Author Q & A: EVE SILVER

Multi-genre author Eve Silver graciously took the time to indulge Apprentice Writer's curiosity about all things authorial. Take a look:

The cover of SbaS is lovely. Did you choose the title and/or provide input on art?

Thank you, but I can't take any credit. My editor came up with the title and the cover arrived already complete. All I had left to do was frame a cover flat and hang it on the wall. *g*

That must be quite a nice collection of cover art by now!

My favorite scene in SbaS is when Gabriel takes Catherine up to his secret room in the tower. Such clear and touching proof of his transformation. Which was your favorite scene?

I have a tough time picking a favorite scene from Seduced by a Stranger, but I'll choose a memorable scene that evinces the hero's first tentative steps toward personal growth. In this scene, Gabriel - the tortured, emotionally stunted hero - experiences the urge to comfort Catherine. Her pain and heartbreak reach the cold core of his heart, warming him and breathing life into emotions he had never imagined he possessed. Against his nature, he is drawn to comfort her and he pauses, uncertain exactly what to offer her.

In the dark hallway, Gabriel stood outside Catherine's door. She was crying. The sounds were muffled, as though she struggled to suffocate them into silence. Something inside him shifted and turned, an unpleasant and wholly uncharacteristic instinct of chivalry that insisted he step inside and offer comfort of some sort.

He had no idea how.

What did one offer in the face of another's pain? Here was a lesson he had failed to learn...no...a lesson he had never been taught. In the place where he had grown from boy to young man, there had been only lessons in survival. Hide behind an emotionless mask. Evade. Lie. Show only what they expected. The level of his suffering had been determined by his abilityto guess exactly what they wished to see and hear. If he was right, they left him alone. If he was wrong, there were all manner of tortures and deprivation. He had striven to be right more often than wrong. The sound of Catherine's sobs confused him. He wanted to comfort her as much as he wanted to avoid the necessity of doing so.

Copyright 2009. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Agreed, that's a good one too. Very powerful, when someone simply walks away.

Nightstand Inspection! What was the last ____ you read?

I have a towering pile on my nightstand, but here are a few of the recent reads that were real stand-outs for me. (Of course, I could probably type and endless list, but I'll try and be brief.)

Contemporary: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Historical: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn and an advance read of For Your Arms Only by Caroline Linden.

Paranormal/UF/Fantasy: Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Burn by Linda Howard and The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner.

YA: Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen.

Apprentice Writer has a soft spot for Michelle Rowen's reliably funny voice, also.

Who is your writing idol and why?

I have quite a list of writers I admire, but I'll share a few here.
- Linda Howard because no matter what direction she takes, I end up loving her books; she's pure genius. I'm embarrassed to admit I turned into a squeeing fangirl when I met her.

- Mary Shelley because she dug the foundations of a genre. (And shout-outs to Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne, Linda Lael Miller, and others who were the early explorers of paranormal romance.)

- Karen Marie Moning because she is the queen of foreshadowing and her imagination is wonderful.

- Shana Abe because she is a wordsmith.

- Kelley Armstrong because she is a brilliant writer in every genre she tackles, and because she is a gracious and lovely person.

- Nora Roberts because she is oh so savvy.

- Marjorie M. Liu because she writes where her heart takes her.

- Gena Showalter because she has fabulous unique ideas and because she's dedicated.

- Lori Foster because all these years later I still remember reading my first Lori Foster love scene...the one with the guy, the girl, and the fridge.

- Christina Dodd because she's talented and wise and shares her wisdom (check out the Squawkradio blog).

- Teresa Medeiros because she's funny as can be on Twitter (go forth and follow her!) and because she's always been one of my fave historical authors.

- Daphne du Maurier because her writing just pulls me right in.

- Sarah Waters because every sentence she writes flows like a smooth river.

- Lisa Kleypas because I adore her books and because she had the guts to take her career in the direction she wanted it to go.

- Kathleen E. Woodiwiss because she was the first romance author I ever read.

- Christopher Moore because there's no voice out there even remotely like his.

- Lisa Gardner because she scares me. And because she is generous with her knowledge of writing (check out her website for tricks of the trade).

I could go on and on because there are many wonderful authors who bring so much to the table, but I suspect you don't want this blog post to run for 15 pages! ;-)

Great diversity of reasons. Love it that Christopher Moore made this list - reminds me of the children's song "One of These Things is Not Like the Others.." And now I won't be able to rest till I find out about the guy, the girl, and that fridge....

Best piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Finish the book. You can't sell the book if you don't write the book. Get those fingers flying on the keyboard every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you only write a sentence or two, you're still a sentence or two closer to typing 'The End'. Polishing can come once the entire story is complete. Rewriting the first chapter over and over again won't get the story told - it will only get you a beautifully polished first chapter. So finish your story...the whole story. Then move on and tell the next story, and the next. Don't get hung up on a single chapter or a single manuscript. If writing is your dream, if stories whisper to you in the darkest hours of the night or while you're cooking dinner or walking the dog in the bright light of day, then tell your story, all the way to the end.

To sum up that advice: butt in chair, hands on keyboard.

*whistling oh-so-casually* *nudging uber-polished first chapters out of sight*

Anything else you'd like to share with Apprentice Writer's readers?
Thanks for having me, Maya, and thanks to the readers for reading! For excerpts, info, contests and more, please visit my website at http://www.evesilver.net.

And there you have it. Wise words from a prolific, multi-faceted author. Upcoming on the horizon is OTHERKIN, a 'dark, gritty paranormal trilogy' to be released in 2010. Thank you, Ms. Silver, sharing your insights and the perfect gothic candidate for the RIP challenge.