Welcome Patricia Green (Goddess Fish Tour)

For the readers out there who might not know about you or your work, can you please tell them a little about yourself.

I'm the author of 11 published works (10 eBooks and 1 traditionally published paperback which is now out-of-print). I write romance exclusively, but within a number of sub-genres, including contemporary, sci-fi/speculative, historical and spanking.

I live in the Washington, D.C., area with my very successful writer husband. I work 6 days a week, for about 7 hours a day. Writing is very important to me, and I can't imagine doing anything else.

How long have you been writing? What got you in to writing?

I was first published at the age of 7 when a poem I wrote for school was submitted to a children's magazine. Although I've taken breaks here and there throughout my life, I've never given up on writing. This year, the year my daughters became independent, has been a banner year for me, with 7 books published, and 6 more planned. Those 6 books will keep me busy for most of 2012.

Where do you get your ideas for your stories, characters?
To be honest, I really don't know. Where my characters are concerned, observation of people has a lot to do with it; that, and a little education in psychology. Once I come up with the characters, I try them in a few what-if situations and gauge how they'd react. Then I know what the nature of the story will be.

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?
I do a little of both. I write detailed character profiles and setting profiles. And I plot out the main details. For example, I might decide that I need to get from situation A to situation B. I won't plot out how my characters get there. As I write, they'll find their way with a little nudging. The characters seem more organic if I let go a little. Sometimes, nuances that I didn't realize I was heading toward reveal themselves. I do keep word count in mind on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

Tell us all about your latest or upcoming release. What inspired it?
Since I've had 7 books released this year, I'd have to spin a wheel to pick 1 to focus on, but, thinking about your readers, I would like to introduce them to Snowy and the Seven Wharves [link: http://amzn.to/pQL1in] published by the new, breakthrough publisher, New Dawning Bookfair. [link: http://www.newdawningbookfair.com] As you might imagine, it's a fractured fairy tale. I took the traditional story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and tweaked it into a contemporary romance.
It tells the story of Snowy, a young woman who has incriminating evidence about her mafiosa stepmother and her evil deeds. Snowy has agreed to testify against the woman, but until the trial is underway, she's in danger. The WITSEC program takes over her security, and their lead agent, Marshal Doc DuMont, is assigned to watch over her. Doc is handsome, smart, and very attracted to Snowy. Fortunately, Snowy feels likewise. The Marshals have to keep moving Snowy from one location to another in their seaside city (7 wharves) in order to keep her safe. Snowy's stepmother isn't about to let the young woman testify against her, and is very persistent. The question of the story is, can Doc keep Snowy safely hidden from her evil stepmother?

If you had super powers, what would they be? Why?
I'd like to increase everyone's reading speed by 100%. Imagine if everyone could take in twice as much information and entertainment as before! And, there wouldn't be any negative repercussions with that superpower: teachers would still teach, writers would still write, publishers would still publish, but all of those professionals could reach people more readily.

What genre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?
I'd like to write a cowboy, gun slingin', historical western romance. I've written about western U.S. history with my book Under Wraps [link: http://amzn.to/nGbOFd], but it's not a cowboy-centered piece of history. And, I've written contemporaries about Texans and Nevada American Indians. But the combo of history and gun slingers really appeals to me. I might have time for that next year, after I finish my 6 book series.

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

I grew up reading the old bodice ripper romances, in which the heroines were feisty to the point of getting themselves spanked. That kind of dominant male isn't as prevalent in current romance, except in the spanking sub-genre. That's where I'm focusing my efforts for the next 6 books.

If we asked your muse to describe you in three words, what do you think they might say?

I don't really believe in a personified muse. I think writing is about individual creativity, not inspired by a Greek goddess, but by plain old imagination and hard work. Everyone has imagination. It's not exclusive to writers or painters or musicians. If a muse exists, it is within all of us, including bank tellers, CEOs, and brick layers.

However, describing my creativity in three words, I might say: hot, hot, hot!

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

From my earliest exposure to romance, I've always loved Johanna Lindsey's work. But my all-time favorite book is The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. In my Kindle now are a long list of works by Cherise Sinclair, Carolyn Faulkner, Jim Butcher, and, the ever-inspirational E.M. Forster. I also read a lot of non-fiction, pertaining to the craft of writing and research for current projects.

Have any guilty pleasures you want to share with us?

Caffeinated Stay Puft marshmallows. But I'm not sharing! Mine, mine, mine!

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

I recently finished Liv's Journey, the story of supemodel turned plus-sized model Liv Aune, and Texan soldier Trey Journey. The work is under contract, but is not published yet. The book I'm currently working on is the second in the Journey series, telling the story of Trey's older brother, Ace Journey, and a much younger woman who has some troubling habits. Ace's story is tentatively titled, Ace-High Flush. The Journey series is set for 6 books over the course of the next year.

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

I'm not into pop culture much—I don't watch TV, for example—but I do observe people in everyday situations. My characters tend to be a mélange of people I've noticed at the supermarket or the mall, made a little larger than life by some particular feature or character trait. 

If you could be any kind of immortal, what would you want to be? Why?
In Gaelic folklore and in some modern books, the Sidhe are immortal. I think I'd choose to be one of them. They might have some interesting powers, both for light and dark, and they are often exotically beautiful.

What is the hardest/the easiest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing, for me, is editing after the flesh of the book is written. I tend to edit as I write, but that doesn't mean the book is perfected when I type out The End. I have to go back, numerous times, to move paragraphs around and polish out all the rough edges. Generally, by the time the book goes to the publisher, I've read through it 5 or more times.

The easiest part of writing is when there's a detailed movie in my head spooling out the next scene for me. All I have to do is type it out. That's when my imagination is at its best. I sometimes wake up in the morning with this self-made movie just waiting to be written down.

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

I am always in control of my characters. Even writers who claim that their characters take over are really in control. It may be in the subconscious, but it's still control. If your characters seem to be getting away from you, that's because you haven't imposed discipline on your own runaway imagination, not because your characters are some sort of naughty children.

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

I am all over the place, and I welcome reader feedback.

pig@patriciagreenbooks.com

http://www.patriciagreenbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Patricia.Green.Romance

Twitter: @PatriciaIGreen

Google+: http://gplus.to/PatriciaGreen

Thanks for popping by and I wish you continued success in your writing career.

Thank you for having me here. Support from bloggers and readers is very encouraging because writing is such a solo pursuit.

Blurb

Snowy is fair and sweet with ruby lips and hair as black as coal. Doc DuMont is the tall, broad-shouldered WITSEC marshal who’s going to save her from her evil stepmother. Doc finds Snowy irresistible, sexy and oh so tantalizing. He wants to both save her and seduce her. The trick is figuring out which to do first.

No dwarves here, but seven wharves where Ms. White finds herself experiencing life on the run. From identity to identity, job to job, dopey, grumpy, sneezy, bashful and sleepy, Snowy finds herself in new and challenging situations. She thinks she’s finally found her happy place, but her evil stepmother isn’t far behind, and determined to murder the innocent Snow White. Doc will have something to say about that!

Excerpt

His hands brushed the hair off her shoulders and lingered at the nape of her neck for a minute before he pulled away and took a step back. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t touch you like that. It’s unprofessional. It won’t happen again."

Her gaze went to the splashguard over the sink as she whispered, "But I want it to happen."

He groaned, and his warmth moved away. The chair creaked as he sat back down. "I shouldn’t be here."

"Where should you be? At home with the wife and kids? Boating on the Potomac? Lounging in a tapas bar in Spain?" She faced him and smiled.

"No wife and kids. I’m not much of a sailor. Now the tapas bar…I could get into that."

She laughed and he smiled. They chatted for a while, but soon she realized that they were into the wee hours and she had to get up early. "I need to take a shower and get to bed." Snowy moved her cup to the sink.

Doc stood, awkward, as though he didn’t quite know what to do or say.

Take a chance. She walked over to him and rubbed her palms over his stubbled jaw. "I wish you’d kiss me again."

He blinked slowly, his look intense. "I’d like that. But—"

Going up on tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his, testing his mettle, tasting coffee on his lips. Slowly, inexorably, his hands moved up her arms. As though a dam had broken, he captured her mouth, roughly, possessively. She reveled in it, returning the kiss with fervor.

"Come. With. Me." She peppered his chin and jaw with kisses. Taking his hand, she tugged him into the bathroom where she started running water. She turned back to him and plucked a button on his shirt. "Off."

He grinned, succumbing. "You, too."

Eyes on each other, they divested themselves of their garments and delighted at the wonders displayed. Snowy’s middle flamed as she stared at him. He was so tall and sturdy. His chest was lightly furred, and his abs were flat and defined. His erection was formidable. She reached for it, but snatched her hand back. "May I?"

"You have to ask?"

She grinned devilishly and used a child’s ploy. "I’ll let you touch mine, if I can touch yours."

He laughed. "Get in the shower, minx."

Buy the book from New Dawning International Bookfair [link: http://bit.ly/ojmTL2]. Or, get it atAmazon.com  [link: http://amzn.to/pQL1in], All Romance eBooks [link: http://bit.ly/qHbWq3], Smashwords [link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/60053], or BookStrand [link: http://www.bookstrand.com/snowy-and-the-seven-wharves] .

It's on sale at a discounted price through October 31.