Author Spotlight: Denyse Bridger, Paranormal Author

Geez, it seems another week has flown by and we're here again.  New Year's Eve with Denyse will be a blast.  She is an amazing author.  If you haven't already read Blood Wine and Pale Roses you really need to. It is an awesome book and extremely sensual.  Don't miss it!

So without further delay let me introduce her as here she comes now.

Hello, Denyse and welcome to my blog!  I can't wait to get started:)  So here goes...


What inspired you to write your first book?

I don’t know that anything inspired me that first time, I just can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. The first completed project as an adult came in 1984, inspired by my favourite television series at the time. It led me to the world of fan-fiction, and the discovery that what I loved most was to write.


How many books have you written?
OMG, far too many to remember, honestly. I think if we include all my published works, amateur and professional, we’re in the range of about 400+ by now...

Wow! that's quite an extensive catalogue!  How do you decide on their topic?
Sometimes it’s an image, other times a song. I never really know what will trigger the idea. I’ve even literally “dreamed” novels and stories into being.

What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Usually the story keeps me focused, and if I lose the focus, I either look at the images that have created the story, or listen to the music my brain associates with it. I cannot live without music, so it’s always there as a soundtrack to life and creativity.

Oh I do know what you mean there.  I had a Linkin Park CD in my truck for over a year as I wrote my crime romance novel.  I don't know what about it inspired me but it just seemed to keep the characters alive in my head.  I practically lived within the story! 


Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
Definitely the love of writing...

When was the first moment you felt comfortable saying, “I am a writer?”
From the moment I started writing with an honest desire to entertain people. It wasn’t the first sale or the first publication, but the first completed project that I was willing to give to friends and share... that’s when I was a writer.

What type of stories do you like to write and why?
I like to mix genres all the time... there is always an element of romance in anything I write, but I add lots of other styles, too... fantasy, paranormal, mystery, historical, suspense. Pretty much everything except sci-fi, really, and hard-core horror.

What type of stories do you like to read and why?
Romance and fantasy, mostly. Some mystery, but usually stuff in historical settings, like the Anne Perry Monk Mysteries, or Sherlock Holmes, I really love the Victorian era.

Victorian Gothic stories! Yes, I grew up on them. I always had a novel in my hand about ghosts and old mansions:) I don't even remember the author names now. I think one of my favorites was Victoria Holt.

Who would you say modeled your career? Who would readers compare your work to?
I’ve been compared to P.D. James, Terry Brooks, and a number of Harlequin romance authors, ALL huge compliments in my opinion!

When do you write (daytime, nighttime, on your lunch hour, before the kids get up, after everyone is asleep? In large chunks of time or stolen snippets?)
I can write anytime, anywhere.... I’ve been known to write half the night when the inspiration hits, other times it’s hit and miss all day long. No children or husband to distract me, just real-life!

Are you someone who can write on demand? Or do you have to stew and coax an idea before you sit down and write? Or maybe you write when the muse knocks you upside your head, like me?
I used to need to “feel” the mood, now, I can write on demand. Whether the demand comes from me or someone else, I can sit down on the spot and work an idea, then go for it....

Where do you write?
My home office mostly, but I always have a notebook and pen with me, so if I’m going for coffee, sitting in a hospital or doctor’s waiting room, I can just flip open the book and write....

Where did you get the inspiration for (your current book)?
A friend in Italy, he’s the hero of my current project. His job and his personality are perfect for a romance, so he’s it!

So your hero is a real person, eh? Well, ladies, looks like this one is attainable, perhaps? Might have to fight the heroine for him, LOL

Do you put pieces of yourself or your life in your stories?
Usually there is ONE trait of mine in a hero, or a heroine, even if it is something as innocuous as a hair colour, or an eye colour. Other times it’s a piece of temperament, or a fear in me, or someone close to me, but there is always one trait that I use to anchor the character and make them “real” to me as a person.

How long did it take you to get your first project sold? And was the project your first actual completed manuscript?
First pro contract came when I entered the Amber Heat competition for Amber Quill Press. I wasn’t going to do it, then the night before the deadline, the story just dropped on me and demanded to be told. I wrote it in one day, polished it, then made the deadline under the wire... A few weeks later I had an email informing me that I’d won my first contract. Haven’t looked back since then!

Why do you write?
Because I can’t stop the voices in my head demanding to be heard! I think it’s a gift in some ways, and it allows a form of expression that can take you anywhere and allow you freedoms that nothing else can.

What type of music do you favor? Do you use music as a motivational source when writing?
Music is with me every minute of the day, and I am either singing (badly) or listening to whatever suits the mood of what I’m writing. If I am answering mail, or doing something like this interview, I have things like howling wolves in the background, or storms, stuff like that. My favourite music is anything romantic and inspiring, and for me that is usually the music of Italy, or singers like my friend Riccardo Foresi. I also love jazzy-blues sounds, so it’s really a very eclectic array of sounds...

Denyse will be giving away a copy of her newest release to one lucky commenter. So don't be shy ask her questions and jot your comments down.  She will draw the winner tomorrow. I will announce the winner here on this blog! 

Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosporous New Year!  Wishing you all the best and thank you so much for dropping by:)

More about Denyse:

Canadian born and bred, and a lifelong dreamer, I began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when I wasn’t creating in some artistic form. My life has had several on-going love affairs that shape much of what I write, the American West, Victorian England, cowboys, a passion for pirates, Greek Gods, and Ancient Egypt. The other endless love affair in my life is Italia and all its magic, beauty, and dazzling culture. That passion spills into all aspects of my life.
My first major fantasy novel is AS FATE DECREES. (Available in bookstores everywhere, and on Amazon’s international sites.) The novel relies heavily on Greek Mythology, and is set in Ancient Greece and modern Athens. If you enjoy a tale of Gods, Destiny, and the battles of an Eternal Champion, this is the book for you! Not surprisingly, there’s a touch of romance throughout, of course! A visit to my website will show the diversity of what is currently available, and the mixing of genres and styles that will be employed in many up-coming projects as well.
To stay current with all these projects, or to just say hello, please feel free to email me anytime, there’s a contact link on the mail menu. I promise I will do my best to answer everyone, though it may take a day or two, so please be patient! Or, feel free to sign up for my newsletter, which is called Romance and Fantasy.
Website: http://www.denysebridger.com/

Blog: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/

Sensual Treats Magazine: http://www.sensualtreats.webs.com/

HEARTS ON FIRE BOOKS will be publishing my short fantasy/erotic romance ROYAL CONSORT. That stunning guy on the cover, he's real... someone I love and adore - my Italian Prince, Vincenzo. This book was written for him. So, please check it out on Sunday when it goes live at Hearts On Fire.... In the meantime, let me tell you a little bit about the book, and tease your interest (I hope) with an excerpt:

ROYAL CONSORT
Publisher: Hearts On Fire Books
Release: November 15th, 2009
Cover Model: Vincenzo Chiofalo
Photographer: Mariagrazia Germanà
Cover Artist: Dara England

Blurb:

On the fantasy world of Foress, the daughter of the world’s last remaining god is challenged to locate one of the ancient swords that were forged as the Triad of Power among the once-powerful gods. Sherindal is a skilled warrior, but a woman with many conflicts in her heart. She has spent her life in the service of her father, the god M’Har, yet it is not she who will wield the most powerful of the swords. Diviner is to be her brother’s destiny, even though she is certain the legacy should be hers. Sherindal carries another of the three ancient weapons, Huntor. The final part of the triad is to be held by the hands of men, and her lover, the Prince of Ember City, is the guardian of Predator.

Royal Consort buy Link:
http://www.heartsonfirebooks.com/downloads.aspx?categoryid=8


BOOK COVERS (Slideshow): http://www.slide.com/r/bqRfkYr10D8gfyi__LvEBUA2jZbc5RLT?previous_view=lt_embedded_url


EMBED CODE: