Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Welcome Musa Publishing author, Vanessa North!



 Welcome, Vanessa! This is the first time we've met so I am glad to be a part of your ongoing tour. I love discovering new authors to read and share with - looking forward to hearing more about you and your work. Over to you!

Rachel, Thanks so much for having me here on your blog for an interview today!

1.              Did you set any goals for 2012?

Yes, actually, I went into 2012 an unpublished, completely green writer who had just received her very first rejection letter. My friend Jason urged me to take more chances and keep putting myself out there, so I made this champagne-fueled new years resolution. I decided that I’d call 2012 the year of taking chances. I kept submitting my work and busting my tail and by the end of 2012 I’ll have five stand alone books published along with a short story in an anthology for charity. It’s been a very good year, goal-wise.

 2.              What is the best part of the writing process for you?

I really love plotting, and that sort of planning out who my characters are going to be. They are really the soul of the story, so I get to know them first.

3.              The worst part?

I have a very difficult time with the “black moment” type scenes. They are very hard to write, it’s difficult to go to those places in my head.

4.              What is the book you wish you’d written?

I don’t so much wish I had written it, but I wish I had the sort of creative mind that could come up with something like “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Love or hate it, (and it seems most people do one or the other) it’s such a breathtakingly unique premise.

5.              Favourite author/s & book/s?

Well, we’ve covered the “Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger. Recently I read a romance called “Ethan Who Loved Carter” by Ryan Loveless which was really amazing. I have so many favorites it’s hard to pick, but my auto-buys are Lauren Dane and KA Mitchell.

6.              Tell us about your latest release?

“Amazon” is the first book in my trilogy called The Ushers. It’s a story about an albino werewolf who has been told her whole life that she was born to fulfill this prophecy. She didn’t choose it, anymore than she chose to be albino, but once she does, she’ll repair this huge rift in werewolf culture.

7.              What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?

What I love about Bianca is how fiercely protective she is of the people she loves. With Jack, it’s his flexibility--under his gruff alpha-wolf exterior, he’s very open-minded and forward thinking.

8.              What’s next?

Next up I have a novella for Musa Publishing’s shared world series, the Wiccan Haus. My novella is called “Shifter’s Dance” and it’s about a ballet dancer, Romy, who lost her eyesight and her career as the result of a mean prank. She goes to the Wiccan Haus when she leaves the hospital to sort of regroup and figure out what’s next. While there, she meets bear-shifter and sometimes-spy, Stephen, who never imagined he’d fall in love with a delicate little human. Hijinks and sexy times ensue.

9.           Tell me where you write?

I have a home office, complete with an antique desk and a very uncomfortable matching chair. Considering this is where I spend most of my day, you would think I’d invest in something more comfortable, but no. I guess discomfort is good for my writing.

10.           Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?

As long as I am still writing and people are reading, I’ll be happy. Truly.

11.           Where can we find you?

My website is http://www.vanessanorth.com and of course I’m on facebook: http://facebook.com/authorvanessanorth and I tweet a whole lot: https://twitter.com/VanessaNWrites

I absolutely love chatting with readers on twitter (and not just about my books, other books too! I love discovering something new to read!) 

Title: Amazon (The Ushers, Book One)
Author: Vanessa North
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Length: 54,000 words
Genre(s): Erotic Paranormal Romance (Action, F/F/M)
Heat Level: Sizzling

Available at:
Coming Oct 12 from Musa Publishing

Blurb:

Jack's routine investigation of rogue wolf sightings threatens to uncover both Bianca's secrets and her passionate nature. Can she trust him enough to make the sacrifice her destiny demands?

Born albino, Bianca was spared death in infancy when her mother found safe haven among the ghosts and misfits of Amazon Pack. As Guardian of Amazon, she protects the hidden pack with a ferocity that belies her delicate appearance.

Jack’s routine investigation of rogue wolf sightings in his territory uncovers both Bianca’s secrets and her passionate nature. He finds her alluring and terrifying: he’s convinced she’s his mate, but is she also the Usher--key to their culture’s most sacred prophecies?

The Usher’s destiny requires a sacrifice to repair a rift in wolf culture and set the Goddess free. Can Jack and Bianca trust each other enough to pay that price?

Excerpt:

Bianca pulled her v-neck t-shirt over her head, shucking off her shoes and jeans. Jack immediately started shedding his clothes as well. Growing up among wolves, he’d never really given much thought to nudity. Their bodies grew in size as they shifted, so he was accustomed to stripping down before a run in order to preserve his wardrobe. He glanced over at the Albina as she shook her hair out. Standing in the moonlight, she was stunning. He saw her delicate pink nipples were still hard and aroused from his kiss. The curls of hair on her mound were as fair as her hair, and he saw the delicate pink folds glistening, swollen with arousal, peeking through the white curls. Her beauty was astounding. He saw marks on her skin, leaned closer to examine them. Tattoos, he realized suddenly. All wolves were tattooed after their first shift. Most of them were tattooed in black ink with colors for emphasis, but several of hers were done in white. As befits Albina, he thought as he admired the elegant symbols. Her entire back was covered, here and there a shadow in grey? or a bit of color drawing attention to some of the more consequential tattoos. Clearly she was a powerful Guardian for her pack--she’d not have been tattooed so many times without having achieved her place of power by virtue of her skills. As she turned to fold her discarded clothes, he could see some scars on her body, remnants of fights won. The tattoos glimmered in the dark, beckoning him to trace them with his fingers, his tongue. He groaned, and she looked over her shoulder at him with a smile.

“Kathy has changed already, are you ready?” she asked, turning to stare at his body in the moonlight. Hard and muscled everywhere, his upper body hairy and tattooed all over. She looked at his signs and symbols of strength and honor, a visual representation of his place in his pack. They confirmed that he was a fit mate for her--his beautiful body bore scars of fights clearly dominated, and the tattoos that marked him as a leader curled around them. She smiled, her gaze lingering at the proof of his arousal, standing proudly from the bed of black curls at the top of his legs. She blushed slightly as she realized he had followed her gaze. He grinned back at her with a wink as he sank to his knees.

She had seen many wolves shift before. However, she found herself curiously watching him, to see if her mate--there was no longer a doubt in her mind that he was indeed her mate—would seem different from those others. It was sensual, witnessing his change--his body shook and he turned his head with a loud cracking noise. He owned his change like only a powerful wolf could--it was masterful, graceful almost, as his black fur grew over his body. Then he sat, watching her, a huge black wolf with golden-brown eyes. He was resplendent. She knelt next to him, still in her human form, and caressed between his ears. His fur was soft and his eyes kind. He closed them and rolled his head into her hand like a dog seeking a touch from his mistress. His essential masculine scent still surrounded him in his animal form, and as she stroked his head, he snorted and his tongue lolled out between sharp lethal teeth to lap at her hand. She loved the feel of his fur between her fingers, and he clearly enjoyed her attentions. But then he shook his head, took a couple of steps towards the woods and whined back at her. If they were mated, they’d be able to read each other’s thoughts, as pack-mates could, and even more than that, they’d be able to share their feelings through their mate bond. But even without that bond, she could sense his eagerness to run. She grinned and let loose her wolf, feeling the change work over her, bringing forward the animal, tucking the woman away inside.

About the Author:
Vanessa North was born in New England but moved to the South as a teenager, where she learned to appreciate biscuits and gravy, bluegrass, and that most welcome of greetings: “Hey y’all!” She has a degree in Mass Communication but has long since abandoned journalism in favor of writing romance. Instead of telling the news, V would rather tell stories.

Vanessa has a voracious appetite for books and loves all kinds. She writes obsessively: every day brings new ideas and stories to tell. When she’s not buried in a book—hers or someone else’s—you can find her taking thousands of photographs of the people she loves.

She lives in Northwest Georgia with her handsome husband, not-quite-civilized twin boy-children, and a pack of dogs.

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