Sunday, August 26, 2012

Interview with Author Liz Borino, Latest Release "Action"!




Liz Borino, Author of the Taylor Twins in
released Action June 2012.

When the bright lights and flashing cameras of Hollywood capture your every move, how can you fulfill your deepest desires? For Zack Greene, a formerly out-of-control actor, and Steve Michaels, the director who unearthed the heart of the man beneath the ego, it’s a constant struggle.

In public, Steve and Zack are the picture of professional partners. However, behind closed doors, their partnership is taken to a new level. They engage in a carefully constructed Dom/sub relationship that not only brings them pleasure, but keeps Zack from slipping back into his wild ways.

Their delicate balance is thrown askew when a producer on the show threatens to expose their lifestyle, while taking advantage of Zack in a moment of vulnerability. Will Steve be able to ease the pain and save the love they share? Or will they come apart when they need each other most?


We're chatting with Liz on the set of Ben's Life, a hit TV show. Steve is in the director chair while Zack, who plays Ben Miller, is in his dressing room. The crew is busy propping the set. Zack is joining Steve now. Wow....
Readers, we now turning our attention away from the hot guys to begin our questions with Liz. And there's a contest! Details below. 


Naughty Reader’s: Hi Liz! Tell us a bit about yourself  that our readers might not know.

Liz: Well, I’m a small town girl living in a…Journey song, apparently. Seriously, I split my time between writing and editing romance/erotica and analyzing the classics in pursuit of my MA in English. 

Naughty Reader’s: What made you want to become a writer?

Liz: I love telling stories and the fact that I have people willing to pay for them? It’s just amazing.

Naughty Reader’s: Please share a bit about your new release, Action, without giving away any spoilers.

Liz: Action is above all else a love story. Zack and Steve, an actor and director are in a long-term Dom/sub relationship, which a producer is attempting to disrupt.

Naughty Reader’s: Do you write under a pen name?

Liz: Nope.

Naughty Reader’s: What types of hero or heroine do you like best?

Liz: Real ones. People have more than one mood, bad hair days, and scars—emotional and physical. I like to see characters with the same.


Naughty Reader’s: Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.

Liz: If it’s a dedicated writing day, I get up before 6 shower and head to Starbucks, where I hope I end up writing instead of playing on FB.

Naughty Reader’s: Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?

Liz: Well, my Taylor Twins series places a focus on familial relationships, love defying odds, and addiction. The Mine series showcases how loving a D/s relationship can be.

Naughty Reader’s: How long does it take you to write and then edit a story?

Liz: Three or four months for my novellas, six for the novels.

Naughty Reader’s: Do you have to be alone to write?

Liz: No! I can’t be. I usually write at Starbucks or the library.

Naughty Reader’s: How do you go about naming characters?

Liz: I ask them. No, seriously, I take their personality and try different names out. I started out with Steve’s name as it is, but decided I should change it to make him ‘more Dom-like’…but he isn’t a traditional Dom. I wrote him that way on purpose. So, Steve it is.

Naughty Reader’s: Is it easier to write about the characters if you find pictures of them before you write or do you write then find character pictures?

Liz: I have a general idea of what they look like when I begin, but often find pictures later. Or what’s really fun, I see random people and want to scream “hey you look just like…” but I don’t because then I would be seen as crazy.

Naughty Reader’s: How do you pick locations for your stories?

Liz: For the Mine series, it’s in LA because the characters are in the entertainment industry. So, I just choose where makes the most sense.

Naughty Reader’s: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?
Liz: Cutaway, Action’s sequel, will be released September 19th and the third in the series will be out in December.

Naughty Reader’s: Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Liz: Below are my links.
Contest:
One eBook of Action to a reader. Enter through the Rafflecopter below and good luck! Winner will be drawn on Sunday, Sept 2nd.


Excerpt:


“Places, everyone!” Steve Michaels climbed into his director’s chair and waited while the cast and crew of the hit television show, Ben’s Life, got in their places either in front of the camera or behind it. “Quiet on the set.” Silence filled Studio B. “Lights, camera, and rolling in ten, nine, eight, seven, six,” he raised his hand and finished the countdown on his fingers. At the end of the descent to one, Steve pointed at the cameramen and then the actors, “Action,” he whispered.
Zack Greene strode into the spotlight, the ill-fitting clothes and thick glasses his character, Ben Miller, wore didn’t diminish his good looks or confidence. Before Zack even opened his mouth to say his lines, Steve was ready to call cut. Ben had none of Zack’s self-assurance, and while the differences made Ben fun for Zack to play, if he slipped too far into his real-life persona, the scenes were ruined.
Zack started the scene by sitting across a table from the woman his character, Ben, spent the better part of three seasons trying to seduce. “Sorry I’m late.”
 “You don’t look sorry, which is interesting considering you’ve been asking me out for months.” Amy, the actress playing Melody, Ben’s love interest, squinted at him.
“I am very sorry. Let’s just order. Wine? I hear they have a great—”
“Cut! Zack, what the hell are you doing?” Steve screamed. Everyone gasped and then silenced.
“Did I get my lines wrong?”
“No, you got everything else possible wrong. Why is Ben late? What scene did we just finish shooting?” He took a deep breath to regain his composure. He knew Zack would mess it up as soon as he walked on the set, but this was worse than anticipated.
“He got startled by what he thought was a skunk, but turned out to be a black cat, slipped on mud, which caused his car door to shut with his keys inside. So, he had to wait for AAA to unlock the car. By the time they came and he changed his muddy clothes, the flower shop was closed so he couldn’t pick up her lilies,” he explained, as though it was Steve who forgot.
Steve gave a warning look, which Zack didn’t heed. His tone needed amending and fast, or there would be consequences. For now, he’d have to keep up appearances. “Great memory.” Snickering in the background. “What makes you think he’d come in with his head held high after his grand impressive plans got ruined over mistaken fear?”
A cocky smile appeared on Zack’s face. “He knows she’s going home with him. Why should he worry?” He pointed to the ever-present silver collar, which locked in the back and in the show gave him psychic power.
Finally, Steve found a way to break his mood. He met Zack’s eyes and reached into his pocket, where they both knew he kept the leash, giving the collar significance in private. “That prediction can always change based on actions. Don’t forget when Ben’s guaranteed promotion was foiled by his reaction during the fire drill.” Zack didn’t hear the words, as his eyes stayed on Steve’s hand in his pocket, which was fine. The words were for everyone else. “Can we try it again? From the beginning.” The assurance was gone from Zack’s demeanor, bringing out the depths of his talent. Sometimes, it was difficult to work with his long-time boyfriend, but Steve could control him like no one else. However, Zack had his days and Steve couldn’t let this one slide. After two more takes, both stemming from honest mistakes on peripheral characters’ parts, he called, “Good job, everyone. See you tomorrow, bright and early. Carlos, please try to get some rest. Make-up isn’t going to cover another night of bags under your eyes.”
Carlos Gonzalez, who played Ben’s best friend, Emilio, laughed. “When you can find someone to cover middle of the night feedings for Clarissa while Angie works nightshift, I’ll sleep through the night.”
“Are you done, yet, dude? This is what, number seven?” Zack asked as the rest of the cast and crew dissipated to their trailers to change.
“Not until we get a boy, esse.” He shrugged and grinned in their directions. “See you tomorrow.”
Zack watched him leave and shook his head. “What if they become the Puerto Rican Duggers?  They could have fifteen or twenty kids running around and still not get a boy, or worse, they have one and he sucks. Some kids are brats, or die in childhood, or…”
 The rambling and distracting conversation betrayed his nervousness. Steve found the longer he kept Zack wondering about his punishment, the more effective it would be. “Kids aren’t the only brats around.” Zack winced and Steve continued, “I’m sure they’ll figure it out. Why don’t you change, and I’ll meet you at home? I have some things to finish up here. Might stop off at the store. Need anything?”
Zack sucked in a breath and looked around to ensure no one was in ear shot. “No, thank you, I’ll wait in position for you to return.” Resignation painted his features as he turned away.
Steve went to his office to look over the schedule for the next few days, and come down a little. Since he was young, Steve required quiet time after being around a lot of other people all day. He relished the quiet. So, why choose a profession in which he had to put himself out there constantly? Because from the moment he could hold a camera, Steve captured the stories in everything, at first through still photos and later video. It ignited the fire of life in his veins, but that didn’t mean it was easy all the time.
He and Zack met during auditions. At first, Steve regarded him as a spoiled brat who got everything from his looks. While they certainly didn’t hurt, underneath the bravado was a man in desperate need of love and guidance. On his best days, Zack was funny, hard-working, and charismatic. However, the worst brought out the need for discipline. At the beginning of their relationship, Zack not only agreed to let Steve take the lead, but asked for it. He wanted limits set and to be punished when they weren’t met. They both hated the terms Dom and sub, but, in reality, played the roles. No one outside their relationship knew, an intentional move on their part. A knock on his open door jolted Steve out of his thoughts.

 
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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Interview with Robin Renee Ray, Author of Paranormal & Thrillers

Robin Renee Ray
Paranormal Romance

      Thank you for joining us this week and we hope you bring your friends along who love those erotic vampire stories! We getting ready to roam through the cemetery with Robin Renee so come gather 'round. We don't want anyone getting separated from the group. We hope all of you brought your flashlights!

     Before we get started, we want to let you know that Robin is giving away 3 prizes on Saturday, the 25th, so be sure to get in on the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end, Robin has three great giveaways! Are we ready? Come on, let's head in and sit at the benches on the inside.

Naughty Reader’s:  Robin, we're thrilled to have you this week! Our readers are ready to be scared a bit and read about your characters. Tell us a bit about yourself  that our readers might not know.

Robin Renee: I’m pretty much an open book, no pun…but most may not know that I love to eat junk food late at night while I pretend to work. LOL

Naughty Reader’s: What made you want to become a writer?

Robin Renee: It was seeing the face of my first grand baby as she was being born. I knew I had to do something in my life that would make her proud, so 6 years ago I put a pencil to a tablet because I had no clue how to type much less use a computer.

Naughty Reader’s: Please share a bit about your new release without giving away any spoilers.

Robin Renee: Bren Woodard’s Hatred With a Passion is my newest release and it is a mini-series that will come in five installments. I first fell in love with the name ‘Woody’ *wink* and the rest more or less wrote itself. She is my best female serial killer and she makes her own weapons. I have a love for horror and suspense but wanted a woman who was the good bad guy, if you know what I mean. And so far, all who have read about my Woody, truly enjoy her! 


Naughty Reader’s: (Brenda) Steve and I were thrilled when you asked to use our names! Do you write under a pen name?

Robin Renee: I never have, but I am thinking about it since I have agreed to do some contemporary work with a few other authors.

Naughty Reader’s: What types of hero or heroine do you like best?

Robin Renee: I love strong women and men who can handle their women taking the lead. LOL

Naughty Reader’s: Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.

Robin Renee: I’m not your typical person/mother/grandmother I’m very reclusive and very much a Hillbilly Hippie…I don’t shop or go out to the movies or things like that. I pretty much stay to myself, in what I call my cave either watching my movies or creating worlds here on the laptop. Oh and I eat when and what I want…not too picky about that sort of thing if ya know what I mean.

Naughty Reader’s: Sounds like a nice quiet life. Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?

Robin Renee: I think I have written in just about every genre out there…and I will continue to find more things to write about. The one thing that most of my work does have in common is my love of horror or anything that comes close to it. I even think that my soft reads are that way because I manage to throw in that bit of ‘OMG’ there is blood gut and gore in here also. LOL

Naughty Reader’s: How long does it take you to write and then edit a story?

Robin Renee: If given the space I have been known to write a full length in under 19 days, but editing can take 3 times as long. LOL Then again I have books that I have been playing with for years???

Naughty Reader’s:  Editing can be grueling sometimes because that's where we tweak and shape our stories! Do you have to be alone to write?

Robin Renee: Absolutely…or at least everyone has to be asleep.*smiles*

Naughty Reader’s: How do you go about naming characters?

Robin Renee: Names like titles just pop in my head??? I also like to use a great deal of friends and family.

Naughty Reader’s: Is it easier to write about the characters if you find pictures of them before you write or do you write then find character pictures?

Robin Renee: I like to actually let the character create themselves, depending on what I’m working on. Short stories are the best; my readers may never know what the person looks like or see what they have on at every turn. To me, it is kind of cool to let the reader put a face on the character themselves. Give a general idea; say hair and eye color then let them have a blast.

Naughty Reader’s: How do you pick locations for your stories?



Robin Renee: Like my Bloodbreeders series, that came from the place I had been to all my life so it was easy…other places are either made up, or I do a little research which I hate!!! Then at other times if there happens to be a forest I just go to one of my favorite places in my mind and have a blast. I have to add that my Bloodbreeders are my babies and the very first thing that I ever wrote in my life. I am a drop out that never went back, so that first book was like a true miracle to me…6 years later and 18 novels and I am still in shock that people call me a writer. *winks*

Naughty Reader’s: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

Robin Renee: I am doing the corrections of Bloodbreeders 3, the second book of Bren Woodard and the second book to my children’s story the Toodlegnomes. But, I also have in the edits, Arrival of the Prophecy, along with several others. It’s so hard to know what will be hitting next???

Naughty Reader’s: It's great that you write for children, too! Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Robin Renee: You can find all of my work on Amazon and soon many other sites.


Readers, Due to me having a Woody character because a very cool lady allowed me to use her name…I would love to offer a signed copy to one lucky commenter as well as one of my Children’s books to another, The Tale of Two Toodlegnomes, which is co-authored with my 6 year old granddaughter, A.L. McBee. And I love my Bloodbreeders and have a set of book one and two in ebook form for another very lucky winner.

Naughty Readers: Wow three winners! Readers get your entries in! Robin, thanks for visiting with us this week. Oh dang, the sun is going down. We'd better get our flashlights out. Leave it to Robin to pull us into a cemetery! LOL




     The Toodlegnomes lived in peace without worry of the outside world and the many dangers that came with it for many years. That is until the dreaded Bumble Bee Dragons were ordered by their evil Queen to sneak in and steal the Crystals that gave life to the Toodlegnome village. All felt their way of life was lost…all but the bravest of the small forest dwellers. Maggie Galestone and her best friend Maxine Thornbread were ordered to leave the village, because all feared their overly brave ways would cause all to pay with a war they felt could not be won. The two little Toodlegnomes begin an adventure that takes them into uncharted territory filled with dangers of forbidden forest, they come upon creatures, which are happy to help them in their quest and some who would like to cause them harm. Few give much hope that either will ever be seen again...

Excerpt: Hatred With A Passion

His body was easier to move then Gordy’s and she had him a good ten feet into the brush at the side of the road and back on the bike within thirty minutes. The same vehicles were at the bar when she drove back by. Woody contemplated on pulling the bike over and into the trees and then go back and take Gordy’s van as far away as she could with making it back to Steve’s house before he woke and figured out that she had been out and about, doing just the thing that she did.  No one in her life had ever made her want to use the respect that hide deep inside her soul, but Steve had breached the barrier that she had worked so hard to build.

There really was damage to Steve’s bike and there was nothing Woody could do to cover it up. The left side gear grip was bent and the back left side finder was scraped badly by the rocks. She pushed it to the back of the house and once again put a blaze to the barbeque pit. Her heart sank as she watched as yet another of her homemade weapons turned to ash. The thoughts that ran through her mind should have been one of shock at taking another life, one who more than likely wanted nothing more than enough money to stay drunk long enough that he would forget about it all anyway. However, it was the pleasant ease of taking the old man’s life and ridding herself of the perfect weapon and all within an hour’s time that had her grinning. She thought on knowing that Steve would have let her put it in the fireplace where the others had been placed, but couldn’t share all of her secrets just yet.

Woody showered, removing the stain of blood that had soaked through her jeans and shirt. She then shoved her things into the washing machine and lay down on the couch next to Steve’s warm form, wrapped only in the sheet and fell asleep.

She woke to the sound of Steve’s truck coming up the drive, having no idea what time he had gotten up and left, but hoped he didn’t come rushing in like the last time, with more bad news. News, which she had created. The truck door opened and closed, but no sound of shoes hitting the steps rang out. Woody jumped up, clutching the sheet to her chest and ran to the back door in the kitchen.

“Hey, you got off early,” she smiled stepping out on the back porch before Steve had the time to walk around the bike.
“I just went in to tell them I was taking off for a few hours to take care of you,” he replied, coming up the back porch steps. “Love the outfit.” He put one hand on her hip and the other smoothed her hair away from her face.
“Well, thank you. It’s the newest trend on the market.” Woody turned and walked back through to the kitchen, showing she had nothing on and very grateful he hadn’t said anything about the damage on the bike.
“Damn woman!” He watched as she dropped the sheet to the floor. “If this is what I had to look forward to every time I came home I would be coming home every hour.” Woody laughed. “Please don’t take this wrong, but I would love to wake up with a Woody every time I opened my eyes.”
“You’re crazy.” She backed up to the counter with Steve coming toward her like a lion stalking a gazelle.
“I see you had a little cook out.” His eyes followed the curves of her body with his hands going straight to her hips.
“I actually had a few,” she replied then pushed him back and picked the sheet up, wrapping it around her nudity. “I can’t let you put your hands on me again without telling you what happened tonight. I thought I could, I wanted to pretend it didn’t happen, but I’ll be damned if I can let you make love to me without you knowing.”
“Woody, what are you talking about?”
She began explaining about wanting to see if Gordy’s van had been found at the bar, then onto what went on with the old drunk man. Steve’s face was blank, unreadable. She watched as he opened the refrigerator, took out a beer and then set down at the kitchen table. Woody stood frozen with her back to the cabinet, waiting for Steve to rant or scream at her for taking another life. “I had to do it, he saw me.”
“And you never thought that we could just pack up and leave?”
 “I wasn’t thinking at all. I wasn’t even going to do what I did until he grabbed my arm. Look,” she lowered her eyes, “I can be gone in a few minutes, I may have to leave most of my stuff but when I get settled I’ll either send for it or you can add it the barbeque pit and burn it all.” She then pushed off the cabinet and walked around the table to leave the room.
 “Don’t,” Steve said softly taking her by the wrist.
Woody stood there, her heart beating so hard she could feel it in the base of her ears.
Steve slid the beer bottle back then pulled her around and down into his lap.
She couldn’t raise her eyes to look at him, seeing the disappointment was more than she wanted to deal with. When he lifted her chin with his fingers, the look she feared wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Though, the expression he held was almost just as frightening.
“You know, I’ve gone all my life wondering what it must be like to care for someone so much that nothing that they did would be able to change that feeling. I never thought it would happen to me, but it has. I love you, Woody.”


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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Interview with CJ Black, Author of Erotic Novels & Short Stories


We're very excited to have CJ Black chatting with us this week. CJ is an online friend and fellow author. Since the three of us are so busy, we don't get to connect as often as we would like to, but CJ is always there when we need her.

We'll join CJ in the library at the Tanderes Manor; a setting from her soon to be released Memory in Shadow. The butler, Dawkins, will be serving us coffee or tea and dessert. CJ is featuring a giveaway of her latest release, Crave the Dark. Details below.

Before we settle in with the interview, here's a bit about CJ in her own words:

I'm a multi-published author of erotic fiction novels and short stories, usually M/M, in both contemporary and fantasy genres. I've been an author for almost thirty years and got my start on an old typewriter at the age of five and wrote my first novel at fourteen. Starting with the mystery genre, then fantasy, I wanted to expand my writing horizons and found erotica an intriguing subject. Probably the world's biggest bibliophile I own three-hundred plus books. I'm an avid RPG gamer and a proud owner of a DSLite, hoping to get a Wii soon. My other favorite thing to do is work in my garden (when weather permits) and am an amateur chef. Feel free to contact me to discuss writing anytime!


Naughty Reader’s: CJ, we’re so excited to be visiting with you this week! The manor is beautiful. Tell us a bit about yourself that our readers might not know.

CJ: That’s a tough one, actually since I’m pretty open about my writing and what I’m currently working on. You probably know I’m a multi-published erotic e-book author but it didn’t start out that way. I started writing contemporary mysteries and detective stories at first, then discovered heroic fantasy. That’s been my love ever since. I actually had a print book out several years ago but things didn’t work out with that. I don’t really like to get into it because it was very discouraging. However I am planning on re-vamping the book and submitting it. 

When I’m not writing you can find me at my PlayStation 3, beating down some ogres and imps. Why not join me if you’re on the network? My handle is Runic Nightshade. I also have a nice garden where I grow just about everything, which I in turn use to make some delicious dishes if I do say so myself.  I’m also totally into anime and manga, specifically, yaoi. One of my wishes is to actually publish a manga someday, if I can find a publisher who is willing to accept a story and assign an artist. 

Believe it or not, I’m somewhat shy and it takes me a bit before I open up to people but once I do you can depend on me to be a good friend. I more or less like to spend my time at the computer. Not a big TV watcher but when I do, it’s Leverage, Law and Order and Franklin & Bash. Guilty pleasures…Adventure Time, Family Guy, and American Dad.


*Dawkins enters the library balancing a large silver tray over his head.*

CJ: Thank you Dawkins. Ladies, Coffee or tea?


Naughty Reader’s: (Tonya and Brenda) Coffee please, and we'll take a piece of that scrumptious chocolate cream pie, too. What made you want to become a writer?

CJ: My total and unending love for books and reading.  I was reading at a college level in 10th grade.  I’m getting close to having about four-hundred paperbacks now and I want to get an e-reader and fill up my TBR list.  When I was in grade school, an English teacher gave us two choices about the weekly word list.  We could either write sentences with words in them or write a story with all the words within it.  As shy as I was I began to write stories with my friends and teachers as the characters.  They of course got a big kick out of it and gained me some elusive popularity.  After all, back then we bookish types definitely weren’t popular.  My English teacher was so impressed; she gave some of my stories to her husband, who was an English professor at the local university.  He critiqued but was still impressed as well.  A few months later I was standing in the lunch line when a friend ran up and pressed a newspaper clipping in my hand.  It was for a publisher accepting novel manuscripts.  I was fourteen when I wrote my first.

Naughty Reader’s: Please share a bit about your new release without giving away any spoilers.

CJ: Crave the Dark, published August 7, is a m/m/m contemporary paranormal.  It’s a bit darker in nature than what I usually write but I believe my readers will enjoy it.




Give yourself over to the dark…

Elijah Cade makes his living as a high-paid assassin. Unsanctioned and operating under the cover of darkness, he pursues his mark to the completion of his task. Jobs are sent to him by simple means and from unknown authorities. The night he receives the text commanding him to see a man, Jean LaCroix, Cade is intrigued. There is something about LaCroix that tells Cade he is one of the elite paranormal that inhabit the world, who use the night themselves for their own purposes.

LaCroix has a job for him – to kill the succubus that has stolen his lover. Cade is reluctant, as there are too many secrets surrounding Thanatos as well as an aura of shadowy power. Despite his misgivings Cade takes the job, and after finds that LaCroix wants more from him, he wants Cade to completely give himself over to the dark.



Naughty Reader’s: (Brenda) Oh, this is my kind of read; dark and sinister! Do you write under a pen name?

CJ: Yes. For the usual reasons. I had a very strong religious upbringing and I’d rather keep writing then have to field a lot of questions, although I did recently tell my oldest brother and he was cool with it.

Naughty Reader’s: What types of hero or heroine do you like best?

CJ: The Average Joe/Jane. One thing I noticed when I started reading romances was that the heroes were usually Navy Seals, government agents (CIA, FBI), cowboys, or filthy rich captains of industry. I wondered where are the regular ladies and gentlemen? Seriously, I don’t personally know any Navy Seals, I do know people who work in the corporate sector, restaurants, retail, or civil servants. Not to mention people who own their own businesses. Myles Bryce, one of the characters in Souls Inflamed, owns his own bookstore. Demetrius Jordan, a BBQ restaurant.

Naughty Reader’s: (Tonya) Readers love ordinary characters they can connect with. Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.

CJ: Well, we’re going to have to make it a weekend as I have a 9 to 5. But when I sit down determined to write, I usually start as early as 6 am. I don’t look at the time, but I’ll do a certain number of chapters, usually four or five, then take a break. I prefer to write with background noise, depending on what I’m writing. Sometimes movies or TV shows more often music. Composers like David Arkenstone are perfect for a good heroic fantasy. More often than not I only have time to work in the evening, usually about four hours, then I spend about an hour relaxing on the net. And yes, as you may know, I do the writing at a bookstore café thing.

Naughty Reader’s: Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?

CJ: Some do have a common theme. Illusion of Night and (coming soon), Memory In Shadow take place in the same universe and the characters are faced with similar problems, one being fighting for their freedoms. Many of my shorts however have a variety of themes.

Naughty Reader’s: How long does it take you to write and then edit a story?

CJ: Another tough question. It really depends on which way my life is going at the time.  Between the 9 to 5 and going for my Associates, I have to take whatever time is available. I’ve finished a story within a few months to a couple of years. I try to be quicker with editing because I know the sooner I finish edits, the sooner the work is on the virtual shelves.

Naughty Reader’s: Do you have to be alone to write?

CJ: Yes. I can’t have someone hanging over my shoulder, it makes me nervous, not to mention distracting me.

Naughty Reader’s: How do you go about naming characters?

CJ: Several ways. Sometimes, it’s as simple as using a name I like or have heard around.  Other times its what I think suits the characters. I work in the customer service industry so I come upon a lot of interesting names and personalities. Speaking of naming characters, I just recently did a Musings on my blog on the subject. Take a look at it here.

Naughty Reader’s: We'll definitely check out your post. Is it easier to write about the characters if you find pictures of them before you write or do you write then find character pictures?

CJ: I write first then find the character picture, only if needed. I already know what my characters look like.

Naughty Reader’s: How do you pick locations for your stories?

CJ: With my contemporary works it’s always places I know, that I’ve actually been to. I don’t use real places, I create my own version of the location, adding on to it when needed. I’m a big fan of the “nameless city.”

Naughty Reader’s: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

CJ: Right now I’m in the middle of editing the sequel to Illusion of Night, Memory in Shadow is due out October 29th.

Naughty Reader’s: CJ, thank you for inviting us to chat with you. Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

CJ: Thank you Brenda and Tonya! Everything is below, including where I am online and the purchase URL’s for my current works. And as always, I’m glad to hear from my readers and fellow authors!


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Locations:
Twitter  @cjblacksatin


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Crave the Dark
Excerpt: Chapter One

It took Cade only a second to strike. Even less time for his prey to expire.
Always meticulous with his weapons, he took a moment to clean the blade of his sword. He looked down at the corpse of the businessman who’d won numerous humanitarian awards.
“That’s a fucking joke.” Cade had found so much dirt on the bastard that there was no question the man had to die. He couldn’t figure out why no one else had seen it. Then again, it had been his experience that most people did see, and just ignored it. Money is God.
“Another hit wasted on some lying sack of shit.” Cade bitterly spat the words. He supposed he shouldn’t be upset. Maybe he was crazy trying to find satisfaction in killing. But damn it all, he wanted a challenge, and this fat SOB definitely wasn’t it.
“Gotta pay the bills.” He slammed his sword into the back sheath he wore, ran a gloved hand through his hair and stepped over the body as he made his way out. But he knew that wasn’t really the reason why he killed people.
Once he stepped outside, Cade stopped to be certain the bodyguards were still unconscious. Unlike other hunters and assassins he knew, Cade never killed indiscriminately. Like him, they were just doing their job. He doubted they would come after him. There were plenty of ways to make money.
Cade slipped into the darkness behind the house. The stand of trees surrounding the opulent structure gave him the perfect cover. If the bodyguards were any good they would have noticed too, but they weren’t being paid to tell their employer about defenses. It was doubtful their boss, the owner of the house, would have listened to them anyway.
Cade moved through the trees, taking his time. He wasn’t in any hurry. It was nice and dark, like he preferred. When he was near the road, he stopped by one of the trees. He could hear the cars passing by, as late as it was. They were the people you never saw during the day, much like him. The ones that kept the world running.
He smiled as he leaned against the tree and drew a pack of cigarettes from the interior pocket of his jacket. He was trying to quit. Yeah, me and a shit-load of other people. He drew one out and lit it, but the darkness around him didn’t recede. It didn’t bother him. He had a thing for the darkness. He always had a sense it was hiding him, which was a damn good thing for an assassin. He grinned at the night, as if it were a friend standing in front of him, and he was certain those who felt as he did appreciated the irony.

* * * * *


“That’s not why you kill people.” LaCroix grinned as he steepled his fingers and watched Elijah Cade from within the flames of the fireplace. He was damn fine, LaCroix had to admit. Not overly muscular but nicely built. He wore his brown hair close shaved, a military cut if LaCroix was correct. Cade looked a little older than he was, his features a bit craggy, and that five o’clock shadow hiding the lower portion of those well-defined cheeks.
But that wasn’t the cause for LaCroix’s interest. Cade was meticulous and LaCroix liked that. Even took the time to clean up after himself, though it wasn’t really necessary. Cops knew an assassin’s work. Yes, the ATF sanctioned some of them, but they were paranormal agents.
The ones that operated outside of the system were the assassins, the hunters. A sort of an unspoken agreement between them and the law enforcers allowed them to do their jobs. To take care of the people the police couldn’t touch.
Of course LaCroix didn’t have a problem with causing death. Well not normally, even he had damn rules to follow, which was part of the problem. Yes, he believed he’d made a good choice in Cade to take care of some unfinished business.
LaCroix was seldom one to punish himself himself, but he chose to do so anyway, although it didn’t change the situation. With a mere nod of his head the fire showed him a different scene. One of a young Hispanic man, not too far out of his teens but with a weight on his shoulders that an elderly man would have. LaCroix had not expected to fall for him so readily.
“I remember when you sought me out, Detrick Benjamin,” LaCroix murmured aloud. “I knew about you beforehand, the same way I knew about Elijah Cade.”
Detrick was a voice crying out in the night, but LaCroix wasn’t the only one who heard him. LaCroix left his eyelids closed halfway as the fire showed him the scene of the woman who’d dare steal from him. He’d made the mistake of underestimating her, and look where it had gotten him. He’d indulged Detrick because the younger man felt he had something to atone for, but LaCroix knew better. If he’d gone with his first instincts and never allowed Detrick out of his sight, he would have never lost him in such a way that wounded his pride. LaCroix was surprised that he even had pride. It was such a useless thing with all the other mortal emotions. And that had been LaCroix’s problem.
“Serephine.” LaCroix knew he could threaten all he wanted. It would be pointless and she knew it. She was one of the creatures who coveted the night and had taken Detrick as her prize. Detrick was nothing to her except for a way to satisfy her lusts and hurt LaCroix. He wanted to deal with her himself, but he couldn’t. He needed someone who moved easily about in the darkness. That was why he needed Cade.


 Available Oct 29


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