Demon Mine
Demons Series Book 1
by Marina Simcoe
Genre: Paranormal Romance
They are big, strong and silent. Their faces are hidden behind masks and their bodies are enclosed in armor suits. They took me from my home in the middle of the night and have been holding me in isolation for months. I don't fully understand the purpose of my captivity. No one explains anything to me. No one even talks to me.
Nearly driven to madness with no more hope for freedom, I no longer care if I live or die.
And then he speaks to me. Just a few words . . . He throws me a lifeline and helps me find my way back to sanity. He becomes my only companion. My light in the darkness.
I suspect they may not be entirely human. What's worse is that he may be one of them.
New Edition, 2018
Warning: Demon Mine is a paranormal romance with dark elements. It contains sexual situations, graphic descriptions of intimacy, and potential triggers. Intended for mature readers.
Goodreads * Amazon
Nearly driven to madness with no more hope for freedom, I no longer care if I live or die.
And then he speaks to me. Just a few words . . . He throws me a lifeline and helps me find my way back to sanity. He becomes my only companion. My light in the darkness.
I suspect they may not be entirely human. What's worse is that he may be one of them.
New Edition, 2018
Warning: Demon Mine is a paranormal romance with dark elements. It contains sexual situations, graphic descriptions of intimacy, and potential triggers. Intended for mature readers.
Goodreads * Amazon
He brushed loose hairs away from my face and peppered light kisses on my forehead.
Calming under his caresses, I was slowly regaining the clarity of thought. His breath felt like a minty-cool breeze against the skin on my temple, leaving behind a subtle chilling sensation like melting snowflakes. And I recognized the reason of my unexpected calmness—he was taking my stress and worry away from me, soothing me in the most efficient way possible.
“Don’t, Sytrius!” I gasped, recoiling away from him. “You can’t afford to get sick right now.”
But, he drew me back to him. “None of your feelings could ever hurt me again. We are one and the same, Alyssa. You and me.”
The door opened, and Andras walked in. Lost in each other, neither of us offered him any greeting.
“You don’t have to go through with this.” Sytrius’s voice sounded firm, as if he had made a decision. “We’ll leave. I’ll take you away from everything here.”
“What?” I exhaled in shock. “We can’t—”
“What is going on?” Andras stood behind Sytrius.
“I need to get Alyssa out of here. We’re leaving the country,” he replied to Andras, without taking his eyes off me.
Andras’s chest rose with a deep inhale.
“You may never get another hearing.” He frowned, but his voice remained even.
Sytrius ignored him.
“We’ll leave. Right now.” He made a move to get up.
“Sytrius, what are you talking about?” I stopped him, my mind reeling from the sudden change in him.
“I’ll take you far away from this place. We’ll never have to come back.”
Was it possible? Did a place where we could be truly safe exist? Could we raise a family in peace? Would they ever leave us alone?
I desperately wished with all my heart for it to be true.
“They will never stop hunting you,” Andras said gravely.
Sytrius paid him no attention.
“Eighty years, Alyssa. You’ve asked me for eighty years, and I’m giving them to you. We can hide. I will keep you safe.”
Run, again. Hide.
I glanced at Andras.
“Do you honestly believe we have a good chance tonight?”
He met my gaze straight on.
“No one would guarantee it. But I do believe the mood in the Council is sympathetic, yes. I would never urge you to come if I believed it was hopeless, Alyssa.”
“This is not just about me, is it?” I replied slowly and turned back to Sytrius. “Not even about us. The hearing, tonight . . . It may help others—”
“I don't care about others.” Sytrius’s voice rose, his fingers dug into my arms. “Don’t you see, Alyssa? You are the only one who matters to me. You are my everything. Your happiness is my mission in life, my purpose. Without it, none of it makes sense.”
“Sytrius.” Andras stepped closer. His frown deepened. A note of steely determination cut through his voice. “If you don’t show up tonight, you’ll have both Councils on your heels. There is no place on Earth where they won’t find you. Sooner or later—”
“Eighty years, Andras,” Sytrius threw over his shoulder. “I can outrun them for eighty years.”
“And then?” I whispered, sensing that his resolve was born from desperation.
“Then, it doesn't matter.”
“It matters to me. Your life, your happiness matter to me, Sytrius. If we run, they may forget about me after a while, but they’ll never forget about you. Sooner or later, they will find you. And they will punish you.”
Capture him, sentence and torture him . . . And, I might not even be around by then to be able to make any difference at all.
“Alyssa. Look at you. I don’t need to have the insight of a demon to see that you’re terrified. You’re shaking. Your face is white like the walls in this room. And I’m supposed to drag you right into the snake pit tonight?”
“It’s not about me!” I repeated, louder this time to match the volume of his voice.
No, it was so much more than me. Even more than I had thought. Now, there was a baby, too. What would he do if I told him about the baby right now, frantic as he was? Would anyone be able to reason with him at all? At the moment it seemed the news of this magnitude would just send him into a tailspin, stripping him of any control.
“Everything is about you, Alyssa!” He bellowed, rising to his feet. I could see his body vibrate with strain as he began to pace in front of me.
“Sytrius. You need to calm down.” Andras’s words had the exact opposite effect. Sytrius spun on his heel to face him.
“Calm? Calm!” He roared, his hands fisted at his sides. “Calm is lack of emotion, Andras. A void. An absolute nothingness! I’d spent centuries in it before she drew me into the light. I’m not risking a hair off her head for either demons or humans.”
Andras’s eyes narrowed, and his hands formed tight fists, too.
Anxious that their fists might be put to work next, I jumped off the bed and circled my arms around Sytrius’s middle, pressing my face to his back.
“Don’t. Please.”
His chest heaved, his heart thundered frantically against my cheek, and I squeezed my eyes tight. How on Earth could I spring my news on him now, even if it tore me apart to keep it inside?
“You need to calm down, Sytrius.” Andras repeated, inhaling deeply himself. “I understand more than you realize what you have at stake. But tonight, you need to keep a level head. It may mean all the difference between your freedom and incarceration. Between her life and death.”
Sytrius’s back stiffened under my cheek, and Andras continued before he could interrupt him.
“The hearing is your chance. Both of you. I give you my promise to get Alyssa out of there safe and sound, no matter what. She will be safe.”
Sytrius held still in my embrace, even as his body shook with tension. I wished I could do for him what he had done for me so many times—take his stress and his worry. I would gladly suffer his pain for him.
He had been my rock—my constant source of hope and strength—ever since he came into my life. Now, it was my turn to be strong, to give him faith.
I braced myself before voicing my decision.
“We’ll go to the hearing tonight,” I started. He stirred in my arms, but I tightened my hold around him, not ready to meet his penetrating gaze yet. I needed to rein in my emotions first, before I could let him see them.
The baby.
The thought shot through me again, and I forced it back with everything I had.
Not now.
I couldn’t tell him now. I had to believe that tonight would be the beginning of our new life and that I would have the chance to share the news with him when all of this was over. I needed to have this faith, because I had to give it to him now to help him win tonight.
“Together, Sytrius. We’ll go through all of this together.”
“Alyssa.”
Finally, I let him turn around in my arms to face me.
“It’s our chance for freedom, Sytrius. Yours and mine.” I let him stare at me, my emotions on display. My decision made, the messy hurricane of fear, worry, panic, and anxiety was still there, but it was now buried under a solid concrete block of focus and determination, which I used to strengthen my voice as I spoke. “If we run, we’ll never be free. Living in hiding, constantly looking over our shoulders in fear of being captured and separated would be just another kind of jail.” I raised my hands to his face, letting my voice cradle him in softness now. “We need to have faith, my love. I believe in you.”
Calming under his caresses, I was slowly regaining the clarity of thought. His breath felt like a minty-cool breeze against the skin on my temple, leaving behind a subtle chilling sensation like melting snowflakes. And I recognized the reason of my unexpected calmness—he was taking my stress and worry away from me, soothing me in the most efficient way possible.
“Don’t, Sytrius!” I gasped, recoiling away from him. “You can’t afford to get sick right now.”
But, he drew me back to him. “None of your feelings could ever hurt me again. We are one and the same, Alyssa. You and me.”
The door opened, and Andras walked in. Lost in each other, neither of us offered him any greeting.
“You don’t have to go through with this.” Sytrius’s voice sounded firm, as if he had made a decision. “We’ll leave. I’ll take you away from everything here.”
“What?” I exhaled in shock. “We can’t—”
“What is going on?” Andras stood behind Sytrius.
“I need to get Alyssa out of here. We’re leaving the country,” he replied to Andras, without taking his eyes off me.
Andras’s chest rose with a deep inhale.
“You may never get another hearing.” He frowned, but his voice remained even.
Sytrius ignored him.
“We’ll leave. Right now.” He made a move to get up.
“Sytrius, what are you talking about?” I stopped him, my mind reeling from the sudden change in him.
“I’ll take you far away from this place. We’ll never have to come back.”
Was it possible? Did a place where we could be truly safe exist? Could we raise a family in peace? Would they ever leave us alone?
I desperately wished with all my heart for it to be true.
“They will never stop hunting you,” Andras said gravely.
Sytrius paid him no attention.
“Eighty years, Alyssa. You’ve asked me for eighty years, and I’m giving them to you. We can hide. I will keep you safe.”
Run, again. Hide.
I glanced at Andras.
“Do you honestly believe we have a good chance tonight?”
He met my gaze straight on.
“No one would guarantee it. But I do believe the mood in the Council is sympathetic, yes. I would never urge you to come if I believed it was hopeless, Alyssa.”
“This is not just about me, is it?” I replied slowly and turned back to Sytrius. “Not even about us. The hearing, tonight . . . It may help others—”
“I don't care about others.” Sytrius’s voice rose, his fingers dug into my arms. “Don’t you see, Alyssa? You are the only one who matters to me. You are my everything. Your happiness is my mission in life, my purpose. Without it, none of it makes sense.”
“Sytrius.” Andras stepped closer. His frown deepened. A note of steely determination cut through his voice. “If you don’t show up tonight, you’ll have both Councils on your heels. There is no place on Earth where they won’t find you. Sooner or later—”
“Eighty years, Andras,” Sytrius threw over his shoulder. “I can outrun them for eighty years.”
“And then?” I whispered, sensing that his resolve was born from desperation.
“Then, it doesn't matter.”
“It matters to me. Your life, your happiness matter to me, Sytrius. If we run, they may forget about me after a while, but they’ll never forget about you. Sooner or later, they will find you. And they will punish you.”
Capture him, sentence and torture him . . . And, I might not even be around by then to be able to make any difference at all.
“Alyssa. Look at you. I don’t need to have the insight of a demon to see that you’re terrified. You’re shaking. Your face is white like the walls in this room. And I’m supposed to drag you right into the snake pit tonight?”
“It’s not about me!” I repeated, louder this time to match the volume of his voice.
No, it was so much more than me. Even more than I had thought. Now, there was a baby, too. What would he do if I told him about the baby right now, frantic as he was? Would anyone be able to reason with him at all? At the moment it seemed the news of this magnitude would just send him into a tailspin, stripping him of any control.
“Everything is about you, Alyssa!” He bellowed, rising to his feet. I could see his body vibrate with strain as he began to pace in front of me.
“Sytrius. You need to calm down.” Andras’s words had the exact opposite effect. Sytrius spun on his heel to face him.
“Calm? Calm!” He roared, his hands fisted at his sides. “Calm is lack of emotion, Andras. A void. An absolute nothingness! I’d spent centuries in it before she drew me into the light. I’m not risking a hair off her head for either demons or humans.”
Andras’s eyes narrowed, and his hands formed tight fists, too.
Anxious that their fists might be put to work next, I jumped off the bed and circled my arms around Sytrius’s middle, pressing my face to his back.
“Don’t. Please.”
His chest heaved, his heart thundered frantically against my cheek, and I squeezed my eyes tight. How on Earth could I spring my news on him now, even if it tore me apart to keep it inside?
“You need to calm down, Sytrius.” Andras repeated, inhaling deeply himself. “I understand more than you realize what you have at stake. But tonight, you need to keep a level head. It may mean all the difference between your freedom and incarceration. Between her life and death.”
Sytrius’s back stiffened under my cheek, and Andras continued before he could interrupt him.
“The hearing is your chance. Both of you. I give you my promise to get Alyssa out of there safe and sound, no matter what. She will be safe.”
Sytrius held still in my embrace, even as his body shook with tension. I wished I could do for him what he had done for me so many times—take his stress and his worry. I would gladly suffer his pain for him.
He had been my rock—my constant source of hope and strength—ever since he came into my life. Now, it was my turn to be strong, to give him faith.
I braced myself before voicing my decision.
“We’ll go to the hearing tonight,” I started. He stirred in my arms, but I tightened my hold around him, not ready to meet his penetrating gaze yet. I needed to rein in my emotions first, before I could let him see them.
The baby.
The thought shot through me again, and I forced it back with everything I had.
Not now.
I couldn’t tell him now. I had to believe that tonight would be the beginning of our new life and that I would have the chance to share the news with him when all of this was over. I needed to have this faith, because I had to give it to him now to help him win tonight.
“Together, Sytrius. We’ll go through all of this together.”
“Alyssa.”
Finally, I let him turn around in my arms to face me.
“It’s our chance for freedom, Sytrius. Yours and mine.” I let him stare at me, my emotions on display. My decision made, the messy hurricane of fear, worry, panic, and anxiety was still there, but it was now buried under a solid concrete block of focus and determination, which I used to strengthen my voice as I spoke. “If we run, we’ll never be free. Living in hiding, constantly looking over our shoulders in fear of being captured and separated would be just another kind of jail.” I raised my hands to his face, letting my voice cradle him in softness now. “We need to have faith, my love. I believe in you.”
The Forgotten
Demons Series Book 2
I’ve been abducted, twice in as many months.
The world of my captors is a dark and mysterious place, but for me it also holds forbidden pleasures I’ve never experienced before.
Still, when I get a chance to run, I take it.
A rebel and a convicted criminal, he has spent most of his existence suspended between two worlds, in a state his kind call Deep Sleep. Nearly forgotten by all.
Until I disturb his slumber.
The touch of a demon awaken is always dangerous. And for me, it turns out treacherous in more ways than one.
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. LET THE SLEEPING DEMONS LIE.
Goodreads * Amazon
The world of my captors is a dark and mysterious place, but for me it also holds forbidden pleasures I’ve never experienced before.
Still, when I get a chance to run, I take it.
A rebel and a convicted criminal, he has spent most of his existence suspended between two worlds, in a state his kind call Deep Sleep. Nearly forgotten by all.
Until I disturb his slumber.
The touch of a demon awaken is always dangerous. And for me, it turns out treacherous in more ways than one.
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. LET THE SLEEPING DEMONS LIE.
Goodreads * Amazon
“My dinner,” he rasped against my mouth, his expression wild. “Now.”
I hugged his neck as he swept me off my feet and carried me to the elevators.
As if through a haze, I caught a curious glance cast our way by the night receptionist at the desk of the otherwise deserted lobby and hid my face in Ivarr’s shoulder.
“You’re a true Viking with caveman tendencies.” I giggled softly.
He shifted me in his arms to press the elevator call button.
“A true Viking would’ve tossed you over his shoulder and run, which would have been much faster, too,” he groaned. “I have to hold back and act civil to avoid questions that would slow us down.”
He carried me into the elevator and kissed me again before the doors even closed.
“There must be cameras in here,” I panted between his kisses, cupping the side of his face.
He leaned away a little, and my breath caught at the sight of him. The passion of his eyes on me, the pools of blue rimmed with bright crimson. It didn’t scare me in the slightest to see the red glow this time.
“Your eyes,” I whispered, gliding my hand up his smooth cheekbone. “They are so beautiful.” I smiled. “You’re too handsome to be a Viking. You need some ruggedness to go with your muscles. A couple of scars? A beard, maybe?”
“Scars don’t stay on my kind. Everything heals eventually.” He kissed my hand at his face. “But I can grow a beard for you.” He chuckled. “Just say the word, my queen.”
I wrapped my arms round him, bringing us closer as he kissed my neck—hot and urgent. My eyelids drooped, and I melted into him, cascading waves of warmth spreading through me with his every kiss. Breathless, I couldn’t get enough of his mouth on me.
I was only half-aware of him unlocking the door of our room then kicking it shut behind us.
Lowering me gently onto the bed, he trailed kisses down my collarbone while blindly searching through my expansive skirt with his hands.
I felt his hot mouth close over my nipple through the fabric of the dress the same moment his large hands landed on my naked thighs. A sharp charge of desire shot through my lower stomach and pulsed between my legs.
The need for him flooded my veins with liquid heat.
“Ivarr,” I pleaded, curling my fingers in his hair as he rolled my nipple between his teeth.
He flashed me a crimson glance and tugged on my underwear as I lifted my hips to help him slide it down my legs.
Rising to his knees on the bed next to me, he clicked his belt buckle open.
“This course will be fast,” he warned, pulling his zipper down. “Control is hard around you.” He grabbed my hips and yanked me to him along the bed then covered my body with his. “I’m starving,” he murmured against the side of my neck as his hand moved down between us.
I hugged his neck as he swept me off my feet and carried me to the elevators.
As if through a haze, I caught a curious glance cast our way by the night receptionist at the desk of the otherwise deserted lobby and hid my face in Ivarr’s shoulder.
“You’re a true Viking with caveman tendencies.” I giggled softly.
He shifted me in his arms to press the elevator call button.
“A true Viking would’ve tossed you over his shoulder and run, which would have been much faster, too,” he groaned. “I have to hold back and act civil to avoid questions that would slow us down.”
He carried me into the elevator and kissed me again before the doors even closed.
“There must be cameras in here,” I panted between his kisses, cupping the side of his face.
He leaned away a little, and my breath caught at the sight of him. The passion of his eyes on me, the pools of blue rimmed with bright crimson. It didn’t scare me in the slightest to see the red glow this time.
“Your eyes,” I whispered, gliding my hand up his smooth cheekbone. “They are so beautiful.” I smiled. “You’re too handsome to be a Viking. You need some ruggedness to go with your muscles. A couple of scars? A beard, maybe?”
“Scars don’t stay on my kind. Everything heals eventually.” He kissed my hand at his face. “But I can grow a beard for you.” He chuckled. “Just say the word, my queen.”
I wrapped my arms round him, bringing us closer as he kissed my neck—hot and urgent. My eyelids drooped, and I melted into him, cascading waves of warmth spreading through me with his every kiss. Breathless, I couldn’t get enough of his mouth on me.
I was only half-aware of him unlocking the door of our room then kicking it shut behind us.
Lowering me gently onto the bed, he trailed kisses down my collarbone while blindly searching through my expansive skirt with his hands.
I felt his hot mouth close over my nipple through the fabric of the dress the same moment his large hands landed on my naked thighs. A sharp charge of desire shot through my lower stomach and pulsed between my legs.
The need for him flooded my veins with liquid heat.
“Ivarr,” I pleaded, curling my fingers in his hair as he rolled my nipple between his teeth.
He flashed me a crimson glance and tugged on my underwear as I lifted my hips to help him slide it down my legs.
Rising to his knees on the bed next to me, he clicked his belt buckle open.
“This course will be fast,” he warned, pulling his zipper down. “Control is hard around you.” He grabbed my hips and yanked me to him along the bed then covered my body with his. “I’m starving,” he murmured against the side of my neck as his hand moved down between us.
Marina Simcoe likes to write sweet and sexy love stories about characters who may or may not be entirely human. She firmly believes that our contemporary world could use a little bit of the extraordinary.
She has lots of fun exploring how her out-of-this-world characters with their own set of beliefs, values, and aspirations fit into our everyday life.
Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
She has lots of fun exploring how her out-of-this-world characters with their own set of beliefs, values, and aspirations fit into our everyday life.
Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
What can we expect from you in the future?
There are definitely more books coming in Demons series. Grand Master, book 3, is scheduled to be released Spring/Summer 2019. The final 2 books will come out in 2020.
Outside of the Demons series, I have several standalone stories outlined and ready to be written. Most of them are in Paranormal Romance genre, but some are in Science-Fiction Romance.
The story I want to publish by the end of 2019 is SFR.
Its working title is Experiment, and all I can share about it for now is the tagline:
“It took them 12 hours to conquer Earth and then 9 years to finally demand what they came here for. Me.”
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I do have some that didn’t make it in the final version of the books, yes. I’ve received reader requests for more stories from Demons world, and I am seriously considering putting those in a few novellas. They would be taking place during the same time as the main books of the series, but have some of the side characters as MC’s.
The one I’ve started outlying already is Andras’s story. I loved his character from the moment I wrote him, and I would love to get deeper into his story.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Demons series?
My demons are slightly unusual because I focus on one particular group of them, Incubi or sex demons.
In demonology, as well as in popular culture, the demon Incubus is the one who comes to people in their sleep. His visits always have some kind of sexual nature: either to impregnate the women or to feed on their sexual energy.
In books, Incubus is often portrayed as a villain or is a horror character.
My books are romance. I use some parts of the myth of Incubus as inspiration to frame each love story. However, it’s the relationship development between a human woman and a demon, as well as their mutual character growth that are the main focus of each book in the series.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The demon Incubus has always fascinated me: a supernatural entity, whose sole source of nourishment is sexual energy of humans. I believed his very nature should make him a very selfless lover: he has arouse his woman in order to feed. To lure his “victims”, he’d also would have to look the part of someone handsome and seductive. What better romantic hero could there be?
However, when I tried to find a romance with an Incubus as the main character, there were very few. Most books portray Incubus as a villain, but I wanted a true hero. At the end, I realized I had to write myself the book I wanted to read.
How did you come up with the Character names in the story?
All demon characters in the series have two names. One is their true demon name, which they all have. However, not all of them are mentioned in the books. The other name is the one they choose for themselves. They call it their “human” name, and that’s the one I used to refer to them throughout the story.
The reason for two names is explained in book one. In order to summon a demon to do your bidding, you have to use his demon name. All of them hide it, to avoid giving humans control over them. Except for Grand Master Raim, who never took a human name to begin with. The reason for him doing so will be explained in book 5, the final book in the series.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
I’ve learned my lesson early on. When I published my first book, I knew very little about the process. I had it proofread for typos but was reluctant to let many people read it, thinking that it should be the actual readers who’d see it first. The story was good, but unfortunately there were some issues.
I got really lucky with my current editor. She contacted me herself, telling me that my book had issues, and offered her help in fixing them. Together, we worked on re-editing it for several months. I saw everything what goes into a well-told story, and I would never publish another book without putting the same amount of work into it. So, once my books are in the hands of the readers, I know that the stories are in the best shape I could get them in.
This also goes for my latest book, The Forgotten. I spent months re-writing, editing and polishing it before I published it. I’m very happy with the way it turned out, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
For me, every book is a lesson, from writing and editing to publishing and marketing. I’ve learned so much in my brief period of being a published author, and I still keep learning every day. In addition, my most recent book, The Forgotten, also taught me that readers want to know more about my demons.
I didn’t plan to give their own book to each and every side character mentioned in the series. I love my secondary characters, but I don’t intend to make them all into main characters one day. After receiving multiple requests for stories of other demons appearing in the two books, I gave in and decided to add a few novellas over the next couple of years. They will tell the stories of some of the other demons.
The first one will be about Andras. However, I don’t have the release date yet.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
When I wrote Demon Mine, I didn’t use any specific person for inspiration for the main hero. I simply described an image I had in my head at the time. However, well after the book had been published, I watched Outlander with Sam Heughan as Jemmy Fraser. Some of his facial expressions, I found would fit my Sytrius perfectly. So, if there really was a movie, I think Sam Heughan would do a great job portraying Sytrius.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
In Demon Mine, my absolute favourite scene is when Sytrius gives Alyssa his name.
During the re-writes and editing, I must have read the whole manuscript over a dozen times. But even now, whenever I come to that scene, I still get goosebumps. It’s a short scene, but this is the first time Sytrius breaks the rules he’d lived under for centuries. He does so for no other reason but to give something to Alyssa. He has nothing else to give to her, so he gives her his name.
The connection between them starts much earlier, but this is an important step in his process of changing and his way to redemption.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Funny thing, if I had a real chance to spend a day with a character from either of the books, I’d love to hang out with my heroines rather than the sexy demon.
Spending time with an Incubus is highly addictive, and my heroes are dedicated to their women. Honestly, I’m afraid I’d end up with my heart broken by the end of the day.
Unless I can have my very own Incubus, I’d prefer to hang out with the girls.
Both heroines in the series, Kitty and Alyssa, are very close to me personally. Alyssa is a little more sensual and vulnerable. Kitty is a little tougher and slightly introverted. Both are kind, compassionate, and strong when it matters, especially, when it comes to people and demons whom they care about.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
All my characters are entirely product of my imagination. When creating them, I do take some of my own past experiences, maybe some traits from people I’ve met in my life, too. But the blend is unique for each and every one.
I don’t use celebrity images for inspiration. When I write, all faces and personalities are in my head only. I try to describe them accurately enough to form a realistic person, but make sure to leave some room for reader’s imagination, too. So that the readers can take my characters and make them their own.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
The more confident I grow as an author, the more control I feel I have over the characters and the story. However, it still happens at times. Some characters turn out to be stronger that others, demanding things their way.
Also, I adore my secondary characters so much, I let them jump in with their own stories here and there. To me, showing the experiences of other people and demons, even the ones who are not the main characters, is a way to expand the world building of the series.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s not! Ha! I can guarantee you that if you don’t read my books, the world will not end and the life will go on.
However, reading my stories may give you a chance to experience a wide range of emotions and, as many readers have commented, will put a happy smile on your face at the end. Sometimes, that’s all we need to make it through the day.
I write not to change the world, but to give a few hours of entertainment to my readers. If they connect with my characters enough to be afraid for them, to cry with them, and then to love and laugh along with them then I could not ask for anything more.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No. I publish everything I write. I have a book I’ve unpublish for re-editing, The Real Thing, but I plan to re-publish it as soon as re-writes and editing are complete.
It is a standalone novel that is also set in Demons universe.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Definitely something sweet and hot, with a hint of sinister and indulgent. Dark chocolate? Blood-red roses? Honey-and-bourbon? Or orange-with-chili-peppers?
What did you edit out of this book?
There seem to be at least one scene in each book I write that ends up being edited.
In Demon Mine, book 1, a love scene was deleted for the sake of pacing. I had it close to the end where the readers would be too excited to learn the resolution, and the scene slowed the story down. The editor strongly suggested I cut it, so I did.
I agreed it had to be done, but I love this scene so much, I’m still considering including it as “bonus content” somewhere at the book. Right now, it could only be read on my Facebook page, and I’m planning to add it to my website one day.
In The Forgotten, book 2, it was also a love scene that had to be cut. I thought it was rather informative, giving a little insight into the seduction process of my demons. However, the editor found it happened a little too soon and a bit random. I agreed it had to go, pulled my characters apart and made them behave for a couple more chapters before getting them back together again in any intimate way.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for exactly two years this month, actually. And I’ve been published for a year and a half. It’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride so far—incredible fun while working around the clock.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
I spend much more time working on the story in my brain than I do on actually writing it. Each book spends months in my head, as I develop plot and characters in detail while I write other stories. So, by the time I start putting words on the paper, most of the story is already complete. I always know the ending before I type the first word.
That’s not to say the story and the characters don’t throw me a curve ball during the writing and editing. Some details come to me as I write or even already edit the story. Some dialogues take unexpected turns too.
Sometimes, the impromptu pieces end up fitting much better into the overall story than what I’d initially planned. That is one of the reasons why I never take notes until I actually start writing. Going through the same scene or dialogue several times in my mind, I know it will come out even better when I start writing. Every revision is almost always an improvement.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
So far, I’ve been doing more research as I write than beforehand. Most of it has to do with geographical places and historical facts.
I tend to stick to places where I’d been myself, to create a more realistic atmosphere in my stories. However, even when describing a place from my memories, I feel the need to double-check many things to get all details right. Even if I don’t mention the name of a street, a town or a building, I base all of them on real locations and strive to describe them accurately.
Since my demons have been on Earth for about a millennium, I constantly find myself researching history. Although many of my characters spent most of their existence isolated and in a semi-conscious state, which makes them incapable of referencing many events of human history, I still end up spending a considerable time on researching historical facts. Sometimes just one statement made in passing by one of them would take me days of fact checking, to make sure the statement is accurate.
Not that I don’t end up missing things. Thankfully, my editor is very particular about details and will often catch what I’ve missed. I get comments like “You should research head trauma for this one” or “Here is the link to some reading on female orgasm. Being a woman is not enough to get it right.” I love her!
A big portion of book 4 is happening at the beginning of the last millennium, in Kiev Russia and the region which is known as Middle East now. So, lately, my research has been especially extensive.
Do you see writing as a career?
I am a full-time writer. This is my one and only job and the only career I see for myself in the future. Being a writer is a hard work. It can also be stressful and even heart-breaking sometimes. But it is also very rewarding. I’ve met many amazing supporting people during these two years. The utter satisfaction of getting the stories that roam in my brain out there to share with people is the best part of it all.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I’ve read somewhere that for an author, reading is breathing in and writing is breathing out. If you write you have to read too, especially, if you want to improve your own writing and story-telling skills.
Unfortunately, since I began writing, I have considerably less time for reading. Less time means I am more particular about the reading material I choose. I’m constantly on the lookout for stories that would appeal to me emotionally. When I find one, I’m in trouble, because I put everything aside, including my own writing, to get lost in it.
I’ve been reading romance genre only for about 5-6 years. Before that it was mostly classics and literary fiction. I write mostly in Paranormal Romance genre, but I find most of my reading ends up coming from Contemporary Romance genre nowadays. Not sure why it happens. But maybe because of this, my own stories are not very typical for Paranormal Romance genre. I’ve even heard from readers saying that my stories are well-suited for someone who doesn’t normally read PNR.
Maybe it’s because my heroines are average human women with no special powers and my stories take place in our contemporary world, with just a little bit of the extraordinary sprinkled in.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Silence. Absolute silence! I wear noise-cancelling headphones when I have to write while there is anyone else in the house. No music either. I find that any kind of noise interferes with “the voices in my head” that I need to listen to very closely to hear the story that I write.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
Always one at the time. It takes me a while to fully submerge myself in the world of the story. Shifting between books only slows down the progress of both of them for me. The only time I’d ever start a new book is when I send the first complete draft of the current one to the editor.
That means, of course, that I have several stories piling up in my head at any given time, with no way out.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. I’m a messy writer. When I type the very first draft, I don’t even look up from the keyboard, rushing to get words out of my head. When I do eventually see what I’ve written, it a mess. Honestly, I’ve had sentences with, literally, every single word underlined in red for missed letters. I clean all of it up fairly quickly and do at least 2 read-throughs before I send it off for a developmental edit.
For my process, hand-writing would take forever, and using a type writer would be a huge waste of paper.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
Becoming a writer was hardly a conscious decision for me.
The story of Demon Mine built in my brain over the course of several months. The more I thought about it, the more details emerged, complete with characters and dialogues. I started writing it down, not knowing if I’d ever finish it and without having any intentions of publishing it.
Once I did finish it, however, I wondered if there were other people who’d love to read it. I never considered finding an agent or a publisher for it. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the self-publishing, the story would still be collecting dust in my desk. As it was, I found self-publishing process fairly straight-forward and released it last year.
Demon Mine has been out there for over a year and a half now. I’d never anticipated there would be that many people who’d read and love it. And I certainly never thought I’d be asked to write more. When it happened, though, I realized, I did have more of a story to tell about the demons, and was more than happy to turn the book into a series.
No regrets here.
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I didn’t outline until my fourth book. Now, I don’t think I’d ever be able to write without it. For me, outlining means getting all the main points of the story on paper, so I can focus more on the details when I begin writing. As my stories and characters get more complex, I find it impossible to keep everything only in my head. Many plot points need to be threaded in at specific times through the story, and having an outline helps me keep it all in order.
In my outline, I focus on main story and characters’ arcs. I find that thinking it through from the beginning helps to minimize the amount of re-writes I have to do later.
I don’t worry about the chapters right away, though. I write the story in one continuous piece, using only scene breaks when necessary. I only break it into chapters after all developmental edits have been completed. As a result, I never know the final number of chapters the book will end up to be and often surprise myself: “Wow, 42 chapters this time! I thought it’d be like 20.”
I don’t think there is a right or a wrong way to do this. This is just how I find it works best for me.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I’m convinced I can only write books I want to read. I can’t write on demand. The joy of telling the story I want to tell is one of the main reasons I write at all.
Likely for me, my books have managed to find a group of readers who enjoy them. It’s not a huge group, but we seem to be on the same brainwave.
Actually, this would never cease to amaze me. The fact that I could pour my inner-most thoughts as words on the paper and another human being, maybe thousands of miles away, would read them and feel what I felt while writing them.
How a complete stranger’s mind can resonate with mine like that is simply amazing.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Everything.
That’s the reason I write in 1st person the parts written in female POV and in 3rd person the male part of narrative, even as most of my books are written in dual POV. There is just no way I could get as deep into a male psyche as 1st person POV requires.
Every single editor and proofreader I ever had pointed this out as POV inconsistency. However, the readers don’t complain. Some actually told me it makes reading easier for them: even if they resume reading in the middle of the chapter, they know whose POV it is without having to check the beginning of the chapter.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
About 4 to 6 months, including the full editing process and proofreading. The only reason I managed to publish 3 books last year was because I wrote one of them in 2017, and I overlap my work often: write the first draft of another book while the current one is with the editor.
My goal for 2019 is to publish 3 books also, as well as to finish the rewrites of The Real Thing. I hope to accomplish it by applying everything I learned last year, so my first drafts would require less re-writes.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I don’t believe I’ve ever had one.
I did have “editing block” or “re-writing block” when I would takes days, searching for a better way to connect two parts of a story or finding a better motivation for character’s actions.
Writing the first draft or simply putting the story on paper doesn’t have any hurdles for me. It’s like sailing through an open water, free and elated… until the rocky part of editing comes next!
There are definitely more books coming in Demons series. Grand Master, book 3, is scheduled to be released Spring/Summer 2019. The final 2 books will come out in 2020.
Outside of the Demons series, I have several standalone stories outlined and ready to be written. Most of them are in Paranormal Romance genre, but some are in Science-Fiction Romance.
The story I want to publish by the end of 2019 is SFR.
Its working title is Experiment, and all I can share about it for now is the tagline:
“It took them 12 hours to conquer Earth and then 9 years to finally demand what they came here for. Me.”
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I do have some that didn’t make it in the final version of the books, yes. I’ve received reader requests for more stories from Demons world, and I am seriously considering putting those in a few novellas. They would be taking place during the same time as the main books of the series, but have some of the side characters as MC’s.
The one I’ve started outlying already is Andras’s story. I loved his character from the moment I wrote him, and I would love to get deeper into his story.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Demons series?
My demons are slightly unusual because I focus on one particular group of them, Incubi or sex demons.
In demonology, as well as in popular culture, the demon Incubus is the one who comes to people in their sleep. His visits always have some kind of sexual nature: either to impregnate the women or to feed on their sexual energy.
In books, Incubus is often portrayed as a villain or is a horror character.
My books are romance. I use some parts of the myth of Incubus as inspiration to frame each love story. However, it’s the relationship development between a human woman and a demon, as well as their mutual character growth that are the main focus of each book in the series.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The demon Incubus has always fascinated me: a supernatural entity, whose sole source of nourishment is sexual energy of humans. I believed his very nature should make him a very selfless lover: he has arouse his woman in order to feed. To lure his “victims”, he’d also would have to look the part of someone handsome and seductive. What better romantic hero could there be?
However, when I tried to find a romance with an Incubus as the main character, there were very few. Most books portray Incubus as a villain, but I wanted a true hero. At the end, I realized I had to write myself the book I wanted to read.
How did you come up with the Character names in the story?
All demon characters in the series have two names. One is their true demon name, which they all have. However, not all of them are mentioned in the books. The other name is the one they choose for themselves. They call it their “human” name, and that’s the one I used to refer to them throughout the story.
The reason for two names is explained in book one. In order to summon a demon to do your bidding, you have to use his demon name. All of them hide it, to avoid giving humans control over them. Except for Grand Master Raim, who never took a human name to begin with. The reason for him doing so will be explained in book 5, the final book in the series.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
I’ve learned my lesson early on. When I published my first book, I knew very little about the process. I had it proofread for typos but was reluctant to let many people read it, thinking that it should be the actual readers who’d see it first. The story was good, but unfortunately there were some issues.
I got really lucky with my current editor. She contacted me herself, telling me that my book had issues, and offered her help in fixing them. Together, we worked on re-editing it for several months. I saw everything what goes into a well-told story, and I would never publish another book without putting the same amount of work into it. So, once my books are in the hands of the readers, I know that the stories are in the best shape I could get them in.
This also goes for my latest book, The Forgotten. I spent months re-writing, editing and polishing it before I published it. I’m very happy with the way it turned out, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
For me, every book is a lesson, from writing and editing to publishing and marketing. I’ve learned so much in my brief period of being a published author, and I still keep learning every day. In addition, my most recent book, The Forgotten, also taught me that readers want to know more about my demons.
I didn’t plan to give their own book to each and every side character mentioned in the series. I love my secondary characters, but I don’t intend to make them all into main characters one day. After receiving multiple requests for stories of other demons appearing in the two books, I gave in and decided to add a few novellas over the next couple of years. They will tell the stories of some of the other demons.
The first one will be about Andras. However, I don’t have the release date yet.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
When I wrote Demon Mine, I didn’t use any specific person for inspiration for the main hero. I simply described an image I had in my head at the time. However, well after the book had been published, I watched Outlander with Sam Heughan as Jemmy Fraser. Some of his facial expressions, I found would fit my Sytrius perfectly. So, if there really was a movie, I think Sam Heughan would do a great job portraying Sytrius.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
In Demon Mine, my absolute favourite scene is when Sytrius gives Alyssa his name.
During the re-writes and editing, I must have read the whole manuscript over a dozen times. But even now, whenever I come to that scene, I still get goosebumps. It’s a short scene, but this is the first time Sytrius breaks the rules he’d lived under for centuries. He does so for no other reason but to give something to Alyssa. He has nothing else to give to her, so he gives her his name.
The connection between them starts much earlier, but this is an important step in his process of changing and his way to redemption.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Funny thing, if I had a real chance to spend a day with a character from either of the books, I’d love to hang out with my heroines rather than the sexy demon.
Spending time with an Incubus is highly addictive, and my heroes are dedicated to their women. Honestly, I’m afraid I’d end up with my heart broken by the end of the day.
Unless I can have my very own Incubus, I’d prefer to hang out with the girls.
Both heroines in the series, Kitty and Alyssa, are very close to me personally. Alyssa is a little more sensual and vulnerable. Kitty is a little tougher and slightly introverted. Both are kind, compassionate, and strong when it matters, especially, when it comes to people and demons whom they care about.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
All my characters are entirely product of my imagination. When creating them, I do take some of my own past experiences, maybe some traits from people I’ve met in my life, too. But the blend is unique for each and every one.
I don’t use celebrity images for inspiration. When I write, all faces and personalities are in my head only. I try to describe them accurately enough to form a realistic person, but make sure to leave some room for reader’s imagination, too. So that the readers can take my characters and make them their own.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
The more confident I grow as an author, the more control I feel I have over the characters and the story. However, it still happens at times. Some characters turn out to be stronger that others, demanding things their way.
Also, I adore my secondary characters so much, I let them jump in with their own stories here and there. To me, showing the experiences of other people and demons, even the ones who are not the main characters, is a way to expand the world building of the series.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s not! Ha! I can guarantee you that if you don’t read my books, the world will not end and the life will go on.
However, reading my stories may give you a chance to experience a wide range of emotions and, as many readers have commented, will put a happy smile on your face at the end. Sometimes, that’s all we need to make it through the day.
I write not to change the world, but to give a few hours of entertainment to my readers. If they connect with my characters enough to be afraid for them, to cry with them, and then to love and laugh along with them then I could not ask for anything more.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No. I publish everything I write. I have a book I’ve unpublish for re-editing, The Real Thing, but I plan to re-publish it as soon as re-writes and editing are complete.
It is a standalone novel that is also set in Demons universe.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Definitely something sweet and hot, with a hint of sinister and indulgent. Dark chocolate? Blood-red roses? Honey-and-bourbon? Or orange-with-chili-peppers?
What did you edit out of this book?
There seem to be at least one scene in each book I write that ends up being edited.
In Demon Mine, book 1, a love scene was deleted for the sake of pacing. I had it close to the end where the readers would be too excited to learn the resolution, and the scene slowed the story down. The editor strongly suggested I cut it, so I did.
I agreed it had to be done, but I love this scene so much, I’m still considering including it as “bonus content” somewhere at the book. Right now, it could only be read on my Facebook page, and I’m planning to add it to my website one day.
In The Forgotten, book 2, it was also a love scene that had to be cut. I thought it was rather informative, giving a little insight into the seduction process of my demons. However, the editor found it happened a little too soon and a bit random. I agreed it had to go, pulled my characters apart and made them behave for a couple more chapters before getting them back together again in any intimate way.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for exactly two years this month, actually. And I’ve been published for a year and a half. It’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride so far—incredible fun while working around the clock.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
I spend much more time working on the story in my brain than I do on actually writing it. Each book spends months in my head, as I develop plot and characters in detail while I write other stories. So, by the time I start putting words on the paper, most of the story is already complete. I always know the ending before I type the first word.
That’s not to say the story and the characters don’t throw me a curve ball during the writing and editing. Some details come to me as I write or even already edit the story. Some dialogues take unexpected turns too.
Sometimes, the impromptu pieces end up fitting much better into the overall story than what I’d initially planned. That is one of the reasons why I never take notes until I actually start writing. Going through the same scene or dialogue several times in my mind, I know it will come out even better when I start writing. Every revision is almost always an improvement.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
So far, I’ve been doing more research as I write than beforehand. Most of it has to do with geographical places and historical facts.
I tend to stick to places where I’d been myself, to create a more realistic atmosphere in my stories. However, even when describing a place from my memories, I feel the need to double-check many things to get all details right. Even if I don’t mention the name of a street, a town or a building, I base all of them on real locations and strive to describe them accurately.
Since my demons have been on Earth for about a millennium, I constantly find myself researching history. Although many of my characters spent most of their existence isolated and in a semi-conscious state, which makes them incapable of referencing many events of human history, I still end up spending a considerable time on researching historical facts. Sometimes just one statement made in passing by one of them would take me days of fact checking, to make sure the statement is accurate.
Not that I don’t end up missing things. Thankfully, my editor is very particular about details and will often catch what I’ve missed. I get comments like “You should research head trauma for this one” or “Here is the link to some reading on female orgasm. Being a woman is not enough to get it right.” I love her!
A big portion of book 4 is happening at the beginning of the last millennium, in Kiev Russia and the region which is known as Middle East now. So, lately, my research has been especially extensive.
Do you see writing as a career?
I am a full-time writer. This is my one and only job and the only career I see for myself in the future. Being a writer is a hard work. It can also be stressful and even heart-breaking sometimes. But it is also very rewarding. I’ve met many amazing supporting people during these two years. The utter satisfaction of getting the stories that roam in my brain out there to share with people is the best part of it all.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I’ve read somewhere that for an author, reading is breathing in and writing is breathing out. If you write you have to read too, especially, if you want to improve your own writing and story-telling skills.
Unfortunately, since I began writing, I have considerably less time for reading. Less time means I am more particular about the reading material I choose. I’m constantly on the lookout for stories that would appeal to me emotionally. When I find one, I’m in trouble, because I put everything aside, including my own writing, to get lost in it.
I’ve been reading romance genre only for about 5-6 years. Before that it was mostly classics and literary fiction. I write mostly in Paranormal Romance genre, but I find most of my reading ends up coming from Contemporary Romance genre nowadays. Not sure why it happens. But maybe because of this, my own stories are not very typical for Paranormal Romance genre. I’ve even heard from readers saying that my stories are well-suited for someone who doesn’t normally read PNR.
Maybe it’s because my heroines are average human women with no special powers and my stories take place in our contemporary world, with just a little bit of the extraordinary sprinkled in.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Silence. Absolute silence! I wear noise-cancelling headphones when I have to write while there is anyone else in the house. No music either. I find that any kind of noise interferes with “the voices in my head” that I need to listen to very closely to hear the story that I write.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
Always one at the time. It takes me a while to fully submerge myself in the world of the story. Shifting between books only slows down the progress of both of them for me. The only time I’d ever start a new book is when I send the first complete draft of the current one to the editor.
That means, of course, that I have several stories piling up in my head at any given time, with no way out.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. I’m a messy writer. When I type the very first draft, I don’t even look up from the keyboard, rushing to get words out of my head. When I do eventually see what I’ve written, it a mess. Honestly, I’ve had sentences with, literally, every single word underlined in red for missed letters. I clean all of it up fairly quickly and do at least 2 read-throughs before I send it off for a developmental edit.
For my process, hand-writing would take forever, and using a type writer would be a huge waste of paper.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
Becoming a writer was hardly a conscious decision for me.
The story of Demon Mine built in my brain over the course of several months. The more I thought about it, the more details emerged, complete with characters and dialogues. I started writing it down, not knowing if I’d ever finish it and without having any intentions of publishing it.
Once I did finish it, however, I wondered if there were other people who’d love to read it. I never considered finding an agent or a publisher for it. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the self-publishing, the story would still be collecting dust in my desk. As it was, I found self-publishing process fairly straight-forward and released it last year.
Demon Mine has been out there for over a year and a half now. I’d never anticipated there would be that many people who’d read and love it. And I certainly never thought I’d be asked to write more. When it happened, though, I realized, I did have more of a story to tell about the demons, and was more than happy to turn the book into a series.
No regrets here.
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I didn’t outline until my fourth book. Now, I don’t think I’d ever be able to write without it. For me, outlining means getting all the main points of the story on paper, so I can focus more on the details when I begin writing. As my stories and characters get more complex, I find it impossible to keep everything only in my head. Many plot points need to be threaded in at specific times through the story, and having an outline helps me keep it all in order.
In my outline, I focus on main story and characters’ arcs. I find that thinking it through from the beginning helps to minimize the amount of re-writes I have to do later.
I don’t worry about the chapters right away, though. I write the story in one continuous piece, using only scene breaks when necessary. I only break it into chapters after all developmental edits have been completed. As a result, I never know the final number of chapters the book will end up to be and often surprise myself: “Wow, 42 chapters this time! I thought it’d be like 20.”
I don’t think there is a right or a wrong way to do this. This is just how I find it works best for me.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I’m convinced I can only write books I want to read. I can’t write on demand. The joy of telling the story I want to tell is one of the main reasons I write at all.
Likely for me, my books have managed to find a group of readers who enjoy them. It’s not a huge group, but we seem to be on the same brainwave.
Actually, this would never cease to amaze me. The fact that I could pour my inner-most thoughts as words on the paper and another human being, maybe thousands of miles away, would read them and feel what I felt while writing them.
How a complete stranger’s mind can resonate with mine like that is simply amazing.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Everything.
That’s the reason I write in 1st person the parts written in female POV and in 3rd person the male part of narrative, even as most of my books are written in dual POV. There is just no way I could get as deep into a male psyche as 1st person POV requires.
Every single editor and proofreader I ever had pointed this out as POV inconsistency. However, the readers don’t complain. Some actually told me it makes reading easier for them: even if they resume reading in the middle of the chapter, they know whose POV it is without having to check the beginning of the chapter.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
About 4 to 6 months, including the full editing process and proofreading. The only reason I managed to publish 3 books last year was because I wrote one of them in 2017, and I overlap my work often: write the first draft of another book while the current one is with the editor.
My goal for 2019 is to publish 3 books also, as well as to finish the rewrites of The Real Thing. I hope to accomplish it by applying everything I learned last year, so my first drafts would require less re-writes.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I don’t believe I’ve ever had one.
I did have “editing block” or “re-writing block” when I would takes days, searching for a better way to connect two parts of a story or finding a better motivation for character’s actions.
Writing the first draft or simply putting the story on paper doesn’t have any hurdles for me. It’s like sailing through an open water, free and elated… until the rocky part of editing comes next!
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Jan 17
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Ilovebooksandstuffblog
Jan 18
Romance with Aliens that look like Aliens
Mythical Books
Jan 19
Romance Novel Giveaways
Ashi Responding To Life
Jan 20
Readeropolis – GUEST POST
Bedazzled By Books
Jan 21
SSLY
2 chicks and a book
Jan 22
Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
Jan 23
Maggie Blackbird – GUEST POST
Always Love Me Some Books Blog
Jan 24
Casey's Corner
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
Jan 25
Yearwood La Novela
Twisted Book Ramblings
Jan 26
Tracie’s World of Books
A Pinch of Bookdust
Jan 27
Stormy Vixen's Book Reviews – GUEST POST
A Mama's Corner of the World
Jan 28
Tome Tender
Teatime and Books
Jan 29
T's Stuff
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
Jan 30
Sylv.net
Sizzling Romance
Jan 31
The Book Dragon
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
Feb 1
Paranormal Palace of Pleasures
My Chaotic Ramblings
Feb 2
Scrupulous Dreams
Feb 3
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author
Feb 4
NytOwl's Horrors
Maiden of the Pages– GUEST POST
Feb 5
SJ's book blog
Midnight Book Reader
Feb 6
Book-Lover
Luv Saving Money
Feb 7
Lisa-Queen of Random
Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR
Feb 8
Rabid Readers Book Blog
Kerrific Online
Feb 9
Inside the Insanity
Feb 10
Girl with Pen
Feb 11
From Head To Tale
eBook Addicts
Feb 12
Dragon's Den
Country gals book blog
Feb 13
Breanna Hayse Romance
Books, Authors, Blogs
Feb 14
books are love
Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Feb 15
Books all things paranormal and romance
Book Review Virginia Lee
Feb 16
Bookish Reviews
Feb 17
Chapters through life
Jan 17
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Ilovebooksandstuffblog
Jan 18
Romance with Aliens that look like Aliens
Mythical Books
Jan 19
Romance Novel Giveaways
Ashi Responding To Life
Jan 20
Readeropolis – GUEST POST
Bedazzled By Books
Jan 21
SSLY
2 chicks and a book
Jan 22
Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
Jan 23
Maggie Blackbird – GUEST POST
Always Love Me Some Books Blog
Jan 24
Casey's Corner
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
Jan 25
Yearwood La Novela
Twisted Book Ramblings
Jan 26
Tracie’s World of Books
A Pinch of Bookdust
Jan 27
Stormy Vixen's Book Reviews – GUEST POST
A Mama's Corner of the World
Jan 28
Tome Tender
Teatime and Books
Jan 29
T's Stuff
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
Jan 30
Sylv.net
Sizzling Romance
Jan 31
The Book Dragon
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
Feb 1
Paranormal Palace of Pleasures
My Chaotic Ramblings
Feb 2
Scrupulous Dreams
Feb 3
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author
Feb 4
NytOwl's Horrors
Maiden of the Pages– GUEST POST
Feb 5
SJ's book blog
Midnight Book Reader
Feb 6
Book-Lover
Luv Saving Money
Feb 7
Lisa-Queen of Random
Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR
Feb 8
Rabid Readers Book Blog
Kerrific Online
Feb 9
Inside the Insanity
Feb 10
Girl with Pen
Feb 11
From Head To Tale
eBook Addicts
Feb 12
Dragon's Den
Country gals book blog
Feb 13
Breanna Hayse Romance
Books, Authors, Blogs
Feb 14
books are love
Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Feb 15
Books all things paranormal and romance
Book Review Virginia Lee
Feb 16
Bookish Reviews
Feb 17
Chapters through life
