Interview with Pandora Richardson

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?

The escape that the genre provides is what fascinates me. The creatures and scenario’s make me wish that I could be a part of these worlds. I love sci-fi too, but in sci-fi you know that you don’t belong in that world, it’s too remote, too distant to even consider, but in the paranormal especially vampires, you feel and even hope that you may have that chance encounter or get a glimpse of or chance to join in this world. What’s not to love about a genre that often promotes the idea of immortality or superhuman abilities?

What inspired you to write this book?

I originally set out to write a novel about a vampire but put that project on hold to focus on a tale of a 25 year old in a unique situation. What inspired me was the trend in the genre itself to focus a lot on the power, world, and coolness factor of being an immortal or shifter. I wanted to see if I could write a character who was stuck in the human world and struggling to find her place in it. I wanted to explore the very real challenges that many 25 year old women go through, with several twists and complications that are obviously paranormal, but relatable, nonetheless.

Please tell us about your latest release.

Amelia Jones is a werewolf and a Private Detective who takes a case that gets out of hand. This is the surface story. But what Amelia is truly about is a young woman trying to find herself and navigating through various situations that challenge all that she thought about herself, her world, and her lifestyle. Growing up a werewolf in secret has had a longstanding impact on her life and in this particular book, Lost, things are just getting shaken up. Amelia has a long journey ahead of her and the various situations and difficulties Amelia finds herself in in this book, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?

I wouldn’t say I have a special formula, but often my names do have meaning and have a lot to do with either the plot of the story or attributes of the character. Other times, I like to pay tribute to my favorite characters from other novels that I enjoy, but in subtle ways.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

My favorite scene in the book would have to be Amelia’s first encounter with her client’s husband. Up to this point in the story, we know that Amelia is reserved and afraid of encounters with the opposite sex, but to close her case she has to meet with the husband. This scene and chapter was my first chance as a writer to really deal with the varied emotions and conflicts in the main characters’ mind and provided me my first opportunity to write a scene that I think is memorable. Without giving nothing away, this scene in chapter five of my book helped pave the way for too more similar scenes in the book and caused me to pursue writing more romantic genres.

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?

I have already begun work on the second book which I believe will be OK as a standalone, but in general it would be difficult to jump right into the series as I continue to release more novels. In the first novel there are at least five concurrent story arcs that are present that will have far-reaching consequences as they play out and while some aren’t as detailed as they will be in the first book, overtime, it will become necessary to read the series from the beginning to truly understand Amelia’s world.

Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

Amelia and I are alike in the sense that we’re both very indecisive and have a tendency to jump feet first into a situation without really thinking through the consequences, or we push forward even when we know we shouldn’t. That’s about where our similarities end as I spent a great deal writing myself out of the novel. If we were more alike, Amelia wouldn’t be so innocent and much more aggressive and sarcastic then she is. I’m a lot like Spider-man, I would make smart, snarky comments on the fly, plus I have a dark sense of humor. Amelia’s too reserved for that, at least at this point in her life.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

Too often. To recover, I usually go on a reading binge, ignoring my writing schedule and spending time in other author’s worlds. At some point, I’m re-inspired and return to my own writing. Eventually.

Do you write in different genres?

Yes. I currently write an erotic series and have a romantic novel and sci-fi titles in the works.

Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?

No. I believe a writer is only limited by their imagination. However, I believe that there will be some slippage from one genre to the next. For instance light erotica can often slip into paranormal genres along with romance. In one of my sci-fi novels for instance, vampires and shifters exist, so there’s some definite genre confusion going on there.

When did you consider yourself a writer?

I’m still working on that title. I write and have some published works, I’ve even managed to sell and give away some copies, but I personally won’t feel comfortable with the title in it’s entirety until I’m able to quit my day job.

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

I love Vampires, Chocolate, and sex and not necessarily in that order. Am I too revealing?

Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?

I’m actually a serious geek. I’m a high ranking Sith, member of Starfleet, and own a timeshare in Mordor. Other than that, I’m also into tech, cars, and video games.

What was the last amazing book you read?

I’m on book five in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I’m loving each one of them so far.

What can readers expect next from you?

Definitely more Amelia Jones and erotic encounters, but I’m really excited about my vampire novels and zombie stories I have in the pipeline.

Where can readers find you on the web?

Pandorarichardson.com

@authorpandora on Twitter

authorpandorarichardson on Facebook

Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

Certainly J Be warned, adult semi-erotic content from the novel.

I stood in a clearing surrounded by a circle of trees. The scents of the forest filled me, and I yearned for them like one hungers for fresh-baked bread. I was naked and I looked down at myself, enjoying the faint glow of moonlight as it danced across my skin. I knew this was a dream—something deep within let me know that—but it was also something more. I felt more at home in this place than in any other I had ever been.

“Home,” I whispered into the night, feeling a pleasure that warmed my insides like a hearth’s fire warms the hands on a wintery day. Was this place really home? Deep down, I really didn’t care. I inhaled the chilly night air, slowly filling my lungs to their maximum capacity, and exhaled, watching the clouds my breath made. The cool, moist earth tickled my bare feet and I giggled. The sensation of the wet grass between my toes was wonderful.

Then I heard a sound and felt something or someone coming toward me. My eyes darted toward the sound of rustling leaves, and I peered into the thick forest, trying to focus on the source. Then the clearing became quiet again. I tilted my head back slightly and inhaled again; the familiar smell of wolf was in the air. My body tensed with the instinctual knowledge that danger was close at hand.

The crunch of dried leaves and the crackle of branches broke the silent standoff, and I saw the wolf darting off into the forest. Without a moment of hesitation, my beast rushed to surface, I shifted my body and ran after it.

I gave chase through the forest, avoiding branches, ditches, and fallen trees with the slightest turn of my body. The wolf was ahead of me; he was fast, but I was faster. His scent filled the air. He was afraid, and the smell of his fear excited me. I ran faster. He leaped and bounded through the trees. Panic overtook him and he stumbled several times as a result. This slowed him down and I pressed harder after him. But even with all my effort and all his mistakes, he still was just out of reach. No matter how hard or fast I ran I couldn’t catch him. I would be within striking distance and then suddenly far away.

My heart was pounding, and my tongue began to flap with fatigue. I didn’t have the stamina for this chase, and there didn’t seem to be enough adrenaline to keep me going. He sensed my failure was at hand, and the scent of triumph filled the air.

My anger was so intense it nearly consumed my flesh. I clamped my muzzle tightly and quickened my pace anew. I got close enough to bite down on his bushy grey tail, but instead clamped my jaws around one of his hind legs as he tried to change direction.

He yelped and fell over whimpering and I was right on him. His form began to shift and elongate as I prepared to go for his throat.

I froze in mid-strike. He was tall, pale, and his intense blue eyes seemed to bore into me. I looked at him, shocked, amazed, and finally confused. I tried to call out his name, but couldn’t. He smiled and placed a finger to his lips.

My eyes shot open and I sat up in my bed, panting. Except it wasn’t my bed at all.

Pleasure shot through my body like a bolt of lightning before I could form a coherent thought. I was naked and chained to a bed in a room that vaguely resembled my own. My arms were bound to the headboard, and my legs were chained spread-eagle to the bottom. I couldn’t move and didn’t want to as I lay with my back arched. Tender kisses and gentle caresses wove in, out, around, and in between my thighs. My body writhed and twisted, captive of sensations I had never known.

What was happening felt too wonderful for me to think, too intense for me to focus, and too great to care about anything. Every new motion and flick of the tongue negated even my slightest attempt at thought or protest. All the nerves in my body tingled in delight, and I moaned deep in my throat.

My head fell back and my eyes rolled up into my head from the intensity. My stomach clenched and my hips began to undulate as I tried to free myself from what felt like a bomb preparing to detonate between my legs. My body filled with heat and my skin became moist with sweat as I squirmed and shimmied. My thighs quivered and I tightened around the tongue as it pressed deeper inside of me. My eyelids fluttered as I panted from what I instinctively knew was about to happen. I struggled to see my captor and raised my head just as the pace sped up, causing the tension in my body to increase and my toes to curl. I moaned and threw my head back, screaming as my entire body exploded in a rush of excitement and pleasure.

Everything went bright as if the sun had blinded me.

My entire body tensed, released, tensed, and released again. I shivered violently and then fell still. The chains around my wrists and ankles rattled as I did. Nothing seemed to matter. I felt as if I were simultaneously floating and going to melt into the sheets. Strong hands gripped my thighs. The power I felt in them sent another rush of heat through my body.

It took a lot of effort to open my eyes. I peered through the haze and stared into bright eyes and a smiling face. My eyes widened and my heart raced. His blue eyes and boyish grin seemed to sparkle in response. He placed a finger gingerly on my full lips when I tried to speak. The scent of roses filled the room.

Lost
By Pandora Richardson

Amelia Jones Private Detective Series, Book 1

Genre: Mystery, Paranormal

ASIN: B00802VL80

Number of pages: 172

Word Count: 61,000

Purchase Links: http://amzn.to/AmeliaJones

Book Description:

Amelia Jones finds her world turned upside down after meeting a wealthy client who needs evidence of her husband’s infidelity. Even though Amelia's offered a lot of money to go undercover in order to catch him, the situation is more than she can handle and unlike anything the young, virginal detective has ever experienced. Deep down Amelia knows that she should not accept the case, but the allure of money is too hard to resist. Distracted by a series of mysterious events and delicious eye candy, Amelia is lost with choices that threaten to reveal secrets that should remain hidden.

Author Bio:

Pandora Richardson grew up in Northern New Jersey with a pen and a pad stuck in her hand. Throughout her childhood she was either writing the next great American Novel or painting the next Mona Lisa. She always imagined that she would be famous as a writer, an artist, or both. However, life eventually got in the way of her dreams and Pandora found herself working as a consultant in Washington, DC where she now resides with her canine familiar, Loki. The past several years have found Pandora once again committed to writing, this time with her fingers glued to a keyboard. When she’s not creating the next bestseller or engaged in the thrilling misadventures of the Rat Race, Pandora loves to curl up on her sofa reading the next Vampire, Shape-shifter, Wizard, Zombie or Romance novel from one of her favorite authors.

http://pandorarichardson.com

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