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Interview at Queen Tutt's World of Escapism

I was fortunate to be interviewed at QueenTutt's World of Escapism, a great new review blog and website! The interview was so great that I decided to repost it here. Enjoy!

Ronda – Hi Danielle, it is such a pleasure and honor to have you on the blog to interview. Thank you so much.




Danielle – Thanks for having me, Ronda! I am more than honored to be here!


Ronda - Would you tell us a little about yourself?


Danielle – I'm a tattooed, horror-loving, avid-reading author and artist living in San Diego, CA. with my buff man candy hubby and a big collection of books, indie flicks, and documentaries. I can be found writing dark fantasy, horror, and dark erotica stories primarily based on angel and demon lore. Artistically, I paint, draw, and do some digital design, and have studied everything from theatrical costuming to tattooing. I am also pregnant with my first wee one, so add mommy to that list of activities!


Ronda – I just had the pleasure of reading your new release “In the Neon” and it was absolutely fantastic. Can you tell our viewers a little about it?


Danielle – In The Neon is a prequel to all other books I have written thus far--the true beginning of the story! This darkly sordid tale follows Faust, a sexier-than-Hell Collector demon born directly from the flames of the Pit. He has tempted kings and queens, wizards and peasants since the dawn of civilization and has always been proud of his wicked duties.


One rainy night, while wandering the red light district of a nameless urban wasteland, he stumbles upon a young woman smoking on the back alley step of a strip club and peep show called The Neon, and is inexorably drawn in to her web.






The woman he comes to love is named Annie, and she is one of The Neon's most popular dancers. A Swedish beauty, she is not your stereotypical idiot sex worker--she is clever, kind, multilingual, and well-read--a stripper with a heart of gold. When fate brings Faust and Annie together, they each come to realize that the other is a key to personal redemption.






This story is frequently dark, at times violent, and achingly romantic. There is steamy sex to be had, but this story is hardly sex-driven--there is much personality in these two characters, much for the reader to delve into besides the sensual parts.



Ronda - The Art Work created for the book is absolutely fantastic. Can you tell us a little more about your talented passion for the art you have created?


Danielle - I have been drawing since I was 18 moths old (per my mother), and I was thrilled to at last be able to merge my art with my writing. My painting style can usually be described as "stylized realism", but for In The Neon I chose to do more of a graphic novel style of artwork, which seemed to fit the theme quite well.






The final B&W interior illustrations (over 30 individual pieces total) were created using a combination of ink, graphite pencil, and Photoshop. Illustrations were sketched and inked by hand, then scanned into my computer for basic shading and highlight laydown, then printed out, retouched with graphite, rescanned, and final touches were once again added digitally.






I actually hated computer artwork up until recently, when I discovered that Photoshop could cut my work time in half when it came to illustration. There is still a big part of me that really prefers painting by hand--something amazing that cannot be achieved with digital means (in my opinion).






Ultimately, I'm really proud of how the artwork came out for In The Neon, and I think my readers will like it, too. It will appeal to fans of graphic novels, comic books, and picture books for grownups. :-)






Ronda – “Psyche’s Gate” and “Black Dog & Rebel Rose” are two of your previous releases; can you tell us a little about these two great books?






Danielle – Psyche's Gate was my first novel, the first book in what will eventually be a five book series. It tells the story of Alexius, a banished warrior angel who is desperately trying to earn back his place in Heaven.






To retrieve his stolen wings, he has been given the task of stopping a talented human artist, Psyche, from creating a commission for a powerful demon. Instead of harming or killing her, Alexius falls deeply in love with her, and the tale spirals down into darkness and desperation as he fights to save his mortal love from angels and demons alike.
Black Dog and Rebel Rose is a "spinoff" from the Psyche's Gate Saga and is my first "true" erotica story. This story follows Skriker, a tattooed, Harley riding half-demon bad boy who loves breaking hearts and hunting the evils that dwell in the dark, including his own demonic kind. He loves being a lady's man (and make that VARIOUS ladies) and a total badass, and never expects things to be different. When he gets word of a tantalizing vampyre hunt in a rotten abandoned town, he rides out to explore what he sees as a blow-'em-away live carnival game, and runs (literally) into his destiny: a fierce and beautiful huntress named Rose, who is scouting the same prey.






They start out as rivals, and quickly end up falling in love. Having found the girl of his dreams, Skriker is willing to follow his new soul mate to the ends of the earth...but loving Rose may end up being his undoing, considering what her ancestry is... Black Dog and Rebel Rose is probably my most popular book to date. My fans can't get enough of Skriker and Rose...they are always asking for more!
Ronda – Can you give us a hint of what you might be working on next?


Danielle – My first anthology--a very exciting project! Titled HUNT, this collection will include 5 or 6 short stories and novellas chronicling Skriker and Rose's various adventures as they hunt supernatural prey.


Thus far I have sent them to New Mexico, Sweden, Italy, England, and Israel, and two of these tales center on the hunters before they met each other. Stories range mythologically from Navajo skinwalkers to Swedish utburds to English demon hounds, giving my readers a nice entertaining collection to curl up under the covers with.


There is plenty of rollicking fun, hot sex, crazy adventures, well-researched world folklore, and a few good one-liners from the half-demon bad boy himself...I can't wait to release this collection on the masses! I think it will be well-received.


Oh, and this one will include a smattering of illustration, as well. I am also working on the screenplay adaption of Black Dog and Rebel Rose, slated to be submitted to over 30 production companies worldwide this summer. Stay tuned for all the news on my website: http://www.Danielledsmith.com
Personal Fun Questions


Ronda – Do you have a favorite restaurant that you love to go to?


Danielle – Oh, dreadfully complicated question! San Diego is fast becoming a foodie haven, so I have a ton of restaraunts that I count as favorites. I adore Cafe Chloe and Blue Boheme for French, Alchemy for fusion, Barrio Star for Mexican, Zia's Bistro and Alexander's for Italian, and Sea Rocket for vegetarian and seafood.


Ronda – Any special pets?


Danielle - My husband and I are expecting our first child, so no pets right now. We both love bunnies; our most recent pet was a sweet Netherland Dwarf that we adored and who sadly passed away. We're thinking the adoption of a puppy, kitten, chinchilla, or bunny will be in order when our wee devil spawn is, maybe, three years old or so. Til then, baby only! I don't have the energy to potty train a bunny AND a kid at the same time! LOL!


Ronda – What is your favorite type of Music?


Danielle - I am a music nut, and I love all sorts of genres. I love grunge, metal, classic rock and old-school punk on one end, and on the other I love classical, opera, and ethnic music. It really depends on my mood. Music is a big influence on what I write, and every one of my books has a "soundtrack"--the soundtrack to Black Dog and Rebel Rose included everything from Rooster by Alice in Chains to Kashmir by Led Zeppelin to Puscifer to 16 Horsepower. In The Neon's sountrack was even more diverse, and included such musical selections as Billy Talent, Portishead, and Diablo Swing Orchestra, a spectacular Swedish avante garde metal band that I utterly adore. I'm really very open to all kinds of music.


Ronda – Do you have a favorite song?


Danielle - Too many to list! Some songs that have inspired me recently include "Dozo" by Puscifer, "Sunken Dreams" by And They Shall Know Us By the Trail of Dead, and "Devil in A Midnight Mass" by Billy Talent. That's only a few, though--I have about a hundred favorite songs! It's all just dictated by my mood.


Visit Queen Tutt's World of Escapism HERE

HOLIDAY RUSH BLOG TOUR: A HOLIDAY INTERVIEW WITH ROSE

“A good many things go around in the dark besides Santa Claus.”
   –Herbert Clark Hoover



The Yuletide beckons! With winter’s chill comes twinkling lights, the smell of pine, and the warmth of the hearth calling us home to share the season with family and friends.


Whether pagan or Christian, the dark half of the year brings a sense of beauty and mystery; we somehow become more aware of, and in awe of, the Universe.




To celebrate the season of angels, I felt it only appropriate to welcome a guest who carries the celestial lineage in her very genes. Please welcome Rose, the Nephil daughter of one of Heaven’s finest warriors. Please make her feel welcome; she is usually a loner, and tends to be wary of those she doesn’t know.



DANI: Hello, Rose. Welcome and happy holidays. Thanks for taking time out to chat today.



ROSE (nodding abruptly): You’re welcome.



DANI: I see that your boyfriend, Skriker, is with you.



(Rose rolls her eyes. Skriker waves excitedly, grinning.)



ROSE: Yeah, he insisted on tagging along.



SKRIKER: This here’s Dani, baby. She’s a cool chick.



ROSE: I know who she is, Skrike, thank you. Look, there are cookies over there—go check them out. (sighs) Sorry, Dani, please continue.



DANI: Tell us about yourself, Rose. You are half angel, correct? Also called a Nephil. Word on the street is you are the last Nephil on earth.



ROSE: That’s right. I’m the first Nephil born in millennia; there were other Nephilim born way back, a whole wave, but they were destroyed. I am a very…strange creature.



DANI: Your father was a warrior in the Holy Army, correct?



ROSE: That’s right. He was banished…Jesus…I don’t know how long ago. Centuries and centuries. I think it was during the Crusades, but I don’t recall for sure. Anyway, he was given a chance to go home, to earn his wings back…and he would have to kill my mother to do it.



DANI: Your mother, Psyche. She was an artist?



ROSE: Yes. A wonderful artist—talented far beyond her years. She was like magic in my father’s eyes because of what she could create. He fell for her hard and gave his wings up a second time for her, accepted every condition that Heaven threw at him so he didn’t have to leave. They loved each other so much…it breaks my heart that he was allowed to be with her so little after I was born. It’s a long story, and someday it’ll be told, but that’s me in a nutshell.



DANI: This blog post celebrates the beginning of the holiday season, a time that most folks look forward to immensely. How do you celebrate Christmas or Yule, being half angel and all? Is it a big deal for you?



ROSE (her mouth twisting): Truth be told I’m not very big on the whole Christmas thing. I hate being in churches, or anywhere that there are lots of angel images or statues, because it makes me feel like their eyes are on me. Like my Heavenly ‘family’ is staring me down and judging my every move. Angels are not as fluffy as all the Christmas cards make them out to be, and there are too many of them around this time of year for my taste.



DANI: So you never celebrated Christmas with your mother, or with Skriker now?



ROSE: I celebrated with my mother before she died. She loved Christmas and I loved it then, too. But I was just a kid…after she died, it was never the same for me again. I do celebrate with Skrike, because he loves it, and because I love him, but it’s more for him than for me. Strange, I know.



DANI: That is strange. Skriker’s half demon.



ROSE (chuckling and blushing): I know, go fig. He loves churches, as all demons do, and I hate them. I told him that if, IF, he can ever convince me to marry him, I will not do it in a church.



SKRIKER (his mouth full of cookie): I’d do it in a church.



ROSE: You’d do it anywhere, Skrike, and I hear that you already went the sex-in-a-church route before we met. Shush.



DANI: How do you and Skriker celebrate Christmas or Yule? I take it you don’t go to mass or the local bonfire…



ROSE: I don’t. Skriker tries to when he can—his mother raised him Catholic and it still sticks to his ribs, I think. Yeah, I know…a half Swedish, half demon guy who is also Catholic…it’s all irony with him. Anyway, if I can’t convince him to go on a hunt with me during Christmas, we usually spend it at his apartment. I go with his flow…he’s big on decorating. So was my mother, so I guess that’s why he can get me into it. Sometimes Harry, Skrike’s patron and adopted father, and his daughter, Gretchen, swing by for dinner. But usually it’s just the two of us. Skrike’s the cook and the maid in this relationship, so he takes care of everything.



SKRIKER (winking): My Rosie just lies around and looks pretty under the lights while I do all the work.

(Rose blushes again, smiling)



DANI (laughing): What a crazy holiday gathering! A tattooed half demon cooking and cleaning, a half angel lounging under the tree, and two werewolves popping in with the champagne. I love it! What is your favorite meal at these holiday feasts?



ROSE: I don’t really eat. Being half angel, it’s not really necessary. Skrike eats like a pig, on the other hand, so I let him cook what he wants. Usually he does the whole Swedish meatball and lingonberry sauce thing. I usually just drink lots of champagne and leave it at that while he and the weres eat up.



DANI: Do you exchange gifts?



ROSE: Sometimes. Skriker usually goes all out with his bottomless wallet.



DANI: What’s the best gift he’s bought you so far?



ROSE: My own Harley. My Ducati Monster was wrecked on our first hunt together and he bought me a new bike for our first Christmas together. Sweetest thing ever.



SKRIKER: Of course, I prefer her to be perched behind me on my saddle with her crotch squished against my ass, but she’s an independent gal, so I can’t fault her that she needed her own ride.



ROSE (jabbing him playfully, giggling): Skrike, you moron.



DANI: One hell of a gift! I’m jealous! Now, a big question I’m sure all of our readers have on their lips is: would you/do you kiss under the mistletoe? Anything else under the mistletoe?



(Skriker snickers. Rose shoots him a nasty look.)



SKRIKER: Oh, Dani, you have nooooo idea, baby—



ROSE: Shut up, Skrike! You already had your interview at Paranormal Romantics, so for the last time, hush! My turn now!



DANI: Ooh, a little tension here! Moving on. You say your mother loved Christmas. I hope this isn’t touching on too sore of a spot, but do you have any favorite holiday memories?



ROSE (sadly): That’s okay. It’s a good question. Yeah, I do have a favorite memory, from the last Christmas that my mother was alive. I was five years old. My mom had been raking in some nice money from selling her artworks—finally—and so she wanted to give me the biggest Christmas she could afford. It was just the two of us, of course, but she did so much for me. She decorated like crazy: silver and blue and purple glass balls, silver tinsel, a million white lights like a fairy world. I remember levitating the tree ornaments, laughing as I watched them float, and she never once told me to be careful. Having a child who could levitate things didn’t even phase her at that point, you know? The funniest thing was when she went to put the angel tree topper up. I must have looked at her like she was nuts because she asked my why I didn’t like it. I told her it didn’t look like a “real angel”, that a real angel would look like my father, who was rarely permitted to be with us. And you know what she did? She made a new tree topper, just for me. A dark-haired male angel topper with red feathered wings. She presented it to me on Christmas Eve and I was so happy I almost squealed. We sat under the tree with my mother’s handmade topper looking down on us, and I remember saying, “Now daddy can watch over us from the tree.” I woke up in the middle of the night and saw my father there, by the bed, looking down at me, before I fell asleep again. We didn’t see him again until just before my mother was murdered, so that whole Christmas is something I still treasure.



(Rose wipes a mist of tears from her eyes. Skriker hugs her and kisses her cheek.)



ROSE: Thanks, honey.



SKRIKER: No worries, babe.



DANI: Wow. That’s a beautiful memory, Rose.



ROSE: Yes, it is. I hope it stays with me forever, especially because I’m immortal.



DANI: Absolutely. Do you look to any spirit guides during the Solstice?



ROSE: If I’m going to look to any guide, it’s going to be my father. We may chew each other’s heads off half of the time, but he’s got my best interests in mind and can swing power that Skrike and I can’t even touch. Plus he’s my Guardian (sighs and rolls her eyes) so keeping him off my ass is an impossible feat.



DANI: Your Guardian? As in ‘guardian angel’?



ROSE: You got it. Usually Lailah, the Angel of Conception, assigns the Guardian. But my dad was bonkers when I was born and insisted that no angel other than him was worthy of Guarding me. The bastard doesn’t even have wings anymore and he still manages to stick his nose everywhere. Really, really annoying.



DANI: How does your dad feel about Skriker?



ROSE (snorting): How do you think my father reacted when he discovered that I was screwing a half-demon punk?



DANI: Gotcha. Well, it looks like Skriker ate all the cookies, so that means we’re about out of time. Anything you’d like to say to our readers today?



ROSE: Treasure your loved ones…you never know what may happen to them.



DANI: Excellent advice. Thanks for joining us.



ROSE: You’re welcome, Dani.



SKRIKER(waving): Bye, Dani! Love ya, baby!



DANI (laughing): You, too, Skrike! Kiss, kiss!



Thanks for joining the Holiday Blog Hop! I hope you have enjoyed this holiday character interview with Rose. Don't forget to enter to win the many cool prizes being offered...including an eCopy of Black Dog and Rebel Rose from Yours Truly!
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Happy Holidays to all...and many blessings in the year to come.