1. Tell me about your latest release or the book
you wish to feature? Genre?
Quartermaster is a paranormal pirate romance and a spin-off from the
Walk the Walk series. Branko and his vampiress may be living their HEA as
landlubbers but Patricia’s Wish sails on with Captain Teeth at the helm and
Chub returning as Quartermaster. It’s 1725 and most of the pirates have taken
pardons from the Spanish or English government. Teeth and Chub are on the hunt
for treasure—not gold, but love. The sidekicks are ready to become heroes.
2. Where did the idea arise?
I’m
a homeschooling mom. I needed to teach the foundations of democracy to my
then-10-year-old. From Hammurabi’s code in ancient Mesopotamia to the pirate
parlay code, I found democracy was found in more places than in ancient Greece
and the colonial USA. In fact, women and people of color had equal rights on
the sea, but not on land in colonial America. I fell in love with the governing
systems of what I always thought were “lawless scoundrels.” Every job aboard
was a voted position from Captain to poop deck scrubber, and each person
holding those positions had an equal vote. Pirate Captains were slave
liberators and portrayed by villains because the ones losing money are the same
men writing the history. The truth is buried in the shipping logs from the port
masters and merchant boat Captains. I was fascinated!
3. How much research was involved? Did you stay
on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing?
Quartermaster comes from a love of psychological warfare in the records
of 1700s piracy. In the movies, pirates are portrayed as brainless sword-slashers
when historically, they hardly ever boarded another vessel. They depended on
their reputations to scare their opponents—easy when the general population was
superstitious. I fell in love with the tales of Sam Bellamy taking the Whydah
by making a pretend ghost ship, Blackbeard braiding firecrackers into his beard
to appear possessed, and the rest of the shenanigans of the 4 years called the Golden
Age of Pirates. While I wrote about this time period in the Walk the Walk
series, Quartermaster takes place in 1725. Most of the pirates had taken
pardons and retired from the sweet trade to a landlubbing life of agriculture
or crime. I wondered what would happen if a boat refused to retire. They would
be hated by the Spanish, English, and colonial Americans…
4. How long did you take to write the book?
I
wrote Quartermaster in a month. I was already half in love with Chub from his
role in my other book series. I knew I wanted him to represent tough men who
weren’t tall, dark, and classically handsome gentlemen. Chub is a 5 foot 5 inches
tall, freckled, red-headed pirate with more brains than manners. What he brings
to the table is a patient disposition, a talent for teaching, and a huge heart.
He teaches the young crew how to sail, the Captain to read, and his lady love
to trust again. I wanted his HEA so badly, the story wrote itself.
5. Now a bit about you. How long have you been
writing? What is your Sun Sign?
This Aries sun/Taurus moon/Aquarius rising author started writing in
2018. I used to write books to be printed at our local office supply store, so
my friends could read them after their homeschooled kids went to bed. We would
meet for drinks and an informal book club to giggle over the dirty bits once a
month. When the pandemic canceled my husband’s business travels, he found out
about my “playing author.” Within his first 24 hours at home, I had a website,
business cards, manuscript queries sent, and a membership to the Kentuckiana
romance writers.
I may bounce from pirates to cowboys to scientists to monsters, but all
my books are paranormal. They say you must write what you know, and my life is
too strange to write anything else.
7. Where on the internet can you be found?
1.
Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature?
Genre?
Seeker
is a medieval Scottish romance, part of a 7-book series about a magical mortar
and pestle that brings true love to its holders. Castles…mythical creatures…to
everyday adventurers, it has something for everyone. In Seeker, restless archer Aileana
yearns for a target to prove her worth, but when a magical mortar and pestle
spins its charm upon her and a rival clan’s son, winning the yearly
tournament might mean the difference between war and peace, as
well as risking her heart.
2.
Where did the idea arise?
Seeker came about from two
minor characters in another one of my books in my historical trilogy (A Hundred
Lies). I wondered: Wouldn’t Aileana (the spunky sister of the hero; she is
adventurous and a very non-typical noblewoman of a magical family) and Brodie (a
reserved, beta-hero who has a medical condition that prevents him from being
war chieftain) make a great story of their own?
3.
How much research was involved? Did you stay on point or be
distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing?
Thankfully my world was
already built in my trilogy. However, I had to stay on point with the
continuity and timeline, so it matched the other books in the series, since
this story happens concurrently with one of them. And rabbit holes – yes! I spend
hours down them all the time. Researching this and that – clothing, foods,
archery, illnesses, herbal treatments, vernacular, medieval tournaments, and oh
my so many strategy and tavern games of the 1300s. With historical books
especially. For one of my previous books in the series, I visited an actual
Viking ship since the Norse played predominantly in that story. I’ve also been
to Scotland, and have visited countless castles.
4.
How long did you take to write the book?
Since it’s a novella (~150
pages or so), it was quick. Only a few months! This one came rather easily to
me. That is not always the case.
5.
Now a bit about you. How long have you been writing? What is your
Sun Sign?
I’ve been writing for over
twenty years and have five books published. I’ve written about nine or ten
though…I’m a Pisces and love the great outdoors. Although I’m not psychic, I am
very true to my sign’s traits.
6.
Do you write in a number of genres of stick to one?
I write contemporary
romance, women’s fiction, mainstream/commercial fiction, and historical romance
(with paranormal elements).
7. Where on the internet
can you be found?
Social Media links:
Website
~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~
Amazon Author Page ~ Instagram
Sea Hunter
By
D. V. Stone
Book Four of The Mortar & Pestle Series by various
authors
1. Tell me about your
latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre?
Hi, my name is D. V.
Stone. I’m so happy to be here to talk about my latest book, Sea Hunter, which
is part of a multi-author series of seven books tied together by a mystical
mortar and pestle.
Sea Hunter is my first
historical/paranormal/romance. It takes place after WWII and focuses on Zahra
Corbyn and Jack Alexander in an enemy-to-lovers tale of the high seas.
2. Where did the idea
arise?
I am part of an author
support group. We came together as writers needing shoulders. Things like
social media, marketing, writing craft, etc. Through that, ideas started
percolating. We have quite different styles and backgrounds, but the center of
us all is the creative. And, ta-da, the M&P series was born.
3. How much research was
involved? Did you stay on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one
more thing?
For Sea Hunter, I
traveled to Maine and Massachusetts, visiting shipyards and museums. I even
spoke with an underwater archeology conservator. I will say the most fun was
researching the post-war vernacular. The slang of the time was a hoot.
4. How long did you take
to write the book?
From concept to
publication was about a year. I had other projects I’d committed to and needed
to finish. Once they were done, Sea Hunter’s first draft took about a month.
The rewrites, editing, and formatting filled the rest of the year.
5. Now a bit about you.
How long have you been writing? What is your Sun Sign?
My first book was
independent and published in 2017. Since then, I’ve grown to nine books
published or about to be. One is an anthology through The Wild Rose Press. My
work is almost 50/50 between independent and traditional. My sun sign? Gemini.
6. Do you write in a
number of genres of stick to one?
I’m split between
Fantasy (both epic and contemporary), Paranormal, Contemporary Romantic
Suspense, and Mid-Grade Paranormal. I wonder if that reflects my sun sign?
7. Where on the internet
can you be found?
I’m all over. The best
place to go is my website, but here are all the links
https://www.dvstoneauthor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/d.v.stone/
https://twitter.com/donnavstone
https://www.facebook.com/dv.stone.1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16344100.D_V_Stone
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/d-v-stone
https://www.amazon.com/D.-V.-Stone/e/B01N154Y9U
https://www.tiktok.com/@dvstoneauthor
https://mailchi.mp/3b289d8d7569/d-v-stones-peek-further-and-campfire-crew
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWqGJB3WxpUCV2OUE2VN_w
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