Please welcome my guest today, Jacqueline Paige.

Thank you for joining us today Jacqueline.

Are you a plotter or a pantster?

I started out as a pantster and then attempted plotting, now I’m probably somewhere in the middle. Mostly now I jot down the general plot but don’t try to figure out every detail. My characters rarely follow the story line I set out to write, so much so that at times I’m not even sure how each story is going to end until I’m typing the last page.

If you could meet one great writer from the past two centuries who would it be, and why?

This is like asking me to select one jelly bean from an entire bag of them! I’m going to go with a childhood favourite, Samuel Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain.

I’ve been an avid reader since the day I could put the words together and for me, Mark Twain stories are when a writer started to push things just a little farther in society. I know there are many more out there that did the same and started the path that lead to where writers are today, but after thinking about it today I kept coming back to Samuel.

Which, if any, authors, past and present, have influenced your writing, and how?
I read a lot, so somewhere in there I’m sure my brain has retained little bits and pieces of things. In the last few years I’ve probably read every Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon book out there and I do know those particular authors writing helped me to not let go and not worry about where my characters were heading. Their books have left me sitting there in awe with the worlds and characters they’ve created.

I know what you mean.  Nora Roberts is one of my favourite authors too.  Do you have critique partners or work alone?
I mainly work alone, but have from time to time had a few partners go through large portions that weren’t working for me or were making me second guess the entire plot line and whether it was coming out in a way that the reader was going to ‘get it’. Sometimes being objective with something you’re creating is a very hard thing to do.

When we are so closely involved with our characters it makes it hard to see the wood for the trees, doesn't it?
How important do you think reviews are?
I think reviews are important enough that I pay attention to what they have to say, although I’m still going to keep doing my own thing regardless. A review is only an opinion of the reader and opinions vary from one person to the next. (One person likes purple, another likes red …) More times than I can count I’ve sought out a book and read it just because it received a poor review – so maybe I don’t quite follow the normal author wave length. :-)

How do you respond to a reviewer if its not favorable?
Regardless of good or bad review, I thank them for their opinion and the time spent to read my work. I file away all comments and reviews for future reference and try to use them to be better at my craft in the long run.

What is your favourite flower?
Sunflowers.

What is the nicest reader comment you've ever received?
The nicest comment I’ve ever received was when a reader thanked me for writing such a wonderful story that helped her forget some hard times she was going through, even for a short time.
(I really had to think long and hard to send a reply to that. I think all fiction authors write for entertainment purposes for their readers, never realizing how important it is to some readers to be able to step into a story to make reality fade for just a few pages of time.)

That is so true.
How do you advertise your work?
This is the first time I’ve tried a blog tour – but it will definitely be on my list for the future.
I also use other companies to advertise, Topaz Promotions and Class N’ Sassy promotions.
And then there is the wonders of the web, facebook, twitter, myspace, chat groups.
In a traditional sense I do flyers in my area (or areas I can get them to), bookmarks and I’m excited to say shortly I’ll have an article in a large publication in my area.

Do you have daily writing goals you set for yourself?
I tried setting goals, but reality (work, family) gets in my way too often, so now I have to run with it when I have a few quiet moments and or everyone else in the house is asleep.

How do you overcome writers block?
So far I haven’t had writers block. I’ve been too distracted to focus from time to time, but that’s usually because I have another story brewing in my mind and I have to write it down so I can buckle down and get back to work.

What is your favourite colour, and why?
Dark purple. I honestly don’t know why that colour, it just does it for me.

What books of yours are currently for sale and where can a reader buy them?
Behind the Mask
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=247

In Our Dream
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=257

(part two) From A Dream
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=263
Also coming in within the next few months:
Salvation (Eternal Press)
Twice Cursed (Whiskey Creek Press)
Harvest Dreams – Book III in The Magic Seasons series (Class Act Books)
(Re-release for Book I also at Class Act Books)
And more to come…

Do you have a favourite recipe you'd like to share?
This is one of Arianna’s recipes in the back of Behind the Mask – and being a cheesecake addict it’s mine too!

Spider Web Pumpkin Cheesecake
1.1/4 cups Oreo Baking Crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg (250g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (29 oz/822g) pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp oil

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Mix baking crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and cornstarch; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 50–55 minutes or until center is almost set; cool slightly. Spread with sour cream. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing from pan.

Place chocolate and oil in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on Medium 1 minute; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle over cheesecake in spiral pattern. Starting at center of cheesecake, pull a toothpick through the lines to outside edge of cheesecake to resemble a spider’s web. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Please, will you include a blurb and excerpt to share, and give us links to where we can find Mystic Perceptions?

Blurb
Jacinda Brown keeps to her safe existence doing investigative research, avoiding people and places with people. To most, it appears she has a normal life; blending completely undetected in her lonely continuation. She doesn’t investigate people; she can’t get that close. Through her hand she can feel emotions, thoughts. With a touch she can see what has been.

Unfortunately fate tosses her into a situation where her carefully guarded secret and her own conscience are at war when she finds herself working with detectives to find a killer. Jacinda clashes with the very strongly grounded detective, Reid Merritt, destiny has forced her to work with. At some point he begins to matter, making her decision harder. Will he look at her with abhorrence, like she’s some sort of freak when she’s through?

When the fifth murder happens, Jacinda makes the decision to use her gift to find the killer. She doesn’t let herself think of how she’s going to suffer afterward, the consequences that will curse her again, the chance she’ll be giving up everything and starting all over. She just thinks of finding some justice and stopping a killer.

What will be the price, this time, for the ability she doesn’t want?

Excerpt
Brent just sat there and looked at her. Reid stifled a sigh. They were pulling his leg right? This was a joke of some kind. When she continued to stand there, without so much as a smirk he frowned over at his partner. Reid shook his head in disbelief.

“It can’t be paper or clothing.” Jac said quietly.

Brent reached into his shirt, pulling out his chain and pendant. Lifting it over his head, he handed it to the crazy woman standing there, patiently holding her hand out at him.

Reid gave her a “you’ve got to be kidding” look when she stepped in front of him. When she continued to stand there, looking at him impatiently, he leaned back and pulled his keys out of his pocket. Working the pendant off the ring, he handed it to her and leaned back again. He knew his blood pressure was going to spike shortly if they didn’t stop screwing around, then he was going to start yelling.

Sandy sat down behind Jac. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Jac held up her hand, palm up. When the doctor lowered Brent’s chain into it, Jac closed her hand around it and she took a few deep breaths as if she was trying to find some focus.

He knew Brent was waiting for them to say “Gotcha!” too. When he heard Jac laugh softly, he figured it was now.

Jac shook her head. “Really Sandy - next time please specify something they weren’t wearing during sex.” She grinned. “Cute blonde though Brent, love the lady bug tattoo.”

Where can we find your books?You can find Mystic Perceptions at Class Act Books
http://www.classactbooks.com/

Please share your website and other links with us.
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/
http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Jacqueline will be giving away a Mystic Perceptions tote bag stuffed with goodies for one randomly drawn commenter that comments at any stop along her tour schedule so the more sites you comment at the better your chance of winning.

Follow Jacqueline's tour - tomorrow at From the Shadows

Thank you for joining us today.  I wish you well with all your upcoming releases and new projects.Thanks so much for having me today!