Interview with Boone Brux and Giveaway - December 6, 2011

Please welcome Boone Brux to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. Shield of Fire (Bringer and the Bane 1) will be published later this month by Entangled Publishing.

TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Boone:  Hmmm, just one? I have so many. I guess my personal favorite is that I use a five foot piece of plexiglass, mounted to my wall, as a plotting board. I tried to find one of those ginormous dry erase boards they use in boardrooms, but I needed to take out a second mortgage for the shipping alone. So I improvised and took a little trip to Home Depot. I love that place.

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Boone:  For pleasure reading I love Janet Evanovich, Karen Marie Moning, and my new favorite is Darynda Jones. I wish they’d all write faster.

I wish I could spout eloquently about some influencial writer, but my children have been the biggest influence to my writing. I have twin girls and I started writing when they were three years old. Every Sunday morning I’d lock myself in our bedroom for four uninterrupted hours of sanity. Okay, sometimes I was shopping on Ebay, but mainly I was writing Shield of Fire. Writing became my drug of choice. I needed it to silence Dora the Explorer’s voice in my head. If I hadn’t started writing I’d probably be an alcoholic or a prescription drug abuser now. Just kidding…well kind of..actually, I’m not kidding. Don’t judge, you haven’t met my kids.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a panster?

Boone:  I was a complete panster, a fly by the seat of my trousers gal. That’s why I have editors who make me do outlines and force me to look at the story threads I need to pull through the series. Otherwise the last book would be a thousand pages long, most of it back story I forgot to put in the previous books. Oops. So now I’m a planster, a bit of both. Still, I can’t crush the creative process if my story veers wide of its target.

TQ:  Describe Shield of Fire in 140 characters or less.

Boone:  Lots of running, screaming, demon blasting, hot lovin’, magic, a classic good vs evil story with suspense, humor, and a happily-ever-after for Rhys and Ravyn.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Shield of Fire?

Boone:  I won’t rehash the kid issue again. Besides them, I wanted to write a big story. This was during that innocent phase of my career when I was oblivious to the fact I didn’t know how to write. I was living in bush Alaska with no connection to any other writer or group. I don’t recommend epic for a first book attempt, but that’s just my opinion.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is your favorite scene(s) in Shield of Fire?

Boone:  My new favorite scene, meaning after all the edits were finished, is when Rhys and Ravyn are entering the city of Alba. I added a lot detail that wasn’t originally there.

Would I be telling too much about myself if I said I also like the sex scene a lot? It was the one chapter with the least amount of edits. I’m just saying.

TQ:  In Shield of Fire, who was the most difficult character to write and why?

Boone:  OMG, Ravyn. She went through as many transformations as the book. At first she was too wussy, letting Rhys save her all the time. So I tried to make her more kickass. I really wanted her to kill somebody at this point in my writing. Sadly, she turned into an unlikable b***h. Then I tried a combination, tough and determined. Nope, that didn’t work well with her background of being raised in an abbey. Hopefully we’ve gotten it right. She’s innocent, but still independent, and she does get to do serious damage to the demons.

TQ:  The easiest and why?

Boone:  Icarus, Captain of the Demon Bane army. He walked onto the page fully formed. He is by far my favorite character. His story, which is the last book, is the story I look most forward to writing. I’m going to start a Redeem Icarus campaign with t-shirts and interviews with him. Maybe he’ll get groupies. That would be cool.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to create the world of the Bringer and the Bane series?

Boone:  Shield of Fire’s first draft was written as a historical romance, set during King Henry the Eighth’s reign. During that time I researched England and the Reformation of the church, clothes, etc. When I decided to rewrite it as a fantasy set in a more medieval time period, I researched by mostly watching movies, trying to get the feel of alternate worlds, dialogue or fight sequences. I like this method a lot.

TQ:  How many books are planned for the Bringer and the Bane series?

Boone:  Right now five.

TQ:  What’s next?

Boone:  I just finished book two, which is scheduled to release in June. 2012. I also have a story coming out in an anthology from Entangled called Tweet. It’s about a woman who follows Satan on Twitter. 100% of the proceeds go to Autism Awareness. It’s a great cause and a fantastic project. Then I’m going to eat a lot and relax during the holidays before starting book three.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Boone:  Thank you so much for having me. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays.


About Shield of Fire

Shield of Fire

Bringer and the Bane 1
Entangled Publishing, December 13, 2011
Trade Paperback and Ebook
Historical Fantasy Romance

Protecting humans is the Bringers’ duty. Sending demons to the Shadow World is their pleasure.

In one night, Ravyn’s life plunges from barely tolerable to deadly. Forced to flee the only home she’s known, she stumbles headlong into the clutches of Icarus, a powerful demon intent on stealing her powers. Unfortunately for him, she has no intention of cooperating.

When Rhys realizes the woman he’s rescued from the Bane Demon is no mere human, his obligation as a Bringer dictates he protect and train her in the ways of his people. But he’s unprepared for the intense desire he feels for the fiery Ravyn. To surrender to his need may mean her death.

As the Demon King’s desire for ultimate power escalates, fathers are slated against sons, and foes are made allies. The Bane threat upon them, Rhys and Ravyn must quest to unite the last of the Bringers—and explore a passion too powerful to ignore.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository

BooksOnBoard : diesel

About Boone

Boone has lived in the beautiful state of Alaska for nearly two decades. She spent many of those years in the bush, where the internet and flush toilets were a luxury. Boone’s motto? “Have laptop, will travel.” It’s not uncommon to see her pounding away at her computer during camping trips, fishing expeditions, or in their family plane as they fly over the open tundra.


Boone's Links

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Blog 


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win an ebook of Shield of Fire (Bringer and the Bane 1) from Boone!

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who is your favorite Happily Ever After couple (or couples)?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with an emailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*