True to True Blood?

I have been watching True Blood and just finished season one consequently moved on to season two and watched the first episode last night.  In retrospect, I love to watch or test watch all the shows/movies in the genre I love best, of course! Research, don't you know:) Well, I will say the jury is still out on this show.  I can't seem to toss it aside as I did with Vampire Diaries--did not like that one in the least.  I will admit, in a strange way, I am hooked on TB.  At times I'm really not sure why I continue to watch but others I reflect on an episode and chuckle to myself.  The characters at times are so dumb and backwards but then that seems part of the dark charm of this series.  I find myself laughing outloud at something humorus every single episode as well as saddened by a death--by the way, if they keep killing of the regulars there won't be anyone left!

I'm not that big of a fan of Bill but I do like Sookie.  I love Lafayette--who wouldn't? Maryanne is very strange and I haven't entirely figured out what the heck she is. Tara and Sam are likeable as well.  I have to laugh at the poor Iraq vet and the waitress that surely reminds me of Flo from Mel's Diner(if anyone remembers her and "Kiss my grits!").  I did like Rene until he turned out to be the serial killer who by the way offed my most favorite character, Sookie and Jason's grandmother!  I so loved her. She reminded me of my own sweet grandmother, God Bless her soul.

Anyway, I guess you can say though I'm still not quite sold, I will keep watching--at least for now.

I am curious at what you all think. Please feel free to pipe in and voice your thoughts on this one.

D~

Author Spotlight: Catherine Bybee, Paranormal Romance

Hello everyone. Please welcome Catherine Bybee, my good friend, paranormal romance author and promo guru.

Whoo hoo, I’m playing at Dayana's! What fun! This is so awesome considering last year at this time I was pining for that coveted ‘Got Wolf?’ T-Shirt that Callie was giving away last year on your blog! I’ve come a long way, baby.

LOL Yes, you have! Great having you here, Catherine. And if I remember correctly you did win that T-shirt.

Thanks for having me, Dayana.

You're very welcome. We did have fun last year, didn't we?


Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?

Soul Mate available at the Red Rose Publishing, was inspired by a weekend in Sequoia last summer. Once the family nestled into the RV for the night, I sat outside watching the full moon poke through the hills and thought it would be a great place for my next werewolf story. And oh, Dayana… I found a whole new excerpt just for your blog. Wanna see it?

Oh sure, I'd love to see it:)

Okay, here ya go.

Excerpt:


“Damn it, Pierce. Where the hell are you?”

“How do you know my name?”

She sounded angry and close.

“I looked you up.”

“Why?”

Her voice shifted directions.

Nick swirled in a circle. “I told you I knew you from somewhere.”

“We've never met, Murdock.”

“I know, but the department has photos of you.”

Behind him a twig snapped. He spun around in alarm.
Ice blue eyes spit cold fire from beneath long pale lashes. Kari was literally a foot away, and he hadn’t heard her.

“Why?”

“Your parents.”

A flash of pain sparked and went away almost as quickly.

“The FBI was interested in their murders?” She took a step backwards.

“The case is studied due to the weapon of choice used by their killers.”

Kari’s eyes cast to the ground. “Wolves,” the word came out on a sigh.

“The file said dogs.”

“I was there; they were wolves. The police have a hard time listening to details.”

Nick watched as she straightened her shoulders and stared him in the eye.

“Any more questions, Agent Murdock?”

“Yeah, one.”

Kari cocked her head to the side and said, “Shoot.”

“How did you know the missing girl came to us?” Nick didn’t blink, didn’t breathe while he waited for her response. He watched for subtle changes in her stance and eye contact that would give away her feelings. A slightly twitching left eye gave him what he needed.

Ooooh, that certainly got my curiosity stirred up. And I have to tell you that cover is HOT! I have Soul Mate on my laptop queued for reading. Unfortunately I've not had a moment to myself since I bought it on release day! I am definitely closing myself off this week and delving into this book, Catherine, which brings me to my next question, why do you write?.

Because I have to or the voices in my head would drive me crazy! LOL… Which is in part true. I have so many ideas and stories floating in my head that if I didn’t start putting them on paper, I’d have gone a little nutty.

Really... *grin*
How do you come up with your title and main characters’ names?

Names are hard for me. I try to pick names that are easy to identify with. What I mean by that is if you have a hero named Malcom or Francis, it might be difficult to read the book without laughing. I also work with whatever time period I’m writing about or nationality.

Interesting theory and you're right, Malcom or Francis for a hero just doesn't work for me either. I have a hard time picking character names myself and agree about the story backdrop. You're not going to call a character Pedro if your story is based in Romania, LOL

Where the title to my stories aren’t difficult at all. So far, all my contracted books have titles that truly ‘fit’ the story.

Hmmm...
Titles are a challenge for me. I never like the titles and am always alert for a better fitting one as I work through the story.

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 write whenever I can grasp an hour or two without an interruption. Three years ago this month, I injured myself at work and found myself at home in front of the computer all the time. Not having the ability to do my day job because of my injury has afforded me time to write whenever my family isn’t in need of me. I guess you could say I made lemonade out of a bowl of lemons.

Oh, I am sorry about the injury but a lot of good has come of it. I guess there really is a silver lining in every black cloud, huh.

What is your least favorite thing to do as an author? Allow me to clarify: query, write a synopsis, write a blurb, market, you get the picture.

Query’s are easy for me, as are the blurbs and marketing…

Umm... you state the obvious here, Missy. Stop bragging, LOL I, of all people, know how wonderful you are at marketing:)

I don’t know a writer who likes writing a synopsis, and I’m in that boat. Funny, I can write a 400 page 100K book but a 5 page synopsis has me breaking out in hives. But the thing that makes me crazy as a writer is waiting. Waiting to hear from a publisher, waiting for edits, waiting for release day, waiting for reviews.

Oh I can relate to that. I have to agree but I do try to move on to other projects to keep my mind off the incessant waiting.

How many books have you written?

Hmm, lets see? There are two full-length books in my hard drive that may never see the light of day because of the edits needed to make them marketable. Two full length time travel’s – Binding Vows and Silent Vows. Redeeming Vows is 1/3 finished.
Soul Mate is one of three werewolf stories. I have three erotic’s written, Kilt Worthy, Kilt-a-licious and Batteries Not Included. One ghost story and my newest WIP is a full-length paranormal I’m not quite ready to yak about:) So what is that, 11?

Wow! not too shabby, Catherine. BTW I read Kilt Worthy and absolutely loved it.

Do you have an upcoming release?

Well, notice I didn’t talk about my other two werewolf stories above? While my first two werewolf stories didn’t win in the Got Wolf? Contest, they did both receive contracts. Before the Moon Rises is waiting final galley, and I should be able to announce a release date soon. When I completed BTMR, another story was kickin’ around in my head for the brother of my hero in BTMR. So Richard’s story, Only for You is twice the page length and that will be coming on the heels of Before the Moon Rises.

But the big news for me this year is my full-length time travel, Binding Vows, the first in my trilogy will be available in paperback and e-book December 4th 2009 from The Wild Rose Press. This is the book of my heart. The first book I attempted to publish. I can’t wait to hear what the romantic world thinks of Duncan and Tara!

Thanks again for having me here today, Dayana.

Oh, Catherine! Thank you for being here. It has been great gabbing with you. I hope to have you back again soon:)

Werewolves, Gypsies, and Curses, oh my!!!

Curse of the Marhime is my first book in a planned series of Shifter tales that cross the normal realm of werewolf stories. I wanted to created a different world for my shifters. They are every bit beast but have a tighter hold on their human traits as they mature their furrier side. In the first book, we watch Pita Sedgwick grow in many ways. She must jump many hurtles after discovering many new facets of herself.

Being a first book, I worked very hard on the set up and imagery which I feel is so very important for a reader. Readers must feel as if they are interacting within the story. I utilizes scene setting and a strong battery of senses in my writing as well as characterization. My goal has always been to place my reader in the scenes. Make them feel, see, smell, stress over the unknown, get claustophobic in tight places, LOL, feel fear or anxiety at the proper moments. All this is so important in our writing.

World building in paranormal is an important thing as well. These creatures of legend and lore must be accepted within the tale's world as bona fide entities among humans. I spent many hours on the internet reseaching my settings, Romania and Montana, particularly the Northern Rockies. I researched the Roma people, otherwise known as Gypsies, so extensively that I found many interesting things I'd never known about the Roma peoples. One such fact is that the term 'gypsy' is frowned upon in present times. The politically correct references are Roma, Rom, or Romani.

I was also fortunate enough to find that a good friend, David Hayes, Author of The Bratwurst Kidnapping, spent several years working in Romania and was able to give me details and the flavor of the place from personal experience. I also stumbled upon other sources that actually live in Romania.

Writing paranormal romance is wonderful in the fact that it is so much less demanding because you use your imagination more that fact. That is why it is called fiction, but never think that you don't have to research and make the story as close to the realms of true life and accountably as possible. Because readers want to feel these stories are 'real.' They read to lose themselves in fantasy. They read to get away from the stresses of life. So it important to always make sure your stories border reality yet tempt the reader to step into a new realm of magic, mystery, seduction, and mayhem.

More later, time for this author to get ready for the day job, LOL

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Dayana~