Stephanie Cage - Writer

I don't often read erotic fiction but I make an exception for Queenie Black, because I enjoy her well-developed characters (no, that's not an innuendo) and exotic settings.  Today I've invited her to my blog to chat about her short story collection, 'Love Bites'.   When and how did you first become interested in writing?   I’ve written for almost as long as I’ve been reading and I was a fairly confident reader when I was four! I got my first ‘proper’ book when I was five and it was called The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton. I started by making up more stories about characters I liked or rewriting endings in my mind when I didn’t like the author’s. It was a kind of fan fiction I suppose. By the time I was in my third year at primary school I was writing short stories that were entered into National story writing competitions. So from about the age of seven I don’t think there was ever a time when I wasn’t writing stories or at least making them up. The four st...

It's a great pleasure to welcome to my blog today my multi-talented friend: author, actor and director Angela Wren.  Hi Angela! When and how did you first become interested in writing? I think it was story telling that first captured my attention as a very young child.  Apparently, from being only a few months old, I was mesmerised by voices, and I suppose I still am, as I have an uncanny ability to recognise voices in an instant.  When I was a little older I would listen to my Dad and my uncles telling me stories, for hours if I could, and all three of them were excellent narrators.  So bedtime stories were a must at home and later, when I was deemed too old to have them, I made up stories for myself.  Writing them down became the next logical step and I’ve been doing that since I was about 8 or 9. Where did the idea for Messandrierre come from?  The very first idea came whilst I was travelling in the Cévennes in September 2007.  Over...

Today I'm delighted to welcome Crimson Romance author Nancy C Weeks to my blog.  Hi Nancy!  When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? I think I have always wanted to be a writer but never thought it was something I could do. Honestly, I didn’t believe I was smart enough to write a book.   I don’t know why I had so little faith in myself. When I meet people now and hear my words coming out of their month, “OH, I could never write a whole book,” I give them a hug ― because I’m a big hugger — and tell them that they sure the heck can write a book if that’s their passion. How did you come to start writing Romantic Suspense? Since I love reading the excitement of romantic suspense almost as much as I love the romance, I decided to begin my writing career in that genre. I throw an element of supernatural into the suspense to add to the conflict and tension. ‘In the Shadow of Greed’ has both paranormal and hi-tech aspects to it – what did you do to r...

Today I'm delighted to welcome Sarah Grimm, author of 'After Midnight' and 'Not Without Risk'.  Hi Sarah!  I'm looking forward to hearing more about you and your books.  ‘After Midnight’ is a contemporary romance with a musical theme. Are you musical? Growing up our house was constantly filled with music. Whether it was The King and I or Anne Murray, Styx or Simon & Garfunkel, there was always music playing. We are a music loving family.   And on those rare occasions when the stereo wasn’t going, one of us was usually practicing for an upcoming band or orchestra performance. Me, I played the bass (string and electric). I was good at it, first chair. But what I always wanted to be good at—hell, great at—was playing the piano. I adore the piano, and it is that love that I put into AFTER MIDNIGHT. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the story? Honestly? I have no idea where the story came from. One day – many, many years ago...

Today I am delighted to be interviewing Katherine Grey, whose historical romances An Unexpected Gift and The Muse are published by The Wild Rose Press.  Welcome, Katherine.  Have you always written historical romances, or have you experimented with other genres? I wrote a mystery about a year or so ago but apparently didn’t do a very good job with the red herrings as my friend told me she figured out who the murderer was by the third chapter.   It’s currently sitting on the shelf in my closet. I’m not sure if I’ll revise it and try to sell it or use it as a learning experience. Can you tell us a bit about your most recent release and what inspired it? My most recent release is An Unexpected Gift . It’s about two damaged people finding each other while searching for their loved ones. The hero was a secondary character in my novella, The Muse . I couldn’t get him out of my head so I knew I had to write his story. You wrote ‘The Muse’ for the ‘Love Lett...

Today I'm interviewing Leanne Davis, whose first novel, 'Poison' is just out with The Wild Rose Press and is free for download for a limited time only - if this interview whets your appetite, you can find a link at the end.    Welcome, Leanne!  ‘Poison’ is a romantic suspense novel – what attracted you to the idea of writing romance with a villain? I was on vacation in Long Beach, Washington, (the fictional town of Seaclusion, where Poison takes place is based on it) and happened along the North Head Lighthouse which stands over the Columbia River during a bad storm. It seemed like something evil should happen there…and I began thinking about what it could be. I had long before written about my character’s John and Cassie as a high school romance. I decided to re-visit them   ten years later, and how   they could end up reuniting after a bitter betrayal. In order to give them some drama, I had Cassie have a violent ex-husband who is hunting her and h...

Today I'm delighted to be welcoming prolific romance author Rachel Brimble to my blog.  Based near the beautiful city of Bath, where I studied for my MA, Rachel has written a number of books for The Wild Rose Press and is now also published by romance giants Harlequin.  I'm in awe of Rachel's diligence and versatility, and excited to be finding out more about how she does it! Rachel, you write both historicals and contemporaries – do you find the process of writing varies depending on what kind of story you’re writing? Interestingly, not for me – I write character sketches for my hero, heroine and villain, followed by a two to three page synopsis. Throughout this process this tends to reveal the goal, motivation and conflict of the three main characters, which gives me the basis of the story. I write the first draft from start to finish, without looking back and then the hard work comes in drafts two and three. The only difference with my historicals is the ...

Hi Zoe!  Welcome to my Wednesday interview.  Can you tell us about ‘Dawn of a Dark Knight’ and what inspired you to write it? I grew up heavily influenced by Indiana Jones, James Bond, Star Trek, and Star Wars.   For books I started with Ann Rice and then got sucked into the paranormal romance world (and never looked back).   So, writing paranormals was a no brainer. For Dawn of a Dark Knight everything came together at the right creative moment — my love of Egyptian mythology, my long-time passion for archaeology, my ideas about a new type of paranormal hero and more. It all just gelled. In Dawn of a Dark Knight Dr. Kira Hardy jeopardizes her brilliant medical career to save Ashor Vlahos, Scimitar Magi commander, after a brutal daemon attack. Their attraction is instant and, for Ashor, forbidden.   As an ancient nemesis resurfaces and targets Kira, they face a crucial decision—follow the gods’ rules or follow their hearts. ‘Dawn of a Dark Knight’ ...

Today's interview is with multi-talented author Lisa Hannah Wells.  Welcome, Lisa.   You write in a long list of genres, including paranormal and contemporary romance.  Do you have plans to focus on one, or do you enjoy the variety? I truly enjoy the variety. I am never certain “who” will pop up next demanding their story told. Often, the genres are so totally different from one another. Then there is the fun I have of mixing genres. I rarely do things the same. I love the cover for ‘Be Still My Lover’s Heart.’  It reminds me of ‘Avatar’.  What books and films do you think have influenced you as a writer? I have always loved movies that had a paranormal theme, yet romantic. I’m not a horror fan. My favorite books are the “Outlander” series, most things by Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I also love great YA. Harry Potter, Cassandra Clare, James Patterson.  Tolkien is another great favorite. Furthermore, if I left out Science ...