Interview and Giveaway with Paranormal Romance Author Jennifer Lyon

I'm very excited to have Jennifer Lyon with us today!  Jennifer is the author of the Wing Slayer Hunter series full of powerful witches and sexy alpha men, and she also contributed a story to the recent The Beast Within anthology.

Welcome, Jennifer!

1. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks so much for having me! I suppose that I am a frustrated witch. I was obsessed with BEWITCHED when I was a kid, but eventually had to accept that I was not going to wake up one day with magical powers! Then I discovered books, and they have a magic all their own. For a woman who wanted so desperately to be a witch, I live a very traditional life. I met my husband at the dog pound (that story cracks up my kids); we fell in love, married and have three terrific sons. When my kids were young, my husband went back to school to get his master’s degree, I began to wonder when I was going to pursue my own dream. And so I did, writing several books that never sold while learning the craft of writing and the business of publishing. Eventually, I sold the Samantha Shaw Mystery Series under my real name of Jennifer Apodaca. Jennifer Lyon is a pen name I use for my paranormal books.

2. Tell us a little about your Wing Slayer Hunter series. How many books are planned in the series?

I’m happy to tell you! This series was born out of my love for witches, except that in my world, I wanted men who were every bit as powerful in their own right as the witches. And I wanted these men to respect their mates, support their power, and not be threatened by it. A truly strong hero is never threatened by the strength of his woman. I try to live by that motto when I write.

From my website about the Wing Slayer Hunters:

Once they were immortal guardians; hunters of demon witches and protectors of innocent earth witches. For centuries, the hunters and witches worked together to safeguard earth from demons, in particular, Asmodeus.

And then a dark curse destroyed the bond, turning the ancient allies into enemies. For the blood and sex curse cast by demon witches caused witch hunters to crave the power contained in witch blood. If they give in and kill a witch to harvest her blood, they go rogue and forfeit their eternal souls.

The witches that once banished demons and assisted mortals, now have lost their familiars and high magic.

They must hide from the powerful men who once protected them, but now hunt them for their blood.

No one is left to stand between mortals and demons.

Until one group of witch hunters rises to become the guardians once more. With these words:

“I vow my allegiance to Wing Slayer, god of the witch hunters. I take the ancient oath of protection for the innocent and justice for the damned. And I swear to fight the curse to my death.”

They become…Wing Slayer Hunters

The only way to break the curse is for each hunter to find the witch who is his soul mirror. Each book is about the journey of the hunter and witch overcoming huge physical and emotional obstacles to fall in love while fighting against rogues, evil witches and the demon, Asmodeus.

Right now, I have eight books in my head for the series, but that’s very fluid and depends on the publisher. Four books have been written, two published in 2009, and two more are coming out next year. NIGHT MAGIC is Phoenix Torq’s story and will be out April 2011. SINFUL MAGIC is Key DeMicca’s story and should be out June 2011.

          

3. On your blog, you have regular posts featuring sexy photos of men who are "Wing Slayer Worthy". I love those posts! This is a two part question: First, what makes a man Wing Slayer worthy, and second, who is the most Wing Slayer worthy man out there now?

Thank you—we have a blast with the Wing Slayer Worthy segment on the blog! I think what makes it so much fun is that it’s all fantasy. We get enough of real life every single day, don’t we? So on the blog, we delve into the fantasy of these hot, sizzling, very alpha men!

For me, the pictures are fun, but true worthiness comes down to character. A man who supports his mate’s strengths, protects her, encourages her, loves her, and who will confront his own dark, desperate fears to win her love…those are the real qualities of Wing Slayer Worthy.

But going back to fantasy…hmm, the most Wing Slayer Worthy man out there? I’d have to say that Hugh Jackman as Wolverine because NO ONE can beat him on the blog!

4. You have a short story in the new anthology The Beast Within called "Redeeming the Wizard". What is the story about?

I had so much fun writing this story! Gage Remington was once a powerful wizard; now he's a recluse who keeps the world at bay. But when Mira Tate arrives at Gage's door demanding that he find her missing grandmother, she stirs in him an attraction he can't deny. Soon, Gage will risk everything to keep Mira close - even the secret that may be his ruin...

Gage finds true redemption in Mira—an average woman with no magic. But Mira does have a loving heart and an incredibly strong will. She will move heaven and earth—and blackmail a wizard--to find her grandmother.

5. What attracts you to the paranormal romance genre - writing about witches and wizards in particular?

Wow, I’ve never really thought about this. For me, the romance in paranormal is very powerful. The stakes are higher, the risks more dangerous and the characters have to fight so much harder for their mates. Additionally, I love men and women who either understand, or learn in the story, that with power comes responsibility and when faced with touch choices, they make the right one. The paranormal genre gives us so many ways to test the hero and heroine and reveal their true character.

6. In your opinion, what does the future hold for the paranormal romance genre?

If I were a witch, I’d know the answer! But my best guess is that it will continue to evolve and change with readers’ tastes. I don’t know if it can hold the popularity it has today. Right now, authors are still finding fresh, surprising and very emotional twists. Tomorrow? I just don’t know.

7. What are your writing quirks?

Coffee! And it’s a constant battle for my attention between email/Internet and work. The truth is that I don’t have too many quirks; it’s just a matter of staying focused and trying to find the story. Writing is hard, much harder than I imagined when I was unpublished and dreaming of a career as an author. I’m pretty sure that the agony, worry and sleepless nights are part of my absolute passion to tell the story, but it’s consuming and exhausting. Yet, I think all the anxiety makes finishing a book that much sweeter! And when readers tell me that they really connected with the characters and loved the story, I am absolutely thrilled.

Writing, particularly the Wing Slayer Hunter series, is like ripping out a piece of my soul, yet I love it more than anything else I could possibly do.

8. Besides writing, what are some of your other passions in life?

My family is my biggest passion. Reading, of course. Hanging out with friends either online or meeting for coffee. I always swear I’m going to find an interesting hobby so I have something to talk about—but I end up spending too much time writing books!

Oh! Wait I have another passion! I want a dog. My husband is a little less enthusiastic about the idea. This has turned into a hilarious battle. I refuse to get a dog until he wants one too—the family is involved, my friends, and people on my blog…and my husband puts up with all this “persuasion” with tremendous good humor. It’s one of the many reasons I love him, he truly has a great sense of humor. And I will get a dog eventually :-)

9. Where can reader find you on the web?

They can find me at my website http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/ including my blog http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/blog/ I’m also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Jennifer-Lyon/1492371836 and I send out updates to Twitter http://twitter.com/Jenniferlyon

10. What are your plans for Halloween this year? Do you have any traditions?

Well…do you think my witch –powers might show up? I keep waiting and Halloween seems like an excellent time for that to happen!

Thank you so much for being with us today, Jennifer!

Giveaway Details:

Jennifer has offered to give two commenters a copy of the anthology The Beast Within (signed by Jennifer)!  The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada.  To enter, leave a comment or question for Jennifer along with a way to contact you if you are one of the winners.  The contest is open until Monday, 10/4/2010, at 11:59 pm Central Time.  Good luck!