5 Questions with Debut Author Donna Shields!

Hi, there, everyone! Time for another installment of my "5 Questions With..." blogterview series! Please help me welcome debut author Donna Shields to the blog. Donna's first published novel, The Swan Cove Murders, officiall released on November 9.

I've known Donna for a few years now, and her stuff is absolutely fabulous...so read on to learn a little more about her, the book and her writing process.

Kristina: Do you have (or do you aspire to have!) a writing process?

Donna: LOL, not really. Some days I write by the seat of my pants and other days I want to plot and it actually works! When I’m done with the first rough draft, then I send it off to my critique partners to chop apart.

Kristina: When the writing gets tough, where do you get going?

Donna: Either I shove my nose in a book to go far far away or go for a drive. It’s funny how a drive will produce all kinds of ideas. Like I’m too busy concentrating on the road and ideas pop up.

Kristina: What are you listening to right now and does your listening choice influence your writing?

Donna: Right now, I'm not listening to anything. But, usually it's country and it has a huge impact on my writing. Especially in a scene where my hero and heroine want to tear each other apart or when they are ready to make up. Country songs tell some significant stories that I can relate to my writing.
Kristina: Coffee, tea, soda, hot cocoa w/ extra marshmallows – what's your beverage of choice?

Donna: The angel side of me loves coffee. The devil side is all about a rum and coke!

Kristina: Tell us one interesting thing about this book or its characters that didn't make in 'between the covers'?

Donna: Nicholas and Lena’s bickering back and forth at the beginning of the story is much milder now than in my rough draft. Nicholas kept calling her psychotic instead of psychic in various different ways. But my critting partners were right. He was coming off as a total donkey's butt.

And, release info: Include book blurb/excerpt, author bio, release dates and where we can buy:

Blurb:

As if the violent murder of Lena Dixon's fiancé hadn't been bad enough, now his brother, Nicholas Hunter, is court ordered to live with her for the next thirty days. And to top it off, the murderer's ghost is asserting his innocence and refuses to leave until Lena and Nicholas prove it.


The skeptic in Nicholas believes Lena has lost her mind until he witnesses some unexplainable events and is forced to believe in her psychic abilities and his heart’s desire.


As their sexual chemistry heats up, so do their guilt levels. Can they make their newfound relationship work, or will it be too late when the real killer comes calling for her?

Excerpt:

The door slowly opened, and she slid through the slim opening. The purple smudges under her beautiful hazel eyes spoke volumes to him, crushing his heart. Be strong.

“What do you want? The sheriff already delivered the papers.” The glare radiating from her hazel eyes spoke of wanting to set him on fire, burning him alive. She’d been crying.

“I know.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you also know Earl left me the house.”

“A small technicality which will be fixed the day after tomorrow in court.”

She sighed. “Then what do you want today of all days?”

“I would like to get into my attic.” When she didn’t answer, he smiled. “Please.”

Suspicion crept into the fiery gaze. “Why should I let you?”

“I have a key. I can come and go anytime I please.” Vixen. “I thought I’d be nice and ask, before forcing my way in.”

“You certainly aren’t winning me over.”

He put his hands together as if in prayer. “Please. I just need the trunk.” His and Earl’s trunk. After the funeral, Lena had insisted Nicholas take the treasure trove with him, but the memories inside had been too much to handle at the time.

Her swollen eyes softened a little. “Well...” She pushed open the door and waved him in.

He made his way through the foyer, pausing when he spotted the family photos hanging on the wall. “I see you haven’t changed anything.” He hadn’t been inside the house since Earl’s death.

“Why would I?”

His eyes caught the flower arrangement on the side table near the staircase along with the card sticking up in the middle. “Secret admirer?”

Her face flushed. “How about none of your business? Do you want time with the trunk or what?”

Bio: Donna Shields grew up on romance and scary stories. With her love for suspense and the slightly unusual, she enjoys tying these elements together to create stories full of love, danger, and the paranormal.

She lives in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina with her husband, her children, and some great haunts. She's a mom, a 'gramma', a wife, a friend, an avid reader and writer. When she’s not occupied with all that, she loves traveling to Playa del Carmen and Jamaica.

The Swan Cover Murders releases November 9, 2011 from DonnaShields.com