Beverly and Tamara: Deryn, welcome to SSLY. Thanks so much for joining us today. So first why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in New Zealand, a land of beautiful scenery and a few hobbits. I am married with four grown sons and live in the aptly named Bay of Plenty. I finally have the time to indulge my passion to write and do this under the pseudonym of Virginnia De Parte.
Tamara: What do you HAVE to have when you are writing?
I have to know I have several hours of free time to pound out what has been revolving in my head for days, if not weeks.
Beverly: When did you start to write?
As a young mother I had a short story published, but I put my writing endeavors aside until I’d ‘lived’ a little more. I think it paid off. I now have a life full of emotional experiences to draw on, and I’m not finished yet!
Tamara: What do you think are the qualities that make up a “hero”?
He needs to be understanding and have desire to protect and cherish, but most of all he needs to be brave.
Beverly: Can you describe your favorite character? And which of your books is he/she in? How do you come up with your characters?
My favourite character must be Stella. I am currently writing about her romance, in the fourth book of the series about the Corban family. She began as an infant in Love’s Bright Star and progressed to a six yr old in Love’s Red Heart. She is so talented, yet she has self-doubts like everyone else, and her loyalty to her genetically altered family and their safety is paramount in her life. She is presently fighting against her desire to fall in love because it could endanger the safety of the family.
My characters grow in my imagination. Sometimes I’m pounding out a scene and a character’s talents will just pop into my mind and out onto the page, and I wonder where did that come from? I put it down to an over-active imagination.
Tamara: What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Suspense? Sex? Dialogue? And why?
I find sex scenes the hardest because I have to slow down, pace my writing and concentrate on emotions and physical responses – when all I want to do is get on with the action and story lines.
Beverly: What writer, if any, influenced how you write?
I discovered Kate Atkinson several years ago and have devoured her books. I’m an avid reader with eclectic tastes. I belong to a book club and we meet and discuss recent publications and how they are written. I also enjoy books by Robert Harris and William Boyd, but Charlene Harris’s books about Sookie Stackhouse made me realize writing didn’t have to be serious.
Tamara: Who would you choose as your “book boyfriend”? From what book? Author?
This would have to be Jackson Brodie. An ex-policeman, now private investigator, he struggles with his own life crises yet is constantly caring with all women he comes in contact with, despite whatever they throw at him. He is one of Kate Atkinson’s characters and features in some of her books, but not all of them.
Beverly: What is the kinkiest thing you’ve ever done? Or would like to? What? We are all about the love!
I must be boring. I’ve never done drugs, multiple sex partners, or even dreamed about it. Perhaps I’m contented rather than boring. However, I’m quite tolerant of other people’s kinks. It’s really just ‘what floats your boat’ on an individual basis. I’ve written erotica about ménage à trois and I had to rely on my imagination for that. It’s about to be published so my imagination must be spot on.
Tamara: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why?
Oh I’m into Kick-ass variety heroines. I hate the wishy-washy types who flutter their hands wanting help. I put it down to my Welsh genes. My mother was an intelligent, brave, go-getter and was born a century too soon. She’d be having a ball if she were alive today. I can be rather feisty when the need arises.
Beverly: What was your worst date ever?
A dance date with a nice, well mannered, intense, desperate to please, average looking fellow – who was utterly boring. He stood waiting for me to dance the last dance with him but I prevaricated, muttering my girlfriend didn’t have a partner. He went off and came back with a guy, who after the introductions promptly danced off with me. He became my husband and life has never been boring, so I guess my worst date ended up the best one ever.
Tamara: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? (you have food, water, shelter, all the necessities, so nothing mundane)
I’d want my e-reader (I’m presuming there’s Wi Fi on this island) an endless supply of pen and paper and lots of jubes, (wine gums, jet planes, snakes)
Beverly: What is your “guilty pleasure”?
Dried apricots, chocolate and jubes, all within a hand’s reach as I sit in bed and read.
Tamara: What dream or goal have you yet to realized?
To publish a fun poem about imaginery animals into a children’s book, in hard copy. I have a fellow writer/artist doing the drawings now. I belong to a local publishing cooperative called Oceanbooks and they retail through their website.
Beverly: What was your most embarrassing moment? It can’t be worse than mine….
Talking about a fellow schoolmate and finding her father working in the corridor within earshot. I still haven’t forgotten how embarrassed I felt that day.
Tamara: If you were a color what would you be and why?
I’d be red. It’s a vibrant, busy color, that evokes emotion, strong feelings, energy, and I wear it a lot in the winter to cheer up the day.
Beverly: Who has influenced how you perceive love? Why?
My parents, who loved me unconditionally and told me so, often; and my husband who wasn’t as lucky as I was in his upbringing, but determined to bring his children up with everything he missed out on.
Tamara and Beverly: Okay. We are SSLY so I have to ask. Who loves you?
My husband and my four sons. Plus the cat, who adores me, left the neighbor to live with me, follows me around all day, sits near me when I write and stresses out when we go away and leave her to defend the house. Then she yells at me about it when I return.
Now for some quick fun questions:
Boxers or briefs? Briefs
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Tall, dark and handsome or Blond and buff? Tall dark and handsome (don’t mind them a bit short either)
Hairy chest or smooth? Hairy chest. A lovely feeling when you run your palms over that chest.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Kinky or Sweet? Not into either. Sexually adventurous perhaps?
Fast or slow? Fast
Public or private? Private
Top or bottom? Top
BLURB: LOVE’S RED HEART
In the near future genetically altered individuals live among the wider population, not always trusted, wanted or even accepted. Jill Corban, a nurse from a g-altered family is looking for ways to control her chameleon genes. A vacation in to visit her family teaches her these skills and a meeting with Dr. Michael Scott offers her a chance at the kind of love she’s given up hope of ever finding.
Their romance takes a dusty trip through the heartland of Australia, blending tales of the Dream Time with adventure. Is their attraction to each other strong enough to survive the challenges of prejudice, a time stopping rescue, and challenges to Michaels research programme?
Can their desire survive these events and grow into love?
Discover the beauty of the Red Desert and how the power of love can change a life, for Love’s Red Heart beats within us all.
Buy Links:
http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=30&products_id=497
Author Bio:
Virginnia De Parte writes futuristic fiction, spiced with romance and adventure. She has three romances published as e-books by Secret Cravings Publishing and is working on a fourth in the series.
Total-e-Bound has accepted a short novella to include in an anthology and for single release in June.
Her other love is writing poetry and she is published in this genre as well, both on line and in hard copy.
A love of words, and changing the way they are arranged, drives her writing. She endeavours to insert poetic prose into her fiction. Setting her stories in the future allows her imagination to run riot. Virginnia belongs to writing groups and on-line critique lists, all of whom help to keep her on-track and well edited.
She lives in the aptly named Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, a land of beautiful scenery, four million people and a number of hobbits.
Author contacts:
http://www.virginniadeparte.blogspot.co.nz/
http://www.facebook.com/virginnia.departe
Read my poetry at: http://derynpittar.tumblr.com/
writing as Virginnia De Parte
http://www.virginniadeparte.blogspot.co.nz/
Love’s Bright Star (pub.July 2012)
Love’s Red Heart (pub. Jan. 2013)
A Talent for Loving (pub. March 2013)
http://www.facebook.com/virginnia.departe
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