Fallen Angel Reviews is excited to welcome Myla Jackson for a “getting to know you better” interview into an author making a big name for herself with some pretty hot titles. Hi Myla, thank you for sitting and chatting with FAR this evening.

Nice to be here! Thanks for the HOT introduction.

Since I’m sure our readers would love to hear about your books first, let’s start with your story in the Shadow Warriosr Anthology. Interesting concept and would love to hear how the multi-author creation came about.

Betty Hanawa, a Triskelion author and a very good writer buddy of mine, was given the go-ahead by her editor at Triskelion to bring together a group of authors to write an anthology for Triskelion. She immediately thought of her friends, Delilah, Myla, and Layla and asked us to join her in this venture.

Delilah came up with the idea of doing an anthology of connected stories that built on the knowledge gained in each until the final story brought them all together and tied them up. We brainstormed as a group and came up with our individual story ideas and layered in the threads we wanted to reveal in each along the way. We ended up with a dynamite anthology that’s getting rave reviews! Shadow Warriors is about four different Special Forces soldiers who were captured and had their DNA altered in a secret facility. The alteration makes them shapeshifters of the large feline variety. They each meet the woman who can tame the beast within. It’s hot, it’s full of action and you won’t be able to put it down!

Shadow Warriors is only one of three published anthologies that you took part in. When creating shorter stories for an anthology is your creative process different than if you were working on a stand-alone book?

Yes. It’s shorter! Woohooo! I’m a plotter and sometimes I can get away with being a pantser (seat of the pants writer) when the story is short. But I still go through the same discovery process to get to know my characters and their internal conflicts as well as the external conflicts that drive the plot. Plotting on longer books can be arduous, but worth it to me! I have a really lousy memory and plotting keeps me on track.

You also have a highly reviewed paranormal series, which includes your Trouble with Harry and Trouble with Will books. What was the inspiration behind this series and can we expect another addition in the near future?

I LOVE Harry and Will. I wanted a genie in the bottle story, but I wanted to have a heck of a lot of fun doing it. I pictured Indiana Jones-like adventure meets a female Bedazzled in Trouble with Harry and I pictured Lara Croft Tomb Raider in Trouble with Will. The thing I like about Ellora’s Cave is that they let me write my comedies and outlandish themes. They’re fun, they’re full of action and you’ll love the characters and the wishes they come up with! I’ve got a very full writing schedule through the end of the year, but I plan to write Trouble with Mitch early next year. I HAVE to write Trouble with Mitch. My fans have been asking for him and I can’t disappoint!

You mentioned on your website being challenged by your sister to write a book. Your sister is a pretty talented author and one I’m sure our readers are very familiar with, Delilah Devlin. You and she collaborated on a story called Jacq’s Warlord. How does it feel to have a published book that you and your sister worked on together considering she is the one who encouraged you to write?

It feels great! Let it be known, we encouraged each other to write. At the turn of the century, we challenged each other to write a romance. We each wrote chapter one of our romances and looked at each other and asked, “Now what?” We tossed combined talents into the ring and co-authored our first four books— Jacq’s Warlord was book #3. And Jacq’s Warlord practically wrote itself we were so excited about the story. The reviewers are loving it too! After we got the feel for how to write a story, we went our separate writing ways, always brainstorming together, but writing different things. I went on to pursue New York publishing and Delilah went on to write for Ellora’s Cave and she did really well at that as evidenced by her rabid fan-base! Under my pen name Elle James, I’ve published one romantic comedy called To Kiss a Frog and two Harlequin Intrigues, Beneath the Texas Moon and Dakota Meltdown. I have four more Harlequin Intri! gues contracted and ideas for even more. I still wanted to write comedies and paranormal and couldn’t for Harlequin Intrigue, so I started writing for Ellora’s Cave. I love it! Myla Jackson has fun with her writing and releases her humor and paranormal desires on sexy romances!

So what’s next Myla, new series, delving into other genres? What can our readers look forward to from the desk of Myla Jackson?

I have a werewolf story Shewolf coming out Sept 8th published by Ellora’s Cave. I’m working on a vampire story for Ellora’s Cave as well. I have a vampire story Out of the Shadows coming in March 2007 in the Alluring Tales: Awaken your Fantasies Anthology to be published by Avon Red. In June I have a sexy female magician in Touch of Magic in the Wild, Wild Women of the West Anthology to be published by Kensington’s Aphrodisia. I also have a story in the Wild, Wild Women of the West II and Damned, Dangerous and Delicious II Anthologies for Aphrodisia release dates to be determined! I’ll be very busy writing! It’s sooo exciting!

Now while cruising your website I came across a couple of interesting tidbits about you the person. Your Egging hobby being one of them. Can you tell our readers a little more about this hobby and if this is something you do for pure pleasure or are you a commissioned artist?

I wish I could say I have time to do my egging, but lately it’s all work on the writing scene. Egging is an art. I take real egg shells (goose, rhea, emu & ostrich) and make beautiful jewel boxes, music boxes, carousels and carriages out of them. Think Faberge only using real eggs. They’re decorated with rhinestones and lined with velvets and satins. I used to sell them at craft shows, but they’re too easy to break to sell in that venue. Now I just give them away as gifts and keep my favorites like my Rhea carousel and Cinderella coach. It’s an unusual craft brought on by raising the birds! We had a ranch in Texas for a while where we raised Emus, Rheas and Ostriches. Talk about exciting! Ever have a 350 pound Ostrich try to kill you?

When you are in need of a break from writing and day-to-day life, what is your favorite thing to do? Outside of reading and tiling of course!

I like to take me dogs outside and watch them run. I have a Yorkie named Chewy and a Malti-poo named Sweetpea. I love to watch Sweetpea chase Chewy around the yard. She looks like a really fast fuzzy slipper. It makes me laugh every time!

If you had a chance to meet one living best selling author whom would it be and why?

Michael Crichton! I love his action adventure movies and have read most of them in book format. What a wonderful imagination! I aspire to be so good.

I’m sure there are a few aspiring authors out there who would love a couple of words of wisdom from a successful author. Is it possible for you share any words of advice?

Writing to be published isn’t for sissies! You have to have a tough skin and be ultra, mega, gianormously persistent! I have enough rejection letters to paper my office and then some and I still get them. Do your homework, know your market, join a critique group and learn how to write. Then write, revise, submit! Repeat the process until something takes!

As we wind down this interview I was wondering if you have any upcoming chats or appearances scheduled? If so, please let our fans know when and where.

I always jump in on Delilah’s List Mom Day on the last Sunday of the month with Ellora’s Cave. I also have a standing engagement at Writerspace to chat with my fellow Allure authors the second Monday of the month at 8:00 EST. Join me and win prizes at both events!

Is there anything else you would love to share with our readers that I may have missed this evening?

Check out Shewolf on Sept 8th. I’m thinking it’s the start of a new series at Ellora’s Cave. Also check out my story The Ambassador’s Widow in the Dreams of the Oasis I Anthology. It’s a wonderful piece with a really cool paranormal element and a touching love story.

Myla I want to thank you for taking the time to really give our readers a personal look at the woman behind the words. Please let our readers know where they can find additional information about you and your work?

Check out my website to read excerpts, reviews and blurbs on my latest releases. Keep track of my contest page, I try to do one once a month or every other month. You can join my newsletter and visit my blog from my website as well.

Thanks for having me! I loved visiting with you all!

Interviewed by: Rachelle