Sara's Bio:
Sara Curran-Ross was born on April 1970 in the UK where she resides with her husband,
daughter and dog.
She was training to be a Legal Executive once upon a time until she went to university. In 2002 Sara graduated from university with a honours degree in History after giving birth to her daughter in 1999 in the middle of it all. Ever a glutton for punishment, she returned to university at the end of 2007 and in 2008 graduated with a History Masters Degree.
Sara has been writing since her teenage years and has now made it her full time focus. She enjoys writing thrillers, dark fantasy and historical romance novels and is always on the lookout for a new writing challenge.
What made you focus on the horror and thriller genres?
I don’t really focus on one particular genre. I tend to write in whatever form I see the story. Apart from writing thrillers and novels that have aspects of horror in them, I do write stories in other genres. I have recently submitted a contemporary romance novel to my publisher and I am in the middle of writing a historical romance. I am also creating a romantic urban fantasy spin off to KOS. I have many projects on the go and you can get a taste of them on my blog at http://www.saracurranross.blogspot.com.
How did you come up with the Taleians and their mythos?
I’m not sure really. I wanted to create vampires that were very different to the ones in Twilight and I wanted them to have a history peculiar to the UK. I did a lot research on the Druids and the Celts and from there I invented the myth of The Taleians.
What made you set the Knight of Swords in 1893 London?
I set the start of Knight of Swords in 1893 London because it was just after The Ripper murders. I wanted to convey how dangerous life was for women and what they were up against trying to find their place in a rigid society attempting to keep them down. The Suffragist movement was also gathering momentum. It all helped to emphasize Juliet’s struggle for independence and leadership as Queen in a male dominated vampire world.
However, the majority of the story takes place in snow covered countryside and on the dramatic coastline in Devon in the UK.
With The Devil You Know being such a sexy thriller, what factored in the decision to not make Knight of Swords be on the sexy side as well?
I wanted to create a very different vampire novel. I saw the story more about a woman’s struggle to find power and independence in a male dominated world of vampires and humans rather than a full blown romance.
The Devil You Know is a very dark sexy thriller and it isn’t for the faint of heart, nor those expecting a traditional romantic happy ever after ending. It is about knowing your own true identity and whether or not you really know the person in your relationship. I wanted to show that no matter how close you get to someone, they can surprise you. They may reveal a hidden side to them that you may have never wished to know existed.
The Devil You Know is being republished by Hellfire Publishing. It will be released on 15th July 2011. An excerpt and sample chapters may be found on my blog, http://www.saracurranross.blogspot.com.
Do you have a process in your writing routine?
My writing routine is a bit on the erratic side. When I first start a book it feels as though I am pushing something very heavy up hill and I tend to get distracted. Once I get going with the story I become nothing short of obsessive. LOL. I just want to keep going until I finish the book and not stop even to eat or sleep! :)
I try to write every day but lately I have been doing a lot of edits for books coming out so it has been difficult. Once everything calms down I will go back to finishing the writing projects I started live on my blog.
Out of the books you’ve written, do you have a favorite hero or heroine? If so, who and why.
They are difficult questions to answer. I would have to say that my favourite hero is Raoul Valoire. He appeared in the first book I ever wrote in my middle twenties, a contemporary romance called Sleeping Love.
Raoul is tall, dark, very handsome and French. He is also confident, determined, successful, rich and very in love with the heroine, Sabrina. My perfect type of hero. :)
The story starts when Sabrina travels to Raoul’s chateau in the Loire Valley in France to do some historical research on one of his ancestors. Sabrina lost her memory after waking up badly beaten in a London hospital seven years ago. When Sabrina visits Raoul, she is surprised to find him laying claim to her as his long lost wife who mysteriously disappeared one night from the chateau and his life seven years ago.
Shocked and confused Sabrina tries to leave the chateau but Raoul uses every means at his disposal to stop her going, virtually holding her prisoner. He insists she recover her memory and her love for him. He will not lose his wife again.
Sabrina uncovers some painful memories of what happened that night. Despite her suspicion that Raoul may have been the cause of her disappearance she falls helplessly in love with him all over again.
The whole book has a fairytale quality to it and I enjoyed writing it. I have just rewritten the novel and have submitted it to my publisher. Fingers crossed it will be published. :)
Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on next?
I really need to finish my regency historical romance, The Art of Retaliation. My heroine, Lady Pamela Dashwood is kidnapped by Lord Peter Ramsay. She is held as ransom to force her gambling brother to return Lord Ramsey’s mentally ill sister whom he ran away with and plans to marry.
Lord Ramsay is determined to prevent Pamela’s brother from duping his sister into marriage for her inheritance and stop him from isolating her in an asylum after they are joined. Unexpectedly, Lord Ramsay falls in love with his captive and he must find a way to fulfill his plan and make Pamela his own.
I also want to finish writing my two contemporary romantic spin off’s to KOS involving relationships with humans, vampires and werewolves. I need to finish the third and possibly the last installment to The Swords Series, The Hanged Man. I guarantee there will be a lovely happy ending to this series. :)
What are some of your favorite authors and some of your favorite books you’ve read?
I have many favourite books. I love all of Jane Austen’s work but in particular, Persuasion. Captain Frederick Wentworth has to be the best hero ever written. I actually cried when I read that and I can assure you that does not happen very often. :) I love The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness D’Orczy and Devils Cub by Gerogette Heyer.
I also like Christine Feehan’s novels about vampires (the Dark series) and I loved Twilight. However, I can’t say that I was engaged in reading the rest of the Twilight saga and I gave up before reading Breaking Dawn. I found them too long and drawn out.
Do you have a hobby besides writing?
I don’t have much time for hobbies these days and I should cultivate some more time for them. They are good for relaxation. I have been known to indulge in the odd spot of knitting. Mind you, I am only learning the art and I’m still stuck on knitting a scarf for winter. :)
I wouldn’t call this a hobby, but I have been attending regular psychic circle meetings and I am trying to progress as a medium.
Now for some fun questions:
What your favorite color?
Red. I love it’s bold brightness.
Do you have any pets?
I have a Welsh Springer Spaniel dog called Domino. He appears to have a fetish for leather! Every time I buy a pair of leather gloves in the winter he manages to steal one of them and bury them in the garden. I lost five gloves once. He digs them up in the summer and carries them around. If you try to take it from him he gets very possessive. LOL. Very strange!
What is your favorite movie and TV show?
I have two favourite movies. I love The Matirx and Inception. I love the way they stretch your mind and make you think. :)
Do you have a favorite food or place to eat?
I quite like Pizza Express. I am not sure if you have it in the US but it’s quick and very tasty. I regularly meet my girlfriends at one of their restaurants on a Friday to catch up with them and have a good chat. :)
Find Sara at:
Blog: http://www.saracurranross.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.saracurranross.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000416235748
Knight of Swords Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knight-Of-Swords/158615970815370
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Clipso1
Email: sara@saracurranross.com
Knight of Swords Purchase Links:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62013
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-of-Swords-ebook/dp/B0052AI492
Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knight-of-Swords-ebook/dp/B0052AI492/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309546159&sr=1-1
Thanks so much, Sara, for taking the time for this interview.
My Review of Knight of Swords
GIVEAWAY
Sara will be giving away a copy of her Knight of Swords eBook to two lucky winners. This is an International giveaway.
All that is required to enter is to be a follower and make a comment and/or ask Sara Curran-Ross a question, along with your email address so we can contact you if you win.
Good luck, everyone!
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