My first blog guest! Let's welcome Sandra Sookoo!

I’d like to introduce Sandra Sookoo to my blog as my first guest blogger and interviewee.

Welcome, Sandra. I’m honored to have you as a guest on my humble blog. Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me as part of my Fangs, Fur and Boys with Fast Toys summer blog tour! Hmm, a little about me…Well, I’ve been writing since I was 10 but didn’t “get serious” about it until a few years ago. I live in Indiana with my hubby of seven years.

What inspires you to write? Where do you get your ideas?

Everything around me inspires me. One of my favorite things to do is people watch at malls. Great character studies and I love to imagine what their lives are like. My ideas can come from pretty much anything—a movie, a conversation with someone, going to the zoo. As long as my imagination’s functioning, I’m good.

Do you identify with the characters you write about?

Most of the time, yes, with the heroines. Okay, let me rephrase that. If the heroines are of the paranormal variety then maybe not, but they all have to overcome and/or accept something they don’t like about themselves, so the answer is still yes.

Who’s your favorite of all your characters and why?

Wow, that’s a tough question! Favorite heroine? It might be Anne from my just released novella Demons and Stilettos Are A Girl’s Best Friend (you’ll have to read to the end of the interview to get the blurb and excerpt). She’s funny, feisty and owns an awful lot of fashion forward shoes that she’s too scared to wear in public. I have to say, I have a couple of pairs of heels I’ve never worn. We’ll leave it at that lol Favorite hero? Probably Nicholas from a historical/paranormal book called Unraveled Souls. He was dishy.

What project are you currently working on?

I’m just finishing a 90K paranormal book centering around dragons. It’s the third in a trilogy presented by Eirelander Publishing. The first book in the trilogy is out in print format now. Check it out at http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

Any future projects you can tell us about?

Well, after the dragon book, I’d like to do another comedic short piece to “clear my mind” so to speak. After that, I’ll be doing research then writing a full length time travel romance.

What do you like least about the writing process? What do you like best?

Wow. What do I like the least? Rejections with no explanations, loving a book but finding it doesn’t resonate with readers. I could go on. This business is not for the faint of heart. What do I like best? Writing, creating, crafting a story that I fully believe in, being so excited to pour out the words onto the screen, sharing it with my critique partner and beta readers to see if they like it too, and getting cover art of the ones accepted. Of course, getting emails from readers as excited about the book as I was is pretty darned cool too.

What do you like to do outside of writing?

When I’m not writing, the hubs and I like to travel. We frequent downtown Indianapolis a lot and play tourist, go to the zoo, try new restaurants and try to get to Disney World every year. For me, I love to cook and bake and will often turn to the kitchen if I’m stuck on a part of a book. After that, I’ll read for pleasure.

Any tips for us baby writers?

Best thing you can do? Keep writing. No matter what anyone says about your stories, no matter how many rejections you get. Work on the craft and get better but above all, never give up.

What was the best advice YOU received when you first started the author path?

LOL Exactly what I just told you.

Where do you go when you need to recharge?

Somewhere with people. Writing is such a solitary endeavor at times. When the house gets too quiet, I go out to the store and walk around, get outside and kind of expand the boundaries. A vacation helps too.

What kind of books do you read and what are your favorites?

I’ll pretty much read any genre. It really depends on my mood and how much free time I have to devote to pleasure reading. I can tell you I’ve pretty much devoted my book buying to e-published authors. I try to support them as much as I can above the print ones because I believe they deserve more support.

Anything else you’d like to add?

You can find out information on current releases and upcoming projects by visiting my website at http://www.sandrasookoo.com On the front page you’ll find recent releases, the blogs I’m a member of, recipes of the month. You can also find book excerpts there as well.

As a special incentive, one lucky commenter will receive a goodie bag filled with book related merch and a couple of stiletto related gifts. And trust me, it’s pretty spiffy. Makes me want to comment on my own interview! LOL

Now for the promo you’ve been waiting for!

Blurb: Anne Jenkins never believed there was a heaven or hell so when she’s rescued from a runaway horse by a guy who claims he’s a demon, her freak detector goes off. She demands proof and the leather-clad biker sets some local wildlife on fire. She starts to trust in a hurry.

Gregg Carter, bound to the Devil for all eternity because of an audit gone wrong, seizes the opportunity to take possession of Anne’s soul as a way to please his boss. What he didn’t count on was the fact that his libido would take the one-way bus to crazy town as he gets to know her better.

Trouble is, Anne and Gregg spend so much time trying to hide their true selves from each other, they can’t escape the attraction that builds between them. But everyone knows demons and humans don’t mix, and neither can two people who have no futures.

Excerpt: Anne glanced around, looking for hidden cameras just in case her friends were attempting to punk her. Seeing nothing but red and gold leaves that shook in the slight breeze, she turned back to the biker. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“You bet. Now, I need you to sign here testifying that I did indeed save your life and prevented the early termination of such. Because I did, the payment for my deed is one human soul, to be rendered due and payable within thirty days of the receipt of said services.” He held the pen out to her. “I do have other clients today.”

“I can’t just give you my soul. I don’t even know exactly where in my body it’s located or how a person goes about parting with it.” She took another drink. “Besides, don’t I need my soul in order to function? I’m pretty sure it’s not like an appendix or something.” Flutters filled her stomach when the smile he’d flashed earlier morphed into something smoldering and sexy.

“A human soul is only valuable if you know how to use it. To sweeten the pot, I’m prepared to give you three wishes.”

Anne snorted while she took another drink. Water shot through her nose, and tears stung her eyes. Not exactly the sort of thing that would impress a bike-riding minion from hell—not that she wanted to impress him. Damn, I must be desperate if I’m trying to catch the interest of an alleged demon.

Wiping the drops from her face with the back of her hand, she stifled another round of laughter. “Three wishes, huh? Like a magic genie?”

“No, it’s an added bonus, an incentive. Think of it as a supplement to the contract in order to cushion the blow of my taking your soul. You have thirty days to accept the offer, but be aware there are some conditions.”

“Is saving me from impending death one of the wishes?” The whole conversation felt so weird and beyond normal that Anne suddenly knew how Alice felt in the Lewis Carroll story.

“No, but at least you’re paying attention.” A smile curved his lips. “You can use the wishes on yourself or others, but they must be used in the time allowed. You can’t save them. Also, until you exhaust the wishes or they expire at the end of the specified term, I will be your constant companion—”

“I thought you had other clients?”

He huffed his disapproval. “I have a very loose schedule. Anyway, if you do not use the wishes by the end of the thirty day period, you forfeit them, and I still take your soul.”

“That doesn’t sound very fair.” Anne frowned. Fear made her insides clench. “What if I don’t agree to any of it? I mean,” she snorted from the absurdity of the notion, “it really is pretty unbelievable.”

A shadow of annoyance crossed Gregg’s face, and his expression grew dark with anger. “It doesn’t matter. I saved your life. Therefore, you owe me. I can reset recent events and leave you to die, or I can take your soul, and you’ll still die, but at least you will have lived it up for thirty days. What’s not to get?”

* * * * *

Thanks, Sandra!

Sandra's book "Demons and Stilettos Are A Girl's Best Friend" can be found at http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Don't forget! 

One lucky commenter can win a goodie bag from Sandra so leave a comment!