Welcome to Dakota Cassidy's guest blog

Welcome Ms. Dakota Cassidy to Love Romances and More, thank you for joining us.

Thanks for having me!

Did you always want to become a writer?

Nope. I wanted to move to Hollywood and sing duets with Barry Manilow. LOL. I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I was one.


What is the most, and the least interesting fact about writing?

The most interesting has to be that you can come from anywhere, not have any particular type of degree or schooling and still write a story and get yourself published.

The least interesting fact is probably that I’m not very interesting. LOL

How did you celebrate your first release? What was it like to see your book in a bookstore? Do you have a special ritual for celebrating a book release?

Well, that was back in 2007 with The Accidental Werewolf and I was so crazy nervous, I spent more tie contemplating yarking my lunch up in the bathroom than celebrating. Though, I had an awesome book launch party with all my BFF’s and some fab fans who flew in specifically to attend.

Actually seeing the book in the store made me sob like a two year old who’d had his Gummi Bear privileges revoked. It was scary and awesome all at the same time. And I don’t have a particular ritual, no. I just pray. A. Lot.


How did your family react to fact that you write romance novels? Have your family read your book?

My mom’s read them, my sons, not so much. They’re totally not interested in any kind of romance. And I have to say, everyone was very supportive of my crazy hours and off-balance work schedule. Good thing, or I’d have to fire them and hunt for a new family


Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?

OMG—NINA BANGS. She was a huge influence on me because she’s got some pretty whacky, fun concepts. But I love all sorts of authors—Karen Rose, Dean Koontz, Mark Henry, Louisa Edwards, Stephen King, Michele Bardsley—to name a few.

Do you feel each of your characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over a part of your life? Can you name an example? Do you have living role models for your characters?

Uh, no. I have too many darned people living with me as it is. More people would just mess stuff up. LOLLOL. My characters are creations from my crazy brain, but I don’t have conversations with them or set a place at the table for them. They definitely have conversations in my head, but not with me. I’m just thinking up dialogue.

Your release calendar is really full, which I love as a fan of your books, do you have a problem with deadlines and have you ever suffered a writers block?

There will be NO writer’s block. None! LOL. It’s a job. I treat it as such. I have slower word count days than others, but I refuse to give in. And thus far, knock on some form of wood, I haven’t missed a single deadline. Now that said, look out for Rapture

Do you prefer stand-alone books or series (As a reader or a writer) ?

Oh, I love them both. I love a series because you have a chance to get to know secondary characters, and I love stand alone’s because sometimes, once really is enough

If you could change places with one character from your book, who would it be and why?

Oh, it’d for sure be Nina from Accidentally Dead. She’s a horrible potty mouth, but she says what she thinks out loud, no matter what. I’d have a field day

What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

I can’t choose! They’re all like kids to me—unique and special in their own ways.

Would you like to give another genre a try?

I would. In fact, I am. I’m hitting contemporaries hardcore come December 2010 with Suck It Up, Princess! It’s a three book series based on ex-trophy wives and their readjustment to the world of coupon clipping and Wal-Mart.

Which book was the hardest to write and which the easiest?

The easiest by far was Accidentally Dead. I had a plan and I knew where I was going. Hardest was my July release, My Way To Hell because it involves a little boy—and I can’t tell you what that means.

If you could choose of your books for a movie, which one would it be and who would you as the cast?

Probably the one I’m working on now, Suck It Up, Princess. I’d totally love Sandra Bullock to play Maxine—she’s just nutty enough to pull it off. The hero would have to be John Cusack. He’s enough snarky to handle Maxine’s nuttiness, but he’s also got that goof factor about him—which I LOVE in a man.


Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

I do and it has to be music without words or I sing along. I do a lot of classical, movie scores and Kenny G.


Big congrats to your latest release Kiss and Hell, can you please tell us something about the book?

Thank you! Kiss and Hell’s about a medium named Delaney Markham who owns an herb store (and lives with six dogs) and when times are tough, does the occasional séance for cash—because she really can talk to the dead. During a séance, Clyde Atwell, a demon, shows up and informs her he’s supposed to bring her to Satan. But not everything’s what it appears, and do-gooder Delaney falls in love with demon Clyde. Then they typical mayhem and madness occurs.


Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about these projects?

As of this moment I’m working on my contemporary series. The first is Suck It Up, Princess and it’s about a woman in her forties who’s left with no money, a son to support, not a job skill in sight other than arranging canapés on a platter, and ends up living with her mother in a senior citizens retirement village. Again, more mayhem and madness while Maxine learns to suck it up.

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