Midnight Brew presents Jacquelyn Frank

This native New Yorker and cat lover just moved to North Carolina. She's a literacy and animals advocate and supports various causes. She worked as an ASL interpreter but had to quit due to health issues conflicting with the work. Besides that she has also done a few other things like substitute teaching, health aide, among others, but she wanted to be an author since she was barely into puberty. A dream that came true with the release of The Nightwalkers: Jacob, the first of a wonderful paranormal romance series. The second installment, Gideon, leapt onto the New York Times and the USA Today. The Café has the pleasure to present paranormal romance author, Jacquelyn Frank MMC: Welcome to the Midnight Moon Café, Jacquelyn. When did you first become interested in writing paranormal romances? Jacquelyn: Hmm. I would have to say after I read my first Christine Feehan book. I had always loved the paranormal and fantasy, but I also loved romance more for writing. It wasn’t until I saw CF doing it and being wildly successful at it that I realized I could combine my most passionate loves together. I could do anything and make it work. Now it has become the hottest genre in the market and stretches the bounds of romantic fiction every single day. MMC: What is your writing schedule like? Jacquelyn: Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Whole lotta nothing. Then 2 furious weeks and I pop out a story. It’s all about mood, focus, and inspiring ideas. MMC: Let's talk a little about world-building in the Nightwalkers Series. How did you come up with your backstory for this series? And how does that setting affect your main characters? Jacquelyn: While I often say I dreamed the opening scene of Jacob and other stories, I didn’t luck out with the mythology of the Demons and other Nightwalkers. I am a pantser...writing by the seat of my pants…so I can only tell you I wanted to be different and exotic, while also familiar. That I did one step at a time, one idea puzzled out at a time. Really it unfolded itself, and rather quickly at that. MMC: For those who are new to this series, can you tell us a bit about Jacob, Gideon, and Elijah. Jacquelyn: Jacob, Gideon and Elijah are Demons, part of the core function and government of the Demon race. Unlike human expectation, Demons are not evil or minions of hell…instead they are elementals. When we start the series the Demon race is suffering from an affliction they call Moon Madness. The full moon of every Beltane and Samhain drives even the most moral Demons to a point of lust that is indiscriminate, putting other races in danger from the savagery of their uncontrolled passions. The series follows not only the search for the cure to this madness for each individual male’s story, but it crosses into other Nightwalker cultures and cracks ancient foundations and boundaries until the entire Nightwalker world is reeling from the impact. MMC: What was the inspiration for your books? Jacquelyn: A dream started it all. A few more kept me going. I will dream a scene so vividly that I am obsessed with creating the story to go with it. MMC: Damien is the fourth book in this series, and it's coming out now in June. How does this story continue your series? Jacquelyn: Damien breaks further taboos between the races, but this time the risks go beyond just purist prejudices. The price of love is sometimes higher than anyone should be willing to pay…or is it? MMC: What challenges have you faced in the process of writing Damien? Jacquelyn: The only one was writing the historical scene in the beginning of the book. I was really nervous about historical accuracy. At the last minute I found a mistake, too. I just hope that was the last one!! MMC: What attracts you about the paranormal characters you write about? Jacquelyn: I love the otherworldly feel of these races. I especially enjoy being able to turn things upside down and make up all my own rules. Now that I am more experienced and confident with my writing, I am really relishing that ability with the upcoming series “The Shadowdwellers”. MMC: From all your books, who is your sexiest hero to date and why? Jacquelyn: Published? Noah. It’s really difficult to choose, but Noah has a certain power and control to him, an extraordinary moral compass, that covers up a truly volatile nature. It’s hot and dangerously sexy. MMC: Let's say you've just landed a movie deal, and you get to pick the actor who'll play the hero from one of your books. Who would you pick and why? Jacquelyn: Everyone knows I am obsessed with choosing David Boreanaz for Noah, but as it turns out the only serious actor I am certain could play one of my guys is Hugh Jackman. I see him as Jacob, the Enforcer, lean, athletic and a powerful, commanding presence that would strike fear in the belly of a transgressor. MMC: For those not familiar with your work, which book would you recommend to read first and why? Jacquelyn: Jacob. Start from the very beginning. Sure, you can pick any one of them up and not be lost at all, but it spoils the twists, turns and progress of the story arc in many ways if you work backward. MMC: Noah, the fifth installment in the Nightwalker series, is coming out in September. How about giving us a sneak peek to whet our curiosity? Jacquelyn: Noah will be finding his true mate, but there’s a bit of a twist if you think it’s going to be standard fare. Noah’s story poses the idea that, like any group of people, there are ideal and not so ideal members. It stands to reason that not every Demon mate is going to be the model of morality. MMC: Now to the fun questions. What's something that your readers may not know about you? Jacquelyn: I’ll take the company of a cat over that of a man any day of the week. MMC: Do you have a favorite food/beverage/music do you always have on hand while you're writing? Jacquelyn: Ben and Jerry’s Pistachio Pistachio Ice Cream. I must have my IPOD on hand at all times. Buffy TVS soundtracks. Delerium. Enigma. Balligomingo. Many more. MMC: When not writing, how do you relax? Jacquelyn: Pogo! And other games. I am a tech freak. I love games, tech toys, anything and everything in the latest technology toys. MMC: Do you have any obsessions? Collections? Jacquelyn: I collect books. I haven’t read hardly a thing in three years (I used to be voracious before I published) but I continue to gather books by all the latest and greatest in historical and paranormal romance. I hope to catch up one day!! MMC: Do you have a newsletter, blog, or website where fans can read about you and your books? Jacquelyn: My website is http://www.jacquelynfrank.com/. My blog is: http://jacquelynfrank.blogspot.com/ Just follow the Bravenet instructions on the bottom and you will get all my notices for blog posts. I keep it pretty updated. I am also famous for my brutal contests. --- Contest Time! Jacquelyn Frank will be giving away a copy of Damien (her latest release) and Noah, her September 2008 upcoming release. That's right! The winner will have both "signed sealed and delivered!" (Can you say sweeeet?!) All you have to do to participate is leave a comment or question here. A winner will be chosen among those who post. But hurry! This contest ends today at midnight!