Author Interview: Heavy Metal – Natalie Damschroder

We have Natalie Damschroder with us talking about her latest release, HEAVY METAL.  Help me in welcoming Natalie to Cocktails and Books.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a married mother of two…I can’t say “girls” anymore, as one just started college and the other just started high school. Ack! In addition to writing, I work as a part-time chiropractic assistant and a part-time freelance editor/proofreader. I grew up in Massachusetts but live in Pennsylvania. I love the New England Patriots, Harrisburg City Islanders, and popcorn.

How did you get your start as a writer? 

I’ve been a voracious reader since I was 4. In high school, I was told writing was my strength, but I hated writing and I hated the idea of doing what my mom did (she was a copywriter and novelist). In college, though, the whole “you’re good at writing” thing continued and I decided to try writing a romance novel, which I liked a LOT better than writing term papers. I never stopped.

What is your typical writing schedule like?

This question always makes me giggle. I wish I had something I could call “typical”! My ideal writing schedule is to get up, come straight downstairs with a cup of tea and launch into the writing, get my daily quota done by lunchtime or shortly thereafter, and spend the rest of the day with the promotional and administrative tasks that take up so much time and energy.

But typically, I cram writing in very short or complete marathon sessions around my day job, family requirements, and freelance work. Sometimes this means 5:00 a.m., sometimes midnight. Often, both.

Tell us about Heavy Metal.

Heavy Metal is book 2 of my Goddesses Rising trilogy. Riley Kordek is an orphan on the run, a goddess who never knew she was one until she came into her powers. She turns to Sam Remington, someone she thinks she can trust, to help her handle her new reality and navigate the world she’s found herself in. Along the way, they discover enemies who threaten far more than just Riley’s existence.

Where did the idea for the storyline come from?

In the first book, Under the Moon, Sam loses the woman he loves. I couldn’t let that stand very long! He needed someone who could be truly his. Of course, Riley seems all wrong for him at first. The last thing he wants is entanglement with another goddess in need.

What do you think readers will like/love about Riley and Sam?

It’s not hard to love Sam. He’s a do-gooder, smart, a bit cerebral but not afraid to get physical. And he has a LOT to get physical with, being 6-foot-four and powerfully built. Riley is scared, alone, vulnerable, all the things no one wants to be, but she has a core of strength that Sam helps her tap into. Like Sam, she won’t hesitate to do what’s right, even when it takes her places she never imagined she’d be.

What was your favorite scene from the book?

I loved any scene Nick and Sam are both in. Nick is the hero from Under the Moon, and I just have a thing about brotherly relationships (even though these guys aren’t brothers, they bicker and support each other like they are). But I also love a quiet, late-night moment between Riley and Sam, and what happens in a hotel room when he tends her injuries, and then there’s the big showdown…

Oh, wait! You said to pick one! Epic fail on that, sorry. LOL

What are three things about you that might surprise your readers?

I have a degree in geography and environmental studies. I’ve been married for 21 years to the only man who could be perfect for me. And I listen to podcasts about football when I’m driving or doing chores.

If you had to pick a favorite cocktail of choice, what would it be?  (It can be non-alcoholic too)

Brandy Alexander from Kirby’s in Lewistown, PA. I’ve never found it’s equal anywhere else!

What’s next for you?

We’re finishing up Sunroper, the final book in the Goddesses Rising trilogy, which will be out in December 2013. In the meantime, my first Entangled Ignite, A Kiss of Revenge (a romantic adventure novel), is scheduled for November, and another Ignite will be out in February. I’m working on the next books in my Soul series, as well. Anyone who is interested in keeping up with news of releases can subscribe to my newsletter (ow.ly/o2uPp ) or just watch my website, www.nataliedamschroder.com.

Thank you so much for having me today!

Book 2 in the Goddesses Rising Trilogy

The world is not what Riley Kordek imagined. On the run from those who’ve targeted her, all Riley wants is a chance to figure out her new ability to bend metal’s energy. When a hot guy who knows more than he should helps her escape her attackers, she thinks she might’ve found someone who can lead her to the answers she needs.

Three years ago, Sam Remington walked away from his employer and the woman he loved, and now, all he’s looking to do is fill the gaping hole left behind. Except, when Sam takes Riley to the Society for Goddess Education and Defense, the stakes rise beyond what either of them could have imagined.

After being alone for so long, falling for Sam would be far too easy—and far too painful, once his old flame calls needing his help. Worse, Riley uncovers a plot with disastrous ramifications not only for herself, but for Sam and the people he loves—and potentially every goddess in the country.

Heavy Metal
by Natalie J. Damschroder
Paranormal Romantic Adventure
Entangled Publishing, August 27, 2013
ISBN 13: 978-1622668908

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Natalie J. Damschroder is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, with an emphasis on romantic adventure. Her 11 novels, 7 novellas, and 15 short stories have been published by Avid Press, Echelon Press, and Amber Quill Press. She currently publishes romantic adventure with Carina Press and urban fantasy romance with Entangled Publishing. Her paranormal romance series, The Soul Series, is self-published.

Natalie grew up in Massachusetts, and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.) When she’s not writing, she does freelance editing and works part time as a chiropractic assistant. She and her husband have two daughters they’ve dubbed “the anti-teenagers,” one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)