The Struggle Anthology: October 2013

We are excited to have our very own Zoey Derrick here for an interview about her best selling Reason Series. Zoey wrote a prequel for her series that was published in The Struggle Anthology!

"Vivienne Callahan has known only hardship. As if growing up with an alcoholic, drug addicted mother wasn't traumatic enough, she's escaped from her physically and verbally abusive boyfriend only to struggle every day to make ends meet as a waitress in a Minneapolis diner.

Along comes Mikah Blake, a handsome stranger who quickly takes an unexpected and persistent interest in her. On the surface, "Mr. Suit" seems to be Vivienne's opposite: rich, well-fed, successful. As Vivienne will learn, Mikah is more than he seems, and for reasons unknown, he's determined to be her knight in shining armor. But after having finally found her own two feet after years of abuse, it's difficult for her to accept Mikah's help.

Will her body's unexpected response to Mikah's touch be reason enough to overcome her pride and traumatic past and learn to love and trust? Or will her past, refusing to be left behind, come back to claim her?"

I read Running On Empty I couldn't read Give Me Reason fast enough.

AND I LOVED IT!

In Running On Empty we are given insight into Vivienne's struggles at a young age. We are also shown how she dealt with a turning point in her life and how the decisions she made then led her to where Vivienne is today.

It also eventually led her Mikah. Or as she calls him-- "The Suit"

INTERVIEW

Thank you for interviewing with us, Zoey. What was it about The Struggle Anthology that made you want to get involved?

Thanks so much for having me.

When I got the email from Sheila, asking for submissions, I didn’t hesitate and I knew instantly what I would add to the story. There are so many people, artists, authors and the like that Struggle everyday to make ends meet, it seemed appropriate, and I had to help.

Let’s get right to it. WOW! After I read Running on Empty I fired up my Kindle and read Give Me Reason (book #1 in the Reason Series). Tell us why you decided to go so far back in Vivienne’s history with Running On Empty.

I went so far back because, while Vivienne is struggling in Give Me Reason, I think that time in her life she hit rock bottom. Her mother is ill and in the hospital, she’s 16, and has no where to go. Though she has no where to go, she still finds her self attending school, working on ways to make her life better, and I think this is something that everyone who struggles goes through. They fight to make it better.

In Give Me Reason, Vivienne is extremely independent. Which is understandable given her rough life growing up. She also keeps everyone in her life at arm’s length, including Mikah (at first). Can you give us a hint on where you are taking their story in book #2?

Vivienne is very independent, but also very determined. Her determination is what pushes people away from her. She doesn’t want to take a handout, but it goes deeper in that she doesn’t want to be dependent on someone else to help her.

Book 2…. Well, book two is from Mikah’s point of view and he’s determined, from the very first page to show her that he really does care about her and that there are no stings attached to what he is offering her. Not to mention, Vivienne really needs a guardian angel.

Yes, Zoey. I'd say she does. Need Mikah. ;-) *I will NOT make a slew of inappropriate comments. But I want to*

Are you planning a 3^rd book in the series?

**Smirk** Uh huh, there are actually 4 books total in these novella series… Give Me Desire and Give Me Love will be releasing between now and Feb. 2014.

What else are you working on right now?

Not much. I’m finalizing Give Me Hope for its 11/19/2013 release date. Currently running through my first round of edits for Book 3 – Give Me Desire and I’ve started to dabble in the writing of Give Me Love.

Also, hiding somewhere on the back burning is Finding Love’s Wings 2.

Can we pretty please have a little teaser from book #2 in the Reason Series?

Absolutely…

I’ve only been sitting here for a few minutes when the skin on my back starts to crawl. I shiver and grab the back of my neck, massaging it, hoping that the contact will lessen the sensation. But instead, a strong sense of unease comes over me. I feel restless. I need to move, be doing something – anything but sitting here idle and waiting. But I can’t make myself move.

“Err, you alright, lad?”

I turn to look at Red. His eyes flare momentarily and there is an instance of unease that bounces off of him. Jesus.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes, they’re...” he pauses, and instinctively I shut them tight. “They’re almost black.” Shit.

Seraphina, damn it, where are you?

“I don’t know,” I answer him.

In the next instant, my body tenses and I feel a warmth radiate through my body and dissipate instantly. “I’ll be right back.” I get up and start for the door and the hallway. I walk past the nurse’s station, back to the room I just came from, and quickly lock the door behind me. I head straight to the bathroom mirror.

I shudder at the sight of nearly black eyes.

“Oh dear.” I hear Seraphina’s voice.

“What in the world is going on?” I say out loud.

“You’re in the hospital.”

“Yeesss...” I say, trying hard not to be sarcastic with her.

“Is your skin crawling?”

I just nod, not able to answer because I can’t stop staring at the solid black of my eyes.

“Someone near you, not known to you, has died.”

My heart sinks momentarily. “So why am I reacting this way?”

“Because the person who has died has been taken by evil.”

I feel a tightness in my shoulders that pushes outward.

“Oh, no, you don’t. Not here. You’ll rip your shirt.”

“What?” I say sharply and turn quickly. In the mirror I can see two rather sharp, knobby points beneath my shirt, up near the tops of my shoulders. Right...where...

Four quick questions:

Comfort food? Goldfish Crackers

A book you’ve read more than twice? You want the quick list….? Fifty Shades (the whole Series), Gabriel’s Inferno/Rapture by Sylvain Reynard… the list continues.

Wolverine or Superman (this is Marvel vs. DC Comics, be careful ;-) ) I’m going to have to go with… Wolverine, but more for the fact that Hugh Jackman is HOT and well, he has blades that come out of his hands!

*good answer*

Coffee or tea? Coffee, well that is if I’ve managed to run out of Monsters…

Thank you so much, Zoey!

Thank you for having me, it’s been a pleasure and I can’t wait to come back for more. XXOO!!!

Amazon Best Selling Angels, Demons & Devils and Paranormal Author of Give Me Reason - The Reason Series Book One comes from Glendale, Arizona. Zoey, was a mortgage underwriter by day and is now a paranormal, romance and erotica novelist full-time. She writes stories as hot as the desert sun itself. It is this passion that drips off of her work, bringing excitement to anyone who enjoys a good and sensual love story.   

www.zoeyderrick.com

www.twitter.com/zoeyderrick

https://www.facebook.com/zoey.derrick

Goodreads

Pick up a copy of The Struggle Anthology for the prequel to the Reason Series!

Welcome to The Struggle Anthology's blog!

The Struggle

The Sun rises on a new day; a new struggle has begun. Each one of us deals with our own personal battles. A perpetual boulder we spend our lives pushing up the mountain. Yet within the struggle itself, we find, and define, our true inner strength.

This anthology expresses a myriad of struggles, each one as individual as the person behind it. Spanning across multiple genres, The Struggle showcases a unique combinations of well known authors (such as Delilah S. Dawson, Karina Cooper, and James R. Tuck) and up and coming names (like Rick Austin and Gabi Daniels) coming together for one purpose; the birth of a fund helping writers in need.

It is my dream to be able to ease some of the strain writers deal with each and every day. A fund dedicated to the help and support of the writing community at large, making our fellow colleagues’ lives just a little easier. As a reader, I rely on writers to immerse me in new worlds bursting with unforgettable characters. As a writer, I rely on readers to experience my stories and live the emotions I have poured into them; a symbiotic relationship of creative minds.

Come and enjoy these fantastic tales while helping out a worthy cause.

Thank you all for your support,

Sheila Hall