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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Author Interview & Contest with Sharon Ashwood

This week my author Guest is Sharon Ashwood

Sharon has a new story out in  Crave the Night, an e-book anthology with authors Michele Hauf, Patti O'Shea & Lori Devoti.

Find out more about this new anthology and also enter this weeks contest for a chance to win a copy! 

Enjoy the interview and don’t forget to enter the contest!

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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog!  It is great to have you here as a guest again!  You have contributed a story to the anthology 'Crave the Night'.  How did you get involved with the book?

Sharon ­ It came as a wonderful surprise to me. Michele Hauf contacted me and asked if I would like to contribute. The timing was perfect because I had a slight break between projects.  If it had been a few months before or after, it wouldn’t have worked out, but this anthology was
obviously meant to be!

Amber - Does the anthology have a theme?  Or could you enter any story you wanted?


Sharon ­- The parameters were fairly loose.  All the stories include vampires, but we have a huge mix of other creatures: mermaids, fey, demons, and werewolves, for starters! In addition, all four stories have a different feel to them.  Mine has plenty of action and a dash of humour. Others are extremely sexy. Lori Devoti’s mermaid/vampire
tale is simply unique.

Amber -  Did you work with the other authors involved?  Get together for drinks?  Or did it all go through the publisher?

Sharon ­ We did it all through email. I have not met any of the other authors face to face. The thing is that w’¹re all old hands at the publishing routine and knew what to do. It was a very smooth and respectful collaboration.

Amber - And now the obvious question! Your contribution is called 'Hidden'.  Can you tell us about the story?

Sharon ­ - Hidden takes place in the Dark Forgotten universe, but it¹s set in the foothills of the Rockies. The tale
involves Rafe, the son of the local alpha werewolf.  He’s been travelling the world and receives a call to come home to help the pack. The werewolves are disappearing one by
one, and they think it has to do with a beautiful and mysterious fey woman who has just built a mansion overlooking the wolves’ ranching town. So, he sets out with his vampire friend, Darak (readers will recall him from Frostbound), to save the day. Little does he know that the fey, Lila, has huge problems of her own.

Amber - Was it hard writing a short story or was it one you had waiting around for a deserving anthology?

Sharon ­ I had the idea for a reverse Beauty and Beast story, but it was just an idea. Hidden was written specifically for this anthology. I don’t find short works easy to do, but I appreciate the opportunity to develop the skill set. It teaches a writer to be very economical. If it’s done well, a short story packs meaning into every word.

Amber - What is next?  Are you working on any other projects?

Sharon ­- Boy, am I ever.  I’ve begun a series with Harlequin Nocturne that I would describe as James Bond meets Dynasty with vampires. I’m having huge fun with it. It’s more straight PNR romance than I’ve done before, but it has a lot of thrills and spills and delightfully quirky characters. The whole series revolves around a murder, a royal wedding and a stolen bridal gown.

In addition to all that, I have another project a fantasy trilogy that will hit the shelves in 2013. This bit of news is
very hot-off-the-press, so I can’t give a lot of details yet. It does mean I’ll be writing like a fiend.

Amber - What paranormal creatures would you want to write about besides the ones you've already written about?

Sharon ­- I want to tell a real ghost story, sort of a back-to-basics work. Ghost stories can be simple and classic but extremely nuanced. After all, ghosts are as much about our own hopes and fears as anything else.

Amber - Is there a paranormal creature you just don't like, and would never use in your books?

Sharon -­ Zombies. Ick. Kind of like bad house guests that keep multiplying.

Amber - An anthology may involve other authors but usually you don't actually write with them.  Do you think you would be able to write a book together with another author?  If yes, which author would you like to work with and why?

Sharon ­- I would probably drive another writer crazy. I don¹t work in a linear fashion, but hop all over the place. Some of that is a function of working during the day and writing a night, because it’s very easy to lose the thread of things. I’m always going back to earlier chapters and changing stuff to fit my vision of the moment. I never like to say what a book is about until it’s finished, because half the
time I don’t really know! I won’t say that I could never work with another author and there are many, many that I admire, but it would have to be just the right project. On the other hand, I’d love to do a graphic novel. Working with an illustrator would be awesome.

Amber - And the fun last questions...What Superhero powers would you want?  Or would you be a villain?

Sharon -­ I’ve always wanted to fly! Or figure out how to pack more than 24 hours into a day.  Now that’s a power I could absolutely use!

Amber - Thank you for visiting!  I hope you will stop by again sometime!

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Contest Time

Sharon is giving away a copy of the Anthology ‘Crave the Night’


How To Enter


What four authors would you like to see writing an anthology together?


No Comment = No Entry

'Please enter me' posts will not be counted as an entry

Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.


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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.

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The contest will stay open until Sunday 20th of November 2011 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.



20 comments:

Starr K said...

Four authors I would pick would be: Ted Dekker, Robert Liparulo, Steven James and Tosca Lee. Wow is all i can say.

felinewyvern said...

My four author picks would be:
Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Patricia Briggs and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I reckon they could write awodnerful magical anthology between them :D

Alternately for a more sci-fi style anthology David Weber, Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael R Hicks and Catherine Asaro.

JenM said...

For some reason, I tend to love all things shifter. Therefore, my anthology would be composed of four of my favorite shifter authors - Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks and Thea Harrison.

I know Sharon writes about shifters (werewolves and hellhounds) and I've been wanting to give her stories a try. Thanks for the interview.
jen(at)delux(dot)com

Stephanie said...

Kim Harrison, Chloe Neill, C.E. Murphy, and Patricia Briggs.

Skk25@aol.com

Barbara E. said...

I'd like to see Jeaniene Frost, Jennifer Estep, Jaye Wells and Ann Aguirre. I think that would be an awesome anthology.

elaing8 said...

4 authors I'd like to see write an anthology are Kim Harrison,Chloe Neill,Jeaniene Frost and Kelly Armstrong.


tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/elaing8/status/135871228119494656

Mary Preston said...

A really brilliant anthology would consist of: Jo Robertson, Trish Milburn, Loucinda McGary & Jeanne Adams.

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Sharon Stogner said...

ha! It is fun reading an interview with my name in it , just saying...

I would like JR Ward, Charlaine Harris, Karen Chance and Karen Marie Moning

there are more if I could add them I haven't read any of Sharon's (heehee) books, yet. But they are definitely on my list. Thanks for the interview and give away

Brenda Demko said...

I would like an anthology with Chloe Neill, Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, and Dani Harper. I am embarassed to say that I haven't read anythng of Sharon's yet, but I do have a few of them on the never ending tbr pile! brendem7@comcast.net

SandyG265 said...

I'd choose Patrica Briggs, C.E. Murphy, Jim Butcher and Jennifer Estep

Julie S said...

It would be awesome to have an anthology with Rachel Vincent, Jaye Wells, Kim Harrison and Chloe Neill :)
juliecookies(at)gmail.com

Audra said...

Jennifer Estep, Kim Harrison,Kelly Armstrong, and Ilona Andrews
audie@wickerness.com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

JR Wars, Christine Feehan, Lynn Viehl, and Lynsay Sands--oh what an awesome anthology that would be!

http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/136101579215478784

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=263045223747720&id=1184379567

http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/show/9320525
(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

Victoria said...

Oh this is fun. How about Shiloh Walker, Lauren Dane, Larissa Ione and Gena Showlater. I think they'd be a really good mix of my favorite type of read. Thanks for the giveaway.

vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

Amy said...

I would love to see these authors in an anthology together: Nalini Singh, Pamela Clare, Jennifer Estep, and Lora Leigh. It's so unlikely because they write different genres...yet it's still my fantasy combo of authors.

angeldream3[AT]gmail[DOT]com

Deirdre said...

I'd love to see a Mercedes Lackey; Nora Roberts (as herself or as J D Robb); C E Murphy and Laura Anne Gillman anthology, that would be cool!

alainala said...

thats a toughie.. ilona andrews nalini singh and meljean brook just did one that was like the holy grail..
would love to see ilona andrews, patricia briggs, jennifer estep do one..

or a shifter one with shelly laurenston, cynthia eden, thea harrison and briggs.. that would be awesome as well!

alainala AT hotmail DOT ca

Kelly said...

What four authors would you like to see writing an anthology together?

I would say: Charlaine Harris, Libba Bray, Kelley Armstrong, and Patricia Briggs.

Unknown said...

I would like to have Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Vincent, Sonya BAteman and Carolyn Crane. Would be the most fantastic UF anthology :-D

Thank you for the great giveaway! :-)

stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

Brenda Hyde said...

What a cool question!

I would love to see four of my favorite shifter authors together--

So Moira Rogers, Shelly Laurenston, Vivian Arends and Dana Marie Bell-- man, would that be awesome!

wayfaringwriter at gmail dot com