A big, warm welcome to Julie Lynn Hayes to my blog. I loved hearing about your interests and the upcoming book sounds divine. Without further Adieu, Ms. Julie Lynn Hayes.....
1. What do you write and why?
I write whatever interests me, no matter what the genre. I’ve primarily been published as a romance writer, m/m and m/f, but I also write YA and historical, and I like to blend genres. I have historical m/m novels, and my YA has definite elements of fantasy. I think I like to write romances because there is just something about them that gets to me, about people in love, something special. YA is something new that I wanted to try, and I’m a major geek when it comes to history—I love it and I want other people to love it too, and to realize it’s not stuffy or dry or boring at all, as many have been led to believe by less than competent teachers.
2. What do you read and why, especially if it's different from what you write?
I read a lot of manga, especially yaoi. Since I can’t draw for beans, I don’t see ever being able to write one. I read novels of all sorts. I’m especially addicted to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Sherrilyn Kenyon, historical writers like James Michener, and I love true crime books. I love Thomas Harris and think he created the best character ever in Hannibal Lecter. I want to create my own serial killer someday, which is a far reach from my romance novels, although Hannibal has his romantic moments; he’s an incredibly complex character.
3. What publisher(s) do you write for?
I write for Silver Publishing, Wicked Nights, and Dreamspinner Press.
4. How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for over forty years. My first story that I remember was when I was maybe nine, and was influenced by a book we were read in class about children having an adventure on an island, and it had dinosaurs in it. I was writing fanfiction before I ever heard of it or knew there was a name for what I was doing. One of my first stories was about Peyton Place. I think I just dated myself there lol
5. How do you world build?
I am working on a new series for Wicked Nights which does involve world building. I think I use the micro-to-macro approach. My world begins with the world we know, a what if scenario, and takes place in the year 2056 AD after a fictional even. I extrapolated how I envisioned things might change, and why, and took my characters and placed them in that new world, as being what they know, and then began. I’ve never built a totally new world, but would like to try that someday, whether fantasy or historical. I think world builders anchor their worlds, at least in their heads, on things that they do know, so there is a probable basis for reality in them if you know where to look for them.
6. Any tips for new writers hoping to write in the genre of your book?
I would tell new writers of any genre to read the genre, of course, but more importantly, rather than worrying about what others have done before you, do what your heart and brain tell you to do. Don’t be afraid to try something new. The important thing is to develop your voice, what makes you unique. And then tell the story you want to tell, regardless of genre.
7. How do you build characters and their personalities and looks?
Sometimes characters leap into my head as fully formed personalities, but other times I have to get to know them through their actions. I have trouble with descriptions, so I get a general idea of what my character looks like and then I start “shopping” online for someone who fits that mold, and when I find that perfect one, I use that pic as a model that I can refer to. It helps immeasurably, rather than having a faceless image in my head. Not to mention, searching through pictures of hot guys is far from boring!
8. Tell me about some of your heroes and heroines:
My characters are a diverse group, I think. Max is a 44 year old gay werewolf, in a long term committed relationship, who really just wants to get along with people, but the world isn’t necessarily making that possible for him. Fisher Roberts is a practical guy who writes articles for an online magazine and lives with his best friend whom he secretly loves, but he doesn’t believe that happily ever after exists, or that dreams can come true—yet. Damien is a young Frenchman in turn-of-the-century Paris, adopted son of a group of twelve artists, a beautiful young man who is about to have his coming out party at the Moulin Rouge. He is sweet and charming and hedonistic and yet innocent—an evil Fate places him beyond the reach of everyone except for his one true love, whomever that might be.
Those are just a few of the heroes that I have. I have a YA heroine named Desiree who’s just lost her mother and is stuck under the guardianship of an older brother who is rather controlling. I have a handsome Italian priest named Sergio who is trying to help people get their lives back, after the devastation that has occurred in the future, and now he’s about to meet his match in the spoiled rich boy who’s been sent to do community service in the help center known as Sanctum. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea, there are a lot of them!
9. Are you a pantser or plotter?
I am a definite pantser. I begin with a character and an idea of what is currently happening, but I don’t plot ahead, except in vague terms of things I know will happen. But I like to think of my writing as organic: it grows with the characters, naturally, and it isn’t forced. I think that when you try to force things that is when you get into trouble, and your plots come off as contrived.
10. What's your latest release and tell me about it:
I have a release coming out April 30th, from Silver Publishing: Leonardo di Caprio is a Vampire. It’s about my practical Fisher Roberts, and his long time best friend Hunter Long, aka the man he secretly loves. They are almost opposites in temperament—Fisher is sensible, Hunter is fun-loving and playful; Fisher hates holidays and Hunter revels in them, especially Halloween. It’s the night before Halloween, and Fisher has agreed to go to a party with Hunter. Worse yet, it’s a costume party. And it’s at the home of one of Hunter’s exes. Things go from bad to worse, including an unexpected kiss, and Fisher finds himself in a situation far beyond his usual scope and has to sort out fact from fiction, and decide if he’s ready to lose Hunter forever.
11. What genre haven’t you tried, yet, that you would love to explore?
I want to explore Regency romances. I plan to write one, but haven’t started yet, being cowardly. I do love a good Regency, I’m a sucker for a man with a title. My favorite character in the movie Moulin Rouge is the Duke. Go figure. I’d like to try both m/f and m/m Regency, cause there aren’t too many of the latter, I think.
12. If you could take one of your characters out on the town, which would it be and what would you do?
13. Favorite naughty dessert and decadent drink.
I love ice cream, the more chocolate the better. So I think I’ll say Ben & Jerry’s Pfish Food. As for drink – either Hot Sex, or a Dreamsicle, made with ice cream.
14. If we looked on your bookshelf right now, what are some of the titles we would find?
I have about five bookcases, actually, not to mention the books that are just piled around on tables. No, make that five and a half bookcases (one small one). I have, just to name some: 8 volumes of Kizuna, a ton of Stephen King, Preston and Child, most of the Dune books, Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
15. Where can we find you on the internet?
My blog: http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com
My facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074
My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes
My Publishers:
Silver Publishing: http://silverpublishing.info/index/typefilter/book_authors/book_authors_id/88
Wicked Nights: http://wickednights.info/?page_id=361
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222
Sneak Peek into Leonardo Di Caprio is a Vampire
Blurb: Leonardo di Caprio is a Vampire
“Tis the night before Halloween, and Fisher Roberts wishes it was over, not being a fan of this or any other holiday. But he tolerates it because his roommate/best friend Hunter Long takes a childish glee in all things Halloween. And Fisher has a vested interest in keeping Hunter happy. If only he could find the nerve to tell his childhood friend that he loves him, and has for a very long time.
Fisher thinks Hunter is carrying things a bit far this year, though. First Hunter claims to be a vampire, and he just won’t let the silly joke go. Then he forces Fisher to go to a costumed Halloween party which Fisher would rather avoid, especially when he realizes where it’s being held, and whose house it is. Things at Fisher’s job might just be going south, too, when he receives a mysterious summons to report to the editor’s office the next morning. And then Fisher goes and does something stupid—like kissing Hunter!
Bad leads to worse when Fisher ends up at the Halloween party from Hell, and he learns something that threatens to destroy his and Hunter’s relationship forever. Running from his fears, Fisher encounters a strange young man with an unusual resemblance to Leonardo di Caprio, who shows him things he never realized before, truths about his life and the people in it.
Can Fisher find his way back to Hunter, and can he find the courage to do what his heart wishes?
Excerpt: Leonardo di Caprio is a Vampire
“Did you know that Leonardo di Caprio is a vampire?”
Fisher Roberts stopped in mid-chew of a mouthful of fibrous cereal to cast a wary, disbelieving glance at his best friend and roommate Hunter Long on the other side of the table. Wary, because he wondered what in the world Hunter was going on about so early in the morning. Disbelieving, because he only had so much time for breakfast before he had to get going to work, and he had a bad feeling that Hunter was trying to eat into that time. Why he wanted to do that was beyond Fisher. Of course, a lot of things about his roommate were beyond Fisher, despite the fact that they’d been friends since they were—well, too young to actually remember how long they’d known each other. But for as long as Fisher could remember, he and Hunter had been best buddies. And he’d learned over the years that, with Hunter, longevity did not equate to knowledge-ability, far from it.
Now, Fisher could react in one of two ways. He could ignore his roommate and keep eating. Pretend he’d heard nothing. But from past experience, that would only cause Hunter’s performance to escalate. Which would entail taking more time to decipher what he was saying, and in the process make Fisher even later to work. Or he could simply bow down to the inevitable and give in by asking him the question he was doubtless waiting to hear. Even if it brought about that smug smirk he was so fond of wearing.
Fisher finished chewing, swallowed, and managed not to roll his eyes as he reached for his juice to kill off what was left in the glass. Waste not, want not. “What do you mean?”
Hunter Long might be six foot two and possessed of a body that many a male model would kill for—at least that’s what Fisher heard the girls who flocked around him say—with the palest of blue eyes that twinkled all the time, and a smile that could and did light up a room. But honestly, he had the capacity to be an overgrown child at times, and this was one of those times. Fisher chalked it up to it being that time of year.
“Well,” Hunter replied, “look at him, going on forty, and he looks just like he did what, fifteen years ago? It only stands to reason he must be a vampire. They never age, you know. I mean take a look at us. We’re almost his age, but over the years we’ll grow up to be little old men and he’ll still be playing sweet baby-faced guys even when he’s collecting social security, know what I mean?”
“There are no such things as vampires,” Fisher made his typical logical reply, “and just because it’s Halloween tomorrow night, and you’ve got the house all decorated for it, doesn’t mean you have to bring it to the table. Know what I mean?” He arched a no-nonsense brow at the other man. This was not Fisher’s favorite time of year. Neither was Christmas, come to think of it. Or any other holiday. Ironic that he should write articles for a living that meant he was forced to expound on such seasonal topics for Midwest Home and Fantasy, a regional online magazine with a growing fan-base, when he had no real interest in them himself, being a practical, no-nonsense kind of a guy.
“I’m a vampire.” Hunter smiled, leaning across the table toward Fisher. “Want to see my fangs?”
