Comfortable? Wonderful. Now let’s get started.
Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
Thanks so much for having me here today, Dawn! Its nice to take a poolside break. About me? Not much to say, I live in northern California with my family and dogs. My main form of entertainment is collecting gemstones, travel and reading. I write erotic romance, generally under the umbrella of speculative fiction.
Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?
My newest book is Silver/Steel, which is part of the Arcada series. It’s the follow-up to Blacque/Bleu, and tells the story of Travis, Blacque’s younger brother and the fae assassin Dylan Ryve, who has come to Arcada on a hunt that will change his life. Things don’t go the way Dylan hopes once he meets the wild shifter.
How do you come up with ideas?
There’s no set method, sometimes a title can pop into my head or I’ll think of a scenario. Even a dream or a song can trigger an idea for a story. I have a pretty cooperative muse.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
Indulging my imagination. From childhood, I think we’re discouraged from daydreaming and living in our fantasy worlds. For a writer, we never really leave our imagination.
Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?
As a general rule, I start with a chapter, mostly to get a feel for the voice of the story and characters. Once I have a cast and a rough idea of the story, I create a rough outline and then I focus more on the characters. If the story requires research, I start before I begin writing because that in itself inspires many great ideas for story and character development.
What did you learn from writing your first book?
I learned that it’s not a sacred text. I can change things. J
Is your muse demanding?
Yeah, but I think I’m getting her trained.
Are your stories plot or character driven?
I tend to be very plotty, but without strong characters, the plot is irrelevant. So there’s a balance.
How do you balance a life outside of writing with deadlines and writing muses?
I work in my home as a caregiver. As you might imagine, that can provide many more distractions than working outside the home. I try to stick to a routine: writing and e-mail in the morning, then during the day my mother and sister are simply too noisy for me to focus so I do marketing and chores. In the evening after everyone’s gone to bed, I write again.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
It depends on your tastes. If you like rollicking fun, I suggest Belle Starr, which is a science fiction/shapeshifter crossover. If you like a darker tone, Blacque/Bleu would be my suggestion. It’s a m/m romance between a closeted shifter and a dying vampire. It’s a very lovely story.
A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?
A Declaration of Belindapendence.
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
I’d split my time between Scotland in the spring and summer, the US Virgin Islands in the fall and winter. I’d take frequent vacations to all the places on my bucket list.
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
Contents Under Pressure. Do Not Shake.
Care to tell us what may be coming next from you?
Look for a re-boot of the Truckee Wolves book Toxic, which was originally published at Changeling Press. I’m expanding it greatly to bring in more of the Truckee Wolves, Briony’s family and lots more romance between Briony and Rico. Think of this as the Director’s (or authors) edition that I originally wanted to write. I was simply under word count limitations the first time around. Look for that at Loose Id.
I’m working on a m/m series based on minor Greek Gods who go rogue. The series is titled The Aphrodite Project and I’m almost finished with the first draft of The Tenth Muse. Imagine what happens when Eros decides to become the first Victoria’s Secret Angel. More than a little mayhem…That series doesn’t yet have a home.
Anything else you want to add?
My homepage: http://www.belindamcbride.com
My blog: http://www.belindam.blogspot.com
The Arcada Series:
Blacque/Bleu
Book 1
Paranormal, M/M, Werewolves/Vampires, BDSM
Loose Id
Buy at http://www.loose-id.com/genres/vampires-shapeshifters/blacque-bleu.html
Lukas Blacque is a deeply closeted werewolf, and almost more than anything in life, he desires his neighbor, Oliver Bleu. Oliver is a vampire who is slowly dying from insomnia. More than anything, he needs Lukas Blacque and the rich blood that flows through his veins.
On the day that Blacque makes an important commitment to his family and pack, he also succumbs to temptation and agrees to a passionate weekend with the alluring vampire. At sunset on Friday, it’s all about urgent lust and the drive to lose his virginity. When the sun rises on Monday, lust has shifted to love and devotion. He's not sure he can walk away, even for the commitment he's made. He's even less sure Bleu will let him go.
In Blacque’s world, vampires and werewolves make uneasy bedfellows, and a gay werewolf is an impossibility. In Bleu’s world, all living creatures are little more than vessels for food and sex. But in the mysterious and magical town of Arcada, the unexpected is always waiting right around the corner. Now Blacque and Bleu just need to survive long enough for Arcada’s magic to work for them.
- Note:Blacque/Bleu is related to Chrysalis and Mad at the Moon, which are available at Changeling Press. This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Bondage, domination, male/male sexual practices, violence.Silver/SteelBook 2Paranormal, M/M, Vampires/WerewolvesLoose IdBuy at www.loose-id.com
When dream hunter Dylan Ryve spots a beautiful shapeshifter raising hell in a bar, he knows he wants the wild young man. But Travis Feris is more to Dylan than a few hot minutes outside in the snow; he's the assassin's ticket into the magical town of Arcada. He didn't plan to rescue the kid, but when he found the shifter being attacked, the opportunity to play hero was too good to pass up.
Through the solitude of a long winter night, Dylan walks in Travis's fevered dreams, learning about Arcada and the pack, and showing the shifter the man he'd been so very long ago. When morning comes, both men know their lives will be forever entwined.
From Dylan, Travis learns that he is a strong, valued member of the pack. The dreamwalker sees his own worth reflected back at him in the dark blue eyes of the wolf. Yet when Dylan has the chance to free himself from centuries of enslavement, can he betray the man he has come to love?
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