Meet Alyson Burdette

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

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I started writing as a kid and have always enjoyed it. Originally it was something I did for fun but recently started getting serious about writing.

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

Characters are key for me. If a character isn’t believable for me, then I don’t connect with the story. Of course, plot is really important too.

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

I spend some time writing scenes that don’t go into the books I write. I like my characters to have a lot of background, and that’s the easiest way for me to do it. Jesse has probably been my favorite character to write. I planned on him having a pretty small role in story but every time I sat down to write he kept showing up. Olivia has been the most difficult because she isn’t always likable. She does some not-so-nice things, which makes her challenging at times.

Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on; what can readers expect to see in the coming months?

 I’m working on the sequel to Nightfire, as well as a couple of other stories. I love writing paranormal stuff, so people can expect more of that from me.

Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?

I blog at AlysonBurdette.blogspot.com. I also have a fb fan page- http://www.facebook.com/#!/AlysonBurdette and can be e-mailed at alyson_burdette@yahoo.com

Do you have a strict writing schedule? How do you balance your personal and writing time?

 I write whenever I can find time. It’s usually late at night so it doesn’t influence my regular life too much, other than missing out on sleep.

Which author(s) is your favorite? And who has most influenced you work?

J.K. Rowling. The world she created is amazing. As for influence, probably Ann Rice. I love her writing style.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?

I would love to be able to eat anything I wanted without gaining weight or having health issues.

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?

Good question! There are so many but maybe Abraham Lincoln, because he was such a inspiration person. I’m sure I could learn a lot by hanging around him.

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?

Love-My main character Olivia. Sometimes I also hate her though, because she doesn’t always do what I want. Fear- Jesse. He can be totally cold and is rarely empathetic. I pity Jane the most, because everyone around her is keeping all their secrets from her.

Have you ever experience weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind?

I usually don’t eat while I’m writing. It would get too messy.

Tell us about your favorite characters you love when writing. Are the heroes alpha males? Sweet yet shy geeks? And those heroines (if there are any in your story), are they feisty, independent “Take no prisoners” kind of women? Do they love it when a strong man takes care of them, pampering them? Give us the dirt on them.

I love strong female characters. And who doesn’t love an alpha male?

If you could set up your writing desk anywhere in the world to write, no interruptions for 48 hours, where would you go and why?

A beach somewhere warm. Tahiti or the Bahamas maybe.

If you could be with any celebrity/author/character for a day, who would it be and what would you be doing?

I would love to hang out with Scarlett O’hara. I imagine we would be getting into some sort of mischief or heading to a dance.

Tell us where to find you on the web.

You can find me at AlysonBurdette.blogspot.com

Thanks for coming by my Nook blog and hope you come back again soon.

Thanks for having me!

Nightfire by Allyson Burdette

Musa Publishing

Buy at http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=263

Blurb:

When a murder shakes the small town of Peninsula, all eyes are on Olivia Townsend. She may look eighteen, but the townspeople can sense there’s something darker hiding behind her pretty eyes. Olivia knows the smart thing to do is to get out of town. Suspicious neighbors can only mean trouble for a vampire. But leaving becomes much more difficult when William, a mysterious man from her past, arrives. Finding out what brought him back is a temptation Olivia just can’t resist. William’s kindness and interest in Olivia only makes leaving harder. As she starts to fall for him, she’s forced to decide if sticking around is really worth the risk of being discovered. Of course, her mystery man has a secret of his own-and he’s not talking.

Excerpt:

I head downtown. The Python Day parade is short, I can wait it out. Perhaps being out in the open will make me seem a little more social, more likeable, a little less likely to be a murderer. I walk down to Main Street, find an open area and wait for it to begin. The first float, a large John Deer tractor carrying a trailer stacked with hay bales, makes its way down the street. Across the road something shiny catches my attention. Something gold. Jane bounces along the sidewalk followed by my new obsession. Just when I thought I could break free of him, he has to make an appearance.

“Olivia!” Jane shouts and waves at me.

I glance around and consider pretending to not see or hear her, but she makes eye contact before I can slip away.

“Hey, come sit with us.” She waves me towards them and I see little option but to follow her instructions. I dart across the street in between the tractor and all twelve members of the high school band.

“Hey.” I try to smile, with little success.

“Hello,” William says. Hearing his voice makes the trip across the street worthwhile.

I set my bag down on the grass and sit on the curb, several feet away from both of them.

“I didn’t know you were coming to this.” Jane watches the next two floats go by, apparently interested in the parade. “We could have met up with you earlier and gotten breakfast or something.” She reaches back as she speaks and grabs William by the hand. I hate how it makes me feel. I hate that she can affect me.

“This didn’t really seem like something you would be into.” I gesture towards the giant snake making its appearance as the grand finale of the parade. Two people walk in front of it throwing candy and glitter towards the crowd.

“Well, there’s not a lot to do around here. I figured going to a festival would be better than just sitting at home.” She leans into William, resting against his chest.

“You’ve obviously never been to this festival.” I try to make light of the situation. Try to joke, pretend I’m happy. All the while she is stealing glances at him and grinning like someone deeply in love.

“Is it really that bad?” she asks, flicking a strand of hair between her fingers.

“Only if you’re a snake.”

Jane looks confused. William smirks at me but says nothing. I realize it’s a good time to try to leave. I pick up my bag from the ground and throw it over my shoulder.

“I should get going. Nice seeing you guys.” There. Nice and civil. Not hard at all. Until I hear his voice.

“Wait, why don’t you come with us?” He arches his eyebrows in a curiously attractive expression. Why does it have to be him inviting me? It would be so fun to tell Jane no. William, on the other hand, is another story. I don’t know how to tell him no.

“I really should get going.” I tilt my head towards the street, trying to emphasize my need to go.

“Oh please come. Just for a little while. It’ll be so much more fun with you there.” Jane’s big smile is friendly. Authentic.

I want to leave. I need to leave. But I see how he is looking at me. He looks curious or hopeful or something along those lines. I’m probably staring back at him the exact same way.

Nightfire is available at Musapublishing.com, at Amazon.com, and at other major e-book retailers.