trueromance

What’s DEMON about?
Azazel, the widowed former leader of the Fallen, has been prophesied to marry Lilith, the Queen of Demons. In order to break that prophecy Azazel decides to eliminate the demon. Instead he finds that Rachel doesn’t know or believe that she is, in fact, Lilith. He leaves the Fallen home base of Sheol and travels to a place called the Dark City to find answers—but he gets more than he bargained for!

Wait a sec—DEMON? I thought this series was about angels. Who’s the DEMON?
The demon is Lilith, the first wife of Adam, who got doomed to sleeping with monsters because she thought she was an equal to Adam and wanted to be on top during sex. (I’m not kidding!)

What is it about fallen angels that intrigues you? Why do they make such great heroes?
I’ve always loved the idea of Fallen Angels. Many many moons ago my favorite, now dead rock star had a backing band called the Fallen Angels. I like the idea of all that beauty crashing to the ground, tarnished and broken and yet still capable of redemption. I like the extremes of it.

Even though this is only Kristina Douglas’ second novel, you’ve actually written many books as Anne Stuart. Why the name change?
Oh, it’s fun to become somebody new. I tend to reinvent myself all the time (writing romantic suspense, series romance, historical romance, etc) and this time I just added a new name as well.

What will longtime Anne Stuart fans like about Kristina Douglas’ books?
They’ll like the dark hero, the intense sex, and the pacing. Those things tend to be standard in all the books I write.

What was your favorite scene to write in DEMON?
Oh, hell, it’s the sex scene in the middle! I’m twisted. I also loved the battle scene at the end — I haven’t written many action/battle scenes before.

What will readers like best about DEMON?
I think they’ll like the convoluted story, the shout-outs to folklore and the intensity of the relationship. I also love the physical feel of The Dark City and Sheol. The world of DEMON is very real to me.

Where do you come up with all this detail? Is it from the Bible?
Lilith has found her way into mythology and folklore since the beginning of time. Angels aren’t actually talked about that much in the bible, nor are they mentioned by name, particularly in the old testament (and I stayed well away from Christianity, because that would throw everything off). The apocryphal Book of Enoch has the most stuff about the Fallen Angels, some of which I used, some of which I twisted for my own use, plus I’ve been collecting books about fallen angels and the non-fallen kind for years. The internet also has some interesting details, like all the nasty stuff attributed to God in the Old Testament, stuff I blamed on Uriel.

In a contest between Raziel and Azazel, who’s the better fighter? And who’s the better lover?
I think Azazel could kick Raziel’s ass, because Azazel is more ruthless. As for who’s the better lover — they’re both equally incredible, given the right partner.

How is writing as Kristina Douglas different or similar than writing as Anne Stuart? Do you have a different “writing voice” in your head?
Kristina Douglas writes in first person, so she has a more casual, chatty voice. She can be snarky but never self-pitying, and she has a strong sense of humor, even when she’s stuck in dire circumstances.

What’s coming next for our sexy fallen angels?
WARRIOR comes next, the story of the Archangel Michael, the soldier angel. As the threat of Uriel comes closer Michael must obey a prophecy and marry the incarnation of the ancient Roman goddess Bellona, goddess of war. Neither Michael nor Tory (Victoria Bellona) think much of the idea, but they don’t have much choice. Much adventure ensues.

And about you:

What’s your favorite kind of book to read?
Depends on the book. I’m big on historicals, but I love romantic suspense and paranormals as well. Not so hot for women’s fiction — I like fantasy, sex and happy endings.

Where’s your ideal vacation destination?
I’m open-minded. Venice, England, Disney World, Lake Tahoe. Disney for the magic, the other places for beauty.

If you weren’t a bestselling novelist, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be a librarian or a linguist. I love words, different languages. It would have been fun to immerse myself in language. Then again, I guess I did.

Is there a story you’ve been dying to write, but haven’t?
WWII RAF pilot romance. I’ve had the plot for 20 years.

Tea or coffee?
Tab. Or Diet Coke.

Do you have any pets? Are you a dog person or a cat person?
At this point we have three cats, though we usually have a dog as well. I love them both. Sometimes I think I’m more a cat person, sometimes more a dog person. It’s pretty much 50/50.

Favorite movie/TV show/music?
Favorite movie is Miss Tatlock’s Millions, favorite TV show might be The Vampire Diaries, though I loved Guerrero on Hard Target. I love Fringe, and I wish Off the Map had gone with the right couple. And of course Buffy was the best ever. As for music — everything. Japanese rock, folk rock, opera. Richard Thompson is my god.

GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART by Teresa Medeiros

Since Borders Romance Buyer and True Romance host Sue Grimshaw and author Teresa Medeiros chat all the time on Twitter, we thought it would be fun to do our Borders interview about Teresa’s new “Twitter” novel GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART in tweets today!

@SueGrimshaw: So what is the setting for your very first women’s fiction novel GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART?
@TeresaMedeiros: My heroine Abby Donovan actually lives at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. It’s always been a personal fantasy of mine!
@SueGrimshaw: The idea of writing the book primarily in tweets is a groundbreaking one. Do you think you’re creating a new subgenre?
@TeresaMedeiros: I really consider the book women’s fiction because Mark and Abby’s tweets are framed with vignettes from Abby’s life.
@SueGrimshaw: What do you think is the difference between romance and women’s fiction?
@TeresaMedeiros: Romance focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between the hero and the heroine. In GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART, we see the effect of that relationship on one woman’s life.
@SueGrimshaw: Tell us about the heroine of GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART.
@TeresaMedeiros: When we first meet Abby, she’s a washed-up, semi-agoraphobic writer who has let the pressure of being chosen for Oprah’s book club freeze her creatively.
@SueGrimshaw: Do you think that would happen to you?
@TeresaMedeiros: Wouldn’t I love to find out?
@SueGrimshaw: What missing quality does Mark bring into Abby’s life after they start tweeting?
@TeresaMedeiros: Mark is smart and has a very self-deprecating sense of humor that Abby finds irresistible. He refuses to let her take herself (or anything) too seriously.
@SueGrimshaw: Can you sum up the book in one sentence?
@TeresaMedeiros: Can a couple who meet (and tweet) by chance find the love of a lifetime?
@SueGrimshaw: Out of all of their tweet exchanges, which one is your favorite?
@TeresaMedeiros: There’s a hilarious scene where Abby thinks she is Direct Messaging Mark (which would be private) but she accidentally sends something rather naughty to all her Followers.
@SueGrimshaw: Ouch! Anyone who has ever accidentally hit Reply to All could relate to that! Give us one thing Abby would never be caught dead doing or saying?
@TeresaMedeiros: I hate cats.
@SueGrimshaw: So is Mark a boxer or a brief kind of guy?
@TeresaMedeiros: Oh, definitely boxer! I’ve spent my entire career writing about the perfect fantasy man. Mark is more like the guy you’d actually end up marrying.
@SueGrimshaw: Who’s your favorite secondary character in the book?
@TeresaMedeiros: Abby’s friend Margo. She’s from Atlanta and can leave you sobbing on the floor with nothing more than a “God love her” or “Bless her little heart!”
@SueGrimshaw: Aside from tweeting, what is Abby’s favorite hobby?
@TeresaMedeiros: Going to Starbucks. (Just like me.)
@SueGrimshaw: And what would Mark’s favorite hobby be?
@TeresaMedeiros: Traveling! He tweets Abby from exotic locales all over the world. Oh, and keeping secrets because he has a secret that turns out to be a real game-changer for both he and Abby.
@SueGrimshaw: What you think readers will like best about this book?
@TeresaMedeiros: I’m already hearing from readers who said they read the book in one sitting and it made them laugh and cry. I can’t think of a higher compliment.
@SueGrimshaw: What else makes GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART special?
@TeresaMedeiros: It would be the perfect choice for a Book Club or Reader’s Group because I even included Discussion Questions in the back of the book.

If you could pick a contemporary actor to play a hero like Mark in a movie version of GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART, who would it be?

Two randomly chosen commenters in the U.S. and/or Canada will win a copy of GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART!

December is here & the Holiday’s are right around the corner — are you ready? Shopping done, cooking done, guest rooms ready? Me neither! But, I am ready to announce this weeks winners - congrats to everyone!

Monday w/Lorraine - Molly; Teri

Tuesday & Kathryn - CrystalGB; Kristi; Vanessa

Wednesday & Debbie - CindyL; LSUReader; Kimberly

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Maria - TraceyD

Thursday + Sophia - KayaH; Leagh

Friday w/Lumincello - Arlene; Sharon

Saturday’s winner with Cate: Heather

Please stop by this week for the following:

Today with Cathy Maxwell

Monday & Kate Perry

Zoe Archer is on Tuesday

Wednesday with Gayle

Thursday + Marjorie M Liu

Friday + Jo Goodman!

Saturday with Lavinia Kent

WHEW! Awesome week, don’t you think? Hope 2 C U on www.bordersblog.com/trueromance

Happy Holidays!
SueG