Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Ayla
Ruse. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself at
home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.
Thanks
for having me, Dawn. First, I must say, your cabana boys are to die for. J
Q: So tell us about
yourself. What got you interested in writing? Who are your publisher(s)?
Hmm, let’s see…I’m the
Queen of my Castle and have a multitude of gorgeous men who worship at my feet
and are at my constant beck and call. *snort* I wish! My real life, as most
writers can attest, is nothing glamorous. Basically, I’m the picker-upper of
everything and everyone in my home. I have people surrounding me 24/7. It does
get to be a little much. When I get that Cinderella break to sneak away, I dive
into my cave to write. Now, what got me interested in writing? I don’t know
exactly. I’ve always known I’ve wanted to be a writer. My grandfather was an
author, and I loved the thought that I could make up stories for a living. It
is as simple as that. I received my first acceptance for publication from Total
E-Bound, with whom I’m still published, and I’m also writing like crazy for
Changeling Press.
Q: What do you consider
to be the key elements of a great story?
Focus. Whether writing or
reading, characters or plot, the story has to maintain its focus. I’m going to
speak as a reader for a moment. If I’m reading a story and find myself
questioning why the words I’m reading are important, the story will lose me. I
hold true to the rule that if the words do not propel the story, if what is
being said is not important to the ending, don’t put it in. Yes, it might be
interesting that Franco was born in Germany to an Italian Mom and a Russian Dad,
and that he got a scraped knee from falling out of the tree when he was eight,
but if none of this impacts the story line in some way, cut it out.
Q: Please tell us about your latest release.
What inspired it?
My latest release is coming out next week. *happy
dance* The title is Bad Gone Better,
and it’s set to release June 1 from Changeling Press. This is the second in a
series of books entitled Doppelganger Tales. In this particular book, the hero
is a Doppelganger and the heroine is a Wraith. The inspiration? Sheer
curiosity. You see, the story takes place on another realm, and humans aren’t
welcome. I needed a woman who could be on that realm with Gunner -- my hero --
especially since (in my world) Doppelganger’s don’t connect to one another.
After searching the universe and beyond, I latched on to the idea of a Wraith.
Her name is Melanie. I loved writing her because she was a challenge, and she’s
not always as she appears to be.
Q: Among your own
books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?
Each of my books is a
favorite for their own special reasons. The
Deciding Factor, because it’s my first published story. Soulless, because the plot hit me with
an urgency to write it down. Emmy’s Wish
because it’s so darn playful. I could go on, but you get the picture. As far as
characters, that’s more of a toughie. I love Emmy in Emmy’s Wish because she’s so persistent and determined and doesn’t
let set-backs get her down. My favorite hero to date would probably be Luke
from The Deciding Factor. He’s the
epitome of tall, dark and handsome, but beyond the physical, he faces real
insecurities he has to overcome to make the relationship work.
Q: Which of your books
has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?
The hardest to write was
my first published story, The Deciding
Factor with TEB. The finished product took me more than a year to complete,
but that’s because I had such a hard time just finishing, as in bringing everything to a close. The story you see
today is 180 degrees away from where it began, but all for the better.
My easiest story to write
has to be Soulless, the first in my
futuristic Malathix Soul series at Changeling. I came up with this story from a
song I’d listened to for years, so by the time I sat down to write, I was able
to type out the entire story at one time. Yes, my fingers and wrists were limp
noodles by the time I’d finished, but it was great being able to have the whole
rough draft finished in just a day.
Q: Which comes first,
the story, the characters or the setting?
It completely depends on
what strikes me first. There is no rhyme or reason or consistency to my
madness. Take Doppelganger Tales, my current series at Changeling, for example.
I started off with the characters for Good
Gone Bad, then developed the setting, then the plot. By the time I was
finished, the second, Bad Gone Better,
began to churn through my mind. For this story, I had the setting first, then
the characters, then the plot. As luck would have it, by the time I finished
writing Bad Gone Better, I knew I
wanted a third story. I don’t have all the characters set yet, and this time
I’m working the plot first.
Q: What part of a book
has been the easiest to write? The hardest?
What part of a book is
easiest/hardest, hmm? It all depends on the story I’m writing at the time and
what I’ve already envisioned. Some people might jump and say the sex scenes
have to be the easiest, and sometimes they are, but not always. One story I’ve
worked on recently had me pulling my hair because I could rock their conversations,
but putting them in bed together was a nightmare. Other times, putting
motivation behind the words/actions can be a struggle.
Overall, the easiest part
of storytelling is when my characters talk. Dialogue. I get excited when my
characters speak because I can get carried away. Well, they get carried away,
and I’m typing like a demon trying not to miss anything.
Q: What is the hardest/the
easiest part of writing for you?
Sometimes the hardest
part is finding the time! I home-school, so my family surrounds me all the
time. I have to carve out, negotiate and demand bits of time to steal away to
write.
The easiest part is the
writing itself. When I sit down before the computer or pick up paper and pen,
an excitement and a calm, all the same time, infuses me. The joy of letting the
characters in my head come out to play is like no other. Okay, I may embellish
this a bit, because we all know there are those times the characters have a
grump with you and refuse to come out. Still, I’d much rather be stuck doing
what I love.
Q: What genres and
authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
Pretty much anything I can
get my hands on. Unless I’m in a “mood,” I’m not picky. In my mood moments, I
might pick up James Rollins, Eloisa James, Emma Holly, Cherise Sinclair... But
if you were to take a look at my Kindle, you’d see just about a little bit from
everyone who has a book out today. The more I write, the more I find I lean
toward the quick novellas, or shorter. Less time to read means I want to
immerse myself into the tale and be able to finish it not too far past bedtime.
There is always something out there to satiate my reading appetite. ;-)
Q: What do you hope
readers take with them, after reading one of your stories? What do you hope
they feel, or learn?
Hmm… You really dole out the thought-provoking
questions, Dawn. J What do I hope my readers take with them?
*tapping finger on chin* I would have to say I hope when someone reads one of
my stories, she (or he) will take the feel-good thought, “there’s a
relationship that had its ups and downs, and I can see those characters making
a go at what they have together.”
I’ve never thought of myself as teaching in my
books, but if I had to put a fine point on what I write, it’s that
relationships take work. Not everything is going to be all good all the time.
Among other traits, trust, honesty, and vulnerability are necessary to grow and
sustain a relationship. I make my characters work for the love they find.
Oh, I guess I might throw out a learning curve
as well. Who knows – someone could read one of my stories and think, “I’ve
never had sex like that, or involving something like that,” and find themselves
willing to try something new.
Q: If you could describe
yourself in three words, what would they be?
Vivacious, trustworthy,
determined
Q: What is the strangest source of writing
inspiration you’ve ever had?
A Disney cartoon movie. Seriously. I can’t
remember the title offhand, but it involved Goofy, if you can believe it. There
was a scene on a bridge that had me taking over and thinking, what if the “she”
in the scene was a misled young girl and “he,” someone who’d been wrongly
accused of a crime? I haven’t finished this particular story, but one day I’ll
return to it and have a lot of fun fleshing it out.
Q: So a bit of naughty truth, do you ever do
a little real life research to make your books spicy or do you just have a
great imagination?
How to answer? *shaking head* I suppose it’s a
little of both. All writers need to have that well of curiosity and the
imagination to fill in the blanks, but a touch of been-there-done-that comes in
handy too.
Q: If you had to choose one person to have
dinner with, who would it be? And why?
Sorry to disappoint, but not any kind of
supermodel or star. Honestly, I’d be so nervous I couldn’t eat anything, and my
side of the conversation would be even more embarrassing with “um… oh…nice
weather we’re having – choke!”
My choice would be my DH. His work schedule
and our family life means we never get free time at the same time. To sit down
in a nice restaurant and have pleasant conversation without the complaints,
fights and groans of accompanying little monkeys would be sheer heaven.
Q: What is the most ridiculous thing that
you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?
That would have to be
when I tried to take an all-out alpha male and make him a willing submissive.
I’m talking naked, hands and knees crawling. *shudder* Don’t get me wrong, I
have nothing against this if it fits the character, but for this particular
hero, it was beyond embarrassing (in hindsight). Luckily, my BFF read it and
rolled her eyes. I snapped out of whatever had taken over my mind and completely
cut the scene. I still cringe when I think about it.
Q: Want to tell us
about any projects you are working on?
I am currently working on
a story for Changeling’s Forever Wicked series, a third Doppelganger Tale
story, a Christmas short, and a contemporary ménage. Most of these should have
publication within this year, too. Whew.
Q:
Anything else you want to add?
Thanks
for having me, Dawn! It’s been a ton of fun. I’ll make sure to tip the cabana
boys on the way out -- they were very accommodating.
Thanks
for being my guest at Dawn’s Reading Nook. May you have many sales and
wonderful reviews for your books.
Bad
Gone Better
Doppelganger
Tales #2
By Ayla
Ruse
Release
date June 1, 2012 with Changeling Press
Blurb:
A Doppelganger and a Wraith. Hell couldn’t make a
better match. Too bad they’re not in Hell…
Melanie is a Wraith seeking revenge. She hadn't planned on tangling with Gunner, but he provides what she needs to survive.
Begging for an end, Gunner is startled when the strange King offers freedom, but it comes with a price.
As Melanie searches for her killer and Gunner works toward his freedom, will they discover their paths are heading in the same direction? And is this direction toward something better, or toward the void of darkness neither can seem to elude?
Excerpt (condensed):
Melanie
waited before turning around to take her fill of the imprisoned Doppelganger
called Gunner.
Thick
blond hair that almost touched his shoulders always caught her eye first. The
black streak along his temple gave him an air of mystery, and his defiant
stance belied his situation. He stood tall and surprisingly muscular for having
been in prison for so long. No matter. Strung up like he was, he wasn’t going
anywhere. Besides, he maintained enough humanity from his stint on the human
realm to serve her needs: to stay alive.
“The
third moon is out,” Gunner announced into the silent night. “This is when you
show up, isn’t it? Where are you?”
She
gritted her teeth in annoyance. He sounded bored and put out. Damn the man.
Damn the unfound Doppelganger who’d put her in this position in the first
place, and damn the bubbling anger stirring up inside her over this whole damn
situation.
She
glided toward her victim. It was easier to think of Gunner as a victim. He made
her feel things that were… foreign, so the quicker she could take what she
needed, the quicker she could leave.
“Are
you going to let me see you tonight?” he asked.
She
blew out a whisper. “No.”
“Fine.”
He braced his feet as far apart as the shackles allowed and wrapped his hands
around the chains attached to his wrists. These chains led up and away from his
body, so that he stood spread eagle. He almost reminded her of the Indians
she’d known when she’d been alive, standing tall and proud against an enemy.
“Do
your worst,” he challenged.
She
paused. He stared straight ahead, his naked body gleaming in the three moons’
light. Thin scars criss-crossed nearly every inch of his body. She wondered
what could have made them, but she pushed the thoughts away. She wasn’t here to
get to know him. She wasn’t here to play nice or to make him like her. She was
here to survive. She had to remember only this.
Buy Link for Bad
Gone Better (Doppelganger Tales
#2): http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1839
Buy Link for Good
Gone Bad (Doppelganger Tales #1):
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1787
Visit
Ayla at:
website:
http://www.aylaruse.com
blog : http://aylaruse.blogspot.comTwitter: @aylaruse
Facebook: facebook.com/ayla.ruse
Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=156
Total E-Bound: http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=159
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