Tour Stop - Under the Moon: Goddesses Rising, #1 by Natalie Damschroder

Their power gives them strength… and makes them targets.


Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father’s bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have.


But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick had gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by “family ties” she didn’t know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy gets harder each day.
But not as hard as denying their hearts….


I don’t know about you, but that just grabbed my attention and held on like nobody’s business, so I’m just too happy to be able to poke around in the author’s brain for a little bit. Please give a warm welcome to the talented Natalie Damschroder.


Welcome and thank you for agreeing to share your time with us.
Thanks so much for having me! This has got to be the most uniquely named blog I’ve ever been to.


Thank you! I wanted something that embodied my essence and I thought “Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears” was more appealing than “Mean Cougar who is Nice to Animals”.


What are three things we need to know about Natalie?
1. My favorite food is fresh popped (not microwave!) pop corn tossed with real butter and salt. There’s a humongous nostalgia factor, and it’s my go-to comfort food and claim to fame.
2. If you really want to push my buttons, make an absolutist comment (as in, “all Xs do Y”). Want to get me REALLY riled up? Add a sexist, racist or otherwise intolerant slant to the comment.
3, I love the musician Jason Manns and will drop everything to watch him perform when he has a gig within a six hour drive. 













Ah, a woman after my own heart! Good home cooked, salty treats, good music from a sexy man and zero tolerance for stupidity. *sniff* I’m tearing up a little.


I was drawn to your book 1) because I live all things paranormal and 2) the whole forbidden aspect of the romance. Can you tell us a little about the world of the Goddesses?
Their world is very much our world. They’re just more powerful than we are, and therefore have maybe a little more to lose. There are about 100 goddesses currently living in the U.S., and they are organized by and governed by the Society for Goddess Education and Defense.  Most live quiet lives,  and their reputation is akin to that of a real-life psychic community. Not a lot of believers, unless you’ve seen one in action.


Does the forbidden fruit aspect of the romance thread strike a chord with you?
It does, in an embarrassing kind of way.  I have an intense love for the heroes of the TV show Supernatural, and I long to have them show up someday to vanquish a vengeful spirit or save me from a rampaging chupacabra. Alas it can never happen… Which is how Quinn and Nick feel about each other.

 






Chupacabras are some pretty scary creatures. I could stand to be rescued by Jenson and Jared.


Nick is Quinn’s bodyguard. Is there a class division thing going on there?
Not in the strictest sense. Nick follows a family legacy that is as old as the Protectorate itself. His belief in that legacy and his dedication to it are the driving forces in his life. So his reasons for not giving into his feelings for Quinn are very personal and noble. Which is why she won’t push her feelings for him in return.


Was there a character that you wanted to beat over the head while you were writing Under the Moon?
LOL  Not really, though later, in the revision process, maybe. The character I connected with the least ended up being very important in the series, though , so I had to find a way to come to terms with my ambivalence toward her.


I am a HUGE proponent of strong heroines, so the whole goddess theme was a big plus for me. Does Quinn like to exercise a little snark and smack?
Definitely. She’s bossy and take charge, and so are her protectors, Nick and her assistant, Sam. So there’s always banter flying among the three of them.


What’s a typical writing day like for you?
I wish there was such a thing? It really depends on what’s going on. I work a part-time day job for a chiropractic office and as an editor and proofreader, freelancing, so I struggle to balance those with my writing time. If I’m on deadline, the first thing I do when I get home from work is… check e-mail. (Seriously, if I could ever break this habit….) I do set up spreadsheets and to-do lists and all kinds of planning tools so I can keep on track. If I average all my variety of “writing days” together, I’ll spend a couple of hours writing (or revising, editing, or proofreading) my own manuscript, a couple doing client work, and a couple doing promotional stuff, whether that’s structured – like this interview – or casual, like drooling over upcoming YA releases or exclaiming over pictures of unseasonable snow. 


Can you tell us what’s up next for the goddesses?
In the second book, Heavy Metal, we meet Riley Kordek, a young goddess who never knew she was one… and who runs afoul of an even bigger potential threat to the goddess community than the lone leech who’s the villain in Under the Moon. That will be out next spring, I think, followed by the third book, Sunroper.


When you’re not busy writing, what do you like to read?
My “to read” folder on my Kindle and the paperback shelf in my bedroom are heavy on paranormal YA, romantic adventure, and paranormal romance, but I also love a good romantic suspense, romantic comedy or urban fantasy.  

  
                  **** Rapid Fires ****



1. Leather or Lace?   Leather! Lace is scratchy.


2. Stilettos or Sneakers?   OMG, sneakers all the way. Slippers are even better.


3. Favorite food?   Whoops, jumped the gun on that one didn’t I? Favorites that I don’t have to prepare myself: Pringles, and a crab legs/filet mignon combo at a good restaurant.


4. Favorite guilty pleasure?   I don’t have any. I don’t feel guilty about anything that gives me pleasure! Things that I’m passionate about currently include the aforementioned Supernatural and Jason Manns, as well as the New England Patriots (NFL) and the Harrisburg City Islanders. (local pro soccer team)








5. Three things you would take to a desert island?   My husband and my two daughters, aka the anti-teenagers. If it’s a short getaway by myself, then my laptop, my Kindle, and a power source. LOL


6. Three people (alive or dead, real or fictional) that you would like to have over for dinner?   No one, because then I’d have to cook and clean and make small talk. I SUCK at small talk.


And the MOST important question I ever ask anyone….

 DUKE  or carolina ?
Ummm…. I think DUKE is the right answer.


Of course it is!  Thank you so much for stopping by today. It was great fun and please come back any time.


Natalie J. Damschroder came to writing the hard way – by avoiding it. Though she wrote her first book at age six (My Very Own Reading Book) and received accolades for her academic writing (Ruth Davies Award for Excellence in Writing for a paper in deforestation her senior year in college), she hated doing it. Colonial food and the habits of the European Starling just weren’t her thing.
She found her niche – romantic fiction – shortly after college graduation. After an internship with the National Geographic Society, customer service with a phone company just wasn’t that exciting. So she began learning how to write the books she loved to read all of her life.




To learn more about Natalie’s journey as an author or to check out her book, click on the links listed below.


Pre-order at Amazon
Pre-order at Barnes and Noble
Author website
Author blog
Twitter
Goodreads