This morning I have the privilege of speaking to Angela Caperton. Hello Angela and welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews. Please come in and grab a cozy chair, and share some conversation with us.

Let me first say, congratulations for Woman of the Mountain garnering a 2008 Eppie Finalist.

Thank you very much. Can I tell you a secret – just between us friends? I was glued to the EPIC website the night they were going to announce the finalists, but I finally had to give in to sleep. When I opened my email in the morning and saw the letter from the Committee, I let out a howl that probably scared the dickens out of every squirrel for a square acre! I’ve been floating on air ever since.

Wow, being raised on a sailboat sounds quite interesting. I bet you could develop some stories there.

Being raised on a sailboat definitely has given me some very solid experiences that I’ve drawn on for various scenes and characters. As an adult, I am ever grateful for my unusual childhood. Although I haven’t used my nautical background extensively in any of my published work, I’m sure I will.

Inspiration sounds like a great read. Where did you get the idea to pen this story?

Well, Inspiration really started as a sentence, “Inspiration is its own reward.” And then the story grew from there. I wanted a setting that reflected art at its most sensual and I chose Renaissance Italy, the only era I know of that made marble look warm! As I worked through the very simple story – which I don’t want to spoil here – I wanted to explore some of the mutual benefits of art on both artist and model and ultimately some of the consuming power of inspiration. Since I was working with classical imagery, I indulged myself by including a scene based on John William Waterhouse’s amazing painting of Hylas and the Water Nymphs, which is, I think, a gorgeous portrayal of the astonishing and seductive power of beauty.

And since Inspiration is an erotic story, the emphasis is ultimately on sexual pleasure between two people who are very much in love.

I believe you have another release this month from eXtasy.

Yes! I’m very excited about The Passions of Pearl. It’s a much funnier story than my previous books. Trust me, you’ll laugh, but it is also blazing hot!

Can you tell us about your erotic paranormal series and erotic dark fantasy you are working on?

Well, I don’t want to say too much, but here’s a tease. The erotic paranormal novel is richly romantic with a variety of historical settings and two characters who are expressions of timeless love and desire, mortal but touched by divine forces. I think it’s the best thing I’ve written, but heavens, the research has been tough!

The erotic dark fantasy is a short story that will either be one of a series of short stories or an episodic novel. The concept is one that I want to explore in a variety of stories. It is a variation on the traditional idea of a succubus, a sexual creature who enters the dreams of men. This particular story is also about vampires, but not like you might expect. Anyone know a publisher of hot supernatural short stories?

Is there anything special you do to get you in the ambiance to write?

That really depends on what I’m working on. If I’m writing a more seductive or romantic scene, I’ll light candles, maybe have a glass of wine. If the scene is more edgy, tense, or dark I tend to crawl into a cave – I close the blinds on the windows or if it is night time, I turn off the lights and have only the glow of the monitor to keep me company. Consistently, music is my companion for writing. I listen to a wide variety of music and the web radio site Pandora has been the soundtrack for much of my work.

When choosing a book to read, what first draws your attention, the blurb or the cover?

That’s a tough question. I tend to be pretty focused when I choose books – either I know the author’s work, the book has been recommended to me by friend or family member, or I have read a review of or article about the book. That said when I’m just “hunting” for something new, yes, covers can initially draw my eye to pick up a book to read the blurb, but if the blurb doesn’t catch my attention, I probably won’t choose that particular book to read.

Can you give us your websites, as well as the links that we can find out about your books?

Certainly! You can find my web page at http://www.angelacaperton.com. Also, I have a blog where you will find nearly real-time information about my writing, events, and contests and you will also find a wide range of subjects covered in entries by me and my friend, Drake. You just never know what you may find there. My blog is at http://blog.angelacaperton.com.

How long does it take you to finish a book from start to submission?

That really depends on what I’m working on. Woman of the Mountain took me a year to write, but Pearl only took about three months. So much depends on how much research I do for a story and what monkey wrenches life throws into the works. I work full time, so unfortunately, I can’t dedicate myself fully (yet!) to the voices in my head.

Finish the sentence: Life is short, so…?

So love honestly, live fully, remember yourself, take chances, run, don’t walk, have ice cream for dinner, and dare to dream.

Angela, you wake up one morning to learn that you are a pilot of an airplane. One hundred passengers are eagerly waiting you to choose their destination, where would you fly the plane this morning for a fabulous weekend?

Amsterdam, Netherlands! Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in Europe and it really does have something for everyone. Nightlife, great dining, great shopping, art museums, music, history, incredibly warm and friendly people, and if you are a flower fan, there are world class nurseries all over the countryside – which, by the way is gorgeous, and Amsterdam also has the distinction of having several interesting vices legalized – for those adventurous spirits out there! And hey, if you just have to go to Paris, it’s about 7 hours away on a bullet train!

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader that you will always cherish?

I think the comment that has come to mean the most to me came from a fellow writer who read Woman of the Mountain. She said to me in an email exchange we had some time later, “…write what comes from the soul…” It is a credo I’ve often repeated to myself, but sometimes when a writer is hanging by the fingernails to the edge of a cliff that is the line between creative inspiration and marketability, it’s nice to know you’ve got company on the ledge! (o:

What would you say is the best gift you ever received in your years?

The best gift I’ve received came from my parents, especially my father. Living on that sailboat and cruising as we did was my father’s dream. He and my mother worked very hard and had the courage to see the dream become reality. Their drive and their focus taught me that it doesn’t matter what the dream is, if you want it, you’ll find a way to make your dreams come true.

If you could go back in time, what time period would you choose? And if you could take any dessert, or delicious drink or food, what would you take with you?

Well, if I were being daring, I would say the Jurassic Period, since I am a lifelong admirer of dinosaurs in all their astonishing variety, but a close second – and one where I would probably have less chance of being squished – would be Berlin in the 1920s. I’m sure my view of the time is overly romantic, but it seems like a real renaissance of free thinking took place in that city between the world wars – amazing developments in art and music and especially sexuality. I think it may be the closest thing to a functioning libertine society the world has ever seen, and it lasted such a brief time. As for something to take back … in a culture that admired sensuality, there are so many possibilities. If I brought a quart of Godiva Belgian Dark Chocolate ice cream and somehow kept it frozen, they might form a cult around it! And then there’s Viagra…

I notice that you love lizards. I find them adorable especially the tiny ones. Do you have a specific size lizard you love or just all of them?

I really do love all lizards, from the little geckos that sneak into my house on summer evenings all the way up to slobbering komodo dragons! It’s true… I am the saurian-lover that rooted for the raptors in Jurassic Park.

What is your favorite pizza?

Homemade thin crust, brushed with olive oil, topped with roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and a little mozzarella.

If you were to plan a wedding, tell us what it would consist of?

I have very unorthodox visions of a perfect wedding. I prefer very small and intimate. I would want an outdoor setting – by a lake or river or in a meadow or on a plateau and a simple exchange of vows between me and my love. The guest list would pretty much be limited to very close friends and family, and the reception would be equally as intimate and small. I would ask that all wedding gifts be in the form of donations to various charitable organizations. And the wedding night would involve velvet ropes and fantasies that I would rather reveal in my next book!

Angela, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today. I wish you the best with all your upcoming works.

Thank you! Best wishes to you too!

Interviewed by: Linda L.