Guest Author, Denyse Bridger

Today's guest is Denyse Bridger, whom I don't know personally, but admire very much, as I see her all over the place in cyberland and she sends me the most positive and uplifting email messages. She got her start in fan-fiction, and has published around 400 stories and novellas, which is something we can all admire and use to inspire us. She's also got a fascination with Italy and all things Italian, which is definately worth checking into. Welcome, Denyse, and thank you for being here with us today. Sorry I haven't yet figured out how to put that accent line on the last e of your name...

Hello, everyone, and thanks to Liana for having me as her guest!
I’m Denysé Bridger, and here’s a brief bio: I am a native of Atlantic Canada. I began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when I wasn’t creating in some artistic form. My first major fantasy novel is AS FATE DECREES. (Available in bookstores everywhere, and on Amazon.com – this novel was a finalist for the Prix Aurora Award 2008.) The novel relies heavily on Greek Mythology, and is set in Ancient Greece and modern Athens. At this point in my career, I’ve had published in the vicinity of 400 stories and novellas, in almost any genre you can name. My poetry has been published internationally, as well.

I am presently at work on several very exciting projects, many of which are inspired by my passion for the wonderful romantic love songs of Italy, and the wonderful men who have brought this music back to today's audience. To stay current with all these projects, or to just say hello, please feel free to email me anytime, there’s a contact link on the mail menu. I promise I will do my best to answer everyone, though it may take a day or two, so please be patient! Or, feel free to sign up for my monthly newsletter, which is called Romance and Fantasy. If you prefer to chat with me and other readers, the newsgroup is open to everyone. Denysé Bridger News.

What type of stories do you like to write and why?

I love to write all kinds of stories but pretty well all of them are romance related in some way. I mix genres up, combine them, have fun with it all. I also like elements of fantasy, and occasionally I have been know to merge those unlikely genres, as well. My first major release, As Fate Decrees, is a fantasy epic, but the backbone that drives the story is at core a romance. So, it works well. I like to write sensual romance, not hard-core erotica, though I’ve been known to do that as well a time or two. My favourite stories to write are those that are not so much sexual as they are sensual. The type of romance you see in Harlequin’s imprints, my favourite of which is the Presents line…. Alpha heroes, smart and savvy heroines, and beautiful, romantic settings.

What type of stories do you like to read and why?

I read all kinds of stories, authors vary, styles, moods. I like Victorian mysteries in the form of Sherlock Holmes, or Anne Perry’s novels set in Victorian London. I love Westerns, to read and to write, and to watch. Terry Brooks was my first real fantasy author, and I have read so much of his stuff since I discovered him with “The Sword of Shannara” back in ’77. I real romances all the time, various genres. Lucy Monroe is my favourite contemporary romances author, and I fell for Kathleen Woodiwiss back when she published “Shanna” and have read many books of hers since.
At the moment I am reading one of the most wonderful novels I’ve encountered in years: The Lost Diary of Don Juan. If you visit my blog, or the website for this amazing novel, you’ll quickly discover what the passion and magic is all about.

Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?

The inspiration for my current book came about in a very odd way. The man I love is from Italy, Rome exactly. We were chatting online one evening and I was watching “Van Helsing” – he mentioned he always wanted to be a vampire… I laughed and said maybe I’d turn him into a sexy vampire for my next book. We chatted more about it, and the idea began to fall into place, so “A Perfect Beauty” was created. If anyone wants a peek at it, there’s a nice excerpt on my blog, as well as a picture of the inspiration – he’s going to be the cover model for the book when it’s ready. This is the link: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/2008/07/meet-sebastiano-diadema.html

Where do you go to think?

Mostly, I find myself able to think when I’m alone, late at night. I write notes, or I work on my personal passion project, Amore Senza Confini. Other times, I go for a walk in the local park, and the calmness just settles in and allows my mind to wander.

How did you come up with your title and main characters’ names?

With the current novel, I didn’t – I asked Vincenzo to choose the names and the setting for the book. The title was an obvious one for me, so I didn’t ask him about that. Mostly, I tend to settle on a title, then consider the character names. I use Sherrilyn Kenyon’s fabulous Sourcebook a lot, too, especially for names from other countries. There’s a resource book no writer should be without!!!

How long did you write seriously before your first book was published?

That’s a difficult one, because so much of my earlier writing was all fan-fiction related, it’s sort of where I did my “training” and I was published about 400 or so times before I turned toward it as a serious venture. I always knew I would get to a place where I wanted to “go pro” but I was never sure how I wanted to do that. So, I keep honing my ability with the fiction, and occasionally tinkering with original material. My first short fantasy story was accepted and immediately won the Reader’s Choice Award in the magazine it was published in, and I was inspired by that to continue moving toward original material. The next “big” idea was a mythical tale that would marry an historical setting with a modern one, and the concept of “As Fate Decrees” was born. That shopped around for several years before being accepted by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publications. During that time, I won a contest spot that had me e-published for the first time, too. (That book is available now from Samhain Publishing, it’s called “Another Man’s Wife” and is an erotic western.)

Why do you write?

I think I write because it gives my voice the release it needs in many different areas. Writing is a privilege, and a gift if you’re good at it. To be able to entertain people with your vision, perhaps teach them something about themselves and their feelings, to just have fun and share passion of words and worlds… those are powerful things, and when readers respond and tell you how much they enjoy your efforts… that’s the best payoff there is – you know you’ve done your job when that happens!

Mostly, writing is about the passion… to share it, explore it, and give it a voice. To remind us that nothing is ever truly lost, and love is timeless… that’s why it’s always romance that calls me back. I belong to another era in my soul anyway, so it’s not really much of a stretch to write about a sweeter time, when men and women knew how to value each other in a gentler way than is often portrayed now. That shared belief is what created the book I’m writing with my partner, Amore Senza Confini. And everything else we’re creating together. It’s all based on old-fashioned ideals that should never really be old-fashioned or forgotten…

Current release is WHOM GODS HAVE FAVORED, a vampire historical, mildly erotic. It’s from Absolute XPress.

Coming next from Firedrakes Weyr Publishing, an epic fantasy/adventure romance. The cover model is my real-life love and partner.

http://www.firedrakesweyr.com/

My Links:

Website: http://www.denysebridger.com/
Newsgroup: http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/denysebridgernews
Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romanceandfantasy
Official Blog: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/
Amore Senza Confini Blog: http://amoresenzaconfini.blogspot.com/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/denysebridger