Guest Post & Giveaway – Cassandra Dean

Today I’m welcoming fantastic Adelaide and fellow Aussie author, Cassandra Dean to my blog. Cassandra writes historical romance (Ancient – Victorian) for Decadent Publishing. Welcome, Cass and please tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks so much for having me, Tamara!

Hi all, I’m Cassandra Dean, and like Tamara, I’m from South Australia. Heaps good*, hey? I’ve been a writer since I first learned to hold a pen, and once I discovered romance novels, I found my passion. So, after a foray into horror (don’t ask, it was misguided, trust me), I joined a romance writing group and have never looked back. Now, I have three books and two anthologies under my belt, with many more to come 😀

*South Australian for ‘fantastic, is it not?

TG: Ohh, now I’m intrigued about your horror books. May have to ask you to get them out one day. LOL. Now, you’ve celebrated the release of three books and two anthologies, can you give us a little run down on what you have available and what genres they are in.

CD: ENSLAVED – Available in ebook from Decadent Publishing

An Ancient Roman erotic romance, ENSLAVED is the tale of Lucia, the daughter of a gladiator trainer, and the slave she’s forced to teach. She falls in love with him, and though they are separated, neither forget. Many years pass, but when they are reunited, they cannot stay away from each other.

TEACH ME – Available in ebook AND print from Decadent Publishing

An Early Victorian erotic romance, TEACH ME features Elizabeth, a curious widow who applies to the Madam of a brothel to teach her of erotic pleasure. Never did she expect her tutor to take the form of the dissolute Earl of Malvern.

SMUT BY THE SEA – Available in ebook and, soon, print

Featuring 14 talented authors, this anthology comprises sexy seaside tales, with my contribution being a Victorian erotic short story. From the balcony of her hotel, Olivia looks over the moonlit sea, waiting for her husband to return. When he does, sexy times ensue ;p

SMUT IN THE CITY – Available in ebook and, soon, print

Again featuring 14 talented authors, this anthology comprises erotic tales with an urban setting. My contribution is a contemporary erotic short story, where a jaded singer and a lonely man make what could be a lasting connection.

ROUGH DIAMOND – Available in ebook
An historical Western erotic romance, Rough Diamond is discussed in greater detail below. Read on, peeps!

TG: Like me and many writers out there you’re a busy woman with never enough hours in a day. Where do you pull your time to write from and do you have any tips for those writers out there struggling to allocate time.

CD: I write whenever I can, although its oh-so-easy to procrastinate. Seriously, doesn’t the bathroom need cleaning??

I’m very lucky at the moment to be able to meet my critique partner and dear friend, Lucy Clark, at in the Mortlock Wing of the State Library every Wednesday for some quality writing time. These few hours have helped me to become extremely productive, and I hate to think what state I’d be in if we didn’t have our weekly meetings!

As for finding time, I think the hardest part is believing you don’t have time. I find I do, it’s just in the beginning I had to find it. It’s more than okay to write for ten minutes a day, especially if you are just starting out and trying to find the time. If you can find ten minutes, then maybe in a week you could find twenty. Then thirty. Then an hour. Before you know it, you have a regular writing regime, and it all started with ten minutes.

TG: Your new release, ROUGH DIAMOND, sounds fantastic! Can you tell us a little about the book, and what triggered the idea?

CD: ROUGH DIAMOND is part of Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape, a series of books set in the fictional town of Freewill, Wyoming. My contribution is set in 1876, and features a lady saloon owner and the empty-headed Englishman who shocks her by wanting to purchase her saloon…or does he?

The idea came from my editor on TEACH ME! She suggested I write for Western Escape, and after a bit of a think and the discovery that Wyoming is one of the biggest producers of coal, I pitched my idea. My editor loved it, and thus here we are!

Blurb:

Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.

Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.

Each determined to outwit the other, they tantalize and tease until passion explodes. But can their desire bridge the lies told and trust broken?

TG: It sounds great! I can’t wait to add it to my kindle. So, how long did it take you to write ROUGH DIAMOND?

CD: Oh my lord, it took F O R E V E R! Six loooooooong months. I had trouble ‘hearing’ the Western voice in my head. Rupert’s Englishness was no problem at all, but Alice’s westernisms were a struggle. Luckily, my friend leant me Deadwood, with its wonderful dialogue and performances, and bam! Alice’s voice emerged! After that, ROUGH DIAMOND flowed, and now I have an historical western to add to my releases!

TG: Isn’t it funny how television shows can sometimes be quite handy. So, what’s next for Cassandra Dean?

CD: Currently, I’m working on a sequel to ENSLAVED, as well as ROUGH DIAMOND and TEACH ME. I’ve got ideas for a Steampunk/Time Travel/Detective/Kitchen Sink type thing, and a few Victorian tales. Phew!

TG: OMG, Cass! You’re a very busy writer. Good luck with all these works. I can’t wait to add them all to my growing library of books. Again, thank you for visiting me today. It’s been wonderful having you here. Congratulations on your upcoming release and may I wish you many sales and great reviews.

CD: Thanks so much for having me, Tamara, I’ve had a ball!

You can visit Cassandra at her website, blog, facebook, twitter or alternatively through Decadent Publishing.

Bio: Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.

Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.

So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell deep.

The love affair exists to this very day.
Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

Leave a comment to win an ebook copy of any Decadent Publishing book from Cassandra’s backlist, a signed ROUGH DIAMOND postcard and a ROUGH DIAMOND magnet. Giveaway# closes 26 September. Please leave your email address so Cassandra can contact you. Good luck!!

# The small print: Comment before midnight on 26/09/2012 (Australian
Central Standard Time) to be entered to win an ebook copy of any Decadent
Publishing book from Cassandra’s backlist, one (1) signed ROUGH DIAMOND
postcard and one (1) ROUGH DIAMOND magnet. Winner will be selected via random.org,
with winner’s name posted in the comments of this blog by 27/09/2012. Cassandra
will also contact the winner by e-mail; the winner will be required to reply
with their postal address so Cassandra can send the prize to them.
Only one entry per ISP address. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. By
entering, you agree Cassandra can use your name when announcing the winner if
you should win. If potential prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize,
prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be
awarded. International entries are welcome. No purchase
necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void
where prohibited by law.