our sponsors

~ Cassandra Curtis ~

 

Cassandra Curtis started her writing career in grade school. She would illustrate and write colorful stories using magic markers, crayons and sheets from her alphabet tablet, and sell them to other school kids for a penny. While the venture didn’t make a lot of money, it did mean she could indulge her love of comic books.

An avid gardener and wildlife enthusiast, she enjoys the magick found in nature. Her interests include: art, antiques, astronomy, folklore, mythology, genealogy, music, eastern philosophy and collecting magickal artifacts.

Welcome to Sensual Reads and Reviews, Cassandra. May I say what a pleasure it is to speak with you today.

Likewise.

I see from your biography that you used to be a reporter. Did you feel that it was a natural progression to become a  writer?

The process is similar, although the style is not. I think a lot of journalists have a manuscript hidden in a desk drawer or in a folder on their computer, just waiting for their chance. After all, news items spark many an inspired novel. So, yes, I think becoming an author was for me a natural progression.

I note that you write for the esteemed publishing house, Amber Quill Press. How did it feel when you had a story chosen as a winner, in one of their yearly contests?

Once I accepted that I had truly won, I was elated. Cup of Fate was my very first story, my first try at erotic romance, and will always hold a special place in my heart. I love working with my editor at Amber Quill. In fact, I dedicated my last book to her and her husband.

I also see that you are a very busy lady and have a vested interest in the Midnight Moon Cafe. Can you tell us about your involvement with this site?

Tempest Knight asked if I'd like to join a new group author blog and website she was forming with some other authors. When I found out the focus would be on paranormal romance and the paranormal things we loved, I jumped at the chance. I saw a great deal of potential.

Tempest and I do all of the Midnight Brew interviews. I coordinate most of the contests, games and prizes, although both Cora and Tempest have a hand in some of the contests and prizes, too. We all brainstorm ideas to make MMC a place readers will want to return to for fun, games, hot men, neat information and cool interviews with paranormal authors.

Our one year anniversary is fast approaching (this July), so the Midnight Moon Cafe has a lot of fun surprises in store for our readers.

We write short story freebies from time to time, for our readers to download. Those are available on our website.

Along with those, we also post Flash Fiction Fridays every so often. I've written a fair share of them.

We also post about special customs, holidays and traditions that have a tie to the paranormal.

It helps that we all have so much in common in regard to likes and dislikes...makes for very smooth group dynamics. :)

You have a keen interest in the paranormal, Cassandra. What is it that draws you so much to this genre?

I've always been attracted to the odd and inexplicable, to myths and legends. Some of my earliest memories are of my mum and her sisters,
telling me about my ancestors, the family folklore, teaching me all about gardening, herbs, the spirituality of nature, and the natural path of my hereditary tradition. I also learned to read tea leaves, do tarot, hydromancy and other forms of divination. I've lived in haunted houses, investigated strange occurrences, and studied most of the magickal systems...both the known and the hidden. It seemed quite natural to me, to write within a paranormal framework.

Did I mention my mum is British? My maternal family tree is equal parts Brit, Scots, Welsh and Irish. Of course, it means when I visit the "rellies" overseas, I have a bit of traveling back and forth once I get there. :)

Can you tell us which of your heroines is most like yourself?

Without a doubt, it's Terri from Beneath A Midnight Sea, book one in my Shifting Tides series. She has a quirky sense of humor, is resigned to her family's oddities and eccentricities, and loves them despite it. Of course, we don't physically resemble each other, but in many ways she has the feisty spirit of a redhead. She's also smart enough to go after what she wants once she makes her mind up and won't take no for an answer. I prefer not to think of it as being stubborn.

Do you ever fall in love with your own heroes? And if so, which hero to date is your favorite creation?

I fall for each of my heroes a little bit. If I didn't, I wouldn't want to spend  my time writing their stories. I admit I have a soft spot for Sebastian, the hero of my ebook, I Put A Spell On You. Of all my heroes to date, I'd have to say my favorite is Peter Varien, from my current work in progress, Shifting Tides: Song of The Sea. He's sort of a throwback to Harrison Ford's early but memorable film roles. You know, the handsome bad boy who is a loner until he meets the heroine.

Could you tell us a little about your latest release?

Shifting Tides: Beneath A Midnight Sea is about a young woman who hasn't found her "Mr. Right" and isn't sure such a being even exists. She's under a lot of pressure to find him though from her mother. She gets talked into attending a workshop on flirting and is embarrassed to find herself at the supermarket learning how to fondle
cucumbers. Her night goes from bad to worse to surreal when her mother's best friend spots her at the market, then she arrives home to find a stranger washed ashore behind her beach house, naked and bleeding. He seems the physical embodiment of her Mr. Right, and there's serious chemistry between them. Could Destin be her gift from the sea? All she knows is he is one gift she isn't returning!

When not writing, how do you relax?

I love to putter in my garden. There is something soothing about digging your bare hands in the warm soil, nurturing plants and encouraging them to grow. Reconnecting with nature is healing.

What would you say are your three passions in life?

Oh, that's a tough one. I have many passions. Writing, gardening and probably collecting. I have quite an extensive library of occult books, curios and artifacts.

Can you tell our readers about any WIPs that you are currently working on?

I am in the process of polishing the second book in my Shifting Tides series. The book is entitled Song of The Sea. Here's a quick blurb:

When a mafia don's errant bride-to-be goes missing, Peter Varien gets the task of finding her. Varien, an ex-cop turned private eye, needs the cash and takes the job, despite the warning bells going off in his head and his own disgust at working for the mob.

He manages to track her down to a packed, seedy nightclub in Kansas City, belting out jazzy torch songs with the boys in the band. She is every man's wet dream, every man's desire, with a body born of sin and a voice that enthralls men,  putting them under a sexual spell.

But it's a spell he's determined not to fall for.

Vivilyn Ondine is having the time of her life, given the power over men through song, she enjoys teasing them with the playful control she wields
as a sea siren.

She's never fallen in love, never truly surrendered–until now.

Peter and Vivilyn are in a race against time, and must join forces to defeat a deadly enemy who is much more than he seems.

And finally Cassandra, what are your hopes and dreams for the next 12 months as far as your writing is concerned?

I have a couple of projects in the works, which I hope to contract for print publication in the near future. And I do have an itch to write something I've never tried before. Perhaps a naughty sci-fi comedy?

Thank you so much for joining us today Cassandra. It has been a pleasure talking with you.

 And with you.




Interview conducted by Deborah Kimpton
Sensual Reads & Reviews
June 2007


 

Paid Advertising

Sensual Reads and Reviews 2006  © All Rights Reserved
This site is best viewed with a 1024 x768 Screen Resolution
Services by Moonglade Marketing a division of Moonglade Designs