Monday, December 14, 2009

Shiela Stewart's Interview

1.What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on rewriting a series I wrote many years ago. It desperately needed to be edited so I decided just to rewrite the whole thing and give it a new spin. The first book is called Awaken the Demon and is a story of a young woman running from an abusive boyfriend only to find herself working for a demon. But what she doesn’t know is that she too is a demon and that Satan wants control of her soul.
The series deals with three generations of demons working for Satan, collecting souls and how they rebel and fight to break free.

2.What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always written. It’s in my blood. As a child I would tell tales to my friends and cousins and as I grew up I began jotting those stories down on paper. I had-still do-have a very vivid imagination. In my teens I used writing as an escape from teenage angst, trouble at home and depression.

3.How many rejection letters did you get before you got an acceptance? What advice do you give the writers about dealing with rejection letters?
LOL, wayyyy to many. Advice? They suck, they hurt but remember, just because one editor didn’t like your story doesn’t mean anything. There will be someone out there who will love it. Just remember to make sure and send in the best copy of your manuscript, making it as clean as possible and also, know the publisher you’re sending to. Know what they like, what they publish. It really does help.

4.How did you celebrate your first contract?
First, I jumped up and down screaming that I had finally accomplished my dream. When that insanity left me, my hubby and I went out for dinner and drinks and after…well, I’ll leave that up to your imagination. J

5.What's your favorite way to advertise?
I’m not sure I have a favorite but I am fond of doing interviews on other blogs, and advertising my books on popular websites and blogs.

6.What do you do to amuse yourself when not working?
Well now, we’re getting personal. LOL Okay, mind out of gutter. I like to create in other forms like crocheting, Knitting, painting and redecorating. I also like to garden and work on my yard. Aside from that I like to go on long walks with my hubby and talk about everything and anything that comes to mind. I also enjoy playing video games with my children.

7.Where do you see your writing going in five years? In ten?
I would love to see my writing progress to the point that I have contracts with some of the bigger romance publishers. That is my goal now and like everything else in my life, I rush into it with a great deal of determination.

8.What is your favorite "comfort food"?
Chocolate. I am a sucker for chocolate but unfortunately, because of my migraines, I can’t eat a lot of it. Talk about cruel when Christmas, Valentine’s day, Easter and Halloween come around. My favorite though is thick chocolate cake with plenty of chocolate icing. Mmmm…now I want cake. LOL

9.Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?
I like the feel of a book in my hands but I am all for ebooks and I think ebooks should become the norm for university and colleges to use instead of the huge cumbersome and expensive text books the students have to use. I also think Ebooks in high-schools and elementary schools would be great. Allowing the student to access any book from a library on line would be a great asset to them.

10.Who are your favorite authors?
By far, Nora Roberts and J.D Robb. I can’t get enough of her In Death Series.

11.It’s plug time. Where can people find out more about your books? Got an excerpt you’d like to share?

I certainly do and thank you for allowing me to boast a little about my work. J
Readers can find me at www.shielasbooks.ca
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Publisher: Breathless Press


Here is the blurb and excerpt of Consuming the Darkness

In Jacob’s Cove, where death is as common as apple pie, a serial murderer is a first. Lieutenant Sienna Storm, the town’s newly minted homicide detective, is eager to prove she’s up to the job of tracking down the demon who rips out his victims’ still-beating hearts. Even if it means using her innate ability to connect with him through his blood.

Detective Nathan Powers lost his partner to the aptly named Heartless Killer, and the trail of bodies leads him straight to Jacob’s Cove. However, this is no typical small town. It’s a strange world populated with bloodthirsty demons and run by a vampire. Still, the leggy blonde Sienna is a pleasant distraction. Until he discovers she’s after the same killer—and she’s not sharing.

Minds clash as the hunt intensifies, but the more they run into each other, the harder it is to stay apart. Together they discover not only clues, but a searing need that rises higher by the day.

That need may be their downfall when Nathan becomes the killer’s next target, and Sienna must risk everything to get him back.

Excerpt:

“Behind you! Get down.”

The gun came up in his hand, aimed at her head. She felt the presence of the vampire as he jumped out from behind the dumpster. As she spun around to take him down, the gun fired, hitting the vamp in the right shoulder. He jerked back, screeching like a banshee.

“What the hell are you doing?” she yelled at the man with the gun as she ran to the vamp.

“Daisy, stay!” Daisy sat as she’d been instructed while Sienna knelt down beside the screaming vamp. She pressed her knee to the vamp’s bleeding shoulder to ensure that he wouldn’t move. “You are under arrest for breaking the laws of human and vampire and will be detained in the local jail while awaiting trial.”

“You’re a cop?” the guy behind her responded.

“Yeah, I’m a cop. Oh, stop your screaming already,” she yelled at the vamp, then flipped him onto his belly and pulled his arms to his back, pinning them in one hand while she searched for her handcuffs. “Damn it, why don’t I have my cuffs on me. Wanna tell me why you were about to attack me?”

“I wasn’t…honest…I was only…out for a walk. Yeah, I was walking. I’m going to sue the cops for harassment. I was minding my own. Fuck, my shoulder is killing me. Police brutality!”

“Shut the hell up. No one gives a damn.”

“Here.”

Sienna glanced up to see a set of shiny silver handcuffs dangling down before her. Glancing up, she took a moment to survey the gentleman and noticed he wasn’t bad on the eyes. His dark brown hair was messed up but somehow looked natural. And wow! The guy had a hell of a body. Broad shoulders, wide chest, and narrow waist. His face was pretty decent to look at, even with that thin line of hair over his upper lip that ran down the sides of his mouth to cover his chin. He had nice eyes, dark, round, with long lashes. “I’d prefer a regulation set rather than your bondage toys.”

“These are regulation. I’m a detective. Nathan Powers,” he introduced in a deep, throaty voice that sounded as if he’d had one too many cigarettes.

The vamp squirming beneath her, she took the cuffs. Before slapping them on the vamp’s wrists she made sure they were regulation. Flipping him onto his back, Sienna pinned him with her knee as she had before. “Don’t try anything stupid.”

“Bitch!” the vamp spat.

“What the hell’s with the yellow contacts and fake fangs?”

Sienna glanced over her shoulder as she responded to the detective. “What? You’ve never seen a vampire before?”

“A what?”

“A vampire.”

“I heard you. I thought I’d seen it all, but I guess not. Now we’ve got junkies playing vampire,” The detective chuckled with a shake of his head.

One look at the guy told her he was serious. “Oh jeez, he’s a virgin.” She rolled her eyes. “I told you to shut up.” She yanked the screaming vamp to his feet. “This is a vampire, not a fake, the real deal and if you plan on being in Jacob’s Cove for any amount of time you might want to be on the lookout for them. Some of them refuse to abide by the new laws. Isn’t that right, screamer?”

“Seriously though, he’s a vampire like the blood-sucking kind?”

“Don’t know any other kind.”

“Shouldn’t you like…you know, jam a wooden stake through his heart? I can’t believe I just said that.” He laughed boldly.

Was he for real?

She didn’t care for the sarcasm in his voice. “Neither can I. We prefer to rehabilitate them rather than turning them to dust.” Holding the vamp in one hand, she pulled her cell phone out with the other and dialed the station. “Lieutenant Storm here. I have a rogue vamp I need brought in.”

“I wasn’t doing anything, you stupid bitch.”

She clamped onto the squirming vamp a little tighter as she gave her location. She slipped her phone back into her shirt pocket when she was through and gave the vamp a hard shove against the dumpster. “Right, you were only skulking in the dark because you needed a smoke, right?”

“It’s a free world last time I looked.”

“Sure, except when you’re attempting to drink someone dry. Save it for the judge; I’m done listening.”

“You can’t prove anything. I’m innocent.”

“Do you know what I am?” she asked as she leaned in real close. “I’m a Tejakkan which means I have precog abilities. I saw you moments before you jumped out and I saw just what you’d planned to do so save your ‘I’m innocent’ act for someone who gives a damn.”

“Bitch!”

“That’s right and remember it.”

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great interview! Consuming the Darkness sounds interesting. You got me when you said it is a strange world populated with demons and run by a vampire...who wouldn't want to read that! lol

Abby

Sable Grey said...

Great Interview! I'm amazed by how many books you have. I have books I'm sitting on but nowhere near the amount of titles you juggle...

Personally, I'm really interested in your Passion Series too.

-Sable

Shiela said...

Hey Abby, thanks for popping in.:)

I'm so glad I've intrigued you. 

Shiela said...

Hi Sable, great to see you here!

I often look at the amount of books I have released and amaze myself. LOL

Did you know that the Discovery in Passion stemmed from my own expeiance with ghosts?

Kiyara said...

Hi Shiela. Looks like you're becoming an Interview Queen, lol. Good to see you getting your work out there. You're a talented lady.

Shiela Stewart said...

Aw, thanks Kiyara. That means a lot to me.

I have been busy lately. I like to get around. :)

Thanks for popping in.