Guest Author Day/Giveaway~ Meet Susan Shay today

Please give a warm welcome to author Susan Shay who is joining us today and make sure to leave a comment to be entered in her giveaway at the end of this post.

To get us started can you tell us a little about what you are working on or have coming out?  

MAKE ME HOWL is available now on Kindle. It will be available in all formats on November 15, 2013 from The Wild Rose Press.

When Chase Holliday's gaze first met mine, something tingled on my end. He was hot. Dark blue eyes, a square jaw, hair that was just a little too long, and he had this way of focusing that made me wonder if I should attack or run.

And I never run.

Together we'd make a pair anyone would sit up and notice. At least that's what I thought before I learned that he planned to wipe werewolves from the face of the planet. And since I was born with an active werewolf gene, well, let's just say our twain could never meet. Then a Blood Moon occurred while I was in heat and all my hard earned control went slamming out the window with me right behind it. That's when I learned that, like wolves in nature, werewolves mate for life.

I'm in deep trouble. 

Do you have any guilty pleasures? 

Cinnamon. I love cinnamon. Hot Tamales (candy) and red hots (more candy) are yum!  And Atomic Salsa from my favorite Mexican Restaurant. Hm. Guess you could say I like things hot and spicy. J

Where do you find the inspirations for your stories? 

Everywhere and anywhere. Other books, other writers, newspaper articles, people I know, and The What If Game. (It's more of a What Would Happen Game when I play it.) Usually, I'm doing something different and I think, I wonder what would happen if I was by myself walking to my car and I saw a little girl get kidnapped?

The inspiration usually builds from there. J

Are your characters able to love or do they need to be taught? 

That depends on my character. My first heroine, Julia Seymour in TO SCHOOL A COWBOY,  had been raped and really didn't like being close to anyone, especially men. My second heroine, Cassie Reynolds, was a touch psychic who was channeling the dreams of a serial killer. She didn't think she could be touched, much less fall in love.

My third heroine, Jazzy Cannis in MAKE ME HOWL, was born a werewolf with a biting sense of humor who loved to shake her tail. She could handle almost anything a guy could throw at her. She didn't have to be taught, but she found she had a lot to learn! 

When you begin your stories, do you go with the flow, or go with an outline?

I start with an outline, then go with the flow. I've tried hard core plotting, but I get bored if I know everything that's going to happen.  For me, The Magic comes when I give the story space to grow.

Is it hard coming up with titles or characters names? 

Not really. After I know the characters and the story, the names sort of fit. My first book, TO SCHOOL A COWBOY, was about a troubled teacher (part of her past history was that she'd been charged with kidnapping) who fell in love with a cowboy who had a daughter in her class. BLIND SIGHT is about a heroine who is a touch psychic. MAKE ME HOWL is about a woman who was born with an active werewolf gene.

What do you feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know? 

Find a great critique group, read everything and learn everything you can but above all, BE TRUE TO YOURSELF. Write the stories only you can write.

I wrote MAKE ME HOWL during the werewolf/vampire craze, but it's a very unusual werewolf story.

One last thing—HAVE FUN! If you don't enjoy writing, don't. Do something you like, because life is too short to pound your head on a keyboard every day. 

About the Author

I’m one of six kids, four sisters and a brother, and we all agree we had the best parents in the world. A real Leave-It-To-Beaver upbringing. We all like our hometown so much five of the six of us still live there.

I’m a reader first–I’ve been reading ever since I can remember. And when I couldn’t read, I’ve always made up stories to entertain myself.

I had a blind date on December 7 a few years ago, and married a that guy five months later. We have three sons. When I had the third one, I took a Louis Lamour book with me on the delivery table. The nurse finally wrestled it away from me when the baby was ready to make his appearance.

Almost as soon as the youngest was walking, we bought a pharmacy and I went to work full time. At first it was only supposed to be for a couple of weeks. Those two weeks lasted a looooong time. :-)

As soon as I had the time between playing with the husband and kids, cooking, laundry and work, I started writing my stories down. Much more fun! I sold my first short story to a children’s Sunday School paper. I made $35.00, and the publisher issued it twice!

I’m not only a reader and writer, I’m a knitter, a gardner and a darn good cook if I do say so myself. And I have an alter-ego I call Terminally Curious, because I am, truly, terminally curious. 

Links

Website http://smalltownworld.wordpress.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/SusanSpessShay

Twitter https://twitter.com/shaywriter

Make Me Howl 

Available on Amazon

When Chase Holliday's gaze first met mine, something tingled on my end. He was hot. Dark blue eyes, a square jaw, hair that was just a little too long, and this way of focusing that made me wonder if I should attack or run.

 And I never run.

Together we'd make a pair anyone would sit up and notice--at least that's what I thought. Then I learned that he planned to wipe werewolves from the face of the planet. And since I was born with an active werewolf gene, well, let's just say our twain could never meet.

Until a Blood Moon occurred while I was in heat and all my hard earned control went slamming out the window with me right behind it. That's when I learned that, like wolves in nature, werewolves mate for life.

I'm in deep trouble.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION: Leave a comment for Susan and be entered to win the following prize(s).

Anyone who comments will be put in the hat for one of Susan's older books, and all the commenters this week will have their names put in the hat for the grand prize- a book and gift basket. Fill out the raffelcopter to be entered in for the grand prize below.

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