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Jul 12 2010

Author: Shiela Stewart

It’s my pleasure to introduce to you, Shiela Stewart

Janice: Shiela, please tell us about yourself?


Shiela: I’ve been married to the same wonderful man for nearly 25 years. Together we have three children ages, 22, 18 and15. I am an animal lover, which shows in the three cats, one dog, five fish and three turtles invading my house. I grew up on a farm with cows, chickens, pigs, horses, dogs and cats so that might explain my love of animals. If I could take in every stray I saw on the street or in the local Shelters I damn well would. LOL

Aside from my love for animals, I love to draw, paint, crotchet, and knit. I’ve painted several murals on walls of my house including a huge dragon for my husband. I love to take long walks with my husband, and watch scary ghost stories with my daughter.

Janice:You sound very creative. Kudos on the 25 years of marriage, that’s saying a lot for this day and age.

When did you start writing?


Shiela:I started writing at a very young age. I’ve always had a vivid imagination and loved to regale my cousins and friends with stories I created in my mind. In my teens I wrote love poems, and mixed witches, ghosts, demons and killers with love stories, not realizing there were actually books written by authors in the same caliber. It wasn’t until I picked up a Nora Roberts book that I realized what I wrote wasn’t so farfetched after all.

After years of compiling story after story, my husband encouraged me to try and get them published. Dozens of rejection letters and a year later my first book, Kidnapped, was published.

Janice: Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

Shiela:I would have to say one person who started it would be my sister Nancy, who first introduced me to V.C. Andrews and Stephen King novels. Another person who was a big influence in me and still is would be my husband. Without his faith and belief in me, I wouldn’t be here today.

Janice: Your hubby sounds like a wonderful man.


How do you go about your writing? Do your prefer pencils to pens or is it all straight computer work?

Shiela:When I first got started, I worked with pencil and paper. My hands would cramp up from writing which I did practically ten hours every day. I had so many thoughts and ideas running through my head that I could barely keep up. I have a box of manuscripts yet to me typed out on my computer, sitting in my basement. Now, well, everything I do is on the computer. I don’t know what I ever did without my laptop. LOL

Janice: I’m with you there. I know I love my laptop.


What influences you in your writing? Music, movies, reading, or straight research?

Shiela:Music is definitely a big influence. I have to have music going while I write and it has to have a good hard thumping beat. I mainly listen to dance, hard rock and electronic music when I work.

Janice: When do you write morning or evening, or are you a late into the wee hours of the morning person?

Shiela:Whenever inspiration strikes I’ll write, but mostly I write during the day when the house is all mine and everyone is at work or school. My best time to write though is late at night. For some reason, my brain is more creative at night and its then that I come up with a lot of my horror and mystery themes.

Janice: I imagine late at night its nice and spooky, and it helps you set the mood for your stories.


Who in charge you or your muse?

Shiela:I am. No one, not even my muse, tells me what I can and can’t do. LOL

Janice: Good for you.


Use only one word to describe your writing style? Or at least what you want your readers to take away from your writing.


Stimulating.

Janice: Ooh, good one.


What influenced your recent book, the one you are promoting here today?

Shiela: Consuming the Darkness came into creation by the title. While working on the previous book in my Darkness series, my editor sent the file back to me, titled, Consuming the Darkness, when it should have been, Charming the Darkness. The instant I saw that title the story flew into my head. I had three other books to complete before I could get Consuming rolling and those were the longest days of my life.LOL
Consuming is the eighth book in the series and takes place after the sunlight has returned to Jacobs Cove. Where the first six books deal with vampires taking over the city of Jacobs Cove after a spell is cast to blot out the sun, Consuming deals with life after the sun returns and not entirely about vampires.

~*~
Consuming the Darkness: Bk 7 in the Darkness series by Shiela Stewart



Blurb:
He needs your heart to live.

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.


Jul 8 2010

Thursday’s Thirteen: Tea

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In my book, Windswept Shores, my couple Seth and Megan drink tea when they can.

Here’s an excerpt:
Megan gave Seth a cup of weak, unsweetened tea. Into another beat-up cup, she poured hot water from a blackened pot, setting in the same used tea bag. With a nod of satisfaction, she went to an old battered bucket and washed the dish.

Seth finished his tea. The warmth of the liquid and the chowder seeped through his body. His breath caught when he felt his strength return. He stood and carried the dishes to her. After handing over his cup and plate, he smiled down at her, hoping to show his appreciation in his eyes.

“You’re feeling stronger,” she said, her matter-of-fact tone hiding her thoughts.

He grunted, thinking she ought to have thanked him for saving her the work of getting the plates. His jaw set, he turned to walk away.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Off to the bog to leave an offering.” When Megan gave him a blank look, he added, “Call of nature.”

“Oh, it’s that way.” She pointed with her chin. “Just follow the rope.”

Seth ambled over where she indicated. He soon spotted a line made from torn cloth strips. He followed it till he came to an old crate with a crudely cut hole in the top. He studied it for a moment then decided it was a dunny. Tacked to the side was another basket containing several water-damaged magazines. Reading material, while I have a squat? Some pages were torn out. Improvised TP, clever girl. Tied to a nearby tree was a child’s beach bucket filled with water, a small towel, and a crudely made “soap-on-a-rope”—all the conveniences of home.

For some reason that made him feel better. For the first time since he had washed-up on this windswept shore, he relaxed.

~*~

Here’s thirteen teas that Seth and Megan wished they had:

1. Ooglong tea: its what you usually get served in Chinese restaurants. I love this tea, its nice full bodied with just enough caffeine in it to give it a bit of a kick.

2. Jasmine Tea: Aromatic and tasty. When I drink this tea I always think of the flowing vines growing in my garden.

3. English Breakfast tea: My sister gave me this for Christmas one year. It has probably as much caffeine in it as coffee does. This tea tastes great and it will wake up up in the morning. Warning: do not drink this of an evening, you won’t sleep all night.

4. Earl Gray: Not my one of my favorite teas, because of its bitterness. But I had to try it because Captain Pecard always drank it, lol.

5. Green tea: You hear a lot about green tea these day; how good it is for you, how it lowers your blood pressure and helps with weight loss. But darn it, its hard to find a good tasting green tea without lemon ruining it. I like my green tea sans lemon, thank you very much.

6. Oujicha: This is my new favorite. It brews a brownish liquid, but it is still green tea. Houjicha is produced by roasting Bancha or Kukicha over high heat. The result is a savory tea full bodied tea, which has that necessary caffeine in it so I can wake up.

7. Chamomile: This one is great if have an upset tummy or a headache. It made from small white flowers that look similar to daisys. Aromatic and soothing, especially if you don’t feel well. Probably a good hang over tea.

8. Chai Tea: This one reminds me of the a taste of a cookie. A sweet dark tea loaded with caffeine.

9. Peppermint: a great one if you have an upset tummy and it tasty too, but no caffeine.

10. Constant Comment: Spicy, bitter with a dash of orange rind. Yuck. Not on my list of teas to drink, but I had to add it.

11. Black Berry Rum: Full body, sweet and fruity. I love this tea. The only thing wrong with it is–I can’t find it anymore. 😦

12. Lipton Tea: Not a tea drinker tea, but I like it. Probably because I like tea with a lot of caffeine in it. And lets face it, caffeine makes tea or anything else bitter. But I use sugar too, lol.

13. White Tea: I haven’t actually tried this tea yet, but I am intrigued. the leaves of white tea are harvested before they are fully opened. Indeed, the name “white tea” is derived from the fine white hair that covers the uppermost tender buds of the plant. For this reason, white tea is sometimes referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of the tea family. Hmm? Roll Royce? Sounds good to me.

This week’s contest is easy, again just guess the winning number, between 1-25, for a mouse pad with my cover couple on it.

Jun 27 2010

Work in progress

I’m working on my website and merging it to wordpress.

I’ve also updated the theme. I tried for a playful look.

Please tell me how I did. I love feed back!

Jun 7 2010

And the Winner is . . .

The drawing for the contest to celebrate my book launch is today!
Checking over my list and writing out the names.
Twenty-four names went into my hubby’s Aussie hat.
He isn’t an Aussie, he just has the hat.
My nephew Bobby (hubby’s side) came by for a visit, so I enlisted his aide.
And the winner is . . .
Jane!
Jane can you please get in touch with me, so I can get your prizes to you?
And also let me know if you want the OutBack Steakhouse $25 gift certificate,
 or the one for Pink Petal books?
May 27 2010

Thursday’s Thirteen: Aussie Slang

In my first book, Windswept Shores, which will be out in 6/3/2010, in a week, my hero Seth is an Aussie. So of course I have him speak with a lot of slang or what they call in Austrilia strine.

Here is thirteen Aussie slang words, in no particular order: (And yes this is a repost, but don’t let that stop you for leaving a comment.)

 

  2. G’day–good day, a greeting. Usually conbine with . . .
  3. Mate–a buddy, or best friend, or someone you just met and don’t know their name yet, and you greet them with “G’day, mate.”
  4. Your shout–if you value your life, you will buy the next round of drinks.
  5. Brekky–the first meal of the day.
  6. Tea–the last meal of the day.
  7. Bloke–a man who you don’t know.
  8. Shelia–a woman, but its old and not use a lot anymore except by . . .
  9. Oldies–your parents, or old folks. Used by those under seventeen for anyone over the age of twenty.
  10. Chook–chicken, yes the kind that clucks.
  11. College–a private school, usually High School not collage in states or . . .
  12. Uni–University, or what we call collage in the states.
  13. Tucker–food, that stuff you tuck into your belly or tucker sack.
  14. Owsyerottenbleedinluckeh–Thought to be the longest word in the Austrialian language, it translates as things are not turning out as planed.
Apr 6 2010

A dark and scary night. A true story.

A dark and scary night. A true story.

by Janice Seagraves

It really is true, and it just happened Saturday night.

I was reading a book, rain pitter-patted outside and thunder rolled in the distance. While I reached an intense part of my paranormal novel (the heroine was getting chased around by a demon), I heard . . .

Boom, boom, boom against the security door.

I gasped, my eyes darting to the window.

A pair of bright yellow eyes stared back at me.

I clutched the arm of my couch in panic. My heart hitting a painful rhythm against my rib cage.

“Who-who’s there?” I asked in a shaking voice, feeling like I had just swallowed a lump of ice.

V

V

V

V

V

V
Meow.

Oh, crap. It’s just the cat.