AUTHOR INTERVIEW: BONNIE ROSE LEIGH

BONNIE ROSE LEIGH - AUTHOR INTERVIEW by A.J. LLEWELLYN

1. Hi Bonnie and welcome to the Divas’ Den! I’m so glad to have you here. I consider you a friend as well as a fellow eXtasy Books author but there’s so many questions I have for you that I never get to ask in chats and in our emails…so here goes. First of all, you are one of eXtasy’s best-selling authors and you made a big impact from your first book, which I believe came out February 2007. How did you hook up with eXtasy and which was the first book you sold to the company?

Actually, Tianna Xander encouraged me to send to eXtasy Books as she signed with them a few months prior and at the time we were critique partners. I submitted Taliff’s Cure and within hours was asked to sign a contract. I’ve not looked back since.

2. You said in your author bio that your DH encouraged you to write an erotic romance story because as a reader your ‘spending habits were obscene.’ Was this a case of not being able to find the type of book you wanted to read as well or was he really hoping to distract you from buying – and did it work?

LOL…There is no distracting me from buying a book when I want one. The problem was twofold. My favorite authors weren’t releasing quickly enough for me and I would read 20-30 books a week and the bookstore just couldn’t keep up with my needs. Not to mention the amount of money I spent every week.

3. Do you still buy a lot of books and what is your favorite genre to read? Any favorite authors?

I still buy probably 5-10 books a week, mostly Paranormal Romance or Romantic Suspense. I have a ton of favorite authors. Some of them are: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Lauren Dane, Jory Strong, Linda Howard, Janet Chapman, and so many more. I have a bunch of them listed on my links page of my website.

4. How did you come to work with Tianna Xander and how does this collaboration work?

We started as critique partners, having met in a mutual acquaintance’s chat room. After a couple years, we decided to try writing together since our voices were so similar. Usually, one of us will start a story, write until the scene ends or we get stuck, then send to the other. The other partner receives the story, edits what’s already there then continues the story, sending it back when the next scene is finished or she gets stuck. It goes back and forth until the story is finished, constantly editing and reediting throughout the writing process.

5. I don’t think it’s any secret that you have had a lot of health problems and are in and out of the hospital. How do you manage your staggering output with the trips to the hospital? And how are you feeling now?

Sheer determination I think. The doctors and nurses at my hospital know that I’m an author and if I’m writing on my laptop or on a notebook, they leave me alone. Writing is what gets me through my health problems. I can immerse myself in the story and for a little while, minutes or hours, forget about everything else. As far as how I’m feeling now, as I’m answering this, I’m not in the hospital so that’s a huge plus…LOL

6. What is your writing routine like? Aside from hospital stays which preclude this, do you write every day? Do you work on more than one book at a time?

I write every day, even the days I’m in hospital. I get up, grab a drink, spend about two hours checking email or doing promo while I wake up, then spend the rest of the day writing. I usually am working on 2-3 stories at a time. Right now, I’m working on editing The Protector’s Jewel, and writing First Caress with Tianna Xander and Seducing Serena with Gabriella Bradley.

7. Tell me about your upcoming book with Gabriella Bradley. Whose idea was it and what genre is it in?

Seducing Serena, a paranormal shapeshifter ménage (M/F/M/M) was a story I began about two years ago and abandoned on my computer. It needed major rewrites and I’d forgotten all about it. I mentioned the story to Gabby and we decided to give it new life together. I’m really excited about writing this series (and this story) with Gabby. She brings great talent and skill to the table and our voices flow together nicely. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks when it releases.

8. I ran your name through a celebrity cell mate name generator and guess who I got for you??

It’s actor Josh Brolin…not looking his finest (mind you he’d just been arrested after a drunken brawl and he’d been tazered) but tell us what happens when you find yourself in a jail cell with Josh on Christmas Eve and early release means having to service him. What do you do?

LOL… Well now, it’s Josh Brolin. Are the cells bars or a room with a small window? LOL… I’m not much into exhibitionism but under the right circumstances, who knows. I think if my release depends on servicing him, I’d have to ask what exactly he wanted done. I don’t just get on my knees for anyone. :Grin:

9. Stephen King once described his muse as an ugly, chubby guy with a beard. What does yours look like?

My muse is a drill instructor standing over me with a night stick yelling at me to hurry my ass up; I have deadlines that I CAN’T miss. LOL

10. You and your hubby are allowed to invite anybody to dinner – but they must be dead and/or fictional. Who would you invite and what’s on the menu?

I asked the DH so this is Chris’s answer: I’d ask Duck Dodgers and Porky Pig… the pig would be on the menu! LOL He’s a man, what can I say.

11. What trends have you seen in erotic fiction over the last 12 months and how do you feel about them?

I’ve seen a marked increase in M/M. I myself enjoy reading M/M and have written 1 or 2 when the characters tell me that’s the way the story needs to be written, but for me, I think I prefer reading them to writing them. I do think the market has been flooded with small presses the last year or so.

12. Is there any genre you wouldn’t write?

I definitely wouldn’t write historical. I wouldn’t want to screw up a historical fact because of faulty research.

13. Do you have children and how do they feel about your books?

Yes I do and they have no idea I even write never mind that I write erotic books. I hope to keep it that way. LOL At least until they’re 18…

14. What is the worst ending you ever read in a book?

When the Hero dies in the end of the book. You read a book, and fall in love with the characters, think the H&H with have their Happy ever after and the hero dies. That is just so wrong.

15. What are your pet peeves in fiction?

Inconsistent Characterization… If you have a kick ass heroine… don’t make her wimpy later on… That’s just one example but I can’t stand to see a story where a character or story line is inconsistent. That’s what a beta reader or an editor is for. To catch those things, IMO. That’s my biggest pet peeve next to Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) characters or moments.

16. I know you have said you were enthralled with the written word since you were a child. Which books do you remember as being particularly captivating?

I love the Nancy Drew books and Anne of Green Gables and the Pick Your Own Adventure books.

17. What was your favorite toy growing up?

My cabbage patch doll Catherine. LOL I took that thing with me everywhere. It even went to the bathroom with me.

18. I'm going to refrain from making cracks about that one Lady Bonnie. But I bet Catherine could tell us some stories! Now...I just made you Queen of the World for 15 minutes. Quick, what would you do?

Do I have magical powers??? If I do, I would: Destroy all weapons of mass destruction, cure all illness, and clean up all pollution.

AJ says: Of course you do! You're the Paranormal Queen. Go for it!

I’d ban the use of weapons of mass destructions worldwide forever, Provide health care for all the worlds citizens, urge all countries of the world to be at peace once my 15 minutes are over…

And that's why the world loves this woman! On behalf of Dark Diva Reviews, I’d like to thank Bonnie Rose Leigh for her time today. To find out more about this awesome lady, please check out these links:

Website:
http://www.mybonnierose.com
Seven Wicked Writers
http://www.sevenwickedwriters.com
MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/bonnieroseleigh
Yahoo Group
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/bonnieroseleigh