Moon Cursed

posted by Nancy

Bestselling author and RITA winner Lori Handeland makes her first appearance in the Lair today! Lori's books have hit the New York Times, USA Today, Waldenbooks, and Bookscan bestseller lists. They have also won numerous awards, including the RITA in two different categories, a Romantic Times Award for Best Harlequin Superromance, the PRISM, and the National Readers Choice Award.

She's here to celebrate the continuation of her Nightcreature Novels with the March 1 release of the tenth volume, Moon Cursed. Welcome, Lori!

We love call stories here in the Lair. Would you like to tell us about your first sale?

I remember that day very clearly. My kids were 5 and 2. I was making lunch, still hadn't gotten dressed or taken a shower. The phone rang and it was my agent. Since she'd just called to give me a rejection on what I thought was the last submittal we had out, I had no idea what she wanted. Turned out she'd sent my first book one more place and hadn't told me. Alicia Condon had called and made an offer on SECOND CHANCE, a western.

Of course back then we had no cell phones. I called all my friends and relatives and no one was home. My DH didn't find out until that night. My 2 year old was unimpressed. The 5 year old wasn't either.

But it was very exciting and I'll always remember.

How frustrating to have no one home! But it's a great story.

Moon Cursed is the latest installment in the Nightcreature saga. Who are the Nightcreatures?

The Nightcreature novels are my paranormal romance series, which deal with a group of monster hunters called the Jager-Suchers, or Hunter-searchers. They are led by an ancient German double agent from WW2 named Edward Mandenauer. Edward discovered Mengele was creating monsters for Hitler back in the day. When the Allies landed, the monsters were released and he's been chasing them, as well as all the others, ever since.

Who are the hero and heroine of Mooncursed? What internal conflict keeps them apart?

In MOON CURSED, Kristin Daniels hosts a show called HOAX HUNTERS where she debunks myths. She travels to Loch Ness to debunk the greatest myth of all, the Loch Ness Monster. Kris doesn't believe in magic or mystery, she hates liars. Which caused quite a problem when she meets Liam Grant, the keeper of the loch, a believer in Nessie and one of the biggest secret keepers of all time.

Are Kris and Liam working together on anything, or do they have a common problem?

Kris is trying to prove Nessie doesn't exist. Liam is protecting the secrets of his village, Drumnadrochit.

(To read an excerpt, click here. Or go to http://www.lorihandeland.com/moon_cursed.php )

You've written several other series. Could you tell us a little about them?

I've also written an urban fantasy series, The Phoenix Chronicles. In it, the heroine Elizabeth Phoenix, must save the world from the Nephilim--the offspring of the fallen angels and men, which are all the creatures of legend--vampires, werewolves and more. She has help in her quest from her childhood love, Jimmy Sanducci, and her mentor, the Navajo shaman Sawyer.

I have also written The Luchetti Brothers series for Harlequin Superromance, which deals with 5 brothers raised on a farm in Illinois and the stories of each one finding true love. There are quite a few fun characters in these books, both human and animal.

And then there is the Shakespeare Undead series, which began as one book and morphed into more. The concept is that Shakespeare is a vampire, an immortal undead, which explains how he
could write so many plays and know so many things a commoner from Stratford couldn't know. The first book, SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD, dealt with his finding his love, the Dark Lady of his sonnets, who just happens to be a zombie hunter. The second, ZOMBIE ISLAND, is my take on the Tempest.

How cool! What's next for you?

As soon as I finish ZOMBIE ISLAND, I will turn to a new venture. I'll return to my roots, western historical romance, writing under the name Lori Austin. The first book CHASE THE WIND, deals with a con man and a female bounty hunter.

Sounds like fun!

For more about Lori and her work, visit her website or check out the Goddess Blogs.

Lori will be signing books in NY at the RWA conference on Tuesday, June 28, which is coincidentally the release date of the next Nightcreature novel CRAVE THE MOON.

Lori's giving away, to one winner, a stuffed Loch Ness Monster and an autographed backlist Nightcreature novel of their choice. So tell us, what's your favorite Shakespearean play (or book or movie inspired by or based on Shakespeare)? Which of the legendary creatures Lori writes would be your favorite? Would you side with Liam or Kris about the Loch Ness monster?