Guest Author Shelia Stewart

Debbie: Good morning all and welcome to our cyber boat trip. This morning the Ferryman is bringing us to visit Sheila Stewart in her demon world to talk about her new release Offer the Demon.
....Laura, I would appreciate it if you would stop moving around so much, you’re rocking the boat and that water doesn’t look like anything I’d want to fall into.
....
Laura: Are you sure you paid the right amount? That creepy dude with the hood is going to stick around and take us back, right?
....
Debbie: Ummm…the payment part was your end of the deal.
....
Laura: Wait, what?
....
Debbie: Laura, so help me God if we get stuck out here… That’s it! No more coffee for you.
....
Laura: Okay, calm down, I’ve got to find that coin, right
....
Debbie: Coin? That’s all you’re paying him, a single coin? You are seeing what I’m seeing, are you not? *Smacks the back of Laura’s head* And people wonder why I worry about you.
....
Laura: Ow!
....
Debbie Shush! We’re here now. Let’s just hope he’s still waiting when we’re done.


DEBBIE: Hi there, Shelia. It’s wonderful to finally have you here, and I want to apologize for the delay. I asked Laura if she wanted to go on vacation with me and invite you along, but she was too busy stargazing.

LAURA: Hmm…missed that invite. I’m blaming it on Yahoo! LOL
....Hey, Sheila! We are thrilled to have you here for a visit to our cyber observatory to chat about your next book in your Demon Series: Offer the Demon. Now that my cohort is back from her vacation – all rested and tanned I see – we’re ready to jump right back into the interviews!

DEBBIE: This freckled, fair skinned body doesn’t tan, and one-dollar Corona’s and free shots of Tequila in Mexico don’t lend to being very rested, but I’m here. Disgruntled, but here.

LAURA: Okay, hon. Here are two aspirin and some juice. Or would you prefer another Corona brought by some hottie towel boy?

DEBBIE: Hottie in a towel? That’s a big fat yes!

LAURA: Well, then let’s get a couple up here to the cyber observatory Stat! LOL
....Anyway…I’ve been trying to drag Debbie out into the vast universe so we can write some sci-fi romance stories. I hear that you like the night sky, so help me out here with convincing her. What’s your favorite part about stargazing?

SHEILA: Lying beside my hubby and watching the stars and meteor showers. I love doing it alone as well, but being with him makes it all so much more interesting. We both love to name the constellations.

LAURA: I know! At my husband’s parents’ farm, it’s dark enough to see the edge of the Milky Way streaking across the sky. We’ve also seen several instances of meteor showers. The next one, the Lyrids, is scheduled for April 21st this year. Actually, there are lots of showers for the rest of 2012, including the popular Perseids, Leonids, and Geminids.

DEBBIE: Hey, I live on a farm…well, not a working farm, but we’ve got a big white house and four red barns. Okay, so maybe one of the barns is only half red because the boys got lazy on their painting detail, but it’s still…oh, this isn’t about me is it? Okay, so, Shelia, your Bio says you grew up on a farm, too. What was best and worst thing about growing up there?

SHEILA: I have plenty of great memories from living on the farm. I think my fondest memories are when my little sister and I would take the baby pigs and dress them in doll clothes then drive them around in baby carriages.
....It was great to have all that space to run around in.
....The worst would be two things. Being woken at dawn by my siblings who went off to do the chores dealing with the livestock. Another would be hearing the coyotes and other wild animals howling outside late at night. Scared the crap out of me.

DEBBIE: Hmmm…dressing the baby pigs up in doll clothes. I guess by the time we started raising pigs, I was too old for that and the only thing about them or their mamas that sticks out in my mind was mucking out their pen. NASTY!
....So, Laura is FOREVER trying to drag me into the solar system, and I briefly read about the sun and it’s solar flares. Have you seen this occurrence?

LAURA: Oh, yeah! I’ve read that we’re going into a solar max, peaking in about 2-3 years from now. The pictures are amazing, especially the flares that leap off the Sun’s surface. They’re huge!

SHEILA: I definitely have heard about the flares. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to see them. Its either cloudy or I’m too tired to stay up. I see the images online and they look fabulous!

DEBBIE: Do you think it'll affect your writing positively, negatively, or not at all?

SHEILA: Does it affect my writing? Not at all.

LAURA: Why ya asking, Debbie? *Cough* Next chapter? *Cough*

DEBBIE: Because I am sure these solar flares are affecting your mind and overheating your brain, my dear.

LAURA: We’re not going to discuss my brain again, are we? I told you I’m perfectly normal. My parents had me tested. The results speak for themselves.

DEBBIE: Uh huh, was it a brain scan? I’ll just bet the results read NEGATIVE findings. Okay, Sheila, when and why did you start writing?

SHEILA: I’ve always loved telling tales. I would often do so for my younger sister and cousins. As I grew into my teens, I began writing as a release from stress and frustration. That soon built into more and more writing and soon my love of it took over the stress.

LAURA: Yes! Writing is an awesome stress-reliever! Plus it allows you to visit new worlds and blow stuff up without the authorities showing up asking questions.

DEBBIE: HAHAHA! I so love blowing things up and torturing people. Look at what we did to the poor saps in Sins of the Mind.

LAURA: Yes! And the things we have in mind for the next book in the Red River series? Some really twisted sh—

DEBBIE: Laura! Keep it PG-13 please!

LAURA: Er, yes, ma’am! So, Sheila… Love the cover of Offer the Demon. And the heroine, Aurora Starr. Awesome name! How did you come up with it?

SHEILA: My love of both the aurora and stars. When I was writing Awaken the Demon I knew I was going to write a sequel. I knew the lead character was going to be a female, and because Draco from Awaken the Demon chose the last name of Starr and used the ruse of the Starr Gazers to find Missy, I thought it was perfect to give her the name of Aurora Starr. Plus, it’s not a usual name, which I found perfect for a demon.

LAURA: No, it’s not common at all, which is probably why I like it!

DEBBIE: How did you come up with the storyline of a heroine that's a demon working for satan?

SHEILA: You always hear about men being tied to Satan. Movies and books usually chose the make lead dealing with the bad. I wanted something different. I wanted a strong female who would be capable of doing the job mostly held by males and one who was also pig-headed and didn’t care that her boss was the big bad. Having been a shy, young girl and woman who was raised to believe that men are the providers and women sat home and looked pretty, I always imagined what it would be like to be strong and have a job and be something other than a shadow for a man. You’ll see the females in my stories are all strong independent women.

DEBBIE: I love the idea of that and am interested to see how the hero measures up to her. I love strong heroines and Alpha males, and right now am struggling to find the right mix in our own story of a strong heroine. You’ve got me very intrigued to see how you handled it.

LAURA: Without giving away any spoilers can you tell us how Aurora came to work for the “big bad”?

SHEILA: Aurora’s father is a demon, who once worked for Satan. In my demon culture, it’s taboo to mate with a human. Because his wife Missy is part human, any child of theirs would also be a taboo. Draco and Missy had to barter with Satan to have a child. Unfortunately in order to have a child, she had to work for Satan when she turned 21. Aurora hates her job, hates her life, but she knows if she doesn’t do as Satan wants, it could have dire consequences and not just for her but her family as well.

DEBBIE: And our kids think they have it rough, lol. What about Scott? He couldn't have been too happy to learn his girlfriend was a demon.

SHEILA: You would think he’d be pissed or frightened, yet he wasn’t. Well, not as bad as he should have been. It was a shock and hard to believe for Scott, but Aurora showed him she most definitely was real. To calm himself and deal with what he’d just learned about the woman he loved, Scott gets drunk. The only thing that accomplishes is a nasty hangover. What he does after that is rather amusing…and nope, I have no intention of spilling the beans. You’ll have to read it to find out more.

LAURA: Ooo…wow! That sounds cool, and I love humor in stories for sure!

DEBBIE: LOL Sounds like a lot of fun! We hear that you like to draw and paint. What captures your imagination?

SHEILA: I love drawing two things mostly. Women’s faces and bodies as well as animals. I find the female form so interesting to draw. All those lines and curves and different shapes of eyes and lips are fascinating to me. I’ve tried drawing men but they always end up looking something crossed between Fred Flintstone and the Hunchback from Notre dam. LOL

LAURA: I love art! Do you have a picture or two we can show off for you?

SHEILA: Here is an example of one of my pictures.


LAURA: That’s a really nice leopard. I love cats.

DEBBIE: Me too. I always wanted a cougar for a pet. LOL. Great drawing, Shelia.

LAURA: To Debbie: Okay, can I ask her now?

DEBBIE: *Sigh* Go ahead, but make it good.

LAURA: On our last interview, Debbie got to ask Jessica Subject a hypothetical question. So, now I get to ask one. Ready?
....You're standing on a cliff, and fifty feet below is a rocky shore. There's crazy killer coming at you with a machete. All you have is a Popsicle stick. What do you do?

SHEILA: Ooh, this sounds like one of my works in progress. Okay, crazy killer is after me with a machete. I have nowhere to run and my only exit is a rocky death beneath me. And all you’re giving me is a measly Popsicle stick. Wow. LOL I was probably minding my own business eating the Popsicle when the lunatic came after me. So, the stick would be somewhat soft. I would chew off the tip, breaking off splinters until the tip is nice and sharp then I’d turn to the crazy machete wielding lunatic and jam the Popsicle stick into his eye. Then I’d run the opposite direction. LOL

LAURA: Excellent answer! I say you survived it! Debbie?

DEBBIE: Okay, First, all I asked Jessica was about chocolate! Where do you come up with this stuff??? Second, yeah, Shelia might survive if her soggy stick didn’t just bend and leave splinters on her tongue. Me? I’d have flashed him. He’d be so busy rolling on the ground laughing I’d be able to run right past him.

LAURA: Ooo-kay…not commenting on that! Now I have this image seared in my mind…God, I think I need another brain scan!
....Thank you so much, Sheila! It was a blast to have you here, discussing the stars and your latest book. It sounds awesome, and we wish you many sales. We hope you’ll drop back by with your next release! Psst, Deb, I just found a cold coin. I’m gonna go find the creepy hooded dude.

DEBBIE: Yes, thank you so much, Shelia for joining us today and putting up with our wackiness.
....Laura! Laura! Wait for me!!!!


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BLURB:
....Twenty-one years ago a bargain was made for her existence. Twenty-one years ago was the beginning of the end.
....Born to serve Satan, Aurora Starr wishes she could lead a normal life. Being a demon, that’s not so easy to do. By night she takes the lives of those Satan chooses. Despite her hatred for her job, she knows she must continue, but all she wants is to live like a normal human.
....Enter Scott Monroe.
....Tall, blond, and gorgeous, he is more than Aurora can resist. Although mating with a human is taboo, Aurora throws caution to the wind and begins seeing Scott. But when Satan makes her choose between her family or the man she loves, Aurora has had enough.
....Will love win in the end, or will Satan damn them all?

Genre: Paranormal romance, contemporary, erotic romance
Heat level: 4
Word count: 70k

EXCERPT:
....About to approach them with his card and the usual speech, he spotted her. He wasn’t sure how he’d known it was her when she didn’t look anything like herself. Maybe it was the hair. Not many women wore it so long, long enough to graze her backside. It certainly wasn’t the clothes she wore, or lack thereof. The skirt should probably be illegal. The top—he didn’t want to even go there. It was her, there was no doubt. It was Aurora, and the way she moved to the beat of the music looked damn good.
....Her body floated, rolling in such erotic moves it had him swallowing a hard lump in his throat. And apparently, he wasn’t the only one affected. As she swayed on the dance floor seductively, men crowded around her.
....It was time he put a stop to this.
....He stepped into the crowd surrounding her and before he could take control of the situation, she leaned against his chest, wound her arms around his neck, and began gyrating.
....He probably should put an end to this, his mind was all but screaming it, but his body refused to listen. Putting his hands on her hips, he swayed to the beat with her.
....Slowly, seductively, she turned, and her eyes widened with surprise. “Scott? Well, you certainly know how to move.”
....Gathering his thoughts, Scott grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her away.
....“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
....He didn’t answer until they were outside the club and far enough away from the crowds. “Getting you out of there.”
....She jerked her arm free. “I wasn’t ready to leave.”
....“Well, now you are.” When she turned back to the noisy club, he grabbed her arm. Before she could protest, he slung her over his shoulder, getting a perfect view of those gorgeous, shapely legs. Sucking in his lust, he carried her to his car.
....“Put me down!” She wiggled, kicking her legs, which he held down for his own safety. “I said put me down!”
....He did, but not before he’d unlocked his car. Setting her in the passenger seat, he shut the door and engaged the locks with his key fob. He unlocked his door, climbed into the driver’s seat, and was instantly bombarded by her attitude.
....“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
....He slammed the car into drive and sped off. “Taking you home.”