Author Q&A with Gena Showalter

1) Can you give us a blurb about your current book?

Oh, yes! He’ll make you burn…He is a Dragon, a rare breed of warriors able to transform into the legendary creature at will. Though the mighty warlord breathes fear into the minds of his enemies and fire into the blood of his women, no one has ever stirred his heart -- until he encounters Grace Carlyle of modern day Earth. He burns to possess this proud, alluring beauty . . . but he has sworn to kill her.

In this book, you will journey to the mythical world of Atlantis, where the gods’ hid their greatest mistakes – the vampires, demons, dragons, and other creatures of legend – and experience white-hot passion, exciting adventure, and a love that defies the boundaries of time and magic.

(Editor's Note: click here to read an excerpt of Heart of the Dragon)

2) Heart of the Dragon has so many really cool twists, like the mist and the crystals inside the bedroom, and all the details about the Guardian and dragons. When you are writing a paranormal, how much of these details of your fantasy world do you know ahead of time? How much evolve as you go?

Nearly all of them evolve as I go. When I sat down to write Heart of the Dragon, I knew only that the hero was a dragon changeling, that he guarded a doorway into Atlantis, and that Atlantis was where the gods hid all the creatures of myth because they were afraid these creatures would usurp their throne. Everything else came into play as I wrote the book.

3) Heart of the Dragon is H-O-T. Are all your books this sexy? What’s your favorite love scene you’ve ever written?

I think all of my books are sexy, but in this one I was so in love with the hero I *wanted* to be the heroine and I think that helped me add an extra layer of awareness and sensuality. My favorite love scene is the first consummated love scene in Heart of the Dragon. Darius (the hero) has been so emotional barren over the last three hundred years – it’s the only way he was able to do his duty and kill the people who strayed into Atlantis – that he has not been able to change into dragon form. Then, when he’s with Grace, he’s so overcome by what he’s feeling that his wings pop out. For me, that was one of the sexiest moments ever.


4) Since you sold your first book at the end of 2003, you’ve sold more than ten books (wow!) and most of them are stand-alone books. You must have an incredible imagination! How do you keep coming up with all these different fantasy worlds?

Each world is separate and completely distinguishable in my mind. It’s like visiting different states or countries here – I’ll never confuse Alaska with Hawaii.


5) You are the poster-child for success: ten sales in less than two years. A stream of amazing, sexy books. From the outside, you make it look so easy. Did you ever have any moments where you wondered whether you would ever make it?

Either before your first sale or after? Now and then – all the time. The worries have simply changed. Before, I worried that I would never sell. Now I worry that no one will like the book, it will bomb, my editor will hate it, it won’t be as good as the last one…I could go on. I try to push past the fears and just write the best book I can – a book *I* love. That’s all a gal can do.

6) Can you give us a sneak peek at your next book?

Jewel of Atlantis was a blast to write! Here’s the back cover blurb for it – and I know lots of readers really wanted me to write another dragon story but this was a book that *had* to be told. I do plan to write more about the dragons -- in fact they show up in this book -- but I’m not sure when.

All Atlantis seeks the Jewel of Dunamis, which legend claims can overcome any enemy. Grayson James, human agent of the ultra-secret Otherworld Bureau of Investigation, has orders to keep it from the wrong hands – or destroy it. What he doesn’t know is that Jewel is a woman, not a stone! But once he meets this precious gem, destroying her is the last thing on his mind…

Jewel, part goddess, part prophet, is a pawn in Atlantis’ constant power struggles. She needs Gray’s help to win freedom and uncover the secrets of her mysterious origins. Gray needs her wisdom to navigate monster-ridden Atlantis. But need blossoms into passionate love as they fight demons, dragons, vampires – and a prophecy that says the bond between them could destroy them both.



gena showalter
http://www.genashowalter.com
http://www.genashowalter.blogspot.com
Heart of the Dragon -- He'll make you burn

posted by Stephanie Rowe @ 7:41 AM