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Meet Indra Vaughn
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Feb 11, 2014 06:07AM
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Hello everyone! My name is Indra Vaughn, I recently released my first full length novel called The House on Hancock Hill, and I'd like to welcome you to my author chat. You can ask me anything you like, about the book, previous works or works in progress, or whatever else takes your fancy! I'll answer to the best of my ability. Dreamspinner Press is running a Valentine discount on all their books right now, so there won't be a a 25% off coupon code. I will, however, give two e-copies away of The House on Hancock Hill. What you need to do to win one I'll explain at the time, so stay tuned...
Alright, let's kick this party off. Valentine/anti-Valentine? Who celebrated and what did you do?
I'm anti and my husband is pro so he happily buys me candy and a card each year and I tell him Happy Valentine's Day. Weird but it works for us.
And at least you get candy out of it! My favorite part of Valentine's day is today: Cheap chocolate day!
I had to stop by and tell you how very much I enjoyed The House on Hancock Hill. I hope you write another one so that we can see how the guest/home complex is faring.
Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relationships. I try to use the day to show my friends how much I love them with cards or things like that. Though with the cold and the amount of snow we've had, i don't think I would have wanted to leave the house even if I did have plans!
Andrea wrote: "I had to stop by and tell you how very much I enjoyed The House on Hancock Hill. I hope you write another one so that we can see how the guest/home complex is faring."Oh thank you so much Andrea! I'm really thrilled you enjoyed the book. I hadn't really given much thought to a sequel, but you're the second person to wonder if there would be one. And you know, never say never! I'm working on a trilogy right now which will take me a while, but after that, who knows! I think I wouldn't mind expanding on Caleb's story...
Toni wrote: "Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relationships. I try to use the day to show my friends how muc..."
Ugh you too? We're freezing here, although I have to say, it's pretty warm today (read: 20 degrees F).
I'm into the day after Valentine, I have to admit. Cheap chocolate!
Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relationships. I try to use the day to show my fr..."
Crazy how that starts to sound warm. It made it up to 32 degrees F here, though of course with the wind chill it's colder, and it's snowing again.
I'm all for cheap chocolate!
Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I had to stop by and tell you how very much I enjoyed The House on Hancock Hill. I hope you write another one so that we can see how the guest/home complex is faring."Oh thank you ..."
Or you could move the nasty ex there... also, I'd love to see the mom from hell get her comeuppance.
So I am always looking for new music to write to, and right now I am OBSESSED with MS MR, especially Hurricane. It's an awesome song for angsty scenes.Welcome to the inner workings of my mind
So dark and foul I can't disguise, can't disguise
Nights like this I become afraid
Of the darkness in my heart
Hurricane
(And I do love my angst.) What bands do you like to listen to?
Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relationships. I try to use the day..."
We're having the same problem! As soon as it gets a tiny bit warmer it starts to snow again. I am so ready for summer. At this point I am craving just being able to open a window.
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I had to stop by and tell you how very much I enjoyed The House on Hancock Hill. I hope you write another one so that we can see how the guest/home complex is faring."..."
Oh man... the mom from hell... She has her own whole back story that explains why she is the way she is in a lot more detail, but it got cut fairly early on. To be honest I could write a book about her, but it's SO DEPRESSING. When I created her character I vowed never to write a mother like that ever again lol.
Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relationships. I try t..."
Me too! Fresh air in the house would be so nice. I can't wait for this winter to be over.
This has nothing to do with the giveaways I'll do here later, but just in case you don't know, I'm running another Giveaway on my blog that will be open until the end of the month, and it has some pretty neat things!
Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Hi! The House on Hancock Hill sounds really good. I don't hate Valentine's day. There just isn't much in it for people who aren't in relation..."
It's one of the worst I've ever encountered here in the US. I'm just happy we get decent summers or I'd pack up and go live in the Bahamas or something.
I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?
(Bear with me I am trying to figure out how to embed pictures in these comments!)
Aha! Found it. So, I don't generally use real people for my character inspiration, but this could be Henry. Although Henry does have slightly longer and curlier hair.
Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/M book was by R.J. Scott, The Heart of Texas and I will always love it.
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/M book was by R.J. Scott, The Heart of Texas and I will ..."
Oh I haven't read that one, but it's on my TBR list. I'll have to bump it up! Mine is The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox. I adore that book so much. Anything by Harper Fox is brilliant, but that one is just special.
Alright, let's start the first giveaway! I posted a brand new excerpt here. Go read it and tell me why Jason's best friend, Denny, is getting mad at him.
If you already own The House on Hancock Hill, you can chose a novella from my back list. I'll stuff all your names in my sorting hat, and pick a winner at 3.
Indra wrote: "Alright, let's start the first giveaway! I posted a brand new excerpt here. Go read it and tell me why Jason's best friend, Denny, is getting mad at him.
If you already own The House on Hancock ..."
He got mad at him about Tom in this excerpt but he got a little peeved with him in other parts of the book.
Indra wrote: "Alright, let's start the first giveaway! I posted a brand new excerpt here. Go read it and tell me why Jason's best friend, Denny, is getting mad at him.
If you already own The House on Hancock ..."
Great excerpt! Denny is getting mad because Jason wants to take some time off and go see his ex, Tom.
Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/M book was by R.J. Scott, The Heart of Te..."
I really liked The Salisbury Key. I agree about Harper Fox's books and I second the recommendation for The Heart of Texas. My first m/m book was Promises by Marie Sexton, which I still love, though my favorite of hers is Strawberries for Dessert.
There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering). This is my baby trying to soak up some sun. His name is Neo and we rescued him six years ago. He is an absolute sweetheart! Do you have any pets?
Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering). This is my baby trying to soak up some sun. His ..."
I have 3 poms and one of them is blind so the dogs at the end of the book were very special to me.
Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/M book was by R.J. Scott, T..."
Did you know, I've never read any of Marie Sexton's books? I see her recommended everywhere, and I keep thinking I should really get on that, but for some reason I haven't gotten around to it. My TBR list is just too long. So should I start with Strawberries for Dessert?
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Alright, let's start the first giveaway! I posted a brand new excerpt here. Go read it and tell me why Jason's best friend, Denny, is getting mad at him.
If you already own The Hou..."
He got mad over Tom...yikes!
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering). This is my baby trying to soak up ..."
Awww Poms are so cute and fluffy! My neighbor has two and I regularly dog-sit them for her. What happened to yours? Was he/she born blind?
I nearly adopted a blind Great Dane pup once, but Mr. V put a stop to that. One day...
Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering). This is my baby try..."
Molly is 16 now and just went blind about 6 months ago. The vet just told me she's old and things like that happen and she'd get used to it. She has but I'm not real happy with the vet - no bedside manner.
I have a huge playlist attached to The House on Hancock Hill, but if I had to chose one song that defines this story, it's without a doubt Albinoni's Adagio in G minor. I find this version absolutely gut-wrenching. There is a certain chapter in the book (I won't give away what it is) when I just had this on repeat for hours and bawled my eyes out.
Indra wrote: "I have a huge playlist attached to The House on Hancock Hill, but if I had to chose one song that defines this story, it's without a doubt Albinoni's Adagio in G minor. I find this version absolute..."Ha I am getting all tearful listening to it now. Ruined.
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering). This ..."
Oh yeah, he could've put that a little milder. I mean you wouldn't say 'she'll get used to it' to a person would you? And dogs are huge parts of our families. Wow, 16 though. That is something else. Have you always had her?
Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wond..."Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case you were wondering).
This is my baby try..."
I got her from a breeder when she was 10 and too old to breed. I knew the breeder and loved Molly from the first time I saw her. When I bought a puppy from her last litter, the breeder gave me Molly so mother & daughter stayed together and we're all happy.
Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/M book was by ..."
I think you can start with Strawberries for Dessert. She introduced one of the MCs of Strawberries for Dessert in Promises and the other later in that series, but I think it can stand on its own. I read Strawberries for Dessert right after Promises so I had been introduced to one of the MCs but not the other before I read it.
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "There are quite a lot of doggies in this book, and I think they snuck in because I basically love dogs (and pastries, in case..."Oh that's wonderful that they were able to stay together like that!
My dog Neo was trapped in a garage with other dogs that were too old or too gun-shy to hunt. They had to fight for scraps of food, and his teeth were all worn down from chewing on wire, it was horrible. He was 20 pounds underweight, and he's a 50 pound dog! He's just so sweet, I don't understand how people can do that...
Maybe I should talk about my current project a little!It's tentatively titled Shadow Mountain, and it's a paranormal mystery! It takes place in a fictional town that sits, you guessed it, in the shadow of a mountain, and our hero, Lieutenant Hart is head of Cold Cases in the police department. He's trying to solve a whole bunch of murders that make no sense, but that have a very strange tattoo on the back of the neck in common... dun dun dunnnnn.
Anyway, I am having a great time writing this, but oh my goodness, sequels are hard. And I am not pulling any punches either. When the murderer gets a hold of our Lieutenant, things do not look good for him!
Indra wrote: "Maybe I should talk about my current project a little!It's tentatively titled Shadow Mountain, and it's a paranormal mystery! It takes place in a fictional town that sits, you guessed it, in the ..."
This definitely sounds like something I'll be reading - any idea when you'll finish it?
Indra wrote: "Maybe I should talk about my current project a little!It's tentatively titled Shadow Mountain, and it's a paranormal mystery! It takes place in a fictional town that sits, you guessed it, in the ..."
This sounds great. I'm looking forward to it already.
Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "Maybe I should talk about my current project a little!It's tentatively titled Shadow Mountain, and it's a paranormal mystery! It takes place in a fictional town that sits, you guess..."
The first book is as good as finished. I am doing a final reread as we speak, and then it's off to the publisher! IF they want it (and it's always a possibility that they don't!), it could be quite a while still before it comes out. The House on Hancock Hill took nearly exactly a year from the day I started writing to the day it came out.
Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Maybe I should talk about my current project a little!It's tentatively titled Shadow Mountain, and it's a paranormal mystery! It takes place in a fictional town that sits, you guess..."
Thanks Toni, it will be a while before it's available but it definitely gives a boost to know you're already interested :)
Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question but my first M/..."
I do like my series in order, so I might just start at the beginning. Thank you for the recommendation!
You said that you have a long TBR list - what are some of the top books?
Please tell me your first book of the trilogy won't end with a cliffhanger? Please? I hate those!
Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Toni wrote: "Indra wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Indra wrote: "I'm also always looking for new books to read. What is your all time favorite gay romance?"Difficult question bu..."
I like my series in order too, though I seem to stumble into reading out of order sometimes. I'm not sure how I keep doing it. That series is really good. Hope you enjoy them!
Andrea wrote: "You said that you have a long TBR list - what are some of the top books?"I'm currently immersed in Andrea Speed's Infected series (and self-medicating on chocolate on a regular basis THANKS ANDREA) so I pretty much have eye-shutters on for any other books until I am done with that.
Once I've read those I want to read the new Tyack and Frayne by Harper Fox which released yesterday. (I may have a little bit of an author-crush going there.)
And once I'm done with that, I'm open for suggestions. Maybe I'll check out Marie Sexton like Toni suggested. You can always peek at my TBR list here, although it's not 100% up to date.
Andrea wrote: "Please tell me your first book of the trilogy won't end with a cliffhanger? Please? I hate those!"It's not a cliffhanger, but it's not 100% resolved either. At least no one is on the verge of dying or anything :D
I'm currently immersed in Andrea Speed's Infected series (and self-medicating on chocolate on a regular bas..."I've read that series and it's great! Also, Marie Sexton and Harper Fox are two of my favorite authors.
