Release Blitz and Interview: Illicit by Cathy Clamp (A Novel of the Sazi)

When a border dispute between two bear clans destabilizes shapeshifter relations throughout Europe and threatens to reveal their existence to humans, the Sazi High Council orders both sides to the negotiation table. The peace talks take place in Luna Lake, the American community where all shifter species–wolf, cat, bird, bear, and more–live in harmony. 
Diplomats, their families, and security personnel stream into town, among them Dalvin Adway, a Wolven agent. Dalvin is startled to find Rachel Washington in Luna Lake. The last time he saw her, they were children in Detroit. Then she was kidnapped and, he thought, murdered. But Rachel became an owl-shifter as a result of the attack and has avoided family and old friends ever since, knowing they would not understand her . She’s stunned to see Dalvin and learn that he, too, is an owl-shifter.
Their wary friendship is on the brink of becoming something more when conspiracy and betrayal cause the peace talks to break down. The fight between the bear clans will be settled through a form of traditional challenge–a risky tactic that might lead to full-blown war. Rachel is determined to prevent that, even if it means taking up the challenge herself!

Interview:

Q: How did you do research for your book?

A: Research for the books is always one of my favorite parts of writing! When I decided to update the series, I really thought hard about where people would go to be protected from snakes. I looked all over the country for big swaths of land where predators could hunt and not be noticed. Washington State was ideal! Not only is eastern Washington sparsely populated, there are Native American reservations nearby that could have been ancestors of the Sazi.  As I start to write, I often have to look up strange little things.  In the November 1st release, ILLICIT, I didn't know much about either owls or bears, but they were the primary characters!  I did everything from reading about characteristics (food, shelter, personalities) and watched videos of them hunting for inspiration. One scene shows two of the bears "fighting" and it's the heroine, Rachel, who notices that they aren't showing their gums when they bite or shaking the other bear, so they're probably just wrestling for fun. Without researching, I would have never known that!

Q: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

A: Oh, everywhere! I especially like archaeology magazines. There's so much being discovered every day about the past and mysteries are on every page. One thing that really caught my eye years ago was archaeologists who discovered a temple that was built on top of another temple, and another and another. At the bottom, they discovered a very small room that was sealed. The outside of the room was entirely painted with red ochre. Why? What could possibly be so special to have so many layers and be painted red (which is no small feat by hand!) It became my inspiration for the Quetzalcoatl (winged serpent) that became the villain in SERPENT MOON, the final book of the original Sazi series.

Q: Do you have another profession besides writing?

A:  I do! I'm actually a real estate paralegal for a title company. I dearly love the legal field and real estate is another source of my inspiration for books. There are so many stories and schemes told in the form of deeds and corrections. Very fun stuff!

Q:  Do you write every day?

A: Actually, no. I'm what I call a "binge writer." I simply can't get into the story with only an hour or two to write. I literally sit down and write for 8-10 hours when I finally do. So, I tend to write on the weekends, since I have a day job.

Q:  Favorite meal?

A:  Spaghetti and meat balls! No question. I would have it every day given the choice. LOL!

Q: What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

A:  The funniest thing that ever happened to me was meeting my husband of 28 years. He was working as a cook at a restaurant in the town where I lived, and my roommate worked a different shift at the same restaurant.  One of the waitresses on the morning shift quit and she asked if I could fill in for the person. I really hadn't ever worked as a waitress before but said if it was okay with the managers, I'd take a swing at it. They were happy just to have a warm body in the position for the day (and frankly, I wasn't much more THAN a warm body! LOL!) The whole morning, I felt like everyone was talking about me behind my back. It was really starting to annoy me so I decided to take my lunch period and calm down. The cook came in to the break room and closed the door. He told me that he was the reason everyone was whispering. Apparently, they had all decided that we would make a perfect match!  It was the first time I'd literally talked to him, since he'd been cooking. He apologized and said he would do his best to tell people to shut up. He was also annoyed because he thought everyone was being childish. We got to talking and it turned out that everyone was RIGHT! We had everything in common. He asked me out by the end of my lunch hour and we've been together ever since! Love at first sight really happens and sometimes other people can spot it before you do.  :D

I hope you all enjoy ILLICIT, which is a very similar tale of love at first sight that just won't go away. Thanks for letting me drop by!

You are very welcome and if this sounds like something you'd like to read you can go here and purchase it. Me personally I love The Sazi books and I've read everyone of them. This one is next up to read as soon as I've finished my current read.