Meet Author Anita Clenney and Embrace a Highland Warrior?

Ready for some steamy Scotsmen? (Well, duh.) I’m happy to welcome author Anita Clenney to the blog today. Anita’s USA-bestselling Awaken the Highland Warrior was one of my favorite paranormal romance reads in recent months, and on Nov. 1 she released the second book, Embrace the Highland Warrior (which can be read as a standalone). Anita writes from her home in Virginia, and you can learn more about her from her website, www.anitaclenney.com. You can also find her on Twitter at @anitaclenney or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/anitaclenneyAUTHOR.

Read on to meet Anita and comment for a chance to win one of two copies of Embrace the Highland Warrior!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

            They were driven apart by a timeless secret…

Cody MacBain let the woman of his destiny slip away. A member of an ancient clan of Scottish warriors, he grew up beside Shay Logan as her secret protector, but his heart compelled him to become more. Until Shay’s true identity was revealed, and the fated pair’s chance was gone…

                  But danger will drive them back into each other’s arms…

Shay fell for the boy next door, suspecting nothing of the ancient secrets he guarded. After a stinging betrayal, she’s determined to banish the memories of her first love forever. But the past can’t let go, and the boy she once loved has returned to her a warrior determined to protect her from the unspeakable evil fate has planned…

Welcome, Anita! First—congratulations on the (well-deserved) success of Awaken the Highland Warrior! Tell us a little about the new one, Embrace the Highland Warrior—something the official blurb doesn’t tell us.

Thanks so much! Embrace the Highland Warrior continues with the Connor Clan and wraps up some of the mysteries introduced in Awaken the Highland Warrior, but it will also uncover a lot more. I love mysteries. I’ll tease you with this; there are some big surprises in Embrace the Highland Warrior.

Was writing the second book harder than the first—or do you have a grand master plan mapped out in your head of where the series is going?

I do have a plan for the series, but the interesting thing is that Embrace was the first story I ever wrote, but it wasn’t paranormal then. About six months later, I started Awaken, which was paranormal. When I got an agent, she knew right away that Awaken would be the one to sell. I knew this was a series, and it occurred to me that the first manuscript actually belonged with the series. I had to tweak it…Who am I kidding? I had to major overhaul it to make it paranormal, but basic story structure was already there. So the first manuscript became the second book and the second manuscript became the first book.

How much do you rely on research into traditional mythology for your characters, and how much of your world do you build from scratch?

Most of my world is in my head, but I do believe some is based on reality. Michael the Archangel, for instance, and I do believe there is evil in this world, and a lot of it is hiding in plain sight.

What did you do when Awaken the Highland Warrior hit the USA Today bestseller list?

I was very excited, and I also found out that I hit the New York Times bestseller list for ebook fiction. What a dream come true for someone who had no notions of writing until six years ago.

Who is your favorite author? What do you read for fun?

Diana Gabaldon is one of my favorites. But for fun, nothing beats Janet Evanovich and Kristan Higgins.

If you could be a preternatural creature, what would you want to be?

Ooh, I think I might like to be a warrior with super powers. Or a ghost who could travel through time. How about a ghostly warrior with super powers who could travel through time?

What’s next after Embrace the Highland Warrior?

I’ve got a lot on my plate. This series, a new paranormal series, a cozy mystery. So little time…

Thanks, Anita! Want to win a copy of Embrace the Highland Warrior? Leave a comment, and you know the rest of the drill. One entry for comment, another for blog follow, a third for a Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and a fourth for a Tweet or Retweet. Be sure to include your email. Now...Go forth and comment!