Paranormal Romance Author Danica Winters Interviews Rionna Morgan

This has been a great week and I had the chance to end it with another Montana up and coming romantic suspense author and my friend, Rionna Morgan.  Rionna grew up out West, where she followed her love of horses to the rodeo arena and her love of English to the classroom and to writing. Rionna is a founding member of Montana Romance Writers; she reads as much as she can possibly hold, and the thrill of great suspense threaded through into a great romance.  Rionna lives in Montana with her husband, four children, and the mountains outside her window. This year she sold her first novel to Crimson  Publishing and which should be available Summer 2012. 

I'm proud to introduce her to you.

Danica: Do you like to listen to music while you write? If so, who are your favorite artists?

Rionna:I do. When I am settled into the moment, when all the world outside my imagination is quiet, I listen to Celtic music. It is sweet and serene. I find that the music creates a more focused feeling so that I can just get in tune with my characters.

Danica: Tell us a little bit about your newest release. Feel free to include a small excerpt.  Rionna: My newest release is THE WANTING HEART soon to be published by Crimson Romance.  It is about a barrel racer who gets swept off her feet by a serial killer. 

Danica: Where can readers find your newest release? Feel free to include links.

Rionna: On July 9, 2012, it will be available electronically through Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Google, Sony and The Crimson Romance Website. It will also be available in print. 

Danica: Where can others connect with you? Twitter, Facebook, blog? 

Rionna:http://www.facebook.com/RionnaMorgan

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rionnamorgan

http://pinterest.com/rionnamorgan/

https://twitter.com/RionnaMorgan

http://rionnamorgan.blogspot.com/

 My website rionnamorgan.com 

Danica: How do you go about choosing names for your characters? 

Rionna: Names, to me, are very important. I choose names in all manner of ways. If I hear a great name just in passing, I write it down in my ever present notebook. On a more structured note, if my story takes place in a certain part of the country...Texas for instance. I get a Texas phone book and look at the names of the people so that I can get a feel of how people are named: nationality, sound of names, how they are linked together. 

I have lived all over the United States, and I know that some names are prominent in some areas where as they are completely foreign to other parts. I want my names to seem authentic and believable while still fitting with the character I have in mind. 

If I happen to find a name in the phone book that catches my attention, I look up the meaning in my baby name book. I have it right next to my dictionary and thesaurus. For my heroes and heroines, I want the names to be strong while having a meaning that helps illuminate their personality. I feel the same for my antagonists. Yet, the antagonists are a bit more tricky. I write romantic suspense, and I don't always want my readers to know who the antagonist is; I definitely don't want to give it away by the use of a stereotypical "evil" or "bad-guy" name. So I am a lot more careful about choosing their names. 

Danica: Do you write under a pen name? If so, who knows about writing? 

Rionna: Yes I do. Only my close friends and family know my true identity. Ha Ha. That's funny. Sounds like I'm a secret agent. 

Danica: Tell us about your upcoming writing projects. 

Rionna: My current project is about an artist who stumbles upon a murder scene that has a fairy-tale twist.

Thank you very much for this opportunity. I really enjoyed sharing my writing and a bit about my writing life. And I hope you enjoy my stories!

All the best!

Rionna Morgan

Paranormal Romance Author Danica Winters Interview, Hosted by Author Sue Lyndon

This week my friend and fellow author, Sue Lyndon, hosted me on her blog.   In addition to my interview being posted on her blog, I thought I needed to post it for my loyal paranormal romance readers.  I hope you enjoy learning a little bit about me!

Sue: Who are a few of your favorite authors?

Danica: There are so many wonderful authors (paranormal romance etc.), past and present, that picking a single name is a challenge.  I have loved to read romance since I was old enough to borrow them from my Mother’s office, but my favorite has to be another author who used to call Montana his home, James Welch, and his book, Fools Crow.

Sue: Do you like to listen to music while you write?  If so, who are your favorite artists?

Danica: I normally write with background noise.  It forces me to concentrate and often it helps to put me into the mood of a paranormal romance scene.  Write now I am writing the second book in a dark series and while I do, I enjoy an amazing pianist, Emile Pandolfi.  My favorite song is, Let Me Fall, from his Believe album.  I’ve played the piano since I was five years old and hearing a master play can bring tears to my eyes.

Sue: Coffee or tea?

Danica:  My friends will tell you that it isn't normal to see me without a cup of coffee in my hands.  I'm a writer and a Mom.  That means staying up until the wee hours of the morning and then having childrens' smiling faces waking me whenever they think I should be getting up.

Sue: What is your ultimate writing goal?

Danica: My ultimate goal as a paranormal romance writer is to create books that capture the hearts of my readers.

I want to have my readers not only learn about my characters, but in some small way, themselves.  In Curse of the Wolf, the first paranormal romance book in The Curse of the Veela Series, I raise the point that we must not be controlled by our hatred or fear.  We as people must learn to forgive and move on from the traumas and pains of our pasts in order to become stronger, to grow.

I think in every great paranormal romance novel, we must walk away with a message.

Sue: How do you go about choosing names for your characters?

Danica: I like to include my readers in naming my characters.  I think it is a fun, rewarding, and interactive experience to let my readers get their hands in on creating a major element of upcoming novels and short stories.  My fans are what keep me going and I like to include them in my creative process as much as possible.

Sue: Tell us about your upcoming writing projects.

Danica: I am working on the next paranormal romance novel in the upcoming Veela Curse Series.  At this point, I have almost completed writing the second book and am beginning to come up with concepts for the third.  Between paranormal romance novels, I like to write my short stories; and as much as I would like to say I plan these ahead, they are usually created as I write.

Sue: Tell us a little bit about your newest release. 

Danica" I have a short story entitled, The Devil’s Angel, being released March 31^st, 2012 through Silver Publishing; and this summer I will have my first novel in The Veela Curse Series entitled, Curse of the Wolf, being published by Ravenous Romance. 

As a treat for readers, I have included a little sample from, The Devil’s Angel.  Enjoy!

The Devil’s Angel:

Sarah was no angel, but for the first time in her adult life, she found herself holding wire wings covered with what looked like an old pair of white nylons as she fidgeted with her ill-fitting saint mask.

She hated Halloween, and this year was no exception, the day just another excuse for her idiotic co-workers to get drunk and fondle each other.

Maybe what upset her the most was the fact she didn't have anyone to fondle her. Regardless, her solo status was only made worse by being at her boss's house, which was just then filled with a bunch of drunken ass-grabbers wearing the only attire allowed—their company's line of Halloween themed lingerie.

She slammed her car door shut. Her high heels clicked on the walkway as she tugged at the laced edges of the white satin corset that had ridden up her side. She tried to calm her racing heart as she readjusted her tilted halo.

The thumping noise of the party greeted her as she made her way up the concrete steps that led to her boss’s front door.

"Are you alone, little angel?" a man asked.

She looked up at him as he leaned against the bricks of the arched entryway. His face and body were the same shade of red as the front door of the house and he had black, cow-like horns extending above his ears.

"Who's asking?"

"The Devil.” He laughed wickedly. "Or, as I would prefer—your Devil."

She slid her arms into the holes of the lop-sided wings and stepped closer to the mysterious black-haired man.

"How 'bout this, Devil. Let's stick together and make a pass around the idiot circuit, and then we can see where things take us?" She looped her arm around his and reached up to stroke his muscular chest.

She was acting like a tramp, but wearing the mask made her feel protected by the anonymity the thin plastic offered. She could say what she wanted, to whomever she wanted. The effect was exhilarating and unexpectedly empowering. Usually, she was the quiet underling, but tonight she could be the fallen angel. And if he was lucky, she could be his fallen angel….(The Devil’s Angel, Released March 31^st, 2012)  

Sue:  I can't wait to read, the paranormal romance The Devil's Angel.  Thank you for your time!

Danica:  Thank you, Sue.  I enjoyed sharing.  I hope everyone enjoys, The Devil's Angel!