Author's Spotlight "Mandy M Roth"
Mandy M Roth joins us today for Dreamtime’s Author Spotlight. I first became drawn to Mandy’s style of writing when I read her book Loup Garou, on a trip last summer. I’m trilled to get a chance to talk to her and learn more about this creatrix of suspense and magical places. I admit, we are a day late with this one, blame a tech glinch, I will. :)
Moon: How would you describe who Mandy Roth really is?
Mandy: Mandy Roth isn’t altogether “there”. She gets lost in her own version of reality and often views the world through paranormal colored glasses, finding magik in all around her. (Ooo, she’s also good at talking about herself in third person. *grin* )
Moon: Have you always worn those magical glasses, or did you find that part of you later in life?
Mandy: I’ve always worn them. I can remember telling my brother stories about faeries who I firmly believed snuck into my room at night to race around near the ceiling. Looking back now, I’m not exactly sure why I thought that but I remember being adamant. I also remember him spending a lot of time sleeping under his bed rather than on it. I’m guessing that’s a result of me telling him about the monsters that lived in his closet.
As I’ve gotten older, I think I’m a bit more grounded in reality but it doesn’t take much to get me going again. Life is too short to only live by the rules and to color within the lines.
Moon: You think those stories were what first fueled the desire to be a writer? What things inspire that shift now that you are older, from the mundane to the magical?
Mandy: I think they did play a part in making me feel comfortable in what I do. It doesn’t feel like a job. It still feels like I’m telling one person a story, just for them. It feels very personal, if that makes sense. When I was working full time in marketing, I loved it but it never felt totally right to me. This does.
Now that I’m older, I find inspiration in many of the same places I did as a child-the outdoors, talking with people, reading. If I’m stuck and things aren’t flowing for me, I go for a walk near the lake, or go outside late at night and listen to the sound of bullfrogs, crickets, anything to just feel the moment. If I stand there long enough, I sort of shut off and let my mind wander. Ideas come. The end result usually ends up in a book.
I also have to admit to still being a fan of playing in the rain, loving it when it thunderstorms and even enjoying people watching, which I’ve always loved to do.
Now that I’m older, it’s easier to go out and meet people. I’m a talker so if I bump into someone while I’m out and about, I don’t need to know them to talk with them. It’s amazing how much people will open up if you just talk a little with them. I’ve met some of my best “resources” that way. I’ve bumped into a group of women who are part of a local coven and they’ve been extremely helpful in guiding me when I have questions related to a book I’m working on, or simply suggesting great reading material for me. The same holds true for other people I’ve met, doctors, musicians, psychologists, dancers, the list goes on. They’ve also become friends of mine which is something you can’t put a price on.
Moon: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced working in the paranormal genre?
Mandy: Honestly, shutting up. When I really get going, books can surpass the lengths the publishers will print. I have to hand it to NCP for putting Wicked Lucidity out without forcing me to make large cuts for word count.
Secondly, I’d say the biggest challenge I’ve faced working in the paranormal genre has been the research involved in it. So many cultures and religions have their own myths and legends regarding the paranormal and I like to base my books off as much “truth” as possible. I’m already taking the unbelievable and asking readers to believe it. I like to ground that enough that when they’re done they maybe think “yeah, I can see that happening”.
Moon: What's the most research intensive thing you've written, and how did you tackle the challenge?
Mandy: As far as books that are already out by me, Valhalla. It has the heroine, Valerie, stepping through time portals to collect warrior souls. She visited Scotland in the 1700’s, Italy 1780, Rome 351 A.D. and other places. It was very research intensive for me even though the entire book wasn’t set in each place. For the time she was there, I needed to figure out, what people were wearing, mannerisms, foods, homes, social events, the works. I remember being surrounded by so many books that if I dared to turn in my chair, I’d knock a pile over. I think the end result pulled together nicely and it sparked a HUGE interest in each period I researched, resulting in other books having roots there as well.
Moon: From what I hear you're a very prolific writer. How many books have you written and what genres are your favorites to work in?
Mandy: I have something around twenty-two print books and upwards of forty ebooks. By far paranormal and dark fantasy are my favorite genres to write in. Futuristic and contemporary follow those.
Moon: Wow. How long did it take you to write all of those?
Mandy: I wrote my first book, Daughter of Darkness, the end of the summer in 2003. From there, the rest have just come at a fairly steady pace. I think, on average, it takes me two months to write a full length book.
Moon: So do you self edit everything, or do you use beta readers and/or critique groups to help polish your stories for submission? What publishers are you working with right now?
Mandy: A blend of all of the above. I self edit but understand that I can’t/won’t catch everything because I’ve looked at the document too many times. I have an AMAZING group of proofers/test readers. They put their all into it.
I’m working with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, New Concepts Publishing at the moment.
Moon: So is writing your full time job? What were you doing pre-2003 and what made you switch your passion/focus to writing?
Mandy: Yes, writing is a full time job for me. Right up until two weeks before I started writing my first book, I was a marketing director. I was gone from home all the time (sometimes until ten at night depending upon the project) and didn’t like being away from my family that much. I made a choice to be home with them. Two weeks later, the house was spotless, the kids were looking at me like they couldn’t wait for me to walk out the door and stop hugging them and I had all this nervous energy. I sat down and channeled it into a book.
Moon: Sounds like your kids are a deep part of you. How do you think being a mother has affected your writing?
Mandy: It’s certainly softened me a bit. They also provide great fodder. Like the time my youngest glued his head to the wall and kept yelling, “I ‘pider man”. That makes an appearance in a book coming out soon. LOL.
Moon: Can't wait to see that. So, is Loup Garou is you most recent paranormal novel or do you have something new?
Mandy: The Guardians and Demonic Desires are my newest paranormal novels. The Guardians is a first person paranormal and Demonic Desires is a third person, paranormal erotic.
Loup Garou is close to celebrating its second birthday with Samhain.
Moon: Two years? What a rush. Guess I have one more wonderful Mandy Roth series to check out. I hear you are working on a sequel to Loup Garou. Care to give us a few hints? *wink*
Mandy: I am. I can’t give too many hints at the moment other than, the same group of characters will appear in it but it wouldn’t be the same leading lady. It’ll be seen through the eyes of a new heroine while she finds her path with her hero. But Lindsay and Xavier do makes an appearance in it.
Moon: It was great fun talking to you today, thanks for taking the time out of your busy life to spend with us. Before we go, what advice would you give new writers just starting out?
Mandy: Thanks for having me!!!!
Write what you love and write as often as you can.
The Guardians
Ass-kicking Guardian, Madelyn Mason, is the only female in a sea of supernatural males. College student by day, she spends her nights fighting for mankind--the innocents, the ones who have no clue that the things of nightmares walk among the living.
Larger than life Hollywood hunk, Brady Devens, has won the hearts of millions of adoring fans. But, the only heart he wants to win is that of his mate, Madelyn. She hasn't shown an interest in him as anything more than a friend, and he’s beginning to think the Powers That Be goofed.
In this world of magik, mishap, demons, gods, and pleasure nymphs, anything is possible. Can they find a love that transcends time and space or will the Powers That Be decide maybe they weren’t destined for one another after all?
Rating: Spicy/Carnal-Contains graphic adult material, violence, adult language, and explicit sexual content not suitable for sensitive readers.
EXCERPT
Demonic Desires
She might look fragile, but Ava Fenaly is fierce. She knows a thing or two about magik, and she knows exactly what she's doing when she summons a demon in her bedroom. Well, almost. Ava is convinced that the exhilarating, almost terrifying night of passion that follows is all a dream. It has to be, because she's dead set against revisiting her past-and the horrors she left behind long ago.
For the last three-hundred-plus years, Donatus Manlian has been living a peaceful life. Lonely, but peaceful. When the demon he has kept carefully locked within for centuries finally breaks free and responds to Ava's call, the peace-and the loneliness-are gone. Now Donatus is forced to revisit tragedies long buried as he protects Ava from the evil that pursues her. But another evil lies within him-and now that it's been awakened, the demon wants free.
EXCERPT
Romantic Times BookClub Magazine Review's Choice Nominee for Best Erotic Paranormal/ Sci-Fi/ Fantasy 2006
Loup Garou
Lindsay Willows craves a simple life. One where she can make a difference without drawing too much attention to herself. As the daughter of both a vampire and a fay, the cards were already stacked against her. Finding out she's the supposed mate of a dark fay prince doesn't help matters. Especially when there are those who will stop at nothing to prevent her from mating with a prince she's never even met.
When Exavier Kedmen, the incredibly sexy front man for a world-famous band, shows up wanting her to go back to a field she left three years ago, she can't explain the strong feelings that surface for a man she barely knows. Lindsay finds herself confronting demons from her past, coming to terms with the ones in the present and finally looking forward to a future with the man she was created for. And she discovers evil doesn't care who it hurts to obtain its goals but even the evilest of things fear something, or in the case of Exavier, someone.
WARNING: This book contains hot, explicit sex and violence explained with contemporary, graphic language.
EXCERPT
If you want to get to know Mandy Roth better visit her at her website, and pop by her blog. She also has a reader’s list for those of you who just can’t get enough, and want to keep up to date on what’s new?
and HAPPY HALLOWS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!
Moon: How would you describe who Mandy Roth really is?
Mandy: Mandy Roth isn’t altogether “there”. She gets lost in her own version of reality and often views the world through paranormal colored glasses, finding magik in all around her. (Ooo, she’s also good at talking about herself in third person. *grin* )
Moon: Have you always worn those magical glasses, or did you find that part of you later in life?
Mandy: I’ve always worn them. I can remember telling my brother stories about faeries who I firmly believed snuck into my room at night to race around near the ceiling. Looking back now, I’m not exactly sure why I thought that but I remember being adamant. I also remember him spending a lot of time sleeping under his bed rather than on it. I’m guessing that’s a result of me telling him about the monsters that lived in his closet.
As I’ve gotten older, I think I’m a bit more grounded in reality but it doesn’t take much to get me going again. Life is too short to only live by the rules and to color within the lines.
Moon: You think those stories were what first fueled the desire to be a writer? What things inspire that shift now that you are older, from the mundane to the magical?
Mandy: I think they did play a part in making me feel comfortable in what I do. It doesn’t feel like a job. It still feels like I’m telling one person a story, just for them. It feels very personal, if that makes sense. When I was working full time in marketing, I loved it but it never felt totally right to me. This does.
Now that I’m older, I find inspiration in many of the same places I did as a child-the outdoors, talking with people, reading. If I’m stuck and things aren’t flowing for me, I go for a walk near the lake, or go outside late at night and listen to the sound of bullfrogs, crickets, anything to just feel the moment. If I stand there long enough, I sort of shut off and let my mind wander. Ideas come. The end result usually ends up in a book.
I also have to admit to still being a fan of playing in the rain, loving it when it thunderstorms and even enjoying people watching, which I’ve always loved to do.
Now that I’m older, it’s easier to go out and meet people. I’m a talker so if I bump into someone while I’m out and about, I don’t need to know them to talk with them. It’s amazing how much people will open up if you just talk a little with them. I’ve met some of my best “resources” that way. I’ve bumped into a group of women who are part of a local coven and they’ve been extremely helpful in guiding me when I have questions related to a book I’m working on, or simply suggesting great reading material for me. The same holds true for other people I’ve met, doctors, musicians, psychologists, dancers, the list goes on. They’ve also become friends of mine which is something you can’t put a price on.
Moon: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced working in the paranormal genre?
Mandy: Honestly, shutting up. When I really get going, books can surpass the lengths the publishers will print. I have to hand it to NCP for putting Wicked Lucidity out without forcing me to make large cuts for word count.
Secondly, I’d say the biggest challenge I’ve faced working in the paranormal genre has been the research involved in it. So many cultures and religions have their own myths and legends regarding the paranormal and I like to base my books off as much “truth” as possible. I’m already taking the unbelievable and asking readers to believe it. I like to ground that enough that when they’re done they maybe think “yeah, I can see that happening”.
Moon: What's the most research intensive thing you've written, and how did you tackle the challenge?
Mandy: As far as books that are already out by me, Valhalla. It has the heroine, Valerie, stepping through time portals to collect warrior souls. She visited Scotland in the 1700’s, Italy 1780, Rome 351 A.D. and other places. It was very research intensive for me even though the entire book wasn’t set in each place. For the time she was there, I needed to figure out, what people were wearing, mannerisms, foods, homes, social events, the works. I remember being surrounded by so many books that if I dared to turn in my chair, I’d knock a pile over. I think the end result pulled together nicely and it sparked a HUGE interest in each period I researched, resulting in other books having roots there as well.
Moon: From what I hear you're a very prolific writer. How many books have you written and what genres are your favorites to work in?
Mandy: I have something around twenty-two print books and upwards of forty ebooks. By far paranormal and dark fantasy are my favorite genres to write in. Futuristic and contemporary follow those.
Moon: Wow. How long did it take you to write all of those?
Mandy: I wrote my first book, Daughter of Darkness, the end of the summer in 2003. From there, the rest have just come at a fairly steady pace. I think, on average, it takes me two months to write a full length book.
Moon: So do you self edit everything, or do you use beta readers and/or critique groups to help polish your stories for submission? What publishers are you working with right now?
Mandy: A blend of all of the above. I self edit but understand that I can’t/won’t catch everything because I’ve looked at the document too many times. I have an AMAZING group of proofers/test readers. They put their all into it.
I’m working with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, New Concepts Publishing at the moment.
Moon: So is writing your full time job? What were you doing pre-2003 and what made you switch your passion/focus to writing?
Mandy: Yes, writing is a full time job for me. Right up until two weeks before I started writing my first book, I was a marketing director. I was gone from home all the time (sometimes until ten at night depending upon the project) and didn’t like being away from my family that much. I made a choice to be home with them. Two weeks later, the house was spotless, the kids were looking at me like they couldn’t wait for me to walk out the door and stop hugging them and I had all this nervous energy. I sat down and channeled it into a book.
Moon: Sounds like your kids are a deep part of you. How do you think being a mother has affected your writing?
Mandy: It’s certainly softened me a bit. They also provide great fodder. Like the time my youngest glued his head to the wall and kept yelling, “I ‘pider man”. That makes an appearance in a book coming out soon. LOL.
Moon: Can't wait to see that. So, is Loup Garou is you most recent paranormal novel or do you have something new?
Mandy: The Guardians and Demonic Desires are my newest paranormal novels. The Guardians is a first person paranormal and Demonic Desires is a third person, paranormal erotic.
Loup Garou is close to celebrating its second birthday with Samhain.
Moon: Two years? What a rush. Guess I have one more wonderful Mandy Roth series to check out. I hear you are working on a sequel to Loup Garou. Care to give us a few hints? *wink*
Mandy: I am. I can’t give too many hints at the moment other than, the same group of characters will appear in it but it wouldn’t be the same leading lady. It’ll be seen through the eyes of a new heroine while she finds her path with her hero. But Lindsay and Xavier do makes an appearance in it.
Moon: It was great fun talking to you today, thanks for taking the time out of your busy life to spend with us. Before we go, what advice would you give new writers just starting out?
Mandy: Thanks for having me!!!!
Write what you love and write as often as you can.
The Guardians
Ass-kicking Guardian, Madelyn Mason, is the only female in a sea of supernatural males. College student by day, she spends her nights fighting for mankind--the innocents, the ones who have no clue that the things of nightmares walk among the living.
Larger than life Hollywood hunk, Brady Devens, has won the hearts of millions of adoring fans. But, the only heart he wants to win is that of his mate, Madelyn. She hasn't shown an interest in him as anything more than a friend, and he’s beginning to think the Powers That Be goofed.
In this world of magik, mishap, demons, gods, and pleasure nymphs, anything is possible. Can they find a love that transcends time and space or will the Powers That Be decide maybe they weren’t destined for one another after all?
Rating: Spicy/Carnal-Contains graphic adult material, violence, adult language, and explicit sexual content not suitable for sensitive readers.
EXCERPT
Demonic Desires
She might look fragile, but Ava Fenaly is fierce. She knows a thing or two about magik, and she knows exactly what she's doing when she summons a demon in her bedroom. Well, almost. Ava is convinced that the exhilarating, almost terrifying night of passion that follows is all a dream. It has to be, because she's dead set against revisiting her past-and the horrors she left behind long ago.
For the last three-hundred-plus years, Donatus Manlian has been living a peaceful life. Lonely, but peaceful. When the demon he has kept carefully locked within for centuries finally breaks free and responds to Ava's call, the peace-and the loneliness-are gone. Now Donatus is forced to revisit tragedies long buried as he protects Ava from the evil that pursues her. But another evil lies within him-and now that it's been awakened, the demon wants free.
EXCERPT
Romantic Times BookClub Magazine Review's Choice Nominee for Best Erotic Paranormal/ Sci-Fi/ Fantasy 2006
Loup Garou
Lindsay Willows craves a simple life. One where she can make a difference without drawing too much attention to herself. As the daughter of both a vampire and a fay, the cards were already stacked against her. Finding out she's the supposed mate of a dark fay prince doesn't help matters. Especially when there are those who will stop at nothing to prevent her from mating with a prince she's never even met.
When Exavier Kedmen, the incredibly sexy front man for a world-famous band, shows up wanting her to go back to a field she left three years ago, she can't explain the strong feelings that surface for a man she barely knows. Lindsay finds herself confronting demons from her past, coming to terms with the ones in the present and finally looking forward to a future with the man she was created for. And she discovers evil doesn't care who it hurts to obtain its goals but even the evilest of things fear something, or in the case of Exavier, someone.
WARNING: This book contains hot, explicit sex and violence explained with contemporary, graphic language.
EXCERPT
If you want to get to know Mandy Roth better visit her at her website, and pop by her blog. She also has a reader’s list for those of you who just can’t get enough, and want to keep up to date on what’s new?
and HAPPY HALLOWS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!