"Aye."
Elora
started laughing. "Pot."
When
his brows drew together she smiled because Helm looked at her with that same
expression several times a day. They made him accidentally in a snow covered
cottage, but he was made with love and now he was a little bit her and a little
bit him. A miracle indeed.
"You
can no' concentrate 'cause you've been smokin' dope?"
"No!
'Pot' as in 'you're the pot calling the kettle black'."
Ram
stared at her for a few beats, finally shook his head and said, "No
idea."
"You
don't have an expression here about the pot calling the kettle black?"
"We
do no' that I know of, but I think I begin to follow your point. You're tryin'
to say that I should no' be accusin' you of short attention because mine is
even shorter?"
Of
their own accord, his eyes drifted down to the cleavage showing between the
henley buttons she'd left undone.
She
chuckled. "See?"
"See
what?"
She
did a little shimmy and he grinned sheepishly. "Guilty." He put an
orange juice in front of her. "And be careful of the sexy dancin'. You'll
be gettin' Helm's milk all over your clothes again."
Elora
rolled her eyes. "He gets enough. Have you seen how chubby his little face
is getting?"
"Well,
blood will tell."
Elora
narrowed her eyes to slits. "Rammel. Paddy help you if you're saying what
I think you're saying."
"All
I'm sayin' is that chubby cheeks do no' run on my side of the family."
When she took a mock threatening step toward him, he laughed. "Just
teasin' darlin' girl. Just teasin'. You know I would no' change a hair on your
head. Or his."
"Okay.
All I'm sayin' is that insanity
doesn't run on my side of the
family." A look of horror slowly covered her face as she realized what
she'd just said. She hadn't yet personally confronted what the assassin in the
woods had said about the Laiwynn clan, but if it was true, it meant that
cruelty and despotic behavior might run in her family.
Ram
put his utensils down, wiped his hand on his apron, and offered himself for a
hug. She stepped into the comfort of his arms.
"What
I was trying to tell you earlier is that I've never made any secret of the fact
that I won't give up my freedom to live a restricted life, no matter how
luxurious or comfortable. Not for anything."
"No'
even for Helm? And me?"
"That's
not fighting fair and you know it."
"When
it comes to your safety - and our son's - you think I care about fightin' fair?
'Tis the very last of my
concerns."
"Let
me put it this way. You need to come up with a more agreeable Plan B and you
need to do it while I'm still in a listening mood."
"Any
ideas?"
She
looked down at her pretty Holland china plate, part of the set they got as a
wedding present from Kay and Katrina. She had a picture of how good life was
going to be there in their new home. Had the Ralengclan assassins spoiled her
vision of the future to the point of ruin? Was it time to confront that
possibility?
"No."
When she looked back up, Ram thought he might have seen her look just a little
worn. Like her aura hadn't been buffed in a while. Sometimes he caught her
looking off into space and he suspected that she was thinking about what she'd
been told by the Ralengclan assassin, wondering if the massacre of her family
was really a coup d'etat." Armed people guarding the house. Hardly what I
pictured."
"I
know." Ram sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "We'll
figure it out. Monq's workin' on it." He pulled up like he had an idea.
The change was so subtle that no one besides Elora would have even noticed it.
"What?"
"He's
workin' on detectin' interdimensional activity - identifyin' the source and
location. He says 'tis a logical first step toward the defense system we're
goin' to be needin'."
"Yeah.
I heard."
"Well..."
She knew she was in trouble when he turned on that look that he had given her
the first night they had met, the puppy dog plea that was so irresistible she
could be manipulated out of her socks with full knowledge and complicity. She hated
that. It was... manipulation by consent.
"Stop
that right now!"
"'Twas
just thinkin' that, for the time bein', just while we're sortin' this out,
maybe we should move back into Jefferson Unit. You and Helm would be safe
there. I know 'tis no' ideal, but there is the courtpark, food, and babysittin'
on demand. 'Tis no' this." He looked around the room and gave a little
sigh. He had put a lot of himself into renovating the property and somewhere
along the way had come to understand why she loved it and pictured their little
family living happily ever after there. "But we were happy at Jefferson
too. We could even help Monq. Maybe speedin' thin's along a bit?"
"I'm
expecting puppies."
"I
truly hope no one is recordin' this conversation." Ram's mouth softened at
the corners making him look so beautifully kissable that she had to lean in and
remind herself if those kisses were as good as she remembered. He didn't seem
to mind complying with her wish. When she pulled back, he said, "We could
get Glen to keep an eye on that. The wolf pups I mean."
"This
is not just some ruse that's going to get us sucked back into active
duty?"
Ram
cocked his head like he was having trouble with that question. "Why would
I go to so much trouble to keep you safe only so I could risk gettin' you
killed?"
Elora
stared at Ram for a few seconds. "I'm not the only knight in the room and
we both know how persuasive Sol can be when he wants something. Before I even
consider this proposal, I need some reassurance that none of us, not you, not me,
not the baby - none of us - are going to end up on any field assignment. Not in
any capacity."
Ram
nodded. "Deal."
"Okay."
"Okay
you approve of my answer or okay we're packin' for Fort Dixon?"
"Fort
Dixon, but that's all of us. Blackie too. And we need an apartment big enough
for the four of us."
"Thank
Paddy. I'm goin' to get a good night's sleep for a change."
She
hadn't realized just how much stress the fear of assassination had caused Ram
until she saw his facial muscles relax. Yeah. It was a good plan. A good
choice, everything considered.
"And, let's outline what would have to
happen to make it possible for us to come back here and proceed to live life
the way it should be lived. By ourselves. Speaking of which, I'm also not
giving up the pleasure of a weekend at the cottage - just us - forever."
"Certainly.
I'm no' unreasonable."
She
smiled at him lovingly and indulgently. "Of course not. You're my
hero."
About the
Author:
If you're looking for
something new and different in PNR, you've come to the right place.
I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All three also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award.
My work has been compared to J R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Lara Adrian. For example:
"I do see shades of Lara Adrian's Breed books and shades of J R Wards Black Dagger books, but this story is unique enough that it stands out all on its own and can stand up along side those other books and I think given time will elbow them out of the way with the rich story telling and deep emotional core that makes you want to know more." - Kerry, Musings of a Bookworm
The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.
WEBSITE: http://www.VictoriaDanann.com
I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All three also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award.
My work has been compared to J R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Lara Adrian. For example:
"I do see shades of Lara Adrian's Breed books and shades of J R Wards Black Dagger books, but this story is unique enough that it stands out all on its own and can stand up along side those other books and I think given time will elbow them out of the way with the rich story telling and deep emotional core that makes you want to know more." - Kerry, Musings of a Bookworm
The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.
WEBSITE: http://www.VictoriaDanann.com
BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me
TWITTER: @vdanann
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