Guest Author Zena Wynn....& Giveaway!

Today I welcome my guest author Zena Wynn to my blog in celebration of her newest release THE QUESTION which is set to release July 27th. Zena was wonderful enough to take time out and answer some questions about her life and her writing & as I am a true fan of Zena's work and True Mates Series and I am looking forward to this latest release from Zena, THE QUESTION which a contemporary romanace involving two best friends, Gail Henderson & Crystal Al Jabbar asking a very difficult question (& favor)........ What Would You Be Willing to do for a Friend?

SNIPPET: "What would you do for a friend? What sacrifice would you willingly make? This is the issue facing Gail Henderson when her best friend, Crystal Al Jabbar, asks her to be a surrogate for her and her husband Rashid, using Gail's own egg. Complicating the decision is Gail's recent loss of her husband and toddler son in a fatal car accident, two years earlier. After much contemplation, Gail reluctantly agrees. Her decision sets off a chain of events none of them could have anticipated."


I am a fly on your wall today, what would I see in the day of Zena?
You would have seen me struggling to get up this morning after staying up until 2 am reading Nalina Singh’s newest paranormal book. Then driving to work with my sixteen-year-old daughter trailing behind me in her car to where we’re both employed (she’s doing a summer hire program). This evening I’ll go home, eat, and go into my room with the laptop to get some more work done one of the three WIPs I’m working on.

Are any of your personality traits & life experiences in your writing?
A lot. I try not to but life experience always leaks into the story. It can be a curve ball I throw at the heroine or one of her reactions to a certain situation.

If someone were writing a story about Zena, what type of character would describe you?
Interestingly enough I do have a three book series I’m writing that the heroine is me – my thoughts, my feelings, my personality. It’s my only inspirational, The Apology, from Red Rose. The Apology is based on an experience that really happened in my life. Readers wanted more from “Nina” so I expanded her story to include New Beginnings, which details Nina’s new romance with Roberto, the hero, and my current WIP, Worth Fighting For. Sometimes it’s difficult because I have to do a lot of soul searching to see if that’s really how I would react in the situations I create for my character.

For you, what is the hardest part of writing a novel? Concept, Characterization, Plotting, Writing the story, Synopsis/Query letter writing, etc.
Editing, without a doubt. The part where the story I’ve put my heart and soul into gets ripped apart, criticized, and then put back together. Writing it’s easy, if time consuming. I’m a panster, so as I write ideas come to me. My beta readers say you can never predict where I’m going with a story and the reason is because until I write it, I don’t have a clue either.

Can you tell us a little about your newest release THE QUESTION?
The Question is about two women who have been friends since their preteen years, Gail and Crystal. Crystal supported Gail when she lost her husband and toddler son in a traffic accident two years earlier, and Gail has hurt with Crystal through everyone of her five miscarriages. When Crystal asks Gail to be a surrogate for her and her husband Rashid, she agrees even though her intuition is warning her not to do so. What happens next? Well, you have to read the book. I can tell you this is not your typical surrogate steals the husband storyline.

Why were you inspired to write about this theme of inter-racial/cultural surrogacy?
I knew my heroine would be black. It just felt right. Crystal had to be blonde. Rashid’s nationality of an American of Arabic descent took me by surprise, but I always loved those desert sheik romances growing up so it rubbed off on me. Just for fun, I brought in another main character, Greg, who’s also Caucasian. I won’t tell you his role in the story but he’s essential to the plot.

You have mentioned the idea for THE QUESTION came to you from the biblical account of Sarah, Abraham, and Haggai (book of Genesis) and that you are a devout Christian, do your beliefs play a large part in your writing?
Definitely. Because of it I have rules I write by, storylines you’ll never see me publish. I’m not into angels and demons as hero/heroines. I don’t write about pagan faiths so you won’t see any Wiccans, etc. featured in my stories. All of my hero/heroines are married and I don’t promote adultery.

What would you Zena be willing to do for a friend?
A lot, which is why I’m very careful of who I call friend. I can be extremely soft-hearted and like my character Gail, would probably make the same decision as she even knowing that it could turn into heartache for me, simply because my friend was hurting and I wanted to do something to help.

Where do you draw your characters personalities?
I’m a big student of psychology, particularly the Greek personality types. I like knowing what makes people tick. Once I figure out what type of personality I want my characters to have, the rest is easy. From studying, I have a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses and I maneuver circumstances in the plot to bring those elements out.

Why Erotic romance?
I think love should be passionate. Nothing about a married couple’s sex life should be mediocre, unless that’s the way they want it to be. I don’t think they have to swing from chandeliers, but they should work to keep the fire burning and not let it die out. If my books help in some small way, then I’m grateful.


Do you feel that more authors should incorporate multi cultural/racial couples in their writing?
I think you should write what you like and what you know. I write IRs because I’m a black female. That’s my existence. My heroes are white (or other ethnicities other than black) because while growing up, that’s what I read. Also, I’m a bit jaded toward the men of my race. There are good black men out there, but my experiences with them haven’t been. So, when I think of HEA for my characters and committed men that don’t cheat, black is not what comes to mind.

What books do you enjoy reading? Who are your MUST HAVE authors?
I really love paranormal (shifter/vampire) type romances. Current favorite authors include but are not limited to: Shelly Laurenston, Cythia Eden and Crystal Jordan (both new), Lora Leigh’s original breed series with EC, some Jory Strong, LHK’s Anita Blake series, anything by Jane Ann Krentz, and many, many more.

What was the first romance book you read and how did it effect you?
That was so long ago I really don’t remember, unless you count the Disney Princess’s movies. That’s when I first became intrigued by the idea of falling in love with a handsome prince and all of my troubles going away.

If you were not writing, what would you be doing?
That’s easy. Reading.

If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?
Why do you like my books?

***** GIVEAWAY****

Also, as a Thank You to her fans Zena is giving away copy of THE QUESTION to one lucky winner.... all you have to do is leave a comment and your e-mail for me to contact you. Winner will be chosen Monday July 27th. Good luck!