Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Goddess Fish Blog Tour stop with Sandra Sookoo & a Contest

Contest Information: Sandra will be awarding a gift bag of travel sized Bath and Body Works products in Charmed scent to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US/Canada only please) and a gift bag of travel sized Bath and Body Works products in Be Enchanted scent to the blog host with the most comments (excluding the host's and Sandra's). Comment on each tour stop to be entered in to win this great prize. Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE



Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Sandra Sookoo. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What you do, either for a living or for fun or both?

I’m a year shy of 40, and I’m a stay at home wife…or domestic goddess if you’d rather. I write full-time in between doing laundry, cleaning the house and running typical errands. On the side and in my spare time, I love to bake and cook. Or talk about Disney.  I also love visiting the local zoo.

Q: Are you a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use an outline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of common sense?
For me, I definitely use an outline. I’m a big fan of plotting. It keeps me from getting lost or writing myself into a corner.

Q: Tell us all about your latest or upcoming release. What inspired it?
My book is called Ricochet, and it’s an action-packed sci-fi romance.  Originally, I’d started off writing it for a group antho, but when that project fell apart, I kept writing and soon my planned short became a full length piece of fiction. I kinda like to refer to it as a Mario Kart project LOL It’s that frenetic.

Q: If you had super powers, what would they be? Why?
Super speed. Why? So I could run errands and do chores in record time and maybe write even more!
Q: What genre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?
LOL Since I already write across all kinds of genres, I don’t know. I could try my hand at the children’s market, but I don’t think that’s the way I want to go. I guess it would have to be cozy mysteries. I just might do it later in my career.

Q: What’s a fun fact about you? Something unique, a particular talent?
I like to hand paint ceramic Christmas villages and made beaded bookmarks.

Q: What is one thing readers might be surprised to know about you?

I don’t like to eat steak or drink coffee. I cheerfully make those things but never ingest them.


Q: Were your stories secret projects or were you able to be open with your family and friends about your writing?

Oh, I’m open about them. The fam doesn’t read my work, especially if it has sex in it, as they think I’m going to hell.  The hubs will read my stuff but is uncomfortable reading sex scenes lol


Q: Do you have any weird writing habits?

Not really. I usually like to have gummi bears around when I write.

Q: What's your favorite genre to read?
Cozy mysteries and thrillers like Jurassic Park (which I read every year)

Q: What authors can be found in your library of books (print, audio or e-books)?

I have a wide collection of authors in all genres. I do try and make a point to buy lesser known authors—not just the best seller authors.


Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world (money is no object), where would you go? Why? And for how long?

Hawaii. Why? Because it’s in the US and I’ve always wanted to visit. I’d stay as long as it took to see everything.


Q: Do you have any obsessions? What are they?

I have to have fine point pens and wide ruled paper as well as notebooks.  Lots of notebooks.


Q: Is there anything you’re currently working on that you can give us a taste of?

Besides the braised beef?  Erm, you mean writing-wise! Right now, I’m just coming off a month and a half of writing downtime so it’s writing my fourth modern-day fairy tale as well as continuing work on another full length sci-fi book.  In between those, I’m working on a contemporary novella.


Q: When creating your characters, do you have models in mind or are they totally fictional?

A lot of the time they’re fictional.  At times I’ll use traits of people I know, or have known or observed out somewhere, but for Ricochet, the model for Stratton was the male lead on the now-cancelled USA show Under Covers. His name is Boris Kodjoe


Q: Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I think it’s a 50/50 split at times. Sometimes they do and say things I wasn’t privy to—and that’s a good thing!


Q: If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Watch out, I shoot from the hip. You might laugh, you might cry but you’ll always have a good time.


Q: Please tell us where we can find you on the web.

Believing is Seeing blog:  http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/sandrasookoo
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/sandra.sookoo

Ricochet by Sandra Sookoo
Buy HERE

 
Willa Rayes, only daughter of a legendary Lingorian fighter pilot, can fly any ship in the galaxy. Better than her brothers, in fact. But does that get her any respect? Not as long as she has breasts. Winning the Nebulon Trike will not only force her family to notice her, it’ll be her declaration of independence from men in general.

Then she meets her race partner, Stratton Sinnet. Arrogant and chauvinistic, he ignites her libido like no man ever before. And threatens to send her well-planned strategy straight to hell.

A bounty hunter by trade, Sin enters the Trike for one reason: money. Somewhere among the racers his quarry is hiding, but he’s not worried. He always gets his man, and winning the race will be a nice bonus. It sure would be a hell of a lot easier, though, if he wasn’t saddled with a know-it-all navigator who’s getting on his last nerve—and under his skin.

As the checkpoints go by and the danger escalates, the fight for control, the lead—and satisfaction—approaches supernova heat. Burning away their resistance, and the tough shells that protect their one vulnerability…their hearts.

 
Excerpt:
She took a deep breath, and the smile flickered again. Beneath the sweat and nerves of the crowd, the sharp scent of rocket fuel permeated the air. It blended with mechanics’ grease and heated electrical wiring and the organic smell of brand-new leather upholstery, topped off by paint fumes. The ships that would be employed during the race were housed not fifty yards away, and her fingers itched to familiarize herself with the steering mechanisms and instrument panels of the one that would be hers to command during the race. 

This was where she felt most comfortable; this was where home would always be, here amidst spacecraft of every shape and size. Being one with her ship, accepting no excuses, executing each command with inherent confidence, always in control with no margin for error. It was the best feeling in the world. 

Excitement shot through Willa’s stomach as she craned her neck in an attempt to see above the heads and shoulders of the beings clustered in front of her. Being five and a half feet tall in a galaxy populated with much taller beings might have put her at a disadvantage. However, she played her height challenge well; it made her faster and able to squeeze into some ships the others couldn’t hope to fit into. Unfortunately, the lack of height meant the extra inches filled out her breasts and hips, making her a universal object of male appreciation. 

Not that she cared. She wasn’t here for a hookup. She was here to crush egos.

Meet Sandra Sookoo...
Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, sci-fi and paranormal romances in full-length books as well as shorts and novellas. No matter if the heat level is spicy or sweet, she loves to blend genres and often times will add humor.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true and the soul can play. If she’s not writing, she’s keeping things interesting at her Believing is Seeing blog or spending time with her husband, who patiently answers questions she has about men and/or sci-fi-related subjects.

You can write to Sandra at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com, visit her website at www.sandrasookoo.com or look her up on Facebook and Twitter. All links are provided on the front page of her website.

9 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thank you for hosting Sandra today.

MomJane said...

This sounds like a fun read. A strong woman and lots of action.

Sandra Sookoo said...

Thanks for having me on the blog today :-)

MomJane--thanks! Willa is very much a strong woman :-)

Karla Doyle said...

Hi, Sandra :)
Ricochet sounds like a great story. Stong-willed women are fun to read, especially when paired with an equally stubborn hero.
Congrats on the release & many sales to you!

Catherine Lee said...

You are so practical...I love it. Wishing for super speed so you can get chores done faster and do more writing...It seems to me that only a woman, a "Domestic Goddess," would be practical enough to think of that! LOL..

katsrus said...

Loved the excerpt. That is an awesome cover. This sounds like a fun book with great characters.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

Sandra Sookoo said...

Thanks Karla. I loved writing this book!

LOL Thanks for the laugh Catherine :-) Chores are the bane of my existence.

Thanks Sue! The cover really does rock :-)

Harlie Williams said...

Hi Sandra. Again, congratulations on the release. You don't drink coffee? My hubby doesn't either but he sets the coffee pot for me every night before bed.

Marika Weber
maw1725@gmail.com

Sandra Sookoo said...

Harlie--nope, don't drink it but love to brew it for the smell :-)

Thanks everyone for coming out!

Behind the Scenes with Kelli Wilkins: Loving a Wild Stranger

  Behind the Scenes: Loving a Wild Stranger (A Historical Romance) By Kelli A. Wilkins www.KelliWilkins.com     This “Behind the ...