Can
you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am possibly the most normal,
down-to-earth person you could ever meet.
But of course, you may have already guessed that.
What
made you write ‘this’ story?
It was a story idea that sounded too
warped to be true. Sonny the Scoundrel
is the ultimate love-em-and-leave-em ladies man, or so he thinks. With a character like Sonny, most story ideas
revolve around one central concept—which is, how can I torture him this time? For this one, I decided to torture him by
having him meet a young woman who is his alter ego, a woman as beautiful and
charming as he is, and as smart and cunning and lacking in morals. He falls in love, of course, but such a match
simply cannot last, can it?
Tell
us about your cover.
The cover shows Sonny and Ariella in a
tender moment, when they have managed to be alone together. Note the stocks in the background. Sonny is in for some painful sex, of that you
can be certain. Will he take it like a
man, or scream like a rabbit in a trap?
If you guessed he'll take it like a man, you're reading the wrong story.
Describe
a typical day’s writing for us
Drink coffee, doodle on pad of paper, and
watch other people working. It goes on
like that for eight or nine hours.
Sometimes I even make some progress.
What
inspires you?
Fear, panic, and a deadline. And stimulants.
If
you weren’t a writer what would you be?
No doubt I would have fallen into
something disreputable, such as being a mechanic, realtor, or lawyer, shunned
by friends and family.
Do
your characters ever surprise you?
Oh, yes.
They are stubborn, unpredictable, and often go off-script and do
whatever they please. I have had
frequent problems with characters I've introduced for only a single scene that
hang around for the rest of the book, begging for food, getting underfoot, and
demanding to be the star of the story.
Then there's Sonny, a problem in the
opposite fashion. He can't be bothered
to get up and be active before noon.
Even if I succeed in rousing him before midday, he is surly and
uncooperative.
What
could not do without when you’re writing?
Caffeine and other stimulants. And a tenuous grip on reality.
What
words of wisdom do you have for the aspiring authors out there?
Don't quit your day job.
Where
do you see yourself in ten year’s time?
Moving from country to country, trying
to evade Sonny and Grandpap, who will be intent on moving in with me and eating
me out of house and home. I will give up
all family and possessions to avoid such a fate. Unless my writing career is an utter failure,
and then they will move on, looking for other unfortunates to prey on.
Do
you have a favourite quote?
Sonny:
Grandpap says nothing straightens people out like a good hanging.
Do
you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Sure, but not often. I find that if I start writing without
worrying too much about where it is going, I can usually get the words
flowing. Now, I may have to throw them
all away, but I do get them going. If
nothing else, I can pick a fight with Sonny, in hopes that I can anger him and
he'll go off and do something stupid that I can write about.
What
other books can your readers look forward to?
I am currently working on another Sonny novella-length
story entitled LOVE ELIXIR ANTIDOTE, where Sonny nicks a love elixir from
Grandpap. Quite predictably, he misuses
it, with humorous results. Grandpap
refuses to help Sonny out of his jam, finally relenting when the situation
becomes dire and Grandpap can no longer stand by. Unfortunately, there may not be an antidote,
and Grandpap and Sonny may have to go to extreme lengths to save Sonny's hide.
In addition, I am working on a
full-length novel that is a sequel to WIZARD SEEKING TROPHY BRIDE, my first
full-length fantasy novel—and the genesis of all Sonny the Scoundrel
stories. In book two, Sonny, Grandpap,
and a few others from their world happen upon a magical portal to another
land. They pass through, on the trail of
riches, as the other wizard in their traveling party claims to have re-created
Grandpap's original alchemy wand of many years past—then dropped through the
portal in surprise when the portal opens in front of him. Unfortunately, after they crawl through it,
the portal closes, stranding them in a strange land, and they must find the
alchemy wand before they can return home.
And
finally can you share the blurb and excerpt with us?
BLURB:
Sonny is so handsome he doesn't need
magic to get what he wants—except when he gets into trouble. And he'll do anything for love or
money—except work. So the thought of
marriage represents the worst of all possible worlds, a danger he avoids at all
costs. His plans for getting rich the
easy way—by stealing—go awry when he meets Ariella. She is not only lovely to look at, but as
cunning, slippery, and greedy as he.
Better yet, she becomes highly stimulated at the prospect of helping him
hijack a treasure. But in addition to
helping him steal goald, she might just steal his heart.
EXCERPT:
"This feels so right," Ariella
whispered in a voice so low it seemed she was talking to herself. "It must be wrong … it must be."
"You are talking nonsense," I
replied, pausing in my fevered fondling.
"Why do you say that? Even
though our relationship is based purely on our shared love of coin, we share so
many positive traits. We are both
ravishingly beautiful, a joy to gaze upon.
We are both well-bred, springing from the best families, your sire a
wealthy merchant and my grand-sire a powerful and important wizard. We dress elegantly and enjoy all the finer
things in life, such as good food, good wine, and watching the peasantry muck
about in the mud and filth just to have enough to eat. And we both admire the skill required to
separate fools from their undeserved coins."
"That is true." Her hand caressed my head, her fingers
sliding through my extravagant head of hair and cupping the back of my
scalp. "But I want it to be wrong! Do you not?"
"If you want it to be wrong, then I
am the man for you." I would say
anything to preserve her current willing mood.
"But what of the future? What happens after tonight?"
"After tonight?" I let the hem of her frock drop, aware of her
sudden shift in mood. Was this the
moment she tried to set the hook and reel me in? "Do you wish to see me again after
tomorrow? I wouldst be agreeable to such
an arrangement. Tell me, what is
bothering you? Do you truly wish to
wed?"
You can buy this gem here:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble (Coming soon)
KOBO (Coming soon)
Smashwords
Unholy Matrimony
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Sonny. Anything else you'd like to share with us?
My full-length novel, WIZARD SEEKING
TROPHY BRIDE, is the story of Grandpap the wizard's grand scheme to obtain a
young and beautiful trophy bride. Sonny
is properly suspicious at first, not trusting any of Grandpap's schemes and
wary of being roped into any activity where he could end up doing Grandpap's
work for him. But when Grandpap
grudgingly agrees to pay Sonny an equivalent amount of goald as Grandpap will
have to pay in dower in order to obtain a fair maiden, Sonny agrees. To bring in eligible young women, they stage
grand pageants of beauty, with young women competing to marry the ancient
wizard. Sonny feels there is something
amiss with all of the strange goings-on surrounding the pageant, then falls for
the unlikeliest of pageant contestants.
Unfortunately, Grandpap appears to be falling for the same woman. Ultimately, Sonny may have to choose between
the girl and the goald.
A companion short story featuring Sonny
the Scoundrel is BATTLE FOR THE DRAGON'S EGG and can be read at Sorcerous
Signals at http://www.sorceroussignals.com/DragonsEgg.html.
Giveaway:
To celebrate the release, we’re giving away an
eCOPY of UNHOLY MATRIMONY, as well as a $10 Amazon Gift Card.
