Fiction Scribe

Hello and welcome to Fiction Scribe, Ms. Stewart.

Thank you so much for having me today!

Let’s start with getting to know you a little better. List five things you feel define you as a person.

Wow! I’ve never been asked this before. Artistic, Funny, Caring, Mom, Wife. I really had to think about this one.

Where did the inspiration for Discovery in Passion come from?

Discovery in Passion was created from a real life experience. I lived in an old farmhouse in my youth that was said to be haunted by a woman who either was starved to death by her cruel husband or died of cancer. There were several rumors as to how she died but I’ve never learned the actual details. But her story stuck with me all my life and one day I sat down and decided to write her story.

Of course, I embellished it a great deal, changing the circumstances of her death to murder along with her husband and son, but she was the defining presence for my story. Cassie Evans was created with me in mind. Though she is nothing like me in looks, we both have the curious nature and since I can’t find out how the actual woman died in my farmhouse, I put myself in Cassie’s shoes and had her get to the bottom of her haunting. Of course, me being a romantic, I had to throw in a hunky next door neighbor for her to fall in love with.

Paranormal romance is an interesting combination of genres. What is it about writing paranormal romance that draws you?

I love fantasy and the unknown and I love creating my own places and circumstances. Vampires, ghosts and other worldly creatures have always intrigued me. Plus, I love a good scare and I love to scare others. There is nothing better than reading a book or watching a movie that has you on the edge of your seat, makes your adrenaline sore and your pulse race. Plus, vampires are incredibly sexy.
Having grown up in a haunted house definitely played a part in my love of paranormal.

Tell us about Cassie Evans and Thomas Healy.

Cassie Evans was so much fun to create. I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe and her death has always intrigued me, so when I sat down to create Discovery in Passion, Marilyn came to mind. I fashioned Cassie in her image complete with the voluptuous body, blond hair and sex appeal. And what is it everyone’s sees when they look at a gorgeous blond? They think she’s ditsy. I wanted that illusion and I wanted Cassie to prove them wrong. She’s a strong woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go out and get it.

Thomas Healy is a vulnerable soul. He spent his life protecting his mother, being there for her all the time and giving her whatever she needed. When she died of Cancer, he was devastated and it affected his career as an artist. I like to do opposites in my characters and like with Cassie, I created Thomas with the image of a big muscular man who everyone would assume would be a rough neck but in reality, he’s a kind soul. Thomas is soft spoken, a man with a really big heart and when he loves, he loves completely.

He’s the type of person you can call to help you build a fence, clean your gutters and paint you a portrait that rivals any great artist that ever lived. And if you’re in need of anything, Thomas is there for you. He’s every woman’s dream and part of him was created with my husband in mind. His kind heart and his ability to love so strongly are all characteristics that endear me to my hubby.

What are your dreams for your writing? Where do you see yourself in five years both as a writer and as a person?

I hope in five years time that I will still love creating stories that the reader can’t put down and eagerly wait to read my next book. My main goal from the moment I set out to become a published author was to have people read my stories. I would love to have one of my stories become a movie though I’m not sure I’d want that sort of fame. But it would be a blast to see something I created played out on the movie screen or on TV.

As a person…A little greyer in the temples, much wiser than I am now and still doing what I love most. Telling stories.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given/learned in your life as a writer?

The most valuable piece of advice I’ve been given as a writer would be to pick up Strunk and White’s Element of Style and learn all there is to learn about writing. I’ve found that book to be invaluable in my career. Also, having a critique partner. I had no idea what that was when I first started but now I can’t live without mine. She’s a treasured soul whom I rely on to help me make my story the best it can be.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers here?

Yes, thank you I would. I have a new release out now that is part of a five book series called Seducing the Darkness which is a tale of vampires in a city where the sun no longer shines. For information on the Darkness series, viewers can go to my website at www.shielasbooks.ca

And on the eighteenth of this month I will have a free read available on my website as well on All Romance Ebooks, and Linden Bay Romance. www.allromanceebooks.com www.lindenbayromance.com for the readers to enjoy. It’s an introduction to the characters in Seducing the Darkness and how they got together.

Also, check out book two in my Passion series. Escape in Passion takes place several months after the end of Discovery in Passion and involves Thomas’ best friend, Victor Davis. It’s an erotic romantic suspense that I’m sure will have the reader panting for more.

Book three in the Passion series is several years in the future and involves Thomas and Cassie’s daughter Beth, and Victor and Julia’s son, Justin. Several years after running away from home, Justin Davis come home to Passion to find his past is not behind him after all.

All these stories and more can be found on my website at www.shielasbooks.ca

Thank you very much for coming by this blog. I wish you great successes with Discovery in Passion.

Thank you so much for having me today!