1). Tell us your latest news?
A few ago, the first book in my Pendragon Gargoyles series, Primal Hunger, released from Samhain Publishing. Since the blurb does the best job of summing up what it’s about, here it is:
When the sun goes down, passion is unleashed.
Kennedy Beaumont loves her bartending job, even if her spirited nature sometimes gets her in trouble. Like threatening to hose down one of Pendragon’s co-owners. When it comes to Tristan, she could use a good hosing down, herself—maybe it’ll help her stop casting him as the star in her wickedest dreams. Since he goes out of his way to avoid her, it ought to be easy to put him out of her head—until he reluctantly offers her a ride home.
Gargoyle shape-shifter Tristan Callaghan hasn’t had time for anything other than recovering the mystical dagger that was used to permanently lock his brother in a prison of stone. The cat inside him should have stopped craving Kennedy’s touch long ago, but now that she’s sitting next to him in his car, his very human need for her is sharper than ever.
The distraction is costly. In a split second, Kennedy finds herself thrust into a dangerous, millennia-old hunt for Excalibur. A hunt that marks her for death—and leaves Tristan with a painful choice—sacrifice his family, his quest…or the one woman meant to be his.
Kennedy Beaumont loves her bartending job, even if her spirited nature sometimes gets her in trouble. Like threatening to hose down one of Pendragon’s co-owners. When it comes to Tristan, she could use a good hosing down, herself—maybe it’ll help her stop casting him as the star in her wickedest dreams. Since he goes out of his way to avoid her, it ought to be easy to put him out of her head—until he reluctantly offers her a ride home.
Gargoyle shape-shifter Tristan Callaghan hasn’t had time for anything other than recovering the mystical dagger that was used to permanently lock his brother in a prison of stone. The cat inside him should have stopped craving Kennedy’s touch long ago, but now that she’s sitting next to him in his car, his very human need for her is sharper than ever.
The distraction is costly. In a split second, Kennedy finds herself thrust into a dangerous, millennia-old hunt for Excalibur. A hunt that marks her for death—and leaves Tristan with a painful choice—sacrifice his family, his quest…or the one woman meant to be his.
2). When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve long had a love of writing, but didn’t get really serious about it until my first son was born seven years ago. Until then I’d spent months on end rewriting the first five chapters of my first book. We won’t talk about just how months that was. J But it’s strange how it took having less “me” time after he was born to make me really grab a hold of my dream of being published with both hands.
3). What books have most influenced your life most?
To Kill a Mockingbird is definitely one that has stayed with me a long time. In the romance world, I’d have to say a lot of Judith McNaught’s books made an impression in my early days of romance reading. I knew I’d loved writing before that, but not too long after my mother gave me Perfect to read, I decided that it was writing romance that made me happiest. Not too long after that I powered through Karen Robards backlist and realized how much I love suspense woven into a story, which I usually find ways to incorporate into most of my books.
4). What are your current projects?
At the moment I’m working on the next books in my Pendragon Gargoyles and Shadow Destroyer series, and trying really hard not to give in yet to the covert operators series that has been brewing in the back of my head for months.
5). Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Um, all of it? Writing in general is hard. Really hard, and it doesn’t get ant easier. I remember reading about how you have to really love it when I first started out, absorbing any article on writing I could get my hands on. But I never remember anyone saying, it’s always going to be this hard. Thankfully there are lots of really awesome days where the words just flow effortlessly and I’m so grateful that I get to spend my days writing, that the hard stuff isn’t so bad.
6). Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Does anyone really have “a” favorite author? LOL One of mine would be Kresley Cole because she always tells a highly entertaining story. I know every time I pick up one of her books, I’m in for a good time. Another favorite is Tara Janzen. One of the things about her writing is how easily she takes you right into a character’s head. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is another one because her books always make me laugh.
7). When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I remember loving writing very early on and was particularly proud of the first suspense/mystery story I wrote in elementary school, Jenny and the Glowing Green Mittens. Guess I was a fan of the paranormal even earlier on than I realized. J In high school I started writing my first novel, a young adult book about a group of teens and a murderer in the south Pacific. Never quite got around to finishing that one as I started thinking about journalism as a career. But it didn’t take me long to realize that straight fact reporting didn’t give me the creative high I got from building my own worlds and putting my characters through the wringer. J
8). How long does it take you to write a book?
Novellas tend to take me one to two months when I’m on schedule (and having a baby can really throw that out of whack) and longer ones can take me 2-4 months or so.
9). What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Having three kids and a husband who keeps me on my toes, I’ve learned to be really flexible when it comes to my writing time. I used to write only at nights, but once my boys started school (which means really early mornings) and the baby came along (which means up a lot at night) I can’t stay up as late working as I used to. I tend to work in an hour of writing in the morning and another after lunch. Then a couple more when the kids are in bed. It’s the most balanced schedule I’ve been able to work out, even though there are plenty of days when it doesn’t work out that way at all. 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)?
Not really, though when I’m writing by hand, you can always tell the days the words are coming fast and furious by how it gets increasingly harder to read when I’m typing it all up later.
11). What do you want to know about the future?
How far into the future are we talking? J I’d like to know that my kids are going to be healthy and happy. Thinking a lot further ahead, I’d love to know when the human race will start colonizing the universe and exploring space.
12). Are you a morning person or a night person?
Mostly a morning person. I don’t require four cups of coffee before I feel half awake anyway. Though a morning without peanut butter can seriously screw with my head. J
13). Do you like thunderstorms?
Definitely. Especially when I’m at our family’s summer camp on the river. Nothing like sitting out on the covered porch at night, watching the rain come down in drenching sheets with flashes of lightning streaking across the sky and booming thunder.
14). What is the best way for readers to contact you? Email, myspace, twitter, etc?
E-mail is usually the best to get in touch with me directly (sydney@sydneysomers.com) though I’m also on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/sydneysomers and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sydneysomers . The best place to find out more information about my books would definitely be my website. http://www.sydneysomers.com
15). Anything you would like to add?
Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Sky. It’s been fun.
Thank you for sharing with us Sydney! I'm sure everyone enjoyed it, and I love your book cover, it's exceptionally cool!
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