CLP Blog Tours Interview and Excerpt: Long Shadows by Cecilia Dominic

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CLP Blog Tours Interview and Excerpt: Long Shadows by Cecilia Dominic

Thanks to Cecilia Dominic for stopping by with a Q&A and excerpt from Long Shadows. Please visit CLP Blog Tours for more information and a giveaway!

**Interview**

Can you describe Long Shadows in a tweet (140 characters or less)?

The wolf’s voice in her head is real, the wizard in her life is hot, and the men chasing her want to destroy her. I tried it out and even had room for #lycanthropyfiles and #longshadows hashtags.

Why was Long Shadows a book you wanted to write?

I knew at the end of The Mountain’s Shadow that Lonna needed to have her own story. I didn’t exactly leave her hanging, but I did leave her with some problems to sort out including “that little werewolf problem,” as she puts it. My parents have a place in North Georgia, so I knew I wanted to have it partially set there. There’s also a section in the Caribbean, mostly because I was writing it last summer and really wanted to go to the beach.

What are you currently reading?

As of this writing, I have just started Jaye Wells’ Red-Headed Stepchild. After this, my May reading list is heavy on Urban Fantasy and Steampunk.

Do you experience writers block? Any tips on overcoming it?

I get writer’s block when when I’m really emotionally stressed, although not necessarily work stressed. My most recent bout of it occurred when my grandmother died in February. Grief is really not conducive to writing, and I had to put down the third Lycanthropy Files for two weeks. I allowed myself time to take care of myself, tried not to put pressure on myself, and fed my muse by doing things like reading and taking advantage of an opportunity to go somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit – Salem, Massachusetts.

Where do you complete most of your writing? Any certain time of day that you prefer?

Wherever I can! Parts of this interview were written in my day job office, in my home office, on the loveseat in the living room, and at a picnic table on the square in Decatur, the part of Atlanta I live in. Oh, and currently in the car on the way to a wine event. Don’t worry, Hubby is driving.

I prefer to write in the morning when my inner editor is still mostly asleep. That’s when I feel most creative. Annoyingly, I’m not a morning person, so I often end up writing in the evenings and on weekends.

Are you currently working on another novel?

I am on the cusp of turning in the third Lycanthropy Files book, Blood’s Shadow. I cannot wait to do the cover reveal for that one. I won’t give you any spoilers, just tell you it brings back a character who disappeared at the end of the first book and continues the story of my werewolves from the point of view of someone who was born with it.

After I turn that book in, I’m going to take a break from drafting and continue working on a proposal for a contemporary romance. My next project in the speculative world may be a steampunk novel because I love the genre and just sold a steampunk short story to Abyss & Apex online ‘zine. I also have a half-finished romantic suspense that is calling to me.

**Excerpt**

I arrived at the doctor’s office and took a seat just before my appointment time. It was crowded with people with the ends of that winter’s illnesses, and although they had been given masks to cover up their coughs and sneezes, I touched as few surfaces as possible. It had been a rough year, and I groaned inwardly—stressful job plus powerful viruses equaled lots of people out at the office, which meant more work for me. That was another mixed side benefit of my lycanthropy: a heightened immune system.

A nurse brought me back to the phlebotomy station, and I caught a glimpse of a new doctor. He ran his hand through wavy reddish-gold hair as he talked to a young mother holding a baby, and his green-blue eyes the color of the ocean in my dream sparkled. He had a tan, too dark to have been hanging around Little Rock recently, and in his words, I heard hints of the islands. The faint smell of fuchsia made my heartbeat accelerate.

“Your blood pressure’s up, Miss Marconi,” the young nurse said with concern in her tone.

“Rough morning,” I said. “It’s what happens when I don’t get my coffee.”

She smiled, her teeth bright white against her dark skin. “I understand that. We’ll get this done quickly so you can get you some.” She tied the rubber strap around my arm and poked around for a vein. I looked away so I’d only feel what she was doing, not see it.

“Thank you. New doctor?”

She followed my gaze. “That’s Doctor Fortuna,” she said with a dreamy little sigh. “He’s filling in for Doctor Kasdon while she’s on temporary bed rest. They went to school together.”

“Where is he from?”

“Somewhere in the Caribbean.” She wrinkled her nose. “I know he’s told me, but I can’t remember exactly where. He did his schooling here in the States, though, so don’t worry, when you see him next week, he’ll know what he’s doing. Now,” she said, and gave me a stern look, “your chart says you haven’t had the flu shot. It’s still going around, so it’s not too late.”

“I’ll pass,” I told her, a little shot of adrenaline making my heart skip. Although the current vaccines wouldn’t be contaminated, I’d never trust them again. Not that they could do anything to me that hadn’t already been done by other means, but it was an instinctive response.

“Are you sure?” She put a cotton ball over the hole in my arm and taped it in place. “Keep that there for a little while.”

“Positive. I’ll talk to Doctor Fortuna about it next week.”

That dreamy expression returned. “He’s a good doctor,” she said and packed up her kit.

Her spacey confidence didn’t make me feel any better, and my inner wolf wanted to run around him and sniff him and figure him out. I was relieved to get back to my car and then to my windowless office, where the files I had taken home to catch up on had been replaced by a whole new set. I looked through them and was listing phone calls I’d have to make when Paul walked by and gave me a wave, a grin on his rat face. When he had just passed my door, he turned around and poked his head in.

“Are you free for lunch today?”

I arched an eyebrow. “I believe the correct greeting in our culture is ‘good morning.’”

“Good morning, then.” He stood, hands in his pockets. “Now aren’t you supposed to reply?”

“Touché, and good morning. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

He shrugged. “There’s just something in the air these days. Haven’t you felt it? Spring is my favorite season.”

He had something between his teeth, but I elected not to point it out to him. Honestly, his cheerfulness freaked me out. “It’s not spring yet. And no, I’m not free for lunch.” I gestured to the pile of files and list of phone calls I needed to make.

“I hope you’re not saying that because of our conversation yesterday.” His false concern made me want to strangle him.

“No, I always put my work first, whether you believe it or not. Guess what I was doing last night?”

The look on his face made me immediately regret the question. “Clubbing?” Dear gods, he sounded hopeful.

“No, my boyfriend canceled out on me, so I stayed home and caught up on some reports.”

He sniffed. “Keeping everything secure, I hope?”

“Yes, Paul.” Mostly. “Unless they changed the rules on us again.”

He laughed, and it came out with a wheeze. “You never know, do you?” He continued chuckling as he walked around the corner. “You really never know.”

“Okay…” I shook my head. Maybe he finally lost it.

A file that should have gone somewhere else caught my attention, and I jumped up to catch up with Paul. He had disappeared, so I went to his office. I paused just outside the door, hearing his voice. His words chilled me.

“Are you sure?” He spoke with the phone cradled to his ear. “She seems so normal. No, I couldn’t get her to come out for lunch. Yes, she leaves at around five o’clock, and she’s always parked near me. Uh huh, a green Jeep Cherokee, license plate…”

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win 1 eBook copy of Long Shadows and 1 Long Shadows T-shirt (pictured above). Sizes are L or XL and will be available to US residents only!**

Author Bio:Cecilia Dominic wrote her first story when she was two years old and has always had a much more interesting life inside her head than outside of it. She became a clinical psychologist because she’s fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn’t stop writing fiction. The first draft of her dissertation, while not fiction, was still criticized by her major professor for being written in too entertaining a style. She made it through graduate school and got her PhD, started her own practice, and by day, she helps people cure their insomnia without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction she hopes will keep her readers turning the pages all night. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a pen name. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she’s been told, is a good number of each.