Woo hoo! Wedneday! WRITER Wednesday. Today we’ve got Scarlet Darkwood, writer of avant garde fiction in the genres of erotica, romance, paranormal, horror, Gothic, thriller. Yup, a little bit of everything, and a whole lot of spicy fun! So settle in with that candy cane and cup of yummy Christmas chai, and learn a bit more about Ms. Darkwood.
Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.
I learned about Venetian carnivals and how it had started out as a festivity, only to become a way of life for nearly a hundred years. The beauty of the original carnival was that it leveled the playing field between social classes because everyone wore a mask when they went out in public. All kinds of clandestine trysts went on, deals were made, and noblemen mingled with scoundrels without knowing it.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
I wish someone would have said write a few books and publish them all at once. I think it’s better if a reader can read more of you if they enjoyed you the first time. The other thing I think new authors need to do is take a personality assessment of themselves and determine if they like writing by themselves or if they enjoy a more collaborative type of publishing, such as co-authoring or writing for anthologies.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
I adore bats. I own a retail shop.
[ML: I suddenly want to know if the two things go together!]
And now, a bit about Ms. Darkwood’s Taming Bad:
Is biology a friend or foe? This question plagues Newton Grenfield daily. He believes that a man’s virility is the key to his masculinity, his identity. One man’s abundance is another’s curse. Newton discovers how cursed he really is when his libido refuses to shut down, spurring him on in the continual search for the right woman who will welcome his advances in the bedroom. Overeager attempts at finding love fall flat, earning him not only a cold shoulder from the ladies, but an angry father who decides treatment at The House, the local asylum, will do his son good. There’s one catch to this treatment the father demands of Dr. James, The House physician. He wants Newton’s antics stopped—for good.
The doctor has a radical, fail-proof plan that will cut to the core of his patient’s masculine ideologies in more ways than one. Above all, Newton’s attendant must ensure he’s as much of a man when he leaves The House as when he entered it, by helping him hone his lovemaking skills in order to secure the lady of his dreams. One night, Newton meets a young woman wandering the halls of The House, and his life changes forever. He thinks he’s found the right one for him. When he experiences the ultimate change at the hand of Dr. James, he’s left with answering to a confused lover, and wondering if the treatment made a bad situation worse.
Scarlet Darkwood is an author with Booktrope, as well as an indie author publishing other material. For more information about the latest concerning Scarlet and her work, sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Rt5HP
Writing in several genres allows her to unleash her imagination in different directions, creating stories for different audiences. Always preferring avant garde themes, her stories will take the reader on an unusual adventure, exploring the darker parts of the human psyche. From a young age, she’s enjoyed writing and keeping diaries, but didn’t start creating novels until 2012. She’s a Southern girl who lives in Tennessee and enjoys the beauty of the mountains. She lives in Nashville with her spouse and two rambunctious kitties.
Whoa, baby. Can you believe it’s Wednesday again already? Where does the time go? But Wednesday is always a time for celebration around here – not only is it hump day (which really has no meaning to writer who works odd hours, you know), but it’s Writer Wednesday, the day fellow writers grace me with their presence just long enough to spill a few of their secrets (maybe) and chat about their latest release. Fun, fun for everyone.
Romance writer Lizzie T. Leaf is burning up the Writer Wednesday hot seat this week! I’m pretty sure that T. stands for terrific; she’s not only loads of fun to chat with, but she’s also written a number of romances (paranormal, contemporary, and others) for y’all to read. Win, win!
Settle in with that cup of tea (or Diet Coke, or chocolate bar, whatever your poison is) and get to know Lizzie a little better. And if you have chocolate, would you please share some?
What inspires you to write?
The stories playing through my head pushes me to put them on paper. If not, they only get louder. At times when I’m in the middle of one book another pushes its way to the front and demands at least jotting down notes.
The stories have been there since childhood. I spent a lot of time alone on the swing under the Pecan tree swinging and making up friends. Like me, the friends have grown into adults and the stories have changed, but they remain.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
There is more to writing a book than typing the end. Your journey has only started. From those two words you move on to the reality…sending the manuscript out to publishers and agents or making the decision to self-publish.
If self-publishing is the road you travel, then find an editor to catch all the things you can’t see in your baby. I relate an unedited book to…I can’t see the forest for the trees. The mind sees what it thinks should be there not necessarily what is there.
Whatever way the book ends up published, the promoting begins and that is an endless job at which most days I suck. But as you strive to get the word out, there is the next book that needs to be written and needs starting immediately. As the old saying goes…no rest for the wicked, and some days I must be very wicked the way my Muse bugs me.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
I don’t think a lot of people know I’m a Master Gardener. Love gardening and find digging in the dirt a good way to vent my frustrations. When the fruits of labor produce in late spring and summer, there is nothing better than sitting on the patio with my laptop and writing. The buzzing of the bees and songs from the birds stimulate my wee brain.
The other thing most don’t know is I’m a Certified Tour Guide and Tour Director. Though I don’t work the profession I’m always mentally critiquing the guides on travel excursions. Some are really entertaining and information, while others can put me to sleep the way the drone on about a subject.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
I love The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. I fell in love with the epic romance novel then. The Meggie & Ralph experience had me in tears. [SPOILER ALERT] When he dies in her arms at the end, I sobbed. Yeah, you have to love a great angst ridden story!
And now a bit about Lizzie’s latest release:
Lizzie T. Leaf books have heat, but humor comes into play too.
DEAD Awake is re-releasing at Decadent Publishing and the pre-sale is on now.
Here’s the story:
Socialite Deb Stein lives a life of luxury until she takes the hunk dressed as a vampire to her bed. When she wakes up one of the living dead, she’s pissed-off. To complicate matters more, she has to find a new identity since everyone thinks she dead. Plus, if she’s dead, she can’t touch her trust fund, and that means she has to work! How can someone who has never held a job find one?
And her social life is in the tank. Her new friends are a street guy called Rat and fellow strippers at the dive where she works. If she ever sees Aaron Lowell again, she’ll put a stake in his heart.
Aaron Lowell feels guilty he took his mentor’s advice and left town after taking the sexy socialite into the undead world. Concerned, he returns to check on her and discovers she’s become a stripper—and not a very happy one when she sees him. But she’s still hot, and he can’t stay away from her, even if their meetings are explosive.
Can two vampires move beyond anger, combined with a strong sexual attraction, to find the kind of love they both crave?
It’s Thursday, and we’re Throwing It Forward (not back!) again, to honor and give thanks to those fellow authors, book bloggers, reviewers, fans, etc., who take their time and energy to promote authors.
Unbeknownst to me, paranormal romance author Tabitha Barret not only read A Man of Character, she reviewed it on her website, much to my delight! Then she asked if she could do an author interview with me. Squee!
After such unexpected promotion, I totally wanted to return the favor, and was thrilled when Ms. Barret agreed to answer a bunch of nosey questions about her writing and her books. So settle in for this awesome Author Interview, and leave a comment or go say hi to Tabitha when you’re done, won’t you?
What inspires you to write?
I have enjoyed writing ever since the 6th grade, when we would receive random writing prompts and have to come up with stories on the fly. I find that I am able to lose myself in the subject and let my imagination take over. Once I create a character that I like, I tend to revisit him or her whenever my mind wanders. That’s how the Third Throne series came to be. The main characters came to me as I fell asleep one night and they stuck with me. That was about twenty years ago. Over the years, their world and lives became more elaborate, so I finally decided to write them down.
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
I enjoy reading all types of romances, as long as there is passion between the characters, except science fiction. I have trouble reading it, though I can watch science fiction movies. I love tear-jerkers. I love dominant men who just need to find the right woman to tame them. I love happy endings. When I write, I prefer urban fantasy / paranormal romance.
Have you always wanted to write urban fantasy / paranormal? What draws you to this genre?
When I tried writing what would become the Third Throne series, it started as a full-on fantasy book with strange creatures and gargoyle-looking things. It was a disaster, so I left the draft in the attic. After reading what I call my gateway book into the paranormal genre, Twilight, I wanted more out of my romances than Young Adult could offer. That’s when I discovered Sherrilyn Kenyon and the Dark Hunters series. I was hooked on Paranormal Romance after that. Once I had a feel for the genre, it dawned on me that the Third Throne would fit into this style of writing. I tried the genre on for size and never looked back.
Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.
I did a lot of research on Romania, since the second book mainly takes place there. I fell in love with one of the castles and used it as my model for Castle Mortea. I went to so far as to use their 3D virtual tour to get a feel for the layout. I was so obsessed with it that my husband offered to take me there. I was so afraid that my expectations couldn’t come close to the real castle that I declined. I learned about the history of the castle, though I didn’t use much of the actual history in the book. It was interesting to read about the ghost stories and the visitor experiences. One day, when I work up the courage, I hope to visit the castle.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
1) I’m very shy by nature, until I get to know someone, but I try to be more outgoing when I have my author hat on. I tried to sound more confident than I really am.
2) My characters live more interesting lives than I do. I’m a homebody who enjoys watching movies and hanging out with my family. I don’t travel much, even when offered a trip to Romania, though I have been to Italy.
What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?
As a book reviewer, I have read a number of interesting self-published or indie published books that have captured my attention. I loved reading Erin S Riley and Jessica Jefferson, both of whom write historical fiction / romance that draws the reader into the stories and time periods. Viola Estrella and Gina Ardito also have great paranormal romances that pull at the heartstrings.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
Don’t be disappointed if things don’t happen overnight. Self-publishing will only bring the results that you work for. It requires patience and the ability to try new things. Everyone gives the same advice: write more books and promote them. Promoting is not an easy concept to figure out. There is no cookie cutter recipe for success. Not every reader will be interested in reading your book and not every book reviewer will review it. It’s all about trial and error. You have to figure out what will work for your book.
Where do you see your writing career in 5 years?
In five years, I hope to be getting closer to the end of The Third Throne series. I have twelve books planned out and I write them simultaneously when time allows. My character, Anjali, needs ten different Fallen Angels to accomplish her task of ending the world, so I have plenty to keep me busy between then and now.
What’s your favorite thing about being a romance writer?
I love telling stories about all sorts of things, but being able to add emotions such as love, lust, or desire is challenging. Fear and anger are easy to invoke in a reader, but to make the reader feel the love that two characters feel isn’t easy. I’ve read romances that come off as flat. They talk about loving each other, but you don’t feel it. It’s not as easy as it sounds. It can come off as cheesy or fake if you can’t get the right mix of emotions. I like the challenge and hope that people can connect to my characters.
Michelle Black lives an average life, but she is not an average woman. Plagued by nightmares of Hell and the unusual ability to see the sins of men, she stands apart from those around her. Deceived by a voice controlling her mind, she finds herself trapped in the place of her nightmares, Hell.
The Angel of Darkness tells her that she must now serve him, and she is forced to face the Realms of Torture. Strange things begin to happen when she senses that she is meant to be more than just a servant. Will she learn the truth about who she is and what she is destined to become before it’s too late?
The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness is the first book in the steamy Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series that introduces us to Michelle Black and her dark destiny. She must fight to survive in Hell as she searches for the terrifying truth about the darkness that resides deep inside of her.
Anjali has embraced her destiny to end the world, but now she must find her ten Harbingers, known as the Predznak. She is determined to find Alazar, the Angel of Death, the former leader of the Predznak, before her other angels. She fears that he has lost hope and is close to becoming a Rogue Angel.
Alazar has spent too many centuries waiting for his Master Anjali to come and claim him. Deception and lies have kept them apart, but now it’s too late. He has vowed to the other Predznak that he will kill their Master so that they can be free.
During her search for Alazar, Anjali meets the Spirit Experts, paranormal investigators who are on a collision course with the Angel of Death. Anjali finds herself strangely attracted to one of the Spirit Experts and decides to become a part of their group in an effort to keep them safe from her dangerous angel. Can Anjali stop Alazar from killing the Spirit Experts and destroying the surrounding town? Can she keep Lucifer in the dark about her affections for the mortal man? Will unseen enemies destroy all that Anjali holds dear?
The Third Throne: Angel of Death is the second book in the steamy Adult Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance series.
Tabitha Barret is a paranormal romance author who lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and three crazy dogs. She met her husband in Creative Writing classes in college, though it took a little convincing for him to ask her out. In her free time, of which she doesn’t have much, she reviews books by other authors, and writes a blog about tips and suggestions for future authors trying to publish their works. She is currently working on her “Third Throne” Series.
Welcome to Writer Wednesday! It’s a magical week, as today we’re hosting Linda Wisdom, author of books that will bewitch you (‘Cause she writes romances about witches and other fun, magickal things. See? I funny.)
What inspires you to write?
I’d have to say it’s the voices in my head. <G> Characters will either tap me on the shoulder or scream in my ear and tell me what I’m supposed to be doing. They usually like to do it when I’m out running errands. My Notepad app on my phone and tablet are handy for quickly writing down enough words to remind me what they were talking about.
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
I’d have to say paranormal/urban fantasy. I loved paranormal years ago before it was popular and was always searching for reading material. I started reading a lot of factual books about ghost towns and legends. It was soon easier to just write my own paranormal books, even if they weren’t popular back then.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
Talk to people already in the business so you don’t feel alone. I didn’t know anyone when I started out. I just sat down and wrote two books and was lucky enough to sell those two books to Silhouette Romance a month after submission. I didn’t meet another romance author for almost two years. RWA wasn’t around when I began. The first RWA conference was an eye-opener for me.
Find Hotel Hexhere, and Free Spiritshere. I hope you also visit Linda at her website.
Thanks so much for joining us, Linda! It’s been a delight.
A Man of Character is available RIGHT NOW in both Kindle and paperback formats from Amazon.
It’s a life-long dream come true, people.
I hope you’ll check it out, give it a chance, spread the word, let me know what you think.
If you’re willing to share this link, http://bit.ly/AManOfCharacter, on social media today, this week, next week, whenever, my racing little indie author heart thanks you from the very bottom of, well, itself.
If you read the book, thank you.
If you tell anyone about the book, thank you.
If you leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads, thank you.
I can’t say enough how much the support I’ve already received from my amazing family, friends, and writing community means to me. Knowing y’all are rooting for me makes all the difference.
I hope you love Cat’s story.
Here’s the blurb:
What would you do if you discovered the men you were dating were fictional characters you’d created long ago?
Thirty-five-year-old Catherine Schreiber has shelved love for good. Keeping her ailing bookstore afloat takes all her time, and she’s perfectly fine with that. So when several men ask her out in short order, she’s not sure what to do…especially since something about them seems eerily familiar.
Caught between fantasy and reality, Cat must decide which—or whom—she wants more.
Blending humor with unusual twists, including a magical manuscript, a computer scientist in shining armor, and even a Regency ball, A Man of Character tells a story not only of love, but also of the lengths we’ll go for friendship, self-discovery, and second chances.
Woo hoo! Wedneday! WRITER Wednesday. Today we’ve got Scarlet Darkwood, writer of avant garde fiction in the genres of erotica, romance, paranormal, horror, Gothic, thriller. Yup, a little bit of everything, and a whole lot of spicy fun! So settle in with that candy cane and cup of yummy Christmas chai, and learn a bit more about Ms. Darkwood.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00013]](http://margaretlocke.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/TamingBadebook.jpg)
Is biology a friend or foe? This question plagues Newton Grenfield daily. He believes that a man’s virility is the key to his masculinity, his identity. One man’s abundance is another’s curse. Newton discovers how cursed he really is when his libido refuses to shut down, spurring him on in the continual search for the right woman who will welcome his advances in the bedroom. Overeager attempts at finding love fall flat, earning him not only a cold shoulder from the ladies, but an angry father who decides treatment at The House, the local asylum, will do his son good. There’s one catch to this treatment the father demands of Dr. James, The House physician. He wants Newton’s antics stopped—for good.
Scarlet Darkwood is an author with Booktrope, as well as an indie author publishing other material. For more information about the latest concerning Scarlet and her work, sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Rt5HP
Lizzie T. Leaf books have heat, but humor comes into play too.
