Author Interview- Sydney St. Claire

Happy Thursday readers, 

join with me in welcoming back author Sydney St. Claire as she brings us her latest release.

Welcome Sydney. Before we get to your new work of art, I've got anfew questions.

 Are you self- published or with a publishing company (if so, which one?)?

I’ve done both. I started out with Dorchester Publishing. 12 books under Susan Edwards before they went under. I then sold 11 of the back list to Carina Press and self published the remaining book and wrote 2 more in my two series. Now I’m with Wild Rose Press as Sydney St. Claire, writing erotica novellas. I’m hoping to have some good news about my self-pubbed books being offered in print by a publishing company in the next few months.

 What for you is the best part of writing? What is the worst?

The best part of writing is allowing your imagination to run free and play the “What If” card. I love to create worlds and series, as I love myself to read a good series and stay with the characters and settings I come to love. I also love creating characters. Taking bits of me or others or creating someone I’d love to call a friend.  Even better are villains. My erotica series really has no bad guys like my historical’s and I find I really miss having a good, bad, villain.  Very good therapy too! Create a villain and get revenge on the not so nice people you run into.  Same goes with themes and messages. Writing and creating are great ways to share what you think and even believe without really saying so. Another great aspect of writing is being able to write wearing whatever you want. No dressing up, no make-up. Just me and my computer and all my animals and they don’t care what I wear as long as they can be with me.

The worst is also being your own boss. It’s sometimes hard to have so many distractions around you. When the writing isn’t going well, even cleaning the toilet seems like a fun thing to go take care of. Animals tend to interrupt, family, etc. Then there are the silent offenders like email, social media etc. We have to take care of those aspects but sometimes we have to say  no and keep writing yet that leads into another aspect of writing and that’s the business part. For me, I’d rather just write but that’s not the way it goes unless you can hire an entire staff to deal with the business aspect of sending out reviews, websites, blogs, trailers, etc. Some of that I love doing, like trailers yet it also takes away from writing time. So there you go. The good and the not so good.

Is there a process you stick to, or do you just write as it hits you?

I always start with a synopsis. Not always detailed. Then I have to have characters. I usually start writing the first few chapters in a full length novel to get a feel and themes before really filling in my character sheets or bibles. When I wrote White Christmas (as Susan Edwards), I knew the heroine was a previous child in one of my White Series books so I knew her age, looks, and her past conflicts that were a part of the adult woman she became. I knew she had a grandfather looking for her but nothing else. I started that book with the hero, a friend of the grandfather. Didn’t even have his name. Just started writing and in that first scene, I had his conflicts and personality which would work with hers.

If the book is part of a series, as that one was, I’m a couple steps ahead of the game as much of the tone and characters are already created. Once I fill in the information I need, I seldom look at it again as it’s pretty much set in my mind and I let the story take cover at that point. For the novellas, I just have the synopsis and I just start writing and go. I find the short length doesn’t need a lot of planning.

I do use Scrivener to write as I like having the ability to have all my files in one file. My research, characters, bibles are all in one file. For Once Upon a Dom series, all the books are in one place so if I need information, it’s all there. No searching for, or opening multiple files.  I do need to be organized in my writing

What is the ultimate goal you have for your career?

One of my goals has been to make a bestseller list and it still is. With the downturn in the economy, the loss of my publisher, I lost a lot of ground so I’m working to remake/rebrand myself, both in the erotica genre and historicals. I’ve also got a contemporary series in the works. So my goal is to get my career back in full swing and make a list or two. And okay, I have to admit to wanting to make lots of money <g>. Don’t laugh…

When not writing, what can you be found doing?

Gardening,  sewing, crocheting and knitting mostly although right now, painting the inside of the house has taken priority. We started in the kitchen over the holidays and have moved to the living room January. New floors go in this week/weekend and then I get to organize and put my house back in order. Next up is the entry way and dining room.  You can also find me with a cat or two on my lap along with two dogs. I love animals and spend a lot of time with my babies. And soon, like any day, I’ll have my first grandchild, a little girl. I hope to spend a lot of time with her.

 Favorite writer, book?

I love reading a series and starting at the beginning and rereading. Right now I’m on book 27 of JD Robb’s In death series. March sees book 9 in Modesitt’s Imager series and I’m looking forward to that. I also love many of Nora Roberts trilogies, as well as Harry Potter and Christine Feehan’s Drake sisters & the series that was spun from that as well as her other series.

When writing, which do you prefer to write with, computer or paper and pen?

Oh, I have to write on a computer. My creativeness dies with pen and paper as I do so much editing as I go, that all the scratching out is too distracting—fragments my concentration.  I have to be able see clearly what I’ve written.

Such great answers Sydney, thank you.

Title: Snow & Her Huntsman

Series Name: Once Upon A Dom

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Romance

SubGenre(s): Erotica, BDSM

Rating:  (R) 

Page Count: 117

Digital Price: 3.99

Blurb

Rylee Kincaid’s business is about to go under. Lucky for her, she’s found an investor. Ready to sign papers, she learns her knight in shining armor is Hunter Finnegan, the man who once gave her multiple orgasms then crushed her young, tender heart. Her world comes crashing down as it becomes clear the rich businessman intends a hostile takeover and to cast her out. Then he agrees to discuss a new deal, but only if Rylee will play Snow to his Huntsman at a BDSM fairy tale event.

Hunter has never forgotten the weekend of kinky sex he shared with Rylee in college. Unfortunately, he had to let her go to keep peace in his family. Now he’s back to claim the only woman he’s ever loved. He’ll stop at nothing to make the black-haired, fair-skinned beauty hear the truth of what happened so long ago, even if he has to tie her up. And that’s exactly what he does. But as the Huntsman reawakens the submissive in Snow, Hunter isn’t so sure he can do the same to Rylee’s heart.

Excerpt  PG13

Rylee couldn’t believe what she’d done. She’d totally lost control, something she’d never done with another man but Hunter. Sex between her and her husband had never come close to the heat level between her and Hunter. Her hands dropped from his shoulders to his chest. Palms flat, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to push him away or bunch her fingers in his shirt and draw him even closer. God, what must he think of her? One kiss, and she’d gone up in flames, like a desperate and hungry woman.

Which was true. But to show it and behave in such a manner horrified her. “I…” She didn’t know what to say.

Hunter stepped away, she assumed to give her time to adjust her clothing. He picked up the invitation from the gray carpet. “My limo will pick you up at two on Thursday.”

“Thursday?” Damn, her mind and body felt as though she were swimming through a thick gel.

Handing her the invite, along with a large envelope he snagged off his desk, he held her gaze. “I’ll see you at Pleasure Manor. Your costumes will be delivered to your office this afternoon.”

He tapped the envelope. “Instructions and rules. I suggest you go get your bloodwork done this afternoon. You’ll need to bring the results with you.” Hunter handed her the briefcase and her purse and hustled her to the door.

Rylee blinked in confusion. Damn the man for being in complete control while she was a quivering mass of need. Her orgasm hadn’t eased her ache for this man. But she hated being manipulated, and he was a master. He’d lured her in with hopes and dreams of saving her business and probably used Glorie to make her mad enough that she’d confront him. Now, he’d had the nerve to use her own body against her. “Dammit, Hunter, I never said—”

Hunter halted her with the single lift of his brow. “Your body spoke for you.” He lowered his head and kissed her hard, swallowing her protests. “Thursday. And don’t bother wearing panties.”

Buy Links

Wild Rose      KINDLE           Nook         KOBO             IBOOKS

CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF SNOW WITH A NEW CONTEST

Tote Bag  --  Fairytales Your Mother Never Read You

Nice large roomy bag

Also included: 4 GB Flash Drive, Key Ring Light, Notepad & Pen, Mug

And assorted other goodies

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SYDNEY'S BIO

Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards, author of 14 Historical Native American/Western/Paranormal romances and the author of the popular “White” Series.

Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing success.  Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy endings which meant romances were her favorite genre.  Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.

Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…

When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch and knitting. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…

While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music. Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.

Contact Links           

Email: 

Sydney@sydneystclaire.com

Trailer:          

http://youtu.be/ap0UHxLoFCA

Website: 

http://sydneystclaire.com

http://susanedwards.com

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/Sydneystclaire

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/sydneystclaire

Blog:

http://sydneystclaire.wordpress.com

Goodreads:    

https://www.goodreads.com/sydneystclaire

Pinterest:        

http://www.pinterest.com/sydneystclaire/