Please join me in welcoming author Paige Cuccaro author of Commencement.
A little about Paige from Paige.
Writing was never a foregone conclusion for me. I once had dreams of being a psychologist, a pediatrician, a school teacher, a photojournalist, a bartender, and/or an EMT. And then I met my husband and my world came into focus. Being wife and mother are my highest priorities and greatest joy. But escaping to the fanciful, sexy worlds twirling through my mind is an absolute necessity. Putting those worlds, and the cornucopia of characters that people them, on paper is just plain fun.
Commencement is a Hellsbane novel with three additional Hellsbane titles to follow. How does Commencement fit into the Hellsbane world?
Commencement takes place 5 years before the first book in the series. Emma Jane, our reluctant—but ultimately kick butt—heroine is in college. At this point in her life the weirdest, otherworldly thing she’s experienced is herself. She’s got a strange ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own. In fact, it’s that odd gift that clues her into the trouble brewing at her school.
Writing emotion can be difficult but with Emma, you have to write her emotions and her feeling everyone elses emotions. Was it difficult?
Writing the emotion wasn’t as difficult as getting across the understanding which emotions were hers and which belonged to other people.
I immediately liked Emmas friend Mihir, his honesty and complete acceptance of Emma. Were he and Emmas characters inspired by any real life people?
I’m so glad you liked Mihir! He was a great character to write. After writing Emma through 4 stories, I really enjoyed getting into the mind of a sharp witted teenage boy. Most of my characters are mash-ups of many different people in my life.
Can you tell us a little about what to expect in Hellsbane book 1 that will release in November?
In Hellsbane the weird meter goes into the red and Emma finds out just how different from most people she really is. Her whole world changes in an instant and questions she’s always had (Why does she have these strange abilities? Why is she different?) are answered. But those answers just create new questions.
Twenty-three-year-old Emma Jane Hellsbane just found out she’s not human, at least, not only human. She’s half angel, too, and now Heaven’s got a job for her: round up all the Fallen angels and their red-skinned, horned devil-demon minions and boot their butts back into the abyss. Only problem? The demons and their Fallen masters fight back…and they don’t fight fair.
Luckily for Emma, she can put a stop to the constant threat of having her head hacked off if she figures out which Fallen angel is her father—and then kill him before he kills her. Of course, in the meantime, she’ll have to avoid accidentally seducing her angelic mentor, help an old friend conquer his own Fallen sperm donor, and basically save the world from a cataclysmic divine smack down.
No one said being Heaven’s bounty hunter would be easy. But with a name like Hellsbane, Emma Jane was born for the job.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Not really. I write almost exclusively on my mini-laptop. It’s great to take with me wherever I want. Sometimes I need that just to get away from my desktop computer and avoid the temptation of email and Facebook.
You have several books out already in different genres. Do you have a favorite genre to write?
I like to write what I read so urban fantasy and paranormal romance are my favorite genres. I’ve only written 2 straight contemporary romances. I loved those stories, but it seems the woo-woo stuff finds a way to sneak into my writing more often than not.
What is your favorite genre to read?
Urban fantasy, no contest.
You have a family and enjoy life being a mom. How do you find time to write and read and be a mom?
I’m lucky to be a stay at home mom, so when the kids are in school, the house is quiet. It’s a perfect time to write. When the kids were younger, after school I switched from writer to mom. But now that my girls are older (two in college and one in high school) they don’t need me as much as they did. So after some family when they’re first home from school I can usually squeeze in a little more writing time if I need it. I’m really lucky.
You seem to be quite a lover of animals with three dogs, three cats, a parakeet and a bearded dragon named Rexy. What is a bearded dragon and how did you end up with so many animals?
With three girls each one wanted a pet. I’m a big believer in kids having pets to love and care for. One wanted a dog and the other two wanted cats. I had a cat and fell in love with a tiny Jack Russell. And of course my husband wanted a dog. It adds up…fast. A bearded dragon is a kind of lizard with really bumpy skin. They’re pretty cool and more affectionate than you’d think. Unfortunately, Rexy passed away.
Because Halloween is my favorite holiday, everyone who stops by My Life With Books in October gets the same question. Are you dressing up this year and as what?
I almost always dress up in some way. It’s usually not a typical costume, but rather a mix and match of stuff I found that caught my eye.
What is your favorite trick or treat candy?
Snickers candy bars…KING size!
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Buy Hellsbane from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Commencement
Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys…
Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives.
Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning…
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Thank you for stopping by Paige, we look forward to reading more in the Hellsbane series.
Because Halloween is my favorite holiday, everyone who stops by My Life With Books in October gets the same question. Are you dressing up this year and as what? 
1 comments:
Awesome interview! And this sounds like an interesting book.
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