Guest Interview - Desi Moon

I am delighted to have the lovely Desi Moon on my blog today.

*pulls up a chair for Desi*

Lovely to have you here. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

In a nutshell (or a nuthouse, some days they are interchangeable) I am an author, dog trainer, vet tech student, wife and mother. My family (Husband, two kids, three cats and a dog) and I reside in Boulder, CO. I have been telling stories since I was old enough to talk.

My first story was penned at the age of seven. It was set in the old west, (I was very much into Little House on the Prairie at the time.) My parents were appalled by my story. Rebellion struck at an early age, this encouraged me to continue pushing the envelope.

Oooh I loved Little House on the Prairie, when I was little!

What made you write ‘this’ story?

Summerland came out of the very mundane task of shopping. It occurred to me while I was standing in line at the grocery store, scanning the tabloid headlines, checking off my mental “to-do” list, I noticed a running theme among the covers. They all had the same celebrity in varying stages of mental decline.

As it often does, my stories start with a character “talking” to me. Rhiann began telling me about her troubles being a paparazzi magnet.

Describe a typical day’s writing for us

My typical day starts around 5 a.m., I check/answer my email, write my blog posts, make my networking rounds. When my daughter goes off to preschool, is when I get a bulk of my writing done. Oh gosh, my day sounds boring! Will it help if I mention that I am currently writing another romantic comedy, “A Community of Errors”?

Not boring at all :-) 

What inspires you?

Everything! I can find inspiration in a flower, in the mountains, scanning the headlines (as with Summerland), in a phone conversation (Which is what started me writing my next novel Accidental Intent) or a bag of random objects (My Humiliating Valentine was written because I was handed a bag and told to use the items in a short story)

If you weren’t a writer what would you be?

When I was in school, no one ever mentioned to me that I could write full time. It never dawned on me that people did that, my parents are very down to earth and believe in “Steady” employment. My goal was to be a veterinarian.

Do your characters ever surprise you?

LoL Every time I sit down to write, someone pops off with something I didn’t have planned. My biggest surprise was in Summerland. “Aunt” Genie showed up three chapters early and announced a pool party that never was part of the story. The result was funny, and much better than what I had originally thought up, so I kept it in, but also kept a close eye on her as well. She proved to be problematic, in a good way.

Ah I love it when characters do that.

What could not do without when you’re writing?

I am not an overly superstitious woman, but I do have a few “quirks”. One of them is my writing mug. Thankfully everyone in this house respects the mug, and won’t touch it. It is large, black and has the word Redrum written across it in red drippy letters. It sits next to me every time I sit down to write.

What words of wisdom do you have for the aspiring authors out there?

Gosh, I am the last person to give words of wisdom, seeing as I am still a bit of a newbie myself, but I would have to say- be proud of your accomplishments. So many people talk about writing a book, but few actually achieve their goal.

Indeed that is so true.

Where do you see yourself in ten year’s time?

In ten years time I will own a used bookstore, be writing full time and running my own dog rescue. That is my current objective- It will be interesting to see where life takes me.

Do you have a favourite quote?

Several! I often come back to quotes from Maya Angelou, George Carlin, Douglas Adams and Mark Twain.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

One of the joys of being a writer is the dreaded black hole. When it hits, I have to walk away and do something mindless like sewing or baking. More often than not it gives me a chance to clear my head and look at my dilemma with a fresh set of eyes.

What other books can your readers look forward to?

Rebel Ink Press will be releasing two stories of mine in 2012.

A short, “My Humiliating Valentine” will be part of the Love Bites V-Day Anthology. It is a humorous romantic story about a blind date that went horribly wrong.

My second full-length novel Accidental Intent is slated for a spring release. A romantic murder mystery has (quite literally) gone to the dogs.

And finally can you share an excerpt with us?

Summerland Chapter One-- Part Two (Part one can be found on my blog on the Summerland page)

The food arrived. The women took it outside, where they settled in on the back deck by the pool. Music pumped through hidden speakers. "So, you ready?" Keeley asked, as she dug into her salad.

"Not by a long shot." Rhiann grabbed a BBQ beef rib; she savored the sweet, savory sauce before continuing. "I have an entire staff to hire, model casting, locations, headquarters—" Her stomach clenched. "Oh my god, what made me think I could do a whole show?"

Keeley waved her fork. "The space below my office is available. Since I own the building, I think I can get you a sweet deal."

"Thanks, Keeley." Rhiann breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Call it tit for tat, since you own this palatial manor."

"Duplex." Rhiann corrected.

"And let me live here rent free."

"You redecorated the other side. Who in their right mind would want to live in a purple paradise?"

"That was the idea." Her lavender eyes sparkled.

The teasing made Rhiann feel a bit better about jumping into her new venture. "Besides, I like having my family nearby; with you next door, Aunt Genie and Uncle Eddie over in the guest house, I am never lonely."

Keeley slowly wiped her mouth. "When do you plan on getting out and socializing?"

Rhiann knew this was coming. Keeley had been too quiet when it came to her social circle. "I socialize." She concentrated on her food, avoiding Keeley's intense gaze. "I get out."

"When? When do you get out?"

"I go grocery shopping."

"That's a lie. Genie does all the cooking," Keeley said.

"I . . . I . . . ." Rhiann struggled to remember. "I went to dinner with you and Camp the other night, and the guy you brought—"

"Chase, yeah." Keeley waggled her pinky finger. "I was a bit disappointed. Thank God I had my vibrator handy."

Rhiann choked on a french fry. "Your what? Didn't he notice?"

Keeley shrugged. "Sadly, no." The amused expression passed across her face quickly. "Back to what I was saying, you need to get out. Socialize. You cannot rely on us forever. It is time you learned to play well with others."

"Look," Rhiann said. "This venture will get me out and meeting new people, so could you please back off?" The music coming through the speakers silenced the conversation. "Oh my God, would you listen to that?" Rhiann paused as the romantic, edgy ballad played. "This is what I want for the runway show."

"Which one is it?"

She quickly ran to the player, grabbed the CD case, then settled back into her chair. "Quantum Solace." She closed her eyes as she pictured the entire show; some of her tension eased.

"Quantum Solace?" Keeley clicked her nails on the CD case and nodded. "Cover art, I approve. When are you going to audition them?"

Rhiann's head swiveled from side to side in time to the music. "No audition, this is who I want."

"Rhi?" Keeley sat up straight. "You can't—"

Her eyes opened slowly as if the world finally made sense. "I can and I am. It is good to know I still have some instincts left, and I am going to trust my gut on this one."

Great stuff. Thanks so much for letting me quiz you today Desi.

Thank you for opening up your place to my ranting.

LOL, you can come back and rant any time!

Summerland may be purchased at Noble Romance www.nobleromace.com

Amazon Kindle Store

Barnes and Noble Nook Store

I am always lurking somewhere on the web,

My blog http://dbmoonauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: Desi (D.B.) Moon Author Page

Twitter: DBMoonbook