Author Spotlight- Anne Bourne-Blue Moon

Anne, thank you for being my guest author today.

Thank you for the interview!

There are many paranormal romances out there featuring demons, angels, werewolves and vampires, but a mermaid? Tell us more about your debut novel, Blue Moon?

Well, I like to call it Gladiator under water. It’s about a mermaid, Ephyra, who has to hide on land as a human to escape a warlord who’s taking over her realm. Once on land she has to learn lessons quickly and is aided by a human man, Gabriel. Ephyra is looking for a beast to fight the warlord under the rules of engagement, but what she doesn’t realize is he’s right under her nose. Gabriel becomes the Champion and has to decide if he loves Ephyra enough to die for her.

Sounds very intriguing and awesome! I’ve already bought it for my Kindle. Smiles. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your hero and heroine?

Ephyra’s strength is her determination to save her realm from destruction and her heart. She’s a very intense person and that in turn is her weakness. She loves so deeply even when she knows there’s a slim chance she could be with Gabriel.

Gabriel’s strength is his commitment and unwavering passion no matter the odds. He’s a believer in love and devoted to doing the right thing. His weakness in this book is that he’s human. A war under the water can’t be fought very well in a human body so you’ll have to see what happens to him!

That does sound very Gladiator-like. Russell Crowe was so sexy. And I love sword-wielding men and women. What is it you like about your characters that will have readers falling in love with them?

I think Ephyra and Gabriel embody the essence of love triumphing over everything, even a species barrier. They are strong individually and able to stand alone, but they also compliment each other when they’re together.

Love triumphing over everything is a great theme in romance. Tell us about your journey to publication? How long did it take? Did you always want to be a published author?

I’ve been writing stories since I can remember. In fourth grade my present for my teacher was a book I’d written and illustrated. The path to publication has been a long one. I’d say over fifteen years, and I did always want to be published. Those dreams got pushed aside for years until one day I decided either I was a writer or I wasn’t, and I finished the books I’d started but never finished.

On your blog, you mentioned the possibility of self-publishing, but instead you got the call from Crimson Romance. How did you hear about Crimson Romance and what made you decide to submit to them?

I was researching romance publishers and sent them a query. I thought Crimson sounded  interesting because they are a relatively new sub-branch of a bigger company and were taking unsolicited manuscripts, so for a new author it was perfect.

Are you currently working on new material? If so, can you share?

I have currently finished my second romance novel about Greek goddesses. I also write science fiction fantasy so I have a novella and a novel in process in that genre. Those are more about dystopian societies and the supernatural coming back to earth.

Do you have a daily routine? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

My routine is, unfortunately, sporadic, since I’ve been between jobs and juggle distance between my fiancé and friends. I write the best at night currently and I have been leaning more towards plotting and doing a cursory outline before I write. But in general, I usually just write until I get to the end. There’s a lot of revision any way you do it! =)

I’m a huge fan of Resident Evil. Yes, I know, terrible acting and cheesy plotlines. But if your characters could rescue someone other than each other, who would they choose and why?

I think Gabriel would rescue his dog if he didn’t have to save Ephyra (haha). Most dog people will agree they are such an integral part of life and Gabriel has a yellow lab who is oh-so-cute! I don’t talk about it much in the book but it’s implied he relies on Dag for companionship since he lives alone.

I think Ephyra might rescue her parents since they are an unfortunate consequence of the war. She is torn between royal responsibility and just plain family loyalty. If she saved them it would also free her to fall in love a lot easier because they’d be running the realm and she wouldn’t have to!

Anne, thank you for being here. Wishing you lots of sales and here’s sending you virtual chocolates and flowers!