ASMSG Romance Erotica Ezine Oct. 2014 | Page 58

That I had a lively and active imagination with a good sense of humor. Is there any particular book when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that?” Not one book, but the entire Forbidden Series by Samantha Sommersby Who or what inspires your characters and/or plots? Characters are typical developed from imagination, but there are some physical traits that derive straight from photography I have on men, the photo album aptly named “muses”. Okay. They’re just a collection of good-looking men. What can I say? I am a fan of the male body and facial features. For character personality, it’s a combination of imagination and incorporating some traits from men that I actually know. I have a handful of great friends that are male and every time I am quiet in a conversation, they say, “Lord. This is going in a book or something, right?” Tell us about your writing space. Do you need any ‘must haves’ around you before you start writing? I sit in the same spot when writing at home. My spot is on a leather sofa, right next to a wall of windows that showcases all of the treetops I have in my yard. Between the canopies of trees, glimpses of Pikes Peak come into view. The walls of the room are painted in a warm green tone, think two shades lighter than an avocado. The accents, from pillows to throw blankets are bronze, gold, burnt orange, copper with splashes of crimson. Accents are all in different shades of wood and metals. I have three themes going on in the room-Hawaii, Moroccan, and Bali that blend quite well together. Within the space, my must haves are lit candles, incense burning and Pandora playing softly in the background. What happens before sitting down to write? (Explain your creative process.) My writing is typically done at night or early morning. If I happen to write during the day, it’s usually because it is in the middle of a snow or thunderstorm. The time of day and what the weather holds really plays a key role in inspiration. When I sit down and write, I read back on the last chapter written or skim through the chapters. I close my eyes to envision the scene, as if a movie. I don’t work with an outline- most times I don’t know where I am going with a story until I sit down and I “see” where I want to go. All in all, I read to escape reality. Because of this, my goal in writing is to create a world that is vivid enough for the reader to sense it all around them as they read to the point that their immediate environment vanishes. Do you do a lot of research for your book(s)? It’s usually medical research that I perform since I want to explain some of the structure changes in the body that occurs for a vampire’s existence. I’ve researched general information on diabetics, how insulin is made, advances in brain-machine interfaces for patients with neurodegenerative disease, blood oxygenation and altitude influence on the body. Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career? I would’ve started writing earlier in life. Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where? I have done conventions such as RomCon, Blissfest and Jimmy Thomas’ RNConvention in Vegas. For 2014, my focus is on writing. I will plot out conventions for 2015 and also hoping to do events locally with some fellow Colorado muses that I know (LOL). All events that I will attend will be listed here: http://www.mayadeleina.net/events .html We look forward to seeing you out and about. Good luck with your new release and thank you so much for taking the time for an interview. Now let’s look inside “Dark Companion.” I’m sure this one will be an instant best seller. The blurb… Joseph’s Protector at the moment of her birth. Four decades later, he struggles to hide the love he harbors for his charge. When the time comes for her to learn of Warwick’s existence, lust is a beast he can’t contain, nor can Isla fight her instant attraction to this mysterious “stranger”. The pair comes together in a frenzied feast of flesh.