Interview with Tory Temple

Hey y'all!

I couldn't be more tickled than to introduce Tory Temple, a great writer and one of my dearest friends. She agreed to do an interview for my blog. I love her deep knowledge of firemen, her details, and general hotness, so I'm pleased as punch to have her here today. :D

BA

I'd like to welcome Tory Temple, author of Fireline, Tabula Rasa, and Chasing Victory

Favorite celebrity couple?

My favorite celeb couple doesn't exist anymore, sadly. :( I was seriously on board with Brad and Jen before Angelina showed up as Homewrecker Extraordinaire. I'm still Team Aniston.

Dream vacation?

I want to take one of those six month round-the-world luxury cruises. A lot of people don't like cruise ships because they feel trapped, but cruising is my perfect vacation. If every trip for the rest of my life was aboard a cruise ship to a tropical location, I'd be in heaven.

Shoes -- an addiction or only a necessity?

I have 48 shoe boxes in my closet right now, and that is not counting my racks of flip flops and summer sandals. Or my gym/running shoes. Therefore, ADDICTION.

You have six free hours, $500 of fun money, and a teleporter. What do you do?

Oh man. Am I allowed to take other people with me? Never mind, it's my free time, I can do whatever I want. I'd teleport to a couple of different places and round up all of my favorite people, then whisk us all off to a poolside cabana in Vegas. Cabana boys would abound, naturally.

Do you use a playlist when you write? If so, how important is it?

I do not. I'm very visual (as opposed to auditory) and any other sound while I write is extremely distracting. I can't listen to music or watch television. That being said, I *do* have playlists that I've created for characters after the story is completed. I listen to those while I work out or when I'm in the car.

I know you've co-written Happy World (with Kiernan Kelly) and By the Numbers (with Chris Owen). How did that work? Is cowriting something you'd do again?

Both experiences were great, although different. Kiernan and I traded chapters and POVs back and forth and we sort of shared characters. Chris and I wrote together in Google docs and kept strictly to our own characters. I loved both ways and would happily write with either of those ladies again. I visited Chris this summer and we fleshed out an outline for the sequel to our book, so I'll get my wish soon enough.

When did you start writing professionally?

The summer of 2005. I didn't submit anything until later that year, but I clearly remember the time and place where my first story started to form. I was in Toronto airport, on my way home from visiting friends after Toronto Pride, and I started making notes in the back of my address book. A month later, the story was finished.

Tell us about your newest release and/or what you're working on now.

My last release was a short story with Torquere, Priorities. [http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=3107] It was a little glimpse in the life of my rodeo cowboys, Teagan and Cash. I liked visiting with them and may check in again soon. My next book is the co-written one with Chris and that's coming out at the end of September for Torquere Press' anniversary month! So excited about that. Fireman and a computer geek try to make it work. Oh yeah, along with six puppies. Fun times!

Thank you for the interview opportunity!

You can find Tory Temple at http://www.torytemple.com/

Thank you for stopping by sweetie! -- BA

Interview with Julia Talbot

Hey, y'all! I thought it would be fun to start doing some author interviews here, introduce y'all to some folks and who else would I start with but my partner in all things, Julia Talbot?

*grins*

I have to tell y'all. It's so easy to interview across a desk.

What's your favorite time of day to write?

I love it early in the morning, actually. It's quiet, I don't feel pressure to do other work, and I have coffee. It's a perfect situation.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Well, when I was five I wanted to be a cowboy or a firefighter. Or a ballerina. By the time I was twelve, though, I gave up being a veterinarian and went to writing ;)



What's your biggest influence?

Stuff I see and hear, I think. I eavesdrop, I watch people, I wonder how someone else would deal with the email I just got...

What kills the writing mood (so we know not to do it)?

Huge amounts of repetitive noise (think a basset hound who wants bacon), lots of stress, a lack of chocolate.

If you had a choice between sleeping with George W. Bush or an undead monkey, which would you choose?

An undead monkey, no contest



What's the last thing you do before bed at night?

Usually play a few rounds of Angry Birds on my Ipod. That's after reading and scritching my basset

Do you have a book you wish you could go back and rewrite?

Oh, god yes. Most of them, in fact. If I'm rushing to hit a deadline it's worse. I feel like I could do them more justice.

10 songs in your ultimate writing playlist:

Losing My Religion by REM

Misguided Angel - Cowboy Junkies

Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait

Why- Jason Aldean

Real Good Man - Tim Mcgraw

Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls

Low- Flow Rida

Anything by Weird Al

Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flat and Scruggs

Add it Up - Violent Femmes



Favorite piece of clothing:

my brand new sweater dress from Old Navy-- gray with cables

Favorite thing to do when you're on vacation:

I love to go and see. Doc Holiday's grave? Sure. Cappucin crypt in Rome? Heck yeah. Cafe in the Crypt in London? Absolutely. I love weird sights.

Thanks so much for having me, hon!

You can see Julia here or at her blog here.