The Questions
1) You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?
I’d have to say my husband, since he is my best friend, my lover, and my partner in all things.
Do I only get one item? Geez, that’s a tough one. How about a grocery bag that never goes empty of food or drink? Or is that cheating?
2) Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?
Musical? Oh boy, I’m really in trouble here. I can’t say I’ve seen any musicals. I guess the closest would be Dracula at actor’s theatre. I’d most definitely have to be Mina.
3) Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them: smirk, restive, musically
Mina watched the crowd as she played her violin. She’d always been musically inclined, but the smirk on the gentleman’s face in the front row made her self-conscious about her talent. Every time she hit a wrong note, he shifted in his seat, his expression almost pained. His restive behavior was beginning to annoy her. If he didn’t like her playing, why had he come in the first place?
How’s that? Or was that not anywhere close to what you had in mind.
4) You’ve just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you want. Who do you fuck first and why?
Holy shit! Let me pick my jaw up off the keyboard here. What a question. Let’s see here, well if I can have anyone, without reservation or repercussion, then I definitely want Darian from my romance novel, More Than Prophecy (http://amberquill.com/MoreThanProphecy.html). There’s just something about an alpha man with a strong sense of responsibility, that really gets my panties wet. You know, the one who knows what he wants and goes after it with a vengeance. The one who ravishes the maiden but makes sure he pleasures her in every way. The one who…ah hell, do I need to continue?
5) What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?
A candlelight dinner on a beach in the Caribbean. There’s nothing like watching the sun set over sparkling teal waters while a white-gloves waitress attends to your every need. I’ve done that twice now, once in Jamaica and once in St. Lucia. It’s definitely worth the money.
6) When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?
Kinda both. Sometimes I’ll get a plot idea in my head, but I usually have a character image as well. Other times, I’ve created a character, then had to put him/her in a setting and plot. I’m a little unconventional in my writing.
7) If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?
I’ve always like Sarah Michelle Gellar. She was so witty and spunky in her Buffy series. I think she’d make a good me.
8) Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?
Well, I don’t watch too much horror, but, I guess the one that comes to mind is Gary Oldman in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. He was both sexy and villainous.
9) Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?
King Leonidas, but probably only because he was played by Gerard Butler in 300.
10) Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?
That’s a tough one. If I had to pick the most important story to tell, it would be about Jesus Christ. But whether or not the world is ready to receive it is another matter all together. Some would be, others will never.
Title: More Than Prophecy
ISBN: 1-59279-324-X (Electronic)
ISBN: 1-59279-807-1 (Paperback)
ISBN: 1-59279-807-1 (Paperback)
Author’s Name: Shannon Leigh
Publisher: Amber Quill Press
Genre: Romance / Paranormal Romance / Time-Travel Romance
Format: ebook & print
Pages: 378
BLURB:
According to ancient prophecy, a woman will come from Earth to bear a child who will end the warring between the Ramekah and Andreas clans, warring that has plagued the hold folk of Zandar for hundreds of years. On the tail of a magical zephyr, Cheyenne, a young Native American woman, is swept through the doorway of an interplanetary portal and whisked away from Earth in a dazing blur of motion. She's deposited, alone and half-naked, in a valley between the grassy knolls of the Rhian Mountains and the dreaded Goetic forest, just inside the boundaries of Andreas Territory.
It's there that Lord Darian Andreas, ruler of the mighty Andreas Clan and master of the powerful Andreas Territory, finds her. Although Darian is a just man who exercises kindness and incorporates mercy into his method of rule--which, in the barbaric world of Zandar, are rare qualities for a man--he's also used to getting what he wants, one way or another. And from the moment Darian lays eyes on the dark-skinned beauty, he knows she's meant to be his. If the Gods are willing, he'll make it so...
EXCERPT:
Finally reaching the top, she stood and stretched her aching legs. Noting that her hands were stained green by the upward trek, she wiped
them on the front of her gown, leaving streaks of dirt and grass across its flimsy fabric. She scowled at the offending stains then looked
around and saw…nothing. There were no signs of civilization anywhere, just miles and miles of rugged landscape. The fear that had
tugged her breast now clutched at her with vice-like force, squeezing the air from her lungs until she gasped in defense.
What have I gotten myself in to? She struggled to remember last night’s affairs, but couldn’t seem to recall anything beyond getting out
of her car.
Cheyenne raced across the top of the hill to get a better look. As she neared the edge, just before it began a sharp descent, she faltered, seeing the source to the strange rumble she’d heard before. Horses! Or, at least that’s what they looked like to her. Relieved, she just stood there and stared at the animals with wideeyed wonderment, thankful she’d found another recognizable life form.
At least I’m not alone.
As she scanned the unconcerned herd, her gaze fell to another group of creatures milling a few yards away. Then, she saw him. He was magnificent, large and strong, with a suffocating air of unquestionable authority. Her eyes froze on his tall, lean form, his arresting good lookstotally capturing her attention. He had a ruggedness and vital power that instantly attracted her, awakening a foreign, but pleasant, spark of interest deep within.
His long, sturdy legs were spread wide in an unwavering stance, emphasizing the strength in his thighs and slimness of his hips. Broad shoulders were a mile wide and solid like molded bronze. A thick mane of golden blond hair fell about his chin in a disheveled, but pleasing, array of untamed splendor. He stood as if he prided himself on his captivating appearance and obvious insurmountable virility—like a Viking warrior ready to conquer all.
As though sensing her presence, the man turned to face her. Suddenly, the winds of time ceased to blow and everything around her stood still. Cheyenne’s heart pounded violently in her chest, making her teeth chatter with a mixture of fear and excitement. He was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Daunting, terrifying, yet fascinating, enthralling. A voice of warning whispered in her head and she stumbled back a step.
Vaguely registering the others, Cheyenne blinked in stunned surprise. He wasn’t alone. Nine other warriors hovered around him like faithful servants protecting their king. Although none were as intimidating as he, all were seemingly barbaric and just as formidable. And every one had stopped what he was doing to stare in her direction.
Full-fledged panic nearly knocked Cheyenne off her feet when her eyes met and locked with his. She gasped as a shiver of terror wracked her frame. One of the men was pointing her way, yelling. But she paid him no heed; her attention was focused on the one who stood within their midst like a revered Greek God.
Never had someone’s stare penetrated her core or their presence command her instant and complete attention. She could feel him reaching out to her, grasping her essence and claiming her spirit. Her heart flittered in her chest like a nervous butterfly, frantically trying to escape an invisible prison.
An innate feeling screamed that her destiny entwined with his. But she stubbornly denied it, refusing to believe such a farcical idea. A cry of alarm died in her throat as he slowly unsheathed his sword and took a threatening step toward the knoll. Not knowing which was more in danger, her life or her soul, Cheyenne turned and fled.
Half running, half sliding, she quickly made it down the hillside she’d climbed only moments before. Hearing voices behind her, Cheyenne pushed her body to move faster. Perhaps if she could make it to the forest, she could hide. It loomed ahead of her—growing closer, yet not close enough. Chancing to glance back over her shoulder, she immediately wished she hadn’t; the man’s towering seven-foot frame was cresting the hill. With a shriek of panic, she turned her attention back to the woods.
As she neared the seemingly impenetrable barrier of trees, she frantically searched for an entrance. Which way? Spying a narrow path, she rushed through the small opening, losing precious moments as she fought through the thick tangle of coiling vines and crowded brush.
The branches seemed to grab at her, trying to slow her escape. She could feel their sharp thorns biting into her exposed flesh, unmercifully ripping at her arms and legs. Angry red streaks appeared on her smooth skin as the forest seemingly came alive and attempted to devour her whole.
Something large crashed through the shrubs behind her. Then a man’s deep voice bellowed through the leaves. “Ahlte!” he demanded.
Cheyenne ignored the harsh command and kept on running, terrified of the angry tone and the source from which it came. A long string of colorful words impaled the air around her. The language was foreign, but her brain worked quickly, switching around letters and deciphering sounds into what strangely resembled English with a strong Scottish slang. Although his and’s were cut to an’, his ow’s and ou’s came out like oo, he left the letter g off his -ing’s, and practically disregarded h’s all together, she translated every word with startling clarity.
The man was cursing the foliage, the dense vegetation and hindering branches obviously not any less abusive to him than they were to her. For once in her life, Cheyenne was thankful for her petite stature. Seemed being small did have its advantages. She knew she could move through the tangled vines and dodge masses of undergrowth much easier than the giant who chased her.
But that was something she’d have to celebrate later. What his bulky frame lacked in agility was compromised for with brute strength. A quick backward glance confirmed he was charging through the flora behind her like a raging locomotive, leveling everything in his path and quickly closing the distance between them.
When Cheyenne came to an enormous wall of fallen trees and overrun plants, she paused only briefly to search for a way past the seemingly impassable doorway. Dropping to her knees, she crawled through a nearly invisible burrow. Then she was up and running again, allowing herself a smile of satisfaction as she imagined her pursuer’s progress coming to an instant halt.
***
Pertinent links:
Shannon Leigh
"Giving readers the O in their erOtica."
Shannon Leigh is a practicing registered nurse who graduated with a B.S.N. R.N. from the Indiana University School of nursing in May of 1996. She lives in Indiana with her husband, four sons, dog, and cat. Shannon likes to decorate cakes, scrapbook, draw, read, write, and watch movies.
Despite a hectic schedule, Shannon tries to dedicate a couple of hours every day to writing, usually sometime between the hours of 9 P.M. and 3 A.M., after everyone else is in bed. She likes to curl up on the couch with her laptop, a cup of hot tea, the cat, and become engrossed in her characters.
Along with reading other romance genres, Shannon loves suspense, fantasy, and horror, but paranormal fiction remains her favorite. She has several stories available at Amber Quill Press, Audio Lark, and Wild Child Publishing. While most involve some paranormal aspect, she has dabbled in contemporary, and more recently, science fiction. With such an active imagination, she always has something in works.
To find out more about Shannon’s writing and her published stories, please visit her website.
Shannon Leigh
http://shannonleigh.org
author_shannon_leigh@hotmail.com
It's been a pleasure to have you here today, Shannon, and I wish you success with all your releases! By the way, I totally agree with you about Gary's Dracula, but then anyone who knows me knows that man owns my heart! Have a comment or question for Shannon? Don't be shy, ask away! We'd love to hear from you!
Until next time, take care!
♥ Julie
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