Guest Interview - LJ DeLeon

Give a warm welcome to my guest LJ DeLeon Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

Now this just a mean question. LOL All the characters, even the villains, are my children. Do you like one child more than another? Well, maybe, but you would never admit it. I will go so far as to say I love Sabina. She isn’t the nicest character, and I had to beat her into submission because she wants to take over not only each book she is in but also rule Earth. While she is a bad girl, she would say, “I’m not evil, I’m just written that way.” :o) In truth, her character arc is the one that shows the greatest change over the Warriors For Light series and has proven to be a favorite of my beta readers.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

As an Army brat and then in my adult life, I’ve lived all over the world. England, Scotland, France, and Italy are my favorites. I love the history, food, and yes, people. I’ve been to Turkey once, and would kill to go back. It’s an interesting country, one of dichotomies. It’s religious yet outward looking, because it’s a trading society. If you’ve come to spend money, they open their arms.

Tell us about your current release.

The first three books in the Warriors For Light series are being released within days of one another. Warrior’s Rise, 3/22/11; Dragon Child, 3/25/11. In Warrior’s Rise Fae-human half-breed, Deva Morgan discovers her destiny is to lead the Army of Light against the Dark Lord of the Abyss and his minions, to save Earth and Otherworld from the forces of evil. Dragon Child continues the saga with the story of Steve, a wereleopard, and Moira. Sorry, I can’t tell you too much about Moria without giving a spoiler.

Tell us about your next release.

My next releases will be Absolution, May 2011. This is Luc’s story in the Warriors For Light series. I’ll also be bringing out a short novella about Marissa and Quinn in June. The Ultimate Game on 8/29/11. This is the first book in The Turner Conquests series. I’m also releasing two Warriors For Light books in late November 2011—Sophie’s Challenge and Kate’s Army and two more short novellas in September 2011 and December 2011.

Who is your favorite author?

The list of my favorite authors is long. Here are a few: Nalini Singh - The Guild Hunter Series and her Psy-Changeling Series; Marjorie Liu - Maxine Kiss Series; Ilona Andrews - The Edge and The Kate Daniels Series; Rob Thurman - Cal Leandros Series

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Keeping my butt in a chair and actually writing. It is amazing the things I find to do when I should be writing. A critical thing for me is to never write in a room with the TV or radio on.

What does your family think of your writing career?

They love my writing. When angry, I make the person a demon, kill them off, and find all my tension has disappeared. It is amazing how mellow one becomes when the source of their irritation is gone, poof. I mean demons turn to ash when killed. So, as the demon blows away in the wind, so does my anger.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I have both a critique partner and beta readers. My critique partner, is the fantastic author KH LeMoyne, who is a not only a Godsend, but keeps me on track. KH spots every weakness or overlooked point where I can increase the tension or emotion and haven’t. As for beta readers, I think it is critical to have readers who have never read your material. During the rewrite process, passages are cut, moved, or deleted. But your critique partner’s subconscious remembers this information and fills it in. The beta reader comes to the book clean. S/he has no knowledge. I have beta readers ranging in age from 23 to 67. One is a former fiction editor of 27 years. Another is a young man in his early twenties, doing postgraduate work in Japan, and is a lover of fantasy, paranormal, and anime. So when he asks, “When’s the next book?” I know I’ve hit the right note between fantasy and romance.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

I am a plotter initially but a hybrid when I write.For Warriors For Light, I have plotted out the entire series. Yes, a few books have been added, but they are within the series arc. I don’t think you can write fantasy by the seat of your pants. It involves world building and, in my case, a multitude of character over the series, interacting at one point or another with each other. I have a series bible, a glossary, four worlds—Earth, the Abyss, Otherworld, and hIfreann, the Goddess’ domain where her archangel Paladins and the shapeshifting Saraphs—fire-breathing dragons—live.

What was the scariest moment of your life?

When I lived in Madrid, Spain and worked for the CIA as an Intelligence Analyst. This was during a period when terrorism was everpresent in everyone’s mind. While there, I witnessed three assassinations and experienced a homemade rocket style bomb next to the Embassy. They were targeting the roof of the Embassy. It landed on a car parked in front of the building and blew out the first floor windows. You never knew who was going to be next.

Warrior's Rise Blurb:

For Fae-human half-breed Deva Morgan life as she knows it changes on her thirtieth birthday. One moment she’s a barkeep, the next she is a warrior fated to save Earth from the Dark Lord and his demon hoard. Shunned by both her races, she faces a danger-filled quest with few allies. Too bad her powers haven’t fully emerged or stabilized. For Deva it is life or death, on-the-job training with her companion, Padraig O’Neal, a Fae warrior with a shadowed past. Can he quiet the storm raging inside her, help her harness the growing power within her, and provide a barrier between Deva and a fatal outcome? Will their love be enough to save Deva and stop the Dark Lord’s demons from entering Earth?

Dragon Child Blurb: A fire-breathing dragon, Moira O'Neal, was exchanged at birth for a Fae princess. Discovering the truth, she escapes the cage of the royal court and joins forces with the sexiest wereleopard on Earthworld. She fights the urge to mate and the trap that comes with it as they race against time to find the missing princess and a master of the black arts who covets her power. Major Steve Taylor, a wereleopard in the Army For Light, partners with the impetuous Moira in the middle a dangerous mission where failure means all their deaths. Worse, his leopard decides Moira is his mate, leaving the man at war with his cat.

LJ’s website: http://www.ljdeleon.com/

Warriors Website & blog: http://www.warriorsforlight.com/