Spending a few minutes with author Caridad Pineiro….

What is your most current work out?

Stronger Than Sin, November 2010 from Grand Central Publishing

Tell us a little about both the plot and the inspitation for Stronger Than Sin?

Stronger Than Sin is the story of Liliana Carrera, a physician who has become involved in a project treating people who have been genetically engineered against their will.  Liliana first appeared in Sins of the Flesh and I knew as I was writing that book that I wanted to see more of Liliana and see her grow.  I also wanted to find the perfect man for her.  Of course, that man has to be someone special and unique, but not necessarily seem like the right man at first.  Ex-football player Jesse Bradford immediately came to mind.  Jesse is one of the genetically altered patients and he and Liliana have crossed paths before when she tended to him after a bar room brawl.  Definitely wrong for her, Liliana thinks until she meets the real man behind all the celebrity hype.

When you start writing, do you already have the story plotted out or do you let the characters dictate what will happen?

I have a fairly strong sense of the plot, but that’s definitely dictated by the characters since I’m a character-driven writer.  It’s the characters and making them shine that drives me to create a plot that challenges their weaknesses and eventually allows them to become the heroes we love to see.

What inspired you to write in your genre?  Is this the genre you started writing in or have you morphed to this one?

I didn’t start writing paranormals until 2004 and I was inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I loved the mix of drama and comedy and the many variations that could ensue in the story lines because of the existence of the paranormal elements.  Before turning to paranormals, I was writing contemporary romances.  Now I also write romantic suspense and I find that the paranormals that I write are a cross-genre blend of paranormals and romantic suspense.

Do you have a favorite character you have written?

That’s tough – almost like asking a parent to choose a favorite child.  But if I had to choose – Diana Reyes from The Calling Vampire novels.  I love that she’s strong, tortured and passionate about what she does.

Do you have a character that you look back on now and don’t like?

Looking back at all the books I’ve done, I think that I like Sebastian from Danger Calls the least.  I had a very different vision in mind for him and couldn’t really execute it the way that I liked.  Mind you, I still like him, but I think he could have been stronger if he had been more beta (yes, I know that’s a weird thing to say, but even geeks can be strong heroes).

Do you draw inspiration for your characters from real life? Any fun stories you could share?

I don’t draw from real people for the characters, except possibly by the use of their names.  For example, my husband, daughter and I had gone out to celebrate a wedding anniversary and we had a waiter named Ryder.  He was wonderfully attentive and had a very nice smile.  I had been toying with the idea for Darkness Calls and was having trouble finding a suitable name for a 200 year old Southern gentleman vampire and it hit me then that Ryder was the perfect name for the character.

Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you.

Readers would be surprised to know that I am basically shy.  It’s taken me many many years to be more out there with people, but I’m so glad that I am because I’ve met so many lovely people through my writing.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is reading the In Death series by J.D. Robb.  I’d fallen behind and my goal this summer is to catch up on all the books I’ve missed (there are so many! Thank you, Nora!)

What do you need before you start writing?  Anything that is just a must have or the creative juice don’t flow?

Coffee.  I usually write in the morning and coffee is a must.

Does music influence your writing?  If so, do any of your stories have a theme song?

I usually watch television while I write, not listen to music.  I tend to watch movies in the same vein as what I’m writing so I go from funny Sandra Bullock’s movies for the contemporaries to Underworld-type movies for the paranormals.

If your story was optioned for a movie, who would play your characters?

Hmmm.  That’s a tough one.  I would say Sofia Vergara (currently on MODERN FAMILY) for Liliana and maybe Michael Wetherly (from NCIS) as Jesse Bradford.

Where were you when you got your first contract?  Who did you tell first?

I was visiting my mother-in-law on a Good Friday.  My husband called to say some editor had phoned and that she wanted me to call her back.  Hands shaking, I took down the number and called the editor right back.  She said she wanted to acquire the book (Now and Always) and that if I agreed to sell it to them, she would get back to me shortly with full details on the contract terms.  I tried to sound professional and of course said, YES!!!  I started jumping up and down and screaming that I’d sold my book.  My daughter and mother-in-law thought I was crazy until I told them why I was so excited.

How old were you when you read your first romance book?

I read Wuthering Heights when I was about 10 and was hooked on books with romances ever since.

What are you currently working on, and what else is in the wings?

I just finished a novella for Carina Press – Aztec Gold – and am finishing up the next book in the Sin Hunter series – The Lost – which will be out in April 2011.  Then it will be on to writing another romantic suspense – The Fifth Kingdom – for Carina and the fourth book in the Sin Hunter series – The Claimed.

Where can readers find you?

Readers can find me at:

www.caridad.com

@CaridadPineiro on Twitter

http://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author on Facebook

And for the silly side – What is your favorite type of chocolate?

My favorite is Lindt truffles.