 | 18 Aug 09 |
Today I am very fortunate to have as my guest, Rita Herron! She and I are Harlequin Intrigue sisters and during the decade I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Rita, I’ve been amazed at her talent and versatility. So, without further ado, please welcome Rita!
I’m so thrilled that my good friend and favorite author, Debra Webb, invited me to blog in her place today. I love reading the posts on Murdershewrites — not only because I read all the talented authors here, but because I love murder — in books, that is! Since I grew up gorging on Trixie Belden mysteries and then devoured Mary Higgins Clark as an adult, it’s no surprise that when I put pen to paper, my wicked side emerged. Influenced by television shows I watched as a child, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock, The Twilight Zone, and Dark Shadows, I also began sprinkling paranormal elements into some of my books. But recently I took the plunge into the paranormal genre with my Demonborn series. Book two, DARK HUNGER, is out now! In the series, I’ve blended both dark, page-turning suspense with a series about demons, ghosts, and heroes who are half human, half demonic — half, good, half evil.
Using dark atmospheric settings, folk legends and myths in my books has become inherent in my writing, and I go full force in this series. In Dark Hunger, I take you to three of my favorite southern cities, Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans, three cities chockfull of history and tales of the supernatural. There’s something about walking through the graveyards in Savannah, staying in a haunted inn, eating at a hundred-year-old restaurant where star-crossed lovers once met, taking a horse-drawn carriage down cobblestone streets while listening to ghost stories, watching gators slither through the bayou, or meeting a voodoo princess that sparks my imagination.
When this is posted, I’m excited to say that I’ll be in New Orleans! Granted it’s a moving trip (my daughter is going to grad school at University of New Orleans), but between packing and painting, I plan to soak up more of the city’s history, culture, food, atmosphere, and stories. Certainly the city and people have seen their fair share of trouble, death and sadness. In fact, my daughter’s fiancé, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, is stationed there now, and was in New Orleans during Katrina. The stories he tells remind me of the tragedy that occurred, but also there are heartwarming moments, stories of heroes that emerged, stories that make the area come alive and make New Orleans unique, stories that should live on just as this unique city will. Maybe I’ll even get food for another book while I’m there…
Do you have a favorite folk legend or myth from your area? Have you ever had a supernatural experience? Do you have a story to share?
© 2009, Debra Webb. All rights reserved.
Debra Webb, born in Alabama, wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain—and a five-year stint with NASA—that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set.
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Can I just say that I love Rita Herron? I love her sweet self (with a wry, dry sense of humor), love her great books, love that southern accent, and I really love her sunglasses. (Inside joke, sorry.)
Congrats on the new release, Rita, it looks fantastic. And you didn’t just get kissed by the cover gods, you had an illicit affair with them. Woohoo you got Nathan. He is just irresistable to readers, and I’m sure your book will be, too.
The only “myth” in my town is that shirt and shoes are required in restaurants. Srsly.
Welcome to MSW, my friend. Your future’s so bright you gotta wear shades – and then I will steal them.
by Roxanne St. Claire August 18th, 2009 at 7:26 amHey, Rocky!
Yes, I LOVE the cover. And you’re always such a sweetie that you can steal my scratched up sunglasses anytime you want. Looking forward to your next book.
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 8:43 amIn New Orleans now and it’s hot, hot, hot. Went to Bourbon St. last night for research…
Rita
Rita! I met you at RWA this year, which was such a thrill for me. You’re a wonderful writer! And I love your cover, too.
I live fairly close to the old prison where Shawshank Redemption was filmed, and it’s definitely supposed to be haunted. I haven’t been there, but lots of ghost hunters have! Brrr.
by Louisa Edwards August 18th, 2009 at 9:31 amLouisa,
Thanks so much for the kind words – it was definitely a pleasure meeting you. And the prison sounds really cool – great story material. My mind is evily ticking away now…
Rita
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:45 pmHey Rita, give us some hints as to what we can expect in book three of the demonborn series!
by Debra Webb August 18th, 2009 at 10:04 amHey, Deb!
A hint to book three – hmm, Dante is sexy and tortured like the other guys and definitely has his work cut out with the demons. He’s more entrenched in the demon world as he was raised by demons and is fighting for his soul.
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:47 pmAnd there is a surprise twist that shocked by editor but thankfully she loved it. And that’s ALL I can say – LOL.
Rita
Rita, how have I missed this? Love the cover and title of your book! I love the half-demon characters,the ultimate struggle between their good side and bad side!
Welcome to MSW!
by Jen Lyon August 18th, 2009 at 10:11 amHi, Jen,
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:48 pmi love the half demon, half mortal men, too. It was really fun being able to write those really edgy guys and get away with it. Every time my editor commented on something evil the hero did – I could always come back with, “hey, he is part demon!”
Rita
loved! book
love your writin for yrs too. you, debra webb and maggie shayne is my fav authors for very lon time
know its a auto with any of your names
adore yall!!!!!!!!!!
by tami August 18th, 2009 at 12:04 pmHi, Tami,
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:50 pmOh, my that’s so great to hear! And Deb has been a friend for …well, we won’t say how long. We even had a pajama party at my house one night and plotted evil things!
So glad you dropped by. I’m in New Orleans and between painting and helping my daughter settle in, we’re sightseeing – I can’t wait!
Rita
also debra and rita bein southern ,i really like since im southern . born in ga,now live right about line in tn (5 miles from line actually )
by tami August 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pmTami,
I’m a Georgia girl, too! Born and bred in the south like Deb. Of course, Rocky lives in Fla, but I’m not sure we call that the south, do we, Rocky!
And I grew up hearing folk legends – my favorite was an old hag who lived in a well (my grandma had one of two where you drew the water.) My mother told me an old woman named Soap Sally lived in the well and if you got too close, she’d pull you in and eat you. I pictured this scraggly old woman living down there with sharp claws and teeth!
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:53 pmWhen we grew up, she told us the story was passed down and I learned it started when black women used to make soap in a big boiling pot by the well.
Rita
Hello, always a pleasure to meet a new Paranormal writer ! Don’t have any tales myself but I’ve always been drawn to Native American lore. Off to check out your series
by ban August 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pmHI, ban,
I love anything Native American. If you read one of my HQN’s, A BREATH AWAY, it’s based on a legend about the bone whistle which was a whistle NA’s carved out of bone during the Sun Dance.
And my next Texas Ranger book, Rawhide Ranger (march 2010) is about a Native American – I loved that guy. There’s also some interesting things about a sacred burial site and the way the killer glued the eyes of his victim’s shut with clay, based on NA rituals.
See – I had to think evil!
Hope you like the extras on the Demonborn site – I’m going to be posting a surprise, original diary of letters from the Valtrez brothers’ mother when I get home next week!
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pmRita
Rita
The Bell Witch is one of the biggest stories in the Nashville area. Of course, with all the Civil War homes and battlefields around, we have many ghost in the area.
Every October they put on a play about the story of the Bell Witch on the old Bell property in Adams, TN. The first year I saw the play, I swear it started raining in the middle of the play, but when the play was over the ground was completely dry.
Can’t wait to read Dark Hunger!
by Liza August 18th, 2009 at 12:14 pmOooh, Liza,
love that story! And I love Nashville.
Hope you fall in love with the demonborn!
Rita
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 2:58 pmHave enjoyed your and Debra’s Harlequins over the years.
by Patricia Barraclough August 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pmWe have ghosts in our house. I’ve felt the presence, especially our first night in the house. My son has seen the white lady. We’d been in the house a couple of years when one of the scout’s mother asked me if we’d seen her. This ghost appears on the upstairs landing before someone dies. My son saw her the night before our cat died. He also woke one night and saw a girl of about 10 standing near his bed. We live in a 1898 victorian farm house which we bought in 1992. Our middle daughter is the only one who has had any problems. We have a new addition on the back part of the house.
She was watching the house for us while we were on a trip. She never liked the old part of the house – bad vibes. She and her new baby were sleeping in the new family room, kitchen area. When she woke to take care of him during the night, she had a feeling something menacing was watching her. She could see a green “cloud” taking form in the hallway to the old part of the house. Our lab was near the crib and started growling. Every hair was up on her back and she headed for the green thing. Before she got to it, it vanished and she just turned around and came back to my daughter. The evil feeling had also gone away. My daughter is the only one who has ever had anything negative happen.
Who knows what it is all about. We lived in the Fairfax, VA area for 5 years and some of the things that happen in that area are unreal.
Oh, Patricia, your story is creeping me out – love it! I really do like these stories although I’m sure if it really happened to me, I’d be totally panicked!
by Rita Herron August 18th, 2009 at 8:17 pmI have such phobias and hate bridges, for one thing and being in New Orleans where you’re constantly over water has really reminded me of them, and of course, of the panic and fear the people here must have felt.
It’s funny but I told a fellow writer in Charleston about my bridge phobias and she told me that once witches were actually thrown over bridges instead of burned at the stake. She has studied reincarnation and gave me food for thought.
Thanks for sharing.
Rita