Interview & Giveaway with J.T. Geissinger

Hi J.T., Welcome to Anna's Book Blog! I'm glad to have you here.

Thanks so much for having me!

To start off can you tell the readers a little about yourself? 
Well, I’m a bookaholic for one thing! I love to read and typically read 2-3 books a week when I’m not under deadline. I come from a family of readers; most evenings when I was growing up consisted of dinner then everyone going to their separate corners to bury their nose in a book. I also love to eat and drink and get together with friends; a perfect day for me would consist of sleeping in, a big lunch somewhere near the ocean involving multiple cocktails and good company, a long nap, a big dinner somewhere downtown involving multiple cocktails and good company, then enjoying live music with friends. (This has never actually happened, unfortunately, but it’s something to strive for!)

Shadow's Edge is your newest release, can you tells us a little about it?
Shadow’s Edge is the first installation of the Night Prowler Novels, a paranormal romance/urban fantasy series about the Ikati, an ancient race of shape shifters that originated in Africa and spawned the cat-worship culture that thrived there thousands of years ago. They’ve settled in small, secret colonies around the world and have a system of iron-clad laws that punish traitors and deserters with death. In Shadow’s Edge, we follow Jenna Moore—daughter of one of the tribe’s most notorious deserters who’s been raised in ignorance about her past—as she discovers the truth about her roots and is plunged head-first into a world she had no idea existed when a handsome stranger shows up offering her answers about her mysterious past. It’s a blend of suspense, action and of course, romance.

What is your writing day like?
It varies. If I’m writing in the morning, it’s up at 5 or 5:30 and straight to the computer in my bathrobe before I’ve even had coffee, where I’ll sit for a few hours then take a break. If I write in the evening, it takes longer to settle into the “zone” because the details of the normal day are distracting to the writing process. Sunday mornings are my favorite because I have so many ideas that come to me in that half-sleep haze of sleeping in. I’ll get a bunch of ideas going then jump up and run to the computer. I try and write at least 1000 words a day, which is roughly 4-5 pages of a manuscript.

When you’re not writing what kind of books do you like to read?
Anything and everything. Literally. Biographies, literary fiction, erotica, history, textbooks…you name it, I’ll read it. A few years ago I went on a classics binge and made it from the Illiad to Ulysses before I realized I much prefer contemporary fiction and gave it up. Right now I’m in a romance phase which ironically I’ve never read much of before.

What are 3 things that are "must haves" for you when you sit down to write a book?
Absolute silence. My contact lenses. A cat purring somewhere nearby.

If you could give your lead characters one piece of advice, what would it be?
Read “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” by John Gray. It would really help them understand one another better. Actually it’s good advice for anyone in a relationship.

What inspired you the most when writing Shadow’s Edge?
The idea of shape-shifting panthers was inspired by a beautiful stray cat that wandered into my life a few years ago. She looks like a mini panther and seems to be able to disappear at will. I’ve always been a cat person so I started thinking about how cats were really under-represented in shape-shifter lore and then I developed a mythology that tied into the cat worship culture of ancient Egypt. There’s a ton of werewolves etc. but very few cats or panthers so I loved writing about what felt like a fresh take on shape-shifters.

What do you love most about writing paranormal romance?
I love making up stories where literally anything can happen, even if it’s not viable in real life. My imagination really comes into play in building fantasy and paranormal worlds. I’m not much of a rule follower, so I love breaking the rules of “reality” and creating my own.

If you can, tell us what is next for you?
I’m currently writing book three of the Night Prowler series, and book two, Edge of Oblivion, will be released in October of this year. I’m planning on a total of six books in the series and we’ll see what happens after that!

SHADOW'S EDGE

Night Prowler #1
By J.T. Geissinger

Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a race of beautiful, savage shape-shifters lives hidden from the everyday world. Bound together by ancient bloodlines and a ruthless code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death, the Ikatisend their leader Leander on a mission to capture one raised outside the tribe before she can expose their secret. When Leander tracks the unsuspecting outsider to Southern California, the hardened warrior is prepared for a fight—but not for the effect the sensual young beauty has on his heart.

Jenna spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone—or something—her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her father’s mysterious disappearance, not since her mother’s sudden death, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. When handsome, enigmatic Leander appears, promising answers to the mysteries that shroud her past, she knows she shouldn’t trust him either. But their connection is undeniable, and as powerful as the enemy hell-bent on destroying every one of their kind…

Read an excerpt of Shadow's Edge here.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to J.T. I have a copy of Shadow's Edge to giveaway. There were be one winner. Open to Everyone. If the winner is from US/CA you'll receive a paperback copy. If it ends up being an international winner you'll receive a digital copy. To enter leave a comment along with your email address. The winner will be announced on August 23rd. Good Luck!