Interview with Author Sheila Stewart

Welcome Sheila Stewart!

Start by giving us your official title. Then, tell us a little about yourself.


Well, I would love the title of Goddess but I’ll settle for paranormal Romance Author. J


I write mostly Paranormal romance including stories about ghosts, spirits, mediums, possessions, vampires and shape shifters. I’ve been married for 24 years and I have three wonderful children ages 14, 17 and 21. Writing has been a big part of my life since my early childhood when I would tell tales to my cousins and friends. Aside from writing, I like to create in other forms such as painting, drawing, home décor and book covers and banner art.


1. In your bio, you credit your husband for pushing you into achieving publication for your writing. Now that you are a successful and multi-published author, what message would you like to give him? If he hadn't been there for you, do you think you would be where you are today?


Oh I highly doubt I would be here today if it wasn’t for him and every time I say that he tells me I don’t give myself enough credit. But it’s true. I’ve always loved to write but I never thought I had what it took. My stories weren’t good enough to make it into a book. Even with his encouragement to look into getting published, I stalled. It wasn't until he called a local publishing house and asked about becoming published that I finally got the ball rolling.


What message would I like to give him? “I’m here today because of your belief in me, a belief no one else had. You gave me the courage to be a better woman.”


2. If you didn't imagine yourself as a writer, how did you see yourself before you were published? How about now? Where do you see yourself in five years?


I never thought I would ever be anything more than a housewife and mother. The belief that I grew up with was that men had careers, woman raised families. Secretly, I often dreamt of either being a famous dancer or working as a therapist for troubled children.


Where do I see myself in five years? Still plugging out the stories with possibly making it to the New York Times best sellers list just once.


3. You describe yourself as a romantic, what is your definition of true love?


True love is when two souls are connected in both body and mind. True love is not only knowing someone loves you completely, but doesn’t mind when you are wrong, having a bad day, feeling sad or needing help. I think it is also very important to be friends. Without friendship, how can you love your mate?


4. What would it surprise readers to know about you?


Well, there probably are several things but we’ll start with my being shy. J


Yep, believe it or not, I am a shy person. I’m not comfortable in crowds which makes Book signing and TV interviews rather difficult.


Another thing that might surprise them is…I have premonitions. I’ve dreamt of occurrences that have come true and not just for those around me, but in the world. I’ve dreamt of plane crashes, earthquakes and so forth.


One more? I have actually spoken to a ghost. Yep, that is fact. When I was 8 I was visited by a woman who had died in the home we lived in. She stood at my side, comforting me as I watched my house go down in flames, as I watched my mother race in and out of the house to gather our meager belongings. She was the influence for the first book in my Passion series, Discovery in Passion.


5. What do you like to read? What are you reading now?


I like to read pretty much exactly what I write. Right now I am reading J.D. Robb’s book, Salvation in Death. I love her In Death series. On my to be read list: Suite 606, a collaboration of several authors including Nora Roberts. Am also finishing up Sherylin Kenyon’s book, Acheron. I love reading suspense novels. I like the edge of my seat, scare the crap out of me stories. J


6. What else do you want people to know about you? Do you have a message for readers?


My message to the readers would be: Keep reading. Without your support, I along with every author out there would not be where we are today without you.


7. Is there anything that I didn't ask that I should have?


Let me think….. Yes, I wear underwear. No, I am not a natural redhead. I do not wear my pajamas all day long. I love to scare my children by playing pranks on them. It’s not against the law and I have so much fun doing it. LOL


I think that’s about it. LOL As you can see, I have a silly sense of humor.


8. Tell us about your newest work. What's it about? Where can we buy it?


My latest novel is Consuming the Darkness, bk 7 in my Darkness series. It is available at Breathless Press: www.breathlesspress.com


Here is a blurb and a little taste of Darkness.


He needs your heart to live.


In Jacob’s Cove, where death is as common as apple pie, a serial murderer is a first. Lieutenant Sienna Storm, the town’s newly minted homicide detective, is eager to prove she’s up to the job of tracking down the demon who rips out his victims’ still-beating hearts. Even if it means using her innate ability to connect with him through his blood.

Detective Nathan Powers lost his partner to the aptly named Heartless Killer, and the trail of bodies leads him straight to Jacob’s Cove. However, this is no typical small town. It’s a strange world populated with bloodthirsty demons and run by a vampire. Still, the leggy blonde Sienna is a pleasant distraction. Until he discovers she’s after the same killer—and she’s not sharing.

Minds clash as the hunt intensifies, but the more they run into each other, the harder it is to stay apart. Together they discover not only clues, but a searing need that rises higher by the day.

That need may be their downfall when Nathan becomes the killer’s next target, and Sienna must risk everything to get him back.


Excerpt:


“Behind you! Get down.”


The gun came up in his hand, aimed at her head. She felt the presence of the vampire as he jumped out from behind the dumpster. As she spun around to take him down, the gun fired, hitting the vamp in the right shoulder. He jerked back, screeching like a banshee.


“What the hell are you doing?” she yelled at the man with the gun as she ran to the vamp. “Daisy, stay!” Daisy sat as she’d been instructed while Sienna knelt down beside the screaming vamp. She pressed her knee to the vamp’s bleeding shoulder to ensure that he wouldn’t move. “You are under arrest for breaking the laws of human and vampire and will be detained in the local jail while awaiting trial.”


“You’re a cop?” the guy behind her responded.


“Yeah, I’m a cop. Oh, stop your screaming already,” she yelled at the vamp, then flipped him onto his belly and pulled his arms to his back, pinning them in one hand while she searched for her handcuffs. “Damn it, why don’t I have my cuffs on me. Wanna tell me why you were about to attack me?”


“I wasn’t…honest…I was only…out for a walk. Yeah, I was walking. I’m going to sue the cops for harassment. I was minding my own. Fuck, my shoulder is killing me. Police brutality!”


“Shut the hell up. No one gives a damn.”


“Here.”


Sienna glanced up to see a set of shiny silver handcuffs dangling down before her. Glancing up, she took a moment to survey the gentleman and noticed he wasn’t bad on the eyes. His dark brown hair was messed up but somehow looked natural. And wow! The guy had a hell of a body. Broad shoulders, wide chest, and narrow waist. His face was pretty decent to look at, even with that thin line of hair over his upper lip that ran down the sides of his mouth to cover his chin. He had nice eyes, dark, round, with long lashes. “I’d prefer a regulation set rather than your bondage toys.”


“These are regulation. I’m a detective. Nathan Powers,” he introduced in a deep, throaty voice that sounded as if he’d had one too many cigarettes.


The vamp squirming beneath her, she took the cuffs. Before slapping them on the vamp’s wrists she made sure they were regulation. Flipping him onto his back, Sienna pinned him with her knee as she had before. “Don’t try anything stupid.”


“Bitch!” the vamp spat.


“What the hell’s with the yellow contacts and fake fangs?”


Sienna glanced over her shoulder as she responded to the detective. “What? You’ve never seen a vampire before?”


“A what?”


“A vampire.”


“I heard you. I thought I’d seen it all, but I guess not. Now we’ve got junkies playing vampire,” The detective chuckled with a shake of his head.


One look at the guy told her he was serious. “Oh jeez, he’s a virgin.” She rolled her eyes. “I told you to shut up.” She yanked the screaming vamp to his feet. “This is a vampire, not a fake, the real deal and if you plan on being in Jacob’s Cove for any amount of time you might want to be on the lookout for them. Some of them refuse to abide by the new laws. Isn’t that right, screamer?”


“Seriously though, he’s a vampire like the blood-sucking kind?”


“Don’t know any other kind.”


“Shouldn’t you like…you know, jam a wooden stake through his heart? I can’t believe I just said that.” He laughed boldly.


Was he for real?


She didn’t care for the sarcasm in his voice. “Neither can I. We prefer to rehabilitate them rather than turning them to dust.” Holding the vamp in one hand, she pulled her cell phone out with the other and dialed the station. “Lieutenant Storm here. I have a rogue vamp I need brought in.”


“I wasn’t doing anything, you stupid bitch.”


She clamped onto the squirming vamp a little tighter as she gave her location. She slipped her phone back into her shirt pocket when she was through and gave the vamp a hard shove against the dumpster. “Right, you were only skulking in the dark because you needed a smoke, right?”


“It’s a free world last time I looked.”


“Sure, except when you’re attempting to drink someone dry. Save it for the judge; I’m done listening.”


“You can’t prove anything. I’m innocent.”


“Do you know what I am?” she asked as she leaned in real close. “I’m a Tejakkan which means I have precog abilities. I saw you moments before you jumped out and I saw just what you’d planned to do so save your ‘I’m innocent’ act for someone who gives a damn.”


“Bitch!”


“That’s right and remember it.”


For more information on me and my books go to www.shielasbooks.ca
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/shiela.stewart?ref=name
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShielaSue
Publisher and place of purchase: Breathless Press: www.breathlesspress.com


Thank you so much for coming by my blog, Sheila! Great interview!