Friday, October 07, 2011

AUTHOR REBECCA ZANETTI HAS A GIVEAWAY!


Author Rebecca Zanetti
 Please welcome Rebecca Zanetti to the blog. Rebecca is a college professor by day and romance author by night. Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews. The second book, CLAIMED, is available for pre-order now. To find Rebecca on the web, drop by her website: http://rebeccazanetti.com/

Caroline: Readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up



Rebecca: Thanks for having me here, Caroline! I grew up with two sisters who live with their families less than a mile away from me right now. If we don’t meet up or at least talk on the phone once a day, it’s odd. As kids, we were pretty typical, and I’m the oldest, Type A but kind of shy. Though I’m the tallest at a whopping five-foot-four. My husband’s name is Tony and we knew each other as kids – in fact, I have a letter he sent me when he was six years old. We didn’t date each other until after college, however. He’s a six-foot-five tall Italian and is every bit as sexy as he sounds.



Caroline: How sweet that you still have his letter from when he was six! Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?


Rebecca: You name it, I read it. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, J.D. Salinger, Cynthia Eden, Sayde Grace, Lora Leigh…and I could go on forever.



Caroline: Nora Roberts is one of the reasons I write romance. So far, I haven’t been competiton for her, though. LOL How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?



Rebecca: This is a tough one because it depends on the month and if I’m under deadline. Right this second I’m reading ENEMY WITHIN by Marcella Bernard. We’re on a group blog together called Darker Temptations, (http://darkertemptations.wordpress.com//) and this is the first chance I’ve had to read her. LOVE IT!

Caroline: With so many friends who are authors, we always have something to read, don't we? When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?



Rebecca: I live in the Pacific Northwest, so we water ski, boat, camp, snowmobile and snow ski for fun. Or I read. Love to read.



Caroline: I envy your weather since we’ve had a horrid, drought-ridden summer here in Texas. Describe yourself in three or four words.



Rebecca: Romantic, goof-ball, idealistic



Caroline: Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?



Rebecca: Right now the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks are cutting into my budget. But they’re so yummy! But if you spill, it’s orange and makes quite the mess. Yeah, I spill.



Caroline: Sounds like me and salsa and an ongoing rocky relationship. How long have you been writing?



Rebecca: We were snowed in for December of 08 and January 09 – I wrote my first book during that time.



Caroline: Actually, isn't being snowed in why Nora Roberts wrote her first book? I love to be snowed in, but it’s bad for people who commute--another great thing about being a full-time writer is I don't have to go out unless I wish. Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

Rebecca: Great question! I have dog hearing, so the high-pitched whines from laptops tend to drive me crazy. If I’m at home, I use my PC to write. But I do take the laptop out and about – I just use the earphones and my iTunes account at that point. In fact, the music is usually on when I write.


Caroline: I write to classical music, but listen to pop when doing email or my blog. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Rebecca: Panster, panster, panster, panster, panster…

Caroline: Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

Rebecca: I think I pretty much make it all up. Though once in a while I’ll eavesdrop on a conversation and start thinking…

Caroline: Isn’t that the truth? I love to sit and observe and listen when I’m in a crowd. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?

Rebecca: I don’t set concrete goals, but I keep deadlines in the back of my head. While I do try to write daily, if I don’t make it, I don’t stress about it.

Caroline: What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Rebecca: Fun entertainment with intriguing characters.

Caroline: What long-term plans do you have for your career?

Rebecca: I just want to keep on writing. It’d be awesome if people keep buying my books so I can keep on writing and buying pumpkin spiced lattes.

Caroline: Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

Rebecca: Why, thank you for asking. I just finished a novella in the Dark Protectors Series called TEMPTED, which features a vampire bodyguard and a woman who just escaped from a mental institution. It’ll be released next April in e-format only…hopefully for a 99c read—though I don’t get to make that decision.

Caroline: Sounds intriguing. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?



Rebecca: Write what you want to read. Ignore people telling you that the topic you want to write about isn’t selling—if your book is good enough, it’ll sell. Also…don’t think about who will read your book while writing it because you don’t want to be held back. My books are sexy, and if I’d have stopped to think about my grandma reading them, I may not have written those scenes. And those scenes are hot.


Caroline: Tell us about your latest release.

Preorder Now

Rebecca: CLAIMED is book 2 in the Dark Protector Series and it’s available for pre-order now.

A DARING RESCUE


Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampire mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”…


A DEADLY DECISION


As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her–even if it means turning his back on his own kind…


Caroline: I love stories about psychics. Please give us an excerpt.

Rebecca: Here’s an excerpt:

Dage shook his head without opening his eyes. “No. I don’t sense evil anywhere near us. We’re probably safe for a couple of hours, then we should move again.”


A couple of hours? Damn. She needed him in fighting shape. “Will drinking my blood help heal you?”


His lids flipped open, revealing those silver eyes that had haunted her dreams for fifteen years. Hunger, raw and pure filled them. “Yes.”


Emma gulped in air. The husky timber of his voice caressed nerves she didn’t want to own. “I won’t become a vampire?”


His dimples winked at her. “No. Vampires are born, not made.”


Fear and her damn curiosity blended until she could only whisper. “Okay.” She held out her wrist and shut her eyes. And waited. The breeze picked up outside the cave, rustling pine needles and leaves inside the small entrance, and she shivered. Finally, she opened her eyes in exasperation. “What?”


Reaching out with his good arm, he lifted her chin with one knuckle, waiting until her gaze met his. “I want your neck.”


Caroline: Where can readers find your books?

Rebecca: Here’s a link to pre-order either a print or electronic copy of Claimed: http://ow.ly/6KzQ0

Comment to enter giveaway!
I’d love to give away a signed copy of FATED to a commenter here today. Let me ask you this: How long did you know your significant other before getting married/getting serious?


Rebecca: Thanks for your generosity in the giveaway. I'll announce the winner on Monday.
Readers, remember to include your email if you want to be entered in the drawing.

Thanks for reading!







15 comments:

Cherie Marks said...

Loved that excerpt! My mother was a quick-marrier (a phrase I just made up), so when I dated, I insisted on a long courtship, but three years was all I could take before marrying my now hubby. I think that's long enough for anyone. Best wishes for book sales!

Caroline Clemmons said...

Rebecca, thanks so much for stopping by. I guess my mom was a quick-marrier, too. She met my dad on Christmas Eve and married him on February 6th.

Calisa Rhose said...

Nice to meet you Rebecca. Your excerpt is yummy... er delicious... fulfilling? I'd love to read your books.

Rebecca Zanetti said...

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for dropping by today. Have a fantastic weekend! :)

Anonymous said...

Great post. Love learning more about my fave authors! I'm all about trying that pumpkin spice latte. You're the second person to tell me they love them. :)

Woot! Can't wait for CLAIMED

No need to enter me in the contest, I have a couple copies of Fated and a signed cover flat.

Rachel Firasek said...

Awesome post! Rebecca is super sweet and a fantastic author. I can't wait to read the new book! Woot! Loved Fated. It's on my fave shelf at home. ;)

Shawn said...

I met my husband in Korea. We met in May and got married in July.

Linda said...

I meet my husband when I was 8 and he was 10. We dated off and on over the years and got serious, well he got serious, when I was 22 and he 24, a year later after some courting, we were married and have been for 24 years.

Cindy Carroll said...

I met my boyfriend June 26 of 2009. We had been emailing back and forth for almost 2 weeks before that. I met him on an online dating site. Date number three was July 1. We were already talking about moving in together. And now I've been living with him since August 11 2009.

Chelsea B. said...

Not married :-) But I am looking forward to reading your books!

justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Lilly Gayle said...

Nice interview, Rebecca. Your stories sound yummy. So would a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks right about now. lol!

Mary Roya said...

I met my husband when I was late 20's. He went off and married someone else. Then when I was 40 we connected again. He was divorced. I had never married. After a year of courting we married. I had a psychic tell me that I would met my husband on 7/4. My first date with him was on 8/4. I really married my friend and my soul mate.

Ilona Fridl said...

Rebecca, loved the interview! I too am a Starbucks junkie. Your book sounds great! (I think most authors, like us, run on Starbucks)

DarkBloodyVamp said...

I have been hearing so many good reviews on your book I would love to win this one.

My husband and I lived together for 5 years before we got married because I wanted to finish university first and to make sure he was the right one. LOL So here we are 25 years later still together. :)

Thanks for this giveaway

redfirewood888(AT)yahoo(DOT)ca

Martha Lawson said...

I had known my husband all my life! Our parents were best friends, but we didn't get married until I was 25 & he was 32. Been together 30 wonderful years.

mlawson17 at hotmail dot com