Welcome Ellora Cave author, Jocelyn Modo!

Running a bit late with Jocelyn's interview, sorry, folks! I love Ellora Cave authors, I love their books and I love their covers, take it away, Jocelyn!

1) Who is your favourite author and why?

The first name that pops to the front of my boggled mind is Robin D. Owens (look her up, you’ll fall in love). She is a mesmerizing fantasy / romance author whom I adore. I have read her Heart series so many times I have huge chunks of her prose memorized. (I’ve also had the audacity to whine at her about writing too ssslllooowww.)

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oh, baby, I’m still faking it! I feel like a fraud when I do promos. Like, who am I to talk about my books? I’m not Robin D. Owens. I’m not J.R. Ward. I’m me and I’m just starting out, still learning, still striving to connect with my readers and befriend writers/editors/agents/publishers so I can take that next step forward to make my dream a reality.

Writing is hard and a lot of work and humbling and so damn fulfilling that I wouldn’t go back to the corporate world for a billion dollars…okay, maybe a billion. Bwahhaha!

3) Describe your writing space?

Laptop? Check. Scented candle (in a color that corresponds to current scene)? Check. Story’s Playlist? Check.

4) What are you reading now?

I just finished Lover Mine by J.R. Ward. Loved John Matthew’s and Xhex’s story. Favourite quote: “There were two timelines to people’s lives: the absolute and the perceived. The absolute was the universal day-and-night cycle that for them added up to something like three hundred and sixty-five. Then there was the way that time period had gone…He figured all told…that pegged the two of them at about four hundred thousand years.”

I am breathlessly awaiting Heart Search by Robin D. Owens, which is due out in August. (Hurry it up Robin…Yes, I’m rushing perfection.)

5) How many books have your written? Which is your favourite?

Um, well, let’s go with four—100%, no rewrites needed—novel length books completed. There are more but they’re no where near ready for submission so let’s leave them outta it.

I just signed a contract with Ellora’s Cave for Revolution Lovers, which has my all time favourite character, Adie Perrin who is a tortured soul with all kinds of snide attitude. She’s war vet who’s injuries and pain have pushed her to the end of her rope. She’s ready to give up when Zin, the planet’s dethroned prince walks in and asks for her help. The mission? For her to marry him to circumvent the demand that he marry a woman of their enemy race. I loved telling her story and was so excited when my editor told me she found Revolution Lovers compelling (yeah, she actually said compelling. *huge smile*) and wanted to give it a home.

6) What comes first, plot or characters?

Character. Usually a character tells me who they are through a scene or two. I talk with them, figure out who they need to become when their story is finished—from there a loose plot organically forms

Ick. That sounds vague and inaccessible, which I hated when I started out and was searching for advice from published authors, so let’s revise that to say that planning, plotting, researching, all of the “work” needed to complete a story must come only after I hear the voices of my characters in my head. They spark my interest, my creativity, and without that I have nothing.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Yes, which is why I have several stories in various stages of completion going at all times. This year I have resolved to complete the bulk of these stories as some of them have been in limbo for years…wish me luck.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Well, reading, of course. I also love to work with my hands, doing crafty sorts of things. I’ve learned that when I am physically creative, I become mentally creative as well. I have the best ideas when I’m working with my hands.

I also do some RPing with characters from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. It’s (crazy, exasperating, bizarre) interesting writing storylines for another writers’ characters…yeah, let’s leave it at interesting. *snort*

9) Tell us about your latest book?

My Christmas shifter-lion quickie
On Vixen is my latest release (dropped in December). I had so much fun writing it, and I am ecstatic, happy-dance-doing, overjoyed that it has been well received by readers. Woop Woop!

I have a gorgeous little sci fi romance titled Paradise Moon, which will be out very soon…next month, I think? Yeah. It’s about, Kiana, a grrl from the dead district, the worst slums on Earth, who falls in love and moves across the galaxy to live with Alix who has a lot of money and even more romantic baggage. I love giving characters like Alix and Kiana a happily ever after ending. They become my friends and I want the best for them.

Revolution Lovers with my grumpy grrl Adie and her smoking hot prince, Zin will drop this summer. I can not wait to see the cover (please don’t let it suck)!

10) What’s next for you?

I’m finishing up the next book in my Pride & Passion shifter lion series, tentatively titled First Sight (yeah right, my editor and readers reply. No really, I’m working on it. I swear I’m making real progress), and I am in the beginning stages of writing a prequel to Revolution Lovers, which is tentatively titled Broken Bonds.

I’m also wrapping up two short sci fi erotic romances. One with a couple of kissable clones, the other with seven drool-worthy brothers (a series). Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. They’re probably going under another pen name so…yeah, that’s going to suck up all of my time for the next few months!

LOL! Plenty to be getting on with then, Jocelyn?? I, too, love J R Ward...in fact, I might have to go out and buy her latest this afternoon!

Questions? Comments?