Interview/Giveaway with Ashlyn Chase

I'm excited to welcome Ashlyn Chase to my blog today. Writing book Paranormal and Erotica she has many books under her belt, but her latest book is the first in a new series, Strange Neighbors.

Hi Ashlyn, Welcome to Anna's Book Blog! I'm glad to have you here. To start off can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

Sure…that’s not an intimidating question at all! (snicker) In my bio, I describe myself as an Almond Joy bar—a little nutty, a little flaky, but basically sweet. That pretty much describes my personality—and maybe my life.

When I graduated from high school, I was going to be the next great artist, ‘discovered’ right out of Mass College of Art, exhibiting in New York galleries, rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

When I suddenly realized I’d have to get a j-o-b, I went to nursing school. I worked as a nurse for twenty years, but always found creative hobbies to keep that side of me happy. I should have known way back in high school that I was destined to become a writer. I loved my creative writing class and got my one and only A+ from my senior English teacher—and he was tough. Ah well…Only a few decades later, I discovered that George Eliot was right when he said, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

Strange Neighbors is your latest release, can you tells us a little about it?

Well, as I mentioned, I went to Mass College of Art. I lived in Boston, in the very neighborhood I wrote about. To me, the building itself is one of the main characters…and the only “character” that figures prominently in all of the stories in the series.

I used a fake address, of course, but if it existed, it would have been very close to where I actually lived. If you try to visit 496 Beacon Street, you’ll find yourself in the middle of Mass. Ave. Don’t do that! It’s a very busy intersection, and Boston drivers aren’t known for their courtesy. Why did I populate the building with a bunch of paranormal misfits? Why not? It’s fun.

What is your writing day like?

I get up at the crack of dawn. My husband works in Boston, so his commute from New Hampshire begins early. I wake up with coffee in hand, watching the local news, and when fully conscious I go to my office upstairs to work. I usually answer email first, but that’s often a mistake. I try to be writing by 9 a.m. For some weird reason, I just can’t jump on the treadmill and wake up there, then write my book and sometime in the afternoon, answer email. I’ll keep working on it.

When you’re not writing what kind of books do you like to read?

I love to read the genres I write. Paranormal, romantic comedy, chic-lit, erotic romance, but lately I’ve been enjoying the occasional historical romance. I blame my critique partner Emily Bryan for that. She writes awesome historical romances. I’ll bet you’re wondering if I’m planning to write any historicals...You never know. The ghost of an eighteenth century nanny might possess me and demand I write her story. Hey, it happens.

Which Authors have influenced you the most?

Diana Gabaldon was the first romance writer I ever read. I was going through a terrible time in my life with two terminally ill parents, and a fellow nurse shoved a book at me and said, “Here. Read this.” She didn’t tell me it was a romance, and I’m glad. I would have politely refused. I was born into an intellectual family, and those books were beneath us for some reason. (I still don’t know why.) I didn’t realize I was reading a romance until well into the sequel! All I knew was this wonderful, brilliantly written story about an intelligent, modern woman provided me with hours of healthy escapism, exactly when I needed it. Since then, many authors have come into my life. Annette Blair is one of the major influences where my career is concerned.

Out of all the heroes you have written about, do you have a favorite?

I love them all for different reasons. But most of them are heroic when it comes to putting up with their heroines’ antics and loving them so much they won’t desert them, no matter what kind of trouble they get themselves into. I’m not saying it’s always the hero who saves the day…no damsels in distress for this author. Sometimes it’s the heroine who saves herself by being smart, not muscular. And it’s not always the heroine causing trouble. In one of my novella’s Being Randy, the shapeshifting coyote hero is the culprit.

Are there any real life people that have inspired the characters in your series?

So far, only one…and she knows who she is. In fact, she thinks it’s hilarious. My friend Dalton Diaz was relating her tale of woe to a group of writers—about how she attended her town’s Founder’s Day fair, fell into a hole and twisted her ankle. Then she was further mortified when the cute EMT’s kicked the kids off the display ambulance and carted her off to the hospital. A mutual friend of ours teased her saying, “If you weren’t so top-heavy, you wouldn’t have fallen over.” That became the inspiration for my comedy, Heaving Bosoms. Moral of the story…be careful what you say in front of writers.

If you lived in a building full of paranormal creatures, which would like as a neighbor?

Oh, man! What a scary and great question. First of all, I’m not sure my current neighbors aren’t a family of vampires. They keep all the windows covered and have only been seen out at night. You do the math! If I had my preference, I’d say…whoever could wave a wand and grant my fondest wishes. My fairy Godmother, I guess? Maybe a genie? One who took a liking to me and didn’t play tricks, like the genie in my short story Djinn and Tonic.

You write both Erotica and Paranormal Romance, do you find one easier to write than the other?

Writing anything presents its challenges. But I’d say because I write comedy (which is probably the hardest) and combining it with erotic romance (also an ordeal,) there’s a high level of difficulty in most of what I do. But I never took the easy way in my life. An elderly female writer (I can’t remember her name, darn it) said that to be a writer, you must be fearless. That means you have to try not to care what other people think, you have to stick to your guns and write what matters to you, and you have to risk putting yourself out there, knowing that someone will wonder—Oh my goodness, did she do that with a vampire?

What are 3 things that are "must haves" for you when you sit down to write a book?

Something to drink…water, soda or coffee, not wine. I need to concentrate. That and my glasses are very important. A computer or lap top is nice too. Sure, I can write long-hand…if I want writer’s cramp and misspelled words.

What is up next? Will Strange Neighbors lead into a series?

Yes, book two is already complete, and has a working title of The Werewolf Next Door, and will be in stores in February 2011. After that, I’ll finish the third one, which I’m writing right now.

Thanks for the interview, Anna! I hope you enjoy reading Strange Neighbors as much as I
enjoyed writing it.

STRANGE NEIGHBORS
BY ASHLYN CHASE
IN STORES JUNE 2010

He’s looking for peace, quiet, and a little romance…
There’s never a dull moment when hunky all-star pitcher and shapeshifter Jason Falco invests in an old Boston brownstone apartment building full of supernatural creatures. But when Merry MacKenzie moves into the ground floor apartment, the playboy pitcher decides he might just be done playing the field…

A girl just wants to have fun…
Sexy Jason seems like the perfect fling, but newly independent nurse Merry’s not sure she’s ready to trust him with her heart…especially when the tabloids start trumpeting his playboy lifestyle.

Then pandemonium breaks loose and Merry and Jason will never get it together without a little help from the vampire who lives in the basement and the werewolf from upstairs…

About the Author
A multi-published, award-winning author, Ashlyn Chase specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. Among her many day jobs, she has worked as a psychiatric nurse, run blood drives for the Red Cross, and now uses her degree in behavioral sciences to avoid writing exhaustive character sketches. She lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire. For more information, please visit http://ashlynchase.com/.

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Giveaway:

Thanks to Sourcebooks I have 2 copies of Strange Neighbors to giveaway. To enter leave a comment along with and email address. Open to U.S. and Canada. Winners will be announced on June 19th.