It took a bit, but it finally made it! My short story, "All Aboard" was recently published in Sirens Call Publication's anthology, Horror: Odd and Bizarre. It's a story about a small Utah town and a railroad that appears one night in the center of town. No one can figure out what it means or who built it. Things ramp up when citizens begin to disappear and others receive train tickets for a one way trip. Check it out here.

I'm shifting gears a bit with this post. I'd like to introduce a good friend of mine from grad school, Deanna Dee. She's the author of the wonderfully successful geek romance books, The Games of Love series. Her new book, Finish Him, comes out November 17th. You can pre-order it here. I wanted to give every one a chance to get to know her, so I conducted an interview. I hope you enjoy getting to know her. After, you should go check out her books!

​Tell us about your books and stories, what sets them apart from others?

I like to think of my stories as “romances for the romance sidekicks.” My female leads are the quirky best friends or brainiac sisters found in many other romances, and my leading men are the nerdy friends or dorky brothers. They say the lines and do the things that the heroes and heroines don’t usually get to do, and it’s so fun being able to put those characters in the spotlight.
 
What is it about geek culture that you’re drawn to?I’ve always been a bit of an oddball.

Dungeons and Dragons kept me grounded as a kid. I filled my weekends and summers with imaginary worlds. I could be anyone I wanted, and I could always emerge victorious. Geek culture is where fantastical things happen. In a way, it’s home.
 
Your books incorporate table-top RPG’s. What’s your favorite table-top RPG, and do you have a particular gaming experience you would like to share?

To this day, Dungeons and Dragons remains my favorite table top game. As for a gaming experience, here’s one from college. My party of four (including myself) had to climb a ladder. Our dungeon master allowed us to make a roll to use either athletics or acrobatics to do this. We needed at least 5, which was fine for me and one of the other members since our skill bonuses were more than five. The other two members, however, had 1s and 2s bonuses in acrobatics and athletics. Once I and the other high-bonused character had climbed the ladder, our dungeon master said “it’s so easy a five year old can do it.” The other two members proceeded to roll the most 1s and 2s I’ve ever seen in my life. Did I mention this was also a stealth mission? I actually had to sneak attack on the guard because my fellows failed their rolls so many times, they fell off the ladder. Good times.
 
Favorite villain and what it is about this villain that you are drawn to?Awesome question! Scar from The Lion King.

There’s a story there, and I want to write it. What happened in his past that made him who he is? So what draws me to him is the knowledge that I can imagine the cute cub he was and how differently his life could have turned out.
 
Who are some authors, or some books that you think everyone should read at least once? Why those choices?

Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. This man is a genius. This series is so well-crafted. I lost track of the number of jaw-dropped moments I had while reading.  Brandon Sanderson. There’s nothing I’ve read from Sanderson that I didn’t love. From epic fantasy to dystopian super heroes, he does it all well.
 
Where can people find you online?

I can be found at the following haunts.
Website: http://ddgeekwriter.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ddgeekwriter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ddgeekwriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13466746.Deanna_Dee?from_search=true&search_version=service
 
Final question, if you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Another awesome question! Shadow manipulation. I love the image of whipping darkness around. Shadow cloaks, knives, portals—the possibilities are endless!