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Where are you from? – I was born in New York City and grew up on Manhattan’s East Side – East 14th Street, down by the Village, to be exact. We moved to New Jersey when I was 13 and I’ve been a “Jersey Girl” ever since.
What inspired you to become a writer? – That’s a tough one. I don’t know as anything actually inspired me, it was sort of a natural progression. My mother taught me to read when I was three, and growing up I loved comics – Superman, Batman, etc. If I didn’t like the way a story ended I’d just rewrite it LOL
What drew you to the paranormal genre? – I’ve always loved spooky stuff – my father used to take me to horror movies when I was young. And, of course, in High School I was absolutely HOOKED on Dark Shadows! Can’t wait for the Johnny Depp remake next y
ear! C’mon, I know a lot of people say they’re overdone but…who doesn’t love a hot vampire?
Where do you get your ideas? – They come from the oddest things. The name of a street, sometimes someone will say a catchy phrase and I’ll build a story around it. And one book, a YA fantasy I wrote, got its name and the inspiration for the character from the side of a garbage truck.
What is your biggest challenge of being an author? – Constantly trying to think up new, fresh ideas. Coming up with a twist on something that’s not been done before. I find that very
challenging.
What do you love most about being an author? – Being able to create a world I’m in charge of! So often we are not in control of our own lives – in writing, you can control others!
What do you do in your spare time? Besides write, you mean? I enjoy reading, going to movies and plays, and trying to keep my cats in line. It’s especially tough with Rocco – seeing as how he has his own blog and all…www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
What are you currently working on? –I’m currently working on two – no, wait – three other books I hope will become series, and I’m also working on two novellas which will be sequels to Raven’s Kiss and No Rest for theWicca, which I hope to release around the holidays. I’ve also got a YA with a Dark Shadows tie-in planned for release next April.
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I just love finding out how authors get their ideas for storylines! The side of a garbage truck??? Classic :)
Find Raven's Kiss at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Smashwords (all formats)
About the author:
All About….TONI LOTEMPIO
Hello! I’m Toni LoTempio, author of Paranormal Romance/Romantic Suspense/YA Fantasy! I’ve been writing ever since I was old enough to read, when I didn’t like the endings of the stories my mother read me I simply rewrote them Even though I write mainly in the paranormal genre, I have also written straight horror, as well as contemporary romance/suspense.
In 1995, I joined the staff of SUSABELLA PASSENGERS AND FRIENDS, a pulp magazine for collectors of antique children’s literature (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc.) Currently I’ve written over 300 articles for that magazine, and I was the first recipient of their Margaret Sutton Award for Distinguished Writing in 1998. I joined the staff of NIGHT OWL REVIEWS IN January 2011 as the suspense reviewer/columnist. My column, DARK STREETS, which features articles on suspense authors and their novels, is featured on a monthly basis. I love to spotlight new talent, so if you’re a suspense author, please contact me!
In 2007, Whiskey Creek Press published BOUND BY BLOOD, a tale of possession, and EBONY, which deals with zombies and the dark side of man. EBONY was #2 on the Fictionwise bestseller list for e-books for the month of July 2007, beating out Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story. (and no one was more shocked than I, LOL) In 2010, after countless attempts to land another agent, I took the advice of a fellow author HP Mallory, and self published NO REST FOR THE WICCA, which has been on Amazon’s list of top one hundred in Occult since March 2011. My short story, THE SACRIFICE, appears in the e-published anthology KISS ME KILL ME, and I also have a YA fantasy, MY SUPERHERO SISTER on B&N and Amazon. A complete listing of my books appears at the end of this bio.
Currently single, I work full time and live in Clifton, NJ, with my muses: Rocco, Maxx, Gata and Trixie. (Rocco is also known as Rocco the SciFi Blogging Cat and has appeared on the SciFi Saturday Night website and radio show, and also on the Kids Need To Read website where he holds the distinction of being the first (and possibly only!) blogging cat to support this charity!)
I love hearing from fans, so please feel free to friend me on FACEBOOK, and visit my website, www.tonilotempio.webs.com Rocco and I post daily M-F on his blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
Toni LoTempio Books:
Bound by Blood – Whiskey Creek Press, trade paperback & e-book, Feb. 2007 (paranormal suspense)
Ebony – Whiskey Creek Press, trade paperback & e-book, July 2007 (paranormal suspense)
Witch’s Pawn – Echelon Press, trade paperback & e-book, December 2008 (horror)
Nom de Plume – Whiskey Creek Press, trade paperback & e-book, November 2008 (contemporary romance)
It’s in the Cards – Whiskey Creek Press, e-book, February 2010 – (paranormal romance)
Out of the Ashes – Whiskey Creek Press, e-book, May 2010 – Fantasy
No Rest for the Wicca – Amazon & B&N Pub-It, e-book, September 2010 – paranormal suspense
My Superhero Sister – Amazon & B&N Pub-It, e-book, Trade Paperback - January 2011 – YA Fantasy
Kiss Me, Kill Me – Amazon & B&N Pub-It, e-book anthology –February 2011 – Short Story, “The Sacrifice”
Raven’s Kiss – Amazon & B&N Pub-It, e-book, & Trade Paperback April, 2011 – Paranormal Romance
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And now for the Giveaway!
Toni LoTempio is generously giving away an ecopy of Raven's Kiss, OR another one of her books - No Rest For The Wicca. It's reader's choice - all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post to be entered to win. Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you! Last day to enter is June 21st!
As a thanks to tour followers, Toni is offering ONE lucky winner a signed copy of Raven's Kiss and to name a character in a future book after them! Make sure you visit each stop and visit Toni's blog for more details.
Next stop on the tour: Romancing the Dark Side
Visit The Bookish Snob Promotions for a full tour schedule!
Thanks so much for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely interview and post. I have Raven's Kiss and No Rest for the Wicca and look forward to reading them both. I cannot express my gratitude enough to authors like you who have made being able to read your wonderful books at an affordable price - what a wonderful delight it is to come away with the treasures you have provided. You are much appreciated!
ReplyDeletedz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
Awesome interview :)
ReplyDeleteMorganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
Great interview! Rocco sounds like a very accomplished cat. thanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeletemarlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hello Toni!
ReplyDeleteRaven's Kiss sounds lovely. I think the cover is gorgeous too. Thanks for the giveaway. Good luck with your new release!
user1123 AT comcast.net
Great interview! Raven's Kiss sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteartgiote at gmail dot com