Guest Author, Randi Perrin

Welcome my guest today, Randi Perrin. Randi is for those of you who like a lot of romance sprinkled in with the supernatural stuff.

Randi has spent her entire life writing in one form or another. In fact, if she wasn't writing, she'd likely go completely and utterly insane. Her husband has learned to recognize when the voices are talking in her head and she needs some quality time with an empty Word file (the key to a successful marriage with a writer).

She lives with her husband, daughter, and four-legged children (all of which think they are people too).  

A pop culture junkie, she has been known to have entire conversations in movie quotes and/or song lyrics.

Interview

1. Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Randi Perrin and I write paranormal romance. So, yeah, happily ever afters and all that jazz. BUT… that’s not without a little bit of miracle, death, and battles against evil first.

My current series is the Earthbound Angels series, and the second book, Promises of Virtue released on February 2. This series is a brand new take on angels and demons. But (fair warning to a young Fred Savage) at the heart of the story, it is a kissing book. So is its predecessor, Virtue of Death, which released last summer.

2. Tell us something about how you write? i.e. are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have any weird or necessary writing habits or rituals?

First of all, let me tell you that I hate the term pantser, which is really sad because that’s exactly what I am. I have tried to do the plotting thing—down to the chapter level: this will happen, then this, then this. Every time I tried that, my characters looked at my plot, shoved it to the floor with an angry swipe of their hands and said, “No. This is what we’re going to do instead.” Since my characters like to take over, I’ve learned to just let them.

I think one of the biggest things is that there’s not a single piece I’ve written that was done in order. I simply can’t do that. I think it has to do with the characters running the asylum; there are just some times a character speaks louder than another so I have to hop to that character’s part of the story. (Jamie’s note: I understand you there, sister. Sometimes, they just won’t be quiet.)

3. Do you think people have misconceptions about the speculative fiction? Why do you think it is a worthwhile genre?

I think a lot of people tend to completely misunderstand the term speculative fiction. It’s a rather broad, all-encompassing term. But some hear the term speculative fiction and think it’s just science-fiction futuristic Matrix-type stuff or dystopian apocalyptic stuff. I think, at face value, some people don’t realize that it also includes fantasy, paranormal, superheroes, and even horror. Anything that requires imagination and speculation as opposed to reality. I am a particular fan of those that can effectively merge speculative elements into reality seamlessly, which is something I have tried (and hopefully achieved) with my Earthbound Angels series.

4. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

Promises of Virtue picks up the day after Virtue of Death left off, and Cheryl (who was the snarky secondary character in Virtue) is off to France to visit the Louvre. She endured a huge change at the end of the first book, and she’s still coming to grips with that. Then she meets Luc, who is hot, he paints, and he’s got secrets. Secrets that may bring them closer, may drive them apart, or may cost him his wings.

5. What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?

Fans. People who actually say, “I’m a fan of your writing,” and mean it. Complete strangers who say that. It’s humbling and mind-blowing. I had a review by a complete stranger who described my writing as “superb,” and I almost broke down into tears. I never in a million years thought I’d ever hear things like that. It’s things like that which keep me going amid the times I go crazy trying to cover all the social media bases, enduring the one-star reviews, and the times I feel like giving up and wondering why I did this in the first place.

6. Titles have always been extremely difficult for me. How do you come up with yours?

Titles are the hardest part for me. Virtue of Death (the first in the Earthbound Angels series) had three or four absolutely horrid titles before I landed on the one that stuck. Honestly, I have the second book, Promises of Virtue to thank because I actually landed on that title (before I even started the book) and then came up with the title for the first one.

It’s stressful though. Here are 74,000 words that tell this amazing story, and now you want me to condense it down into two or three catchy words? It’s a special form of torture. Because writers are masochists. (Jamie’s note: We are, aren’t we? I’m also a bit of a sadist. I love to torture my characters.)

7. Tell us a little about your plans for the future.  Do you have any other books in the works?

I always have other books in the works. Finding the time to write them is always a challenge.

I’m in the process of getting the third Earthbound Angels book finished up and submitted to my publisher, so that will be coming in the future. I have some die-hard fans that hate the idea that the third book will wrap up the series, so I’m not going to say never. But the third one will be it for now.

I have another paranormal romance in the to-be-written pile that will be epic: vampires, shifters, angels, griffons, oh my!

Where can we find you online?

Blog: http://randiperrin.wordpress.com\

Website: https://randiperrin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/randiperrinwrites

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RandiPerrin

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/randiperrin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RandiPerrin

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RandiPerrin

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/randiperrinwrites

Promises of Virtue

Love has never been Cheryl Brigham’s plan. She’s not cut out for second dates, relationships, or happily ever afters.

All that changes when she’s on vacation in Paris. First dates lead to second dates, which leads to a whole lot more than she ever bargained for—but she knows it's all over when she returns home. That’s okay with her.

Until it’s not.

When it’s no-strings-attached, what will Cheryl do when her heart gets tangled up?

Excerpt

“Are you an angel?”

Luc nodded. “Yes, I am, but shhh”—he put his finger to his lips—“that’s our secret.”

“Then where’s your halo?”

He chuckled and pondered how to answer, seeing as how, as an angel, he was incapable of lying. If ever an angel didn’t deserve a halo, it was Luc. He’d spent his entire eighteen years as an angel riding the line between wrong and right, doing what was asked of him while bending the rules as far as they’d go without breaking them and losing his powers.

“Not all angels have halos,” he said. Not a lie. No earthbounds had halos.

Virtue of Death

At eighteen, Sera Moore chose to go to culinary school while a higher power selected her to become an angel, specifically, an angel of death.

Now, twelve years later, Sera’s a successful baker during the day and performs her angelic duties at night. The only thing missing in her life is a man, but the last thing she wants is to fall head over wings in love. It seems her relationships are unable to survive once she reveals her nighttime activities, so it’s easier to not even bother.

But when a tenacious food critic won't take a hint, can Sera lower her wings long enough to risk her heart one more time?

Excerpt

“Can you believe it took twelve years before we were assigned a job together? I would swear those dominions, particularly Michael, would plan better than this.”

“Honestly, Sera, our dominions are doing Gabriel’s bidding by bossing us around. They don’t get a say in much. We get a say in even less. It’s all kind of crappy when you think about it. Humans are given free will, but what about us?” Anger grew with each word out of her mouth, and she twisted her face into a frown.

“We started out human, remember? We have the choice to remain divine.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered what life would have been like had we just received normal gifts for our eighteenth birthdays instead of wings and divine powers? Maybe we’d have even escaped this flipping town.” The two had been best friends since they turned eight, when they bonded over a shared birthday. That bond only grew stronger after they were gifted their wings on the same night ten years later.

“First of all, I’m happy here. Virginia Beach is all I know. Second, we were chosen, Cheryl. Doesn’t that count for something?” Sera’s eyes glistened with tears.

“Doing this with you counts for everything,” Cheryl said as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. “Have you ever thought about it? It’s almost a sick joke to take humans and say, ‘Here, have some cool powers, but don’t abuse them. You’re doing the bidding of a higher power.’”

“You want a sicker joke? Take that newly-created angel, still uneasy on her wings, and tell her she is responsible for collecting her parents’ souls.”

If she's caught your interest, you can buy her books by clicking below: