Books-n-Kisses is so excited to have the
wonderful Rebecca Zanetti on the blog today.
BIO: Rebecca Zanetti is a college professor by day and romance author by night. Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews. Publisher’s Weekly declared FATED a ‘recommended spring read,’ and CLAIMED to be a thriller with “true strengths: sizzling sex scenes and a memorable cast.” To find Rebecca on the web, drop by her website: http://rebeccazanetti.com/
Books-N-Kisses: HI Rebecca, How are you today? Can I get you anything before we get started? Coffee, Tea, Soda, food?
Rebecca: Well, it’s morning here, so how about coffee? I try to limit myself to one coffee and one soda (diet coke) a day and drink plenty of water. One day my New Year’s resolution will be to give up diet coke…but not today!
Books-N-Kisses: I have to say it was so great to meet you up at the Emerald City Writers Conference in October. I am so excited to share you with my followers. Shall we get started?
Rebecca: It was so wonderful to meet you, too. That was my first Emerald City Writers Conference, and I loved it. Hope to see you there next year! So, yeah, let’s get started.
Q1) Let’s start by learning a little more about you. Please tell my followers who is the famous person you interned for in college!! I think this is pretty awesome!!
Rebecca: I interned with President Reagan in California. It was after he was President, but he still gave 3-5 speeches a week. Our offices were in the penthouse of the Fox Plaza Building (the building that pretty much gets blown up in Die Hard.) I saw him every day, and he was hilarious. Told great jokes. Nancy Regan’s offices were just down the hall, so we saw her a lot, too. They really seemed happy together.
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Rebecca: Sure. I’ve always wanted to tell stories. But there have been many things I wanted to do, like practice law, study art, travel a bit. So far…so good. Now that the writing bug has caught me, I plan to keep at it.
Q3) Who do you feel has influenced your writing style?
Rebecca: Well, the first romance I ever read was a MacGregor story by Nora Roberts, and I was hooked on romance forever. So, as cliché as it sounds, Nora Roberts. But, I also think that practicing law as a trial attorney has really influenced my style. A good book is like a good trial – fast paced, full of interesting characters, and the goal is a good result. (A happy ending, if you will). J
Q4) Are you a plotter or panster?
Rebecca: Panster. I discover as I go, just like a reader does. I’ve tried to plot, usually get to the second paragraph, and then have to go write just to see what happens.
Q5) Tell us what a typical writing day for you is like.
Rebecca: I don’t think I have a typical writing day, though I do write every day. Sometimes it’s at night, after work, basketball practice for the kids, homework, dinner, etc. On Fridays I try to write all day because I don’t teach at the college on Fridays. I’ve been known to sketch out a scene during half-time of my son’s football game.
Let’s talk about your Dark Protector Series
Q6) Fated is book one in your Dark Protector Series. Tell us a little more about this book.
Rebecca: Fated features Talen Kayrs, the strategic leader of the vampire people, and his mate, Cara Paulsen, a single mother and plant physiologist. The bad vampires (Kurjans) want Cara’s daughter, Janie, who’s the key to the entire series. Talen is an Alpha, without question, and Cara’s scientific mind isn’t quite sure what to do with him. Especially after he marks her for all time.
Q7) How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Rebecca: When I start something new, I write a scene for a story and then everything unfolds from there. So for Fated, I wrote a scene just after Talen had kidnapped Cara and they were looking at each other in a private jet. He turned out to be a vampire, and the entire series unfolded from there. Plus, I wrote the vampires the way I’d want them to be. Hot blooded, dangerous, and not afraid of the sun. The bad guys are afraid of the sun. So, in order to do this, I had to delve into science and make vampires just another different species on earth – genetically.
Q8) Claimed is book two, please tell us more. And I just have to I love the covers of your books.
Rebecca: Thanks! I love the covers, too. The graphic arts department at Kensington has very talented people. It’s always a huge, pleasant surprise when I get a new cover. Claimed is about Dage Kayrs, who’s the king of the vampires, and his mate, Emma Paulsen, a brilliant geneticist who has NO time to deal with an Alpha-male of a vampire.
Q9) Up next I see you have a Novella coming out April 1, 2012 called Tempted (book 2.5). Can you share a little about Max & Sarah?
Rebecca: I had a lot of fun writing about Max and Sarah. Max is a huge, quiet, dangerous type of a guy—a great bodyguard for little Janie. Sarah was a teacher who ended up in an insane asylum after seeing a Kurjan kill somebody. There’s a fun courtroom scene to prove her sanity toward the end…with a lot of romance, sensuality, and action as well.
Q10) Hunted (book 3) is scheduled for release on April 24, 2012. What can expect from Connlan & Moira’s book?
Rebecca: Moira is the first heroine in the series who isn’t human. Not only is she a witch, she’s THE witch. The seventh sister of a seventh sister—they use quantum physics for witchcraft. Connlan Kayrs is the ultimate soldier for the Realm. There’s a lot of action, some wild sex, and some surprisingly tender moments. The two accidentally mated a century ago, and Conn gave Moira time and space to grow as a witch. Time is up.
Q11) I am super excited to see on your blog that you have book 4 & 5 listed as coming soon. Do you see the series going beyond book 6?
Rebecca: Yep. There will be between 7 and 9 books. Two of those may be novellas, so there would be 7 books and 2 novellas – or just 9 complete novels, depending on what Kensington wants. The last book is Janie and Zane’s book—and it wraps up the entire series, also answering why Janie is so darn important to everyone. I won’t go past that for this series – at some point, it has to wrap up. Of course…there are several spinoffs possible…
Q12) Do you ever see yourself writing in a different genre?
Rebecca: Sure. I have a romantic suspense series my agent will be sending out early next year. I also have an upbeat women’s fiction series (formerly called ‘chick lit’), but I haven’t had time to work on it. Maybe toward the end of next year?
Q13) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Rebecca: Ohhhh. This is such a tough question! I love so many authors. Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Dean Kootnz, Cynthia Eden, J.R. Ward, Janet Evonovich, Sayde Grace, Erin Kellison…and I could just keep going!
Q14) I love to know what is in your to read pile that you are dying to get to?
Rebecca: Well, I have a book due at Kensington February 1st, and then the next book due May 1st, so I’m struggling to find time to read. (I do love to read, though.) There’s actually a pile on the table behind me: Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evonovich, Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden, New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb and Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. There are more around here somewhere. J
Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Rebecca: You know, as my first year as a published author comes to an end, I’d like to thank everyone for their support. From the readers to other authors to wonderful people like you who take time to learn about our worlds, I really appreciate it. This is the frosting. J
Books-n-Kisses: Rebecca, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so very very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to sit down with me and chat. I am looking forward to the next time we meet up. Also so looking forward to Hunted.
Rebecca: You bet! Let’s plan to meet up for coffee in Seattle next year. Or diet coke, because there’s no way I will have given it up yet. Thanks again and everyone have a truly awesome 2012!
Want to learn more about Rebecca? Check her out here:
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