Moira: Let’s break the ice shall we? If you could go on a dream date with three people who most influenced your writing, who would they be?

Rebekah: Okay, as many people know, I have a problem with counting (hehehe). So here are 5 instead of three: Wilson Rawls and Ann M. Martin for capturing my attention in 4^th grade and instilling a love for reading. R.L. Stine and L.J. Smith for introducing me to YA Thrillers/Paranormal/Horror when I was in high school and making me want to write books. Lastly, Suzanne Collins for inspiring me to want to be a better writer.

Moira: I said three. Not one for following the rules apparently. Fine. I can work with this…just don’t make it a habit. What genre do you write in, and why?

Rebekah: I write YA Fantasy/Paranormal. I think it’s because I’ve always loved the thought of faraway lands and the fantastic. A place where the obscure is the normal.

Moira: I guess your faux pas is forgiven, but only because I’m a huge fan of the obscure, faraway, and fantastical. How long were you writing before you received your first contract for publication?

Rebekah: Hmmm…like 6-7 years (mind totally blanked out—LOL). But yeah, definitely a few years.

Moira: A few perhaps, but they’ve produced some great stories. Speaking of producing great stories, do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

Rebekah: Not necessarily, however, I do tend to write better when it’s dreary and stormy out, or if I’m at the beach, listening to the waves crashing in.

Moira: Ha! When I’m at the beach I’m thinking about drinks with little umbrellas, surfers, and relaxing. What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

Rebekah: LOL—um, actually it was a spam email I got. I’m hoping to actually write that story later this year.

Moira: Proof that spam can be beneficial (and no we aren’t talking the canned variety). When you aren’t being inspired by spam or dreary weather, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Rebekah: Watch football, soccer, camp, write, sing, hang with my kidlets, watch movies and TV.

Moira: For a fan of the obscure those are very normal spare time occupiers. Let’s see if we can shake things up a bit. Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.

Rebekah: I spent a few years in the US Army and graduated with Honors from Advanced Individual Training (for both the course work/physical fitness).

Moira: Nope. Not obscure enough…though it is a great accomplishment. Still, I want something more. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

Rebekah: My ears are pierced, and believe it or not I have a tattoo of a crescent moon/star on my ankle (which I got when I was 17).

Moira: Ears?! I’m trying to get to the deeper darker side of Rebekah Purdy and you give me pierced ears! Sheesh. You don’t play fair Ms. Purdy. Sooner or later I’m going to figure you out. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?

Rebekah: What wouldn’t I spend it on? LOL. No, but seriously, I’d buy everyone in my family/my hubby’s family a house (or help pay off an existing mortgage). I’d set money aside for my kids. I’d also send some to my friends as well as donate money to the local schools and libraries in support of literacy.

Moira: Well I can’t knock that. Literacy is definitely an issue I think we can all get behind. Which household chore do you abhor and why?

Rebekah: This is a tough one. But I’d say laundry. I don’t mind washing it, but I HATE folding it. It’s like the socks take 2 million years to pair up.

Moira: Agreed. I always thought they were joking about the dryer eating socks when I was younger. Okay, one last attempt to get some dirt on you to be used at an undisclosed time and place for my own benefit. Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?

Rebekah: Crushing on celebrities (LOL): Ian Somerhalder, Johnny Depp, Taylor Lautner…

Moira: You can have Taylor. :) The other two we might have to discuss. Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner and why?

Rebekah: I’d probably invite Maggie, Seth, and Ima over to dinner. They’re all funny/quirky characters and I absolutely LOVE a good laugh.

Moira: I can see that as being one rowdy and hilarious dinner party. One author, dead or alive, and you get to have a one on one with them. Who would it be and why?

Rebekah: Suzanne Collins, because I think she’s brilliant.

Moira: Well should you ever get the chance for that one on one, let me know. Might have a few questions of my own to throw into the pot. Every author has a moment of brilliance in their writing world. Something that just strikes a chord with them for one reason or another. Name one scene you go back and re-read often because you like it so much.

Rebekah: This is hard because I have a few. But probably the scene where my main character Maggie is trying to convince the guy she’s had a crush on since elementary school that she already has a boyfriend.

Moira: Ooh, that’s definitely a good one. If you could have one talent besides writing, what would it be?

Rebekah: Ohhh…making movies. Like using real special effects and stuff.

Moira: The Fairy Godmother Files: Cinderella Complex is the first in a series about Maggie Winters. What gave you the idea for the series?

Rebekah: Actually, I was kinda playing the what-if game one day. What if a teen found out she was to become the new Fairy Godmother? What if her first assignment was someone she completely loathed, and on top of that the guy she’s crushing on might be a part of that happy ending?

Moira: The ‘what-if’ game is one of my favorite brainstorming activities. So, is there anything top secret or special you’d like to share?

Rebekah: Hmmm…not at the moment. But I suppose people might like to know that I have several Star Wars songs on my MP3 player (hehehe). May the Force be with you! Oh and I like to do character voices (Yoda, Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch).

Moira: Not exactly what I had in mind there young Padawan. In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share an excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)

Rebekah: The Fairy Godmother Files: Cinderella Complex Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Maggie Winters can’t think of anything more exciting than junior year. There’s her first prom to look forward to, she can drive, and most important Connor Prince has finally noticed her. But unfortunately so has the school snob, Katrina Melville, who goes out of her way to make Maggie’s life a living hell. If that’s not enough, Maggie’s grandma has decided to retire, which doesn’t seem like such a big deal. That is until she finds out her grandma is a Fairy Godmother, and not just any Fairy Godmother. The Fairy Godmother, as in Cinderella, pumpkins, and mice. And she has informed Maggie that she’s next in line to become the new Fairy Godmother.

At first Maggie is excited, the whole getting wings, flying (or rather trying not to crash), and a wand that lets her grant wishes. It’s like being a superhero, without all the action, explosions, and spandex. Then she gets her first assignment, Katrina Melville, her nemesis. And if that doesn’t make her want to poof herself into oblivion, she finds out that part of Katrina’s happily-ever-after is Connor Prince. Life is so unfair. Even worse, she can’t tell her two best friends about any of it and they’re getting sick of her disappearing acts. Then there are the dangerous creatures, called Grimms who will stop at nothing to keep the happy endings from being fulfilled, even if it means destroying the Fairy Godmother responsible. With time running out, Maggie has to make this wish come true or it will ruin the fates of everyone involved, and open the world to darkness beyond imagination. Maggie will soon find out what it truly means to be a Fairy Godmother—and it isn’t all about princes, gowns, and wings, but something much more.

Excpert:

“Now comes the fun part.” Grandma opened the sliding glass doors leading onto the balcony. “You need to learn how to fly.” She tugged a lounge chair next to the railing. “Just climb up here and leap off.”

Not that I didn’t love my grandma, but she’d lost her ever-loving mind. No way in the world did any of my plans include jumping to my death. I took a step back. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“It’s like riding a bike.”

Maybe now was a good time to remind her how much I’d fallen down while learning to ride my bike. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the ground below. It was a long way down. My pulse buzzed like a warning bell in my ears. Insane didn’t begin to describe this idea. More like freakin’ idiotic. And yet, I climbed onto the chair, then up onto the railing. I felt like a suicide on the ledge of a skyscraper.

“Think of your wings.” Grandma stood next to me, her hand resting on my calf.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I imagined my wings. The back of my shirt ripped and my wings expanded. Ugh, I loved this shirt. “Okay, I’m up here.” I kept my focus straight ahead. As long as I didn’t see the ground, I’d be all right, or at least I hoped I would be.

Grandma shoved me. I flailed off the balcony. She was trying to flippin’ kill me. In two seconds I’d be splatter on the lawn.

“Flap your wings,” she called.

The ground came at me at an alarming rate. Then, to my amazement, my wings kicked in, brushing air. Like a butterfly, I shot forward, gliding.

“Make sure you’re steering yourself.” Grandma’s voice sounded far away.

My lips tilted into a smile as I flew higher. Cool night air kissed my cheeks and whipped through my hair. I felt so free. I felt so—smack—a low-hanging tree limb whapped me in the face. Ow, crap! My face stung and my eyes watered. Right. Need to watch where I’m going. A strong gust of wind billowed in, catching my wings and tipping me backward. Like an out-of-control kite, I half fell, half glided toward the ground and into the side of a car.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The car alarm blared. I rubbed my arm and head. Now I knew how road kill felt.

“You okay?” Grandma hollered down.

“Sure, just give me a second to pull the fiberglass out of my face.” I stood and wiped myself off.

Grandma laughed. “You’ll get the hang of it. Maybe you should fly home tonight. Give yourself a chance to get used to your new wings.”

Sure, great idea. Then maybe I’d fly into the grill of a semi-truck or a hunter might shoot me out of the sky, thinking I was a big duck or something. And they’d stuff me like a turduken—only I’d be a turMaggen. Yeah, not a great visual. Because either way I looked at it, something or someone was going to be shoved into some place they didn’t want to go.

What had I gotten myself into? Grandma smiled and gestured for me to fly back up to her.

A Fairy Godmother. Me. Maggie Winters. The new Fairy Godmother. And I had no idea what I was doing.

Moira: Well that was definitely a treat! Thanks for letting me torture you Rebekah and hanging out with us today. For all you voracious readers out there, you can learn more about Rebekah Purdy and her books over at http://rebekahlpurdy.wordpress.com/ .

Thanks for stopping in. One copy of Cinderella Complex is up for grabs so ask your questions or just comment!

Now on to the hot reading goodness that Nina has provided the readers of the world with….

Chosen by Nina Croft
Available from Breathless Press

On the world of Arroway, Witches have been persecuted for a thousand years. Now, Tallon, Enforcer for The Order of Warlocks has been sent to hunt and destroy Shayla, a powerful, young Witch.
But when he sees her, she awakens something inside him—some connection forgotten in the years of persecution. And when he starts his spell, she counters with magic so strong it rips them from their own world and into a new one—Earth.
Drawn together as unlikely allies in this strange new world, Tallon and Shayla must work as partners to find a way home. They relearn the bond that once tied Witches and Warlocks as one, and in doing so discover not only their futures at stake, but the future of their whole world.

A Passionate Christmas brings together four authors- Clarissa Yip, R.M. Gilbert, Silke Juppenlatz, and Nina Croft. Their stories range from contemporary to paranormal. That isn’t really what captures me though. What really sold me was the fact that while the stories may be different within the romance sub-genres, they are all set in the same town and there is some slight crossover of characters into the other stories. Now in order to pull something like this off, these ladies really had to communicate with each other before, during, and after the project. (We will learn more about that next week at The Sweet, the Bad, ‘n the Wicked) I myself am looking forward to reading each of these stories. Not only that but I want to know your feedback if you’ve read them and what appealed to you about this anthology. Just click on the post card to be swept away to Decadent Publishing where all books are currently available for purchase!

And don’t forget to stop by The Sweet, the Bad, ‘n the Wicked next Wednesday for a chance to learn more about the lovely authors behind A Passionate Christmas.

From the Heavens comes a hero who will take your breath away.

Reese Whittaker dreams of falling for a man who shares her love of archeology and ancient civilizations. But being attacked by a horde of demons and rescued by a Sumerian God—a well-armed, gorgeous Sumerian God—opens up a whole new world she never knew existed. And awakens a mysterious power within her that attracts all kinds of supernatural attention.

Dagan, son of the Air-God Enlil and a Time Walker, is sworn to protect the human race in general, and one young woman in particular—Reese. He’s not the only one mysteriously attracted to her powerful life force. Underworld leader Kur craves it for the untold power it will give him to strike a blow at the deities of Dilmun.

Dagan is forbidden by law from interacting with Reese, but from the moment he sees her, the fury—an intense sexual need for bonding—blinds him to all the rules. Should the pantheon discover he has fallen for a human, the punishment could mean suffering beyond imagining for him…and death for her.

Must read right? Make sure you stop back by tomorrow to check out Sloan. If you want to get in on all the action you can pop on over to Nikki Duncan’s site.

Now we get to the music. Enjoy a little Savior by Rise Against. This song gets played at least once a day on my iPod.

However, all is not doom and gloom because we have a winner! Yes ladies and gents, the magic hat has spoken and Zina is the winner of the $15 MBAM gift certificate! Whooo hooo! Pary in the house of Moira! So little ray of sunshine Zina…. your prize will be on its way post haste.  Thanks again to my commenters, readers, and of course the lovely Fiona Jayde!

Fiona Dishes on the Inspiration for Night Haven~

I have a confession to make: I love Buffy The Vampire slayer. I rewatch it every year. So when we’re talking about vampires, my first thought is Angel. And Spike.

The show is just so rich in themes and ideas that speak to me. Throw in a smart mouthed kick-ass heroine, and I’m happy.  In fact it was an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer which inspired the main theme of Night Haven and kicked off the Bloodwolf series – what happens to a vampire slayer when she looses her strength?

The idea fascinates me – always had, ever since I watched that particular episode for the first time. In the episode, Buffy looses her slayer-strength in a test to prove that even without her powers she is still a vampire slayer. I love this theme of someone who never wanted her destiny in the first place suddenly finding that she can’t be who she is without it.

In Night Haven, my bloodwolf heroine – Dina – looses her ability to shift after meeting Luke – the vampire hero and her sworn enemy. Unlike Buffy – who had her abilities consciously taken away from her by her reluctant watcher, Dina is unable to shift because of her conflicting desire for Luke, a vampire. And since in my world, bloodwolves shifting occurs as a result of a unified mind and body (there’s that Aikido training!), Dina’s internal conflict renders her unable to shift into her wolf form.

Similarly to Buffy, Dina must discover her own reasons for fighting vampires – and falling in love with one before she can shift in her wolf form.

To The Readers: who are your favorite super heroines?

Answer and be entered in a drawing to win a gift certificate for $15 from My Bookstore and More! Come on ladies and gents, start showing the love! The winner of the contest will be announced on Friday.

I would also like to extend a HUGE thank you to Fiona for taking the time to stop by and sharing her inspiration with us. I know inspiration comes in many forms, television shows, dreams, something you drove past when you were on your way to work, or an over heard conversation. I always find it interesting to see where others derive their inspiration for a particular story from. Night Haven will be released later this month, September 21st to be exact, by Samhain Publishing in eBook format. Be sure to pop on over there and get your copy when it does. The wait promises to be worth it from all I’ve read and heard so far! Get your entries in and be sure to leave me  a valid email address so that I can notify you if you won!

You are still wondering who this amazing woman is? Why none other than the loverly Fiona Jayde ladies and gents! She  has penned several stories which have now made their way onto my reading list. There is one though, that has made its way to the top of my must read first list and that is Night Haven, which releases September 21st from Samhain Publishing. Oh if I could only express how excited I am. If there were a webcam in my home you would see me bouncing up and down. After all, any book whose first line starts off with:

She should have kicked his ass after she’d kissed him—

Definitely tempts me to read further. More icing on the cake? It is the first in a series. Total joy overload! This is one author that I am sure you won’t want to miss, so stop by and show a little love next Tuesday. And go read a little more about her upcoming release from Samhain. Just click on the awesome cover and let it lead the way….

While you are there… check out my good friend, Teresa D”Amario, on the contest page for a chance to win a little paranormal love.

That’s all for now folks, because we are keeping it short and sweet today.

The Real Deal

He held the reins to her heart once—and this time he won’t let go.

A Wild Ride story.

Willa Tate left Millbrook, Texas, years ago—along with her future, her fiancé and her heart. Now, as one of the headlining acts at a hot burlesque club, she looks into the crowd, sees a familiar face staring up at her—and her past comes crashing back.

Chase Kiel has some hard questions for the former love of his life. He spent forever looking for her, and now he wants answers—even if he has to throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to Millbrook to get them.

He’d find it a hell of a lot easier if the chemistry weren’t still there. If they didn’t still fit together like keg of dynamite and fuse. If he didn’t want not only his answers…but her heart.

Chase is still certain he and Willa belong together—and convincing Willa of it will be his pleasure.

Warning: This title contains explicit, powder-keg-hot sex, language that ain’t fit for your mama’s ears, and a hot cowboy with a Texas-sized heart.

Interested in reading a little more? Well what are you waiting for? Pop on over to Samhain Publishing’s site and read the excerpt. It’s just a click away!

Seriously, show a little love and support by popping on over to give the book a little looksie. Otherwise, denying the temptation to do so may drive you mad. (I’ve heard of it happening…are you really willing to test the theory?)

Sláinte!

Strong, Silent Type

Tough. Taciturn. And a fool for letting her go…

A Wild Ride story.

Wyoming rancher Quinn McKay thought he’d only have to bide time until his levelheaded wife came to her senses and called a halt to this “trial separation”. He never believed the marital rough patch would drag on for a coon’s age.

Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn’t prone to blathering about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he’d rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her.

Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn’t loosen his tongue and he’ll lose the only woman he’s ever loved. In a last-ditch effort to keep her in his life, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence.

Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes.

Warning: Old-fashioned groveling leads to smokin’ hot sexual encounters—steamin’ up the truck windows, rockin’ the horse trailer—proving even an old married dog can learn naughty new tricks.

Check out an excerpt here at Samhain Publishing just to whet your appetite a bit. You won’t be sorry!

Now if that little blurb ain’t enough to make you want to sneak a peek…. I don’t know what is. Seriously, go check it out. This little beauty will surely score big with you. 

Sláinte!