Hello, Coffee Time readers! We are back on the beautiful lake shore today. The sun is shining brightly so be sure to pull one of our beautiful lounge chairs up under the umbrellas. How about some lemonade or ice tea to keep you refreshed? Today, we get to spend the day with Gail Koger while we discuss her book, The Nasty Vamp, plus we’ll see what she has coming up.

Welcome to my little corner of paradise, Gail. How are you doing?

This lemonade is awesome but those pesky mosquitoes gotta go. Excuse me for a moment while I get my bug spray out and zap the little buggers. Whoa! That stuff is potent. I think I hacked up a lung. Wait! Don’t drink that! A few of them did a kamikaze in your ice tea. Hold on, there’s a really big one in your hair, too. There you go, good as new. What was your first question?

The mosquitoes are pretty bad this time of year. Thank you for getting that for me. Let’s get started. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for thirty-one years and to keep insanity at bay, I took up writing. Not to worry. The insanity isn’t catching – much. Other than the addiction to chocolate and the twitch in my left eye, I’m good. I’ve had my weird but true stories published in newspapers and magazines. The Nasty Vamp is my fourth book and will be released June 10th at www.whispershome.com

I cannot even imagine the stress that goes along with being a 9-1-1- dispatcher. I see shows on TV talking about 9-1-1 calls and I admire those who can do that job! Please tell us, how long have you wanted to be an author?

It all started when I worked as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department. To keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea of what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really can’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am, but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone, I took up writing.

See, what I mean? I would have brain damage from pounding my head against the desk. I can see why you took up writing. Now, I’ve had the pleasure of reading The Nasty Vamp. For those here who haven’t had the pleasure, can you tell them a little bit about it?

All Bunny wanted was to be a normal, ordinary girl whose biggest worry was what to wear to her twenty-first birthday party. She needed for a few hours to forget about her mother’s murder and the monsters that inhabit the night. With all her heart Bunny wished for a little romance, for a man who could make her forget the bloodshed and death. She longed for a prince charming who would sweep her off her feet and kiss her under the stars. Then fate kicked Bunny in the teeth and granted her wish. Her perfect prince charming turned out to be a vampire.

I drooled excessively over Ian and Ben, but Bunny…oh my goodness…I laughed out loud at her. Some of the things that came out of her mouth (or her head) would be exactly what I was thinking in her situation. How closely does Bunny resemble you?

We’re both a bit nuts. Chocolate keeps us sane when the world is going to hell around us and we’re a bit of a motor mouth when things get tough. We love our alpha males even when we want to crack them over the head with a baseball bat. Can I have my bug spray back?

Yes, ma’am. Here you go! A little bird told me that you are working on another book out called I Hear Voices. Can you tell us about what it is about?

I Hear Voices is a paranormal romance in the vein of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone.

Psychic Zelda Dragos was laid off from her gig at the Picas Moon and trying to get the State of Arizona to fork over unemployment benefits is nigh-on impossible. While waiting to talk with a supervisor she reads an article about the Aztec Emperor Montezuma’s lost treasure and gold fever hits. The fact that she’s about to be evicted from her apartment and car repossessed makes her decision pretty easy. 

To find Montezuma’s lost gold Zelda needs to “borrow” an amulet from the Phoenix Art Museum. Once she has it, she knows it will lead her to the treasure. The fly in the ointment is the tenacious Derek Sloan, a tomb raider who wants the gold for himself. Derek lost his shirt when the Mexican government confiscated the treasure he looted from the famous lost city of El Dorado. He won’t let one psychic bimbo stand in his way.

Zelda uses her bag of tricks to discourage his pursuit; holographic diversions, smoke bombs, mace, a hive of angry bees and tying him to his bed after inviting the local hookers in for a visit. With the thought of choking the life out of the psychotic bitch sustaining him, Derek follows her to Kanab, Utah. 

The Tomb Raider finds Zelda’s camp site and tracks her to the tunnels. She’s in a bit of a bind with a booby trap she’s triggered. He’ll free her if she agrees to work with him. No more tricks. If she refuses, he’ll take the medallion and leave her to her fate.

His dark aura says he would, too. Zelda will agree if they split the treasure 50/50. Derek laughs and informs her all she gets is ten percent. Ten percent!!? No way. He just smiles and tells her she can’t spend it if she’s dead. He had a point. She agrees to his terms. She’ll just steal it back later.

To find the treasure all they have to deal with is a variety of bugs, the biting kind, booby traps, mummified Aztec warriors with really big swords and two Aztec demons who guard the gold. Adding to the mess is Uncle Dante, the devil incarnate, who wants the treasure for himself. He and his lethal goons are hot on their trail. Zelda and Derek also discover love blossoms in the strangest places.

That sounds like an incredible story, too. Good thing I brought a notebook to take notes. What do you like best about writing within the paranormal/supernatural genre?

There are no limitations. If I want to create a fairy tale about a vampire with magical abilities and a dragon in his castle dungeon, I can. Plus, I always end with a happily ever after.

Happily ever after is always good.  As a reader, if a story doesn’t end on a happy note, I’m left wondering what happens next for the characters. I’m always curious. When you aren’t writing, what authors do you enjoy reading?

I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie has a knack for getting into trouble and the results are hilarious. I also enjoy Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series.

Those are two really good series. We often have readers who have aspirations of becoming writers. Do you have some advice for them?

Never, ever give up. I’ve got stacks and stacks of reject letters. I think every writer probably has a drawer full. Once you’re published and you will be, there’s nothing like getting fan letters. I love hearing from my readers and always take the time to answer any questions they might have.

When you sit down to write, do you turn on music or do you have to have it as silent as possible?

Music stimulates my creative juices. Of course when you have three dogs sometimes the music isn’t enough. Last week I was sitting at my computer working on my hot, melt your panties sex scene and suddenly I hear. Cheep. Cheep. Cheep. What the…?

I looked down and there sat Sam, my demon dog, with a mouth full of feathers. So, silly me I asked him, “What’s in your mouth?” Sam barked, “Nuthin.”

Right. Does he think I’m stupid? The poor bird cheeped desperately. In my best mean mother voice I commanded, “Spit!” Sam does and the chicken, wings flapping madly and squawking pathetically took off like the Devil himself was after it.

I saved the poor chicken, cleaned up the mess, ate a box of chocolate and went back to work.

As the mom of five canine kids, I can totally relate to that story. Luckily, mine haven’t brought me anything like that. I like to include a silly type of question at the end of an interview. Here is yours: If you could be a dessert, what would you be and why?

German Chocolate cake of course. It’s rich, satisfying and full of nuts. Kinda like my life.

I love German Chocolate cake! Mother Nature is giving me the sign to wrap up this interview by setting the sun. I would like to thank Gail for stopping by to chat with us. We are always on the lookout for new books to pick up and I know I’ve added a couple more to my TBB list. Gail, I have had a wonderful time getting to know you and your books. Readers, please be sure to visit Gail in the various places you can find her on the internet. Thank you to everyone who took some time to spend it with us! Many blessings to you and yours.