Welcome Author AJ Hampton to Love Romances and More. I am thrilled to have you here and look forward to hearing about your newest book, TEMPTING SIN.  

Please tell us a little about yourself and what you do when not writing. 

I’m a very normal, sometimes off the wall goofball! I love having fun, laughing (the laughter normally comes at my expense), and playing board games. I grew up with a family of gamers, so it’s all I know! We are a fiercely competitive bunch so there is rarely ever a dull moment when we get together.  

I got so excited once during a basket ball game I shouted, “He got stuffed like an Easter chicken!”  I know *shakes head* doesn’t make a lick of sense – but then again, that’s me! Its not a famous quote amongst my fam-dam.  

I grew up in southern California – still live there – but I’ve tried out Arizona and Missouri. It didn’t take long to realize so Cal is the place for me.  

When I’m not writing, which these days seems to be all the time, I’m taking care of my three boys (one being my husband!)  

Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer? 

My biggest influence comes from everything I read! I’m the type of person that learns through experience. The more I read and study how other authors combine words and sentence structures, the better my own writing gets. I’m far from “getting it” but I’m working hard at creating my own unique style.  

Your work is very popular with readers and reviewers; how does it feel to have such positive recognition for your work?

OMG - amazing!!! I was SO totally terrified of getting my first review. “Holiday Nectar” was the first thing I ever published and I was really ready to be torn into. I was very surprised when I got nothing but kind words. So far things have gone well for me and I’ve managed to find reviewers/readers who enjoy the type of books I write.  

And while positive praise totally rocks, I’m well prepared for the criticism. I think it’s a very real and very valuable lesson in writing. I can only hope to learn from my mistakes and make sure I don’t repeat them. (Not that I WANT bad reviews mind you…)  

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story? 

Character, character, character. If you can’t nail the characters and portray them the way you’ve envisioned the entire story falls flat (IMO). I also think blending erotic elements with the plot is key. I love, love, love erotica – but, I also want there to be a point to the mindless lust.   

Do you have a strict writing schedule? How do you balance your personal and writing time? 

My writing schedule is as willy-nilly as I am, lol. I have a new born and a two year old at home so finding time to check my email has been a challenge. I do try and wake up at least an hour and a half early. It gives me some quiet time to drink a cup of coffee, write and/or plot.   

Being a newly published author, who or what has been the biggest influence on your work?  Who or what has been your biggest support?   

I am driven by almost every author I meet. I look up to so many people I can’t even begin to name them all (my luck I forget a few!). I really just admire all the other writers who are out there trying to promote and pouring their souls into their fiction. I have a few friends who’ve stuck with me through my journey and they help more than I’ll ever be able to tell them! They push me, read my crappy first drafts and encourage me to keep plotting.  

Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements? 

I think I said somewhere before how I value my characters. Without characters there can be no plot. I try to use my characters to show the story, not just tell it. Balancing it… always tricky, but that is the way of a writer.  

TEMPTING SIN is a wonderful ménage shifter vampire story. Can you tell us a little about Amelia and her two men: Kieran and Brendon? Are they based on anyone you know or all from your imagination? Will there be a follow up book or is this a stand alone? 

Amelia is a woman with a dark past and a dark lover. Meeting Brendon showed her a light she didn’t know was possible. Tempting Sin is about the mix between her lovers, Kieran & Brendon – one light and one dark.  

The story though, isn’t as much about Amelia as it is about Brendon’s journey and what he’s willing to give up. Someone once told me that they liked the concept of the hero in the story giving up his mortality for a woman and not the other way around.   

When I first think of a story, the characters are based on faces I see all around me. A TV show, the grocery story, a magazine… once I start writing – the characters start to take shape. Descriptions change, personalities develop… it just sort of happens without me knowing it.  

This will be a stand alone book, but, I’d really like to write more short, erotic novellas that have a similar feel. I’m a glutton for dark, gritty romances.  

AJ, can you tell us how you created TEMPTING SIN? How long did it take to write it and what inspired it? 

Tempting Sin was originally thought of over a manip a friend on a loop made. “The devil tempts us, we tempt him not” was the quote she used on her picture. Like a light bulb going off in my head, I knew Kieran was the devil! (A very sexy one!)  

From there… it just went up in a ball of flames. I wrote this entire piece standing up at my counter. My hand was numb and my notebook was full when it was over. I NEVER write by hand, so it was an interesting process. Typing it up… it was a challenge since it came out in a totally different POV then I normally write.  

In the original version, I had a very dark ending. The HEA ending was there… kind of, it just had to be more “realized.”  

I must admit, the real magic didn’t happen until the CP editor got a hold of it!  

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why? 

Well, I’d be Cassidy Keller. You haven’t met her yet, but you will. It’s a part of what I loosely call the “Umbra Moon Series.” A shape shifter, a mage, she totally kicks ass! I really do love women who are independent and free thinkers. On a more serious note, Cassidy is level headed, doesn’t let people walk over her; I admire that. Even in the face of adversity, she prevails.  

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?  

Well – my characters develop themselves. I have very little to do with it. I don’t character plot, I just write. Before I know it they are listening to Led Zeppelin and spitting out Dr. Pepper because they hate it!  My favorite character has been Kayden Gray (Bending to Break). It was a challenge to make her just this side of snarky without making her a total bitch. Yes, she’s a bitch, but she’s got motive.  

I always find it challenge to develop my male characters. I focus so much attention on one person it can be hard to think about anything else.  

When you have writer's block how do you break free? 

Break free? I feel like a f**king mime trapped in a box at the moment. If anyone finds a really good cure for writers block email me at: aj_hampton@hotmail.com. LOL. I think you just have to write through it. Erase that blank page syndrome. You can always revise later. I seem to forget that a lot.  

If we looked on your bookshelves, what authors would we see and who are your favorites? 

Laurell Hamilton & Charlaine Harris – the only books I really keep around for re reading. I am not a fan of re reading books, but, with these, I can and will keep doing so until I have them memorized!  

Your website is wonderful. Can you tell us if you do all the work or if you have someone keep it up to date?  

I SO wish I could take credit for the beauty that is my site. It’s a template! But, I did have to learn Flash to edit it. A html site would have been much easier… but I went with pretty.  

Where can readers go to let you know how much they enjoyed your books?

You wrote some wonderful paranormal stories. Is there a genre that you would like to try your hand at in the future? 

Readers can ALWAYS email me at aj_hampton@hotmail.com. I love hearing from people. I’d really like to write some suspense/murder mystery stuff. Of course, I’d keep the sex in there somewhere, lol.  

Where are you published and what is coming from you in 2008? 

Currently I’m published at Cobblestone Press and Cacoethes Publishing. I do, however, have my sights set on Loose Id – their covers and books are amazing! I’d be honored if I could be apart of their family. In 2008 I hope to publish some short shape shifting novellas as well as a vampire one.  

I have plans for trilogies, but considering its April and I haven’t even finished book one… well, look for those in 2009. 

For fun: you won a Celebrity date of your choice. Who would you pick and what would you do? 

I’m going to go with Kate Beckinsale – two reasons 1) I’m a married a woman and not a lesbian – I wouldn’t be tempted to cheat on my hubby. 2) Her accent rocks and she’s gorgeous! I’d make Kate play board games and drink beer with me *grin* 

Thanks AJ for coming and chatting with us at Love Romances & More this month. I enjoyed Tempting Sin and can’t wait for more from you. Please add anything else you feel the readers would enjoy knowing. 

The only other thing I have to add is my links! Come find me, I swear I play nicely with others!! 

Website: http://www.ajhampton.com

Blog: http://www.myspace.com/ajhampton

Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AJ_Hampton/