Guest Author Day with Poppy Dennison

Welcome to my Reading Nook, Poppy.  Please make yourself at home and let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink.

Thanks Dawn! I think something fruity is in order. Perhaps a Sex on the Beach? Or should I just stick with lemonade? There’s no telling what I’ll say if you get a little liquor in me!

Comfortable? Wonderful. Now let’s get started.

For readers who may not know about you or your work, please tell us a little about yourself.

Most folks know me as a sassy southern lady. I was born and raised in the south, so you’ll hear lots of those quirky southern expressions from me. I’ve been fascinated by the paranormal since I was a child. Even though my mother says it was an accident, I’m convinced a ghost threw a barn door at me when I was a kid. I’ve been looking for ghosts ever since. These days, I like to read and write about all sorts of paranormal creatures. Shifters are my favorite, but I really enjoy them all.

How long have you been writing? What genre do you write in?

I’ve been writing gay romance for just over a year, although I’ve written stories my entire life. I’m a fast reader, so when I’d finish a book, I’d often make up stories to go along with it. I have notebooks full of my teenage angsty ramblings that will never see the light of day!

Where do you get your ideas for your stories, characters?

I never know what’s going to spark an idea for a character or story. It can be a story on the news, a picture I stumble across online, or even a dream. I carry a little notebook with me all the time and jot down ideas as I think of them. Some of the people and stories are incorporated into plots.

So tell us a little about your latest book. What inspired this masterpiece?

Mind Magic is the story of Simon Osborne, an apprentice mage who breaks the rules and saves a group of werewolf cubs who have been kidnapped. In the book, different types of magical creatures aren’t allowed to interact, but Simon can’t just leave kids to be hurt so he goes after them and returns them to their pack. When he meets Gray Townsend, the alpha werewolf of the pack, his life will never be the same.

Mind Magic was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my friends. We both love gay romances with kids and families in them, and he asked why there weren’t any gay paranormals where one of the men had a child. I said I didn’t know, but promised to write one!

If you had any super powers, what would they be and why?

I love to travel, but since airfare is so danged expensive I don’t get to very often. I think I’d like to be able to fly so I could go wherever I wanted on a whim. Need the beach? Whoosh! I’m in Florida relaxing! Want to visit a friend? Whoosh! I’m there in time for coffee and bagels!

What genre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?

I absolutely love mysteries, but haven’t been inspired by a great plot or characters yet. I have one of my ever present notebooks filled with ideas for potential mystery series and characters. I’m hoping to create a series of mysteries within the next year or two.

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

Most folks are surprised when they learn that my original major in college was Latin, Greek, and Ancient History. I’ve even been to Greece and spent a summer working on an archeological dig. I ended up changing to a more “practical” major, but my love of ancient cultures heavily influences the books I write.

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

I call my muse “Sparky”. He’s clever, cantankerous, and downright cheeky!

What authors can be found in your library of books?

I’ve read quite a few paranormal writers, so the majority of my books are paranormal. Of my fellow M/M writers, my favorite is Mary Calmes. I also love J.R. Ward, Charlaine Harris, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Have any guilty pleasures you want to share with us?

Does coffee count? I love my coffee! Keurig is a definite weakness. I’m lucky that one of my neighbors works at a coffee company, so he brings me samples of new K-cups when they come out. Oh, it’s such an addiction!

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

This is a snipped from a novella I’m currently working on. It’s untitled at the moment.

As the spooky credits began to roll, Caleb laughed. “Lon Chaney! The most famous werewolf of all time.”

Andrew laughed. “Well, I wanted to get The Wolfman but it wasn’t available.”

“I didn’t know you were a werewolf aficionado.”

“Yes, well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Hey, can you do that half man-half wolf thing like they do in the movies?”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Don’t believe everything you see on screen. No, we can be man or wolf. No middle man for us.”

“Well, I guess that’s okay.”

“You guess?” Caleb chuckled. “I apologize for our lack of wolfman talent.”

“Oh shut it,” Andrew sputtered. “I just meant that it was kind of cool. But hey at least you aren’t like those wolves in The Howling.”

What is your favorite way to relax after a hard day working and writing?

There’s nothing better than relaxing with a great romance novel and a cup of hot tea.

What is the one era you would love to go visit and why?

Ancient Greece, without a doubt. After all the studying I’ve done of the language and history, I’d love to visit for a while and see what it was really like.

What is one historical figure you would love to chat with and why?

Oh, that’s a tough one! I’m fascinating by history and there are so many interesting folks that I’d love to learn from. Actually, I think I’d love to chat with a lady named Pearl Curran. You’ve probably never heard of her, but she was a medium in the early 1900’s who channeled a ghost named Patience White. Patience was an author, and she had Pearl transcribe her stories and poetry. A lot of folks doubted Pearl’s sincerity, but after reading up on some of the stories Patience produced, I think they’d be a fascinating pair to chat with…two for the price of one!

Would you care to mention any upcoming or WIP projects that readers can look forward from you in the future?

Body Magic, the sequel to Mind Magic, will be coming out in the fall of 2012, followed by the novella I gave you a snippet of above. After that I’ll work on the third book of the Triad series, Soul Magic, which should be out in the Spring of 2013.

Out of all your books, do you have a favorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart?

Mind Magic will probably stay closest to my heart. It’s my first published work, and I think it’ll be hard to top the amazing experience I’ve had with this novel. Although I plan on trying!

What character out of all your books is the closest to your personality?

In Mind Magic, there’s a minor character named Aunt Maggie. She’s probably closest to me. Maggie is a caregiver, but she’s tough, too. When trouble comes to her pack, she circles the wagons and makes sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be. She helps Gray take care of his son, but doesn’t put up with their crap. That’s pretty much me in a nutshell.

Anything else you want to mention?

A big thank you to Dawn for hosting me here today! This is such a fun blog and I always find great authors and books. All your hard work is greatly appreciated! (Plus all those great pictures you post on facebook!)

Mind Magic Blurb:

Magical species must never mix. According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children’s cries for help. After all, they’re werewolf cubs, and he’s an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic.

Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon’s bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs’ alpha, a man named Gray Townsend.

The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn’t have much choice about it—or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon’s help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings—before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.

Available now from Dreamspinner Press.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2887&cPath=55_602

Bio:
A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.

Visit her on her web site: http://www.poppydennison.com/,
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/poppydennison,
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ParanormalPoppy
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison