Pleast Give a Warm Welcome to Donna Shields.

Welcome to Cheryl’s place!  I’m thrilled to have you here.

1. Please tell us a little about yourself. It’s so great being here Cheryl. Thanks for having me. I’m a mom of six and a Gramma of two. I live in the beautiful Upstate, South Carolina. I’m a pretty busy gal with my writing, a full time normal paying job (Warehouse Receiver), I co-own a motorcycle repair shop with my husband, and we’re working on opening another business-an auction site. 
   
   That's cool.  I have friends in South Carolina and my husband and I make a trip there every summer.
   
   
2. What is your favorite pastime, other than writing? Reading! When we lived in CT, I enjoyed spending time with my mom and sisters playing cards such as Phase 10 and International Rummy. Also, my husband and I would take the kids camping, hiking, and four wheeling.
   
   
3. When did you first get the writing bug? In 6^th grade. My English teacher gave us an assignment where we had to write a short story with all the major elements. I instantly fell in love with writing right then.
   
   
4. Any advice for new writers just starting out? Learn, learn, learn. Knowledge is a powerful thing, especially in writing. I guarantee you’ll always learn something new, something helpful. Also, never give up. Never stop writing, even with rejections.

5. What is a typical writing day for you? Because of my full time job and the motorcycle shop, I squeeze in writing wherever I can, usually at night or on the weekends. A typical Saturday would be two cups of coffee and then I can focus!
   
   
6. What genre or genres do you write? I write paranormal romance and romantic suspense.
   
   My Favorite!
   
   
7. Do you see yourself trying any another genre in the future and if so which one? I would love to in the future. I want to try my hand at steampunk. One of my critique partners writes this and I find it fascinating.
   
   
   
8. What makes your hero special?  He has come a long way from the young kid he had been. He’s battled and conquered his alcoholism and his selfish pride becoming a strong mature man.
   
   
9. What makes your heroine special? She has undergone some changes recently even before Aly is kidnapped, but this one event causes her to realize she’s much stronger and independent then she’d believed.
    
10. Tell us about your latest release? Secrets of Jenkins Bridge is Katherine and Mitchell’s story. They were high school sweethearts when tragedy struck causing a chain of events leading to Mitchell leaving town before he could find out he was going to be a Daddy. Years later, he has returned hunting down a dangerous mob boss who turns out to be a silent partner of Mitchell’s father. Katherine and Mitchell’s daughter is kidnapped and Katherine’s run off the road. Mitchell races against the clock to find their daughter and save her before it’s too late.
    
    That sounds like a good one.  I'll have to pick it up.
    
    
11. Please share an excerpt of your book! 
    
    
    Hunting down a dangerous mob boss has brought FBI agent Mitchell Donovan home, reawakening an old flame, resurrecting a dead best friend, and discovering fatherhood. As if those aren’t enough, his new case will push everything else aside: finding the kidnappers who took the daughter he never knew he had.
    Katherine Delaney never forgot the heartbreak Mitchell had caused with his abrupt departure all those years ago. With her dead ex-husband accused of murder and her daughter kidnapped, she will place her trust in the one man who could trample her heart again if she gets too close. But, will the resurrection of Katherine’s ex-husband and Mitchell’s chase for a killer destroy their second chance at love and happiness?

 

12. What book are you reading now? Patricia Cornwell’s Port Mortuary (Scarpetta series).
    
    
13. What inspired you to write your latest story? I’ve always enjoyed the reunion type romances but I wanted suspense involved in mine. I’m a sucker for suspense. The more twists, the better for me. I figured what better way to turn it up a couple notches by having their teenage daughter kidnapped and bringing them close together once again?
    
    
14. What’s your current WIP? Boneknapper, a paranormal romantic suspense. It’s about my hero, a doctor, who has a Voodoo curse placed on him due to a small boy’s accidental death and the doctor couldn’t save the boy’s life. Enters my heroine, a detective, when graves are desecrated including the doctor’s father. In each of the four graves, a pinky bone is missing. The hero and heroine are thrown into the world of Voodoo as the hero only has about a week to save himself from certain death.

15. Tell us what excites you about writing and getting published. I love to spin a tale. I like every aspect of it – character development, throwing them into crazy senarios and see how they react and if they can survive, my heros and heroines falling in love despite fighting it tooth and nail. And having my book published for the world to see is both exciting and scary.
    
    
16.  Do you prefer your men in boxers, briefs or commando? Well, that’s easy. I prefer commando, but since most men won’t, I’ll take the briefs.
    
    
17. And finally, where can we stalk you?

At my blog: http://donna-realworldwriting.blogspot.com

On facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/shieldsdonna

On Twitter: @Donna_Shields

On SMP’s Author Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

Thanks for visiting with us today, Donna.  It was nice to get to know you and to learn more about the Secrets of Jenkins Bridge.