Interview with Jaime Rush and Giveaway - June 3, 2012

Please welcome Jaime Rush to The Qwillery! Jaime is the author of the Offspring series. Darkness Becomes Her, the 6th Offspring novel, was published on May 29, 2012.


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

Jaime:  Hmm, I'm not sure this is a quirk, but I do like writing shower scenes. Sexy ones, of course! There's something about two very clean people sliding naked against each other under running water. That said, I try not to do it in every book. Then people would be saying, "Oh, here's Jaime's shower scene."

As far as process goes, I create a playlist for each main character, sometimes buying a song just for that list. I also break them up into categories, like Lachlan Suspense, Lachlan Character, Lachlan Sexy. Then when I'm writing an intense scene, I choose the best songs for that scene and crank them!

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jaime:  I do a little of both, but mostly I'm a plotter. I like knowing where things are going, and as much about the characters as I can. Susan Elizabeth Phillips gave some great advice years ago about the way she wrote: she knows a little about the story and characters and then writes a scene with them. [this is my memory of it, anyway!] I like doing that because you get a good feel for them in a scene and learn tidbits.

I have a rough synopsis I refer to as I write, but sometimes the story veers a little or events happen in different order. Nothing that would make my editor go crazy by turning in a completely different book than proposed. I'm pretty vague about details. For example, I'll have "fight scene here" or "altercation with so-and-so" but have no idea where, who else is in the scene, or exactly how it ends, other than of course my main peeps don't die.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Jaime:  Those books that I have trouble connecting with. It doesn't happen often, thank God, but now and then I'll just have trouble getting into the groove of one. And I can't figure it out. Eventually it works itself out, but I usually don't know why.

TQ:  What inspired you to write the Offspring series?

Jaime:  A few things twined together to inspire me. First, I've always been fascinated by psychic abilities. I loved X-Files and all of the crazy things some of the villains could do. There are so many things we don't understand, like why people "know" things, astral projection, remote viewing, and things that are legitimately investigated. Our own government, along with Russia's, implemented top secret programs studying psychic powers. Though the results were considered inconclusive and negligible, those who were in the US program and wrote about it said they had some real breakthroughs.

So it was that fascination and the government project that had me thinking: what if there was a project, and the subjects were given a substance that amplified their abilities, and then eventually they were all eliminated … what would happen to their offspring? Would they inherit those abilities, and the substance? They wouldn't know about the project, only that their parent had died in some strange way. And now a shadow agency operative is hunting down these offspring. It was great fun to figure out the whys and whos, as wells as throwing these very different people together to figure it all out as well.

DARKNESS BECOMES HER is an independent story of that initial arc, though the hero is tied into that program, as his father was instrumental in providing that mysterious substance.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for novels?

Jaime:  I read Psychic Warrior: The True Story of America's Foremost Psychic Spy and the Cover-Up of the CIA's Top-Secret Stargate Program by David Morehouse, who was the first, I believe, to expose the project once the information became declassified. I went to some of the participants' websites, looked up the project's timeline, and read about the CIA and FBI and other projects. I also read a lot about scientific studies on psychic abilities and my favorite books, the X-Files Book of the Unexplained, Volumes 1 and 2 by Jane Goldman.

TQ:  Which character from the Offspring series has surprised you the most?

Jaime:  Probably Cheveyo, who popped into the second book (Out of the Darkness). All I knew about the opening scene was that Zoe, the heroine, was being hunted by a man in Key West and she had no idea why. My synopsis said, "she escapes and somehow finds the Offspring/rest of the group." It's those vague ideas that drive me nuts because they're huge pieces to figure out. So while she's ducking around statues in a garden at night, this guy appears and shapeshifts into a panther and saves her. Then he takes her on his Harley to Baltimore where he brings her to the Offspring who are hiding there. Yet, no one is this group knows him. Petra, one of the Offspring who Cheveyo psychically summons to come to him, feels an intense connection to him. He brings Zoe to safety and disappears into the night. He left me with a lot of questions that were fun to answer, but very frustrating to poor Petra, who had to wait a couple of books to find out and get her happy ending (Beyond the Darkness).

TQ:  Describe Darkness Becomes Her (Offspring 6) in 140 characters or less.

Jaime:  Oh, no, shades of Twitter! LOL, that limit drives me nuts most of the time.

A man beyond redemption. A woman beyond hope. And a battle that will either kill them...or bring them back from the edge.

TQ:  Tell us something about Darkness Becomes Her that is not in the book description.

Jaime:  While Lachlan thinks his abilities are gone, because he was given an antidote, he acquires a bizarre and interesting new one. He feels the energy of someone else powering through him, giving his sword an edge of magick he needs to fight otherworldly beasties.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Darkness Becomes Her?

Jaime:  Probably the love scene, or I should say the first one, because it stretched the envelope for me. I set up a situation where Lachlan, though falling in love with Jessie because of her strength and courage, cannot let himself get involved with her sexually. His brother, who's in a coma, was attracted to her first, and Lachlan desperately needs to keep his honor and loyalty by not doing what every fiber of his body craves: making love to her. Mind you, Jessie didn't even kiss the brother, but Lachlan feels strongly about it. Needless to say, there's a lot of sexual tension and times when they nearly give in, and Lachlan finally comes up with a way that they can satiate their desires without compromising his honor.

TQ:  I know this might be hard to answer, but... who is your favorite character from the Offspring series?

Jaime:  Mm, that is hard! I love them all because they all hold qualities that speak to me. Since Lachlan is the freshest in my mind, and he does have a Scottish accent, I'll go with him.

TQ:  What's next?

Jaime:  I've got another Offspring novella due out in September, called TURN TO DARKNESS. I've enjoyed doing these two unrelated stories. It gave me a chance to explore a new group but in a shorter format. And after that will be Magnus's story, because he's left in quite the situation at the end of DARKNESS BECOMES HER. Not a cliffhanger exactly, but you'll want to know what's going to happen.

In the bigger picture, I've sold another series that throws me even more into paranormal, with The Hidden. Think Dragons and angel descendants and magick, a dark world hidden from the Mundane humans who live in Miami.

I'm celebrating the release of DARKNESS BECOMES HER with my Kick Butt First Line contest. Shocking, suspenseful…make us want more! Cash prizes! Contest runs until July 1, 2012. For aspiring authors, it's a chance to get your name out there and add a "win" to your bio. For readers, it's a chance to play at being a writer. Even if you're not inclined to write a line, check out the entries—they're a lot of fun! For details, go to www.JaimeRush.com and click on the Contest link.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Jaime:  Thank you for having me!


OFFSPRING

Darkness Becomes Her

Offspring 6
Avon, May 29, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Power Junkie: Lachlan McLeod spent wild years astrally projecting himself into other times and places. But he doesn't get out much anymore—not after the fatal mistake that cost him a precious loved one.

Pixie Fugitive: Jessie isn't having a bad day. She's having a bad lifetime. After the terrifying act of supernatural violence that destroyed her family, she's been on the run for years. But now her ruthless enemy is drawing closer . . . and her own powers have finally awakened.

They're two people who don't play well with others. But they're going to have to learn to, and quickly. Because they're the only two people in the world who can save each other—and their passion is the only thing that can save the world.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

The Darkness Within

Offspring Novella
(Spin-off featuring a
new group of Offspring)
Avon, March 27, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 176 pages

Tucker has always known he was different. But he's learned to control the Darkness within him, to keep his inner wolf at bay, as long as he doesn't fall in love. And that shouldn't be a problem because he hasn't seen his one true love since he was a teenager.

Del needs help, desperately. And the only person she can rely on happens to be the one man she knows she shouldn't seek out. Tucker's fierce protective instincts have scared her before, but she has to take the risk.

Now that they're reunited, the love they struggled so long to forget rushes back stronger than ever. The temptation to give in is high, but it could cost them everything. And when Tucker's wolf is unleashed, will they be able to save themselves?

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Beyond the Darkness

Offspring 5
Avon, November 29, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Cheveyo: a name that stirs Petra like no other, reviving deep feelings of pleasure . . . and pain. Despite her rare psychic gifts, the beautiful half-human Offspring doesn’t know why the magnificent shapeshifter walked out of her life when the bond they shared was powerful . . . and intensely passionate.

But Cheveyo is not gone. From the shadows, he watches over his beloved, determined that the malevolent enemies he hunts with fang and claw will not invade her world. But now, suddenly, the stakes are getting higher—as an insidious evil plots the destruction of Petra’s race. Cheveyo can remain hidden no longer from the lover who completes him but could destroy him . . . if his own inner darkness doesn’t destroy her first.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Burning Darkness

Offspring 4
Avon, January 25, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

A government-trained assassin, Fonda Raine has her sights locked on her latest target: Eric Aruda, one of the rogue Offspring—a pyrokenetic who can create fires with just a thought. But Fonda has awesome powers of her own—and her ability to astral project and be in two places at one time enables her to put herself exactly where she wants to be . . . in Eric's bed.

Eric is stunned and pleased by the inexplicable appearance of the mysterious enchantress, unaware that Fonda plans to seduce him, throw him off his guard, and then eliminate him. But the game changes radically with the arrival of an assassin from hell with orders to destroy them both. And suddenly Fonda and Eric have only two choices: to join forces or go down in flames.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Touching Darkness

Offspring 3
Avon, May 27, 2010
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Nicholas Braden has an uncanny psychic talent for finding things—which is why he's been recruited for a covert government program designed to hunt down terrorists. While his work for a shady controller named Darkwell is leading him down some very questionable alleyways, it's also bringing him closer to Olivia, Darkwell's stunning young assistant. A "good girl" with a wild, secret side, Olivia tempts Nicholas in ways he never believed possible—and in his business, a loss of control could prove fatal.

But there is something not right about the operation. And as Nicholas and Olivia's passion reaches a white-hot intensity, chilling reversals of good and evil, of right and wrong, suddenly threaten their very survival.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Bitten by Cupid

"Kiss and Kill Cupid"
(Offspring story unrelated
to the series arc)
Avon, January 12, 2010
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Vampire Valentine by Lynsay Sands

Mirabeau LaRouche knew she had a job to do, but she never expected her assignment to take her through New York City's dark, dank underground-in her bridesmaid gown, no less! And when her partner turns out to be mortal private investigator Tiny McGraw, Mireabeau knows it's no ordinary Cupid's arrow that has struck her heart this Valentine's Day.

Hearts Untamed by Pamela Palmer

Ten years ago Zeeland left D.C. to join the Therian Guard, needing to put some distance between himself and the still-too-young Julianne. Now he's returned, in the midst of a Valentine's celebration to find Julianne more beautiful than ever, still angry at him for leaving, and up to her lovely eyebrows in an intrigue that threatens both of their immortal lives.

Kiss and Kill Cupid by Jamie Rush

Kat Morgan has no use for Valentine's Day, since hearing other people's thoughts puts a real damper on any kind of intimate relationship. When she overhears the Killer Cupid serial killer targeting her for his Valentine's Day murder, Kat is terrified. But is Adrian, the one man whose thoughts she can't hear, her savior, or killer?

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Out of the Darkness

Offspring 2
Avon, September 29, 2009
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Rand Brandenburg can see the future, yet thus far all he has done with his unique ability is become a skillful gambler. But according to the Offspring, his power has made him a target and could get him killed. So the loner used to living on the edge is now hiding out with others just like him, including Zoe Stoker, a mysterious redhead who has his heart soaring.

But that's not the only thing Zoe's got flying. All her life, whenever she felt anything too intensely, objects would start moving. She's never been able to control her power, so instead she's shut down her emotions. Now, as a powerful enemy approaches, she's losing control of her heart. But letting love lead her out of the darkness might save her life . . .

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

A Perfect Darkness

Offspring 1
Avon, January 27, 2009
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

A sexy stranger awakens Amy Shane in the dead of night. Lucas Vanderwyck barely has time to whisper a few words before three men burst into her bedroom and drag him away. But what Lucas reveals shatters Amy's safe little world forever.

Lucas and Amy share a psychic gift—a gift that could put them in mortal danger. And as they share night after night of savage passion, as a shadowy government conspiracy tracks their every move, they will fight to save each other. But only with their powers of second sight can they escape the terror of a perfect darkness.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Jaime

Missing the romance and action of her favorite television shows, X-Files, Roswell, and Highlander, New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush created her own mix in the Offspring series, from Avon Books. The Offspring: Sexy…dangerous…outcasts. They possess extraordinary abilities, and together they must find the truth and fight an enemy out to destroy them.

Jaime Rush is also bestselling Tina Wainscott, author of eighteen novels for St. Martin's Press (now being re-released as e-books) and Harlequin. Contests, sneak peeks and more at www.jaimerush.com.

Author Website
GoodReads
Facebook
Twitter
Jaime at HarperCollins

THE GIVEAWAY

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Darkness Becomes Her (Offspring 6) from the publisher! US ONLY

How:  Comment or answer Jaimie's question:

If you could ask an author any question, what would it be?

Please remember - if you don't comment or 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.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook and Twitter. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Sunday, June 10, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*