Sunday, December 2, 2012

Escape Reality to WICKED PARADISE

I posted the blurb about WICKED PARADISE earlier this morning. For now, learn more about  writing my novel, my inspirations, settings, etc. in my interview below. 

**See Giveaway details below**

Title:  WICKED PARADISE
Genre:  Fantasy Romance
Publisher:  Crimson Romance
Release Date:  August 13, 2012
Format:  eBook and Print
 
If you gave one of your characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

My heroine Morgan would say to me, “Thanks for giving me Ryan, but did you have to pit me against a maniacal demon on a deserted island?”


What was your favorite chapter or scene to write in your book? Why?

Probably the scene Morgan and Ryan first met. They’d both “landed” on the island separately, and Ryan had been there two weeks without seeing a soul. But the moment he hears Morgan tearing through the jungle and feels her fear, he knows his life is about to change forever. It’s that moment when a seedling of life blooms in a long span of despair that always gets to me.


What was the inspiration for WICKED PARADISE?

I wanted to write a time-travel in an unknown setting, a middle ground between my heroine’s home on Avalon and my hero’s home in Los Angeles. I was also reading Druid history & mythology at the time, so I knew my book had to have another fantasy element other than time-travel. When I conceived the book, a couple of lines from an old favorite song, “Hotel California” triggered the concept of the island paradise. “This could be heaven or this could be hell” and “you can check-out anytime you like, but you can never leave” put the idea in my head about a deserted and unchartered island, and a colony of desperate and lost people who were destined to live on the island. I had to give them a purpose for being there (a little hell), and a reason to want to stay (a lot of heaven). Read more about my setting in my article on the Crimson Romance Blog.

What’s one of your favorite lines of dialogue from WICKED PARADISE?

“I’m not in the mood to rescue idiotic women again.” This is Ryan talking. It shows so much who he was when the story began! The man came a long way by the end of the book.

Do you write about where you live or where you’d like to live?

My contemporary/urban fantasy stories usually take place in California somewhere. However, Wicked Paradise is set on a tropical island with plenty of beaches! I wanted its setting to be a total escape from reality. My young adult contemporary novel, VIGILANTE NIGHTS (coming July 2013 from Merit Press) takes place in a fictional California seaside town. I’d love to live in either locale! Just not with demons plaguing me. J

Do you identify closely with one particular character? How?

Although both my characters have a desire to live life their own way rather than march to the drum of others which I can relate to, I identified with Ryan more so than my heroine, mainly because he’s from the 21st century, whereas Morgan’s from medieval Avalon. I think it’s his stubbornness, too!

If your heroine could visit anywhere her heart desired, where would she go? Why?

She would want to go back home to Avalon. I don’t want to give away spoilers, so you’ll have to read the novel to find out why. A part of her would like to see the 21st century before the apocalypse, just out of curiosity, but it would be her second choice.

How do your heroine and hero meet?

On a deserted tropical island that doesn’t exist in our world. My heroine, Morgan, comes from post-Arthurian Avalon and my hero, Ryan, comes from the apocalyptic 21st century Los Angeles. Ryan rescues Morgan from the sea after she takes a header off a cliff!
 
Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | ARe | Powell’s
Contact Links:  Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

**GIVEAWAY**

 Comment on any of my posts today and one lucky winner (randomly selected) will receive an eBook copy of WICKED PARADISE. (You must provide an email address to win.)

 To spice up the pot, I’m hosting a GoodReads giveaway during the month of December where you can enter to win 1 of 2 autographed copies of my romantic suspense novel, CHASING SHADOWS. Here’s the link to enter:  http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/38197-chasing-shadows

Good luck and thanks for visiting!

3 comments:

Debby said...

Great insights into your characters. I enjoyed the post a lot. Makes me really want to read the story.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Lynn Cahoon said...

Hi Erin - congrats on your release. I loved Wicked Paradise.

Erin Richards said...

Thanks, Debby and Lynn!

Erin