Welcome Wild Rose Press author, Tricia Schneider...


Hi Tricia! Great to have you here - I'm looking forward to catching up with you and hearing all about your latest release, THE WITCH'S KISS! Let's start with my questions...

1.)          What is the strangest talent you have?
Well, I can bend my thumb back behind my wrist. I’m not sure if that qualifies as a talent or an absurdity, but if freaks my husband out. He thinks I might be part alien!

2.)          What is the best Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?
When I was about 10 years old, my mom made a Gypsy Fortune Teller costume for me. A long flowing skirt and lots of dangling bracelets and a black wig to cover my blonde hair. It was the best costume I’d ever had and it was even more special because my mom put it all together for me.

3.)          Are the titles of your books important?
The titles of my books give the reader a glimpse at what to expect in the story. So far, I’ve been working on The Merriweather Witches. It’s a series about a family of witches living during the Regency era.
         The Witch and the Wolf
         The Witch and the Vampire
         The Witch’s Thief
         The Witch’s Kiss

4.)          If you’re struggling with a scene or difficult character, what methods help you through it?
Since I’m a panster when it comes to writing there are times when I do get stuck with a scene because I just don’t know what happens next. During those times, I need to step away from the story for a bit. Sometimes, I’ll take a quiet walk or a long shower. If I give myself a bit of a break just to daydream the answer usually pops into my head.


5.)          Do you prefer dog, cats or none of the above?
I’ve always considered myself an animal lover, no matter what type, but recently I’ve discovered something new about myself. About 3 years ago, my husband and I rescued 2 stray kittens that were born beneath the deck in our backyard. We kept them and they’ve become part of our family, but… I know now that I’m a dog person! I had 2 dogs growing up who were my best friends. I liked playing and cuddling with them. They were always there when I need them. My cats, however, are not at all the same. One is afraid of his own shadow, the other prefers my husband to anyone else in the household (despite the fact that I’m the one who feeds him!). They only want to cuddle when its suits them.

6.)          Who’s your favourite author? Why?
That’s a difficult question for an avid reader! I have so many favorite authors that I can’t possibly name them all. Kelley Armstrong and Maggie Shayne because I love reading about witches. Gayle Wilson and Elizabeth Thornton for their tortured heroes. Katie Macalister and Julia Quinn for their laugh-out-loud humor. Lynn Kurland, Claire Delacroix and Deborah Simmons for the historical romances. And of course, Charlotte Brontë and Daphne du Maurier for their gothic romances.

7.)          Do you have a pet peeve?
Yes! Stuff on the floor. I have 3 children between the ages of 4 and 8. Between them and my husband, I’m constantly coming across something on the floor that shouldn’t be there. Where did all these little pieces of paper come from? And the toys! Stepping on Legos with bare feet are not fun! I’m constantly after my kids to pick up the stuff that they just threw over their shoulder in their excitement to run off to their new adventure.

8.)          Do you remember your dreams when you wake up in the morning?
Yes. I’ve always been fascinated by my dreams. It’s actually one of the reasons I started writing. When I was little, I’d tell my mom about the dreams I had at night. One day, she suggested that I write them down in a notebook and maybe one day I could make a story out of them. I did just that! I wrote my first full-length novel when I was 15 and that story was based on a dream I’d had. And to this day, I still write down my dreams in the morning. I never know which one will be my next novel!


The Witch’s Kiss

Blurb:

Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead. Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.


Excerpt:

“Do you ever wonder why I never propositioned you?” Sage asked, the anger in his soul making him lash out. “I’ve been with many women. They call me the Merriweather Rake, did you know?” He laughed at the absurd moniker the ton had dubbed him. “Yet you are the only one I’ve never seduced.”

She flinched.

He thought the pain spreading across her face would make him feel just in his cause. He needed to push her away. From the look on her face, he succeeded. Instead of the satisfaction he thought it might bring, he felt only pain.

Pain from her sadness, her suffering.

“You are a good man, Sage,” she said with a slight tremor in her voice, the only sign she was affected by his cruel words.

“Do not fool yourself.”

She stood and walked away.

The lavender scent faded. Sage rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to block the image of her sadness from his mind.

Had he done the right thing?

This curse confined Marianne to a select few. Essentially, she was forced to speak with him, spend time with him, even just for the pure sake of her sanity. What choice did she have when no one else could hear or see her?

Marianne was not to blame for the fact that Sage’s feelings regarding her were changing, that when he looked at her he saw not a child with gangly limbs, but a woman full-grown. One who had become a close friend. And that he desired their friendship to grow into something much more…intimate.

Was he a fool to punish her for his own misgivings?

Sage heaved a heavy sigh, then slapped the surface of the water since he had nothing else nearby to strike. The water sloshed over the rim.

Since the bathwater had cooled and any therapeutic effects it might once have owned vanished, he stepped out of the tub. After he dried and dressed, he went out in search of Marianne to make his apologies. He couldn’t push her away. Instead, he needed to restrain his own growing emotions. No need to burden her with any more troubles. Who else could she speak with other than him? Only Julia. He could not imagine the invisible prison she suffered. He’d not make it worse for her.

He wandered the hallways, searching each room until he found her.

Well, in a manner of speaking.

He thought to check the yellow room in the east wing, hoping she might have retreated there to lick any wounds he had inflicted.

Although her body was in the room, her spirit was nowhere to be found.

He approached the bed where they had neatly laid her body. To the untrained observer, Marianne could be sleeping. Her chest rose and fell, indicating she breathed still. A rosy color kept her cheeks pink with life. He reached out and took her limp hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin.

She was no corpse. Merely sleeping. A deep, deep sleep. And she could not wake without her soul.


About the Author:

Tricia Schneider is an author of paranormal and gothic romance. Before the supernatural took possession of her pen, she worked for several years in a Waldenbooks store as Assistant Manager and bookseller. Since the closing of the bookstore, she now writes full-time while raising her 3 young children. She lives with her musician husband and 2 neurotic cats in the coal country of Pennsylvania.





Purchase Links:









Other Information:
SubGenre(s): Regency, Gothic, Paranormal
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Imprint: Black Rose
Length: Rosebud
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Page Count: 208
Word Count: 49640
Keywords: romance, paranormal, historical, witches, witchcraft, demon, ghost, necromancer, magic, spells, Regency, England
Digital Price: $3.99
Print Price: $13.99
Release Date: February 18, 2015
ISBN Digital: 978-1-62830-751-1
ISBN Print: 978-1-62830-750-4
Series: Book 4 of The Merriweather Witches




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