Another Saturday and another wonderful author visiting! Help me in welcoming Suzette Rose Cauler.
First I’d love you to introduce yourself.
I’m a long-time Pennsylvania resident, new author and mom of
5. I adore books-all types-and have always loved losing myself in a good
story. I decided I wanted to be an author back in middle school, and I actually
attended a high school for creative and performing arts. After high school, college,
life and various jobs got in the way of that. I eventually found my way back to
writing, though, first as a freelance writer and now as a book author. By day I
work from home writing business, education, and health content, and at night I
work on my fiction. Besides that, I love gardening, dancing around in my living
room, and walking on the beach. Someday I want to live within walking distance
of the beach, or if I’m really dreaming, right on the beach. Also, I love to
try new recipes, especially if I’m not the one who has to cook them.
Tell us about your latest release.
Taking Chances is
about Dakota, a shape-shifter stuck between a rock and a hard place. She’s forced
to steal a relic from a powerful vampire to keep herself alive and avenge her
loved ones. She ends up on the wrong side of both the wolf who sent her on the
mission and her vampire mark. To further complicate matters, she develops an
intense hunger for Kane, the vampire whose home she sneaks into. The sex is
incredible, and Dakota finds it all too easy to fall for him. Unfortunately,
giving in to her feelings could prove deadly.
Now I have a few questions for you – I have found readers do
like to know fun things about us writers.
1.) Who is your favorite villain – it can be from a book
(even one of yours), movie or TV show. And why? That’s a hard one. My favorite
villain changes frequently. Right now, it’s Regina from the TV show Once Upon a Time. In previous seasons,
she was just plain mean, but she had a good, complicated reason for her evil. I
like villains that are multi-layered and have vulnerabilities that make them
likable. This season, she’s a lot less the villain, but I still like her.
2.) Who is your favorite character out of your books? Why?
At the moment, Kane, the hero in Taking Chances is my favorite. He’s just the right combination of
sexy, mysterious, and dangerous.
3.) What genre do you write? What made you pick that one?
So far, I’m writing erotic romance, and I just love, love,
love it. I enjoy reading erotic romance, so it just made sense to write what I
like to read. Of course, I like to read EVERYTHING, so I suppose I will write
in some other genres eventually. Right now, I’m focusing on paranormal stories
because vampires, werewolves, and warlocks are just plain hot.
4.)What are you working on now?
I recently signed a contract with Siren Publishing for the Secret-Keeper’s Choice. It’s a
paranormal erotic romance, but it’s a ménage. Taking Chances is M/F. I have another M/F paranormal erotic romance
that is half finished. It’s about a hunter who falls in love with her prey but
struggles to decide whether her place is with hunters like her or the wolf she
loves. I’m having a lot of fun writing this story, and I fall a little more in
love with my hero each day. I’m also tossing ideas for another ménage around in
my head. It’s a real problem—too many ideas and not enough time to write them
all.
5.) What got you to start writing?
As a kid, I’d devour books and find many of the things the
characters did upsetting. I’d sort of imagine different plot lines or alternate
endings, and then I started playing around with writing my own stories. I
discovered that writing is very hard work, but it can also be just as much fun
as reading. I mean, what could be more fun than creating my own little world
and then getting to live in it for a while?
6.) Where do you get your ideas from?
It’s weird. They just
come to me. I’ll catch myself crafting these complicated scenarios while I
drive or in the shower or while I’m waiting for water to boil. Oh, and waiting
in line! I hate waiting in lines, so my mind tends to wander then.
Unfortunately, I also have some nights when my ideas keep me awake. Insomnia
stinks.
7.) What would people who read your work be surprised to
find out about you?
I find zombie stories fascinating. Does that count? Also, I
still have things I want to do or be when I grow up. I am far from a spring
chicken, but I still feel like I’m growing and evolving. Except for when the
bills come in the mail, I still feel like a kid.
8.) What was the one piece of advice you received when you
were an aspiring author that has stuck with you? Why?
I was agonizing about one
of my ideas, and a friend advised me to write a story I would like to read.
It’s simple advice, but it makes sense. If I truly like the story I create,
there has to be someone else out there who will like it too.
9.) If you could talk to any famous figure (present, past or
fictional) who would it be and what would you talk about?
10.) If you could come back as any animal – what would it
be?
I think I’d want to come back as a cheetah. Gotta outrun
those zombies.
Suzette! We're kindred spirits! We write in the same genre and both children at heart. I love the cheetah idea glad you're prepared for the zombie apocalypse.
The vamp guard who’d opened the door had barely nodded a greeting to Dakota before returning to the task of checking invitations. Dakota had timed her entry so that she’d follow a throng of mortals inside and the guards would be too busy with them to notice she wasn’t who and what she claimed to be. The guard’s disinterest in her, coupled with Zephora’s enthusiastic greeting, filled her with relief. Apparently, the glamour spell was working.
Dakota was not only a paid thief but also a shape-shifter, and she’d taken on the form of Desiree Winters, flavor of the month to Elijah Ettore, one of the most powerful, respected, and feared vampires in the states. Elijah was right-hand man to his identical twin brother Kane, leader of the Ambrohio clan of vampires, and this was the home the brothers shared. Sneaking into the Ettore home uninvited, even if it was a party night, was risky business. To pull it off, Dakota had been forced to incapacitate Desiree, so she could shape-shift into the glamorous blonde and sneak in as Elijah’s steady date.
Several guests turned their heads to glance at her, some giving her appreciative once-overs, others what appeared to be jealous sneers. She wasn’t surprised by the looks. She knew Desiree was stunning. The vamp had been a high-fashion model before taking a walk on the immortal side. Dakota had managed to knock the real Desiree out and stash her in the trunk of a stolen car. That trick had been difficult to pull off but necessary.
Music pumped from all corners of the main room. Dakota didn’t see the speakers responsible, but from the sound of things, they had to be huge. The music was loud enough to seriously annoy the neighbors, if there had been any. As it turned out, this vamp lived far out in the country miles away from any neighbors. The better to get away with slaughtering humans, Dakota guessed.
She did her best to look bored. Bodies gyrated and swayed to the music everywhere Dakota looked. As she followed Zephora deeper into the main room, she saw that many of the guests were half-dressed. She even saw a few wearing nothing but loincloths. But the rotating platforms in each corner of the room held the true jaw-droppers.
Links:
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/taking-chances
Thanks so much for having me, Barbara! I hope your readers like Taking Chances!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Suzette! I hope you found the questions interesting - I loved your answers
ReplyDeleteBarb:)