RRT: Chey & Jaci, welcome to Romance Reviews Today. Please tell us a little about yourselves. ?

Chey: Thanks for having us!

I’ve been writing for publication for over seven years. I started writing young adult, YA novels, under a different name, and had my first YA published in 2003. While I was writing YA, I wanted to explore the dynamics of adult relationships and decided to write a romance. My first romance was published January 2003, and to date I’ve had somewhere close to thirty novels and novellas published.

Jaci: I live in Oklahoma on a wonderful acre and a half of land with my husband. We have three children, all grown, and five dogs who think they're all babies.

RRT: When did you first consider writing as a career and what prompted you to submit your first manuscript?

Chey: I dreamed of being an author since kindergarten, and I was a journalism major in college. However, life detoured and it wasn’t until 2000 that I was able to set everything else aside and start writing for publication. So I learned everything I could by reading books on the craft, online courses, working with critique partners, and so forth to really learn the craft of writing. I submitted my first manuscript when I felt it was ready, and it landed me my first agent. It’s the only manuscript I’ve written that hasn’t sold, but I did pull it once I sold my first adult novel because I wanted an opportunity to rewrite it. Just haven’t found the time! I spent a year writing my first novel, writing and rewriting and rewriting, really learning on that book. Now it takes me about eight weeks to write a novel. That doesn’t count any revisions from my editor, and the process that happens after that, just the initial writing of the book.

Jaci: I started writing seriously with an eye toward publication in 2001 when my husband encouraged me to start writing again. I'd always been a dabbler, and he told me I should really knuckle down and write a book, so I did. That's when I wrote and finished my first book and started the submission process.

RRT: Was that first submission accepted, or did you have to go back to the drawing board?

Chey: I started writing my first book in 2000. When I felt I was finally ready, I submitted it to two agents in 2001 who declined it, but a third loved it so much she said she actually dreamed of it the same night. I sold four YA novels through her, the first sale in early 2002. She also handled all of my Ellora’s Cave books.

My now agent is Nancy Yost of Lowenstein-Yost, whom I’ve been working with for going on two years.

Jaci: No, that first book didn't sell (they rarely do), but I learned so much about this business from writing a book, finishing it, editing it, and submitting it. And while I was waiting to hear back from the publisher, I started another book, and then another.

RRT: Is writing your full-time job, or do you balance a job along with the writing and your family?

Chey: Writing is my full-time job. I leave to write in a bookstore café or coffee shop each day around 9:00 a.m. I return home about the same time my kids get home from school, about 3:00 p.m. I treat writing like a job.

Jaci: I write full time. And I love it.

RRT: How much of your personality and life experiences is in your writing?

Chey: I think a little bit of me goes into every book, but really, it’s just my sometimes bizarre imagination. :-) I have written a couple of books where the heroine has gone through something I have, so the emotion and feeling is very real. But I’d have to say that generally my books just reflect my writing style and my imagination.

Jaci: I think every writer brings a little bit of who they are into their writing. I certainly have had the life experiences some of my characters have had, but there are certain personality quirks in a few of my characters that have come from me. Usually the smart alecs. Heh.

RRT: Chey, tell us about your latest release, WICKED MAGIC. Jaci, same question for you; what about HUNTING THE DEMON?

Chey: Rhiannon Castle is a D’Anu witch whose Coven sisters know nothing of the Shadows that lurk within her. Rhiannon is afraid to reveal the truth to anyone. Keir’s Tuatha D’Danann brethren are the only real family he has ever known. He trusts no one — until he is sent to San Francisco and meets Rhiannon, the one woman with fire enough to tame him. They face a new threat that rises from the depths of Underworld. When a demon goddess unleashes her evil upon our world, Rhiannon’s secret could be the ultimate weapon in this epic battle — or forge a pathway to destruction for the only man she’s ever loved.

Jaci: HUNTING THE DEMON is the second book in my Demon Hunter series, a paranormal romance that's filled with action, adventure and suspense. In this book, the demon hunters head to Australia to find Derek's brother Nic and determine whether the demon blood he carries will make him choose the Sons of Darkness (the demons) or the Realm of Light (the good guys). Shay, one of the demon hunters, is charged with bringing Nic into the Realm of Light so they can capture him, so she has to use all her feminine wiles to intrigue Nic. But Shay has a few secrets of her own that allow her to really feel where Nic's loyalties lie. I think it's a great book, and I hope readers enjoy all the twists and turns and, of course, the romance!

RRT: Both of you write different genres, is it hard to switch back and forth when you're writing?

Chey: For me, not really. I just become the characters and share their experiences as I write them. I fall into that world and the other worlds just don’t intrude. Contemporary has such a different feel from paranormal, it’s a whole new writing world and style.

Jaci: Not at all. I love being able to switch genres. It gives me a break when I finish one book to be able to slide into a completely different genre and write another. It really helps clear my mind to go from paranormal to contemporary and then back again.

RRT: Who are some of the authors who inspired you when you were still working towards becoming published?

Chey: Ann Maxwell’s (aka Elizabeth Lowell) THE DIAMOND TIGER is what got me totally hooked on romance. That book was the reason I started writing. I also loved Susan Wiggs and Johanna Lindsey, even though I couldn’t write a historical to save my life.

Jaci: Oh I love so many authors that my list would be so long. But I've always enjoyed reading Nora Roberts, she's such an inspiration, and I read her a lot before I was published. Also Linda Howard, Judith McNaught, Elizabeth Lowell, Julie Garwood, Teresa Medeiros, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Greene, Kathleen Korbel; I really could go on and on. lol

RRT: Are you a devoted plotter or do you write best, more easily without plotting out your story in detail?

Chey: More easily without plotting in detail. I’ll do storyboarding, sticky-note plotting, graph paper timelines — just different odds and ends things that will get my thoughts going. I never plot in detail, just get some ideas down and run with them.

Jaci: A little of both, actually. I always have a very detailed synopsis that I use as a guideline to write my book. Then I veer off from that. Or the characters do. Neither the plotline nor the characters stay completely true to my carefully crafted synopsis. They tend to have minds of their own.

RRT: RWA happened in July. Did you attend? What were some of the highlights of the conference for the both of you?

Chey: I didn’t attend this year, but I do plan to be in San Francisco next July.

Jaci: I did attend and I had a fantastic time! Besides meeting some awesome people in person whom I'd previously only known via the internet, the highlight of the conference was meeting Judith McNaught! Such a wonderful, gracious woman who took the time to talk with me. She's absolutely wonderful.

RRT: If you had to pick five words to generally describe the heroes you write, what would they be? What about your heroines?

Chey: Hero: alpha; a leader; a man with valor and strength of character; a man who would die to defend his people; a man who would die to protect the ones he loves.

Heroine: intelligent; strong emotionally and often physically; usually does her share at saving their lives; would die to defend and protect the ones she loves. Some of my heroines are quite kickass.

Jaci: Heroes - tough, tender, strong, caring, alpha. Heroines - gutsy, courageous, vulnerable, loving, adventurous.

RRT: What's at the top of your TBR that you're looking forward to reading next? Favorite authors to read?

Chey: TBR pile — too many to count. I’m currently finishing up J.R. Ward’s LOVER REVEALED. I am addicted to her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, as I’m addicted to Kim Harrison’s witch series, and all of the Harry Potter books.

Current favorite authors—J.R. Ward, Kim Harrison, J.K. Rowling along with many others.

Jaci: Oh I have so many books! You wouldn't believe my TBR pile! Right now I have an ARC of Sydney Croft's UNLEASHING THE STORM that's up next on my TBR pile. It's the second book in their brand new erotic paranormal series that debuts at the end of this month, and it's a must read! I loved the first book and can't wait to dig into this ARC! Favorite authors? Lara Adrian, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, JR Ward, Gena Showalter, the aforementioned Sydney Croft, Cheyenne McCray, Lora Leigh.

RRT: Of all your heroes and heroines, which were your favorite? Which stood out the most?

Chey: my favorite hero is Rick from WILD BORDERS. The book is currently published with Ellora’s Cave, but the print rights have been sold to St. Martin’s Press, and it will be re-titled and re-released in the future. I’m excited about that because I love Lani and Rick. It was the first romance I wrote, and I think one of my best. It holds a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons.

WICKED MAGIC that comes out August 28th stands out most to me because it is about two wounded characters, both having trust issues, tarnished pasts, and secrets. And together they are fire and fire. And the antagonist. One evil b-witch.

Jaci: I don't think I can choose a favorite. They get mad at me when I pick favorites. ;-). And really, I love them all.

RRT: Chey, will you be writing more cowboy stories? Have to admit, I'm a sucker for cowboys. :) Jaci, I recently read WILD, WICKED & WANTON. Enjoyed it a lot but I have a question for you...will Dr. Mike get his own Happily-ever-after?

Chey: CHOSEN PREY isn’t what you’d call a cowboy story, but the hero is a PI who owns a ranch and wears cowboy boots, a Stetson and Wranglers. Yum. MOVING TARGET comes out in January, and the hero looks good in those tight Wrangler jeans, too. *g* A new series I’m starting this fall that will be out in 2009 has Nick, who was a gorgeous cowboy, former special ops, and he’s going to be transplanted from the West to Boston to search for his missing sister.

Jaci: Mike definitely gets his happily-ever-after and it's coming soon! The EXCLUSIVE anthology releasing Sept 4th from Berkley Heat features my novella, Wild Nights, which is Mike's story!

RRT: What's you writing routine like, if you have one?

Chey: As I mentioned before, I usually write at a bookstore café or coffee shop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. I work on email and other things around my writing schedule. Writing always comes first.

Jaci: I have no routine. I do try to write every day, but some days are filled with the dreaded 'other things to do', like promotion or edits or real life things. But I do try to get in at least a few pages of writing every day. There is no set routine other than sitting down at the computer and just seeing how the day goes.

RRT: Any advice to aspiring writers?

Chey: Read everything you can get your hands on in the genre you want to write in. Read books on the craft of writing, take online courses.

Find critique partners you can work with — your strengths and weaknesses need to complement one another. You need to find someone who can take constructive criticism and one you can take constructive criticism from. Take it all with the proverbial “grain of salt,” because it's ultimately your book.

When you do make a sale, listen to the agent or editor, and don’t hold on to ever single word. Be willing to adapt. But also don’t be afraid to discuss what you don’t want to change and why. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your work is perfect. No one’s is. Even if it’s a small change, it could be important enough to make the book even stronger.

Most important, though, when you’re just starting out is LEARN THE CRAFT OF WRITING. You do not just open a word doc and start typing — very few people in the world can, or have been able to, do that with their first novel and come up with something publishable. Most of the time, it takes loads of work to learn the craft.

Jaci: Focus on what you want, and then go after it with all you have. You have to make your writing career a priority, instead of last on your list of things to do. It's a 'career', so think of it as that, even if you have a full time job or you're raising a family. It's important to you, so take it seriously. If you don't, no one else will.

RRT: When not writing, what are some of your favorite things to do in your spare time? (Is there such a thing? *G*)

Chey: Yeah, what spare time? :-) I like to travel with my family, go out on date nights with my dh and spend the day with my kids by going to a movie and going to out to eat, or another activity. And play with our babies — our pom-a-poo Twizzler, cock-a-poo Sugar, and cocker spaniel September.

Jaci: Ah, that elusive 'spare time' thing. Actually, we do have to make time to have a life. Otherwise, we get stale and grouchy, and who wants that? I love to read, and I think it's so important for writers to maintain their love of reading, so I do make time to be just a reader. My husband and I also own a Harley, so we spend time riding the bike. I also love to garden, though that's been woefully neglected this year. Next year maybe....

RRT: What are you working on now?

Chey: The fifth and final book in the “Magic” series, DARK MAGIC.

Jaci: Right now I'm finishing up the third book in the Demon Hunters series. THE DEMONS TOUCH will release in the summer of 2008, and I'm having a blast writing it. As soon as I finish that I'll be working on a Christmas novella for Samhain Publishing, then I'll be diving right into my next book for Berkley Heat. Busy busy, ya know.

RRT: What's next for the both of you?

Chey: I start a new contemporary suspense continuity series with romantic elements, starring a totally kickass law enforcement agent, Lexi. The series is set in Boston.

After that, I start another new continuity series about a heroine, Nyx, who is half Drow (the Dark Elves) and half human. She’s beyond kickass. Attitude with a billboard-sized capital A. She’s a killer, a real bitch, yet she’s got a few soft points. But if you point them out she’ll probably kill you.

Jaci: HUNTING THE DEMON releases August 28th from Bantam Dell. EXCLUSIVE Anthology releases September 4th from Berkley Heat. UNWRAPPED releases December 4th from Samhain Publishing, and RIDING WILD releases February 5th from Berkley Heat.

RRT: How may readers contact you?

Chey: I get mostly lots of emails, but sometimes snail mail notes and letters. chey@cheyennemccray.com, http://cheyennemccray.com, http://www.myspace.com/cheyennemccray

Jaci: My website is http://www.jaciburton.com and I'm always on my blog at http://www.jaciburton.com/blog or my email is jaci@jaciburton.com

RRT: Thanks for the interview, Chey & Jaci! :)

Chey: Thanks for having us!