Terrific Tuesday with CR Moss:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

~ Hi all! I’m C.R. Moss. :) As per my bio on my website I’m an eccentric and eclectic writer who Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities. I write stories from the light and sweet to the dark and deadly & all with varying degrees of the macabre. This came about as I found my footing in the publishing world. Now, I’m slating my works as contemporary paranormal/horror with strong romantic elements & sometimes flavored with other genres.

As of completing this interview, I’m in edits on a story called Look What the Cat Dragged In for Cassandra. It’s the third book in a series called Look What the Cat Dragged In. The books are available at Devine Destinies. This series was supposed to be one story following secondary character, Philip, from my novel Concealed Affairs, but my characters had different ideas. So the one story morphed into three, and they center around a cat named Myrddin who believes he’s a matchmaker. In For Evelyn, the first story, a ghost who haunts Raritan Manor is brought forward with the help of Myrddin. Evelyn is able to experience love with the man of her dreams who happens to be the resident ghost. In For Julie, there’s time travel. A Native American gets brought forward during a ritual and turns Julie’s story upside down. :) Cassandra’s story will have a blast from her past. In For Cassandra, Philip reenters her life and readers will see when her familiar, Myrddin, came into her world. The original story idea came to me in the 90’s. There was an old house in my neighborhood and I said to myself “I wonder if it’s haunted” and the ideas took off from there. The ‘Cat’ books are mainstream stories and are a bit on the lighter side of life, whereas my other titles tend to be darker and are written for the erotic market.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

~ Not yet. I’ve been giddy and excited about stories after I started writing them but not scared.

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

~ In most of my stories, I’ve incorporated the places I’ve been and have somewhat changed events in my life to suit a story’s purpose.

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

~ The amount of research that I need to do depends upon the story. Normally, I’ll research as I write, do it as needed.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

~ I believe readers will interpret each story differently. Though, I hope they’d understand whatever message I was trying to send, if they glean something different and get something from it, then that’s great, too.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

~ I’m a bit of both. I information dump before I write a story so I’ll have an outline to work from as I write. And, yes, sometimes stories have taken on a life of their own and I have to refigure my plans for it.

How long did it take for you to be published?
~ I had started a novel back in the late 90’s, and due to circumstances, it took me until 2009 to get it published. My first novella that was published in 2008 was accepted pretty quickly after I wrote it and submitted it.

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

~ I started writing in the 80’s and seriously took it on in the 90’s. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to just do it, put myself out there and don’t wait to pursue my dream.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

~ It depends upon where I’m writing. Normally, I do everything on my computer, but when it’s nice out, I’ll go down to the pool, and there I’ll use pen and ink. ‘Must-have’…something to drink, either water or iced tea.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?
~ The authors who inspired me and who happen to be on my keeper shelf are: Stephen King, Anne Rice, Clive Barker and Jude Deveraux. They all influenced me as a writer.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
~ I crewed for a balloon pilot.

For Fun:

What is your Prom story?
In my junior year I went to my high school prom with a guy friend. For senior year, I went to my boyfriend’s prom (he went to a different high school), we ended up fighting. Nice, right? Then that Saturday we went down to the shore and Sunday night we went to a Pink Floyd concert. It was a very busy weekend.

Favorite Mother’s Day memory?
Taking my mother and the rest of the family to her favorite restaurant for a champagne brunch.

If you have children, does the end of school signal loss of writing time for you?
I don’t have children so can’t say.

Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.
Visit my website for more! www.crmoss.net

Blurb for upcoming release of Look What the Cat Dragged In for Cassandra coming soon to http://www.devinedestinies.com/

A woman once shunned. A man now changed. There’s a thin line between love and hate. ~ When Cassandra, a Wiccan practitioner, encounters a man from her past who’d broken her heart, she casts some spells to help herself while wishing karma would deal out some payback. The spells turn against her, and before she knows it, she finds herself falling for him again. Will she close off her heart or will she cross that thin line between hate and love and allow herself to feel again?

Excerpt for Look What the Cat Dragged In for Cassandra

Cassandra drew in a shuddering breath. Way back when, on an autumn day, Phil had almost said the same to her during a romantic moment. Remembering his words, tears clouded her eyes. You’re my love. My heart and soul I promise to you with this ring. He had then slipped a silver ring with a solid heart onto her right finger, the humps facing her nail, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her heart had been captured.

What a fool I was then.

Phil glanced her way again.

She traced the edge of her pin and nibbled her lip. Was he trying to place her? Figure out who she was? A shiver ran through her body.

“Cass? Are you all right? You’ve gone pale,” Julie murmured near her ear.

Cassandra nodded, keeping her gaze glued to the wedding ceremony while toying with the cat pin. Calm yourself. You’re not that young girl anymore.

Victoria took the other ring. She placed the band on Geoff’s finger and repeated the vows, “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day, and as a reminder of my undying love for you.”

“By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey,” the reverend stated, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss each other.”

Geoff and Victoria sealed their vows. Phil took one more look in her direction. One of his eyebrows rose in tandem with the corner of his lips.

Her gaze widened. No. He can’t remember. I can’t deal with him. I don’t want to deal with any man, not after what he did–and after the fiasco with Charlie. She touched her pin and chanted under her breath, begging the universe to make him forget any memories he had of her.