Please Welcome Dawne' Dominique

1).  Tell us your latest news?

Well, first, I’d like to thank you so much for inviting me here today. And as I love to share happy news, Purple Sword Publications has just released the long awaited first novel to my new vampire series called The First.

Eden’s Hell (I:The First) chronicles the origins of how and why vampires first came into existence. It is an erotic paranormal romance with biblical twists of fact and fiction, and a brooding, hunky vampire once known as Adam (yes, “the Adam”).

2).  When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing to keep sane. I’m a very artistic person, and I’ve always needed an outlet to let that creativeness flow. When I was a teenager, I wrote to escape. Not that I had an unhappy childhood, but my life wasn’t what one would call exactly “normal”, either. My grade twelve English teacher promoted me to continue to explore my talent. I didn’t know I had any, but she nurtured and guided me in that one year. She was the epitome of that “certain teacher” who plays a very important role on a lost, young mind. I don’t know where I’d be today without her. I’ve never forgotten Mrs. Ramsden, and not a day goes by that I don’t wonder where she is or how she’s doing.

3).  What books have most influenced your life most?

Hands down: J.R. Tolkien and Anne Rice. My husband introduced me to the majestic fantasy author of Lord of the Rings when I was about sixteen. I had started writing several fantasy novels, but never finished one. Anne Rice came several years later, after our daughter was born, and I had already established a career. Funny how some things are put to the wayside to make room for “real life”. When I had finished reading all of Ms. Rice’s vampire novels, I wondered whether I could write a paranormal just as eloquently. The challenge was there, and anyone who knows me will tell you that I do love a challenge. I have always loved the darkness where vampires and werewolves dwell, and they all encompass magic, so my transition to paranormal from fantasy was very natural.

4).  What are your current projects?

For me, there’s always a couple of novels in works. French Odessa is a new erotic paranormal novel I’m currently working on. It’s set in Amsterdam.

I’m also working on Nightstalker, the final novel in The First series. Currently at about at 40k, in hindsight, I suspect this one will be a far larger novel than the other four in the series. It begins with Zane Black, and like all the other vampires 

in this series, his bloodline is rather unique. Nightstalker will bring “all” my vampire characters from The First series to a climatic finale.

5).  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

For me, the most challenging aspect of writing is the “erotic” scenes. Don’t get me wrong…I can write them, but it’s just that I antagonize too much over placement of body parts, movement, sensations, emotions…and the list goes on. I will edit and revise those specific sections so many times that I can’t bear to read them anymore.

6). Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

That would be Anne Rice. When I first read her, I was awed by her poetic style of writing and the way her vampires were creatures of beauty instead of horror. I embraced them all and wanted more.

An important fact that you should know about me is that I have read only one of Ms. Kenyon’s vampire novels, and all of Anne Rice’s witches and vamps, but since I began writing paranormal, I don’t read other “vampire” authors for the simple reason that I do not want to be influenced by them. I’ve never read Twilight, yet I own the movie. There are two lines in there that I thought I had brilliantly created myself. Apparently not. : )   My vampires are creatures of the night with bloody traits, but they are also unique, powerful individuals. Vamps and werewolves were the only scary movies I could watch without needing valium. *snickers*

7).  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Third grade, when my picture storybook was displayed in the front of the class by the teacher, who was so impressed by my drawings and writing skills. Praise was not something I received a lot of, so it left an indelible mark on me.

8).  How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends entirely on the amount of research I must conduct. Readers aren’t stupid, and for me to write about places, events, different cultures, etc., I have to know what I’m writing about. In the end, I love it, because I’m guaranteed to learn something new, but it’s very time consuming.

With Eden’s Hell, the research was long and convoluted. Finding biblical information about Lillith, Adam’s first wife, and what happened to her after she was cast out of Eden, was a daunting task. Some religions recognize her, while others don’t even acknowledge her existence, let alone her being Adam’s first wife, but rather, the first woman God created. Then to condense all the 

information and twist it into my own version that was plausible, and then write about it, took almost six to seven months to complete. The second novel, Dark Diary (II: The First) was completed in less than two months. Every book I write varies.

9).  What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

My work schedule consists of editing, cover art, and writing. *grins*  Three years ago, I quit a lucrative paralegal career to concentrate full time on my writing. I had joined a writing forum about five years prior, so when the physical and mental stress of my job got to a point where it was detrimental to my health, I knew it was time for a change. With my husband’s encouragement, I honed my writing skills by learning all I could. I also managed to finish my first epic fantasy novel in that time, which turned out to be about 140k. The biggest challenge was learning American grammar. I’m Canadian, and our rules differ. Grammar was always a strong aspect in my writing because of the drafting of legal documents and whatnot I had to prepare in the course of my job, but if I was to reach a broader audience with my writing, I had to go American.

For me, a typical day starts out at around 8:00 a.m. I wake with hubby and after he leaves for work, with my coffee in hand, I venture downstairs to my dungeon to check and reply to emails. This is time consuming because I’m also a managing editor for two publishers, and a cover artist for three more. The majority of my day work consists of these two aspects; however, the night is my time to write—after hubby goes to bed.

10).  Do you have any strange handwriting habits, like capitalizing all your “r”s or dotting your “I”s with heart (or anything like that)?
Oh, it’s confession time, is it? : )  My idiosyncrasy is that I tend to miss words when I write; simple ones like “the” or “a”. My fingers don’t catch up with my brain, and I don’t understand it because I can type anywhere from 80 to 90 words a minute. But I guess that after reading my own work more than twenty times, my brain just sees the word there. Strange, this doesn’t happen when I edit other people. So when I’m editing my own work, I have to read aloud to ensure I’ve caught those little nasties. Thus, the reason I do this “after” hubby goes to bed.
11).  What do you want to know about the future?
Seriously, I don’t want to know anything about the future. I’ve never had my tea leaves read, nor have I ever touched an Ouija board or have had my Tarot cards read. My twin sister is forty-five minutes older than I am, and I have a rather unique connection with her, like with some twins, yet she doesn’t with me. I can tell if she’s in pain, if she’s worried or sick. I can also sense other things, like which elevator will open first, or I know who’s on the phone without looking… little things like that. But there’s something very scary and dark in me that I don’t go

near. I know this sounds so melodramatic, but I never ignore my instincts. My premonitions aren’t usually good news, so I stay away from anything remotely connected with those kinds of things. Suffice it to say that I don’t tempt fate. and I  prefer to keep every day a surprise.
12).  Are you a morning person or a night person?
Ohhh, definitely a night person. Especially the week leading up to the full moon. I have been nicknamed a wereauthor. Gees, this is Confessional Corner! LOL!
13).  Do you like thunderstorms?
I absolutely ADORE thunderstorms. Where I live on the flat prairie plains, there is nothing but wide open space behind our home, so when a storm blows in, it’s magnificent. There’s so much power in the air, and you can smell the coming rain, but the light show that follows is what I wait for. I’m rendered speechless by their vicious beauty. I also moon tan. : )
14).  What is the best way for readers to contact you? Email, Myspace, Twitter, etc?
I love hearing from readers and other authors, so please drop me a line to say hello. I do have a webpage, a MySpace page, and blog (which I haven’t been too diligent in updating these days). *cringes*  Just not enough hours in a day.  *sigh*  But if anyone would like know more about me or say hello, please feel free to visit me:

http://www.dawnedominique.com

http://myspace.com/dawnebooks

http://dawnedominique.blogspot.com

Or you can visit one of my publishers at :

www.purplesword.com

www.loveyoudivine.com

www.amirapress.com

15).  Anything you would like to add?
Well, I don’t have to go confession for a while. *LOL* But, yes, I would just like to say thank to Mistress Bella’s Reviews for having me here today. It was such a pleasure.   
Live, Love and Laugh!
Dawné Dominique