Good morning! What a terrific week this has been! Good news on the publishing front for me and the weather improved a little from the sub-arctic temp's we had. I won't complain about that at all On another 'can't complain' note...the lovely Danielle of Sourcebooks is offering one copy of Lord of the Hunt to one of our readers (US or Canada only) To enter the drawing, leave a comment and send me an email ( lynda@lyndakscott.com ) with Hunt in the Subject line and your name/address in the body of the email by Friday, January 17.
Enjoy the Shona Husk interview!
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How do you spend a typical writing day?
Shona: Writing! I do some admin first thing in the morning
then I get words down or pages edited until lunch time. Over lunch I do a bit
more admin work then it’s back to writing or editing until it’s time to pick up
the kids. Somewhere in there I also so some kind of exercise which counteracts
all the chocolate that I eat…I hope.
Have you ever experienced a paranormal event in your life?
Shona: No. I’ve never seen a ghost or kissed a Vampire.
What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when
you tell them you’re a writer? How would you answer it?
Shona: People usually ask ‘where do you get your ideas?’
Getting the ideas isn’t the problem, nor is creating the new worlds. People
should ask, ‘How do you decide which idea to turn into a book?’
And my answer would be: It depends…a little on the market, a
little on what my publisher or agent wants and a little on what I feel like
writing. Sometimes an idea rolls together really fast (I was plotting a new
story and by the time I’d plotted book one I had three other books in the
series). Sometimes it needs a little more thought and research. I’m afraid of
running out of ideas, I’m afraid I won’t be able to write them all!
If you were doomed to spend the rest of your life on an
island with only one book, one person, one food (coconuts and fish aside), and
one object from the modern world (computer, deodorant, etc.), what would they
be?
Shona: I need dark chocolate to survive (this is not
optional or negotiable). The book would be Daggerspell by Katherine Kerr (I
love that book, and the rest of the series). The person would have to be my
hubby. And the object would be my toothbrush, I like clean teeth :).
What’s the sexiest feature on a man to you? And on a woman?
Why?
Shona: I think a smile and a good attitude go a long way in
both sexes. You could be the most beautiful person in the world but if you’re
like poison it means nothing.
What’s your own sexiest feature?
Shona: err…asks hubby…I can’t repeat that answer. My smile
or my eyes.
Do you have a favorite character out of all the ones you’ve
written? If so, who is it and why is s/he your favorite?
Shona: My favorite character is usually the hero I’m writing
about ;) There a few who really stand out though, Roan the Goblin King, Taryn
from Lord of the Hunt and Thanatos from Tasting Thanatos (he was a very broken
hero).
Describe your writing process.
Shona: I print out my plotting sheets (I have a five page
document that I use for plotting) and start making notes about the plot the
characters what I need to research further, timelines anything that comes to
mind. It’s like guided brainstorming. Then I write a synopsis to see if it kind
of hangs together like a story. If it does I make a more detailed outline that
includes a one sentence description for each scene (sometimes more if the scene
is clear in my mind and I don’t want to lose it). At this stage I shuffle
things around and tweak things. Then I write. I never used to do the outline
but I’ve found that it’s really helped streamline my writing. I write the first
draft from beginning to end going back only to make notes to myself in places
where I need to fix things. After that all the magic is in the edits.
Do you use current events to help create plots? If yes,
describe some you've used. If no, describe how you get/create plot ideas.
Shona: Sometimes. The recent disease outbreaks (like SARS,
Ebola, the resurgence of measles etc) I used as part of the failing magic of
Annwyn as they tied in very well to what I was creating. Of course I escalated
what was happening. I also researched ancient plagues so I could tie them into
previous troubles in Annwyn. Whether the plot came first or the event triggered
the plot point I couldn’t say. I read newspapers and nonfiction and all kinds
of things, so I think that ideas are absorbed and spend months or years rolling
around my head before they finally clump together in a story.
What draws you to write paranormal?
Shona: I love the world building and the idea that there is
something other just out of reach in
our world. That maybe there is magic and fairies and vampires if only we looked
a little closer at what was going on around us. Children have this sense of
wonder and imagination that somehow most adults lose. I want to have that sense
of mystery and magic in my life—even if I have to create it :)
What one thing would you want your readers to remember from
your book?
Shona: That if you want something badly enough you will find
a way to make it happen...even if the Queen of Annwyn is blocking your path.
LORD OF THE HUNT BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES JANUARY 2014
She Wasn’t Cut Out for His World...
The realm of the fairies might
be unbelievably beautiful, but its people are notoriously treacherous. Raised
among mortals, Taryn hoped to avoid her fairy heritage her whole life. But now
she must cross over to Annwyn and appeal to the King to pardon her exiled
parents, or they're sure to die. And to get to the King, she'll first have to
face the Lord of the Hunt...
He Can't Imagine Life Without Her...
Verden, Lord of the Hunt, is
sworn to serve to King. But the moment he sees Taryn, the attraction is instant
and devastating. How can he not help the beautiful, brave young woman who
refuses to bend to the will of the court? Yet the power in Annwyn is shifting,
its magic failing. No matter how much he may love Taryn, the Hunter knows that
abandoning his duty could bring down the mortal world forever...
Praise
for the works of Shona Husk:
“Romantic
and intriguing.” —Publishers Weekly
“Enthralling.”
—Booklist
“A great fairy-tale feel...dark, fresh, and tantalizing.” —Anna's Book Blog
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Three time ARRA finalist Shona Husk lives in
Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively
imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she
discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back. Drawing on history and myth,
she writes about heroes who are armed and dangerous but have a heart of
gold—sometimes literally. She is the author of the
Shadowlands Series and the Annwyn Series. You can find out more information
about Shona and her edgy romances at http://www.shonahusk.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @ShonaHusk.
To
Purchase Lord of the Hunt:
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-- Lynda Again
Don't forget to send me an email to enter the drawing for a copy of Lord of the Hunt. Send it by Friday, January 17 so Wookie, my alien kitten, can choose the winner. Good luck!
