Latest Book: In August 2012 Therian Secrets 1 – THE MERCENARY was released. In June/July this year it will be re-released with a brand new cover! Not only that but Therian Secrets 2 – THE FURY is also due out then. Two books within 6-8 weeks!
Buy Link: (old cover)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mercenary-Therian-Secrets-Johanna/dp/1458205282/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366484891&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mercenary+johanna+rae
BIO:
A shy girl from a small town in New Zealand that never quite seemed to fit in, Johanna had more imagination than she knew what to do with and learned to immerse herself in a good book at a very young age. Not good at sports and an only child for the first eight years of her life, Johanna started concocting stories and dreaming up whole new worlds to while away the hours. As she got older, she made it her goal to get published and tell her stories to others. Now married with three young children, it has been a challenge to juggle her writing with the commitments of her growing family but Johanna has now achieved that goal with her poetry book, two short story publications and paranormal romance series.
Q: What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
A: In every piece I’ve written the beginning has given me the most stress. Often I will begin writing somewhere in the middle instead, trying to get the scenes that are prominent in my mind onto the page first. Then I’ll go back and link everything together. The beginning and the end often come last in my order of creation.
Q: Do you eat comfort food when writing? If so, what food inspires your imagination?
A: No, I do not have a comfort food. However, I am caffeine dependent. I’ve found that if I don’t sit down with a fresh cup of coffee when I’m about to write, the words don’t come as easily. The same goes for music. If I don’t put on the appropriate playlist for what I’m working on, I find that I get very distracted.
Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: In addition to my writing, I’m also an artist. I enjoy sketching and painting among other media, though sketching is my preference. I’ve drawn/sketched a huge variety of subjects but I would have to say that portraiture is my favorite. Another hobby of mine is cooking, I feel very at home in the kitchen.
Q: What’s your strongest point as a writer?
A: I’ve been told that I have a way with dialogue. A writing supplement I read a long time ago suggested that dialogue should be kept to a minimum but I have found my style refuses to comply with that! I’m a character driven author, therefore my characters have difficulty in keeping quiet when I’m trying to tell my stories.
Q: What genre would you like to try writing in but haven’t yet done so? Why?
A: So far most of what I have written both published and unpublished has been either romance and/or some version of paranormal. I would love to try my hand at the horror/thriller genre. I also have it as a future goal to publish one of my fantasy ideas that I have in my “work in progress” folder.
Q: Facebook, MySpace, Blogs, Chats, or Twitter. Which do you like best and why?
A: Facebook would have to be my first choice. Despite the frequent technological glitches every time there is an update, I like how it works and I’ve found that it is here I have the most contact and following from my readers.
Author page - http://www.facebook.com/johannamrae
Series page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Therian-Secrets
Blog – http://www.johannamrae.blogspot.co.nz/
Web page – http://www.johannarae.com/
Twitter - @JohannaMRae
Lazy Beagle Entertainment - http://www.lazybeagleentertainment.com
Also on Goodreads!
BLURB:
When twenty-three-year-old Jodie Fletcher realizes shape-shifters are real-and that they're trying to kill her-she finds herself thrust into a life of danger and unimaginable intrigue. With her parents away and her alcoholic and newly single brother, Luke, camped in her spare bedroom, Jodie feels like she's drowning in a world she doesn't understand. The only thing she can count on is the leopard who has apparently taken it upon himself to protect her. She cannot ignore the raw emotion he awakens in her, and she longs for more. The leopard becomes not only her savior, but her escape.
Mysterious and unpredictable, leopard shifter Danny Archer hides behind his dimpled smile and pretty boy façade. What's more, he has a second job the human population doesn't know about-the one that leads him to Jodie and Luke. Archer feels an instant connection with Jodie, and he must find a way to balance his volatile lifestyle to include her.
Luke Fletcher became an alcoholic long before his wife left him. Now he faces the brutal reality that his past has caught up with him. He made a series of bad choices while under the influence, and these choices have placed him, his sister, and his two young daughters in danger. Luke must try to find the man he used to be if he is to survive the chaos he's inflicted; he knows he won't be able to live with himself if anything happens to his family.
EXCERPT:
The leopard continued to advance, taking his time. About an arm’s length away he stopped, sniffing the air between them. Lying down in front of Jodie, he never broke eye contact and she was too damned afraid to. When she refused to move a muscle, the leopard slowly inched closer, keeping his pale furred form low to the ground. He appeared to be gauging her level of fear.
When paw touched the tip of Jodie’s shoe, she startled. The leopard shuffled backward with alarming speed, dragging himself up into a sitting position. Barely daring to breathe, she squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten under her breath. It’s going to be okay, I’ve just been working too hard. My brain has gone a little crazy and none of this is real.
Jodie opened her eyes and stared directly into the gaze of the leopard. The majestic animal sat at a respectable distance, calm and relaxed. It watched her with intelligence, never missing a single tiny movement. It’s waiting for something, she thought. Jodie felt drawn to the animal and she couldn’t understand it. I should be paralyzed with fear but I want to touch him. Why on earth do I want to touch him?
5 comments:
What a great interview! I also think that dialogue is important. It can move the story from showing to telling in a vital way!
Nice to meet you Johanna! I love writing dialogue too, especially between the hero and say a friend who's the comic relief of the book. I've done that in several of my books. You know the kind: the friend that basically antagonizes you to no end, though he means well. LOL
And yes I agree that dialogue is a great way to move the story forward and keep the pace.
Wishing you the best of luck in your career.
I do accept as true with all of the ideas you've introduced on your post. They are very convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are very quick for novices. May just you please prolong them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.
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Fascinating interview and excerpt..Love shape shifters, and this leopard sounds like a beautiful snimal...Lots of luck with your book...
You have an interesting bio. NZ is beautiful. I once spent a day inside the Auckland airport. We didn't have visas for NZ so we couldn't leave the airport. Every view from the windows was beautiful.
I love shapeshifter stories. Will check yours out. Best of luck to you.
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