We're trying something a little different this time. If you notice that this interview reads a little differently than the usual fare it's because Ruby Storm graciously agreed to be a guinea pig for an IM interview. We had a great time chatting and the dialogue follows.

Tell your fans something about you they would never guess.

Oh, man - you're gonna go straight for the heart, aren't you? LOL. Okay, let me think.

They would probably never guess that I'm more at home sitting in a big pair of winter boots around a fire in the middle of winter than I would be dressed to the nines and out on some grand adventure. I love the outdoors. Always have and always will. If I ever had to move, I would probably head somewhere desolate with a nice lake, tall pine trees and wild animals running all over the place.

Although - I kind of live in that surrounding right now. It wouldn't bother me in the least to be REALLY out in the middle of the woods.

Well, you live in Minnesota, doesn't that count (giggle)

LOL! Hey, guess what? We even have electricity up here in northern Minnesota! It's so funny that when people hear where I live, they picture a place like the wilds of Alaska with dogsleds bringing in the mail. That simply cracks me up!

You kinda answered this with the first question, but if you could go anywhere, be anyone, do anything for 24 hours, what would it be?

Ah, I'd love to go back in time to the western frontier to see what it really was like. Crazy, eh? Had to put 'eh' - we Minnesotans have a bad habit there. Wouldn't it be great to see what traveling the Oregon Trail was really like? To meet people like Abraham Lincoln. To experience the South as it once was with the sprawling plantations? Too cool for words.

Wouldn't you miss 'modern’ amenities though?

Only my computer and my internet connection! ROFL. I spent a lot of time in the Boundary Waters area when growing up. My grandfather worked around the world, but every summer he came home and took my sister and me deep into some pretty untravelled areas. We'd go with the bare necessities. Had to catch fish to eat, etc. Maybe that's where I've developed my love for the outdoors. I have a lot of "water" time in canoes and many portages that I've crossed.

Wow, that's really amazing! What's your favorite memory of those times?

We had a dog named Spike that came with us. He was our guardian and you could always depend on him. Neatest damn dog ever. You know, when I drink a rich cup of coffee, I think of my grandfather. He forgot to bring sugar with him on one of our many trips and we had to learn to drink that coffee black and thick. I still love it that way to this day. I guess just sitting around the fire with him as he told us stories about Iceland and Greenland and the many places he'd been. The loons were always singing and the fire crackling. Man, there's so many things that I do now that will spin my mind right back to those times.

Sounds like you had a great time growing up and some fabulous memories too, you mentioned your sister going with on your trips with your grandfather, now, I've seen pictures, but it seems you're still really close to your sister. Can you tell us about the 'Pull tab ladies'?

OMG! What a fun time that was! Just a little side note here. A WHOLE bunch of our relatives think she and I should start our own "Party Starters" business. Okay. This is the scoop. Oh, and hey - I'll have to send you a picture! Anyway, my mom turned 70 years old this year. She has eight friends who are just as crazy as her. This year they decided to have one big party to celebrate all of them turning 70 (even though they take off once a month and go gambling or lunching or whatever.) Well, sister Sue and I decided to crash the party. We dressed up in some real funky and outlandish costumes, had hats on that we'd scribbled "Pull Tab" ladies on the brim and showed up with re-glued pull tabs that we'd marked our own winners with. Showed up blowing whistles and clapping our hands and had those ladies participating in all kinds of contests. Ended up staying at the party and ended up giving my sister a ride home cuz she was doing shots with the 'elders'. Those ladies are a hoot!

Knowing your sense of humor a bit, I gotta ask, if you could be invisible for an hour, what would you do and where would you go?

Whoa........ROFLMAO!

Okay - I'm gonna try and answer this nicely!!!!!

Oh man, ya gotta be nice? LOL

I'm pretty tolerant of 'bad attitudes'. But just once, I would like to pull out all stops and really harass someone that has done their best to antagonize me. Being invisible, it would be fun as hell! And THAT'S all I'm going to say about that. HEHE

LOL, ok, that works...what are your pet peeves, what would REALLY antagonize you?

Not that I'll do it or anything, but....

Someone who is dishonest and doesn't play all their cards on the table. We're human! We make mistakes! But sheesh, there are those who walk around with the holier than thou attitudes. If you do something wrong and make a big boo-boo, step up to the plate and admit it. Also, peas. Yup, peas really antagonize me.

Peas? Is it because they're green? their roundness? What is it about peas?

You can't say something like that and not expect a question about it.

Ewwwwwwwww, I get the shivers just thinking about them squishing around in my mouth. I have always hated peas. I've been married for thirty years; have three kids, and never ONCE have I purchased a can of peas. Weird, I know, but just don't like them.
And neither do my kids...shame on me.

Well, everyone has their icky foods. What are your comfort foods?

Hey, my internet connection will probably have a time out if I list everything! LOL. Okay, in order....Spaghetti (if it's red, it's in the stomach), King Crab, chicken fried steak, pizza (I own a pizza place) anything Mexican except bean burritos.

And let's not forget any kind of potatoes.

No chocolate?

I can take it or leave it. I enjoy candy kisses, but chocolate isn't any big deal for me.

Ok, that's just not right, but I guess each to their own...lol

Since everybody needs a break, even when doing something they love, how do you like to spend your time away from writing?

I love my flower gardens with a passion. After spending 20 years adding on garden beds everywhere, you should see my perennials! I have two ponds that my husband helped me put in. I like the solitude of digging around in the dirt and the feel of the sun on my back. It's so relaxing to just spend time playing out there. My husband and I used to find a babysitter for the kids and canoe up into some real remote areas. Then we took the kids with us. Now? We're just getting too old to be working that hard. So, my yard has become my haven!

In the winter, I'll find more time to read. I have a passion for reading and really miss it now that I'm writing full time. Nothing is better than getting lost in someone's fantasy world between the pages.

You mentioned that you own a pizza place, how much do you help out and how?

I take care of all the book work and hiring. On special occasions like festivals, etc, I'll go in and work, but my husband does most of that part. I remember when we both did it. We used to bring the kids in their infant seats and they'd sleep on the tables as we prepared for the night's opening. Now, we have employees and the best manager ever that we can really trust!

We just hit our 22nd anniversary for the business, so we've been around a long time.

Wow, 22 years? That's impressive. Did you and your husband start it or was it inherited?

Okay - the pizza place: My maternal grandmother was born way too early for her smarts. She would have shaken up the world of business nowadays. She started the business in 1959. Sadly, she died in Feb of 1983. My husband and I purchased the business that following October from her children and we're still going strong! We live outside of the town we grew up in and were happy as hell that we never had to leave. The area has now become a tourist area, so the business does well.

How do you balance your writing, helping at the pizza place, and life?

I try to keep a schedule, but sometimes that just flies out the window! LOL. Working at home has its advantages, but one has to be very disciplined or it can spiral out of control very quickly. I can't wait to get out of bed in the morning simply because I'm doing what I love! I check my email, post to groups, then try to get some treadmill time in. Then I write in between anything that takes up my day. Sometimes I spend 14 hours here in my office but it's a labor of love!

How do you write? Are you an obsessive plotter? Seat of the pantser?

Definitely a 'seat of the panster' although that can go either way. Sometimes things just flow like crazy. Other times when writing a book like Cracked: Prelude to Passion, which is a suspense, I actually work with post it notes stuck on the wall. LOL. I can be such a visual person at times and have to 'see' it to figure out how one thing will connect to the other. Hell, it works!

You mentioned Cracked, and I know you have a lot of other books out there, can you pick one of your romantica titles and give us a little synopsis?

Then at times, something will touch me so deeply that I just begin to write. I have a general idea where the story is going to go. But, damn, sometimes those characters will be in the back of my mind jumping up and down and screaming that I need to head in another direction. I listen and do what they say.

The one that pops in my mind is Payton's Passion, my very first erotica for Ellora's Cave. I wrote that book on a dare. I had never read or written anything close to erotica. I just couldn't come up with a plot line. Then one night my husband and I decided to take a break and go somewhere for a quiet drink. It was a Tuesday night and not very busy. We were sitting at a horseshoe bar with only one other patron in there and a couple came in the back door. They sat down, ordered their drinks and basically ignored one another. He watched the game on the television and she stirred her drink and didn't seem too enthused to be there. Shazam! How about an erotica with the storyline about a couple married for thirteen years who really needed to get the pizzazz back in their relationship before it disappeared forever? I wrote that book in six weeks, submitted it to EC and got a contract in three days!

Wow!! How long does it usually take you to write a book?

That depends! It's taken months for some of them. Others? If the ideas are flowing, they can go fast! I wrote a 12k story in 24 hours. My Valentines story in Diamond Studs was written in less than a month. Cracked: PTP however, took about nine months because two other stories took over in my mind and I had to write them first.

So it's easy to say two to three months for a longer book if I stay with something. Each of my Keeper books in the series took about 4 months each and they're each around 122K.

You have a new series at Cerridwen Press, so far two books are out; Keeper of the Spirit and Keeper of the Dream. From previous conversations I've had with you, you've said that this is the series of your heart. Can you tell us about them and why you feel that way?

Ah, yes, I get all warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about them! LOL. Sorry to sound so cheesy, but those books just 'do' it for me! Unbelievably, I scratched out (in long hand) the characters for the first, Keeper of the Spirit, and wrote a scene when I was 22 years old. But, when you're a working mother and kids keep popping out, I had to put that notepad away. I tucked it into the bottom of my drawer and those wrinkled papers sat there for over 20 years!

Then came the day when I lost someone very close to me. It got me thinking about how short life is and how you should be happy doing what you loved! So, since the book was written in my head anyway, I sat down and started Spirit. Then we took a family trip to the Black Hills. Once there, the history of the area touched me in such a way that I couldn't wait to get home and begin a sequel. After all, the first book was about a man with two brothers! So, Keeper of the Dream was written after many, many hours of haunting libraries for facts and hours of internet time. Well, then, what the hell. I had that third brother left who had no story, so on to Keeper of the Heart. I love history with a passion - and I've already told you about wishing I could go back in time. The Keeper series has given me that opportunity in a way.

All my characters from every book touch me emotionally, but the Wilkins family saga was like having those people living in the house. It was very hard to say good bye to them.

So, now that the Wilkins family has left you (I'm still trying to get you to keep them around) what are you working on now?

Well, I was supposed to be finishing up an erotica about an older woman and younger man - really close on that one, but an idea wouldn't go away. It's a spin off from my Lucy's Double Diamonds that has sat for over a year. Suddenly I knew what I wanted to do with that story in regards to a sequel. In fact, that file is open on my computer right now. It's going good so when the juices flow, I have to go with it! LOL. I'm thinking of calling it my Precious Gems series.

That was supposed to be a little secret, but since you have me sitting here beneath a glaringly bright light and a lie detector hooked up....what can I say?

Oh no, you mean more of those brothers? What will my Grandma say? Oh yeah..YAY. What exactly are you spinning off?

Whoops, did I forget to turn off the light? I love the idea of the series name. You can never have too many Precious Gems.

Okay, shut off that light and we'll talk! LOL. Three separate stories following my 'gem' names. Lucy and her boys are there in the first story.

Small, sexy hot and always ménages. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Oh, all right, I suppose I'll just have to stalk...er talk to you later about those. Can you tell us a little about the older woman story? Wasn't it inspired by a handyman or something?

Yup, Mr. Fullservice. He's a hot Italian guy. Maisy Collins is a hardworking mother at the age of 49 (no resemblance to me whatsoever) whose husband left her for a younger woman. She's been alone for six years. Her twin boy and girl have headed off to college. Hmmmm....her sink is leaking and she has to find someone to fix it! LOL.

I'm hoping to submit this in February if all goes well. That along with my Precious Gems. Gonna have to write like crazy!

So, you have some fabu boys in the works, an older woman and a hunk, and Trevor's story (Keeper of the Heart, which comes out March 18th) Did I miss anything? Wasn't there a rumbling about more in the Keeper series? (whistling innocently)

Innocent? I hardly think so. LOL. Yes, I've roughed out a fourth book involving the next generation of Wilkins'. I would love to tell you about it, but in doing so I might just give away the final scene of Keeper of the Heart! If I can get this put together, I imagine I just might keep going. I know how I am in regard to this saga I've created.

Wow, so we have quite a bit to look forward to from you. In addition to your feverish writing you also have fun with your SASS column in your newsletter and I've seen it in Ellora's Cave's newsletter as well. Any fun SASS coming up? And where can we see past SASSy bits?

I write a monthly SASS column in my newsletter. Anyone can sign up and easily access past columns. Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Storm_Stroked_Passions/. OH, I did feature a Christmas SASS in the Ellora's Cave newsletter and they've accepted another holiday themed SASS for Valentine’s! That particular theme for Valentine’s is an actual happening!!! Every time I think of it, I have to laugh!

Should be fun, I have read her SASS and it is a hoot. I've already mentioned your sense of humor, but your sense of adventure hasn't been brought up. You've recently opened a Yahoo cyber bar with Titania Ladley called the Fantasy Club. Can you tell us about it? I am a member, but let's hear it from one of the proprietors.

What can I say? The Fantasy Club was created for our cyber friends (who hopefully won't be 'cyber' any more. We're hoping to meet so many members at the RT convention this year). Titania Ladley is a great friend. One day we were discussing how fun it would be to have a place to go, a place for friends to meet where our members aren't inundated with tons of promos. It's amazing how quickly we put our club together. The first month was so awesome. We couldn't have had such a great grand opening if it wouldn't have been for so many authors that came out to help us with a MONTH long celebration. They all donated some great prizes! Well, you've participated in some of the crazy conversations at the Fantasy Club. Some nights I'm still chuckling as I'm trying to fall asleep.

It's a place on the net, a cozy little ‘virtual tavern’ for you to hang out in, kick back, shoot the breeze or play some virtual pool. We've got bull riding, hunks serving us drinks and always something going on!! Here's the addy if anyone would like to check it out. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fantasy_Club/ Just remember! Everyone is welcome. Oh, and everyone has their own barstool with a name attached to it. Silly fun, but a very stress-free place!

Putting my own two cents in, there are so many secret rooms that we're always having great surprises pop out!

On that note, is there anything you'd like to add Ruby?

I just want to thank you and all the reviewers at FAR who give of their time with the many reviews! What a wonderful service you all provide for the authors who sweat so hard over their books. For those who would like to read some excerpts from my books, hope you have a chance to stop by my website and check out both my erotica and mainstream titles! http://www.rubystorm.net. Thank you so much Serena! I always enjoy laughing with you!

Thanks for a great time Ruby! Always fun times both with you and with the ladies at the Fantasy Club!

Interviewed by: Serena