The Stubborn Ox by Penelope Marzec

According to the Chinese Zodiac.  I was born in the year of the Ox. I never liked that designation.  An ox does not strike me as beautiful or graceful—and I would so much rather be compared with a more attractive animal.  I think of the Ox as big and strong so that it can pull a lot of weight but maybe that’s not a bad thing for an author to be.

               

As an Ox I am supposed to be endowed with certain traits.  One is stubbornness.  For an author, I believe stubbornness is not a negative attribute.  It can be a good thing because it takes persistence and determination to become published.  My stack of rejections proves exactly how determined I have been in my goal.  Without my single-minded dedication, I would have given up early on. Yes, the first rejection was the hardest, and every rejection still stings a little, but none of them ever swayed me from believing I could tell a good story.

              

 An Ox is also supposed to possess an excellent memory. This is extremely useful for an author.  I never know when some quirky fact in the back of my mind will lead to a wonderful plot twist.

               

Oxen are supposed to be methodical and reliable.  Those characteristics have gotten me through the dreaded edits of my books.

              

 Still, some of the characteristics ascribed to the Ox do not seem to fit my personality.  I read one guide that claimed a good career choice for an Ox would be as a horticulturist.  I have a sister who is a horticulturist.  She gives me plants she knows I am unlikely to kill—plants that need little sunlight and water or perennials that are much like weeds.

              

 In addition, an Ox is supposed to be most compatible with a rat, snake, or rooster.  I married a sheep, which according to Chinese astrology, I should never have married.  In fact, one guide claimed that we are mortal enemies.  Hubby and I can only laugh about that.  We celebrated out thirty-third anniversary.  But perhaps, that is because an Ox is loyal and makes an affectionate, faithful partner.

     

 For the coming year, I guess I’ll just keep plodding ahead in my ox-like way.  According to Chinese astrology, I might have a bit of good fortune in the coming year because the Tiger brings luck to everyone, but I might have to face some challenges.  However, since I’m big, strong, and stubborn that shouldn’t be a problem. I can pull my own weight.

Learn more about  Penelope Marzec on her website

             

Werewolves, the Hunky Heroic Kind By Terry Spear

In the beginning, werewolves were beasties. The idea any woman in her right mind would want to have one for a partner forever more was unthinkable. The werewolf guy would change without any choice when the full moon appeared. He’d lose any human thought and become a wild beast of prey. He wouldn’t care what he ate or killed. He just had the uncontrollable urge to do so.

In some stories, wolfbane might keep him from turning. In others, it would cause the shift. In yet others, it would kill the wolf. So it depends on the story you’re reading.

I’ve never used wolfbane in my stories. Maybe because of all the confusion as to what it might do to a werewolf. I try to keep my stories as realistic as possible. Why would wolfbane have any of the above effects on a werewolf? Now what if it were foxglove or oleander? Both are poisonous plants if ingested. But for anyone. Not just werewolves.

So let’s take another werewolf legend. Silver kills werewolves. Yes! I totally agree. And in Legend of the White Wolf, I explain why. My son and I were eating at a restaurant, and I mentioned to him how I wanted to do more research on silver, so he pulled out his phone and began looking up information on the Internet. I was jotting down notes on a napkin, excited about a new direction for my story, while he was reading off the information to me. Then the beef fajitas came and *sigh,* I was pulled away from my love of all things wolf.

I loved Miracle on 34^th Street. Is Santa Claus real? Of course. The U.S. Post Office proved it by collecting thousands of letters for Santa Claus. What about werewolves? What proof is there that they exist?

Werewolf trials existed centuries ago, proving that some people were truly werewolves. So even if the majority of folks don’t believe, some did. What about Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness monster? Believers actually search for them, sightings reported, why not werewolves?

Well, in Legend of the White Wolf, some do believe in werewolves, and it’s not a good thing for the werewolf pack in the area.

Although the original concept for werewolves was that they turned into a hideous kind of beast, not a handsome wolf, in mine, I couldn’t see a woman wanting a man who looked so beastly when he was in his wolf skin. Plus, how could people not see something so different from a real wolf whenever werewolves shifted into their wolf forms? So mine are wolves, just like real ones, except they have a human conscience and when in their human forms, they still have their wolf senses. But more than that, they have the wolf pack mentality—the desire to protect their mate and pack members, to commit for a lifetime, and to cherish their offspring. They’re beautiful as wolves, and hunks as humans. What more could you ask for in a wolfish kind of guy?

Terry Spear

www.terryspear.com

http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com/

http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/

http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/home.php?ref=home

http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/legend-of-the-white-wolf-being-shipped/#comment-4502

Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner Review

 Eternal Seduction

  Jennifer Turner

Dark Dreams Press Electronic Edition / October 2008 

 After living on the streets of New York City for over a decade, Logan Ellis admits her perceptions might be a little skewed. But twisted or not, there's a satisfying irony in watching a well dressed vampire stand in the middle of a ghetto alley, windblown trash scraping small circles near his feet. What she finds even more intriguing, is waiting for him to decide whether or not he's going to kill her. Kerestyan Nelek hasn't quite made up his mind. As the Lord of New York, he can't allow a homeless drug addict, whose memories are packed with knowledge of vampiric existence, to run free in his city. It's not the first time he's been in this situation with a human, it's just the first time in thousands of years he's come face to face with one who doesn't seem to care. And that's what makes the decision so damn difficult. What horrors would you have to witness before you went numb? How many years would it take for you to feel that way? What would it take to make you care again? Logan's answers are simple: the worst humanity has to offer, almost thirty...and something she never expected.

(Synopsis by Amazon.com)

 5/5 Screams

Reviewed by Heidi

 

    Jennifer Turner's book, "Eternal Seduction" is a novel of unique surprise and exquisite dialogue. It is filled with rich imagery and like a well crafted play springs to life from the first moment that the eyes comes into contact with the

printed page. Few writers know how to make it all work out on the printed page, but Jennifer Turner has that remarkable talent of putting scenes, dialogue, and action together in this storyline that is almost like being treated to a fine batch of Godiva Chocolate and ice cream.  There does not seem to any flaws in it nor anything that needs to be rewritten.

    I loved the way that Jennifer Turner never "tweaked" Logan and Vouclade who become more than a little fond of her because she knows what they are, yet she does not fear them or treat them badly for being Vampires. There is a lot of love between the group because they are family in the blood as well as in bonding,and like most typical brothers they show it with kidding and wisecracks from time to time.  

I give this book a five out of five screams...I am planning to stand in line for Jennifer Turner;s next book as soon as I hear about it being printed.

Heidi
Buy this book here -   From Amazon

Where's the love? by Jennifer Turner

Where's the love?

Is the book you’re reading Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy? Truthfully, I’m an author in the genre and I still don’t know what the difference is. Some say Urban Fantasy is Paranormal Romance with a lot less emphasis on the romance. Others will tell you Urban Fantasy is just the new name for Paranormal Romance. But either way you go, you’re inevitably dealing with a world darker than what you’d find in most traditional romance novels.

I’ve been asked a number of times why I chose to bill my series as Dark Paranormal Romance instead of Urban Fantasy, and for me, the answer is always the same: I don’t want to lose the romance. Part of the appeal of setting my stories in a darker world is because when the romance happens, it means far more. When you’re thrust into a situation that threatens everything you know – a single look or touch can change everything.

Take Logan Ellis and Kerestyan Nelek from my debut novel Eternal Seduction. Logan is everything a heroine shouldn’t be. She’s homeless, addicted to drugs, detached from the world around her, and is nearly as jaded as some of the ancient vampires she finds herself involved with. So in the moments when she accepts Kerestyan’s offered hand or actually reaches for his, the simple gesture means so much more.

Here’s an example:

Logan squeezed Kerestyan’s hand when he laced his fingers between hers and gently pulled her around to face him. He gazed down at her, his blue eyes burning with emotions she couldn’t place. “Are you ready?”

She did her best to offer him a confident smile, but ended up shaking her head. “Honestly, no.” She reached up and smoothed the cascade of black hair spilling over his shoulder. “I was just starting to come to terms with being your prisoner, Lord Vampire.”

She shivered as he brushed the backs of his warm fingers down her cheeks before curling them behind her neck. He pressed his forehead to hers then closed his eyes and inhaled the steam her breath created as it mingled with the cold air.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. He just stood there, his soft lips barely touching hers, breathing in her breath as though he needed it as much as she did.

That particular scene happens about halfway through the book. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I honestly don’t think it would have the same meaning if Logan wasn’t a darker character. Her nature allows some of the most overlooked gestures to become romantic: a shared look from across the room, Kerestyan’s strong hand at the small of her back, his warm lips against her cheek. For a heroine like Logan, who’s lost her faith in the world around her and cares about very little, a single look or gentle touch means more than flowers or candy ever could.

Personally, I thrive on writing a dark and dangerous world. I love finding characters who bend and break the traditional molds and give me a chance to paint love and romance in new ways. After all, you probably have a different idea of what love is than the person sitting next to you, and the characters you read about are no different. One person’s vision of a happily ever after may include a ring and a declaration of undying love, while another’s might be the realization that the person standing across from them makes them believe that love really is possible. I think romance, and the perception thereof, works the same way.

So that’s why I resist the Urban Fantasy moniker for my Dark Paranormal Romance series. If you take out the romance, what are you left with? Earth shattering battle sequences where the male and female leads just “like” each other? If that’s your thing, by all means – read what you like. :) But I’ll always be a fan of the story where a man and woman fight to overcome the odds together and find a way to pull each other from the darkness.

Jen Turner
http://www.darknesswithinnovels.com/home.html 

The Horn of Plenty - By Angel Leigh McCoy

The Horn of Plenty
By Angel Leigh McCoy

Paranormal romance has evolved (as have its readers) over the decades. When I was a girl, growing up in Midwestern cornfields, I had my view of romance sculpted by the gothic romance novels I devoured like candy. I’d pick up any book that had a woman standing against a stormy background of castle, full moon, and ominous shadows.

I’ve heard the older genre called gothic romance, gothic horror, and Gothick. The central elements of the stories were spookiness, mystery, and romance—a volatile combination. These novels are the ancestors of what we today call supernatural or paranormal romance. They invariably feature a brave and intelligent young woman endangered by a murderer or supernatural being such as a ghost.


I am grateful for the many hours of pleasure I took from them, and the inspiration they gave me to be a strong, willful woman who loves with all her heart.


I want to share three of my favorite twentieth-century novelists with you, so you too can go back and read some of the classics that broke the trail for writers like Charlaine Harris, Sherilyn Kenyon, Laurell K. Hamilton, and many others.

• Eleanor Hibbert published her first novel in 1941 under the name Eleanor Buford. Over the years, she used many pseudonyms you might recognize: Victoria Holt, Anne Percival, Jean Plaidy, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, and Ellalice Tate. She published her last novel in 1995. Over the course of her writing career, she sold more than 100 million copies.
  
  
• Mary Stewart wrote her first novel in 1955 and continued to write for the next forty-two years. I have read most of her books, and they rank among my personal favorites.
  
  
• Barbara Mertz, also known as Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels, published her first novel in 1966. She is still writing today, at the age of 82. Barbara wrote the hugely popular Amelia Peabody series, which to this day, has 18 volumes. Her other famous serial characters include Vicky Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby.

Next time you’re waiting for your favorite author to put out his/her next book, pull an old gem from the cornucopia provided by these novelists. Reading them is like going home for Thanksgiving; it’s an experience full of nostaligia, secrets, drama, and love.

------------------------------------------------------
Angel Leigh McCoy, writer, editor, game designer
http://www.angelleigh.com


Wily speculative fiction downloads in audio and text formats, for grown-ups: http://www.wilywriters.com

Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark Series

So here it is the nitty gritty - down and dirty - how I feel about the Immortals After Dark Series.
WRITE FASTER!  Umm... Not that I am obsessive or nothing.  I mean I only buy the books the minute they come out.  So now to the series.
As with all series it has its ups and its downs.  Ones I reread till my copy is dead.  And heck I lost my first copy of A Hunger Like No Other and bought ANOTHER!  If you knew what a cheapo I am you would understand.  One or two on the other hand I have not cracked open after the first reading.  Intensity is the word I would use to describe the writing, and based on personal preference some appeal more then others, but they all moved me at one moment or another.  

In A Hunger Like No Other Lachlain MacRieve our sexy werewolf hero is willing to break his own leg and crawl out of imprisonment at the scent of his mate.  Emmaline Troy, part Valkyrie part Vampire is quite the match, her insecurities and the intensity of the relationship building between the two grips my heart.  Vampires are not a much liked race in the world of the Lore - all things out of the ordinary - but he worries about her so much that he feeds her his blood while she is asleep to try and make her stronger, though it slows his own healing.  Heart ache.  You would think I asked my boyfriend for the moon when he can't reach the remote from where he is and has to get up to get it for me.

I am a sucker for destined mates.  And great big soul burning love.  All of which the books in the series have to varying degrees.  Certain heros just call to us, or in some of the books it has been the heroine.  In the very best of her books both called to me equally.  Now the stories tend to keep it all in the family, well on the Valkyrie side they are not exactly siblings but if you live in the same house you are family.  So we got a set of four Wroth Brothers all vamps, two Demon Brothers, all the Valkyrie in Val Hall, and the men of the Lykae Clan - Werewolves - The next book Pleasure a Dark Prince - due out in February - read forever - is my love from Hunger's younger brother.  Yippy skippy - a love a cuddly wolf story!

So which did not light my fire and which did?  Well I already told you one that warms my heart, so now the ones that did it for me less, which are the stories with the Vampire Wroth Brothers.  I liked No Rest for the Wicked, cause I liked our heroine Kaderin the Cold Hearted.  Dark Needs at Nights Edge?  Oh I liked this Wroth brother, tortured and burdened, is it getting hot in here?  Now his ghostly love I could take or leave.    Kiss of a Demon King - adore them both!  Oh the intensity between the two, the tension Kresley Cole builds gets me in the guts, which is the highest praise I can give an author.  


Authors walk this tight rope - and it is hard, I know it is hard - between getting books out fast and making them the best they can possibly be.  A few of the books in the series may have fallen prey to this.  I have moments in Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night where I say - I love it, it is one of the best out there, but I feel a bit rushed in the story.  That is why A Hunger Like No Other and Kiss of a Demon King stand out.  The pressure builds and builds and develops throughout the story until I feel like I will explode from everything the characters are going through.


In short, they are all great, and though I wait with baited breath and need to concentrate to suppress my excitement about the next book in the series, take your time Ms. Cole.  I can always read the others again and again while I wait. 
Find out all about Kresley Coles Books on her site. - http://kresleycole.com/

A Tale of Tail - by Inez Kelly

With animal shifters, specifically cat shifters, you cannot ignore the tail. True there are more aesthetically appealing things to write about. Cat eyes are mesmerizing in shape and color, the slanted mysterious glow, the unblinking stare. The purr lends itself to all sorts of romantic and sexual connotations. The hiss of a feline leaves no room for confusion- Hiss = fury. Glossy coats, the sensual gait, the sleek muscles all are feline images that add well to the sexual verve of a cat shifter.

Then you have the tail, an appendage that humans don’t have. So how can you enliven it with human characteristics? One way is to translate tail = ass which does work in some instances. But not all. Any time spent watching a feline, whether house cat or big cat, and you will discover the tail is much more than an extension of the rump. It is a warning system. The minute flickering of the tail tip, the quiver of a stiff tail, the puffed fur when agitated are all clues into the cat’s mindset.

Long leisurely swipes of a tail when a cat is stretched into the sun are kind of like a human, relaxing, idly fingering a blanket or other object. It is a sign of contentment. When preparing to pounce, the cat’s tail will sway, jerking in readiness to balance those powerful haunches to give the most lift, the most grace. Tail held high when passing another cat is a way of saying ‘hey, how are you, I am not threat, smell my butt, no aggressiveness here’. A tail curled tight to the body means ‘I don’t feel comfortable here and you better be wary’.

It would be a mistake for writers to just stick a tail on a cat shifter without thought. What is the tail doing at that minute, what is the cat’s mood, how is it communicating with us in that silent language? Those are things one must ask to adequately convey the emotion of the nonverbal animal. The tail talks. You just have to listen to hear what it is saying.

In my fantasy romance MYLA BY MOONLIGHT, Myla is a jaguar shifter. Her jag’s tail is a warning. At one point specifically, the prince realizes her tail is twitching, waiting to balance a leap. When combined with her flattened ears and snarling growl…Myla is a miffed kitty about to attack. He calls her down. He read the signs. Another time, when she is in human form, she mimics her jag by presenting and shaking her tail at him, a sexual ‘hey big boy, wanna play?’ Of course he does. Most romance heroes, and most human men are not going to pass up a prime opportunity to get a little tail.

Tails, like tales, carry meaning. So what’s your tail saying?

MYLA BY MOONLIGHT is available now from Samhain Publishing.  INEZ KELLEY writes romantic fantasy and romantic comedy. Visit Inez Kelley at http://inezkelley.com/

DRM
I do and its fun to do.
What do you like to read Madonna?
M. L.
Well, I have three granddaughters so I do read a lot of YA, just so we can talk ..  read Steve Berry, Rick Riordan (both his YA and adult)  Fun things, I don't like sad stories, I don't read a lot of blood and gore I've read Harry Potter, Twilight, things like that.
DRM
Don't really like horror?
M. L.
Not really into horror...  My books may get a little darker as they go on, but nothing to pull the bed covers over your head...Just make ya want to smack Esmeralda around.
DRM
Don't like Esmeralda  Thomas has possibilities.
M. L.
Thomas has a LOT of possibilities. 
Yes he does I can't wait to see what happens Emeralda isn't happy though Where did she come from?
M. L.
She is your typical bully, You will enjoy it. I have two beta readers - I made one cry and the other had to go cook!
DRM
I'm jealous!
DRM
You mix and match myth and legend where did the Native American information come from?
M. L.
My father was a very big arrowhead collector. I loved the old westerns, I really liked Dances with Wolves so I just added him - Gram Greene.
DRM
I had a hard time in the beginning of your book it seemed a bit slow...I kept thinking where is the young Bree’s story?  is there a reason you kept it under wraps and showed it in pieces? 
M. L.
I tried to give you the information up front so Bree could continue the story.  All the books will start like that...bring the reader up to speed  That way I don't have to do a lot of that in the story.  Because the first book had a lot of the past, the next books are very current
DRM
Bree is very relatable.
M. L.
I wanted her to be that way and I'm glad it came across.
DRM
She is real and has lived life do you think that readers enjoy that versus the heroine that has never had an issue in her life?
M. L.
I think so, it's easier to put yourself in her shoes then it is to someone who has never had any problems - we all have problems
DRM
In my review I describe your writing like that of an artist.  It's like a painting to me with all the bright colorful strokes yet the shadow of what is going to happen down the road .  do you see your self in that way or just a woman who has a story to tell.
M. L.
I see myself as a story teller. I enjoy it. I am working hard to perfect it.
DRM
Do you write full time?
M. L.
No, unfortunately I work full time, I write at night, a couple of hours on the weekend. I can write it pretty fast cause I'm always thinking about it - when it's done i walk away then come back and begin my edits, changes, deletes.
DRM
That must be hard to edit your own work?
M. L.
I read and re-read then I had it off to Mikki (My editor) she does more edits, makes suggestions and hands it back.  Then I edit and rewrite email her the changes and then one finally read through.
DRM
That is a question I often wonder about given the mistakes I have read in many published works.
M. L.
I found a few in mine too. So many words.  Oh oh....House is on!
DRM
Thank you for your time Madonna.
M. L.
I look forward to your review and hearing from you once in a while.
DRM
Me too.  Thank you.


Read Doni's Review of Chrysalis The Awakening - Here

Interview with R.F. Long

Terry Kate: I would like to welcome Author R F Long to the Backseat today to talk a little about her books.

R.F. Long: Thanks very much for having me, Terry.

 
TK: So what is it about the genre you write that appeals to you the most?

RFL: I write in two genres, one of which came from the other. The first is Fantasy, and the second Paranormal Romance. The thing I love most about them is the sense that everything is bigger - problems are life or death, worlds can be altered by the actions of the characters, and love really can be life saving.
My fantasy stories are set in worlds of my own imagining, but the paranormal romance take place in our world, where the world of magic bleeds through. Both have their own challenges and both are really exciting to write.
 
TK: Big Drama is appealing, but would you want to live it?
 
RFL: Oh no, I'm a total coward. Especially when you look at some of the things I put my characters through. I don't think there's any way I would be strong enough!!! I'm a really mean author.
 
TK: I hear that a lot from authors. That they torture their characters, where does that come from? Any ideas?
 
RFL: I've just been reminded by my other half that when a very good friend of ours beta-read The Scroll Thief, he came into the house and the first thing he said to my husband was "I'm a little worried for you". :D
I think a lot of it is that characters torture us (by not giving us all the information we need, refusing to follow orders etc) so we have to get the last word.
It's also a case, especially in fantasy, you have to keep raising the stakes in order to see what a hero or heroine is truly made of, to see them rise about the most dreadful things. It's one of the reasons it’s such an exciting and, I believe, insightful genre.
 
TK: So are you saying you are cruel to be kind so your characters reach their greatest potential?
 
RLF: I think so.
But sometimes I'm just mean.
(Just kidding!) 
 
TK: Aren't we all.
Did you ever think you had given a character too much?
That they might not overcome?
 

RFL: I had some very dark moments writing The Scroll Thief. Trask and Malachy (the two heroes) are put through so much that I wondered for a while how I would pull them out of it. But I believe that's why the ending works. If it’s clear to a reader that it's all going to be all right in the end, they aren't going to get drawn into the suspense. Similarly with Soul Fire, the Sidhe Prince Daire has his doubts. There's no way he can win through at the end, not on his own and he has to think his way through his problem rather than just blindly attack. I love an action hero, but I like them to have a brain as well. Indiana Jones, one might say.
Oh, and with Shan from The Wolf's Sister and the forthcoming novella The Wolf's Mate... well, lets just say if you thought he had a hard time in the first two stories, wait until you see what I'm doing to him in the third (which I'm currently writing). *resists urge to laugh manically*
 
TK:  Is it only your boys your torture?
 
RLF: No, not at all. I'm mean to everyone. I'm an equal opportunities meanie.
Although I do tend to put the girls through a large amount of anguish and the boys through a large amount of physical pain. There are exceptions. The worlds in which a lot of my stories are set are pretty brutal places. Even the paranormal romances have characters that come from ancient legends - they aren't forgiving to anyone who stands against them regardless of their gender.
I'm just thinking back on The Scroll Thief and actually, I pretty much torture everyone.
 
TK:  Well I can not wait for the newest book.  I like mean authors.

RFL: Thanks again for having me here today.

“The Scroll Thief” will be out in paperback on 1^st December 2009 and is available for pre-order in all the usual places. “The Wolf’s Sister”, “The Scroll Thief” and “Soul Fire” are all currently available as ebooks. “The Wolf’s Mate”, sequel to “The Wolf’s Sister” will be out in ebook format in January 2010. You can find out more at www.rflong.com or http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/r-f-long, or follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/rflong

Interview with Kerry L. Marzock

I would like to welcome Paranormal author Kerry L. Marzock to Nightmare in the Backseat.  Kerry, will your books give us nightmares?

KM:  Maybe some small ones, but then that’s what a horror writer hopes to do.  I think the Raven series is a very good mix of horror, action, strange romance, some levity, and of course, we need a little bit of blood and gore mixed in there as well.
TK:  Oh yes, our lives in this modern world certainly does lack blood and gore.  Well unless you are a doctor or something.

KM:  For sure, but what's a good horror novel without any?  I think horror and science fiction have always given readers a chance to get lost into something other than their normal daily lives.  At least it has been for me since I was a young child.
 TK:  If the blood was wet and real would it still be as fascinating for you?

KM:  Ha, not sure there, I probably would get a little squeamish, but one part of what I write about, shape shifting, has always enthralled me, so that would definitely be fascinating, not sure if the blood which probably would come as a result of that when on the hunt.
 TK:  It seems like readers today want to escape to a simpler, more animal level of experiential existence as part of the appeal of were - characters.  Is there any of that in it for you?

KM:  I definitely think so.  Life is hard enough on an everyday basis and sometimes (as mere humans) we feel a little inadequate possibly to handle situations that require more hostility I guess.  But changing into an animal, or for that matter, any other type of creature, gives a person a chance to escape and be somebody, or something else, at least for a little while.  I prefer the wolf as my beast, but it seems that creatures which prey on others are the were-beasts of choice such as bears, large cats, etc.  Who wants to be a rabbit, a squirrel, or a llama?
TK:  I would be a gentle giant and be a panda - or my boyfriend's nickname for me is bunny - it might be fun to hop around every once in a while.

 KM:  Hey, panda's are really cute, but you know they have their mean, cantankerous side so your boyfriend better watch out *smile*.  Plus, I hope you like bamboo and watch out for those animals of prey.
TK:  Or Panda Express if "Corporate America" can be believed.  So, you are choosing wolf as your alter ego?
KM:  Oh, absolutely, they are incredible animals and I’ve always had this love affair with wolves.
TK: Lions are pretty bad ass too.

KM:  I love big cats as well, probably more like a jaguar or panther than the lion.  Panthers are incredibly beautiful creatures and move with such grace, speed and stealth.  There was a great older movie, "Cat People", from 1942 that was really good and the revised version in the 1980’s was pretty good also.  The music to that movie was awesome, very eerie and haunting.   (Read Kerry's Review of the Movie Here)
TK:  So tell me about your books, mythology and how you came up with it?

KM:  Okay..."Raven's Way" starts out in Philadelphia where both books, including the 3rd one, take place primarily.  The two main characters are Johnny Raven, part of a race of shape shifters which has lived among humanity for longer than anyone could imagine...he is on a mission of revenge searching for the monster that slew his mate and unborn child...this brings him to Philly where he meets up with a Philadelphia police detective, Kathleen Morello.  That is where the strange romance takes place and where her life is altered forever.  The book takes them on this dizzying search for the killer, but other characters are brought into the book as well which ends up in a major battle on the fields of Valley Forge Park.  Philadelphia has many very cool locations for a horror story.  The second book "Raven’s Rage" takes up where the first leaves off with the same characters that survived the first book and introduces more incredibly interesting characters, including more of vampire influence.  I also go into much more historical background of my race of shape shifters and how they came about. In addition, I tuck in some history of Philadelphia.
TK:  So what made you decide to let the bloodletters come to the party table?

KM:  Equal opportunity monsters *smile*, but I thought it added to the intrigue and drama, opened up more characters for me to explore and build upon.  I also didn't want the main characters to become stale, plus the vamp influence gives me more storyline avenues to explore, not only separate, but combined...and I also have always been interested in vampires as well as being a horror junkie, so it broadened my creative abilities.  The final battle in "Rage" will hopefully be really enjoyed because it takes place in an incredibly interesting and eerie locale here in Philly. 

TK:  Oh please do broaden your horizons to dead dudes.

KM:  Yeah, absolutely, and there are always others to bring in if I so desire.  In fact, the first chapter of the third Raven novel starts out with vampire hunters.  Being a voracious reader as well, I really enjoy the series aspect of writing and being drawn towards writers who continue their sagas and characters.  I think it gives the reader a chance to really desire more and then look forward to the next release.
TK:  Yes, even deader dudes, like Zombies.
KM: Zombies are cool, but I'm not sure if I'll go there, at least not yet, though there is always the possibility of a separate book down the line.  I've also always been intrigued by aliens so that is a possibility as well when I decide to stop the Raven series at some point, or develop something different.  I am also working at this time of my first fantasy novel and hope to have it done by spring of 2010.
TK:  Oh come on - a war uniting the Weres and Vamps to fight off Alien invasion would be cool!

KM:  There you go, giving me some more ideas...were's meet ET (and not the cute little bugger either that says “I’ll be right here.”)  Alien movies have always been some of the coolest to watch.
TK:  Has Hollywood ever come close to showing what your wolves look like?
KM:  I think so.  My books actually have the normal, stereotypical werewolf that changes under the full moon, much as in "The Howling" which is a movie that I loved.  My race of shape shifters I think lean more towards those in the movies like the recent "Blood and Chocolate" and the older film "Wolfen", with Albert Finney that I thought was great.  My race of shape shifters are named weregunes and can turn into wolves at any time.  I loved how the movie "Blood and Chocolate" changed the humans into wolves, and the ending in "Wolfen" was fantastic.
TK:  You seem to be quite the movie buff.

KM:  If it's about werewolves and shape shifters then I'm in the front row.  I've also read extensively in that part of the horror genre and have a large collection of werewolf novels.  I've really considered all the incredible authors that I've read over these many years as my own instructors/tutors/professors *smile*.  And when I write, I try to really visualize everything in my mind so that it's almost a movie playing on the screen, and of course, nothing would thrill me more than to see the Raven series on the silver screen...so move over Twilight.
TK:  When the day comes I will be there opening night to write my review.

KM:  You'll have a seat right beside me with plenty of popcorn.
TK:  Thanks so much for taking the time to give us the behind the scenes of the Raven Series world.

KM:  Thank you for having me Terry and I hope that anybody who reads the Raven books will have as much enjoyment as I have had in writing them and will continue to have for hopefully a long time.

TK:  Thank you Kerry!  You can find her books at http://www.soulasylumpoetry.com,   www.amazon.com,   www.barnesandnoble.com.  You can also check out her web site at:  http://mysticwolfpa.tripod.com//index.html , and her blog at:  http://www.kmarzock714.wordpress.com