Interview & Giveaway: Tigris Eden

Today, author Tigris Eden is joining us a part of her Enslaved in Shadows Blog Tour. She’s a fellow blogger as well, so I'm really happy she’s visiting with us today. Also, 50% of the book’s first week proceeds will be donated to Domestic Violence Awareness, so if you buy the book during that week you will also be helping this fantastic cause. Let’s give her a warm welcome.

Hello Tigris, welcome to Romance Around the Corner! Thank you for joining us.

Q. For all of our readers that may not be familiar with you and your work, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

TE: There isn’t really much to tell. I’m pretty boring actually. LOL I like to write and read and hang out with my doode Belinda Bullock and discuss the latest and greatest hottie. And brainstorm about what kind of books I want to write.  Oh and I’m sassy or Ms. Eden if you’re nicety :-) (Total jokester see!)

Q. Before being a published author, you were a blogger and a reviewer. Authors and bloggers often work together and have a symbiotic relationship, but at times they clash, and some may argue that you can’t be both. How do you feel about this? Do you think that authors can and should review books, or do you think that the possible conflict of interest doesn’t allow for someone to be both? 

Actually it’s the other way around. I was published before I started blogging and reviewing. A lot of people think that and I can see how that can be assumed as I totally focused on blogging and reviewing for a while. The entire time I’d been writing going to conferences and taking online classes to perfect my craft.  Since I didn’t have anything published when I started blogging in 2009 I figured what the hey I’ll review some books. I have been published under Katina Hernandez one poem and one book that was a nightmare! LOL (Long story) but I have never been published in the PNR Genre so it’s a first for me.

Since I got back into the swing of things with my writing you will notice that I have completely dropped off the map of Reviewing. I have a team of great gals who review for the TE Garden of Books Blog and Erotic Reviews by Mistress Spice and Miss Kitty. There is a new Kitty and Spice in town and it’s not me.  As for the conflict of interest I would have to say that I straddle the line there. And my only view on that is depends on the person. Me personally I won’t be reviewing anymore and the reason for that is because I don’t want people to think I got my writing ideas from somewhere else. My stuff is original and thought up only by my wacky brain.  I once heard an author say she can’t read the genre she writes in and now that I am fully immersed in my writing, I can totally see how that is true. There are some exceptions to the rule… I will always always read Larissa Ione and Lara Adrian just to name a few. But I’ve been on a contemporary romance kick as of late, because to be quite honest. I don’t want to read a PNR and be like “HOLY CHIT BATMAN! I was totally going to write that.” I do have an idea for a contemporary and it’s a tad on the PNR style but only by legend not by plot. (If that makes any sense) LOL Did I answer your question? Or did I ramble? I tend to do that. 

Q. Let’s talk about your writing process. What comes first to you: the characters, the world building or the individual plot? What inspired you to create this story?

TE: I don’t have a writing process really, there are bits and pieces that are just thrown in a pot and mixed together and at the end I say viola. (Doesn’t always come out so great though) But it’s how I process things. I literally will come up with an idea on the fly and then expand later. I have tons and tons of notebooks filled with stories that still need to be told.   For this particular story I was in my car listening to Secret by Maroon 5 and I thought oooh a one night stand would be hot. Originally I was thinking Contemporary but somehow the werewolf just came out and said RAWR!  So Draven Stone was born. At first he didn’t have a name it was just (hero) and then the words and then (heroine) and then more words. 

Q. Enslaved in Shadows is book one in the Shadow Unit series, do you have all the books planed? How do you decide which character will be the next protagonist? 

TE: I do have all the books planned. (Okay, somewhat)  Royce jumps out in Enslaved and a lot of my friends and editors Christie and Heather both said WE LOVE ROYCE! He’s just one of those characters that stuck out in the story. But I have it all lined up Royce’s book is next in Burned In Shadows I don’t want to give too much away but it’s going to be hot! Like HAWT! I can only divulge so much information from bat central.  But so far I know the sequence of the books up to book three. And all I know from that is whose story is next. It gets hazy because Gabe and Dietrich are in my head at the same time now. (You get to sort of kind of meet them in Enslaved) 

The secret ingredients haven’t been added to make it pop and sizzle just a little feather here and a claw there. 

Q. What else can you tell us about Enslaved in Shadows?

TE: Hmmm… There’s a girl looking for adventure who gets way more than she bargained for and a wolf looking just to scratch an itch, that turns out to be forever stamped in his memory! There is some pain and a lot of heart ache, second chances, and devastations, and of course throw in the hot guy who can read minds, mix it all in for some funny moments and you have ENSLAVED IN SHADOWS. Okay okay and there’s some sex too :-)

Q. Why do you think Paranormal Romance and shifters stories have become so popular among readers?

TE: Honestly, I am not sure why it’s trending or if it has just always been ensconced in the PNR Genre, but there is something eternally hot about a guy that goes furry. Well for me anyway and this was well before Jacob or Alcide ever came onto the scene. I’ve been lusting after werewolves since (blushes) before I even realized what they were. My first Werewolf movie was American Werewolf in London. I was super super young when that movie came out.  When I started reading about them, well it just got better from there. :-) WEREWOLVES DO IT BETTER! 

Q. And finally, what is your favorite Romance novel? 

TE: I couldn’t even tell you the name of the book anymore but I read it a long time ago. It was like one of those Victoria Holt novels. There’s this spoiled little rich girl who is desperate for love. The son’s gardener calls her hungry heart. Years later they meet in Italy as he is the star violinist there is tension and then at the end she goes back to her childhood home where he is there waiting for her in the garden. Damn! I should have kept that book! It was old and ancient and wonderful!

Thank you for taking the time to visit and answer our questions!

TE: Thank you for having me! It was my pleasure!

Connect with Tigris:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

A man's Past leads to his Future...... 

Agent Stone of the Shadow Unit's job is simple, most days. Work in the Shadows, police his own Kind. When an unwanted assignment turns out to be his darkest fantasy from the past, Draven can't help but be conflicted by the memories of the past and his responsibilities in the future. But his decision has been made. 

The Heart of a woman is Tested........ 

Jes can't let the tall dark agent back into her life.  

How can she trust any man after what she's endured. Years of abuse have broken her down and she doesn't have room for more. The man she turns to for help hasn't abused her physically but he's tormented her emotionally. A past betrayal left her scarred, but also brought her life.
Can she accept him into her heart and trust him again?
One will survive and adapt, the other will realize hearts can be mended even if it’s a bit too late.  

The road to forgiveness sometimes only brings more pain. Unexpected events set their lives on two separate tracks leading to one outcome. Lives will be changed and an emotional battle to save their souls will leave them both trapped and enslaved in their need for one another.

Purchase:

Amazon| B&N 

-GIVEAWAY-

Tigris has kindly offered an e-copy of Enslaved in Shadows to one lucky commenter. For a chance to win all you have to do is leave a comment for Eden, or just tell us what’s your favorite shifter/werewolf story. Contest open to all, remember to leave an email so I can contact the winner.

Rules:

• Winner gets on electronic copy of Enslaved in Shadows by Tigris Eden.
• Contest open internationally.
• Contest ends on 07/01/12.
• Comment must have an email address in order to be valid.
• Winner will be chosen using random.org, announced here and via email and will have 72 hours to respond.
• For more info check our Review Policy.