Day #9 Birthday Bash with Caridad Pineiro

Welcome to Day #9 of JoJo's Birthday Bash!! Today we have the pleasure of visiting and getting to know Caridad Pineiro Author of Sins of the Flesh, and upcoming release Stronger than Sin. So help me welcome Caridad!!!!

CARIDAD PINEIRO

~How do you think romace has changed in the last 30 years? I’m very happy to see how much the romance genre has grown in the last thirty years. In addition to so much greater variety, we are seeing heroines who are dealing with real life issues and who still get their happily-ever-afters. For readers facing the same dilemmas, it’s very uplifting to believe that such happiness is possible.


~What type of romace do you prefer to read? I read a lot of what I write, namely, romantic suspense, paranormals and a blend of the two. My favorite is the IN DEATH series by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts.

~What are your favorite types of Heros & / or heroines? I love military/ex-military men as heroes and as for women, kick-butt kinds of heroines who still remain feminine.

~Can you tell us a little about yourself? I am a wife, mother and attorney when I am not busy being a writer. I started off writing contemporary romances, but realized that I needed a place to vent my dark side and started writing paranormals and romantic suspense. My 25th book, STRONGER THAN SIN – a paranormal romance, comes out in November 2010.

~Fav color – Red.

~Fav Scent – Paris by Yves St. Laurent.

~Fav Flavor – Chocolate and strawberries

~Fav shampoo – Any of the Dove shampoos. They are really great!

~Fav movies – Underworld 1 & 2, Conspiracy Theory, King Arthur, The Replacements, Chocolat, A Walk in the Clouds, Gone with the Wind, Bend it Like Beckham

~Can you tell us about your favorite / strangest fan letter? I had two letters that really moved me. The first was from a young lady in Yemen who wrote to say how my books transported her to worlds that she could not visit. The second was from someone with an illness and said that they were able to identify with a heroine with similar issues and that I had treated the matter of the illness in a good way. It makes me feel as if I am doing something good for the world if my writing is able to connect with people in that fashion.

~What are some of your favorite Hero / Heroine names? Favorites are Diana, Ryder, Caterina, Mick, Liliana, Jesse from my characters. From the books/movies, Selena, Eve, Roarke (LOL!)

~Do you read any reviews on your books? I do read reviews. Whether good or bad, I take a moment to see how people reacted to the book so that I can either repeat that for the future or make changes when I think the reviewers are spot on about where the book needed improvement.

~Do you read your own books after they make it to final print? Not right away. I sometimes will read one a couple of years later when I have some fresh perspective. That helps me see what I am doing wrong or right.

~ How did you get into writing? I wrote my first book in the fifth grade when the teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. I’ve been hooked ever since!

~Is writing your full time job? Unfortunately writing is not my full time job. I still am a full-time lawyer in Manhattan.

~Whats a typical writing day for you like? I typically write on the commute to and from work. Then I also devote about 3 to 4 hours on the weekend mornings to do yet more writing. During “down time” I work on my website, blogs, etc.

~Do you set a daily writing goal? I set a weekly goal, but not a daily one. Sometimes too many things get in the way and it’s never good to get upset about not meeting the requirements for that one day.

~When and where do you like to write? I like to write on my couch with my favorite blanket over me, even in the summer. But my absolute favorite place to write is on my balcony during the summer when I can feel the sea breeze and smell the ocean from a few blocks away.

~Are there any processes you use when writing? Do you keep journals, sticky notes, chicken scratch on the back of receipts? I usually visualize a scene in my head before I write it. If I don’t like what’s happening, I can replay it in my head until it’s write. Then I sit down and put that scene into my computer.

~Do you prefer to write on a computer, typewriter, or paper and pen? My handwriting is awful. I do everything on a computer.

~What is the hardest / easiest part of writing for you? The hardest part is not having enough time to write more. I would love to do more stories, but can’t because of the fact that I’m still working.

~Whats the best thing about being an author? The best part of being an author is getting to meet so many nice people! I love getting to know new people and the writing makes that possible.

~Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Don’t give up and Don’t give up your day job. If you do the first you will never realize your dreams and if you do the second, you may find yourself agonizing over paying the bills rather than devoting time to your story.　

~How man books / series have you written? STRONGER THAN SIN is my 25th novel/novella and the second book in the SINS series. I’m happy to say that there will be at least two more books in that series in 2011! The new books in the SINS series will introduce an ancient race that has amazing powers as a result of being able to absorb life energies. I also write THE CALLING Vampire novels. I’ve delivered two more books in that series and am waiting to hear from my editors as to the publication dates for the novels. In addition, I’ve got two Aztec-themed stories coming out from Carina Press in 2010 and 2011. One is a novella about a vampire Aztec demi-goddess and the second is a romantic suspense which involves terrorists, a broken mother-daughter relationship, a sexy CIA agent and an ancient relic with mystical powers.

~Is there a Genre you have always wanted to write in but for reasons you have not been able to? I’ve always wanted to write a young adult book, but have not been able to find the time to do that.

~What are 3 things that are “must haves” for you when you sit down to write? Three must haves are coffee, my laptop and a comfy chair/sofa.

~Do you have a webiste or blog that your readers can keep up with you and your books? You can visit me at www.caridad.com and I love to hear from readers and answer each and every e-mail!

Quickies

Pizza or burger
 - Pizza

Dress or jeans
- jeans

Highlander or vampire
- vampire

Fire or water
 - water

Up or down
- up

Black &white or color
- red

Half full or half empty
- half fill

Day or night
- day

Star trek or star wars
– star trek

Sword or gun
– that’s a draw!

Eyes or mouth
- eyes

Strawberry or cherry
– strawberry

Old or new
- old

High or low
– low (I’m afraid of heights!) Me TOOO *cringes*

Shower or bath
- shower

Paperback or hardback
-paperback

Desktop or laptop
- laptop

Coke or pepsi
- pepsi

Winter or summer
- summer

Dog or cat
- cat

Movie theatre or movies at home
– Either. I love movies.
 
Check out Caridad Here:
 
Website:
http://www.caridadpineiro.com/
 

Thank you so much for being here with us today Caridad

and for helping me Celebrate my 30th Birthday!!

And now a total SQUEEEEEEE moment!

Caridad is giving all commentors the chance for 1 lucky person to win an

ARC of STRONGER THAN SIN

and a copy of SINS OF THE FLESH

PLUS a t-shirt!!!!

Have you read anything by Caridad? If so what did you read, and what are your thoughts?

If not which books would you like to try?

Only Rules:

MUST leave a comment (please feel free to ask Caridad any questions)

 and please include

an e-mail address so the winner can be contacted)

*Open US  ONLY / Ends June 18th*