*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

BMH: Tell us a little about yourself.

CBC: I’ve been married 38 years to my high school sweetheart, Tom. I am the mother of two grown sons, Pete and Mike, and the proud grandmother of Preston Alexander and Victoria Ashley. I am the willing house slave to five demanding felines who are holding me hostage and only allow me to leave to purchase food for them. I’m a native of Sarasota, Florida who grew up in Colquitt and Albany, Georgia, and now lives in the Midwest.

BMH: Which publishing methods do you use? Why?

CBC: I use electronic format. With traditional publishers, your book may stay on the shelf a few weeks or a month, then get yanked off, the cover stripped, and the guts of the novel thrown into a dumpster for some savvy flea market entrepreneur to sell. Either way, you don't get revenue from your book or garner any fans if the book is unavailable. The royalties for an e-book are much higher as well, even though you rarely receive an advance. But with an advance, you have to make back that money before you begin to see any profit. With an e-book, the income is more reliable.

BMH: How many published novels do you have?

CBC: Sixteen.

BMH: Why did you get into writing?

CBC: Because I love writing and I love having people read the tales.

BMH: You write dark fantasy. Why?

CBC: That’s the genre that appeals to me as a reader and there are so many varied subjects and topics from which to pull plot ideas. Folklore, urban legends, even strange items in the news can lead to a story that will take you to places you never dreamed you'd ever travel. The allure of dark fantasy is that there are no set rules to which you have to adhere so you are free to create what…and whomever…pleases you.

BMH: Which of your characters is your favorite, and why?

CBC: Kamerone Cree, the Prime Reaper from BloodWind, DarkWind, and EvilWind. He’s a sexy, take-charge, sexual animal, but he’s vulnerable when it comes to the woman he loves. He has his tender side and a humorous side even when he’s about to transition into a werewolf/vampire hybrid.

BMH: How do you get ideas for your books?

CBC: From a song melody that inspires the creative side of me, a photograph, a particular scene in a movie, a thrilling musical score from that movie, the sound of a word, a sight that catches my attention, a dream. The creativity comes from all manner of places and is the main reason I keep myself open to any and all possibilities.

BMH: How do you promote your books?

CBC: Primarily on the Internet, since they are all e-books. I visit review websites, reader and author websites to introduce my work and myself. I do interviews and have a promotional page on my website for those interested in doing interviews, reviews, and profiles to see what I have to offer.

BMH: What has given you the most return for your advertising dollars?

CBC: Without a doubt, hands down, the World Wide Web.

BMH: Do you attend writers' conferences? If so, do you see them as a big help in promotion?

CBC: Not as a general rule, no. I've attended a few and didn't find them to be of any help except as a social situation in which to meet fellow authors. I have done book signings at them as well as reader conferences and find that not be a particularly good avenue for promotion.

BMH: For new authors, what is the one thing they must do to promote themselves?

CBC: Get out and introduce yourself, whether it is locally at your hometown newspaper, radio station, etc., or via the Internet. The web is an ideal place for authors who are shy. The anonymity can help someone who would be too embarrassed to stand up and call attention to him/herself otherwise. Visit review and interview websites and offer yourself and your work. Take part in listservs so readers can get to know you. Gaining name recognition is vital to making a career in publishing.

BMH: What is your next release, and when can we expect to see it?

CBC: Actually, I had a book released just yesterday. The title is ShadowWind: The Shadowlord and it is the first book in a sword-and-sorcery romance trilogy. The one coming up after it is the second book in that series called ShadowWind: The Amazeen. You can look for it later this summer.

BMH: Who, or what, was the biggest influence in your writing career?

CBC: The riveting work of Rosemary Rogers from the books Sweet, Savage Love and Dark Fires. I know it is not politically correct to name yourself one of her fans at the moment since her earlier books seemed to glorify heroine-by-hero rape. Those of us who grew up in the late 60s don't seem to have the same feeling for her books as someone who grew up in the 80s…at least not those of us with whom I've discussed this issue. Unfortunately, her later works don't have the same fire and passion as the earlier ones and don't inspire me to create tortured heroes as I did when I first read her work.

BMH: What type of support do you receive from your family?

CBC: My husband brags about me every chance he gets and reads every book I write. My grown sons read all my books and they are likewise braggarts when it comes to my writing. The third generation – my grandson Preston – has been known to tell his friends what his Gramma does. I think the funniest thing I've heard lately was that one little 10-year-old called Preston a liar because 'nobody's Gramma writes books!'. Pacman (as we call him) took one of my novels to school in his backpack and gave it to the naysayer at recess. He also gave him one of my business cards with my website URL on it. I now have that little boy's mother as one of my biggest fans.

BMH: What's next for you?

CBC: Two other novels at the same time. I will also be starting a fourth this weekend.

Excerpt from Charlotte Boyett-Compo’s novel, ShadowWind: The Shadowlord:

Jaelan lay awake in the room Jubil had allotted to him. He was three doors down from the room where the women slept and, as they had all evening long, his thoughts returned to the evil that had once lurked in his world.

"I remember you, Ai-Hawa," he said aloud as he stared at the heavy beam overhead. "I remember you all too well."

With a curse, he sat up, throwing the covers from his legs. He reached up to rake a hand through his hair, gripping the black strands and pulling tightly in his frustration.

"I have never forgotten you. I remember that day as though it were yesterday."

The hellish day was burned into his memory as though a branding iron had been applied to his brain, searing the sights and sounds and sensations, the taste of his own blood on his lips, into the recollection that would be there for as long as he drew breath. Nightmares had sprang from that gruesome day and still slipped unbidden into his bed when he least expected them, nightmares that to this day had the power to make him tremble.

A shudder ran through his tall frame and he felt the familiar ache in his chest; it was an awareness that often left him moist of eye and barren of hope. For a Shadowlord, it was a dangerous condition that had to be kept hidden at all cost.

"Aye, I remember you but you don't remember me, do you, wench?" he whispered, dropping his hands to his thighs and balling them into fists.

He got up from the bed and moved to the window, pushing aside the curtain with the back of his hand. He blinked as lightning flared, driving a wedge of discomfort through his eyes, but he was not concerned. Storms exhilarated him, thrilled him to the core of his being. Had it been a bit warmer, he would have stripped and stepped out into the deluge, throwing his arms wide to the elements, flirting precariously with the jagged strings of fire that stepped down from the heavens.

"You are as beautiful now as you were then," he whispered, his gaze narrowing, "and just as dangerous."

He traced a crooked knuckle through the mist caused by his hot breath on the windowpane, drawing the ancient symbol for the wind.

"Ya-Bint-Al-Hawa," he whispered in his adopted tongue: The Daughter of the Wind.

A decision had to be made, he thought, as he lowered his hand to the windowsill. Plucking at a loose paint chip, he sighed, wishing he had not ventured to the caravansary this night. That spur of the moment choice might wind up costing him dearly.

"What you didn't know wouldn't have hurt you, Jaelan," he said aloud.

And one way or another he was going to be hurt, he thought as he turned back to the bed and flung himself on the lumpy mattress. Sleep, if it came at all, would be a long time arriving.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Deborah Anderson, managing editor for Scheherazade Tales Romance E-Novels

BMH: Tell us a little about yourself.

DA: I'm a voracious reader of all sorts of literature, but a romantic tale always makes my heart flutter!

BMH: How did you get into publishing, and why?

DA: Scheherazade Tales officially launched October 1, 2002. So we have been in business for less than two years as of this writing. I had previously published an historical romance with another online publisher, in both e-book and trade paperback formats, and Natchez, written under my pen name of Deb Crockett, stayed with that publisher for nearly four years. I asked for, and was granted, the rights to Natchez to be reverted to me. It had been my intention to write a sequel to Natchez, and perhaps attempt to interest a hardback publisher in the complete package. (I still may do that in the future.) But in the meantime, I realized that I was missing promotion opportunities by not offering Natchez as an e-book. That's when I got the idea of starting my own electronic publishing company, and to offer other writers the same opportunity of getting their wonderful stories out there in the hands of readers and actually being read, instead of taking up room on their hard drives.

I hit upon the name Scheherazade Tales because of the implication and possibility of an endless stream of topnotch, entertaining stories, all different, all with unique author voices, and all absolutely unforgettable. It takes time to attract, and contract with, talented writers, but we've been extremely lucky so far with the elite authors featured on our web pages, and we have two more in the wings working on some small revisions before their work also will be for sale in e-book format as a Scheherazade Tale. I'm very, very proud of what we've achieved in so short a time!

BMH: Is Scheherazade Tales open for submissions at this time?

DA: We’re always open for submissions. We never turn down the opportunity to discover another talented writer.

BMH: What is your submission process?

DA: Submission guidelines and a sample contract are online at our website at  http://scheherazadetales.com/. Query by sending a short blurb/synopsis, a bit of personal info, and approximately five pages from anywhere within the manuscript pasted into the body of the email, or submit the entire manuscript by email attachment to editor@scheherazadetales.com/.

BMH: Do you belong to any writers’ organizations? If so, have they been a help to you?

DA: I am active in many Internet groups, but do not belong to formal writers' organizations.

BMH: What are your feelings on e-books and their future?

DA: There are many differences between print books and e-books -- first and foremost, the difference between holding an actual "book" in your hands as opposed to a computer file. But, to be honest, I've become less and less enamored of the print publishing world. Unless you are Nora Roberts or Danielle Steele or (insert the name of your own favorite bestselling author) the truth is that you struggle along to make a living in the world of publishing. You commit hours, days, months, even years to the goal of being accepted by one of the major romance houses. You get that long-coveted contract, then you wait another year to eighteen months for your "baby" to actually be presented to the public – what a proud moment! – which lasts about a month, give or take a week or two. Then the process starts all over again. By the time you've actually generated some word-of-mouth advertising and good promotion for your book, it is no longer available.

Electronic publishing has changed all that. An e-book can be around virtually forever. As a writer, you keep writing. But now you're looking at mere months or even weeks until your next novel reaches its intended public. You've benefited from name recognition in the meantime, and your backlist is much easier for a newfound fan to glom! The drawbacks of e-books and e-publishing are that the format is limited to a computer file, and (barring printing it out yourself) can only be read on a computer device. Despite the figures that would lead you to think that everyone in the whole world is on the Internet, this just ain't so.

So your marketing efforts, by necessity, are pretty much limited to the techno-savvy romance reader who is not afraid of new technology to find those rare gems of stories that the major print pubs won't touch. E-books are still in their infancy, despite being around for years now, and it will be a few more years, unfortunately, before a universal electronic book reader device is made affordable and available to everyone all over the world. That's the day I look forward to, because Scheherazade Tales will be established as a trusted provider of quality romance e-books. And rather than have a print book out for only a month or so, e-authors have their work available indefinitely.

BMH: What do you feel is the biggest marketing and promoting tool for publishers?

DA: As I mentioned before, since e-books are basically computer files, the Internet becomes the source and marketing ground for e-books. So many of the readers who have switched to e-books, or who are willing to at least give them a shot, are also heavy Internet users, and name recognition means a lot in the ebook world. Authors of novels published in e-book format should be able and eager to promote themselves on the Internet whenever possible.

BMH: How is a marketing dollar best spent in your opinion?

DA: I hope that an affordable universal e-book reading device becomes available on the market very soon. When that happens, e-books will finally be in a position to achieve their potential. Scheherazade Tales will hopefully still be around, bigger and better, with a stable of terrifically talented authors and a virtual shelf of fabulously entertaining tales of passion, romance and adventure. By then we hope to have a steady customer base of discriminating romance e-book readers who trust us to provide nothing but top-notch quality reading material. We won't let them down!

Excerpt from Scheherazade author: Cynthia Henry’s novel, All That Glitters.

Julie grabbed a tee shirt of Shaun's out of the dryer and tucked a plastic hanger through the neck. As she eased it onto a hanging rack, the doorbell rang. She deftly dodged trucks and squeaky toys and cursed when she inadvertently stepped on one. She'd just tucked the boys in for the night and their rooms were right across the hall. She pulled the door open and hoped she didn't hear Garrett stirring. Tom stood on the other side.

He raised his eyes and, once again, he was sporting the bomber jacket. Julie caught the door panel between her palms. "This is getting to be quite a habit, Mr. Marr."

"Can I come in?"

Julie sighed and moved back. Why couldn't he just get to it? He stepped inside and walked to the couch. He sat down and pushed a spaceman toy to the side with his elbow. Julie crossed her arms and waited.

"How are you?" he asked.

It was such an inane question, she almost laughed out loud. "How am I?" She sighed. "What answer would you like, Mr. Marr? Would you like 'I'm fine, never better' or 'I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown' or, and my money is on this one, 'I'm waiting to milk the Sutherland family for all it's worth which, of course, is why I married Kevin in the first place'."

Tom's head tilted. He sat back and combed his fingers through his hair. He had nice hair. It would have just a hint of a wave if it were allowed to grow long enough. "Just a simple 'I have good days and bad days' would do."

Still cautious, Julie slid onto the arm of a chair across from him. "Why are you here?"

Tom leaned up and laced his fingers together casually. "I'm wondering what your plans are."

With a sigh, Julie lowered to the seat cushion. "What do they want?"

Tom looked directly at her. "The truth?"

She nodded. "The truth."

There was a brief hesitation before he sighed. "They just want you to go. I'm not here to negotiate, I haven't been authorized to give you more money, and I don't have a better deal than the one they laid out in the office. They just want you to go."

Julie sucked in a ragged breath. "There's nothing that I would like better than to leave here. And I will. But I'm not going until Shaun finishes his pre-school year. He loves it. He actually has some friends -- a few new families in town who don't know who we are. He's lost enough and I won't pull him out now. He'll be in kindergarten next fall and I'll leave before then, but not until June."

She walked to the door. Just a minute more. She had to be tough for just a minute more. "There's a graduation ceremony. They wear little hats made out of paper soup bowls. So you can relay that message. Money isn't keeping me here. My son's happiness at Hansel and Gretel Pre-School is."

Tom just stared for a long, painful minute. He stood when she opened the door, but only to push by and nudge it closed again. "Are you okay? Don't you have a family?"

Julie crossed her arms in weak defense. "They want me out of the house! That's it! I should've known it would come to that."

Tom shook his head. "No, they didn't say anything about the house. It would just sit empty if you weren't here. Winter's coming." He glanced out at the snow-swirled night. "I guess it's already here."

Julie reached for the knob. She wanted him gone -- needed him gone. She wanted to live quietly for six months and then be on her way. She'd work on figuring out where to go as soon as he walked through the door. "Tell them I'll be gone in June. The house will be available then." She paused to swallow. "If they insist that I leave, I'll find a room in town -- a hotel if I have to. Shaun will finish pre-school --"

"You already said that." Tom slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Julie wiggled the knob. Was there anything awful left to happen? Her husband was dead, she was a loathed woman, and her sister-in-law's fiancé wouldn't leave. "Please go, Mr. Marr. There's nothing more for us to say."

Tom's gaze wandered over her. He was a presence -- a term Julie had always heard, but never had felt before. But she felt him now, there all around her, until he pulled open the door and stepped into the night.

"I'll go, and I'll give the Sutherlands your message, and I'll do what I can to ensure that you and the boys can stay right here as long as you need to. I'll do all that on one condition."

This guy was really something. Julie swung her hair behind her shoulder and jutted her chin. "What's your condition?"

He moved back a step and raised his face, rugged and handsome, into the snow that was falling steadily now. "That you call me Tom." Then he turned and strode toward his BMW.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For POD -- the publishing industry needs to step into the 21st century and become more environmentally friendly by using the Print-On-Demand method. It is not 1450 anymore; the forests of this world are dwindling, and the publishing industry does not own the sole rights to this precious resource. Modern technology is dictating the way into the future and the publishing industry needs to embrace this new technology with the acceptance of change.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Unraveled begins with a bumpy ferry landing, and from then on you are in a roller-coaster of a ride, for the inhabitants of Gale island are in for a major upheaval as Uranus and Pluto begin "a transit into a configuration not seen in years." As memories of former lives float to the surface, ancient lovers and enemies react to the stimulus of the planets. Age and social standing mean nothing; neither does a wedding ring. Unraveled is a wonderful story, chaotic at times, as real life is. I was totally drawn in and enjoyed every moment.

Queen Of Jur, Thomas E. Johnson, $2 download, $7 CD, $10.02 trade paper, http://boks.lul.com/category/1613, 178 pages, ISBN: 1411603397, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

Return with us to the exciting days of yesteryear when dinosaurs and saber-toothed tigers roamed the land with groups of semi intelligent apes, the first men and the strange beings that left a few behind before their leaving for the stars. Sounds like a plot from Edgar Rice Burroughs, doesn’t it? Tom Johnson is one of those rare writers, much like John Eric Holmes and Philip Jose Farmer, who has taken his love of the pulp masterpieces of Burroughs and breathed a new life into them for the readers of today.

In this addition to the Jur Chronicles, Jack Richards and Mai Ling are living in the ancient city with Tiberius when Mai Ling decides to visit her parents one last time. As she is returned to the future, Monique – a French girl from the 1960s – is brought to the past. This causes Jack some awkward moments until he decides to explore some of the other lost cities of Jur. Of course, problems arise and Monique goes in search of him, only to have her own adventures and discover her own strengths in a land before time.

Johnson has laid new groundwork for more books in the series and new adventures by Jack and Mai Ling as well as those of Monique and Conar, the man who won her heart. I can’t wait to see the next one and I’m sure you will join me after you read this well written and very enjoyable adventure series.

From The Hands Of Hostile Gods, Darren R. Hawkins, www.silverlakepublishing.com, 364 pages, various formats, ISBN: 1931095744, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

First off, remember the name – Darren R. Hawkins – because if this first novel is any indication of things to come, he is off to a stellar start. He has taken a hard science story, thrown in an unusual first contact, and ended up with a touching romantic ending. Doing any of these well is hard enough, but combining them and doing it well is quite an accomplishment.

On the planet Archae Stoddard a group of terra formers are at the midpoint of a ten-year operation. Markus Brett is in charge of Persia Station and their Cassandra computer – a human mechanical combination – is reporting unauthorized personnel, but there are no signs of intruders. One of the crew is showing signs of meningitis, but it is not following normal symptoms. Some of the air processing plants are not performing up to potential. It is up to Brett and his crew to find out the causes of the problems and when it all points to an unknown life form, the story really moves and has some tense moments.

Along with this, the Cassandra unit has the remains of his former lover as its biological core. Markus also discovers that one of his crew is enhanced by nanomechs – microscopic machines that repair and enhance the normal human functions – and that crew member is not affected by the disease that is attacking the entire crew. The crew also puts credence in a tarot/poker type card game.

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking book. It moves very well and throws in a curve or two until the ending totally blows you away. I didn’t expect it and that says a lot. This is a very impressive first novel and I’m sure we will hear more from Darren Hawkins.

Crossings, edited by Megan Powell, www.double-dragon-ebooks.com, 152 pages, ISBN:, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

In this new and unusual anthology, Megan Powell again shows her expertise in selecting an unusual mix of stories and also adds one of her own to show how we can cross from one world to another, from one part of our life to another, or from love to another and how we can make Crossings on our own.

James S. Dorr opens the door to a girls’ trip from reform school to working for a strange man with even stranger things in his "Bottles". "Good-Bye, Lorelei…Hello, Snow" by Holly Wade Matter is a tale of potions, love and the All Night Office Supply Store. Megan Powell’s story of a very successful model and the ones who want to take her place make you wonder if "Fingernails" are really that important. Jeffrey Turner does an interesting take on reincarnation in "True Believers". "Vapors in Time" is a science fiction tale of thievery and recovery. Maurice G. Broaddus presents a story of doing whatever it takes to spend more time in his dreams in "Morphean Affairs."

Other tales are by Kevin James Miller, Laird Long, Barbara Davies, Sharon Hartley, Debra Purdy Kong, and James Viscosi. All are interesting and make for a very satisfying collection from Megan Powell and Silver Lake.

Barry Hunter has been reading ever since he was old enough to hold a book. He has published Baryon for the last 28 years. It is available online at Baryon Online.

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