D.B. Sieders and Red Shoes For Lab Blues on Meet the Neighbors

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D.B. Sieders and Red Shoes For Lab Blues on Meet the Neighbors

Meet the Neighbors welcomes D.B. Sieders and Red Shoes For Lab Blues. I met DB on one of my Nashville trips and we found out we were both contracted with Lyrical Press. Her book just released this week, so I know she’s over the moon.

Thank you so much for hosting me, Lynn, as I kick off the blog tour for my debut contemporary romance, Red Shoes for Lab Blues. It features two ambitious scientists balancing their attraction with competing research interests, academic and pharmaceutical industry politics, and a mysterious case of laboratory sabotage that could turn deadly.

What’s the book about?

Dr. Stacey Jamison thinks she’s close to validating PharmEx’s new anti-cancer drug. Her budding independent career, her boss’s tenure, and a ton of research dollars are at stake. She just has to prove Compound Z kills cancer cells.

So far, it doesn’t.

Then along comes Dr. Henry Chan, the department’s new rising star. Henry is smart, handsome, and confident. He’s also captivated by the enigmatic Dr. Jamison, who seems oblivious to her own charms. But will Henry risk his heart when the research project is at stake?

A rival drug company, an insider with a personal grudge, and militant animal rights protesters force everyone’s plans into disarray. Can their love overcome everything being thrown at them?

What’s it like being a debut author?

Oh, wow, it’s an odd mixture of exhilaration, gratification, and terror all rolled into one hell of a roller coaster ride. On the one hand, it’s very exciting to have something I’ve written out there in cyberspace where readers can discover (and hopefully love) it. On the other hand, there is so much pressure to make a great first impression so you can build your brand and a loyal readership.

I’m so grateful for the help and support of the Lyrical Press team. Renee Rocco designed such sleek, sexy cover, and my editor Ann-Marie Smith worked with me every step of the way to polish the story. The author network at Lyrical (present company definitely included) have taught me so much and made me feel much more confident with the process.

Tell us about your release. What makes your story unique?

I think my hero, Henry Chan, is unique. There aren’t so many Asian heroes in romantic fiction, at least not that I’ve come across, and that’s such a shame. Henry has a delicious mix of confidence and vulnerability as he pursues Stacey. Though handsome, charming, and no stranger to the game of seduction, he has to work hard to coax his lady out of her shell and win her trust. Yet he is reluctant to open up to her with details about his mysterious past. Lucky for him, Stacey is up to the challenge and just as determined to get to the heart of her enigmatic leading man.

I also enjoyed crafting a story within the world of biomedical research. Having worked as a cancer researcher for nearly 13 years, it was fun to blend my passion for science with my love of romance. And what’s not to love about hot geeks?

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

In addition to a couple of adorably hideous hand-painted ceramic ‘mascots’ on my writing desk, I also keep a Magic 8 Ball handy so I can use it when I’m stuck on plot, character motivation, or in the middle of writer’s block. I have a generalized decision making disorder that sometimes spills over into my writing life, so it makes for a nice crutch J

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Put your butt in the chair and put words on the page. Don’t fall into the trap of over-editing a partial draft to death. Finish the story first. Finish. Then you can go back and revise, refine, and make it better. But you have to finish something.

Favorite writing advice guru?

I came across Stephen King’s On Writing just before I started working on original fiction, and I’m so glad I did. I learned to prune a lot of adverbs thanks to that man. He mixes practical advice with his trademark dark humor and some pretty entertaining anecdotes. I definitely recommend it for any writer’s toolbox.

I LOVE Stephen King’s book! List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.

Just two? No, I can’t leave it at just two! Stephen King, J.R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Laura Kaye, Jenna Bennett (my writing mentor and all around great gal pal) and a slew of other Music City Romance Writer gal pals, Charlaine Harris, and I recently discovered Marjorie Liu and Jeri Smith-Ready. Too many great authors and books out there, but what a wonderful problem to have!

Thank you so much for the wonderful interview, Lynn. For more information, you can find me online at my website www.dbsieders.com, blog www.dbsieders.wordpress.com, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/DBSieders and Twitter https://twitter.com/DBSieders.