Happy Friday Everyone! I’m psyched to welcome my pal, author C. J. Burright to the Paranormal Unbound blog. CJ writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance, and has a new series coming soon.

Hi, CJ! I’m so happy you could join us today for a chat! Tell our readers a little about yourself. Something scandalous and not in your bio, perhaps? 😉
First off, Paranormal Unbound rocks, and I’m super-psyched to be here! You want the scandalous scoop on pure-as-the-driven-snow me? Hmmm…I once put lipstick on a sheep and blamed it on the dog. Shocking. For some reason, my parents didn’t believe the dog was a conniving master mind of evil deeds.

OMG, lipstick and sheep…now there’s a visual! And thanks for the ParaUnbound love! So, what do you love about writing paranormal fiction?
The freedom to write the weird worlds orbiting in my head!

I was a lucky beta reader of your upcoming release, Wonderfully Wicked. What inspired you to write this story?
The café scene, for sure. The image of Lydon looming behind Kalila while she ordered her coffee cemented in my brain and wouldn’t leave. I had to know why he stalked her and how she’d escape her nightmare come to life. Since I’m a pantser all the way, my characters cracked the whip and away we went.

I’m fascinated by your heroine’s superpower: the ability to channel creatures from her nightmares. What drew you to the writing about this type of paranormal power?
My dreams are extremely vivid, and I’ve always been intrigued by the meaning behind them. I wanted Kalila to be freaky-deaky different, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to put the two together.

What’s your favorite hero type to write? Alpha, beta, gamma, snarky, badass, tortured, flawed, stubborn, patient, intelligent… And where would your hero and heroine in Wonderfully Wicked fall in this spectrum?
Ooh, I love the brooding alpha whose flaws leave him tortured. But he’s gotta be tough, and a smart mouth is always a bonus. Lydon’s definitely a damaged alpha who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Kalila doesn’t put up with crap, has her own issues to deal with, and fights for the people she loves. And by people, I mean Lydon (even if the stubborn girl denies, denies, denies).

What’s your preference to read and write: dark or light paranormal?
I’ve always been a fan of the dark side. They’ve got cookies.

LOL and yum. 🙂 What paranormal authors do you like (aka, what makes your “I’ve read it” or “To be read” lists)?
Too many to count! My ultra-favorite paranormal authors (aka, authors I’d buy pretty much anything they write) include Anne Bishop and Karen Moning. Can I say Celia Breslin, or is that sucking up too much? ☺

Ha, I’ll accept the writer love, thank you. And thanks for visiting today, CJ! Before you go, here are the tough questions 😉 …
Dr. Who or Sherlock? Um…neither. *hides behind shield*
Star Wars or Star Trek? Luke Skywalker all the way.
Coffee or Tea? Morning zombie until coffee is added.
Sweet or salty? Both. Especially sea salt and chocolate.
Cats or dogs? I have a herd of cat minions. Don’t cross them.

Fun questions! Thanks so much for inviting me to Paranormal Unbound!

And fun answers, CJ! Now, tell us about your book, Wonderfully Wicked, please:
He haunts her dreams and embodies her nightmares…

A dreamcaster with the ability to channel creatures from her nightmares, headstrong and cynical Kalila Montgomery longs for a peaceful, picket-fence life…until the man literally of her dreams kidnaps her. Survival quickly becomes her number one goal, yet a growing attraction to the man in her nightmares is impossible to ignore. While she fears he will kill her, other, more terrifying enemies surround her, and Kalila succumbs to his scheme to escape.

She may be his one hope for freedom…

A deadly combination of power, cunning, and cold-hearted charm, Lydon v’al Endrian fears nothing. Feels nothing. Chained to a brotherhood of men with the supernatural ability to invade dreams, he hunts dreamcasters to be harvested for their dreams and killed. His target: Kalila Montgomery. But Kalila awakens an undeniable dark desire and a longing for a freedom long-lost. To gain everything he craves, Lydon must seduce Kalila before his plot is discovered…a hopeless challenge which, if failed, will earn him a death-sentence.

Caught up in a dangerous world of secrets and obsession, doubt and betrayal, Kalila and Lydon face the nightmare of their lives, where love will either deliver them—or destroy them both.

About C. J. Burright:
C. J. Burright was born and raised in Oregon and loved it so much she never left. While she has worked for years in a law office, she chooses to avoid writing legal thrillers and instead leans toward urban fantasy, paranormal romance, or—since all things medieval and magic fascinate her—fantasy romance. A member of Romance Writers of America and Secretary for the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter, C. J. also has her 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and believes stories should always include a gratuitous fight scene. In what spare time she has, she enjoys working out, reading, gardening, and rooting on the Seattle Mariners with a nice glass of wine. She shares a house with her husband, daughter, and a devoted herd of cats.

Connect with C. J. Burright
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Readers: Chat with CJ!
Since nightmares play an integral part in Wonderfully Wicked, what’s your worst nightmare? Soul-sucking nuns? Murderous bunnies? Poison-spitting Santa? Hey, maybe it will show up in the sequel. ☺