Q&A Interview and Giveaway with Teresa D'Amario

Hey there all of our  Book Monsters and Literal Addicts!  Book Monster Reviews and LITERAL ADDICTION are very pleased to welcome author Teresa D'Amario to our sites today.

Teresa was born in Atlanta, GA  the daughter of an Army Soldier during the early stages of the Vietnam war.  She spent her childhood traveling from state to state, finally ending up overseas in Germany where she graduated high school six months early.

Her writing career, however, began as a young Airman in the Air Force writing monthly articles for the weekly base paper.  The articles ranged from climatological data to full centerfold articles on the destructive forces of hurricanes.  As she increased in rank, her writing changed to more technological instruction, including such works as WSR-88D Doppler Radar Data Interpretation Guide for North Carolina Stations, and Station Operating Procedures.   

Her early writing wasn’t limited only to the technological side though.  Teresa had written multiple dog training and behavior articles for canine websites such as Sonora Canine Freestyle, including her work for the Ask Blackjack column, a fun training instrument presented in the voice of her Labrador retriever who was then just a young pup. 

 Teresa is married to a wonderful man named Doug, who is also retired Air Force, and they just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.  They live in North Carolina with their two dogs.

Teresa is the creator of two amazing series, the MAXEY WIZARDS and TRUE MATES.   The MAXEY WIZARDS series currently consists of two books, "Tigress by the Tail" and "Lone Wolf".  The TRUE MATES series also has two books currently, "She Wolf" and "Dark Succession", though the next installment, "Blood Moon Betrayed", is due out this month.

Teresa's books have gotten rave reviews.  Her plot lines are interesting, her characters are endearing and of course there is lots of HOT sex.   It has been said that "her books pull me in from the first page and hold my attention until the very last page. D'Amario's books have it all: it's well-written, has believable characters, lots of suspense, and HOT romance."  Now if that's not a good enough reason to go out and buy her books, we'll give you another.  We're gonna tease you and give you a brief look at what each book is about .

MAXEY WIZARDS  Series

"Tigress by the Tail" - Lance is a Wizard. He’s not a great wizard, but he’s all right. Descended from a long line of wizards, his brothers taunt him for being slow to learn. And as the youngest, it’s his due course to accept such teasing. Life is good, and normal. For a wizard that is.
Cassie is a Shifter. A tigress to be exact. Raised by her father after her mother’s death she’s as well adjusted as any shifter can be, and still live in the human world, hiding who and what she is.
Bliss comes to a screeching halt the night Satanists kidnap Cassie and her best friend to use as sacrifices to bring forth their Dark Lord. When Cassie literally collides into Lance, she begs him to help them escape their captors, despite the dangers. The couple work together to save the life of Cassie’s friend, only to discover a shocking passion driving them closer together at a time when both should be devastated. But when Lance overhears Cassie’s father threaten his life, he heads for the hills. Cassie follows, determined to clear up the confusion. But evil is still afoot and Cassie is taken by a secret government organization dedicated to the eradication of all things magick. Is Lance willing to put his life on the line for a woman he believes is out to kill him? Especially when he realizes the organization that’s taken her, is the one he works for?

 "Lone Wolf" - Once the victim of scientific experimentation by the Government Control of Supernatural Activities (GSA), Damon doesn't have a past, and he isn't sure he has a future. He doesn't even know if his ability to change from human to wolf is a virus, or magick. But the instant he lays eyes on the pretty cop from the local police force, he knows he has to learn the secrets of his past before they destroy her future.
Krystal is the best animal cop on the police force, hiding magickal talent beneath layers of excuses and quick thinking. For five years she's tracked Peter Burke, a butcher who steals any form of canine to supplement his dietary needs. The day she saves a wolf from losing his head at the sharp end of an axe, her entire life changes. And then there is Damon, the mysterious, sexy ex-soldier with no memory of his past who awakens fantasies of dark and sensual nights.
But the GSA isn't finished with Damon, and when the shadowy government agency joins forces with Burke, Krystal too finds her life in jeopardy, the target of men and women led by their own desires. Damon and Krystal must work together to stop evil and destroy years of illegal research. But can their budding love survive when experiments distort Damon's shifting skills, creating a monster?

TRUE MATES  series

"She Wolf" - A small town veterinarian has a big time problem. She's not human. Plagued as a child with an extra-sensitive sense of smell, strength, and eyesight, Anna Callaway always thought she was special. But she didn't understand how special until she met Kieran Hunter. He insists they are True Mates, but he's not human either. He's wolven. Kieran is a protector of his race. No longer the Alpha of his pack, he spends his time searching out and punishing any who may reveal their race to humans. While patrolling, he finds two wolven about to kidnap Anna. He battles to protect her, but is surprised to find himself drawn to her in a way he never expected. The couple must learn to deal with their differences before they can address their similarities. But when three men kidnap Anna, she must decide if she is to embrace the wolven way of life, or return to her quiet existence. And whether to abandon the man who claims her as his True Mate.

"Dark Succession" -  Nora Hunt is the daughter of former pack leader Sean Hunt and niece to Kieran Hunt. Emotionally and physically scarred after being held captive for weeks, she's finally ready to move on with her life. But when she meets Ryland, she discovers not only a world of darkness and pain, but discovers Ryland may not be any better than those who held her captive all those weeks.
When Ryland Keegan steps in as Alpha of his dead brother's pack, he inherits a pack of savage rogue wolven, as well as a legacy of violence, lies and five women held captive within the pack's confines.
But when Ryland's pack members start dying one at a time, he must decide if Nora is the catalyst or the killer. Can he trust his True Mate? Or will he be relegated to a life of leading the dregs of Wolven society?

"Blood Moon Betrayed" - Sean has known nothing but betrayal in his heart for many years.  He’s lost the leadership of his pack and with that, his wife. His daughters barely speak to him.   Now he wants peace, and the only place to search for it is in the darkness of the forest.  But the scent of a human female in peril drags him from the recesses of his pain, crushing what little balance remains.

Caden was once the sheriff’s wife, known for her ability to turn a head with her dazzling wardrobe.  Now she’s alone, haunted by the shadows of her failed marriage.   But when her ex-husband comes in search of blood, she realizes her past is nothing compared to the future she desires.  Just as she’s about to breathe her last, a voice tells her everything will be okay.  But

Caden knows different. 

Beneath the light of the Blood Moon Festival beats the heart of the ultimate betrayal.  When murder strikes the Uwharrie pack, can their love survive?

Now that we've learned all about the books, let's get to the interview so we can learn more about the great author behind the books.

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  Hi Teresa!  We’re happy to have you with us today!  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop by and spend some time with us!

Teresa:  Thanks so much for inviting me!  I love dropping in and visiting different blogs. J

Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION:  We’d like to start out getting to know you a little bit better.

Q1):   Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we can't find out on the internet, in your bio, etc?

Teresa:  Now that’s a difficult question.  I guess the one thing I can say is I spent a few years in Alaska as a child. I hated it. I hate cold weather in general, and always have, so Alaska was almost like torture for me.  Though I do remember how kewl it was to watch King Kong (the original, as a repeat of course) at midnite, when it wasn’t dark.

2)   What made you decide to become an author?  How long have you been writing?

Teresa:  I had always wanted to sit down and write a book, and knew I could easily write romance, but couldn’t seem to come up with plots, until I read paranormal.  Then I knew I’d found the one place where I was at home when writing.

3)  What do you love to do when you're not writing?  Do you have any special hobbies or interests?

Teresa:  When I’m not writing, reading or working, I’m playing with the dogs or going to movies.  I’m a huge movie buff, which to this day seems to help spark my creativity.

4)  Do you have a specific routine you follow when you're getting ready to sit down and write?  Anything in particular you always have to have with you?

Teresa:  My only routine is to turn off the TV.  If the TV is on, I can’t seem to bury myself in the world.  Oh and music – if I turn on music there must be no words to it, so I have to have total “Verbal” silence.  If the music has words, I start to sing, and trust me, Nobody wants to hear me sing!  It scares my writing right out of my head!

5)  We would love to hear more about your "Ask Blackjack” column.  Can you please tell us more about it and how you decided to do a training column from your dog’s point of view?

 Teresa:  At the time I was very active on a few dog training message boards.  The internet was still fairly new, and I ended up giving a lot of dog training advice to people with Labrador retrievers.  Friends kept suggesting I write  a book because they loved my advice, but I didn’t want to.  There are plenty of great training books out there, and unless I create my own “new style” of training, I didn’t see where I had anything to offer.  But the questions kept coming, and so I came up with the idea of something like an Ann Landers type column on my website.  But since I wanted to have fun too, I decided to use Blackjack’s voice.  At the time, Blackjack was a six month old pup, and the happiest dog you ever met.  He can make anyone smile.  We answered a lot of questions and had a lot of fun with the column.  Blackjack is now thirteen years old, so that tells you how long ago that was.  And he still makes everyone smile. J

6)  Who are some of your favorite authors and what books are currently in your TBR pile?

Teresa:  Oh that’s such a difficult question.  I’m sure I’d leave  important people out.  I can tell you that I love most paranormal romance authors out there.  Both small published and NY press books.  And right now I can tell you I’m reading Never Cry Wolf, by Cynthia Eden and before that was Lara Adrian. J Like movies though, I can’t say what’s my favorite, cuz I love so many of them out there!  I will tell you I’m waiting with breathless anticipation for Larissa Ione’s next one.

7)  Can you please tell us a little bit about the MAXEY WIZARDS and TRUE MATES  series?

Teresa:  The Maxey Wizards are a series about 5 siblings who are magical wizards.  Four men and one woman.  The series tells how each of the wizards comes into their own only after meeting the mate meant for them.  The boys all worked for an organization who they originally believed were to protect human kind when paranormal events occurred.  It isn’t until Lance Maxey meets a shapeshifter named Cassie that he realizes the organization is NOT what it appears.  Lone Wolf will be re-released very soon, with updated edits, and you’ll be able to see when Krystal Maxey comes nose to nose with a former experiment from the GSA.  A shifter who can’t quite remember who or what he is!

True mates is the story more of interspecial behaviors.  In other words, all about the local pack behavior, and the interaction between other shifters.  The only outside conflict is predominately from other shifters.  In some cases there are human mates, and in others, it’s pure wild shifters.  In SheWolf we meet a half breed who doesn’t even know she’s a half breed, and when she runs into the world of shifters, her life takes a significant change.  Will she grab hold? Or will she retreat to the world she already knows?  In Dark Succession, our world takes a dark and treacherous turn initiated by the death of a pack leader which occurs in the first few pages of SheWolf. Ryland inherits a pack who’s social skills need serious work, and after bringing home a female he claims is his True Mate, his pack starts to die one at a time.  Is she to blame? Or is something even darker than his own history haunting the shadows of this unexpected pack? 

For Blood Moon Betrayed, the death and murder comes full circle.  When Sean rescues a human from the clutches of her would be killers, he opens a pandora’s box of pain and death.  Can their newfound love survive the deepest of losses?  Or will fear and blame throw them into a world of chaos?

8)  Can you give us some information on what we can expect as the MAXEY WIZARDS series progresses; maybe tell us when/if we can expect a third book in the series?

Teresa:  I’m not sure when book three is going to come out, but in book three Jared will meet his match in Serena, a cougar bred and trained as a killer.  The Maxey family will be revealed, as well as some of the goals of the GSA. 

9)  How many books do you have planned for each series?

Teresa:  The Maxey series has a plan for 5 books, and the True Mates doesn’t exactly have a set number of books planned, though in the 4^th book I’ll be bringing in fresh characters, as we move from North Carolina to Alabama.

10)  What's next for Teresa D'Amario?  What do you have planned in the upcoming months?

Teresa:  Well in the coming months you will see first Blood Moon Betrayed, then you will see the rerelease of Lone Wolf, and after that, the newest in the True Mates series, which is loosely titled Savage Mate. 

111)  Is there anything specific you would like to say to your readers?

Teresa:  Mostly I’d love to tell all my readers how much I adore them!  Without them there would be nobody to write my stories for, and to know that someone read and enjoyed one of my books is enough to throw me into an awesome high.  So don’t hesitate to drop me a line now and then.  Even if I’m slow, I’ll still be there sending out emails.   I love you all!

Teresa, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk to us.  We hope to have you back on Book Monster and LITERAL ADDICTION again in the future.

Teresa:  I have really enjoyed this.  What great questions you had!

If you would like to find out more about Teresa and her books, you can visit her at any of the sites below.

Teresa's Website:  http://teresadamario.com/index.html

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Teresa-DAmario/56021380226

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/TeresaDAmario

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1286626.Teresa_D_Amario

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CONTEST:  Teresa is offering up an ebook copy of SHE WOLF, the first book in her TRUE MATES series.  If you have a Kindle, Tersa will give you a Kindlegraph, otherwise you will get the regular ebook version.

To Enter: Post a comment on the interview and make sure you leave a valid email address. Any comments without an email address will NOT be entered into drawing. You must also be a follower of the BMR blog. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Don't forget to drop by the LITERAL ADDICTION website (http://www.literaladdiction.com ) and follow the directions and links to enter their contest for an extra chance to win!!!