Hi Beverly! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us.

Thanks. It’s a pleasure to be here.

In your new book, Bodyguard, your hero is a detective and your heroine is a trauma surgeon. Both of the characters are head strong individuals, do you find it more enjoyable writing about two characters so strong willed trying to overcome their own fears and desires?

I love writing about strong, complex characters. There is nothing more boring to me than a person who has no interesting facets to their personality. I mean, how unrealistic is that? *g* People are not one dimensional creatures, after all. I like writing about strong yet vulnerable people, those who are stubborn yet open to emotions. Like in real life, my characters have hang ups, issues and emotional baggage. *g*

Per your website, you have another book titled KARN'AL: Jed's Revenge. It shows this book to be released through Ellora’s Cave Publishing, however, it does not show on their website yet. Is this a book scheduled to be released soon or has it already been released?

I am still crossing my fingers that we’ll keep to our originally planned release schedule which is in October. I’m starting edits right now, and I don’t anticipate a lot of problems. So I’m being optimistic. I’ll still say it’ll be out in October. *g*

From the blurb on KARN'AL: Jed's Revenge, two enemies are thrown together due to individuals driven by the need for revenge or saving themselves. It appears their love develops and grew in the midst of danger. Can you tell us a little more about this book?

Karn’al: Jed’s Revenge is actually the second in my Cyborgs series, which started in Tristan’s Woman, in the Pleasure Planet anthology I had with Claire Thompson, also from Ellora’s Cave. The Karn’alians are mortal enemies with the Pagans, who invaded their home and killed most of their people.

The heroine, Kate, is actually half-human, half-Pagan. Desperate and innocent, and with her life hanging in the balance, she uses Jed to get rid of her virginity while he is imprisoned in a Pagan dungeon. Jed swears vengeance and after his escape, he makes it his mission to find Kate. Years later, he locates her and exacts his revenge. However, things don’t go according to his plans. Along the way, they fall in love. But she’s Pagan and he’s Karn’alian. It’s a very difficult situation they have to resolve, and they’ll need their love to pull them through.

Can we get a teaser for what you are working on right now? *g*

I am currently working on the third installment in my Cyborg series, which is Logan’s story, whom we also met in Tristan’s Woman. Right now, it’s tentatively titled Logan’s Fall. Now he’s more complex and more emotionally scarred than the others, and is determined not to form any emotional attachment to anybody. Sharra, the heroine in the story, is determined to heal him and change all that.

I’m also working on the sequel to Bandar: Contract to Pleasure, which was my first book from Changeling Press. This is Lara and Vartan’s story. I’m having a lot of fun with this one. *g* Sparks fly between these two, and things are just bound to get hotter…LOL

Also, after Karn’al: Jed’s Revenge, I have a contemporary coming from Ellora’s Cave entitled Irresistible, which will hopefully be out before the end of the year. It’s the story of Gavin and Madi, a husband and wife torn apart because of Gavin’s infidelity. Or so Madi thought. *g* Now Gavin has his work cut out for him to prove his innocence and win his wife back. *g*

What inspired you to write short stories?

I love to write, ever since I can remember. I’ve always been an avid reader so I guess it wasn’t too much of a stretch to become an author. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been making up stories in my head, creating characters and making them fall in love with each other. *g*

You have a family and a career, how do you balance the demands of family with writing?

It’s not easy. When I first started, I had a real hard time balancing my writing with personal life. As time went on, I developed sort of a discipline. A schedule, if you will. *g*

I allot certain hours for writing, some for chores and other stuff. It’s all about scheduling, believe me. *g*

How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?

I read! Read, read, read. I have a lot of books in my TBR pile. I also love to watch movies and there are TV shows that I’m addicted to. CSI and Law & Order, Smallville and The O.C. (my guilty pleasure) *g* During the weekends, I watch my kids play sports. My son plays football and runs track, and my daughter plays softball. Sometimes their games take all day, with a lot of waiting in between, so I bring my laptop and work there. *g*

Do your outside interests contribute to your writing?

Definitely. I get ideas from watching TV and movies. I also look at characterization, settings and all that. It helps my imagination. LOL

How do you keep your ideas fresh and imaginative?

I just add a twist. To me, it’s always a question of “what if?” What if a werewolf falls in love with a vampire? I can just imagine the problems there. I like to push the envelope, but not to the extreme if you know what I mean. Every subject, every conflict has probably been covered in the millions of romance books out there. You just have to add your own special twist to it. *g*

Do you prefer to only write individual stand alone stories or have you considered writing a series?

I love series. I love finding out what happens to the other characters in the story. Sometimes, the root of a new story comes out while I’m writing a book, even if I hadn’t planned on it. Take Michael Rutherford, for instance. He was Emma’s fiancé in my first book, The Abduction of Emma, from Ellora’s Cave. They were engaged but the love of her life, Luke, came back and Emma realized she was still in love with him. I just knew Michael needed his own story, and I wrote one for him titled For One Night Only. I just turned it in to my editor at EC and hopefully, you’ll get to read his story soon. *g*

Do you have a favorite character from one of your stories that you might be interested in revisiting for a follow-up story?

In Bodyguard, the hero, Nick Santorelli, has a firefighter brother, Jason. He’s very charming and naughty. I want to give him his own story. He’s in the planning stages, right now. *g* Its going to be a fun, lighthearted one, I think. He’s just too sexy not to have his turn.

How do you know what to name your books or the characters?

I try to find names that are not common or boring. I really don’t have a way to choose names. Just what sounds good to me, I guess, and one that somehow matches their personality. LOL

Per your website, you have links to many other authors; do you have a particular author or style of book that you enjoy reading?

Dara Joy, Stephanie Laurens, and Brenda Joyce are some of my favorites. Love Janelle Denison, too. Lora Leigh, Jaci Burton, Dominique Adair and Cheyenne McCray (love her Wonderland series) are some of my auto buys from EC. I read everything from contemporary to historical to sci-fi to paranormal. I love all of them.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Yes! My books are going into print. I’m so jazzed about the whole thing. Bodyguard will be released in print in October and Pleasure Planet will come in November. Insatiable, a print anthology of The Abduction of Emma and Taming Alex (my first two books from EC) is coming out in January 2006. I’m way beyond excited about this. I can hardly wait!

Thank you so much for stopping by Beverly. We appreciate you taking the time to visit with us today and hope to hear from you again. For anyone looking for a sizzling, tantalizing tale, stop by Beverly or Ellora’s Cave’s website to see what you are missing. There is sure to be a book for you.

Thanks for having me! I enjoyed talking to you.

Interviewed by: Jessica