Q&A Interview and Giveaway with Toni LoTempio

Hello everyone!  LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews are happy to welcome Toni LoTempio to our sites today!  

Toni has a great bio online, so we thought we’d just borrow it for today’s Event:

“In 1995, I joined the staff of SUSABELLA PASSENGERS AND FRIENDS, where I have been a staff reporter for over 10 years, winning their Margaret Sutton Award for Distinguished Writing in 1998. I joined the staff of NIGHT OWL REVIEWS IN January 2011 as the suspense reviewer/columnist. My column, DARK STREETS, is featured on a monthly basis.

In 2007, Whiskey Creek Press published BOUND BY BLOOD, a tale of possession, and EBONY, which deals with zombies and the dark side of man. EBONY was #2 on the Fictionwise bestseller list for e-books for the month of July 2007, beating out Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story. In 2010 I self published NO REST FOR THE WICCA, which made Amazon’s list of top one hundred in Occult in March 2011, (and has been there for 33 weeks!) and my short story, THE SACRIFICE, appears in the e-published anthology KISS ME KILL ME, and another, a follow up story to NO REST FOR THE WICCA, appears in the anthology EVERY WITCH WAY BUT WICKED.  Proceeds of sales of EWWBW benefit Nathan Fillion’s charity, KIDS NEED TO READ!

Currently single, I work full time and live in Clifton, NJ, with my muses: Rocco, Maxx, Gata and Trixie. Rocco is also known as Rocco the Sci-Fi Blogging Cat and has appeared on the Sci-Fi Saturday Night website and radio show, and also on the Kids Need To Read website where he holds the distinction of being the first (and possibly only!) blogging cat to support this charity.”

Let’s tell you a little bit more about a few of Toni’s books:

“Raven’s Kiss”, RAVEN GRACE Book #1 Synopsis:

Raven Grace was a college senior with ambitions of a career in law enforcement when she met the demon Aega, whose bite turned her from mortal to Shapeshifter. Now a member of the Recovery Organization, Raven keeps the peace between humans and errant Hellhounds, trolls, wizards and the like while trying to track down Aega and bring him to justice. After a particularly dicey encounter one night with a Hellhound, she goes to the aid of a girl who’s been attacked and near death—and is amazed to find Aega’s bite mark on the girl’s arm. Determined to get to the bottom of this, she revisits the victim’s apartment and there discovers her closet is a portal to a parallel universe, where people she knows lead vastly different lives. She also gets a glimpse of the Recovery Captain there—a six foot, redheaded Scotsman named Finn McPhee, whose sexy accent and even sexier bod sets her senses aflame. Seeking answers, Finn takes Raven to the magickal underworld, where an ancient fae informs them the demon’s quest is rooted in Scottish mythology and magick. As they delve deeper into legend, the truth comes to light—Aega is only a pawn, subservient to another, darker demon…a being who knows the truth about Raven’s heritage, and who orchestrated her return to this parallel universe for the ultimate showdown. Now, Finn and Raven find their passion for one another must take a backseat to Raven’s battle with a dark force who won’t be satisfied until he’s claimed her soul for his very own…

 “Demons and Fire” Synopsis: (Note: this book will be officially released in e-form in March 2012 – available now as a trade paperback from Amazon)

Vicki Winters didn’t want to move to Ebony Falls with her dad, a powerful warlock, but after her parents divorced her mortal mother found it a bit tough to cope with a daughter who could turn back Time. Things start to look up after she makes a new friend and meets the darkly brooding vampire Alyn Nash, she even gets a job on the local paper. Things go smoothly until she's threatened by a demon after he follows her love advice. And while coping with all that, Vicki makes another startling discovery: she possesses yet another ability that will not only affect her life, but that of those around her. but gaining mastery over it might not be a piece of cake...

“No Rest for the Wicca” Synopsis:

Communing with the dead is an everyday occurrence for PI Morgan Hawkes. A half-Wiccan witch who can commune with spirits of those caught between worlds, Morgan uses her talents to exorcise the trapped ghost or demon as part of the Paranormal Investigation Squad – until a string of murders with a voodoo slant prompts the Special Forces Agency to ask for her assistance. Someone’s killing pureblood witches- and the SFA’s convinced Morgan’s heritage (her father was a voodoo priest) could be instrumental in solving the mystery. Teamed with dashing SF agent Cole St. John – an Inheritor Vampire that sets her blood racing – the two of them fight their attraction for each other as they race to stop a madman from unleashing a demonic force upon the world.

“Witch’s Pawn” Synopsis:

When head writer for a popular soap opera, Charity Jordan, hits upon a gothic storyline, it leads her and the crew to Bender's Crook, Massachusetts-her hometown. The problem is, the crumbling Manor House is situated on the very hill where her sister fell to her death ten years before.

When a series of strange events plagues the trip, Charity begins to investigate. She soon discovers the portrait of Estelle dela Bordeaux, a purported witch, who bears an uncanny resemblance to her. What's more, as Charity delves deeper into the mysterious woman's life, she begins remember bits and pieces of a life long ago a life the witch lived!

When the descendants of those who put Estelle to death begin to die, one by one, the finger of suspicion points to Charity. Police Chief George Kearny is only too willing to believe Charity is guilty, as he holds her responsible for the death of her sister years ago. But is the killer Charity gone mad or another, more devious force at work. A force that is using Charity as her witch s pawn to put in motion a sinister plan of revenge, divined over 200 years ago?

They sound great, don’t they!?  Let’s get to know some more about the author behind them, shall we!?

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Toni!  We’re very happy to have you here today! 

TONI: Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here!

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We like to start out by finding out a bit more about our guest author, and then we’ll dig into the books… 

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet?

TONI: ok, #1:  I can twist the fingers on both hands into a pretzel shape – honest J #2: I’m a huge Phantom of the Opera fan, and I’ve seen the play once a year since I first went in 1999. One year I even saw it in England!  And #3: I used to be president of a Dark Shadows fan club when I was a teenager, and actually got a studio tour and met Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) in person.

Q2):  When did you start writing, and was there anything or anyone in particular that inspired you to become an author?

TONI: Gee, I’ve written in some form or another all my life, but I only seriously got into it with an eye for publication in 2000.  I started out writing straight horror and detective stories, inspired by my favorite authors: Erle Stanley Gardner, Stephen King, John Saul.

Q3):  What’s your favorite inspirational quote?

TONI: From Star Trek:  Never give up, never surrender.

Q4):  What is it about the Fantasy genre that intrigues you?

TONI: I think it’s the fact that no normal rules apply – anything goes! (and usually does J)

Q5):  What are some of your favorite TV Shows and Movies?

TONI: Current tv shows would be CASTLE (since I do work for Nathan Fillion’s charity, of course! Plus he’s HOT!) Dancing with the Stars and Grey’s Anatomy and How I met Your Mother.  Older shows would be Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, and Scarecrow and Mrs. King.  Movies?  I love horror movies, particularly Psycho and Black Sunday and Halloween…but my all time favorite is GONE WITH THE WIND.

Q6):  Who are some of your favorite authors, and what’s in your TBR pile right now?

TONI: the aforementioned King, Saul and Gardner and I also like Tess Gerritson, Alex Kava, JD Robb (I love the IN DEATH series) and I recently discovered Kathy Reichs. I’m reading her third novel, DEADLY DECISIONS at the moment, but NEW YORK TO DALLAS is next on my list.

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  O.K, now we’ll ask some questions directly related to some of your available backlist.

Q7):  Do you have a personal favorite among your books so far; maybe one that holds special meaning for you, etc?

TONI: Witch’s Pawn, because in an earlier incarnation that was the very first novel I ever wrote. It was originally entitled “Terror” but the main character was always Charity Jordan.

Q8):  Was there any specific inspiration behind “No Rest for the Wicca”?

TONI: I actually wrote that book in 2008, after another one was turned down by the editorial board at NAL.  Originally entitled “Black Magic Wiccan” NRFTW went to an editorial board at another publisher and was also turned down.  In 2010, on the advice of author HP Mallory, I dug it out and self pubbed it.  and it’s been on Amazon’s top 100 sellers for 33 weeks.  I renamed the short story in EVERY WITCH WAY BUT WICKED “BLACK M AGIC WICCAN”  It tells the story of an adventure Morgan has in between her transition over to a special agent.

Q9):  Can you tell us a little bit more about each of your 3 series for our readers who have not yet had a chance to read your books?

TONI: No Rest for the Wicca follows the adventures of Morgan Hawkes, a Wiccan Witch whose father was a voodoo bokor, and who has issues relating to an incident in her past. She’s teamed up now with her boyfriend, hottie vampire Cole St. John, to become a special investigator while she works through her angst.

Raven’s Kiss spotlighted Raven Grace, a young girl who was turned into a Shapeshifter via a demon’s bite.  Raven is capable of traveling to parallel time, as is her boyfriend, investigator and psychic Finn McPhee.  And My Superhero Sister chronicles the adventures of a girl who’s got a superhero for a sister (naturally) and how she copes with it.

Q9):  Another big question --how many books do you have planned for each of the 3 series?

TONI: I have the sequel to No Rest for the Wicca written, I just haven’t h ad the time to sit down and write it yet.  I have an outline for Superhero Sister’s sequel down (My Superhero Boyfriend) – same problem as above.  And I’m currently working on a Raven novella I hope to have out by Christmas or early in the New Year.

Q10):  What can we expect as each of series progress?

TONI: That depends on what the characters tell me as I start writing LOL.  One never knows.

Q11):  What’s a typical work day like for you?  Do you have a routine; is there something that you absolutely have to have with you to get through your day, etc?

TONI:  Well, I have a full time job (partially the reason I don’t’ get in as much writing time as I would like) so my writing is done mainly on the weekends.  I set aside two hours on Saturday and pretty much the whole day Sunday.  So I’m a pretty dull person LOL

What are must haves?  Music and coffee!

Q12):  Do you have a suggested reading order of your books for new readers?

TONI: the books also serve well as stand alones, so they can be read any way they want J

Q13):  Is there a question that you have always wanted to be asked in an interview but have never been asked?  How would you answer that question? 

TONI:  If you could be any figure from history, who would you be and why?

Anne Boleyn, because there’s just something about her story with Henry that draws me in – plus I got a weird chill when I was in England ten years ago and visited her grave.  I’ve often wondered if I am Anne Boleyn.

Q14):  Is there a specific message in any of the books that you’re hoping your readers will grasp?

TONI: I hope that my readers will be entertained, and can escape their problems for a brief time reading my work.  I try to write lighter rather than darker and inject a little humor.

Q15):  Is there anything that you’d like to say to your readers while we have you with us today?

TONI: Only that I appreciate all the support given to indie writers such as myself and I hope to keep entertaining them for many years to come!  I’m always anxious to hear from readers and welcome suggestions about what they’d like to read in the future! They can visit my website, www.tonilotempio.webs.com, which has been sadly neglected of late – but I (and my cat Rocco) are very active on our blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com  We have lots of different things, interviews, etc.  Coming up I have interviews with Mary Janice Davidson and Michelle Rowen, so stop by!

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Toni, thank you so much for being with us today!  We apologize for asking questions that required such long answers, but we wanted our readers (and yours) to get the most out of this interview!  J

TONI:  Not a problem.  Anytime.

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CONTEST:

TONI is graciously offering up a  free e-copy of one of her books, NO REST FOR THE WICCA, RAVEN’S KISS OR MY SUPERHERO SISTER to a winner from Book Monster Reviews. 

To Enter: Make sure you are a member of the Book Monster Blog (by clicking on the “JOIN THIS SITE” button at the top left hand corner of blog page), and then 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.

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 another chance to win!!!