Interview with Poppy Dennison, Author of Mind Magic

1.       LOL!! Hey, Poppy!! OMW! Okay, so I love your name and your site, but I HAVE to find out more about this door. What happened?

I was at my best friend’s great grandmother’s house (which we were convinced was haunted). My best friend wouldn’t go upstairs in the house because she’d felt creepy things and she wouldn’t go downstairs into the basement either. Me? I was intrigued! Heck yes, take me to the dark and creepy basement. But alas, I wouldn’t go by myself and she wouldn’t go with me! Instead we decided to explore the barn while her dad worked in the orchard.

Bright summer day, not a cloud in the sky. We wander out toward the barn laughing and carrying on about the ghosts when all of a sudden, we hear this weird rumble.  At first, we thought it was the tractor or something. We looked around and the huge barn door (it was at least 12 feet high and 12 feet across, just flew off and kersplat landed not 2 feet from where we were standing. Ever heard tweenage girls scream in terror? Yeah. Her dad came running. Asked us what we’d done. I still think he never believed us that we hadn’t even gotten to the door yet.

We became convinced it was a ghost and knew that her great grandmother’s young sister had died in the house and was buried in the cemetery at our church. To keep her from throwing another door at us, that Sunday, we took flowers to her grave and said we were sorry for disturbing her.

Irony? My best friend moved into the house when she got married…but she still won’t go into the basement.

2.       Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a sassy southern lady raised by other GRITS (that’s Girls Raised in the South). Our family get togethers are a bit like the Steel Magnolia’s movie! These days you can find me living near Knoxville, Tennessee. I love being in the mountains and take walks as often as I can to enjoy the scenery. I’m also an avid traveler and have visited Greece, Malaysia, and England, as well as most of the Eastern U.S. Watch out West Coast…you’re next!

3.       What inspired Mind Magic?

The story was inspired by a conversation with one of my guy friends. We both love paranormal romance as well as books with kids as featured characters. We got to talking one day and he asked me why there weren’t any gay paranormal romances with kids. I didn’t have an answer so I decided to write one.

4.       You have a mage/shifter/vampire? How did you come up with that idea?

Shifters are my favorite paranormal characters, so I knew I’d want my first book to have shifters in it. I also knew, as mentioned above, that my shifter would have a child.  The question then became who would be a perfect match for this alpha werewolf and his son. I did some research on paranormal creatures, and became intrigued by the idea of a magical Triad—three different types of magic, each held by different paranormal species.  Simon, my mage character developed from that research and the rest of the world just fell into place.

5.       What inspired these characters?

Gray (the alpha werewolf) is inspired a bit by my brother. He’s an amazing father to three of my five nephews, and I based a lot of Gray’s interactions with his son, Garon, on my brother’s relationship with his oldest son. (Just don’t tell him. It’ll go to his head! J)

6.       What was your favorite part of the research to create Mind Magic?

My favorite thing was the articles on “the power of three”. The Triad of magic in this world is inspired by that research. Three is a powerful number in our world and can be found all over the place in different cultures and religions. The most well-known example would be the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but the symbolism of three can be found everywhere you look.

7.       What are you writing next? What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I just finished Body Magic, the sequel to Mind Magic. The plan is for it to come out in September. Then I’m working on a novella set in a different world before going back to finish this trilogy with Soul Magic.

8.       Where can readers purchase your book?

At Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2887

At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Magic-Triad-ebook/dp/B007WOXOA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336039058&sr=8-1

At All Romance ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mindmagic-784660-139.html

9.       May we read an excerpt from the book and can you provide it here?

The alpha reached some sort of conclusion and stepped forward, his son by his side.

“Welcome, Simon, friend of the High Moon Pack. I am Gray, Alpha of the High Moon Pack. Thank you for returning my son and our cubs.”

Unsure of the protocol in the situation, Simon recognized the formality of the speech and bowed his head slightly. “You’re welcome?”

Simon wasn’t quite able to keep the question out of his voice. His knees shook a bit from anxiety, and his heart pounded double time in his chest. It didn’t help that the alpha took one step closer to him. He gave Simon a second look, and this time Simon had no doubt that the alpha was checking him out. It sparked something inside him that he didn’t need to be thinking about.

Garon and the other cubs snickered, and drew Gray’s attention to them. They quieted immediately, but the distraction allowed Simon to get his thoughts back on track. His cheeks heated with embarrassment, but he fought the impulse to keep his eyes lowered. As powerful as Gray was, he wasn’t Simon’s Alpha. Simon knew better than to appear too submissive, even if his overactive hormones wanted him to roll over and beg.

Gray gestured to the combination of men and wolves surrounding him. “Take the cubs to the meeting hall. Gather everyone together. Liam, with me.”

Everyone rushed to do as their alpha commanded, and the cubs were piled into the SUV Gray had arrived in. Big, bald Cade turned to lift the little one, but she slipped away and ran back to Simon. The wolf who had intimidated Simon earlier stepped in her way, but she darted around him and lifted her arms to Simon. He picked her up, keeping one eye on the wolf standing beside him.

“Thank you,” she whispered, then snuggled her face in his neck.

Simon hugged her gently, then set her back on the ground. As she ran back to the SUV, he realized she still had his jacket wrapped around her. It made him smile. She could have it; he had an old one in the back of his closet.

When everyone was through the gate, Gray returned his attention to Simon. They locked eyes for a long moment, and Simon’s knees went wobbly again. The intensity of his stare, his sheer potency, drew Simon under his spell. The moment seemed to stretch on and on before the alpha finally spoke. “Explain to me how you have our missing cubs.”

10.   Where can your readers connect with you on the web?

Web site: http://www.poppydennison.com/,
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/poppydennison,
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ParanormalPoppy
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison

Magical species must never mix. According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children’s cries for help. After all, they’re werewolf cubs, and he’s an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic.

Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon’s bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs’ alpha, a man named Gray Townsend.

The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn’t have much choice about it—or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon’s help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings—before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.

About Poppy

A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.