Interview with author Barbara M. Hodges

Barbara M. Hodges lives on the central coast of California with her husband Jeff, two basset hounds, Ophelia and Hamlet, as well as a sassy ginger stripped feline, Wallace.

Barbara is a big NASCAR fan as well as a decorative painter.

Website: barbaramhodoges.com 

Blog: http://barbhodges.blogspot.com/   

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/barbara.m.hodges      

BWLPP: How long have you been writing and in what genres? 

BMH: I’ve been seriously writing for the past twenty years.  My first book, The Blue Flame was published in 1991.  I’ve written in many genres. The Blue Flame, The Emerald Dagger and The Silver Angel are fantasy as we as is, Magical Stew.  Shadow worlds, co-written with Darrell Bain is science fiction. A Spiral of Echoes, which I co-wrote with Maggie Pucillo is paranormal romance and my latest book, Ice, co-written with Randolph Tower is suspense. 

BWLPP: Where you do get your inspiration?

 

BMH:  From everything around me. A person I see.  An incident I read about. Most of them become a, what if, and from there a story idea. It surprises me when I hear people say they don’t have an idea for a story, or a next book.  My problem is that I have too many ideas. 

BWLPP: Tell us about your book(s).

 

BMH: The Blue Flame, The Emerald Dagger and The Silver Angel are the first three books in my Daradawn fantasy series. In The Blue Flame, two sisters have been separated for seven years.  Living in modern day San Francisco, California, Regan Cafferty thinks her sister Kelsey is dead.  Seven years ago Kelsey went on a photo shoot in Africa, and disappeared.  

Kelsey is not dead, she stumbled through a rift and has been in the alternate fantasy world of Daradawn, the past seven years.

The rifts between this world and Daradawn open once in every seven years and only remains open for seven days. 

When The Blue Flame begins, the rift has re-opened and Kelsey has sent Peter Canterville, Daradawn’s High Mage, back through the rift, closest to San Francisco, to bring Regan to Daradawn. 

In the seven years Kelsey has been in Daradawn, she has become a champion for Queen Tessa in her battle against Dirkk and his dark magic.  The battle is not going well.  On Peter’s cheek, Kelsey sees a small blue flame, and is told the flame is how the Power marks its chosen.

Kelsey knows Regan has the same mark upon her shoulder.  

Doubting Peter’s sanity, but fearing for her sister, Regan agrees to go with Peter, along with her friend, Ben and his basset hound Maggie.  There adventure, danger and romance await them. 

In The Emerald Dagger, seven years has passed again, and the rift re-opens, with new problems and new dangers to face.  The same for The Silver Angel.

Shadow Worlds, co-written with Darrell Bain is a totally different genre. It is straight science fiction.  In Shadow Worlds, duplicates of people are landing on their doorsteps, back yards and even living rooms, the problem is they are all dead.   The plot deals with finding out who they are, how did they get there, and just where are they coming from. 

In A Spiral of Echoes, co-written with Maggie Pucillo, we have a sad, lonely and very stubborn ghost, who’s waiting for her lover to return for her.  The sadness turns to anger and jealously as she watches those around her find love and happiness.  Patricia must be convinced that in truth she is dead, and that for now her life is over. 

 

My two latest releases, both from Books We Love Publishing Partners, are Magical Stew and Ice.

Magical Stew is three shorter pieces of fantasy fiction, A Child of Prophecy, Rainbow Raindrops and The Golden Avatar.

In A Child of Prophecy, a young woman discovers a blood tie that will either mean life and death for many.  In Rainbow Raindrops, an afternoon spent in a museum to get out of the rain, brings life altering events. And with The Golden Avatar, the reader learns of the first meeting between Thea and the golden dragon Zara.  Thea and Zara are both characters from my Daradawn series. 

Ice, co-written with Randolph Tower is a suspense story about a female serial killer, Sherice Solomon. I loved writing that story. Sherice, growing lonely decides she needs a partner.  After a chance meeting with Morgan Garrett, she decides it has to be him. Things are going well, or so Sherice thinks, until Darcie Devonshire, Morgan’s old CIA partner enters the picture.  Morgan still may be interested in Darcie. Sherice can’t have that, so Darcie must die. 

BWLPP: What about your next book?  Will it be part of a series or a stand alone?  Can you give us a taste to whet our appetites?

BMH:  The next book Randolph and I are working on right now is Meltdown.  It’s not really a sequel to Ice, but Darcie and Morgan from Ice, are also main characters in its storyline. 

In Meltdown, an airplane crashes.  When rescue gets to the site, there is an unconscious man belted into the cockpit.  The man is not in any way harmed.  So they know he wasn’t on the plane when it crashed.  When he regains conscious, he has no memory of who he is, or how he ended up in the cockpit of the plane.

BWLPP: Why did you choose to publish electronically?

 

BMH:  I have been a huge believer in electronic publishing for close to 20 years.  The Blue Flame first came out as an ebook with Hard Shell Word Factory.  I bought my first reader at least 15 years ago.  I’m on my third one now.  I love the fact that I can carry seventy or more books on my reader.  

Electronic publishing has given so many fantastic authors their first publishing breaks.  I know that BWLPP offers authors a fantastic contract, and the quality of their books can’t be beat.  I guess my answer would be. Why wouldn’t I choose to publish electronically? 

BWLPP: What are your hobbies and interests?

 

BMH:  I’m a big NASCAR fan.  Yea, Carl Edwards!  I love to go the races and be apart of the excitement. The same with the Kansas City Chiefs, pro football team, I haven’t made it to a game  yet, but I am faithful on television. 

I also into Tole painting, RVing and being a slave to two basset hounds, Ophelia and Hamlet.

BWLPP: What does the future hold for you?

 

BHM:  More books. After Meltdown, it’s back to the next book in my Daradawn series, The Scarlet Scribe.  I’ve had lots of fans asking for it.  After that I’m sure there will be another idea that I have to leap upon. 

BWLPP: Where can readers find you?

BMH:  You can always find me at my website…http://barbaramhodges.com

On Facebook.  I’m always looking for more friends, or you can email me at….barbaramhodges@live.com

BWLPP: Thanks Barbara!