Ramsey's Book Review
Thursday, October 6, 2011
I
am pleased to have the author of The Darker Path and the Haven's
Realm series, Tamara Monteau, here with us for the next couple of
days. Tamara, thank you for taking the time to chat with us about
your books. I am looking forward to reading The Darker Path when it's
released. Readers, Tamara will be sticking around during her
interview to answer your questions, so please feel free to post.
Every post you make will gain you extra entries into the October 1st
Halloween Contest for a chance to win a Halloween-themed e-book. So
let's start posting those questions and HAVE SOME HALLOWEEN FUN!!!!
Tell
us your latest news. Do you have any current projects your working
on?
The
Darker Path is in editing. My third book, Dragon Lord, and
the fourth, Haven’s King, are scheduled for release by the
end of the year. I have already begun work on my fifth novel, which
will be book five in the Haven’s Realm series. It doesn’t
have a title yet, but for those who are familiar with my work, it
will be the story of Vincent, and will have a few side-trips. It
should be a fun read.
When
and Why did you begin writing?
I
have always been interested in creative writing, even as a child. I
have an overactive imagination, so the transition to writing my
fantasies was inevitable. It took Dan Curtis’ revival of the Dark
Shadows saga in 1992 to spur me into writing for real. I felt
sorry for Barnabus Collins, and began creating my own characters.
Before long, I had developed my culture.
Where
do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Out
of my head. Or, perhaps to be more precise, out of the heads of my
characters, who seem to take on a life of their own not long after I
start a project. When my “friends” are less than forthcoming, I
research their finer points on the web. Wikipedia is only one of the
sites I frequent, but I find it has the bulk of the information I
need to fill in the blanks.
What
do you think makes a good horror story?
Suspense,
a following plot, and believable events. I like a story that keeps me
on the edge without sending me over into disgust. Mindless slaughter
does not a good story make.
What
is your favorite scary movie or book?
The
Haunting. Both versions.
What
makes you interested in the genre your write?
I
don’t really know. I guess it has something to do with the
forbidden desire aspect. I’ve always loved vampire stories. There’s
just something about an all-powerful lover, and the power of
submission, that appeals to me.
When
you were a child, what creature or story scared you the most? And did
it propel your creative muse to write about it later?
Outer
Limits could always get my heart racing. When I was five, a bad storm
hit in the middle of a suspenseful part and the power went out. I
remember looking out the front window and seeing Mom and Dad
wrestling with a large metallic monster (an aerial antenna). I joined
my sister under the bed. No, this did not influence my writing. It
was just the most scared moment I can recall.
Do
you remember ever coming up with anything so wild that you scared
yourself, leaving you to wonder where that came from?
I
have had many occasions while writing where events unfold in
drastically different ways than I had foreseen. When I come up for
air and read what my fingers just laid out, I find myself astounded.
Sometimes I firmly believe my imaginary friends are more real to me
than I want them to be. That’s the part that scares me.
Where
do you as an author draw the line on gory description and/or erotic
content?
Crass,
vulgar language. I have gotten gory on occasion. (The worst was a
scene at the end of Dragon Lord where a man’s head explodes.) I’ve
been known to throw in a cuss word or two. I don’t like the “F”
bomb. It’s not necessary. And there are ways of making love without
obvious and graphic language. Innuendo allows the reader to fill in
the details for themselves. I prefer reading stories that sketch the
scene and allow my own imagination to pick it up from there.
Could
you share some of your blurbs or exerts with us?
The
only one I can share is from my first novel, Twilight Destiny,
Haven’s Realm 1. When The Darker Path, Haven’s Realm 2, is
approved, I can give you that as well. A full excerpt is on my
website, http://www.havens-realm.com,
but here’s a taste:
“It’s after
two in the morning. What are you doing out here alone?”“I was thinking about us,” she told him shyly.
“Oh?” He gently lifted her face and studied her. He saw the longing in her eyes, the
uncertainty. She nodded again and reached up to smooth a strand of hair from his eyes. When her
fingers brushed his ear, he caught her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips. He pulled her
into his arms and held her tightly against him while his own feelings waged a war within him.
When she raised her face to his, his lips found hers of their own accord. He couldn’t give her the
tender kisses he’d held himself to. Instead, all the feelings he’d held tightly at bay broke free of
their bonds. She returned his kisses hungrily and clung to him as if she were drowning.
He wanted her. God help him, he did. He sensed her passion rising, and when he realized
she intended to let him take her as far as he would go, his tenuous control nearly snapped. She
touched her tongue to his lips in a tentative gesture, igniting his passion into a raging storm that
demanded answer. He took possession of her mouth, drank in her sweet, warm depths until her
knees weakened. In another moment, he’d have her on the ground, exploring every inch of her,
making her his own. It was only with the greatest difficulty that he managed to stop before he did
just that. He pulled her tightly against him and held her while he did his best to bring his
mutinous body back in line. “Oh, Catherine,” he said at last, his voice strained.
She trembled with frustration and need. “Joshua…” Her voice sounded like a sob. She tried
to push away, but he held her more firmly. “Joshua, I…”
still.” When her sobs started bubbling their way to the surface, he stroked her hair and tried hard
to soothe her. “I know how you feel,” he said softly. “I know what you want. We mustn’t. Not
yet.”
She pushed against him until he reluctantly allowed her to leave his arms. The look on her
face spoke to him of the pain and frustration in her heart. “I’m in love with you.” Her statement
sounded like a desperate challenge.
He felt a lump growing in his throat. “Aye.”
“You…you love me too.”
“More than I can tell you.”
“I know you want me as much as I want you.”
“So much so it’s killing me,” he confirmed, his voice growing thick with anguish.
“Then, why…?”
He turned from her, unable to face the strength of her pain for another moment. “There are
things you need to know first. Things I haven’t been ready to tell you. Things that…” he paused
to
swallow the lump in his throat, “things that may frighten you.”
Where
can your fans go to find more information about you and your books?
Haven’s
Realm. http://www.havens-realm.com
Is
there anything else additional you would like to share with your
readers?
Not
really. All my information is on the site. I’m looking forward to
answering questions.
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