FAR would like to ask Cora Zane a few questions to help our audience get to know her and her books a little bit better.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us?

I used to be a bit of a wild child back in my heyday, but I've mellowed quite a bit with age. I'm trained as a dental assistant, but I've also worked as a nanny for a family of bikers, and did the whole punk band thing for a while. All of that was several years ago, and I can honestly say I'm glad those days are behind me. There is no job quite like a bad job. However, I do miss the band thing occasionally. I so still have my Washburn Bantam bass guitar, and even now I play from time to time.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

For me, inspiration comes from many places: movies, music, television, art, and books. I daydream a lot, and I'm also big on "what if" scenarios. I like to place my characters in sticky situations and let them claw their way out from there. I find those stories far more interesting than the ones I plot from start to finish. Of course, they don't always go in the exact direction I'd like them to, but that's just part of the writing adventure.

Do you feel as if your characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?

I wouldn't say they haunt my dreams, exactly, but my characters certainly have a habit of talking to me in the middle of the night. Usually they offer me big, long scenes of dialogue that tend to keep me up until I write it all down and they've had their say.

As for whether they live with me as I write then, I usually imagine them as people I might see interacting on the street, or on a stage. So really, aside from the midnight voices, I suppose my characters seem more like actors to me than anything else.

There have been a few of my larger than life characters that have stuck around in my head far longer than others, though, like Cole from Crossing Borders, or Claire from Bonding Experience. I tend to think of them more in terms of real people than anyone else I've written about. I sometimes catch myself "wondering what they're up to" now that they're books are completed.

I am aware that you like to write strong male characters. If you had a chance to write something completely different what would it be?

If I were to write something completely different, I would likely shift genres rather than character styles. Characters are in many ways reflections of our inner self. I'm not so sure I could ever shake that completely. I'm attracted to strong men, and so I write them that way.

As for a shift in genre, I can picture myself doing that. I wouldn't mind writing horror if I needed a change. Even now there are a lot of horror elements in my romances – paranormal creatures, fight scenes, etc. Who knows, maybe one day I will try my hand at writing darker material.

What is a typical work day for you?

My work day is unstructured for the most part. When I get up in the morning, I put on a pot of coffee, get the kids settled, and from there on I write between bouts of dishwashing, internet surfing, and laundry sorting.

Do you have any special rituals that help get you in the mood to write?

When I lose the spark to write, I know I need to recharge. I take that time to read a book, or watch a marathon of movies. Meditation also helps when I'm feeling stuck or frustrated, and at times I burn ritual or aromatherapy candles to set the mood before settling in for a long writing session.

How many hours a day do you write on average?

I typically write in sporadic bursts throughout the day. I get fifteen uninterrupted minutes here, thirty minutes there. Overall, it probably averages out to around three hours a day, sometimes longer if I can manage to keep off the internet.

How has being published changed your life, if at all?

Nothing has changed, really. My life is the same. I have grown close ties with certain other writers, and I have more of a sense of self fulfillment regarding my writing. The only thing truly different now is that my work is available beyond my own computer, and I get feedback for what I write.

Your book “Wicked Temptation” is different from your other paranormal books. Are you going to write more books in that specific genre?

Wicked Temptation is about vampires, for a start. I primarily set out to write werewolf novels because that's where my heart is, but at the time I was feeling stressed and needed a change. Wicked Temptation deals with far more serious and controversial themes than any of my other books do, and for that main reason I feel it is different. Some people have remarked it is a harsher, grittier book, and I agree. Then again, not every relationship fits a standard, monogamous mold, and not every romance is showered in hearts and flowers. When I wrote the book, I held those ideas in mind. I wanted something different from what I'd written in the past, as well as from other vampire books I've read, and the result was like a breath of fresh air for me. I'm very proud of that book, and I do intent to continue the series at a later date, starting with Eleni's story.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Learn everything you can about the writing craft. Join a free group like www.romancedivas.com for support, and stay on top of the genre you like to read or want to write in. Never give up. If you get a rejection, put it away and keep going. Hone your grammar skills above all things, and write, write, write! If you have the time, attend writer's workshops on subjects that appeal to you. There are many places online that offer free workshops—take advantage of this. You can learn a lot from interacting with other writers.

Can you tell us a little about your upcoming works?

Right now I'm working on a fallen angel/demon romance for Cobblestone Press. It's in the final stages before submission, so we'll see where that goes. I will also have a new erotic Werekind short story available for free download in February—just in time for Valentine's Day. Beyond that, I'm hoping 2007 will be another successful year for me. I have quite a few novella length books planned, and I'm also hoping to shop around a couple of longer erotic romances to see how they fare.

What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?

I hope to find my way into print next year, but beyond that, I'm taking it one step at a time. When I started writing erotic romances, I had no set career goal in mind, just to write books and put them out there. If they make it, they make it. If they don't, I'll try harder next time. I'm happy with how far I've come in just a year, but I feel like I shouldn't plot my career too far ahead of my next book. I'm still in the beginning stages. My writing develops a little more with each story I write.

I love your book "Under A Midnight Moon" Are you going to continue the story?

Eventually, yes. Under A Midnight Moon is a free read I have available through the Midnight Moon Café. It's part of a mini-trilogy, and is also part of my ongoing Werekind Series, which ties in with my other werewolf books—Crossing Borders and Bonding Experience. Both of those titles are available now through Cobblestone Press.

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

There are several places around the net where readers can connect with me. There is the Cora Zane site, and my blog: The Intimate Thoughts of Cora Zane. I also make frequent appearances at the Midnight Moon Café, a paranormal romance blog I share with fellow erotic authors Tempest Knight and Cassandra Curtis. I also have a page at Myspace, and a page at Authors Den.

Thanks for having me!

I would like to thank Ms. Zane for taking the time to give FAR this interview. I look forward to following your career and reading more of your stories. The strong but silent type is the type of character many of us love to read.

Interviewed by: Teresa