Interview With D.C. Stone, Author of High Scandal

I’m pleased to welcome D.C. Stone as my guest today.

Tell us a little about your current release, High Scandal.

High Scandal was my first short story attempt and completion. It was also the third manuscript I’ve written, but the first to pick up a contract. This piece seems to be my good luck charm because as soon as it was signed; the other two pieces were picked up within weeks by two separate publishers. I have a close friend, who you’ll see again in the dedications, who took this prior military girl who couldn’t wear heels to save her life. She introduced said girl to four and five inch platforms and that said girl – again – now can’t live without them. High Scandal is based on what one does when they have a secret obsession that they try to hide, but like all good, juicy secrets, it eventually gets out. Who more to catch said secret and bring it out of the closet, than no other but the sexy, young, hot boss?

Blurb: Tristan White – a dedicated and passionate man to his job – begins to think his professional and loyal secretary, Isabelle, is up to something. Her disappearing acts around the office leads him to think she could even be acting as a spy for competitors.

Isabelle has a secret, one she has kept in the closet – literally – for years.

Tristan’s suspicions catch up with him and following Isabelle, he not only uncovers what secret she’s been hiding, but also begins to see his secretary in a new light.

Can Isabelle break out of the box and see herself as Tristan does? Or will their professional relationship cause lines to be drawn?

What are you working on now? I’m currently working on a romantic suspense, which is the typical genre I’ve stuck to. It involves a sleeping threat that has awakened in the small town of Nyack, New York. The crimes grow to garner the attention of the FBI, who assigns two agents to assist Detective Charlese (Charlie) Lopez in tracking down the perpetrator. Soon after their arrival, the crimes escalate and Charlie’s suspicions grow as her attention is drawn to the new, dark agent who she’s developed a fatal attraction to. Her battle between ethics and lust force her into making a deadly decision. *wiggles brows* Want more?

Do you have any releases scheduled for this year? I do. One more release is due out at the end of November called Feral Cravings. It’s book one of the Justice Demon series and involves a whole lot of suspense with a dash of paranormal romance. This was my first novel ever written and Evernight Publishing has graciously given me the opportunity to share it with the world.

How do you come up with ideas? Crime biographies give me the pretense of what I’m looking for. Working in fraud full time and within law enforcement for over 13 years, I’ve come to understand pretty much how a criminal’s mind works. I like to focus on the twist within the series, which no one sees coming and on top of that, for some reason, my antagonists seem to garner lots of love. I don’t understand it! *laughs* But I’m not complaining!

What do you enjoy most about writing? Getting a chance to relax and share my imagination. I know it sounds strange as many authors would probably look at me and say, “Relax? Have you lost your mind?” But it’s true. It’s my escape from the real world stresses of every day and as I’m sure you can understand, when dealing with crimes and bad news day in and day out, the release can be so sweet.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, character, or…? I start with a plot. I grab something that draws my eye or an idea that pops in my head and I work my way around it. First and foremost in a piece, you need to have a strong and solid plot so the focus of my ideas center on that. Around it I’ll build the characters, subplots, and work to develop the story. At any one time I have about a dozen ideas in my head. It comes down to finding the time to get them on paper!

What is the best thing about being an author? Sharing my stories. To me, it isn’t about making money or getting famous. Goodness, if I wanted either of those things I would have taken acting lessons. *g* It’s more about having a fan close the book and feel somewhat sad that it’s actually over. To have that fan want to read it again. That’s the best thing, the satisfaction and love of my characters just as much as I do.

What did you learn from writing your first book or what do you wish you’d known before becoming published? You sure you have enough space for all of it? *laughs* Gosh, I really wouldn’t know where to start. There are so many things an author learns on the road to publication and still, over three years later I’m still learning. Some people think they can just toss some words down on paper and then submit it for publishing but it is so much more than that. A craft, which muscle in your brain, needs to be stretched and disciplined time and time again. It’s really an art – learning how to write and it’s one that you need to do day after day in order to better yourself. On top of it, there are all the additional items you need to make sure you hone in on, such as query letters and mastering the synopsis. And then don’t get me started on marketing…that’s a whole OTHER story.

Do you have a favorite time of day for writing? At night, when the kids are in bed and I’m snuggled up on the couch with my IPOD seems to be the best time the words want to come out.

Do you have a favorite hero and/or heroine in your books and why? Of course my first love is always going to be the first character I’ve ever created which is Bari from Feral Craving. Bari is such a tortured soul but one who holds a heart as big as the ocean and carries loyalty to the extreme for those close to him. The thing about Bari though, is he doesn’t realize it and it takes a lot – trust me, a lot – for that boy to finally come to his senses. To this day though, I still think he needs to be nudged at times and realize just how special he is.

Favorite heroine? It’d have to be the latest in my current suspense, with Detective Charlie Lopez. You want a girl that will dish it as much as she can take it? This is her.

How do you balance writing and everyday life? Good question because I still don’t think I’ve figured this one out. Sometimes when I’m on a deadline the dishes go undone, the laundry piles up, the dog walks around in circles, and the kids eat chicken nuggets for lunch AND dinner. These days are few and far between one another but they do exist. There are some days that the laptop doesn’t even get opened. You need the break as well as the exercise of writing, of living life, and giving to yourself, in order to give all that you have to your art, the piece of work you’re writing.

These are few of my favorite things:
1. William Levy
2. Chocolate
3. Red Wine (in that order!)

Excerpt:

As he turned back towards her, she caught his slack jaw, his wide eyes and braced for it. What…is…he…thinking?

Tristan stepped forward and knocked the lid off of a box, revealing tissue smothering black lace pumps, sitting there waiting for her.

Oh those were so pretty. A small, contented sigh left her mouth as she took in the sight of those shoes. They felt like heaven on her feet, despite the four inch heels. Combined with the inch platform, the Mary Jane strap and the peep toe, they made her feel like a woman, like a vixen begging to be let out. She tore her eyes from the shoes and glanced back up at Tristan.

His hazel gaze wasn’t on the shoes anymore. No, they were watching her, studying her mouth.

She watched as his gaze roamed down her body, the touch of his eyes feeling almost physical. The heat held behind his gaze had never been directed at her, but now it blazed. As his eyes landed on her feet, he took a step forward and on instinct, she stepped back. Her foot wobbled as she hit the lid to the box of shoes she was wearing now. She felt her ankle give out and then her weight shifted as she fell back.

Her arms flapped wild. Her foot kicked from beneath her. Through her own panicked state, she heard a grunt as steel arms wrapped around her waist and caught her before she hit the ground. Her body was bent backwards, her face pressed tightly to his neck. She leaned her head back and looked up.

Tristan’s pain-filled face filled her gaze, his complexion turning an unreasonable shade of purple. He promptly lifted her, keeping his grip on her hips as he bent at the waist. Deep breaths racked his large frame, heaving sounds pushing from deep within him.

“Mr. White?”

His hands tightened on her waist, then dropped as he stood. His shoulders hunched forward and drew her gaze down, to stop on the bulge…in between…his legs. Oh dear, God, no!

Breath pushed in and out from between his pursed lips and his coloring grew more normal, from purple to red and then to pink again. After a few terse moments, Tristan finally stood to his full height and, ignoring the bulge in his crotch, glanced pointedly at her shoes.

She fought not to fidget. “Mr. White…”

“Isabelle, please.” His look cut her off and he raised his eyes to look around the room once more. “What is this place, Ms. Stanson?”

She scrunched her face up and searched for an answer. “A closet, Mr. White.”

He gave her a droll look, the answer not mollifying him in the least. “I know that, Isabelle. But what are all these boxes doing in here? And what,” his gaze dropped to her feet, “are those?”

She did shift now. “Shoes, Mr. White.” She reached up and started to gather her hair at the base of her neck.

“Stop that.”

Isabelle froze. “What?”

“You’ve worked for me for three years, Isabelle. I’ve asked you more than once to call me Tristan.”

She frowned again at that. She didn’t exactly think that was professional. Resuming her hands, she pulled the heavy tendrils together.

Her mouth opened to tell him her thoughts, but he cut her off again. “I said stop that.”

She stopped again. “Stop what? I didn’t say anything.”

Tristan let out an exasperated breath and stepped forward. The front of his body brushed against hers, and she drew in a sharp breath. He set his hands over hers and gently pulled them away until they fell to her sides. But he did not let go.

Isabelle stared straight ahead, focusing on the dark blue of his suit jacket. She panted and the movement pushed her chest out. With each touch of his jacket against her skin, she grew all too aware of him. Not as her boss. Not as Mr. White. But instead as the male she had been lusting over for three long years.

“Why do you always keep your hair up, Isabelle?” His voice rumbled through his jacket and held an intimate appeal with them standing so close. His hands still didn’t move.

Slowly, she lifted her head until his handsome face filled her vision.

A strong jaw curved across around a face that was more than handsome, almost pretty. Hard hazel eyes searched her face, seeking something. They roamed over her skin before landing on her mouth.

Bio:
D.C. Stone is an e-book author and full-time fraud investigator when she isn’t diving into the world of Fiction.

She lives in the north-east with her incredibly supporting husband, two kids, and the all American black Labrador puppy. She’ll deny any association with the grumpy cat that also resides in the house, but he is there, never-the-less.

After serving eight years of service with the United States Air Force, she went on to transition into the world of Financial Crimes and became a lead investigator for many years.

Reading has always been a passion of hers, getting lost in a good, steamy romance one of her favorite past times. That passion took a back seat as soon as she discovered her own love for writing and recreating her own stories and characters. Her writing concentrates on Romance with specifics in Paranormal, Suspense and Erotica.
Now, when she isn’t trying to solve a new puzzle in the world of fraud, she is engulfed with coffee, her laptop, and all those crazy characters in her head. Trying to keep up with that crazy bunch is a skill many would yearn to have.

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and the Liberty State Fiction Writers. Come stop by on Facebook, Twitter or her website and say hello!

You can find D.C. Stone at:
Website: http://www.authordcstone.com
Twitter: @DCStoneauthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authordcstone

You can find High Scandal at:
Amazon.com or Evernight Publishing.