Interview with Linda Nightingale

Good Afternoon and welcome to Coffee Time Romance. Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed as I’m sure your fans will enjoy learning a little bit more about you. You write under two different names. Can you tell us a little about both Linda Nightingale and Bianca Swan?

As Linda Nightingale, I write paranormal and urban fantasy romance. My WIP is a fallen angel story about Lucifer, told in first person from his POV.

Bianca, my deepest, darkest side, writes erotic romance, and she has a fallen angel story coming soon from The Wilder Roses of The Wild Rose Press.

I live in Houston with my baby grand piano and my Z3. I have two wonderful sons, one who lives in England, and two grandchildren. I work as a legal assistant and write as much as I can—early mornings, late nights, weekends when I can usually be found at the keyboard. I enjoy classical music, especially piano, sports cars, love horses though I no longer own them, and am very partial to blond men with long hair. Ha ha 

If you are married we would love to know all about your first meeting with your spouse and was the magic there immediately? 

I have been divorced for many years, but still cherish the dream of finding my soulmate.

If you could date any character from any book, who would it be and why? 

That one is easy. I would date them all. No, seriously, I would date Morgan from my unpublished paranormal romance Sinners’ Opera. He is a concert pianist, a British Lord and a vampire (with long blond hair and electric blue eyes). Though I would probably be more compatible with Damian Xeres (longish black hair and sexy dark eyes) from Hot Spanish Nights because he is a breeder and trainer of my favorite horse—The Andalusian.

If you weren’t writing romance, what would you be writing? 

Urban fantasy or high fantasy. I tried horror once but I scared myself.  

What inspired you to create your very first book? 

My first book, Sinners’ Opera, is still the book of my heart. I had read Anne Rice’s works and wanted to create my own vampire mythos and hypnotic hero. Bianca is helping me with the rewrite, and the book is getting hotter by the word.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

The same that I was given and that I see given often by other writers. Perserverence. And write what you love or would like to read—because you are going to read it again and again in rewrites. It is also helpful if you can develop a thick skin to protect against the sting of rejection.

Have you ever had to start a book all over again after you are almost complete? 

Frequently, I go back to the beginning. I throw away a lot of pages getting to know the characters. I let the first draft of the book play like a movie in my head.

If you could live in one of your stories for just one day which would it be and why?

I am expecting rewrites on a novella from The Wild Rose Press under the working title Eden. I would choose to live for a day in this story. The hero is a gorgeous angel, wounded in battle, who falls to earth, into a woman’s arms and wants to stay with her.

What inspires you to write the stories you create? 

Usually one character walks on stage and tells me his or her story.  

Do any of your fantasies ever get put into a story?

Yes, in Black Swan, my vampire short, from The Wild Rose Press, the hero and heroine make love on the hood of a Z3. I have a Z3, so I guess that is one of my fantasies!

What is more sexy to you in a person?

Their carriage, composure and demeanor. I’m a sucker for a charming, confident man with a sense of humor.

Do you use mood music or candles?

I listen to music while I write, usually classical or show tunes on piano, and I always have a scented candle burning. Sometimes I add a glass of wine!

Do you need complete quiet to concentrate?

Yes. I am sure I have adult ADD and I am easily distracted, though not happily distracted.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Panster all the way. I let the characters tell me the story rather than plot, then if I don’t have a plot I PLOT.

Do you do a lot of research?

For my fallen angel novels, I did a ton of research, even met with a Jewish religious scholar in Florida. And for Hot Spanish Nights I had to research sherry, bullfighting and Andalusia, where the story is set.

Can you introduce us to your hero and heroine in “Hot Spanish Nights”?

Gladly! Damian, Erica, would you like to introduce yourselves?

Damian Xeres here. For centuries, my family has bred fine Andalusian horses and produced excellent sherry. I run both businesses for my father. I am also a rejoneador, a mounted bullfighter, and love the danger as well as the courage and training required of my stallion. If I hadn’t been the eldest son, perhaps, I would have been a scholar and teacher. As it is, I do teach classical horsemanship, and that is how I met the lovely Erica.

I’m Erica DeLongpre from the Virginia DeLongpre’s. I start Med School next year. It’s my dream to work in a hospital that offers indigent care. I went to Spain to study riding and buy a fine Andalusian stallion and met a sexy, handsome bullfighter who taught me a great deal about myself and my wants and needs. Damian is modest and didn’t mention that he is hot, hot, hot. I think you’ll agree when you crank the air conditioner down and read Hot Spanish Nights. 

Hot Spanish Nights features the Andalusian horse, the bullfighting horses of Spain. Can you tell readers about your connection to these beautiful creatures?

For many years, I bred, trained and showed Andalusians on my farm in South Carolina. This was before they became so very popular and plentiful. I imported my stallion from Costa Rica, and he was beautiful, arrogant and talented. He was twice National Champion stallion and many times champion under saddle. Bonito had lots of ‘tude. The Andalusian is a very versatile breed, talented for Haute Ecole (airs above the ground included). They are also noted as the bullfighting mounts in Spain, where they dance near enough a savage bull for the rejoneador to place a rose between the deadly horns! Proud, yet gentle, they are the perfect mount.

What do you hope readers take with them, after reading one of your stories?

I hope that I can submerge my reader into a story that she lives word by word, and when she is finished, surface on a gasp, sad that the experience is over.

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Mother. Writer. Romantic.

Any exciting upcoming news you’d like to share? 

I’m very excited that The Wild Rose Press, The Wilder Roses, will be releasing my fallen angel story. I don’t have a release date yet, and we haven’t settled on a title, but I’m delighted that Cam and Essie’s story will be told. They are both adorable characters. He’s an angel; she’s just Essie.

Where can fans get more information?

Both Bianca and I have web sites. On my web site, there are blurbs of all of my stories as well as Morgan’s Vampire Hunt. I’m on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. We take great pride in Bianca’s blog because we created it.

Thank you again for answering all my questions. I hope you had as much fun as I did.