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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Author Interview & Contest with Sunny

When I contacted Bestselling author Sunny a few months ago, I didn't think I would get a reply. However a few days later Sunny herself replied to me and said she would be happy to be interview as long as the interview was only 6 questions long! Only six questions? How hard can that be? ;)

Sunny's Mona Lisa books took me totally by surprise and I hope that fans of the books will enjoy this interview and anyone who hasn't tried her books will get a craving to try them.

Here is the interview and if you keep reading till the end you will find the information you need to enter this weeks contest.

Enjoy!

-----------------------

Amber - I am very honoured to have Sunny here as my guest this week on Amberkatze's Book Blog. I hope you will start us off by telling my readers a bit about your books?

Sunny - I enjoy blending dark fantasy with romance. My Mona Lisa series is based upon a "children of the moon" idea about a Monère race of supernatural creatures that are faster, stronger, and more beautiful than humans. The ability to shapeshift is one of their gifts. The Demon Princess Chronicles is a spin-off series set in the same world, but more about the blood-drinking demon dead, what the Monère become after they die. In both books, the heroines find not just one love but several gorgeous, worthy men.

Amber - How did the idea for the Mona Lisa series come about? Why the paranormal genre?

Sunny - The paranormal genre came secondary. The first and most important idea was the concept of a supernatural race of creatures descended from the moon, living on Earth after their planet died. The idea was birthed by both my husband and I collaboratively. He thought of using it for a young adult fantasy story, but never got around to writing it. I was quite taken with the idea as a possible adult romance, and it eventually it became my version of vampires and werewolves.

Amber - The books are very sexual. Do you find it hard to write those scenes? Do you have to do alot of research? ;)

Sunny - The "very sexual" part came as quite a surprise to me. I never intended or expected my stories to edge into the erotic, but when I hit the love scenes, the writing and emotions just flowed so easily and in-depth, and more and more ink was devoted to these scenes. I truly believe that to write well, you have to be fearless, and not worry about what your mom or dad or church members will say about your writing. Heck, at the time, I wasn't even sure if I was good enough to be published. I'd never completed a story before. For me, being daring and trying something new was very exciting. The love scenes certainly stirred my creative juice.

Amber - What does the future hold? More Mona Lisa books? More about Lucinda? Any other projects you are working on?

Sunny - LUCINDA, DANGEROUSLY, coming out in October 2009, will be the last book set in this world for a while. A couple of other series ideas have been brewing in the back of my brain for several years, and I want to get these written, and out of my system. I may return back to Mona Lisa's world eventually, but my plans aren't certain at this point.

Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Are there any series or authors that are a must read for you?

Sunny - I love anything that involves a strong heroine and a love story. I'm basically a romance reader, but have been pulled over into many other genres such as sci fi/fantasy, historicals, even westerns. I follow authors rather than genre. My favorite authors are Lisa Kleypas, Linda Howard, Jayne Anne Krentz, Nora Roberts, Iris Johansen, Suzanne Brockmann, J.R. Ward, Laurell K. Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Lois McMaster Bujold, Charlaine Harris, Anne Bishop, Joey W. Hill, Sarah McCarty, and Stephanie Meyer.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature what would you be and why?

Sunny - That is a tough one. All of them seem to live in pretty vicious worlds. I guess I'd have to say a Monère Queen because she gets to have not just one true love but several, like Mona Lisa. I ended up falling in love with all her male lovers as I wrote them out.

Amber - Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope you will pop by again sometime!




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Contest Time!

Sunny's publisher is donating 2 free copies of MONA LISA DARKENING (to U.S. residents only please) for this weeks contest! So that means 2 winners will each get a copy of the newest Mona Lisa book.

To enter the contest tell us which male or female book character you find sexy!!

No Character Name = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

The contest will stay open until Sunday 28th of June 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

40 comments:

Chris said...

Thanks for stopping by, Sunny! I have some of your books on my to-read shelf right now and I'm looking forward to them.

Hmm. Most sexy character. Well, there's just something about Acheron... :)

Anonymous said...

I find Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series sexy!

Anonymous said...

Dillon Savich from catherine Coulters FBI Series

Anonymous said...

Roarke from J.D. Robbs series! Great interview!

Sunny said...

Tetewa, I hope you enjoy!

Chris, Jo Ann, and Amy. Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to post a comment.

Sunny said...

Oops, sorry, Chris. Just realized the first comment was from you :)

Sunny

SiNn said...

welcome to the blog ur books are awesome


i have to say sexiest female there are so many but since imr eading The phoenix Chronicals i have to say Liz Phoenix is super hot and her side hottie hero Jimmy Sanducci just yum

Gaby317 said...

I enjoyed this interview, particularly when Sunny talked about how you write for yourself and she hadn't even thought of publication.

I find Detective Inspector Rodelyn Alleyn (by Ngaio Marsh) sexy.

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

+ I'm a follower

Caffey said...

Hi Sunny!!
I'm often enjoying the book I'm reading now and sometimes they end up being my favorite hero. Lyon from Pamela Palmer's DESIRE UNTAMED is definitely one of my favorites now. He oozes sensuality! He's really a strong alpha and too, I love how he brings out his emotions! This book is first in a series and 3 books coming out together each month in a row. They are shapeshifters, very unique! Called Feral Warriors.

I posted this on my blogs at:
http://caffeys-reads.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/auntcaffey
And been following you here as well as on the emailing list.

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

I find Rhage from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series very very sexy.


cindyc725 at gmail dot com

Sunny said...

Thank you, Gaby, Caffey, and I Heart. One of the things I love is hearing about new authors to try out. You guys have given me some great suggestions.

Cindy, I agree. Rhage--and all the guys in the Black Dagger Brotherhood--are absolutely delicious :)

Sunny

Anonymous said...

I am totally in faux-lust with Nathaniel from the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.... sweet and hot and starting to get a nice hard edge.

Miranda
mdwartistry(at)yahoo(dot)com

Vickie said...

Just one sexy male or female book character? Hmmmmm......

Bones in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series.

Sorry so late to the party! Father's Day on Sunday and then I worked day shifts in the lab without access to unclass computers. Just now catching up.....
This was a fab interview. I look forward to reading Sunny's books.

Patricia Altner said...

At the moment the sexiest guy character for me is Curran from the Kate Daniel series.

Sunny I am so glad to find out about your books, I have a weakness for blood sucking - vampire - characters.

Unknown said...

Hi Sunny and Amber!

OMG! How did I miss this? Your book sound fantastic!!

My all time favorite sexy book character is Kisten from the Hollows Series by Kim Harrison, sadly he left us. I would have to say that Jean Claude from LKH's Anita Blake Series is my next favorite, he hot, sweet, and undead. My favorite sexy heroine is Mira from Jocelynn Drake's Dark Days Series. She's a strong, powerful, hot female character. I love them all!

Please enter me in your great contest Amber!

Dottie :)

gymmom_027@yahoo.com

Heather B. said...

Hey sunny,

Welcome. Love your books and the fact that you started out writing for yourself. The books just suck you into their world. I can't wait for Lucinda Dangerously to come out this fall.

Let me see, sexiest characters - Well I love all the guys in the Blackdagger Brotherhood too but Raine, Lyon and Nicholas from Elizabeth Ambers Lords of Satyr books are pretty sexy in their own right. I think I am drawn more to shifters in general even though vamps have that dark, mysterious thing going on.

http://habrewer.blogspot.com/
it's posted on my blog and I follow AmberKatz on Twitter and my blogger dashboard.

Jackie (Literary Escapism) said...

Great interview Sunny and Amber!

Drake Vireo from Katie MacAlister's Aisling series. There's just something about this green dragon that instantly comes to mind when I'm asked this question. Mmm...I could use a dragon.

LuAnn said...

I like strong heroines when I read, too. It drives me nuts when the main character is a whiny girl who runs to the man to help her with every little thing. Phooey!

Kytaira said...

This is really tough for me. I don't usually think of the heros or heroines as especially sexy. I guess I'm more of a visual person when it comes to concidering someone sexy.

I guess, I'm a little like Caffey, the hero of the book I'm reading, or the last book I enjoyed is my favorite hero of the moment and therefore the sexiest. Today that would be Rowan Salazar of The Spaniard's Marriage Bargain (a Harlequin Present)

Sunny - you mentioned the idea for the race of creatures from the moon started with your husband tossing it around for a YA book. Is he a published author as well?

I'm a follower via Google

lynda98662@yahoo.com

Alexia561 said...

Which male book character do I find sexy? Jeaniene Frost's Bones of course! There's just something about him.... :)

Have a great night!

alexia561@yahoo.com

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

I know I'm a throwback LOL, but I have to say that Lestat from the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles has got to be the sexiest yet, especially when he joins the rockband ;) Woo Hoo !!

Chris said...

Sunny - Understandable (re: your response to my comment) - it took me a bit to get used to the comment ownership info being on top instead of on the bottom.

Mmm... Roarke is most excellent. And Ranger.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sandy M said...

Those MacKeltar twins, Drustan and Daegus, from Karen Marie Moning's Highlander books are the sexiest for me. I mean, there's two of them, for heaven's sake!


iluvoceanbreeses @ gmail dot com

Jacqueline C. said...

Definitely Curran from the Kate Daniels series. Too sexy for words . . .

I've posted about the contest here:

http://undercoverbooklover.blogspot.com/2009/06/everything-you-want-to-know.html

jac8604@hotmail.com

Pamk said...

Love this series. And would have to be a toss up between Ash, Zarak by SK, Char by Judy Mays, and I do think Curran is hot,too. But my all time favorite character and it could be cause he doesn't have his hea yet is Ban from Judy Mays Celestial Seasons series.

Anonymous said...

Viper is way hot in Alexandra Ivy's Guardians Series. Great interview.
Stephmartin71@yahoo.com

Shelbycat said...

Hmmm ... sexy book characters, that would have to Ranger (Stephanie Plum books) or Morelli, or Ranger, or ... oh heck now look what you've done! :)

Unknown said...

Sunny,

I actually have one of your books to read and haven't started it yet, but it is next on my list.

Hmmmm, sexy book characters is tough because I have a few, but I guess my favorite would be Eric (Charlaine Harris) and Hunter Lorenzo (Vicki Pettersson).

shylalou@bellouth.net

MissKitty said...

I can't wait to read your books Sunny! My sexiest character would have to be Acheron from the Dark Hunter series. For now anyway. ;) Great interview!

Chris J. said...

Hi Sunny and Amber!

First, Amber great questions and interview! I love your blogs!

Now Miss Sunny, I don't need to enter this one as I have all your books and I am a big Fan!I can not wait till the new Lucinda, she is a kick butt kinda girl and always fun to read! :)
I will be waiting till you do another Monere book because they are some of my very Favorites!
As to sexy, strong and drool worthy hero or hero's: ALL OF YOURS!!! Honestly folks read her books and you will fall for one if not all of them! YUMMO!!
Have a Great Day!!

Sunny said...

Miranda, I adore Nathaniel also!

Patricia, Jeaniene Frost's books are must-buys for me, too. And she's a real sweetheart in person :)

Dottie, Curran is another favorite of mine! That series is just getting better and better. The other authors are good old favorites of mine, also. Thrilled to be discovered by you :)

Hi Jackie. Thank you for the lovely compliment!

LuAnn, I love dragons too. My most recent fav dragon is the one Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's Kiss.

Sunny

Sunny said...

Kytaira. Thanks for dropping by.

Alexia561. Yes, my husband, Da Chen, was the original author in the family. He writes memoirs, literary fiction, and YA. I followed him into the publishing field seven years later :)

Mary. Lestat is a wonderful classic character I enjoyed on film but never got a chance to read yet.

Jacqueline C. I agree. They are yummy. I like Moning's urban fantasy series even better!

Sunny

Sunny said...

Hi PamK. Thanks for spreading word about the contest :)

Stehpmartin. Curran seems be one of the most popular so far.

LOL, Christina. Yes, too many to choose from :)

Miss Kitty. Hope you enjoy it! I love Eric also, in the book, not so much on the television show.

Sunny

Sunny said...

Chris J. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Sunny. Love meeting someone else with the same name! And thank you, honey. I'm hugely flattered and oh so pleased! Hugs!

Sunny

Anonymous said...

Definitely Marius de Romanus of The Vampire Chronicles. <3 I ADORE him.

Blogged: http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/06/22/book-giveaways-0622-0628/

Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com

L said...

I think that Jack Force from Blue Bloods is really sexy.

I posted a link on my sidebar:
http://hookedonyabooks.blogspot.com/

lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed Wraith from Larissa Ione's Passion Unleashed in her Demonica Series.

Pam S
pams00@aol.com

Sunny said...

Thanks, everyone for stopping by! Amber will post the 2 winners soon.

Sunny

Kristin said...

Sunny,
Halcyon is my fav character from any book I've ever read! The Mona Lisa Series just can't be beat for me. I already own all of them,but just wanted to shout out a friendly hello! Can't wait for the new Lucinda release this Oct!
Kristin