Please welcome my guest, Dena Garson. Dena is an award winning author of contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, and
sci-fi romance. She holds a BBA and a MBA in Business and works in the wacky
world of quality and process improvement. Making up her own reality on paper is
what keeps her sane. She
is the mother of two rowdy boys, two rambunctious cats (AKA the fuzzy jerks),
and a loving Labrador. When she isn't writing
you can find her at her at the sewing machine or stringing beads. She is also a
devoted Whovian and Dallas Cowboys fan.
Tell us something about yourself both writing and not
writing related.
Writing related: I was fortunate to have been mentored by
the late Ms. Peggy Fielding when I first started writing. She was a local
author, teacher, mentor and all around sassy old lady. She taught me the basics
of writing a synopsis, formatting your manuscript, and editing your work. She
encouraged me and built my confidence enabling me to submit to publishers. I
hope I’m half as spunky as her when I’m 80!
Not writing related:
I collect rubber ducks. My collection fills up the rim of my tub and
well as the window ledge above it.
Ms. Fielding sounds like she was an amazing lady. Do you have a writing routine? Where do you usually do your writing?
No, I can’t say I have a writing routine. Between my day job
and my family, I have to make time to write and handle all the author business
that goes along with it. Most of the time I curl up on the couch with my laptop
and write while the kids do homework or play video games.
Why do you write in the genre/sub-genre that you do? Any plans in the future to write in a
different one?
I write in the romance genre – multiple sub-genres – because
that’s what I read. So far I have written several contemporary, paranormal, a
fantasy, and a sci-fi romance. My latest is a blend of historical and
paranormal. And yes, I probably will write something different in the future. I
have an idea for a historical that’s been sitting idle for several years. One
day it will be finished!
How
do you stay motivated when writer’s block hits or your muse won’t cooperate?
Usually I can do something else
creative, like make jewelry or sew something, or allow myself a break and read.
If I’m under a deadline I will do what I can and get through the scene then
come back and edit when my muse if more cooperative.
I try to do other creative things as well. I find that if I can think about the story while doing something else, it sometimes helps me figure out whatever it is that I'm having trouble with. What’s
the strangest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?
Well, I don’t know about it
being strange, but while I was writing Ghostly Persuasion, I had a friend ask
me whether or not men in Ireland
in my hero’s original time period would have been circumcised. *blink, blink* I
had no idea! So, because I didn’t know the answer and, well… I’m a curious sort
of gal, I had to make a short detour to find out. Um… just so you know there is
an alarming amount of information on that subject on the internet. Pictures
included. The result was my decision to just avoid mention of that detail in my
book. And to close my ears when my friend brings up weird questions like that
in the future.
*laugh* She sounds like an interesting friend. What’s
the best writing advice you were ever given?
“Give
yourself permission to write crap.” That came from Candice Havens. It helped me
get over the issues I had (and still have) with my inner editor.
Great advice. What
do you like to do in your leisure time?
Sleep! LOL – just kidding. Actually, when I have
true free time I like to read or make beaded jewelry.
Tell us about your current
release in a couple of sentences.
A warrior hunts his cousin’s
murderer but finds love in the form of a gifted Spirit Talker from another
tribe.
Can you tell us a little about
your next project?
My next project is a Steampunk
romance (novella) that I hope to have included in a multi-author
Gothic/Steampunk anthology/box set later this year. I’ve been wanting to write
a Steampunk romance just hadn’t stopped to put together a story idea for one.
Now I have an excuse!
Anything else you’d like to
share?
When Ash Remains
By Dena Garson
A paranormal, Native
American, historical romance
Release Date: March 2, 2017
Available for
Presale: Feb. 12, 2017
Blurb:
A warrior with a
mission
There isn’t a buffalo or deer that Kajika cannot take down.
So when his cousin is slaughtered he relishes the chance to track down the
killer. The trail leads him to a woman with gifts he has trouble believing in.
Despite their differences he cannot fight his instinct to protect her from all
threats – even those he cannot see. That drive even rivals his desire to
explore every inch of her body.
A woman with a destiny
Knowing the spirits will protect her, Ahyoka allows the
handsome warrior to take her to be questioned by his chief about the
unexplained deaths in their village. He may not believe in her abilities but he
is one of the few who doesn’t treat her like something to be feared or shunned.
He awakens feelings that make her yearn for things she thought she’d never
have. Her biggest fear is that once he learns the full extent of her gifts he
will reject her like most of her tribe did.
A killer twisted by hurt
and anger
Kajika and Ahyoka must work together to find the one
responsible for the string of deaths in and around their villages. Faith,
trust, and even a little bit of love will be needed to defeat the killer and
right the wrongs committed in the pursuit of power and revenge.
Excerpt:
Copyright @DENA GARSON 2017
Awake
Spirit Talker.
A
man.
He
watches.
A
man.
He
comes.
A
man.
He
hunts.
Ahyoka listened to the sounds of the
spirits around her. Even without their warning, she would have sensed the
presence in the shadows.
She rolled to her side and looked to
where she knew he crouched. The darkness hid his features from her eyes, but
his spirit radiated from the fire that burned within him. Never before had she
met someone with such a potent life force.
Even her brother’s wasn’t as intense as
this man’s, and her family descended from a line of powerful shamans.
Did he mean her harm? Or was he just
passing through?
Without taking her eyes off the place
where he hid, she groped behind her for the knife she had been using before she
dozed off. The apples she ate sat heavy in her belly as she contemplated
whether she should run or just face whoever it was.
The crunch of leaves from her left drew
her attention. No sooner had her vision shifted than a blur from the place the
man had hid raced toward her. She rolled as her father had taught her to do in
order to minimize the impact of the assault. At the same time, she pulled her
knife and tried to put it between her and her attacker. The man grabbed her
wrist and pinned it to the ground, rendering her weapon useless.
Her heart pounded in her chest and a roar
sounded in her ears. Who was this man?
She fought to free herself from his hold
but found he outmatched her in size, speed, and strength. In an alarmingly
short span of time, she found herself pinned beneath one of the most handsome
men she had ever seen. She pushed aside her shock and renewed her efforts. “Get
off of me!” Even the attractiveness of his face didn’t deter her from ramming
her head into his nose.
He loosened his grip on her and covered
his face as he mumbled some expletive.
She used this distraction to her
advantage and bucked him to one side so she could wiggle free. Before she could
get to her feet and scamper away, he grabbed her by the ankle.
“Let go!” She kicked at his hand with her
other foot, trying to break his hold.
As she struggled with the warrior, two
more men appeared from out of the surrounding trees. “Do you need help,
Kajika?” the taller of the two men asked. The laughter in his tone suggested
their struggle amused him.
Ahyoka renewed her efforts to break free
of the first man’s grip. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The warrior kept his hold of her even as
he climbed to his feet. “Who are you and what were you doing in our village?”
Ahyoka stopped struggling. “In your
village? What village?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. We tracked you
here.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She pointed to the bank just behind them. “I’ve been following the river all
day. I stopped to rest when I realized how far I’d come. Where is your
village?”
Now that he had released her, she could
see the rest of the man who had interrupted her peace and quiet. Her eyes
traveled up the length of his legs. She skimmed over the short deer skin he
wore about his waist and tried not to speculate about what might be hidden
beneath. His bow hung across his broad chest, making her wonder how he managed
to squeeze into such a narrow span. Every line of his chest and belly could be
seen clearly. If she wanted, she could count each one even from where she sat.
Something stirred within her and made her
heart skip a beat. That same something counteracted her impulse to escape.
Buy Links:
You can follow Dena at the links below:
Social Media Links:
Website - http://www.denagarson.com/
Blog - http://denagarson.net/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dena.garson.7
FB Author page - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDenaGarson
Twitter - https://twitter.com/DenaGarson
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/dgarson
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/DenaGarson
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+DenaGarson/
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/denagarson7
Sign up for Dena’s Newsletter athttp://eepurl.com/b2TWxv
Thanks so much for the interview!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. :)
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