It all began with a scene

Hi Sydney, and welcome to Adventures in Authorland. Please get comfortable and tell us about your adventure.

Sydney St Clair

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I never considered myself a writer until, for the heck of it, I decided to write a scene. It was the first story I ever wrote, in my thirties, that I had not been forced to write, like in school.

A funny thing happened. I could not write the scene I wanted because I needed to know why two people were by that river, in that time period. So I ended up writing their stories and bringing my first hero and heroine together (White Wind as Susan Edwards) 

What I learned in my forties after I was published, was that as an incurable daydreamer (day dreamed my way through school, and yes, even in English), I was actually a storyteller as all my day dreams and even make believe games as a child were stories with plots, goals, motivations, conflicts, etc. I just never wrote my stories on paper.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Reading romances. I was reading a lot of Native American romances and had a great scene idea for bringing a NA hero and White female together.  I wanted to just try writing a love scene—had just read Sandra Brown’s Fanta C about a woman who decides to write her fantasies down on paper—and decided to do the same. That as they say, was the beginning of a long career!

What book are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading JD Robb. I’ve started over with book 1 of her Death series. I’m on book 6. It’ll take me forever to get through them all with the amount of time I have to read!  6-10 months at least…

Do you see writing as a career?

Oh yes, maybe not a high paying one except for a few, but I consider it a career. Writing is the hardest thing, the most mentally exhausting job I’ve ever had as well as the most demanding. Add in the excitement and disappointments, it’s a career that is filled with highs and lows.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I’ve written 14 full length historical romances as Susan Edwards and three novellas as Sydney St Claire for Wild Rose Press.  I also do ghost writing, or work for hire, erotica novellas. I started this last December and just turned in book 8. This year I’ve written a total of 11 novellas!  Whew, no wonder I’m tired all the time <g>

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?

As a child, it never occurred to me to write.  Ever. I hated writing in school, and English as a whole. I hated being told what to read as well. What I wanted as a child was to have children and work with children. I love babies, and even as a very young girl, if there was a baby in the room, I was right there.  Every year when the new Sears catalogue came out, I took the old one and cut out pictures of all the baby stuff I liked and wanted for my babies.  I have two grown children and granddaughter on the way and look forward to having a child in my life again.

BLURB: RED AND HER BIG BAD DOM

     Wealthy computer genius Graham Winters is in love with a woman who won’t join him for a stingy cup of coffee. How can he prove he’s nothing like her jerk of an ex if she won’t give him a chance? Then he spots her at a BDSM club and devises a plan. During the day, he’s “that damn geek.” At night, he’s the masked Dom known as The Wolf.

     When it comes to her love life, Lucy Sanchez has one rule—no geeks. Not even rich, good-looking geeks. She’s attracted to Graham but rules are rules. Besides, she has her wolf, the mysterious Dom who makes her blood sing. Then she’s invited to a fairytale event at Pleasure Manor and this Little Red Riding Hood plans to enjoy every delicious moment with her big, bad Dom.

EXCERPT

“I’m taking you to dinner tonight. In the city.” He sat on her desk, which she now found endearing rather than annoying.

She set her purse into an empty cabinet and lifted a brow. “You’re telling me?”

He shrugged. “If I ask, you’ll say no.”

“I have plans.” With The Wolf.

He tipped her chin up. “Cancel them.” His lips brushed hers, then he deepened the kiss.

Lucy’s insides clenched at the feel of his warm mouth against hers and the taste of coffee with a hint of caramel, his favorite kind. She closed her eyes, her lips moving with his. His tongue dipped into her mouth, and she moaned, leaning into him.

Then he broke the kiss and walked away.

Lucy gaped at him. Her insides melted, and that familiar longing zeroed in on her center and pooled between her legs. Damn. She was attracted to her geek. Very attracted. Too bad he wasn’t her wolf. Now, if Graham were as good as her wolf in bed, she’d have found the perfect man.

She sighed. Yep, too bad. So what now? Two dates, two men equaled complications.

Her lips turned downward tightly as she got to work. She loved her wolf-lover, but their relationship was not completely satisfying or fulfilling. Not rounded and balanced. Graham, on the other hand, was open. She knew who he was, shared many common interests, and most of all, Graham didn’t have any secrets. What she saw was what she got with him. In a way, she preferred that to the mysterious and secretive.

“All right,” she said.

Graham glanced up, his eyes unfocused. “Huh?”

Realizing three hours had passed, and he was totally immersed in Geekland, Lucy wadded up a sheet of paper and tossed it at him. “Come back to earth, Graham. Dinner. Date. You. Me.”

His eyes cleared, and a huge grin lit his entire face. His blue eyes shone with pleasure. “Great.”

His smile slipped into a frown when she stretched her arms and back. “You tired? Need to stop?”

“Yeah, need to cancel my plans for tonight and stretch my legs. Want to walk outside with me?” His grounds were beautiful. Calm and restful with formal groupings, waterfalls, and a small forest that reminded her of the woods surrounding Bryce’s mansion, the woods where she and her wolf had played and strolled. She shook off the memories.

“Give me ten. You can go explore the house if you want. I forgot to give you the tour.” He grinned. “My bedroom is up the stairs, straight ahead.”

Lucy had been dying to see the rest of the house, and yes, that included the man’s bedroom, but she rolled her eyes for good form. Didn’t want him to know how eager she’d been to see the upstairs. “Okay. Twisted my arm.”

BIO

Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards, author of 14 Historical Native American/Western/Paranormal romances and the author of the popular “White” Series.

Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing success.  Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy endings, which meant romances were her favorite genre.  Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.

Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…

When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch and knitting. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…

While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music. Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.

Contact Links

Email:               Sydney@sydneystclaire.com

Trailer:           http://youtu.be/F-O0tWqMrGM

Website:             http://sydneystclaire.com

Twitter:                 https://twitter.com/Sydneystclaire

Facebook:             https://www.facebook.com/sydneystclaire

Blog:                     http://sydneystclaire.wordpress.com

Goodreads:            https://www.goodreads.com/sydneystclaire

Pinterest:            http://www.pinterest.com/sydneystclaire/

Wild Rose Press:  Wild Rose Press

Buy Links

Wild Rose Press:             http://bit.ly/1xB319E

Kindle                         http://amzn.to/1CbSmTt             

Nook:                          http://bit.ly/108m27I