Welcome author Belinda McBride today to my Reading Nook Blog. She has a whopping FIVE releases coming and I figureed since i had her in the hot seat, I can ask her those hard hitting questions I was dying to ask. So without further adieu, welcome Belinda to my web.....err.....my blog....
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
Boy, I actually have 5 various releases within a one month period of time! But I’ll talk about Blacque/Bleu first. It’s a story I did for Loose Id’s Coming Out celebration this year. B/B is a paranormal romance about a closeted werewolf who falls for a dying vampire. I wrote it because I wanted to put the topic of ‘coming out’ in a paranormal context as well as exploring it on other levels than the obvious one of sexuality. That book is available at Loose Id.
On November 5, Last Call Europe: Black Wolf releases at Changeling Press. This one is also a m/m paranormal. Jasper O’ Shea is a Siberian shifter who ends up in an ill-advised one night stand with Brutal Ballantine, a black wolf shifter from America. Brutal is a detective on the trail of a viscous serial killer, Jasper is a private investigator looking into the same series of killings for his boss, who just happens to be the demon Jedidiah Wormwood Worth from Last Call Europe: Devil’s Advocate. It’s a fun romp of a book.
What are you working on now? Anything you want to tell us about?
I’ve got ‘The Bandit Queen’ open on my desktop right now. It’s the follow-up to ‘Belle Starr’ and tells the story of Cali Polis. I’ve been wrestling with the story for awhile, because Cali is a hermaphrodite and I didn’t want to overstep any bounds, but finally just decided to let Cali be herself. Once I came to the point, the story really began to spark!
I’m also drafting a story for the follow-up anthology to Doms of Dark Haven. It will feature my very popular Truckee Wolves! Can’t say much more than that at the moment.
If one of your books were to be made into a movie, which book would you choose and who do you see playing your characters and why?
I always have trouble answering questions like this because I don’t watch TV or many movies, so I don’t really know many current actors out there. I have a few favorites though…
Belle Starr would make a rockin’ action flick. I’d cast Suzie Plakson as Belle, she’s got the sheer physical presence and beauty that I visualize Belle as having, plus a certain quirkiness in her personality.
Armand is more difficult, because he’s a quiet, whimsical person, with a lot of restrained power. I’d have to say either Viggo Mortensen or Alex Skarsgaard. I can see Angelina Jolie as Cali Polis, she could maintain her dignity while doing some major ass-kicking. She’s beautiful but has the male energy that I’d expect of Cali. Thorn Greywolf? He’s another difficult one. Johnny Depp has that combination of maturity and ageless beauty that I see in Thorn. He can also play deep and quiet characters. A young A Martinez would also have that simmering quality I’d like to see in Thorn.
What are your favorite pizza toppings?
My standby is always pepperoni and pineapple. I’ll concede to health and have Canadian bacon, and lately I’ve really been liking BBQ chicken pizza.
Which do you prefer: Mac or PC?
I’ve only worked on a PC, and that’s largely because I have a Dell account. I’ve heard good things about the Mac, but for the cost…I can get two PCs that will last 3 years or more. So from a business standpoint, my dollars are better spent on my PC.
What’s the first thing you did when you received word you’d sold a book?
I think I hyperventilated! LOL! Then I went to donate blood, since I had an appointment
What do you read and why, especially if it's different from what you write?
It varies…I just came off a Regency kick. One of my early favorites was Georgette Heyer so I guess regency is my happy place, though I’ve never written historical. I try to read out of my genre as much as possible, so I’ll pick up mysteries or contemporary. Readers seem to be liking the D/s in my werewolf stories, so I try out various BDSM romance authors. I have to great love for certain genres, but try to try them out because good writing stands out regardless of the genre.
Which of your covers is your favorite?
Wow…that’s a tough one! I have several that I love…the Siberian Husky cover is great, as is the cover of Devil’s Advocate. But the one that stays on my wallpaper is the cover to An Uncommon Whore. I love the yaoi flavor of the art and PL Nunn just nailed the appearance of the characters.
How do you world build?
First, lots of daydreaming. I start writing, let myself go and keep a table open for entering details. I tend to start with the big stuff…governments and communities, planetary systems if its sci fi. I generally base a society off an Earth culture. An Uncommon Whore was rooted in a fusion of fanciful Greek cultures. In Belle Starr, I rooted Belle and the AmWere in the American West.
I make rules; all the werewolves in my Loose Id books have a common mythos. This reduces confusion on my part and cues the reader in to what to expect. So while the Truckee Wolves exist in the 21st century, they have similar traits to the futuristic AmWere in the Coalition universe. They are the distant ancestors of Armand’s people.
Tell me about some of your heroes and heroines:
Goodness…there are so many! Let’s touch on some of my favorites…
Helios Dayspring : An Uncommon Whore – Helios came about from a sex change…LOL! Well, he was supposed to be a ‘princess in peril’ character with Griffin Hawke as her hero, and as I wrote, the story was just wrong. When something like that happens, you know it’s a problem with the very nature of the book or character, so I flipped the character’s gender to see if that fixed the problem. Once Helios became a man, he just flew! Such a voice.
Belle Oakley: Belle Starr – Well, Belle is another character that just wrote her own story. I sat down with a vague idea…a larger than life heroine who could kick ass without chipping her manicure! LOL! From there, she had to be scaled back a bit, Belle was originally a bit abrasive and unlikable. Once I gave her some backstory, her vulnerabilities balanced her out. For example, she’s an alcoholic, though that never enters the story. She’s tall and magnificent, but is very insecure about her appearance. She’s been a bit promiscuous in the past, but once Armand entered the picture, she’s committed to her man. However, the occasional addition of Thorn to their bed has her a bit unbalanced. She’s not sure whether to feel guilty that she enjoys him so much, or to simply accept what he offers.
Dane Blacque: Blacque/Bleu – Dane is the father of the protagonist Lukas Blacque. I’ve had a few people who have had issues with Dane because he is so manipulative of his son, and for the fact that he’s so promiscuous. Dane is one of the most loaded characters that’s ever come across my page. Dane is full of contradiction: he’s an alpha who cares for his pack, yet can be callous of their feelings. He loves his children…all 18 or 20 of them…LOL! Yet he doesn’t hesitate to manipulate them to get what he wants. Dane made a catastrophic mistake in his past and pays for it every day of his life. He will get his own book soon.
Diego Lobos: Dos Lunas, the Lucky in Red anthology (coming in November) Diego isn’t your average hero. He’s a beta werewolf and a middle son. Diego is the wild brother, always in trouble and good for a laugh. Diego has a penchant for women who bully him to the point of abuse. His secret is that he’s a sexual submissive and gets the dominance he craves from his bitchy girlfriends. Diego has some self-esteem issues, and in all, is one of most delightful and charismatic characters I’ve written.
Annie Tanaka: Dragon’s Blood, the Black Planet collection: Annie flew under the radar for a lot of people. She’s a quiet character, a Japanese-American woman who was trained by a Chinese kung-fu master. Annie was so rewarding because she had such fears and such strengths. She’s mortally terrified of water, yet crosses the San Francisco Bay daily to go to her job with the Oakland PD. She’s serene and passionate. I’d love to be her. J
Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?
I do use a pen name. Belinda is my real name, but when that first contract came, I decided not to use my surname for two reasons. It’s dull, and it’s not mine, it’s my ex-husband’s. So I quickly cast around for a name that kinda clicked with my first name and also had some meaning to me. There was an educator in my area who just walked her own path through the corruption and hypocrisy of local government, and I really respect her, so I ‘borrowed’ her last name.
Where can readers find you on the ‘net for more information on you, your books and other fun stuff?
Last Call Europe: Black Wolf
Belinda McBride
The chase is on, but who is the hunter, and who is the prey?
Siberians live for the thrill of the chase; wolves exist for the joy of the capture. On a foolish dare, Jasper O’ Shea takes a gamble at Last Call, letting fate choose his lover for the night.
Detective Brutus “Brutal” Ballantine came to Last Call looking for something far different than a sly clever Siberian Husky. Yet when the call comes over the sound system, he finds himself unable to resist the lure of laughing blue eyes and a happy tail.
M/M, Paranormal, shapeshifter, BDSM
Adult Excerpt:
Without warning, Brutal came down on top of him, pinning him to the floor with his bulk, and as hard as he struggled, Jasper was unable to escape. They lay like that for a moment, catching their breath and waiting for their hearts to slow their pace. Wicked teeth dug into Jasper’s nape, holding him in position.
Jasper groaned. Not in animal form! God only knew how it would feel if the wolf knotted him! He relaxed and let himself shift back to human, feeling the soft pile of the carpet under his belly. The wolf was pressed full length over his body, holding him in place.
“Okay… I submit!”
Jasper felt a shimmer of power, and then a very large, very aroused man took the place of the wolf. His body responded, his ass clenching even as his prick grew painfully hard. The carpet suddenly didn’t feel so good against his skin.
Brutal began to rock against him, pressing his erection into the hard muscle of Jasper’s thigh.
“You sure? I was just getting warmed up.” His voice was a growling rumble in Jasper’s ear. He rose to his knees, jerking Jasper’s ass into the air. “You want it dark and dirty, and I’m more than happy to comply, Red.”
“Jasper. The name’s Jasper.” He gasped. “And I’d appreciate lube if you’re planning on shoving that monster up me arse!”
Brutal began laughing, and let Jasper loose. He crawled away and turned, plopping down on his bottom. He grinned at the big man. “Gave you a good run, didn’t I?” He scooted back as Brutal began moving in his direction, still on hands and knees.
“Shut up.”
Hard lips came down on his, a rough tongue forced its way into Jasper’s mouth, and he gasped, trapped and unable to retreat any further. He had the wall at his back and a man the size of a wall to his front. He struggled briefly, and then submitted to the rough embrace, letting the wolf take out all his sexual frustration in the kiss.
Their teeth clicked, and Jasper ran his tongue over the wicked canines that hadn’t yet receded completely. When he tried to move, Ballantine’s hand tangled in his hair, holding his head in place.
Suddenly Ballantine had moved away. He was on his feet, reaching down to drag Jasper upright, hauling him bodily toward the bare, simple bed. Jasper was tossed through the air and landed on his back, his breath gusting out on impact. The beast followed, crawling across the mattress until he covered Jasper, pinning him in place.
“I win.” He grinned at Jasper.
“This round, perhaps.”
“It’s the moment that counts.” He continued up Jasper’s body until that flushed, rigid pole of his was hovering just over his lips. Jasper cocked a brow, looking up at the man who had him pinned in place.
“Suck.”
“Oh, such a romantic.”
He saw Brutal’s lips twitch in a smile. “You’ve been asking for it all night. It’s time to take what you asked for, Rover. Now suck.”
The head bumped against his lips and Jasper tilted his jaw back until it was sliding down under his chin. He turned his head, and it was wrenched back when a big hand anchored itself in his hair.
“Oh, fine. Just fine…” He opened his mouth, letting the tip of his tongue drag up the heavily veined underside of Brutal’s shaft. He turned his head slightly.
“This would be a bit easier if you’d get your knees off my arms.”
“Shut up.”
Jasper rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, swallowing down the engorged flesh as Brutal pushed in ruthlessly. He sucked hard enough to strip the chrome from a trailer hitch, watching as Brutal’s face went dark with shock and pleasure. Bastard wanted to get sucked off? Well, Jasper knew a thing or two about blowing a man.
