The Book…

Under the Moon (Goddesses Rising, #1)

by Natalie Damschroder

Their power gives them strength…and makes them targets.

Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father’s bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have.

But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by “family ties” she didn’t know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day.

But not as hard as denying their hearts…

 The Interview…

Do you remember the first book that kept you up all night reading? What was it?

The first one was probably Little House on the Prairie, because that was my favorite series when I was little, and I remember reading it as young as 6 or so. But I have a very long history of reading by the hallway light as late as I possibly could.

Does writing come naturally to you, or did you have to work harder in order to get that story in your head down on paper?

It appears to be an inherited talent, as my mother was a writer and my oldest daughter is a writer, too. All of us prefer fiction but my mother’s success was all nonfiction, I do a lot of freelance editing, and my daughter gets praise for all her writing assignments in school.

Do you follow a writing schedule, or just write whenever you get the chance?

Boy, do I wish I could follow a writing schedule! I still have a part-time day job and freelance work that demands attention. My preference would be to get up at 10, write until lunch, then write until evening, then do promotional work until bedtime (which would be 2:00 a.m.). But it ends up much more like this:

work the day job, check e-mail, make a list of client work, open my manuscript, do a short client project, get distracted by Facebook, write a few hundred words, do another client project, get distracted by e-mail, write a few hundred words, remember I owe someone a blog post and there are 16 things I didn’t do for my family/household obligations…

If you could be any kind of creature (other than human), which would you pick and why?

I think I’d want to be a phoenix. Something about their majesty and noble hearts calls to me (and did even before Fawkes in the Harry Potter series! ). I’d love to be able to fly and regenerate myself whenever the middle-age sag and wrinkles got to me!

If you could no longer write, what career would you choose instead?

If I could no longer write, I’d be dead, so that would make a new career difficult. LOL Seriously, I’d love to work in filmmaking. If production assistants weren’t treated so poorly and paid so little, that would be a perfect job for me, I think. Or maybe payroll.

Of all the little things and simple pleasures in life, which one do you enjoy most of all?

Popcorn! Well, no, my kids hugs and support. But besides that typical answer…popcorn! Real popped popcorn with real butter and sea salt. It’s my comfort/celebration/I need something crunchy food.

If you won the lottery tomorrow, what are the first three things you think you would do or buy?

I’ll skip over the usual paying the mortgage, college educations, etc., boring stuff. I’d buy a state-of-the-art laptop, the newest, coolest, best one on the market. A new car, since mine is 14 years old. Possibly a Mustang, though really, more likely a Prius. And I’d take a big trip with people I love.

What thought or sentiment would you like to have copied and put into one million fortune cookies?

“Never give up! Never surrender!” The tagline from the movie Galaxy Quest. It’s fed my writing career forever, and it applies to pretty much any goal we can have in life.

What is your favorite sight, scent, and sound for each of the four seasons (if you have four distinct seasons where you live)?

Ooh, good question!

Spring: Bunnies hopping around my backyard, lilacs, and indigo bunting birdsong.

Summer: Sunlight at 9:00 p.m., barbeque smoke, and crickets/katydids/cicadas.

Fall: Football! Crisp air, and the last ice cream truck of the season.

Winter: Snow falling, snow that has fallen, and the muffling effect of freshly fallen snow.

Fun Stuff:

• Coffee or tea? Usually tea (black tea leaves with half and half and sugar) but often café mocha
• Paper book or ebook? Both! I still get “into” a story better with a print book, but e-books are more convenient most of the time.
• Summer or winter? Fall! Okay, okay, summer.
• Werewolves or vampires? Not really very enamored of either. Superheroes! 
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl, definitely.
• Pantser or plotter? Flyer—I fly by the seat of my pants
• Pepsi or Coke? Coke all the way! (And never diet)
• Dogs or cats? I used to say both, but cats are easier.

Favorites:

• Drink: Café mocha with whip
• Food: Filet mignon 
• Movie: Tie between The Lord of the Rings/The Princess Bride
• TV show: Supernatural
• Book: The Harry Potter series
• Late night snack: Popcorn!
• Writing tools: Alphasmart Neo
• Sport: NFL Football (Go, Patriots!) 
• Vacation destination: The beach—any beach 
• Music: In general, rock and roll; specifically, Jason Manns, who is not rock and roll, but transcends genre preferences 
• Place to read: A cozy sofa 
• Place to write: Outside, on a deck, with a comfortable chair and a table of just the right height
• Way to relax: Reading romance novels!

The Giveaway!!!

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