Friday, March 06, 2009

Interview with Author D. Renee Bagby



Today, I have an interview with author D. Renee Bagby, about her book that is released. You can find it at

Samhain Publishing/Serenity

1.) -Please tell us about your latest book.
Serenity is my second novel about two races trying to stop a war on an alter-Earth. Melchior is a bhresya—what the humans call a demon but they aren’t—and Serenity is the human princess he plans to marry to solidify the peace between his people and hers. It’s supposed to be a political marriage but Serenity wants more than that. She wants love. Melchior knows nothing good will come of it and keeps her at arm’s length until he pushes her into danger.

Serenity is available from Samhain Publishing in both ebook and print. For more information along with buy links, excerpts and the first chapter, please visit http://dreneebagby.com/Books_Serenity.html
2.) -What can we expect from you in the future?
Lots and lots of my brand of madness. I’m currently working on four novels—three under D. Renee Bagby and one under my other alias Zenobia Renquist. I hope to have them all finished in the next two months (if not less) and submitted to various places that I hope will jump at the chance to publish them.
3.) -How do we find out about you and your books?
Visit my websites
http://dreneebagby.com or http://zenobiarenquist.com there are links on both that lead to my Yahoo group, blog, Facebook, MySpace and other fun links as well.

5.) -How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?
I write mostly fantasy (both urban and high) and all of my books have an interracial/multicultural theme. Under my Zenobia name, I tiptoe into contemporary every now and then.
6.) What motivated you to start writing?
A need to keep track of the stories in my head. I would come up with stories to entertain myself whenever I got bored but after a while, I started to forget. What better way to remember than to write them down. After a while I decided to see if I could finish something for submission to a contest. I didn’t meet the sub date but I did finish. That felt great and I wanted to see if I could finish something longer that could be published.
7.) -What kind of research do you do?
That’s the fun thing about fantasy—no research needed. :D8.) -Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
No schedule. I write when I sit in front of my computer and something shiny doesn’t distract me.
9.) -Where do your ideas come from?
No clue. I try to entertain myself and some of the stories stick around and demand to be given life in “print”.
10.) -Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
Jayne Ann Krentz. I love her books, both as Jayne and as Amanda Quick. Her style was a great blend of suspense and romance that always kept me coming back. The emotions of her characters were always real. I strive to achieve that with every book I write.
11.) -How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve been writing since I was twelve. I didn’t want always want to be a writer. I didn’t even like reading as a kid. In fourth grade, there was a reading competition and the kids who read X number of books got a shiny gold (fake) metal. I wanted that metal and did what I had to get it. That resulted in a love of YA romance that eventually graduated into a love of mainstream romance. A desire to see a heroine I could more identify with (color-wise) led me to start writing stories of my own.
12.) -What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Hearing from people who loved my books. I like to know that my stories entertained someone other than myself.
13.) Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
My current published favorite is Serenity. As soon as the four I’m working on get published, one of those four will replace it and so on as I write and release more.
14.) -Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)
I’m a college graduate who has been married for seven years. I have two cats, who routinely drive me nuts, and a day job I wish I could quit so I can write full time… except I know staying in the house all day every day would have me climbing the walls which is counter-productive to writing.

My hobbies include collecting things—comics, manga, books, and a few other things. I also chain maille and I’m an avid movie fanatic. I also love watching anime and studying Japanese.
15.) -Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Write what you want to read. Don’t follow trends of the market because you never know when the market will change suddenly.

Also, know your characters. Know as much about your characters as you can. Talk to them if you have to. Even if the information never makes it to a book, always know everything there is to know about the people you’re writing about. If you know that information, the characters will be more believable and your story will flow more naturally.


17.) Now for something fun:


Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla. I don’t eat chocolate because of the caffeine.


Erotic or inspirational?.
I’m not much for inspirational so I guess I have to go the erotic route and skip the sex scenes.


Favorite color?
Black.


Favorite paranormal being
Vampires. The non-angsty kind.


Favorite mythological being?
Dragons, as will become evident when one of the four books I’m working on is released.


Do you like science fiction, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy. Sci-fi is a little too research intensive as fans of the genre expect techno-babble and I don’t know if I can pull off horror (though I will try) because I have no gauge of what is scary since horror movies don’t faze me.


All time favorite actor?
Don’t have one. I love the movie not the actors, though an actor can ruin a movie for me.


All time favorite book?
I love too many to pick though if I want to give a non-cop-out answer I would have to go with Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux. I can read that book over and over without ever getting sick of it.


Favorite TV show?
Don’t have one. I’m a fan of pretty much any show with vampires or some other supernatural premise.


Favorite Movie?
Ummm… Beauty and the Beast, the Disney version. There are tons of movies I love to watch over and over but that one would have to be the top of the top.


What makes you laugh out loud?
Random things depending on my mood. Recently a friend sent me a bunch of attorney jokes of things actually said in the courtroom. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I also have a sick sense of humor so watching things like Scariest Police Chases get a laugh out of me as well.


If you could go anywhere in the universe where would that be?
One of my alter-Earths. Abarrane I think just because I love dragons. :)


A secret fetish?
HENTAI! I love watching hentai – Japanese animated porn.




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