Interview and Teaser with author Stacy Eaton

 

Hello Beautiful People!!  Today we have with us a wonderful author by the name of Stacy Eaton.  I was able to kidnap her and force her to answer questions just so I could post today:)  She took it rather well and even coughed up a Spooktacular Spotlight piece to go along with the that great teaser and cover.  LOL...there wasn't any pressure or anything!  So without further ado lets learn more about our lovely hostage..err. guest as she shares a fond Halloween memory with us!

My full time real life job as a police officer brings me in contact with people every day and in all kinds of crazy situations. This is something that happened a few years ago to me and a fellow officer on Halloween night.

It was late on Halloween night, all the trick or treater’s were home; hopefully sound asleep in bed if they were able to come down from the sugar high from earlier that night. 

A neighboring department got dispatched to a report of suspicious conditions that could be a burglary in progress.  The caller had said they had seen someone crawl into a window of a home where the people were on vacation.   I was close by so I decided to slid down and assist him. 

When I arrived, we looked at the little ranch house; there was one small light on in the back corner room at the back of the house. We made our way around the house.  It has been raining and the grass was muddy and wet.

As we snuck around the back corner of the house, we checked the windows to see if any of them were open, I was in front of him, and the slope of the yard went down. I was walking gently to make sure I didn’t fall. The other officer behind me was taller and could see in some of the windows that I couldn’t.  We had just come to the window with the light on, and I slipped around the side of the house to see if there was another window.

Just as I stepped around the corner, I heard the other officer let a small scream. I jerked back around the corner real quick to see him flying towards me.  He saw sliding in the wet grass actually pin-wheeling his arms to keep his balance. I avoided his charge as he slid past me down the slope and glanced up at the window to see what had startled him.

There in the window was a huge head.  A giant Ape was looking out the window trying to see into the dark. Just as I was starting to comprehend what was in the window, the guy pulled off the mask he was wearing and put his face to the window. I turned just in time to see the other officer picking himself up out of the mud.  I could do nothing but start laughing.

The guy inside opened the window and asked us what was going on. It only made me laugh harder. Now, this guy could have been a bad guy. Could have really been trying to rob the house, but he wasn’t. He was the son of the owners and had decided to crash there after going to a Halloween party nearby. So I helped the other officer get off the ground and back up the slope in between wiping the tears from my eyes.  To this day, on Halloween, I still find myself laughing about that incident whenever I see someone dressed up like an Ape.

I feel sorry for the other officer.  I bet he never lived that one down! Now lets discover some more! 

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to write?

Writing is new to me.  I had never thought about being a “writer” specifically.  In high school I used to write poems, but they were just for me or a few friends. It wasn’t until a year ago that I actually considered writing a novel.  So at the age of 41 – I did.

Most authors have an unusual story or way that they come up with their ideas for books…Do you have one?

Hahaha…. Yes I actually do.  I am currently a police officer, and my stories revolve around law enforcement.  One night I was working, it was a very quiet night so I have been sitting my patrol car for a while.  I decided to stop by one of our parks and get out and stretch my legs. While I was standing at the park, I noticed eyes watching me from the tree line.  The eyes appeared to be much too high up off the ground for an animal. The moon was full that night and the light from the moon reflected off the shine of the eyes.

I watched for a while and soon they disappeared.  I have no clue what they were, but when I got back in my patrol car and started driving around I started wondering if they could be the eyes of a vampire.  That night the story was born, and the plot quickly filled my mind on how vampires could exist and help law enforcement.

I look for those eyes from time to time in that same spot, but they never came back.

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing?

I can’t say that any one thing influenced my writing.  I am an avid reader, I love to get lost in a good story. It keeps the stress of my job at bay.  I have always been creative, so putting my love of reading and my creative nature together it just kind of worked.

I have to ask, what are the hardest scenes for you to write?

Personally I think the sex scenes are the hardest to write.  Not that they are hard, but I wanted to make them hot and steamy without being overly erotic.  Some people get turned off by that, some don’t.  So I wanted to give enough that people would be happy with it.  

There are so many terms out there to use for these scenes and I had to play around with them for a while to make sure I had them right.  A friend who read my first book sent me a text message after she finished chapter 5. She said, “Girl!!!  You kill off your husband in chapter 4 and then I need a freaking cold shower at the end of chapter 5!!”  I will never forget that comment!

Do you see yourself writing in another genre?

Yes I do. Actually I already am.  While I love writing in the Paranormal genre, I love writing about law enforcement.  It’s what I know.  Many times you will hear authors say, “Write what you know” and that is very true.

Currently I have 3 other titles I am working on. They are all outside of the Paranormal world and set into the real life scenes.

Has your family been supportive?

I am amazed at the support of my family.  My 8 year old daughter talks about me all the time and has even sold some of my books to her teachers and friends mom’s.  My husband does more around the house then I could ever have thought possible so that I can spend time writing.  Even my mom, who is a very religious woman and does not particularly like books about vampires says she loves my books saying they aren’t just blood, gore and sex, they have a real story.

Are any of your characters reflective of you?

Oh yes…. Officer Kristin Greene is me.  If you were to ask anyone who knows me and who has read the books, they would know immediately I was writing myself in those stories.  She is strong character.  She makes decisions that changes lives and she cares about the people around her.  I enjoyed putting myself down on paper with her.

All of my other stories have very strong female characters, but none of them resemble me the way Officer Kristin Greene does.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read… I love to read. I love snuggling up with my daughter in bed, reading books and watching t.v.  I love to spend time with my friends, and I love my job.  I am also an avid photographer and my camera bag is always with me!

Who is your favorite book heroine?

I don’t know that I can answer this one.  I have read hundreds of books, and many of them had great heroines, but off the top of my head, I can’t not tell you which one or ones would be my favorite.

Do you have any unusual habits that revolve around writing?

Well…. I talk to myself at work.  While I am out on patrol driving around,  I talk through conversations in my books.  I work through dialogue and scenes.  I don’t know that it is particular unusual, but it’s the way I work and it keeps me occupied on late nights driving around a dark quiet township.

What is your favorite mystical creature?

I am torn on this one. I love vampires except I can’t figure out exactly why, lol… But I also love werewolves.  I am a huge lover of wolves.  I wear a gold wolf pendant around my neck that was custom made for me.  Maybe someday I will write about them.

What were some of your biggest challenges at the beginning of your career?
The first one was figuring out how to publish the book.  I found a great publisher called Outskirts Press, Inc. They walked me through the whole process.  Second would be trying to figure out how to market it, how to get it out to readers.  There are so many great Indie authors out there today and it is hard to get your book noticed. 

How do you feel about reader comments?
I love them… the good the bad and the ugly.  Bring them on.  All authors want to see good reviews, and want to hear great things from readers about their books, but I know not all people are going to like my work.  Everyone has different tastes, and I can appreciate that. 

I find myself very humbled by the comments readers make of my books.  I have come close to tears many times as I read the words that people have written.  I always try to make contact with the people that comment to let them know how much I appreciated the time they took to sit down and review my book or that they wanted to contact me. 

I know that as an author – if I keep getting the same kind of comments about people saying they didn’t like my book for a particular reason, I know that the next book I write, I will make sure to change that style of way of thinking to make readers enjoy the next book more.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up.  Don’t ever give up, and learn to take criticism. No matter how good your book is going to be, there will be people out there that don’t like it. Or they think you should have done something different.  Learn to accept that and not let it get to you.  If you embrace the negative along with the positive, you will grow to be a better writer.  

Where are your books available?

Right now you can get signed copies of my books in Paperback and Hardcover directly off my website

http://stacyseatoncom.fatcow.com/index.html

Amazon has the kindle edition along with the paperback and hardcover:

http://www.amazon.com/My-Blood-Runs-Blue-ebook/dp/B004VGUIBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302138781&sr=1-1-catcorr

Barnes and Noble carries the hardcover and paperback:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Blood-Runs-Blue/Stacy-Eaton/e/9781432769284/?itm=1&USRI=my+blood+runs+blue

Outskirts Press, Inc. has my book in paperback, hardcover or e-book:

http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432769284

What can we expect from you in the future?

The second book in the series was just released September 30^th. It is called Blue Blood for Life. I also have 4 other books in the works right now.

Book 3 of the series is in plot stages.  I am hoping to have this released late winter or early spring 2012.  “Liveon” is a contemporary romance that I hope to have out next summer.  “Whether I’ll Live or Die” is going to be an intense book about Domestic Violence.  I am working on that pretty hard right now and hope to have it out by February of 2012. 

The last project I am working on is called “Blue Haze”.  This project is pretty huge!  I am collaborating with another author on this and it appears to have gone from a one book action/adventure into a series that will deal with addictions of all kinds.

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates?

I’m just about everywhere these days, but here are some great places to friend me or visit to find out more:

My Website: http://stacyseatoncom.fatcow.com/

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StacySEaton

Now its time to take a look at Stacy's book with a great teaser and small excerpt!

 

BLURB:

“I’m still a cop, and my blood runs blue.”

Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Although her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she still feels like there is something else out there for her. She soon finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped out. As she begins to dig for the answers, she finds herself thrown into a world she didn’t know ever existed. When the two strong and silent men walk into her life, she finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer than she has been alive. Who are they and why do they keep calling her Calista? Join Kristin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the two seductive men who have entered into her life and the real truth about herself.

My Blood Runs Blue is book one of the series. Blue Blood for Life... is the second book and was released on September 30, 2011.

My Blood Runs Blue is an adult Action/Romance Series and is intended for mature audiences.

EXCERPT:

Mr. Taylor’s nostrils flared and his mouth slacked open slightly as he looked into my eyes.  “Dead, she’s dead?”

I stared at him, damn, did I forget to wipe the sign off my face that says, ‘hey man, sorry, but your daughter’s dead.’  How’d he know that?  Had someone from the scene called him already?

I turned back to Mrs. Taylor and found her staring at her husband eyes wide, mouth open as if she would speak. 

Wait, this was not going how it should.  I cleared my head and looked back at them, Mr. Taylor had moved over to stand beside his wife and they were both looking at me now, waiting. 

“Mr. & Mrs. Taylor, I am very sorry to say that your daughter Dawn is dead.” I HATED saying that sentence, but it was a sentence that was drilled into you from the moment you entered the academy.  You do not say, I’m sorry your daughter was in an accident, or your daughter did not make it.  Not in the first sentence. You can elaborate later, but that first sentence, has to be the one that they remember for the rest of their life.  The one that tells them, this is not a sick joke, and they are not just going to wake up tomorrow and find her asleep in her bed.  That sentence had to say it was real and it was final.  

They both stared back me. I saw Mrs. Taylor’s lips move, and I could have sworn I heard her say, “he found us”, but I thought it was more in my imagination until I looked into Mr. Taylor’s steel grey eyes and saw them widen and look at me quickly to see if I had heard what she said.  I managed to keep my face perfectly clear and thought I would mull over that statement later. 

BUY LINKS:

Website: http://stacyseatoncom.fatcow.com/purchase-books.html
Amazon (Kindle/Paperback/Hardcover): http://www.amazon.com/My-Blood-Runs-Blue-ebook/dp/B004VGUIBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302138781&sr=1-1-catcorr
Barnes and Noble (Paperback/Hardcover): http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Blood-Runs-Blue/Stacy-Eaton/e/9781432769284/?itm=1&USRI=my+blood+runs+blue
Outskirts Press, Inc. (eBook/Paperback/Hardcover: http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432769284

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Currently I work full time as a Police Officer for a small township is Southeastern Pennsylvania. While my current position is that of a patrol officer, I spend a lot of my time doing investigations and crime scene processing.  Forensics is something I love and I take my job seriously.

I am also a wife to a Police Officer and with our constant schedules life can get very hectic in our home. I have been blessed with two children, a son who is currently in the United States Navy and I am very proud of him for what he is doing and for putting serving his Country. My daughter is a priceless princess who loves to help me market my books to teachers and other parents while she is at school and church.

When I am not working the job that currently pays all the bills I work on my business. Yes, I have my own business too.

I have two Shiloh Shepherd dogs, Garda and Callie. They are a bit different than the standard German Shepherds most people are use to. They are larger and less aggressive and they have more fur!  Man do they have fur!!!  Garda has a face that resembles a wolf, which makes me love him even more. (You can see by my photo that I wear a wolf pendant). Garda actually means "The Guardian" in Irish. It is also the name of the Irish Police.  Rather fitting for our family of officers don't you think?

In my spare time...I write.

CONTACT LINKS

Website: http://stacyseatoncom.fatcow.com/

Visit my Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for stopping by Stacy!!  It was a real treat getting to know you!!