Fallen Angel Reviews would like to welcome the very talented author, Bianca D’Arc. Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions.

I’d like to start by asking you a few questions about your everyday life. Are you able to write full time, or is there another job that monopolizes your time?

Right now, and for the past year or two, I've been writing full-time -- or close to it. It's been wonderful. A real dream come true. But I also find it's hard not to have structure in my day after being a working class dog for so long. I do fill-in sometimes at a local university and they're trying to get me to work for them full-time, but so far I've been able to resist.

Can you give us a quick peek at a day in your life?

I like to get up early and do a little writing first thing, but sometimes I find myself staying up late to write too, if I've got a hot scene in mind that just needs to be finished. Most weekdays I try to write in the morning, do a little exercise and work around the house, then run errands in the afternoons and evenings. I travel between my home in NY and my parents' home in PA a lot, so I always seem to be in transit.

You took a driving trip into the southern U.S., can you tell us about some of the things that you saw that really stuck in your mind?

Redbud trees. We don't have a lot of those where I live -- at least not growing wild on the sides of the road. They were just gorgeous, peeping out in shocking purple on the sides of the road, from among the lush greenery.

When I got back home I hopped on ebay and bought a few for my yard. I just love the gorgeous purple color, so striking against the green of the other trees. I can't wait 'til my new little trees start to grow and bloom in a year or two!

Here’s the question that every author dreads and still has to answer…where do you come up with your ideas?

I'm a bit of a people-watcher. Sometimes I'll see a couple in the mall and imagine entire backgrounds and scenarios for them. I also like to ask myself "what if?" I have a degree in biochemistry and a lot of my musings have always been about the future of technology, medicine, genetic engineering and other forms of magic. (LOL)

Are you an outliner or seat-of-the-pantser? Are you more of a character-driven author vs. plot-driven?

I think I'd have to say I'm a little of both. I start a story usually with some odd scene that just plays out in my head. It could be from the middle of what eventually becomes the book. I then make little notes, sort of like an outline, but not quite that formal, to flesh out what came before and/or after that initial scene. Then I write supporting scenes and tie them all together. I let the characters tell me what they want to do at first, then tie it together later into some kind of cohesive story. I'm not a linear writer. I don't start at "Once upon a time..." and finish with "The End." I write what I consider the most powerful scenes first, then fill in the rest. It's all definitely driven by my characters. They often like to surprise me with what they get up to.

Ok, I admit it…I have read every single one of Bianca’s books…as soon as they come out, I grab em. Currently you have two separate series out. Do you find it easier to write series vs. stand alone books?

I am a series nut. I HATE when I read a really great book and then, that's it. One book. Oh, I HATE that!!! If I get interested in characters or a world, I want to "live" in that world a little longer. I'm that way as a reader, and now as a writer as well. I've always written series, and I probably always will.

I love the intricate plot behind the Dragon Knights series. The knights are amazing and the women that you have penned compliment them wonderfully. Can you please give us a glimpse of where you’re going with the series?

The original plan was to have one novella for each of the four main women -- Adora and her three daughters. I've finished writing those and Samhain has contracted them all. But remember when I said sometimes my characters like to take me by surprise? Well, as I was writing Book 4, a new character showed up in the story and he REALLY wants his story to be told. So there will be a Book 5 eventually. Who knows? Maybe even more. Book 4 really opened up that world beyond the borders of the three countries we explored in Books 1-3, so there are lots of possibilities and lots of intriguing characters and belief systems to explore. As long as people keep reading them, I'll keep writing them!

One & Only came out from Chippewa and it was a small departure from your usual fare. It was a short story that allowed us a glimpse only, I’ve heard rumors of more in this series, can you elaborate?

This short story was originally written for a contest and I was constrained on word count. It is most likely the shortest thing I have ever, and will ever, write. But it was also the first thing I ever sold, so it's near and dear to my heart. It was the catalyst that gave me the confidence to submit my work elsewhere. And yes, there are more stories in that series.

One & Only focuses on Lissa, a mortal woman, and Atticus, an ancient, lonely vampire. What I didn't have time to explore in their story was Lissa's connection with her college friends, one of whom is Kelly, the heroine in Rare Vintage, the next in the series. Kelly goes to work for Lissa and Atticus at their vineyard, keeping the business going while they're sleeping during the day. She knows their secret and wants no part of it, until she meets the Master vampire, Marc LaTour. He's a rogue, but let's just say, he gets under her skin. I've heard this might be out in October or November from Chippewa, but I don't know for sure.

Speaking of rumors…you also have a book coming out from Samhain called Lords of the Were, can you please enlighten us?

Oh, I'm just starting edits on that right now as a matter of fact. I think it's the hottest thing I've written to date -- and that's saying something! The heroes are twin alpha werewolves who find their mate in a newly consecrated priestess. There's an evil secret society gunning for her, and her new mates will have to call on their were brethren, a rogue vampire and even the fey realm to help keep her safe.

I love this contemporary world and definitely want to write more in it. For one thing, my fey knight, Duncan, needs a book of his own, as does his vampire friend, Dante. But I haven't started their stories yet.

Who’s your favorite character to date?

Oh, man. That's a tough one. I love Lars from Maiden Flight. He doesn't get to say much, but still waters run very deep with him. He's the ultimate strong, silent type, with a tragic past and he just tugs on my heart strings.

I also love Tor, the baby Ice Dragon. I don't have kids, but Tor is like my own imaginary little boy. He's a charmer with a tragic past, but he doesn't let it get him down. He's resiliant and has a positive attitude and generous heart. But he can be a tough-guy dragon too.

As for rogues, Dante from Lords of the Were and Drake from Dragon Knights Book 4: Prince of Spies are both close to my heart. Charming rogues with dark sides. I can't wait to write their stories!

How do you name your books and characters?

Sometimes a name just comes to me. Other times, it's like pulling teeth. The book titles are hard. Sometimes a book won't have a title until I'm finished writing it. Usually, it'll earn its title somewhere on the journey to completion when I know exactly what it's about and where it's going. But I put a lot of thought into titles. I want to make sure it's catchy, but also fits the story.

I only had to change a title once so far at the publisher's request. Book 2 of Dragon Knights was originally titled Dragon's Choice, but another author at Samhain had something with a very similar title coming out around the same time and they asked me if I'd consider changing it. I'd chosen Dragon's Choice because a main plot point was the dragon Sandor's choice of Darian (don't want to say too much here in case people haven't read it), but I realized all the action was taking place in the new Border Lair and I liked the ring of that name as well. I didn't mind changing it and I'm quite happy with the results.

As for character names... I wish I was more clever with those. I really admire the way J.K. Rowling, for example, uses the names of her characters to convey things about them. I try for the right sounds and feelings of the names I conjure up, but I write in futuristic worlds very often and common 21st century names just don't cut it for me. I play with sounds and the way the sounds feel, looking for things that could work for my future (or past) worlds. I also avoid using names of people I know because I can't see my romantic heroes having the same name as my geeky high school geography teacher, ya know? It's a turn off. LOL.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your gorgeous website?

Blink and it will change. I'm a techno geek who knows just enough html to be dangerous. I like tweaking my site and blogs and all that stuff, so I'm constantly playing with it. I've been through probably about 3 different designs for the main site in less than a year, and I'm changing it again as we speak! I'm trying to get a more "adult" look because it was pointed out to me that while my purple dragons and pretty wolves are cute, they don't scream "hot, erotic romance." LOL. I'm not going to go too far on the steamy side, but I probably do need to make my site a little more grown-up.

I've already completed a revamp of the Dragon Knights site, so take a look at what I mean. The rest of my site will be tinkered with as time allows. I love doing graphics and digital art, so watch for more changes, as I'm never satisfied with the way it looks for long!

Do you have anything else in the works at this time?

Oh, yeah. I have a bunch of things I'm working on, and some things I'm waiting (im)patiently to hear about. I submitted two different futuristic series to one of the larger houses last year and am waiting to hear back. One is set on a post-apocalyptic earth with a twist. The other series is set in a distant galaxy where people with psi talents are either persecuted or praised depending on what planet they live on. Both of these series have multiple books -- some already written. I'm just looking for the best publisher I can get for them, so we'll see where they end up.

I also have another novella with Chippewa that could be the start of a series of contemporary/military/paranormal stories. It's called Warrior's Heart, and it should be out in November, though stay tuned on that date. It's not set in stone yet. This story combines my favorite contemporary scenario -- big brother's best friend comes home from the army to find little sis is all grown up -- with strong paranormal elements. See, this warrior had a run-in with the djinn in the ancient city of Babylon and it's forever changed him and his men. I want to write stories for all the members of his unit, actually, but we'll see how it goes.

There's more, but I'm running on and on. Suffice to say, I've also got a SF story with Phaze and that story has spawned my current WIP's, set in the same universe. Bioweapons have deprived humanity of males, except for a few genetically engineered super-men. The virus has also turned on its humanoid originators and killed off their women. You can guess what happens next, right? ;-) Look for Sons of Amber: Ezekiel from Phaze sometime this summer.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I love to hear from readers! I also welcome feedback on my website, books and life in general. Probably the best way to reach me is through my chat group, which can be found here

Thank you so much for granting us this opportunity to pick your brain. If you’d like to learn more about this talented author you can look at either her website, or her blog.


Interviewed by: Serena