J.K Coi & Rose Marie Wolf
Interview: May 16, 2008
Wildfire would like to welcome authors J.K. Coi and Rose Marie Wolf.
J.K. Coi
Julie: When a new book comes out, are you nervous about how readers will react to it?
J.K.: Of course. Yes, I'm quite nervous. I love my characters and my stories, and I have had awesome feedback on My Immortal, but it is my first book and it is the first in this series. I want it to do well and so yes, I'm nervous.
Julie: How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?
J.K.: I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but seriously writing for about two years. And I found that I was mostly inspired by all of the other books that I read. I love that feeling of getting lost in a story, but a lot of times I would pick up a book and as soon as I read the first page my mind would go off on a tangent thinking about how I would have taken it in another direction.
Julie: What makes your characters so vulnerable yet strong? Can you describe them to us?
J.K.: I think that my heroes in particular are the most vulnerable. You might think it would be the opposite because they are the protectors, the warriors, but I believe that it is this very aspect of their nature which makes it true. When that one woman manages to find her way inside to get to know the real man, imagine all of that focus, all those protective instincts kicking into overdrive and showing him just how much he has to lose all of a sudden.
Julie: What about the heroines for these determined heroes? What makes them strong enough capture the heroes' hearts?
J.K.: The heroines do have to be strong, definitely. No shrinking violets for these guys. They would end up walking all over their women and then what fun would that be? Really, although Alphas tend to want to control everything and everyone around them, they need to have a few people that can stand up to them and make things interesting.
Julie: What do you feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know?
J.K.: It may seem tired and trite, but the best advice is the kind you've heard from everyone else already. Just keep writing. This business is all about the sweat and tears, the writers' block and the weeks that pass by without you ever seeing anything but the four walls of your computer room (or was that just me?). It's about the ridiculously long response times waiting to hear from agents and editors you've queried, and the mountains of polite form letter rejections. But...if you love what you do, then you keep writing. It's all about the story. Sure, you want to put it out there for all the world to see, but first you have to write it. And probably write it again. Along the way, you'll learn more and more with every word you put on the page, and that can only be a good thing.
Julie: What genre do you want to try your hand at but haven't?
J.K.: I have an idea for a kind of post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance, and the characters have been mumbling in the background for a little while now. I think I'm going to have to let them out to have their say soon.
Julie: What do you hope for your writing career in the next few years? Any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?
J.K.: Oh hundreds. Whenever I meet a goal, I set another and another. Right now my immediate goals are to get the books I'm currently working on written and ready when they're supposed to be ready. I want to keep learning more about my craft, and about myself along the way. I also want to be able to go to an RT Conference and to Nationals in another year (maybe two).
Julie: Most people envision an author's life as being really glamorous. What's the most unglamorous thing that you've done in the past week?
J.K.: Well, since this is release week for my very first book. I did what you might expect—stayed in my sweats all day Monday in front of my computer, writing. Tuesday through Friday I went to work at the day job and came home to feed my husband and son dinner before settling in front of the computer once again. That's about it. Sorry to disappoint.
Julie: What books are currently on your nightstand?
J.K.: Ooh, I have a few I can't wait to get into. I was lucky enough to get an arc from one of my favorite writers and a friend of mine—Eve Silver, also writing as Eve Kenin. Her futuristic romance Hidden comes out in July, and I've promised to do a review for it. I'm also waiting to read Stephenie Meyer's The Host. I loved her YA novels, starting with Twilight and can't wait for this one. I also want to make some time to read Shiela Stewart's new one Mercy in Passion, and Cat Johnson's Model Soldier.
Julie: What's next for you?
J.K.: I'm very excited for the release of Book 2 in my Immortals Series in August. Immortal Kiss is an intense read. Baron was introduced in Book 1 and in his book we see him grow up a bit as he is forced to face the ghosts from his past, including the woman he loved and left before becoming an Immortal.
J.K. Coi lives in Ontario with her amazingly supportive husband and son. She graduated university with a degree in history and in law, and has worked for many years in the legal field. Her current focus is in intellectual property law.
Writing has always been an important part of her life, and when she leaves the office, she leaves all of that behind to immerse herself in a world of fantasy—of demons and magic, fascinating warriors, and the women strong enough to love them.
When she isn't spinning exciting tales of love and adventure, you'll find her cheering on her son at the soccer field, or watching her husband play hockey. She also likes to paint and create beautiful treasures with stained glass.
Backlist:
My Immortal (Book 1, The Immortals), Linden Bay Romance
Coming soon:
Immortal Kiss (Book 2, The Immortals), Linden Bay Romance
The Trouble With Destiny, Linden Bay Romance
Links:
Website
Blog
MySpace
Rose Marie Wolf
Julie: How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?
Rose: I've been writing since the day I could hold a crayon in my hand. Of course, my stories didn't make a lot of sense then—mostly squiggles and crude drawings, but I was writing! Truthfully, it all started when I was in the second grade. I wrote a short story and my teacher praised it. She told me I could be a writer if I wanted, and from that day on that's what I intended to do.
Julie: What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants, or a combination of both?
Rose: It's a little of both, though I do lean more towards outlines. I like to have a story plotted out, but I also like to give my characters and ideas room to expand. Often, they lead me in directions I would've never thought possible.
Julie: How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author?
Rose: It's important. It motivates me to keep on writing. Many times I will be discouraged about something, upset. But when I find a positive fan letter in my email, it just makes my day.
Julie: Do you work on multiple projects at the same time?
Rose: Not usually. I'm a one-project-woman. If I were to do several things at once, I might get confused and that's never good.
Julie: Describe the space where you write.
Rose: It's disorganized, cramped, and hot. My desk is next to the heater, so I'm usually sweating as I write. But the great thing about laptops is you can take it and go. I like to sit on the couch, curled up with the computer in my lap as I write. Then my writing space is comfy and cozy.
Julie: What do you do when you aren't writing? Any hobbies or special interests that you can tell us about?
Rose: Usually I'm working at the day job, but when I'm not writing or doing that, I'm watching movies or reading books. I also like to play with my pets and take pictures of them.
Julie: Do you ever experience writer's block? If you do, how do you cope with it?
Rose: Writer's block is a big problem for me, but it's not so much that I can't think what to write, as it is getting motivated. When this happens, I usually find some word of encouragement or a fan letter that just made my day and then I feel like I can do anything.
Julie: What do you feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know?
Rose: That it's a tough business. It's not easy to get into, and once you do, you have to work hard. Promote your books. Many new authors have the misconception that the publisher will do everything, including promotion. Work hard and never give up.
Julie: Dealing with writing deadlines can be a challenge. What do you do to cope with the stress?
Rose: Lavender scented candles and relaxing music. Meditation helps tremendously.
Julie: What's next for you?
Rose: Dark Moon Magick, the next book in my supernatural series, The Moon Series, will be coming out sometime this summer. I have a few other books in the works that I hope to have out within this year or the next, but they're tightly under wraps.
Rose Marie Wolf was always interested in things that weren't quite normal. Her combined love of writing and the supernatural came together when she published her first novel, Sweet Moon Dreams, in 2007. Rose Marie lives in Marion, Indiana, and is currently working on her next supernatural adventure.
Backlist:
Sweet Moon Dreams: Book 1 of the Moon Series, Samhain Publishing LTD
Blood Moon: Book 2 of the Moon Series, Samhain Publishing LTD
Hunter's Moon: Book 3 of the Moon Series, Samhain Publishing LTD
Coming soon:
Dark Moon Magick: Book 4 of the Moon Series, Red Rose Publishing
Links:
Website
Blog
Myspace
Yahoo Group
If you would like to request an interview, please send a query to info@allromanceebooks.com
Until next time!
Julie Cummings
Wildfire Interview Coordinator
All Romance eBooks
Fishing For Love by Pamela S Thibodeaux
This story is rated 1 flames. Love scenes are not consummated, or if the love scenes are consummated details are not given.
"You have to jerk harder than that," Jeffrey chided, unable to disguise the hint of amusement in his voice.
I held my breath and counted to twenty. The last time he corrected me I'd jerked too hard. After six months of marriage to the man I knew was the love of my life, we'd discovered some uncommon ground, namely, The Great Outdoors.
Oh, I loved the outdoors, swimming, hiking, tennis, ball games, all manner of sports; blue skies, warm water, all of God's earth was glorious!
Jeffrey had other ideas of how to enjoy the beauty of nature: fishing. Red fish, snapper, flounder, speckled trout, bass, catfish, white perch—anything that came off a hook, fresh from a canal, pond, lake or river. Fresh water, salt water, it didn't matter as long as he could be out there fishing.
For the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. What, exactly, could anyone get out of putting an innocent little fish on a hook to attract a bigger fish, or worse yet, a worm? Ugh! The sheer thought of it made me shudder.
I mean, what's the point of luring that poor, unsuspecting fish to its death while causing the death of another. And catch and release? That was a plain old waste of time. Why spend all that time and effort catching a fish just to turn it loose? Then, there were the hours spent away from land or any form of civilization, in a boat, in the middle of nowhere, with only the heat and insects to contend with, not to mention Mother Nature's mercurial temperament.
The whole concept was beyond me. Baked, broiled, or fried was the limit to my understanding of fish. However, after months of coaxing, urging, and downright begging, I agreed to give it a try. Now, barely two hours after leaving dry land, I'd about had it. My maiden voyage was turning out to be a disaster. I was either jerking too hard or not hard enough. My line spent more time out of than in the water, usually caught on some buried treasure hidden deep below the surface or in a tangled mess from my inept casting abilities.
For some unknown reason, the art, beauty, and challenge of catching a fish eluded me. Still, I had to hand it to him; Jeffrey was a study in patience.
Tossing my line over to him once more, I shuddered in disgust as he stuck the hook through the back of a squirming minnow, and baited my line for the umpteenth time that day. Tossing it into the murky water, I prayed for luck or a sudden rainstorm.
"Standard bet," Jeff reminded, as though reading my thoughts.
The standard bet between us could be adapted to fit whatever we were wagering on. Quarter for the first, quarter for the biggest, quarter for the most. Or we could take it out in trade. Meaning that whoever lost would be the one to initiate our next lovemaking session. The idea of what that entailed added yet another layer of tension to an already frustrating morning. Still I hung in, determined to beat Jeff at his own game.
"Watch him," Jeff said, as the cork on my line began to bob and twitch. "Easy, now. Wait." Quietly and gently he guided me in watching and waiting for just the right moment to set the hook.
I was more interested in the sound of his voice than what was going on with my line. Jeff always sounded as though he'd just rolled out of bed. Thick, husky, and warm, his voice alone could seduce me into a puddle.
"Now!"
The sudden command startled me and I jerked with all my might. Jeff's laughter rent the air and I had to force myself not to hit him with the rod.
"You jerked his lips off," he teased, his brown eyes dancing with humor.
"That's not funny," I pouted. "You startled me. It's your fault I jerked too hard," I accused as he continued to laugh.
"I'm not laughing at you, sweetheart. I'm laughing with you," he insisted, nearly doubled over with mirth.
"Right," I huffed, desperately fighting the urge to throw the fishing contraption—hook, line and sinker—into the lake.
"Aw, c'mon now," he soothed. "Chin up, you'll always be my favorite fishing partner."
Silky, smooth, and seductive, his voice turned my insides to mush.
"Don't worry," he added, "you'll get it right next time. Practice makes perfect you know."
Award winning Author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder, President & Treasurer of Bayou Writers' Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction and creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, "Inspirational with an Edge!" and reviewed as "steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message." To find out more about Pam and her writing, email her at: pthib-7@centurytel.net or visit her website.
Backlist:
A Hero For Jessica, The Wild Rose Press
Choices, The Wild Rose Press
Cathy's Angel, The Wild Rose Press
The Inheritance, The Wild Rose Press
Links:
Website
Blog
Submissions to The Weekly Sizzle should be sent to Sizzle@allromanceebooks.com. We are looking for original short stories, 1-5 flames, 200-2000 words.
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