First, I’d like to extend a big fat open-arm welcome from my fellow Divas, Nona and Danica. We’re so happy you could join us today.
Thanks for having me! Danica, that’s a lovely name. One of my roommates in college was named Danica.
Let’s get started picking your brain… I mean, getting to know you better, of course.
Picking my brain is always a delicate procedure. You never know what might have crawled in there. Proceed with caution. ;-)
1 – What initially drew you to writing?
An active imagination and the encouragement to write it all down. My mother was an English teacher who believed in free thinking and open discussion. She loved it when I brought stories to her to read. Of course her opinion was always completely unbiased. My favourite English teacher in high school was another major influence. He once told me he’d read anything I wrote, and that’s always been in the back of my head. Don’t ever let anyone try to tell you that teachers don’t make a difference.
2 – Why paranormal romance/urban fantasy? Why not? I love making stuff up. I really love giving my characters worlds to live in and situations that are going to test them. I have a degree in anthropology, so the whole worldbuilding process and how characters live really fascinates me.
3 – Blade sounds like a very interesting character – can you tell us more about him?
Blade… I love this guy so much. He’s dark, intense, and never smiles. He’s far too damaged for that. He has strong survival instincts, but never much reason to live until he meets Raven. She changes everything for him. Not even she can make him smile, though. That becomes one of her goals for their future together—to give him reasons to. Blade lives by his own code of ethics. No one will ever turn him from doing what he believes to be right.
4 – As you may have guessed, the Divas of Desire is a blog that focuses on erotic romance (of all subgenres). What’s the heat level of Black Widow Demon?
Slow burning. There are some steamy scenes, but overall, nothing highly erotic. The heroine, however, is one of my more uninhibited female characters. She owns her sexuality.
5 – Coming up with the title for the book is always one of my favorite parts, what made you title Raven and Blade’s story Black Widow Demon?
That title popped into my head as soon as I realized I had a half demon heroine whose demon protection is being able to make men want her enough to lose their self-control. Once she touches them, she can kill them. Or not. It depends on her level of interest in the particular man.
6 – What else are you working on?
You name it. I’m starting to feel like a genre whore (can I use that word here?). Of course! And any other kind of naughty language that tickles your fancy. I’m writing a sweet category romance for Entangled’s Bliss line, I have edits coming on book 3 in the Demon Outlaws series (Creed, btw, is pretty much as awesome as Blade but in his own way), I have another single title coming out with Entangled next year that still needs some TLC, and I’m working on an independent fantasy project that is tentatively scheduled for next year.2014 is shaping up to be another big year for me.
7 – If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
Librarian! I missed my calling. I wish we’d had a better guidance counsellor in my high school. Except these days librarians work more with computers and I’m a total technophobe, so that might be an issue. I can barely turn one of these suckers on. Which reminds me, I need to tell my oldest son/personal computer repair guy how much I love him.
8 – What’s the easiest part of writing for you?
Plotting and research. I love research. You wouldn’t believe how much research I do that never sees the light of day, and all the notes I take. I should probably have answered professional student above instead of librarian.
9 – What’s the hardest part of writing for you?
Writing the actual story. It takes a lot of work and attention to detail to get a storyline to make sense, and I have the attention span of—what were we talking about?
10 – Where can readers find out more about you and your books?
You can find me at:
Twitter: @PaulaAltenburg
I always friend and follow back because I am just that eager to make new friends. J
Thanks so much for coming by today, Paula. I hope you had a little fun letting us behind the scenes on the life of an author and her works!
I had a great time! Thanks for having me. I’ll try to make my next book a bit steamier, just for you. ;-)
Aww, that's sweet! We sure like it hot here at the Divas of Desire.
~ Rach
Here's a little bit more about Paula's book, Black Widow Demon - Be sure to enter the contest at the bottom to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!
Passionate and headstrong, half-demon Raven is nearly executed on the orders of her fundamentalist stepfather. She escapes from the burning stake using the gifts of her otherworldly heritage and the help of a mortal stranger named Blade. Now she’s set on revenge, and only quiet, intense Blade stands in her way.
A retired assassin weary of the weight of his past, Blade has crossed the desert to seek out a new life. His journey is interrupted when his conscience demands he help Raven find an old friend who can help her. Saving her from her need for revenge and delivering her into the hands of loved ones means he’s one step closer to redemption.
But as Blade’s sense of duty becomes something more and threats, both mortal and immortal, stalk the woman he can’t abandon, he could very well fall back into the life he’s trying so hard to escape.
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