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A Conversation with Tonya Burrows, Author of VISION OF DARKNESS (D.I.E. Squadron #1)

In case you missed it, you can read my review of Tonya’s newest book here. (Spoiler: I loved it!)

conversation

Welcome, Tonya! What 5 things should readers know about you?

5 things? Hmm. Let’s see. I’m a nerd. I’m an animal lover. I hate snow and cold. I’m a bit of a junk food junkie, which is not good for my waistline. I love roller coasters but hate ferris wheels. And finally, I’ve never been in the military, but I respect the men and women who serve, which is why I enjoy writing about them.

Ah…item #3 explains why you moved away from the WNY area! No six feet of snow in a day for you 😉

 

 

Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? 😉

Alex Brennan is my hero. He’s a former sniper who now works for the DEA and he refuses to believe in the paranormal despite his own latent psychic talents. Pru Maddox is my heroine. She’s a strong woman who went through some traumatic things and has returned to her hometown to piece her life back together. Only problem is someone or something wants nothing more than to pull her life apart. And if they were stranded on a desert island… Alex would want his gun. I think Pru would be a little less practical and want something with more sentimental meaning. Of course, if they were going to be stuck for a while, they’d probably need a stash of condoms because their chemistry is explosive!

LOL—yes they would, and yes it is!

 

 

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

A few places. At the time, I was working in a hospital that we were all convinced was haunted and that (re)sparked my interest in the paranormal. I started watching a lot of Ghost Hunters and when I saw the St Augustine Lighthouse episode, it creeped me out so bad, I knew I had to write about a haunted lighthouse.

Excellent answer! I know I can only watch so much Ghost Hunters before I stop being able to sleep.

 

 

How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?

I started writing at a very young age, but it wasn’t until my 8th grade literature teacher took an interest in my writing that I realized I wanted to be an author. She read everything I wrote and more importantly, she said she loved it although it probably sucked so hard. But it was the encouragement I needed and I haven’t stopped writing since.

English teachers FTW!

 

What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?

What do I like best? I get to work from home in my PJs surrounded by my pets and the only people I have to deal with are imaginary! Most challenging? Same thing. Seriously, though, I love that I get to spend my days in my own little world, but working from home can be tough. It’s hard to not get distracted by that pile of dishes in the sink or the unwatched shows on the DVR. Or Netflix. That place is a black hole for writers.

You know you’re doing hard core procrastination when housework is tempting…not that I know this from experience or anything.

 

 

What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?

Currently, I am working on edits for BROKEN HONOR, the 3rd book in my HORNET series, which releases on February 24, 2015. I’m also finishing up WILDE AT HEART, the 3rd book in my Wilde Security series. In the next year, I hope to release the last three books in Wilde Security series and also release the second D.I.E. Squadron book.

Yay! So much to look forward to 🙂

 

What authors and/or books have inspired you?

I love J.R. Ward. Love, love. I’ve use her Black Dagger Brotherhood as a sort of template for all of my teams (HORNET, D.I.E. Squadron). I also really admire Lisa Gardner. She started in this business at a young age and I’m just amazed by that.

I’ve got a new Lisa Gardner staring at me from my TBR pile right now…

 

 

What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts about it so far?

I just finished listening to Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye on audiobook. I loved it.  Oh man, I loved it. I just… loved it. Yeah, there’s not much more to say than that. Except maybe “read it!” I’m also reading Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker. I like the book, but I keep putting it down and not coming back to it for a few days. I don’t know why, but it’s taking me forever to get through it. Not because it’s a bad book. I think I’ve just been super distracted lately.

I love the Hard Ink series—audio, ebook, print; they’re all good!

 

 

If you had to “sell” this book in a single Tweet, what would you say?

Yeesh, I’m not a very good tweeter. Let’s see… I guess I would say something about a haunted lighthouse and sexy super soldiers and..yeah. Like I said, I suck at tweeting.

Hmmm…ahem. Maybe your old lit teacher could offer you some encouragement in that area? 😉

 

 

Thanks so much for having me here today!

Thank you for visiting!

 

 

Tonya BurrowsTonya Burrows.

Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she’s currently soaking up the sun as a Florida girl. She suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.

When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.

Connect with Tonya at: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Pinterest | GoodReads

 

VISION OF DARKNESS

vision of darkness

A beacon of light…

Undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan doesn’t believe in the paranormal, despite the exhausting nightmares that reveal things he shouldn’t know. When sleep deprivation causes him to make a horrible mistake on the job, he is driven to find answers. Dreams guide him to a lighthouse in Three Churches, Maine, where he finds an inexplicable and comforting familiarity in the arms of the lighthouse’s beautiful keeper, Pru Maddox.

 

A whisper of memory…

Deadly misfortune has long plagued Pru’s family, the result of a curse “The Green Lady” placed on the lighthouse. Skeptical, Alex searches for less ghostly explanations, though he can’t deny that the town has had more than its fair share of disappearances, suicides, and accidents. As their passion simmers, Alex digs deeper, and his dreams turn violent, frightening, and very real.

 

A vision of darkness…

To keep Pru safe, Alex must embrace his abilities and unravel the lighthouse’s mystery. Except someone—or something—wants the past to stay buried…and will do anything to keep it that way.

 

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Keep up with the tour by stopping by one of these fabulous sites:

Dec 1st ~ 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! and For the Love of Bookends

Dec 2th ~ CMB Writes

Dec 3th ~ MsRomanticReads

Dec 4th ~ Literary Treasure Chest

Dec 5th ~ Parajunkee’s View

Dec 8th ~ Becky on Books and Feeling Fictional

Dec 9th ~ I Smell Sheep and Read Your Writes

Dec 10th ~ Reading Between the Wines Book Club and Bibliophile Mystery

Dec 11th ~ Seeing Night Reviews

Dec 12th ~ Archaeolibrarian – I dig good books!

Dec 15th ~ Red Hot + Blue Reads

Dec 16th ~ Bea’s Book Nook

Dec 17th ~ Reviews by Crystal

Dec 18th ~ Becky on Books and Romance Junkies

Dec 19th ~ The La La Land of Books and Kit ‘N Kabookle

 

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