Giveaway and Interview with author Donya Lynne and her book Rebel Obsession

  

Hello and Welcome to The Dungeon!  I’m so happy to have you here visiting and sharing your newest work.  Don’t mind the noise from the prison… err guests, they get noisy during their…treatments..lol. Let me clear a spot so you can have a seat.  Would you like some refreshments before you get started?

Maybe a bit of tea. I know, I'm boring in the beverage department.

Tell us a little bit about your book.

Rebel Obsession is the third novel in my All the King's Men (AKM) series, and tells the story of the ill-reputed playboy, Io, as he finds himself lured out of his Casanova ways into uncharted territory: monogamy. As you can imagine, for Io to discard his womanizing lifestyle, which he was quite content living, takes a pretty special female. Enter the king's daughter, Miriam. She's one such female, and not because of her royal connection. Io was smitten with her even before learning she was the princess. Unfortunately, her father stands in their way of being together, and when a rebel like Io goes up against the king to stake a claim to his daughter, sparks will definitely fly. But it sure makes for an entertaining story as we follow along and see how Io will overcome the adversity King Bain represents to take what's his, Miriam.

What first sparked the series idea?

Oh wow. Where to start?

Micah Black was how the series started. He was the male protagonist in my first book, and when I started his story, it was simply supposed to be a one-off. A stand-alone. But as soon as I started writing, a bunch of other characters jumped into the action. Very quickly, Micah had a whole gaggle of buddies who wanted me to tell their stories, too.

I knew I wanted to write a paranormal series about vampires, but not the run-of-the-mill vamps we’ve all seen in every vampire book around. I wanted something a bit different and more magical. Micah and his pals gave me that opportunity.

That’s the short version of what sparked the idea for the series. LOL.

Who is the character that in your opinion everyone is going to fall in love with?

Trace. No question. Traceon already has a massive fan following. Everybody wants to know more about Trace and how his story will turn out.

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

Transition scenes are challenging, because I don’t want to spend too much time on the mundane, but enough time to phase readers from one pivotal scene to the next to keep the story moving. Love scenes are challenging in the respect that I like to find new and better ways to describe what’s going on physically between the lovers without the scene reading like a play-by-play of a boxing match: “He touched her breast. She moaned her approval and arched into him. His mouth closed over hers. She gasped.” BOOOOORING.

How would you rate the sex scenes throughout the series?

Well, one of my readers said she went up in flames while reading the first love scene between Micah and Samantha in Rise of the Fallen.  A knife was involved. Those two are very creative and adventurous, and Micah’s a former dom who’s rediscovering his love of the lifestyle with Sam, who is curious about the BDSM scene, so sex scenes between them are pretty fun to write. Sam gives as well as she takes, and she and Micah have exceptional chemistry.

I also have a couple of M/M relationships, which are always fun to write. Arion and Severin were the first M/M couple to have a story with Heart of the Warrior, and Arion was…well…adorable. He was confused and shy…and embarrassed. I loved writing his first love scene with Severin, and a couple of readers on a discussion board actually referred to that scene, saying that they could feel Arion’s bashful embarrassment before it got all hot and spicy.

Believe it or not, the love scenes in Rebel Obsession were very romantic. I was shocked that Io gave me such romanticism, being that he has been a notorious womanizer. He just told me that the love of the right woman brought out his good side. LOL. Men! I love that duality, though.

In future books, I’ve got a male who loves to savor and takes his woman slowly. The slower, the better for him. He is exceptionally passionate and practically drinks his woman in, laving her with full-tongued caresses and long, luxurious suckling at her neck. There’s also some voyeurism, exhibitionism, and kink for a group that’s taking shape. Micah is sinking back into BDSM and loving it. Sam is enjoying being a submissive to Micah’s dom. And I’ve got another character who is an unbelievable, devastating romantic who knows how to do wicked things with a rose in the candlelight, as well as a deadly male who finds his outlet for passion and peace in a most unsuspecting female. And there’s another M/M couple brewing.

You could say I’ve got a little of everything, and the scenes range from 
simmering heat to molten hot.

Are there any of these in your books?  (Hands one of the toy boxes on the right which is filled with sex toys, whips, body creams, lotions, lubes…and whatever else you can imagine J)

Yep. Micah is chuckling. If you could see his play room, you’d know that we have all that and more in the series. Micah just said, “But the real toy is in here,” and tapped his head with his index finger. He is an exceptional mindfucker. Can I say mindfucker on here? You can bleep that out if you have to, but Micah is a master at using psychological terror on his subs.

Do you see yourself writing anymore stories in this series or a spin-off?

I have at least eight more stories in this series, and right now I’m seeing a spin-off, as well as a follow-up series for the next generation.

Are any of your characters reflective of you?

Believe it or not, Micah and I are pretty similar and symbiotic. He and I were both going through an extremely dark time when I began his story, and through writing it, we both got better. Micah is my inner self, which I rarely show the world. I relate more to Micah than any other character in the series.

I am working on a stand-alone contemporary romance that is semi-autobiographical, though. It’s been deeply emotional to work on that piece as old wounds and memories open in my mind.

Tell us about some up and coming books.

We could be here a while. LOL.

I’m working on the next book in the series. It’s titled Return of the Assassin, and I’m loving how it’s starting out. Very dark, very anguished…seeped in conflict and adversity. This is Malek’s book, and we saw his story beginning to take shape at the end of Heart of the Warrior. We saw it continue to develop in Rebel Obsession, and now it’s his turn. He has refused to accept the death of his mate from long ago, but he has met someone who is forcing him to do just that, and it’s tearing him apart to the point he’s losing his mind and falling into depraved behavior that will see his death if he doesn’t wake up and accept reality. ROTA, as I call it, will also introduce some new, pivotal characters who will shake things up.

After ROTA is Bound Guardian Angel, Trace’s story. Talk about pressure. Fans are so excited for this one that it’s daunting to even think about it right now. But I think fans will like the relationship(s) that develop in Trace’s book. Trace is special, and what I’m getting from him for his story is good. He’s at a breaking point, and I’m getting excited about tackling him. I think fans want to know if something will develop between him and Micah. I guess they’ll just have to wait and see, because those two are being very wishy-washy when I try to talk to them about it. I do know that Trace wants a female. Whether he and Micah go down their own path, he wants a female all his own. He cherishes the idea of belonging to someone…and he holds too much love for feminine beauty to ever be fully satisfied without a lady in his life. But it will take a very special female to keep him satisfied, because he has some pretty messed up needs.

I’m also working on some stand-alone novels. I already mentioned the semi-autobiographical story, but I’m also working on a contemporary M/M piece that is both tragic and hopeful. I think fans of M/M will love it, and I think readers who’ve never given M/M a chance will become converts from this one. I’m also working on a couple of anthologies of my erotic short stories, as well as a few holiday pieces for next year.

Where can we find you for future updates?

Profile:

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDonyaLynne

Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/DonyaLynne

Blog:

http://www.donyalynne.blogspot.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/DonyaLynne

I’m so happy you have made this a stop.  Would you like a tour of the…err…levels?  J I can introduce you to the “guests”, if you just hand me that box back.

Absolutely.

Let’s get you suited up:

Wine, mixed drink, or straight up?

Mixed drink.

Leather straps or chains?

Micah is laughing at me. Bastard. He’s telling me to go for the chains.

Cat-o-nine, braided leather, or chain length whip? Collar and Leash or Adornment?

Micah sooo wants to answer these questions. He said chain link whip and a leash. And now he’s all excited.

Leather studded bodysuit or corset top?

Corset top

Fishnets or garter-belt?

Garter

Leather pants, mini, or a long skirt slitted up both sides?

Long skirt

Lace up boots (with or without heels) or come F*** me high heels?

Micah’s about to pop his zipper at the high heels, but I like the lace up boots without heels. Micah says, “Booooo, you puss!” at my answer.

Ball gag, manacles, or blindfold?

Blindfold. Micah even says blindfold. Finally we agree.

The rack or the whipping post?

The rack.

Candle wax or clamps?

Wax. And once again, Micah and I agree. He loves playing with fire (and will in Trace’s book).

Blonde, red-head, Brunette, or Supernatural J?

Supernatural.

Now let's take a look at the books:

BUY NOW:
For a limited time, ROTF is FREE at:
Amazon & Smashwords
Also available for $0.99 at B&N:
B&N / Smashwords

In the streets of Chicago exists an uneasy, centuries-old truce between vampires and their distant cousins, a race of shifters called drecks. Vampire enforcement agency, All the King’s Men (AKM), is charged with maintaining the truce, but when volatile enforcer Micah Black loses his mate and falls into the biological agony that results from the broken bond, he tests the boundaries of the truce by seeking out Apostle, a leader in the dreck community. Micah wants Apostle to kill him, a request Apostle is more than happy to fulfill.

When ex-Army medic Samantha Garrett inadvertently disrupts the plot and saves Micah’s life, a chain reaction sets Micah’s heart on a collision course with Sam’s, but he will have to protect her from Apostle and her obsessive ex-husband, Steve, if they will have a chance at forever. Can Micah hold his emotions together to keep Sam alive?

  

 

Heart of the Warrior (AKM #2)
BUY NOW:
Amazon / B&N / Smashwords


Severin was born to be a warrior. Conceived as a mixed-blood when his vampire father raped his dreck mother over two centuries ago, Severin retained the power of iron skin inherent to newborn drecks. However, Sev keeps this secret closely guarded. If it's discovered that inferior dreck blood flows in his vampire veins, it could destroy his life. And to make matters worse, his father suddenly wants to make amends for his transgressions. Sev wants nothing of his father's apology, especially now, as he contends with both an assassin who has marked Sev for blood vengeance and his obsessive attraction to his teammate, Arion.

Arion is the son of King Bain's liaison, Gregos Savakis, who had Ari's course plotted before he was even born. But what Ari's overbearing parents wanted for him wasn't what Arion wanted for himself, and a lifetime spent fighting through one relationship after another with females from all walks of life has left him weary in his search for a mate. After a startling and erotic encounter with Sev, Ari has begun to realize why. He's gay. And now he can't stop thinking about Sev. Arion suddenly realizes he's been forcing himself to be with females because that's what his parents expected. But what he wants is a male, and not just any male. Arion wants Severin.

Can the two overcome the secrets, prejudice, plotting, and the threat on Severin's life to find happily ever after with each other?

Micah's Calling (AKM #2.5)
Buy Now:
Amazon / Smashwords

Author’s Note: This is a novella supplement to the All the King’s Men series. It is highly advised that you read Rise of the Fallen before reading this novella. Reading book two of the series, Heart of the Warrior, would also be beneficial, but not absolutely necessary before reading Micah’s Calling.

With the threat of Apostle behind him and Samantha’s life finally out of danger, Micah’s mating phase, known as the calling, unfurls to full strength. Unable to resist the demands of his body and the hormonal heat that drive him to propagate the vampire race, Micah loses himself in the pleasure Sam gives him, yearning for her body to receive his seed to create new life. But after what Sam has been through – barely surviving Apostle’s venomous bite, and then Micah’s own venom to counter Apostle’s and make her immortal – Micah knows Sam’s body has suffered too much to accept a child so soon.

But the desire to nest and start a family isn’t the only thing Samantha has awakened in Micah. She has also stirred Micah’s long-dormant love of domination. With Sam, Micah finds himself longing to re-open his dungeon, and Sam wants to know more about this kinky world she has heard so much about but never tried. When Micah takes Sam to a scene party to introduce her to the BDSM lifestyle, their lives are turned upside-down when Micah is asked to assist in dominating a fellow dom's submissive, only to discover the submissive is his friend, Traceon.

Throughout her journey in this new world Micah has introduced her to, Sam begins to realize several hard truths about herself and what she wants. Will Micah allow her to explore her new interests? And will the new direction in his friendship with Traceon prove to be too much and break the bonds that have begun to tie them to one another?

Micah’s Calling is a story of devotion beyond the level of friendship that will light your imagination on fire.

Strong sexual content, voyeurism, exhibitionism, BDSM, knife play, mild ménage, and much more.

Rebel Obsession (AKM #3)
Just Released - JANUARY 2, 2013
Amazon / Smashwords / ARe

Former cobalt addict and AKM drug counselor, Io is a male vampire known as much for his abrasive personality as for his playboy lifestyle. In other words, he's not the likeliest to make friends and settle down. Life on the edge suits him, and he lives full throttle, making his own rules, and damn the consequences. What he wants, he takes, and what he wants now is Miriam. If only he can find a way to see her again without getting himself killed, but her father stands in the way.

Miriam is the daughter of the king. Strong-willed and defiant, she feels like a prisoner in her own home and struggles to break free from under her father’s oppressive hold. The king’s law surrounding Miriam is explicitly clear: No one touches her. Period.

In a fit of rebellion, Miriam has turned to cobalt to find relief and freedom, but now she’s a prisoner to addiction as much as to her father’s strict control. What's more, she can’t get sexy Io, who tended to her so gently as she recovered from her first overdose, off her mind. Will she ever see him again?

When Miriam overdoses a second time, she and Io are thrust back together, and all bets are off. Seeing each other was the one thing both wanted, and not even the king’s laws and threats of punishment will be enough to defuse their rebellious obsession with one another now that they’ve found each other again, even if the consequences are death.

A little more about Donya:

Donya resides in Indiana, with her husband and a small zoo of cats and dogs. In fact, her writing buddy, Lucky, might become more famous than she is, based on the feedback the ever-present feline receives on her Facebook page.

As a little girl, Donya always had a book in her hand. As she got older, the books became pens and notebooks, which she filled with stories and poetry. For as long as she remembers, she has been writing and dreaming up stories. Seems writing was her destiny.

Donya loves music and often finds inspiration for her stories in the wide range of music she listens to. Nothing like a little Korn to propel the angst in a scene, or Enya to evoke softer and more romantic storylines.

Connect with Donya:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

You can follow the tour along here:

01/02 - I Smell Sheep

01/03 - Ramblings From This Chick

01/04 - Romancing the Book

01/05 - Close Encounters with the Night Kind

01/06 - Bookworm 2 Bookworm

01/07 - The Reading Café

01/08 - United by Books

01/09 - Sizzling Hot Books

1/10 - Vampires, Werewolves & Faries..Oh My!

1/11 - Reading Between The Wines

1/12 - Pimpin' Reads

1/13 - Book Monster Reviews

 Now for the fun stuff!!  Donya is offering you a choice of one of her books in the series plus some awesome swag!!  Just fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win!!  Good Luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Interview with Authors L.J. Garland and Debie Gould and their book Sins of the Mind

I have both lovely authors on today to tell us a little bit about themselves and their creation!

Welcome to CEWTNK!!  It's so nice to have you here!!
DEBBIE GOULD : Thanks for inviting us, I’m excited.
LJ GARLAND : Yes, thanks so much for having us today!
                                   

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

DEBBIE GOULD : Late thirty’s. I’ve always loved to read, but my daughter had just gone through a bunch of bad break-ups, so after reading about all these great heroes, I decided I wanted to write about the hero she should have. That’s when Mountain’s Echo was born.

LJ GARLAND : Hmm, well, I’m not going to mention my age <LOL> but it wasn’t until I met my husband that the bug really bit. This story idea just jumped into my head, and I came home from work one day and said, “Honey, I want to write a book.” He was like, “Okay.” So, off I went to write the first few chapters. Around chapter five, I decided I should stop and show him what I’d done. I’ll tell you, there’s nothing so intense as sitting by, gnawing your nails, while the man you love reads what you wrote. Course later he told me that he’d been just as nervous. Before he ever read the first word, he wondered how he would tell me if it sucked. LOL

                

Most authors have an unusual story or way that they come up with their ideas for books…Do you have one?
LJ GARLAND : Well, as I recall, we were both on the same Internet forum. We’d known each other for…what? Two years, Deb?

DEBBIE GOULD : Yup, about that. We had been brainstorming a plot in one of the books I was writing (still unfinished, lol) and I showed her the first chapter of another story that had been screaming in my brain at me. She liked it, and I asked her if she wanted to co-write it.

LJ GARLAND : That’s right! And I was excited because the story was interesting. Romance and murder, what’s not to like? So, we started brainstorming ideas and things got pretty intense and…what’s the word I’m looking for?

DEBBIE GOULD : Twisted?

LJ GARLAND : Yes. That’s a great descriptor. But we both loved it and voilà, Sins of the Mind!

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing?

DEBBIE GOULD : Like I said, my daughter. She and my boys continue to be great inspirations.

LJ GARLAND : I’ve always loved to read. But my husband’s encouragement was probably the biggest push.

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

LJ GARLAND : For me, I think probably the opening scene. Most times I have the scene in my head, but it has to be worded to capture the reader’s attention and hold it, otherwise they’ll put the story down. Can’t have that! So, I work hard to try to hook ‘em and keep ‘em reading.

DEBBIE GOULD : Hands down, the sex. Not sure why, but I always stall when it comes to the sex scenes. LOVE to read them, but it’s hard as heck to write and have all the emotion and everything you need in it for it not to sound like insert slot A into slot B.

Are sex scenes difficult for you to word?

DEBBIE GOULD : LMAO…see above.

LJ GARLAND : The hardest part about sex scenes are coming up with enough terms so body parts aren’t repeated over and over…and to keep the verbiage from leaning toward purple prose. lol

Do you see yourself writing in another genre?
LJ GARLAND : Absolutely! Debbie and I write a variety of genre.

DEBBIE GOULD : Together, Laura and I started out with romantic suspense. But lately, we’ve really branched out! I think we’ve hit 4-5 other romance genres. The story we just finished is paranormal romance.

Has your family been supportive?
LJ GARLAND : My family is very supportive. My husband is forever discussing plot problems and character arcs. We work as a team on most everything! Course, Deb feels like family…and she’s super supportive!

DEBBIE GOULD : Ditto! J  My children have always been very supportive.

Are any of your characters reflective of you? DEBBIE GOULD : All of them. They all have a tiny piece of me in them. Well, except Elliot.

LJ GARLAND : Hahaha! Nah, there’s a piece of you in Elliot, too. The piece that you want never to see the light of day!

DEBBIE GOULD: NEVER will I admit that a piece of Elliot resides in me.

LJ GARLAND : Elliot Swanson is one of Red River’s Attorney at Law. He’s a self-involved nut job. LOL

DEBBIE: I HATE him. He’s a jerk!

LAURA: Okay then, I think maybe he’s the character I love to hate. LOL Who is your favorite character?

DEBBIE: Well, Ethan of course. He’s the hot, hunky, sensitive, Alpha of the book. What’s not to love?

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
DEBBIE GOULD : Read, travel, cook. I have a huge yard and the mowing takes 5 hours, so that’s what I’m doing on my weekends. Love to go camping too.

LJ GARLAND : I have three young boys who keep me on my toes. But when I’m not corralling or home schooling them, I have tons of hobbies, including building archery equipment from scratch and creating stained glass. I have a passion for anything that goes Boom! …from fireworks to high-powered combat rifles…it’s all good. My hubby and I are both rated helicopter pilots and spent our 10^th anniversary flying cross-country from east to west coast…an adventure I highly recommend.

Who is your favorite book heroine?

LJ GARLAND : I would have to say Fallon from the paranormal romance we just finished writing. She was amazing…risked her life, darn near killed herself to save the man she loved. Oops! Did I give away too much?

DEBBIE GOULD : LMAO!  Mine would have to be Melanie from Infidelity, a book I wrote a few years ago. She overcame tremendous odds.

Do you have any unusual habits that revolve around writing?
DEBBIE GOULD : Nope, don’t think so. I’m pretty basic.

LJ GARLAND : Maybe not unusual but I do like to listen to music and drink coffee. LOL Usually there’s a cat in my lap, too. They swear they’re helping with my creativity…I swear they’re bringing on carpal tunnel syndrome. But they’re sweet and furry, so how can I say no?

What is you favorite mystical creature? DEBBIE GOULD : Dragons. Multi-colored dragons. Those flying things in Avatar were cool too.

LJ GARLAND : Love unicorns. But a griffin takes a close second!

What were some of your biggest challenges at the beginning of your career? DEBBIE GOULD : Writing the story was easy. Sending it out to the critique group and learning about all the things I had no clue about was shocking. Grammar is not my strong suit apparently. LOL.

LJ GARLAND : For me, it was that there was SO much to learn. Writing is a very complicated craft—not to mention subjective.

How do you feel about reader comments?
LJ GARLAND : We love to hear from our readers! We like to know what they enjoyed about our stories and what they might like to see in the future.

DEBBIE GOULD : Love hearing from readers. Ditto what Laura said.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
LJ GARLAND : Learn the craft. Write the best story…and most important…Never quit.

DEBBIE GOULD : Ditto! Oh, and research what you’re not sure of.

LJ GARLAND : Yeah, research is good, too. And the Internet makes that part so much easier than back in the dino-age. I’ll tell you, it ain’t easy running from a T-Rex while lugging a set of encyclopedias. *cough* Not that I would know….

Where are your books available?
L.J. Garland & Debbie Gould

Sins of the Mind – kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sins-Mind-River-Series-ebook/dp/B0083W9XLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337636191&sr=1-1
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-sinsofthemind-792597-149.html

L.J. Garland

On the Fringes –  kindle: http://www.amazon.com/On-the-Fringes-ebook/dp/B00328ZUZM/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-onthefringes-507131-143.html

Cadence Interrupted –  kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Cadence-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B0030CMLMU/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-cadenceinterrupted-434360-152.html

MechMan – paperback: http://www.amazon.com/MechMan-L-J-Garland/dp/1603182586/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1335976108&sr=8-2
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/MechMan-ebook/dp/B004OC06W2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335976108&sr=8-2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-mechman-516526-143.html

Dreamspell Revenge – paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Dreamspell-Revenge-Lisa-Rene-Smith/dp/1603181881/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Dreamspell-Revenge-ebook/dp/B004IAS08C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-dreamspellrevenge-477933-152.html

Dead or Alive – Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Alive-Night-Stand-Series-ebook/dp/B007ZU72G8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337636450&sr=8-1
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-deadoralive-788384-143.html

Debbie Gould

Second Chance - http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Night-Series-ebook/dp/B0070PJ4DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337695958&sr=1-1

November Rain - http://www.amazon.com/November-Rain-N%C3%A2t%C3%A2licia-Series-ebook/dp/B003WJRGTE/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_img_in

Infidelity -  http://www.amazon.com/Infidelity-ebook/dp/B003Z9K4ZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337696067&sr=1-3

Mountain’s Echo -  http://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Echo-ebook/dp/B003ZK5FXY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2#_

What can we expect from you in the future?
DEBBIE GOULD : We are working on the next book in the Red River Series, yup more murder, mayhem, and romance, lol.

LJ GARLAND : Yep, we’ll be torturing the next characters even more than the first. Though, I think Sins of the Mind had several unexpected twists…and the characters got banged up pretty good.

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates?
- We can be tracked down at http://www.garland-and-gould.blogspot.com/ where we blog, chat about stuff, and interview other authors.
- L.J. can be caught at www.lj-garland.com and emailed at mail@lj-garland.com You can also tweet her at @LJ_Garland1
- Debbie can be found at http://www.authordebbiegould.com/ and emailed at mountecho2006@yahoo.com.
- We love hearing from people who have enjoyed our stories!

And you can find Sins of the Mind here!

LJ GARLAND : Thank you so much for having us here today!
DEBBIE GOULD : Yes, thanks! We had an awesome time!

It was a pleasure having you both on!!  Now let's take a look at Sins of the Mind:

Seven years ago, Abby Montgomery survived a brutal attack. Now she is ready to put her pain in the past and move on with her life. The problem is, one by one the men in her life are being viciously murdered.

The detective assigned to the case, Ethan Parker, has demons of his own to hide. As the danger gets closer to Abby, so does Ethan. But can they get past his secrets before the killer gets to them? Sometimes the sins of the mind are more depraved than the sins of the heart

Giveaway and Interview with Anna DeStefano and her book Her Forgotton Betrayal

Good Morning!!  Today I have bestselling romance extraordinaire Ann DeStefano with me!   She is going to tell us a little about herself and about her new book.  So let's jump in.  Take it away Anna:

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

Um, does in utero count? I’ve pretty much been writing my whole life. Telling stories at least, and looking more deeply than others at things and people and emotions. I was a pretty intense kid. I also loved math and problems solving and then in college, computers. So my first career was IT. But I ended up doing the writing on all those jobs, too, until I specialized as a Senior Technical Writer who developed systems documentation for other programmers and project managers. Sexy, right? Naturally, I ended up writing women’s fiction and romance for a living…

Tell us a little bit about the book.

Here’s the cover copy for my dark and stormy gothic romance, Her Forgotten Betrayal. To learn even more good stuff about the story and characters and the dream theory behind the mystery at the heart of who my heroine is and who’s trying to kill her…check out HFB’s Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/annadestefano/her-forgotten-betrayal/.

Remembering will save her life. But will the truth destroy their love forever?

When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain mansion to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. Suffering from amnesia, she is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more real…as well as a menacing stalker determined to toy with her sanity.

The FBI suspects her of illegally selling top-secret research, and has sent an agent to find evidence of her treason. She doesn’t realize the man who sweeps in from the cold claiming to be her protector, and her former love, is keeping dangerous secrets from her. She begins to trust him, unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past–a past she doesn’t remember…a past that may kill her.

“DeStefano crafts a tense and touching suspense about forgotten pasts and reunited lovers.” —Caridad Pineiro, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

What made you choose this genre?

I write in several genres (home and family, sci-fi/fantasy, contemporary romance, romantic suspense/thriller). Her Forgotten Betrayal is actually more of a gothic than anything else I’ve done, though you’ll love the suspense/thriller pacing, too. It’s about facing the creepy things that go bump in the night. Most of the book takes place at night over a 48-hour period of time. I’ve isolated the heroine on top of a mountain in a falling-apart family estate, she has amnesia, and she’s not particularly sure she can trust either the hero (an under-cover FBI agent who’s a past lover she also can’t remember) or the dreams that are the key to finding her stalker and keeping her alive. Bwahahahaha!

Gothics are about trusting your instincts and relating to your environment and conquering your deepest fears. Layer in an epic romance, and you’ve got a lot of great stuff to work with as you entertain your readers. I’m the kind of girl who likes herself a challenge. So pulling all this off in under 70,000 words sounded like great fun ;o)

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

Well, dreams play a key role in Her Forgotten Betrayal, and I’ve been researching dream theory since I was a kid. See—not your average childhood ;o) In fact, my sci-fi/fantasy “Legacy” series is based on the same obsession. Amnesia and the truth coming to a heroine in her dreams seemed like a great way to do the same thing in a much more contemporary romance, so I ran with the idea.

Also, the novel’s set in the North Georgia mountains, an area that is near and dear to my heart. I’ve always wanted to set a novel there, and likely will again. Then there’s the haunted house itself… Those who’ve visited my grandmother’s home (which has been in my family since the early 1900s) might just notice a few similarities… Fictionalizing many of my memories of spending summers in that creepy but amazing old home was loads of fun

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing?

This one’s easy. Reading. Reading was my first love, and it challenged me to write almost from the very book I owned. I somehow had to make others feel the same way one day, when they read about my characters. It was the same with movies. I can remember so many movies that moved me to feel and experience things I never would have without them. From an early age, I wanted to one day take someone else on that same kind adventure, with worlds that I’d dream up on my own.

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

I tend to write and rewrite my openings. I don’t know if that’s because they’re the hardest things for me to write. But I do think it’s one of the most important parts of a story. How a book opens and how it ends are the cornerstones of the world you create. I tend to have the ending of every story in mind, before I begin writing it—because the characters are the most important things to me, and endings are all about getting your characters where they need to be in their lives before the reader leaves them.

What I find is that each and every time I actually get around to writing the ending, I ALWAYS have to go back and rewrite my opening scene, sometimes more than once. Because I’ve dug so much deeper into what the story and its characters are about by the time everything’s knitted up nicely in the end. That’s an amazing writing journey—discovering and refining the story that you’re really telling. You always surprise yourself, and what you learn almost always changes where and how you want to invite the reader into the world of your book.

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

One of my greatest passions is hiking to interior waterfalls in the North Georgia mountains that inspired Her Forgotten Betrayal’s beautiful setting. The more primitive the hike, the more spectacular the reward waiting for me when I reach my destination. I’ve plotted and brainstormed many a novel while wandering through nature. I highly recommend finding a beautiful patch of earth of your own to explore!

Several years ago, I began a waterfall challenge to visit all the interior falls I can reach within an hour or two driving distance from my home. I’ve seen some amazing things already and share those pictures in one of my most popular blog series. http://annawrites.com/blog/category/annas-waterfall-project/

How do you feel about reader comments?

I enjoy hearing from all readers—whatever their opinion about my books and characters. Of course I love to hear when someone likes something I’ve created. But every conversation and bit of feedback I receive, both pro and con, helps me learn more about how I’m reaching the people I’m doing all of this for. My job is to entertain and to charm you into escaping into the world of my imagination for as long as I can hold your attention. The more I know about how well I’m doing that, the better I’ll become at dreaming up an even better story for you next time around.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Your love for telling stories is everything. Never lose touch with whatever’s inspired you to connect with other people through the written word. No matter much time you feel you need to spend doing the other parts of your job (promotion, social media, travelling to conventions, etc.), always, always, ALWAYS feed your muse and make the time to write forward into your next project. We’re at our best when we’re creating—don’t let anything interfere with that dynamic.

Where are your books available?

My entire backlist is available online on Amazon and Barnes and Noble—so feed you reader, then order yourself a hard copy of whatever you’d like to add to your keeper shelf ;o) Her Forgotten Betrayal is out Friday, June 15^th.

Sign up for automatic updates from my blog or for my newsletter, so you’ll get notification of the amazing giveaways and promotions Entangled’s doing for the Dead Sexy Books launch: they’ll be giving away books and a Nook; every guest blog post I do will be another opportunity to win a free digital copy of HFB; and I’ll be hosting Amazon and Barnes and Noble gift certificate giveaways on my blog.

And you can already pre-order my July Harlequin Heartwarming release, A Sweetbrook Family, and my October Montlake release, Christmas on Mimosa Lane. I love these more traditional romances so much!

What can we expect from you in the future?

I have another Dead Sexy title in the works, so that will be a blast to write. My Montlake deal was for three books, so once Christmas on Mimosa Lane is revised and ready to go I’ll be moving on to the summer-themed book that’s next in the series…you’re going to love it just as much!

I’m also working on my first indie/self-pub project—the first book in a contemporary romance series I’m writing about a foster family based a small Georgia town. By this fall, Father of the Year should be ready to go as the first book in my self-published Home to Silent Springs series ;o)

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates?

My blog is a great place to keep in touch—there’s so much going on out there with my weekly posts about The Soule of the Matter, Things my Teenager Says, How We Write, my Waterfall Challenge, Shoes are My Heroine, and of course the latest on book launch giveaways and contests. Check it out at http://www.annawrites.com/blog.

I’m absolutely in love with connecting with readers and other writers on Facebook, so look me up there as well. And twitter is also a great place to pop in and see what’s new.

And as I said above, I’m enjoying exploring and connecting through Pinterest. Check it out. Look for Anna Destefano on all three sites, and there I’ll be!

Best-selling, award-winning author Anna DeStefano wants to you stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. Her latest release, Her Forgotten Betrayal (available digitally and in print on June 10^th), one of the launch books for Entangled Publishing’s Dead Sexy romantic suspense line, the Nina Bruhns Collection, is a psychological thriller she hopes will creep you out (she’s really playing up the Gothic imagery and spooky nightmares with this one). But she’s also dying (heh) to inspire you with another of the happily-ever-after romance ending she’s famous for. No matter how moody the setting or impossible the dilemma, Anna’s characters and stories challenge you to hope and dream for your own exciting future, the way her strong heroines and hunky heroes do!

 Thanks for joining us today at CEWTNK!!  Be sure to stop by and check out Anna's site!!  Anna has kindly offered up a copy of her latest book as a giveaway!!

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