Hi Poppy! Welcome to Top2Bottom reviews and more:)
Thank you for taking some down time and spending it with us. Let’s start this off with a beverage. We have coffee, tea, some sort of juice (I think it’s been in here a few weeks) and soda. What would you like?
I think I’m going to have to go with coffee, not that that will surprise anyone. I’m a wee bit addicted.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a sassy southern lady! I really can’t help it. I get it honest. The women in my family are all very strong and determined and I inherited it from them. These days, I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I love to travel and every spare penny I can scrape together goes toward plane tickets.
When you received news that your manuscript had been accepted what were the first words that fell from your mouth?
OH MY GOD. (And then I promptly burst into tears…)
What forces brought you over to the MM Genre and what made you want to write it?
I found MM through fanfiction. I was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfic addict for years and wrote a few stories myself. Then original characters began chipping away at me so I thought I’d try writing them. I love it! Can’t stop me now!
Would you care for some cookies? We have chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal with or without raisins and a package of mystery ones. We have cake too. Your choice.
Can I just say Yes, Please? Or how about D) All of the above.
How many hours a day do you spending writing?
It really varies depending on the project and what stage it’s in. In the beginning, I’ll write for 2-4 hours a day, but the closer I get to the end of a draft, the longer I write. It’s hard to stop once you get on a roll!
Do you write right through or do you revise as you go along?
Again, it depends on the project. Sometimes I’ll need to revise as I go, but I generally prefer to finish a first draft and then tackle editing. I spend as much time, if not more, doing my own edits as I do writing.
When it comes to plotting, do you write freely or plan everything in advance?
Oh, I’m definitely a plotter. I do a lot of prep work before I begin any new story so I can be sure the world is fully developed before I dive in.
Of your characters do you have a favorite and why?
Well, I must admit that Garon from my Triad series is a favorite. I can’t help it, though. He’s based on my nephew. As to my grown-up characters, I’d…wow, I don’t know. I’m partial to all of them. LOL. I’ve got to tell you though that there’s a lot of me in Simon, so he’s got a special place in my heart.
Writers often go on about writer’s block. Do you ever suffer from it, and what measures do you take to get past it?
I don’t know if it’s writer’s block or writer’s blah. I think that sometimes my brain gets tired and needs a rest! If that happens, I’ll go out for the day. Get plenty of sunshine and fresh air, interact with people who don’t only live in my head, and then tackle it again the next day. If I’m really stuck, I use a random prompt generator to give me a prompt and I write a thousand words on it. It usually helps to get me going again.
Do you have a particular spot in your house that you call your comfy zone? (The place where you write.)
I usually write at my desk, but I have a spot that my mom has started calling my “nest” when she comes to visit. It’s one end of my couch where I have everything I like nearby. It’s very cluttered and messy most of the time and is the area that is always a “Must Clean” when someone is going to be stopping by!
When you’re in the mindset to write, do you put a sign up that warns others not to disturb you while at work?
Nope! I have been known to turn the internet off though so I’m not tempted by shiny things, but since I usually write very early in the morning, by the time most normal folks are up and at ‘em, I’ve got my word count in for the day.
How would you describe your sense of humor? Who and what makes you laugh?
I really laugh hardest at old-style humor. A friend posted a clip from the Carol Burnett show not too long ago and I laughed until I cried!
What is the most frequently asked Poppy question?
“When is Riley’s book coming out?!?” And unfortunately, the answer is never. LOL. Riley is one of the child characters from my Triad series and he’ll always be a kid to me.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on a couple new series. The first is another paranormal series with a pack of werewolves and their antics. The other is a series of contemporary shorts that aren’t connected.
Writing is obviously not just how you make your living, but your life-style as well. What do you do to keep the creative “spark” alive – both in your work and out of it?
I think it’s really important to have a balance. If you spend all your time writing, it drains your creativity. You can’t forget to live outside of your own head once in a while! I take walks, work in the garden, or just spend a day power-shopping with my mom or one of my friends. It’s rejuvenating to me and I find I’m usually ready to dive back into work.
What kind of books do you like to read outside of the MM Genre?
I love to read paranormal romances, and these days, I find myself reading more ‘how-to’ books on the writing craft. I’m also a big history buff, so I’ll read history or mythology.
Pick one: Scientist, Astronaut, Retail, or Horse Trainer-
Oh geez. Um. Well. I’d probably go with Scientist, simply because I’d get to do experiments! Although I’d probably blow something up! Could be fun, though.
Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy sewing and spending time in the garden. I also love to travel and am on the go as much as I can afford to be!
Any special projects coming out soon we should watch for?
Next up for me is a paranormal novella called Born This Way. It’s about a liger shifter (lion father/tiger mother) who is kicked out of his pride—but he has to come back for his mate!
Can you please tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
You can find out more about Poppy’s books on her website http://www.poppydennison.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poppy-Dennison/270574609631110?ref=ts
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ParanormalPoppy
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison
It was a pleasure having you here with us today. Please come by and let us know how you’re doing from time to time. OH! And before you leave, can I get your help here in the kitchen? Thanks!!
Of course! I’ll tackle the dishes! Trust me, you don’t want me to try to cook anything…
Check out Poppy’s newest book, Soul Magic!
Check out Poppy’s blurb for Soul Magic:
Sequel to Body Magic
Triad: Book Three
Blood runs soul-deep. Cormac hasn’t been the same since the night the High Moon Pack was attacked. With his magic weakened, he’s consumed by a bloodlust he hasn’t felt since he first became a vampire. His need to replenish his power makes him a danger to his last remaining family member, and his hunger makes him careless. And that’s just the beginning of his troubles. Feeding from pack beta Liam Benson was supposed to slake his appetite, not leave him craving more.
Simon Osborne and Gray Townsend are trying to fight a being history says shouldn’t exist—one with all three types of magic. The pack must use all of their resources to combat the mysterious triad, even turning to the shady Council of Mages for help. While Cormac struggles to reconcile his past failures with his current desires, Simon must attempt the impossible: an alliance between mind, body, and soul.
More about Poppy:
A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.
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This Week’s Prize is: 
Set at the turn of the new millennium, “The Easy Way Out” is the story of Josh, a lonely, street-smart, brash teenage Florida drifter who is snatched from his dead-end existence as a male hustler in a cheap Key Largo motel by Bishop, a Wall Street power broker who sets him up as his trophy boy in the moneyed society of Manhattan. It is there that, after leading a promiscuous lifestyle among both the elite and “low-lifes” of New York City’s gay sub-culture, Josh meets Hylan, a young, bi-racial down-on-his luck, wheelchair-bound musician who awakens in Josh what love can be between two men. But their chance at a long-term happiness and the lives of those closest to them are all tossed upside down on that faithful day in September, 2001.
