Today I am speaking with Rhiannon Neeley.

Hi Rhiannon Neeley! And welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! It is great to have you with us today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule. The readers would love to hear something about Rhiannon Neeley, A.K.A. Chris Neeley.

Hi Linda. Glad to be here.

Rhiannon, I love the part about you having Irish in you. I have Scot and Irish but have never traced my roots. I have always wanted to visit Ireland before I die, but as of yet have not had the opportunity. It is so good to meet someone whose family hails from Ireland.

Well then, you’re a kindred soul! I’d love to visit Ireland too but I haven’t had the chance. By tracing my family roots, I’ve met a lot of relatives that I didn’t know existed and I’ve learned so much about our rich history. There is one branch of my Neeley line that puts together a charter trip to Ireland every two years and the trip visits places where our ancestors lived, along with meeting the Neeleys who still reside in Ireland. One day I’d love to be able to go.

Rhiannon, I hope your day is going well. Why don’t we begin by introducing yourself to your readers? Everyone would love to know about Rhiannon and any present works and upcoming projects, with the Raven Series, that you would enjoy sharing?

Alright. As Rhiannon Neeley, I write steamy romance and historical mainstream. I also write horror under my Chris Neeley pen name, which we’ll talk about it a bit.

Since we started off here talking about family history and Ireland, I’d like to mention one of my recent releases from Titan Press (http://www.titanpress.net). Yellow Mountain, an historical mainstream inspired by a true story, was released as an ebook in January and is now available as a trade paperback. It’s based on part of my grandmother, Martha Crager Sawyer’s, life and is very special to me. Reader’s can learn more about it and read an excerpt here:
http://www.titanpress.net/catalog/books/yellowmountain.htm. This is really the book of my heart and I hope everyone takes just a few moments to check it out. It’s like nothing I’ve ever written before.

My most recent release is a horrific suspense from Titan Press under my pen name Chris Neeley. The title is Blood Born and the story is about a southern witch who wants want she can’t have. Here’s the link to learn more about it: http://www.titanpress.net/catalog/books/bloodborn.htm. Very different from any Rhiannon Neeley title, Blood Born is true horror, a battle that wages in the hills of Kentucky. A battle between good and evil.

Now for a bit about some steamy romance from Rhiannon Neeley… I’m No Saint, Valentine was released on January 30th from Liquid Silver Books (www.lsbooks.com). Done as a duet with Dee S. Knight, I’m No Saint, Valentine contains two stories: Sindulgence by Rhiannon Neeley and Candy Hearts and Flours by Dee S. Knight. Being a saint ain’t all it’s cracked up to be and you can find this out by visiting this page to learn more about this book: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/imnosaintvalentine.htm

The Raven Series by Rhiannon Neeley is my favorite of all time, to tell the truth. Readers can follow the adventures of the Raven Clan as they battle the evil of the Horde of Vampires and meet their match in the sassy, outspoken women who get in their way. The Raven Clan, deemed ‘The Unkindness of Ravens’, is a family who have sworn revenge on the vampire horde after one of their own was taken and turned centuries ago. There are three brothers: John, Eric and Dirk. Two cousins: Drake and Holt. And two close friends who join them in their battle: Rogue and Colin. Here are the links to learn more and read excerpts about these dark, dangerous and oh-so-sexy vampire hunters:

John the Deliverer:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/johndeliverer.htm
Eric the Guardian:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/eric.htm
Dirk the Savior:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/dirkthesavior.htm
Drake the Defender:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/drakethedefender.htm
Holt the Interceptor:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/holttheinterceptor.htm
Rogue the Redeemer:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/roguetheredeemer.htm
Colin the Conqueror:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/colintheconqueror.htm

I also have two contemporary titles available from Liquid Silver Books.

Steamy Rebellion, a story about a woman who learns how sweet rebellion can be.
Here’s the link:
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/steamyrebellion.htm

And Sense of a Woman, a story about a woman who learns to find her sense of herself again with the help of one caring man.
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/senseofawoman.htm

And from Venus Press, readers may want to check out the first book in the Bad Girls Do It Better Series. Derailed by Rhiannon Neeley. Nikki Steele almost died when she was struck by a train but even that event didn’t prepare her for the impact of meeting Taylor Crase, undercover cop.
http://www.venuspress.com/catalog/books/BG1_Derailed.htm

Okay, so now you ask what do I have coming soon? Here’s a short list…
Cottonwood Hill, a ghostly tale by Chris Neeley is coming soon from Titan Press. Kelly Masters thinks that inheriting Cottonwood Hill is a Godsend…until she arrives at the estate. Read a short excerpt at my site:
http://www.rhiannonneeley.com/cottonwoodhill.htm

The Veil and Other Tales by Chris Neeley is coming soon from Titan Press. A collection of short horror tales that make you wonder just what is behind the curtain that separates life from death.
http://www.rhiannonneeley.com/veil.htm

Rhiannon’s Run and Other Tales by Chris Neeley is coming soon from Titan Press. Another collection of short tales that may leave you scared to take that walk in the woods.
http://www.rhiannonneeley.com/rhirun.htm

I’m working on three more sensual romances at the moment along with a cookbook that I’m putting together. Readers can keep up with what I’m doing by visiting my website at www.rhiannonneeley.com. That’s where they’ll find news, contests and excerpts of my upcoming releases.

What is your favorite part of a book to write?

My favorite part to write is the beginning, when the characters are revealing themselves to me. It’s exciting when the characters take over and I peel away their many layers to get down to their heart.

Do you outline your stories or do you just write as you go?

I do rough outlines. I’ve learned that if I outline too strictly, I try to force the story to adhere to the outline. In the later stages that doesn’t always work, especially when one or more characters has led me in a different direction.

Is there a certain character that has held a special part in your heart that is hard to let go even after the story is finished?

Oh most definitely. The three main characters in my recent release, Yellow Mountain. Of course, Martha Crager Sawyer, the main character of Yellow Mountain, does reside in my heart since she is my grandmother. Yellow Mountain took me longer to write than any other novel so far. Four years. It’s the novel where my family research comes in. Inspired by a true story, it’s set in the hills of Kentucky in the 1920’s and 30’s and follows some major events that happened in my grandmother’s life. I do have to admit that Yellow Mountain is ‘fiction’ though, but only because certain facts couldn’t be verified in my research. I had to fill in some holes in the story. Anyone who has done family research knows that sometimes you just can’t find records. And of course the men of the story, Nero Neeley and Elijah Sawyer, both hold special places in my heart.

Did you have trouble finding a publisher when you went to submit your first story?

If you’re talking about when I first started submitting short stories, when I first began this writing dream, I have to say I’ve had my share of rejections. If you’re determined to be a writer, you have to deal with that. I must have improved since then because now I don’t get nearly as many rejections as I used to. LOL.

Where do you see yourself in the next three years?

That’s a bit hard to predict. I’m just going to keep on doing what I’ve been doing, writing, and see where that leads me.

Have you ever written a screenplay or considered doing one?

Actually, yes. I have. It’s a drama titled ‘Walking in Shadow’. When I finished it, I shopped it around and actually got a few phone calls from producers but that’s all the farther it went. The screenplay now holds a special place in my filing cabinet. LOL.

Where do you come up with the titles of your books? Or your characters and locations?

The titles just seem to come to me. The characters form in the back of my mind for a while then sort of break into being when I begin writing their story. As far as the locations, my stories are normally set in the Midwest, or sometimes the South, because these are the areas I know. Most of the towns are fictional but once in a while there will be a place that isn’t fictional in my stories. When I do write about a real location, I try to get it as true to life as possible.

What is your absolute favorite genre to read or write?

Paranormal. Whether it be paranormal romance or along the lines of horror I absolutely love things that ‘are’ but can’t be explained. I do like historicals too, especially the research involved. I’ve always loved history. See? It’s very hard for me to choose just one.

If you could compose a book with anyone dead or alive, who would you choose to pen a book with you?

Stephen King, hands down. I think I could learn a lot from him.

Do you have a website other than www.rhiannonneeley.com that you would like to share with your readers? I have to tell you that your website is awesome. It really grabs and mesmerizes.

Thanks Linda, glad you like it. I used to have another site but no longer. www.rhiannonneeley.com is my main site now. I’m constantly tinkering with it but I hope people find it easy to navigate. Readers can check out what I’m up to by visiting the site, along with news and contests and excerpts. I’m always adding something.

Just for some Fun: What secret would readers be surprised to find out about you? You’re on a deserted island and you can have one person to join you, who would that person be? Your absolute best food dish that you could eat everyday?

A secret huh? Well how about this: Everything I write is first written in longhand in spiral bound notebooks. They’re all over my house. When I ‘finish’ writing a book, then I type it into my computer, editing as I go. I’ve really got quite a stack of notebooks full of my scribbling now. I don’t even have to think about who I’d have on a deserted island with me. It would be my husband.

What could I eat everyday? Mancino’s Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza. I can’t help it. The sauce is so tomato-y and the crust is so thin…makes me want some right now. LOL.

Thank you so much for sharing time with us today, Rhiannon. Anyone interested in reading more about Rhiannon and her fascinating books, please visit her website to read more about her interesting works. It has been a pleasure Rhiannon, and I wish you the absolute best with your writing.

Thanks so much for having me, Linda. It was fun.

Interviewed by: Linda L