delves into the afterlife. Where do
we go? What do we see? Is there a
heaven? Is there a hell? The other
aspect I bring into this book is the
power of the natural world to lay
the groundwork for some of the
inherent cycles that play into the
afterlife I created.
Oh, and this is the first time I
wrote Vampires as guardian
angels.
Vampires as guardian angels? I
really love that concept.
Why erotic romance rather than a
more mainstream approach?
Well, damn. This is going to sound
so wrong…but erotic romance is
what really got me into reading and
holding my interest. Yes, I know
what you’re thinking… how sick is
she? LOL! Just think of it this
way….reading is an escape from
reality. Reading about these
steamy situations characters find
themselves in is a little slice of
taboo and a guilty pleasure that
erases the world for me. No matter
that the same text is read, each
reader will visualize the scene
differently and the emotional
outcome will vary. This is why I
love reading in this genre and
hey…they say to write what you
love to read!
Have you always been interested in
vampires?
Absolutely. Growing up in Hawaiithe sunshine, palm tree landscape
and beaches, it’s pretty hard to
imagine how vampires could be of
interest to me. But on the drive to a
town called Wahiawa, there was
Mt. Ka’ala in the distance. On top
of the mountain is the Mt. Ka’ala
facility which is controlled, I
believe, by the Hawaii Air
National Guard and FAA. There is
a giant tower that can be seen for
miles. From as far back as I can
remember, I was convinced THAT
was Dracula’s tower. So even as I
was half melting from the heat and
humidity as my dad and I drove to
North Shore to go snorkeling, I
would side-eye that giant tower
and my mind would be absorbed in
thinking about vampires.
Then there was “Lost Boys”….that
rekindled love for vampires as a
teenager!
Ooo…I loved Michael from “Lost
Boys.” So sexy.
Are there any other aspects of the
paranormal that interest you?
Would you ever consider
incorporating those into your
writing?
In addition to vampires, I have
always been fascinated with
witches. In fact, I have a plot in my
head for a coven story and thinking
of starting this next year.
It has been my experience, some
things come quite easily (like
creating the setting) and other
things aren’t so easy (like deciding
on a title). What comes easily to
you and what do you find more
difficult?
I agree. Settings are always the
easiest for me. I can easily
visualize what kind of environment
I want to be absorbed in, so
without a doubt, location and
scenery is quite effortless. The
difficulty, I find, is when the book
is finished and I have to write a
synopsis. Sometimes that is harder
than writing the book!
Yes, and blurbs always give me
fits. It seems I rewrite those and
am still not thrilled with the end
result. Why is it we can write
novels and then get tripped up on
the little things?
Let’s talk inspiration. What
inspires you?
Travel and music are my primary
sources of inspiration.
I have seen many amazing and
rousing places that I have adapted
into stories or used a little piece of
reality to create a fictional world.
Case in point, my girlfriends and I
had a very memorable trip to a tree
house in Colorado. When we
arrived, the photos we saw online
of the place didn’t do it any justice.
The tree house was simply
magnificent. A good balance of
man-mad materials and natural
elements made up the tree house.
For my story, I thought more along
the lines of something almost
“hobbit-like” so I incorporated
natural elements more so than
man-made.
As far as music is concerned, I
could be in the middle of a blizzard
in Colorado, but feel like I’m
walking along dry and dusty earth
in a Marrakesh bazaar, my eyes
absorbing the bold, jeweled-tone
colors of fabrics and taking in a
healthy whiff of the exotic spices.
Typically, I have Pandora tuned to
my stations to provide inspirational
settings that takes me halfway
around the world without leaving
the couch. Check it out:
Maya’s Gypsy Groove Station:
http://www.pandora.com/station/13
35009332057028278
Maya’s Arabian Dream Station:
http://www.pandora.com/station/84
6337414931101366
When they write your obituary,
what do you hope they will say
about your books and writing?
What do you hope they will say
about you?