HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY: CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF DEADLY OBSESSION WITH GUEST AUTHOR KATIE REUS!

I’m thrilled to welcome guest author Katie Reus, whose latest book, Deadly Obsession, releases from Carina Press today. Katie will give away a copy of Deadly Obsession to one lucky commenter, so please post your questions or thoughts!


Blurb - Deadly Obsession:

The chilling words of a killer: This is just the beginning…

Ten years ago, Lilly Carmichael left town without an explanation, breaking Braden Donnelly’s heart. The death of her aunt has brought Lilly home–and face to face with memories she thought were long buried. Still getting over a traumatic incident from her work as an NSA agent, Lilly initially dismisses the face at her window as a figment of stress-induced paranoia.

Now the sheriff of Hudson Bay, Braden has spent the last year hunting a sadistic murderer. But his investigation is turned upside down when new evidence indicates that Lilly is the killer’s next target. Determined to protect the woman he’s never stopped loving, Braden must race against the clock to trap a dangerous psychopath—before it’s too late…


And now… here’s Katie! ;-)

GH: Welcome to Writers Gone Wild! Tell us a little about yourself.

KR: I started reading romance at a young age (since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash) and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write dark paranormal romance and sexy, fast-paced romantic suspense. Currently I write for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne (Destined Mate, October 2011), and in early 2012 the first book in my paranormal series will release from NAL/Signet Eclipse (Alpha Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel). To learn more about me please visit my website (http://katiereus.com/), my blog (http://katiereus.blogspot.com/), facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katiereusauthor) or find me on twitter @katiereus.

GH: How did you come up with the idea for Deadly Obsession?

KR: Originally the story started with a simple kernel of an idea. I love stories of lovers reunited and I only knew why the hero and heroine were separated after high school, but I didn’t have any of the other details mapped out. Everything else developed as I wrote the story. After I finished the first version of Deadly Obsession I thought I was done (with the exception of edits) but then realized that the villain needed a point of view so I went back and made some serious changes. This completely changed the tone of the story, making it much darker than originally intended.

GH: Who's your favorite character in Deadly Obesession?

KR: This is a tough one! I love both my main characters but I really love Braden, the hero. He’s a tough, but really sweet guy. The heroine left him a decade ago for reasons he doesn’t understand and they didn’t part on the best terms but he’s still very protective of her.

GH: You're amazingly productive; how do you do it? What's your writing schedule like?

KR: I just write as much as I can, every day that I can. I don’t wait for my ‘muse’ to strike. By allowing myself to write junk, I’m still writing so even if I have to go back and delete scenes, I don’t let myself get stagnate. Right now, I have a newborn in the house and he wakes up pretty early (around 3 or 4) so after I feed him instead of going back to bed, I write for a few hours. Lately, it’s the only writing time I’m getting but I’m also being incredibly productive with those few hours so it’s working for me. Once he starts crawling and walking and being more active, I’m sure this schedule will once again change.

GH: As Katie and under your erotic romance pen name, Savannah Stuart, you've written contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense and futuristic stories. Which genre is your favorite? Is switching back and forth hard?

KR: It’s a tossup between romantic suspense and paranormal romance, but I’d probably have to say paranormal since the story I’m working on right now is paranormal. I really love the world building involved with writing paranormal also. Switching back and forth is actually really nice. It can be tiring writing only in one genre and it gives me a mental break to switch genres.

GH: You've also self-published under both names. Why did you make that decision and are you glad you did?

KR: The reason I ultimately decided to self publish is because I wanted the freedom it offers. Basically I wanted to control pricing, cover art, and content. I’m very glad I decided to try it out. Originally I published a novella length romantic suspense as an experiment and the sales numbers and increase in backlist was more than I expected. So, I self-published an erotic paranormal romance, also novella length, and the sales numbers have been equally great and very consistent week to week.

GH: How do you reward yourself for finishing a book?

KR: Wine or dirty vodka martinis ;)

GH: What one thing have you learned that most helped you become successful as a writer?

KR: Rejection sucks but everyone in this business deals with it. It’s not personal, it’s just business. I think if aspiring writers can get over their fear of rejection and develop thicker skin, once they’re published it will be that much easier dealing with bad sales numbers or crappy reviews.

GH: Finally, the WGW "wild card" question - boxers or briefs?

KR: Ha, neither. Commando all the way!

Thanks so much to Gail for having me here today!

GR: No, thank you for dropping by, Katie, and I hope you kick ass and take names with Deadly Obsession!