Giveaway & Interview with Urban Fantasy & Romance Author, Alicia Dean

Urban Fantasy & Romance author, Alicia Dean has dropped by to chat and give a copy of her her recent Dorchester release, "HEART OF THE WITCH". away to one lucky commenter.   To enter please leave Alicia a comment including your email. Giveaway is open to all and runs until February 28,2010. Happy Reading!

Title: HEART OF THE WITCH

Author: Alicia Dean

Publisher: Dorchester

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release: February 2010

Format: Paperback

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There's a monster on the loose, a serial killer murdering women in Oklahoma City. On each corpse he writes his name in blood:
THE TIN MAN

But while the villain claims to be heartless, he's not beyond making a mistake. This time he left his prey alive, and ex-homicide detective Nick Lassiter plans to use her to crack the case wide open. Yet Ravyn Skyler is nothing like he expects. She remembers little of the crime, and for a victim, she has a deep reserve of quiet strength. In her eyes he sees both helpless waif and merciless vigilante, and in her kiss he tastes both passion and power. With a tale of a Tin Man, it only seems fair that there's a witch. And the witch guards a secret that threatens not only their lives, but their souls. read more...

Read excerpt.

Learn about the Author of the Day.

Interview with Urban Fantasy author, Alicia Dean.

CSM: Alicia,tell us about your recent release, “HEART OF THE WITCH”.

AD: Heart of the Witch is a paranormal Romantic Suspense published by Dorchester. It’s set in the Oklahoma City area and it’s about Ravyn Skyler, a witch who is attacked by a serial killer, the Tin Man. She survives but the killer gets away. She wants to stop him to prevent him from hurting other women, so she teams up with a broken, wounded alcoholic PI, Nick Lassiter, who is already on the Tin Man case. She has to hide the fact that she’s a witch to keep from endangering her coven. She also has to struggle with her growing attraction to a man who is wrong for her in every way. Added to her problems, her ex-lover, a powerful male witch, wants to possess her and destroy Nick. There’s a kind of cool Wizard of Oz threat throughout the book that was really fun, even though the book itself is pretty dark and creepy.

CSM: If you could compare “HEART OF THE WITCH” to your other books, how would you say it is different?

AD: My other books have been romantic suspense, but this one is a paranormal and it’s perhaps a little more sinister and spooky than the others.

CSM: Which do you think is more important in romance writing, voice or story?

AD: I think they are equally important. If you have a good voice, but your story doesn’t grab the reader, people aren’t going to want to read your stuff. On the other hand, you can have the greatest story of all time, yet if you can’t tell it in a compelling way, your reader won’t stick with you long enough to find out how incredibly awesome your story is.

CSM: Who is your favorite author?

AD: That would be impossible to say. I have read and loved many wonderful writers over the years and I continue to find new ones to add to my collection. I like such a wide array of genres that it might be easier if I picked one favorite out of each genre. But then again, it would still be impossible to narrow it down. When I think of naming just a few, I feel guilty for leaving so many out. My bio on my web site gives a pretty thorough list, although there are countless others I could have added to it.

CSM: Are you a punster or a plotter?

AD: I am definitely a plotter. First thing I do is write a thorough, (although crappy) rough draft of the entire book, plotting as I go. I’ve found that the plot invariably changes as I develop the story, although for the most part, the central issues remain the same.

CSM:Your book covers are amazing. Do you have a say in them?

AD: Thank you. I’m very proud of them. My publishers, both Wild Rose Press and Dorchester, ask for my input, but then the brilliant cover artists use their own talent, combined with what they know about my story, and create these wonderful covers. I have truly been amazed at how well the covers depict my characters and my stories.

CSM: What is next for you and when will readers expect to see it out on bookshelves?

AD: I don’t have anything scheduled for release at the moment, but my agent is currently shopping my latest book, a suspense titled Dead Escape. I’m hoping to learn something on that in the near future.