Terrific Tuesday with Barbara Bradley:)

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

I’m Barbara Donlon Bradley an author of very spicy and humorous SF. I have found there is too much goofiness in my life and it shows in my writing. I’m proud to say my next release is due out in May of this year and is called Honorbound. It is the third in my S/F/Futuristic stories released through Phaze

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

Not really. I don’t write deep, dark stories what would make me scared but I have been so driven by a story it took me by surprise.

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

Yes. I keep joking my friends and family that all the crazy things we do will end up in a book one day and I have used some of those goofy moments in a manuscript or two. LOL! I wrote in a prank that one of my friends pulled, and when I showed it to her, she couldn't believe I'd written it in!

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

You know, each story is so different. It really depends on the story. I normally write and then research as needed.

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

If you want some sort of deep message from my work you probably won’t find it. I write to escape and I hope readers read my work for the same reason. To escape for a little while and have fun doing it.

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

I am a pantser – always have been. I love the way the story unfolds for me as I write – most of my stories take on a life of their own but my latest series has pushed me so hard I can’t stop writing. I wrote the rough draft of the first book in three weeks. In six months I have finished book one and two and am working on the rough draft of book three. I’m excited to say I have sold the first book of the series to Phaze and am waiting to hear on book two…keep your fingers crossed

How long did it take for you to be published?

Depends on how you look at it. From the point where I realized I actually had a talent for this? About five years. But I had been writing scenes with characters created with a friend long before that.

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

You have a knack for this and a way that works for you. Don’t let anyone sway you to change your style to suit them.

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

Laptop is a must for me – wouldn’t know what to do with a pen and paper – cant read my own handwriting at times – it’s not pretty and a chair – got to be comfy and I’m partial to recliners – got to have power too – that laptop battery only lasts for so long

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

Kathleen Woodiwiss and Joanna Lindsey in romance, I also love Steven King and several SF authors. They all had an influence on me.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

Wow that is a tough one – let me think – how about that I’m a third degree black belt in Taekwondo.

For Fun:

Mountains or Beach?

Beach definitely – my family and I try to go to the beach every summer

Favorite amusement park ride?

I do love the roller coaster rides – but I can only ride them once a visit after that my weird fear of falling gets in the way

Father’s Day ritual?

LOL – every day is father’s day we need a writer’s day

How do you balance kids being at home 24/7 and writing time?

I’m lucky enough to have a very supportive family and my son is now 16 so not as demanding although can be annoying

Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.

Thanks for having me! I’m with three publishers, www.phaze.com, www.melange-books.com, www.hardshell.com each has a little something different – Hardshell Word factory has my earliest works, Melange has my humorous short stories, and Phaze is where my hotter SF stories are.

Blurb:

Nutoru has inadvertently gotten her into this mess. Now he has to get her out. He has done dozens of these rescues, normally in and out quickly, but not this time. Kese sees the stranger who came to save her and knows this is an opportunity to get all her friends rescued. They deserved their freedom too. Traveling with all of them gives him a chance to get to know Kese intimately and she’s supposed to marry when he gets her home. How was he going to bring her back home and walk away if he can’t keep his distance from her?

Excerpt:

He heard weeping as he reached the door. Not another crier. He didn’t want to put up with another woman weeping all the way back to Varash. He took a deep breath, opened the door, and found himself surrounded by thirty women. He looked around in surprise.

Most of the women cowered behind one who didn’t seem to be afraid of anything. She glared at him—her chin held high. “Have we not been beaten enough today?”

“I’m not here to beat anyone.” He closed the door quietly. “I’m here for Sashi.”

“We don’t know who you are talking about.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “But you’ll get one of us to entertain you soon enough. Coming in here and trying to find out who will be yours for the night will do you no good. If you don’t leave now I will tell Erroc you were here.”

“You don’t understand.” He stepped into the room a little further.

“What?” She seemed quite cross with him.

“I was sent by Tunari. I’m here to rescue Sashi.”

She looked at the other women. “Does that name mean anything to anyone?” When no one answered, she turned back to look at him. “Sorry.”

“Our intelligence says Sashi is here and it’s extremely accurate. Are there any other places where she might be kept in this keep?”

“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You must have the wrong keep.”

“Has anyone died?” Was he too late?

As much as he grumbled about the women he had rescued so far, he felt responsible for each one he had put in this type of jeopardy. Nutoru was bound and determined to get each of them out. Sashi was no exception.

“Not recently.” She tilted her head at him, probably trying to figure out if he was for real or not. “We’ve all been here three years or more. Erroc picked each of us so he could find the perfect wife. He just been a little slow at choosing which one of us he wants.”

Nutoru ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. She had to be here.

“Look, if you’re really here to rescue one person you might as well leave.” Her words hinted he hadn’t made a mistake after all. “Erroc has threatened to kill everyone if any of us disappear. So you either take everyone or walk away empty-handed. No one is dying because of one woman.”

“All of you?” He had feared as much when Sashi hadn’t stepped forward right away. She was here, but afraid of the consequences if she were to leave with him alone. If he got them all out, perhaps she would reveal herself. His job just got very complicated. But how was he going to get them all out without being detected?

“I’ll–”

The door creaked as it opened. “Erroc demands that you eat now.”

The moment the door moved, Nutoru jumped behind it. He was close enough to the wall to use the door to block his presence from the guard. As long as the guard didn’t step into the room any further so he could see what was behind the door. He also hoped none of the women would look at him, drawing attention to his hiding place.

Would someone give him away?