Welcome romance author Amy Ruttan!

I'm so excited to have romance author Amy Ruttan on the blog today. In honor of her latest release, Enemy Enchantress - check out that gorgeous cover! - she was kind enough to answer a few of my burning questions. So sit back and enjoy...and when you're done reading the interview, head on over to Eternal Press to pick up Enemy Enchantress! It's available HERE.

First, the blurb and a delicious excerpt!

As she tries to hide her true self from the gentle warrior, death stalks her. The perpetrator behind a series of attacks wants more than to destroy the precarious peace—they want her powers.

To save her people, she must reveal herself and risk his love or leave him to face the challenge—alone.
 

Enemy Enchantress excerpt:

He couldn’t believe what had just happened. His little Mid Dividian wife was a fireball in bed. She had taken him. He had never been taken by a woman before, and male pride dictated that he should be offended, that he should have been the one to ride her. At this moment, though, he didn’t care. That was the most satisfying mating he had ever experienced, and he looked forward to the next time.

Maybe there was a benefit to being married to a pagan. He felt the skin of her forehead pressed against his chest. He felt her lips, her hot breath against his skin as she panted. He pulled off his mask and tossed it away to look down at his wife.

His heart skipped a beat as he really looked at the red golden hair hanging over her shoulders. The enchantress rose before him in his mind; she had had red golden curls.

“Aislinn,” he said, breathing heavily, “let me see your face.”

1) You write in several different genres. Which is your favorite to write?

I think my favorite to write is still historical. It is my first love, and I enjoy writing about different times. I like to take a heroine and hero who stand up to the oppositions which stand in there way during their time period. I especially like when I can add a bit of paranormal to my historical making it all the more fun.

2) What was your inspiration for Enemy Enchantress?

I was sitting alone on my first maternity leave and entrance by Lord of the Rings. The story just began to unfold there, but life gets in the way and I put a hold on the story until after my second child was born. I entered it in a contest and finalled, then I knew I had to finish it and go after my dreams. Again, Enemy Enchantress was put on hiatus, then it found a home and the doors shut … which happens. Finally it’s found another home and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

3) There are lots of "shoulds" and "have tos" in this business. What one piece of advice would you advise an unpublished author NOT to follow?

Don’t lose track of your own voice. Getting critiques and read throughs by other authors are insanely valuable, especially if you form a good partnership with a critique partner, but remember reading is subjective so be true to your own voice … what someone loves, someone else may hate. You can’t please everyone.

A piece of advice authors should follow, FOLLOW THE EDITOR/AGENT’S GUIDELINES! Remember you want to get out of the slush pile, and if your writing is everything on their ‘No’ list, then it’s best to move on.

4) What keeps you at the keyboard when you're not sure if you should keep going?

Readers, I’ve gotten some lovely reader feedback. My family and friends loving support and cheers go a long way to keep me writing. This is a dream I’ve had since I was about 7-years-old, I just have to keep going. I am very thankful for all the supportive people in my life.

5) Do you have a "book of your heart" you'd love to write?

Enemy Enchantress was the book of my heart. It was the first I finished. There are books I wrote when I was a teenager which shall never see the light of day, but it was how I passed time when I was alone or bored so they hold a special place in my heart, but they will never be unleashed onto the world I’m afraid. LOL!

6) What are you working on right now? Any other upcoming releases we can look forward to?

Well, I have several things out in the stratosphere, and a couple things which I hope to market under different pen names. The second book in my Enchantress Series: Sorceress from the Sea comes out September 7, 2010 and the third book titled Healer of the Heart, I think, is coming out December 7, 2010. I’m currently writing the fourth book of this series, Enchanter’s Slave, it’s still a work in progress. As for the things out on submissions, one includes an erotic Gladiator story and that’s all I can say.