Interview & Giveaway with Rebecca Zanetti

Today we have a very special guest, Rebecca Zanetti, stopping by for an interview and a giveaway. I met Rebecca at Nationals in Orlando and I thought she was such a funny, sweet person that I just had to have her on the blog. Her debut novel, Fated, is out next week by Kensington Brava. You simply have to check it out.

Bio:
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories.  She resides there with her husband, children and extended family who inspire her every day.  Rebecca has completed several manuscripts, winning award throughout the writing industry for her work.  Recently she finished FATED, the first book of a vampire series, “The Dark Protectors,” which will be available February 22, 2011 from Kensington Publishing.

Fated looks like a very sexy read. What inspired you to write this novel? I’m guessing vampires aren’t roaming around Idaho…unless they really are and you’re just not telling anyone! 
If vamps were roaming around here, you’re right, I wouldn’t tell anyone!  This book wouldn’t leave me alone.  Everyone said not to write about vampires, that they were overdone.  So I wrote this one for fun, just for me to read once in awhile.  Then it sold.

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you wake up to the dulcet sounds of harps and float to your computer which miraculously turns itself on and opens your novel? Because I wish that’s how it is for me. 
HAHAHAHA.  On writing days I stumble out of bed, get the kids off to school and start drinking coffee with a chocolate protein shake mixed in.  Then I put on music, comfy socks and start writing.  Sometimes I forget that I haven’t really gotten dressed and end up opening the door to the UPS guy if he’s delivering stuff.  (Hopefully shoes).  He’s actually laughed out loud at me before.

What’s the best part of being a writer? Is it the paparazzi? Or the endless parties with A-list actors? If you see Gerard Butler, tell him to call me 😉 
The best part is that I can be as odd as I want.  You can’t be too ‘out-there’ as a lawyer, but it’s expected in writers.  The real ‘me’ gets to show up.  And if I see Gerard Butler, he’s busy.  I’ll call you later.

How many books do you plan in this series? I hope it’s a lot because I adore book series with lots and lots of books (but you have to write them fast because I’m a fast reader).
I have nine I’d like to write.  The heroine in FATED has a little girl named Janie who all the races want because she’s so gifted.  The last book is her book, and it all ties together. 

I had a chance to meet you at Nationals in Orlando (and y’all, Rebecca is like super sweet!), was that your first Nationals’ conference? What was the best part about it for you? 
My first Nationals was in D.C. the year before and I had just started writing.  I hadn’t joined any online chapters and didn’t know a soul.  So I went to the workshops, met people and spent the evenings watching movies and going through my stuff in my hotel room.  This year, I’d sold to Kensington and had joined several online chapters, so my nights were full.  It was fantastic to meet my online friends like my critique partner and your pal, Sayde Grace.  I also met a lot of new friends like you.  J This coming year I’ve applied to teach a workshop or two, so we’ll see what happens.

What do you do when you’re not writing sexy vampires and the women they love?  
I’m a lawyer teaching legal classes two days a week right now and I’m happily married with two kids in elementary school.  My husband, Tony, is pretty cool…and very supportive of this whole writing gig.  He’s outdoorsy so we spend some time snowmobiling in the winter and playing at the lake during the summer.  I bring my laptop.

What are your plans for the future? You know, other than having your book made into a movie with Gerard Butler as Talen? (Because I want to be on set…you have to let me be there!) 
Okay – truth time.  Dage Kayrs, who is the hero in CLAIMED, is all about Gerard Butler.  I had Gerard’s picture on my wall as I wrote that book…CLAIMED is Book 2 in the series and will be released in October.  Dage is the King of the Realm, the ultimate male…and who else would he be based on than Gerard Butler?

What’s your favorite movie and why? 
Life with Father.  It’s a goofy, true story set in the late 1800s (and filmed when Elizabeth Taylor was about 16) about a wife wanting her husband to get baptized.  Irene Dunne plays the wife.  Well, it’s more about their hilarious relationship.  But it’s hard to explain unless you see it.  If you’re sick, or down, or just need a smile…watch this movie.

And finally, the most important question of all: does Talen wear boxers, briefs, boxer briefs, or does he go commando?  
He goes commando…and I think that word is actually used in FATED. 

MARRY ME
Cara Paulsen does not give up easily.  A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter.  But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem…
OR ELSE
Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter.  He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire.  Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

I’d like to thank Rebecca for stopping by today. Her book will be out February 22, but you have a chance to win an ARC here today! To win, leave a comment pertaining to this burning question: Who is your favorite vampire of all time? (movies, or books)

P.S. I’m having a giveaway as well over at Jillian Chantal’s blog. Be sure to stop by for a chat!