Perpetual RR favorite of the Joyfully Reviewed group Melinda Barron has agreed to let me interview her.

Melinda what is your most current work out?
My latest novel, Master of the Sun, released Jan. 18th from Loose Id.

Tell us a little about Master of the Sun and what inspired you to write it.
Master of the Sun is about a woman whose husband/Dom dies suddenly and she retreats into a shell. The shell bursts apart and the sun reappears when a man whom she already knows hires her to take photographs at his new hotel, the place where her husband died.

This story comes from the heart. During 2009 I had four friends die, and it was a very tumultuous time for me. I used that emotion to set the scene for Master of the Sun.

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 plot line worked out, but my characters always tell me where to go. Even though I have an idea where the book is going, somehow the finished product is always different than what I thought it would be.

What inspired you to write in your genre?  Is this the genre you started writing in or have you morphed to this one?
I love to write BDSM. The interplay between the characters fascinates me. It’s a very misunderstood area, and I hope that I’m able to shed some light into the things that develop in a Master/sub relationship.

Do you have a favorite character you have written?
Grace from Graceful Submission is still my favorite, and of course Toffer, her husband/Dom. Oscar from Sweet Awakening plays a close third.

Do you have a character that you look back on now and don’t like?
No, actually I don’t.

Do you draw inspiration for your characters from real life? Any fun stories you could share?
Not totally. I don’t write a character with a certain person in mind, but I might see someone do something and think, that would be good to add to a character. I do a lot of people watching at the mall, the grocery store, the library. People are very interesting. Of course if they realize you’re staring at them, they tend to get edgy.

What do you find the hardest part of writing?
Convincing some of my friends that, just because I’m at home it doesn’t mean I’m not working.

Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you.
Although I’ve been in love, I’ve never been married.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Watching documentaries on TV, anything on UFOs, Egypt, history, true crime…I love em.

What do you need before you start writing?  Anything that is just a must have or the creative juice don’t flow?
Candles help, and music.

Does music influence your writing?  If so, do any of your stories have a theme song?
It depends on the story and on my mood. Sometimes I listen to Blues, sometimes movie soundtracks that are mostly instrumental; Right now I’m hooked on a CD that simulates thunderstorms.

If your story was optioned for a movie, who would play your characters?
Someone very strong, handsome and over 40.

Where were you when you got your first contract?  Who did you tell first?
I was at home. It was in my email first thing in the morning, and I called the man I was seeing at the time and screamed in his ear. He was at work, and I think his co-workers heard me.

How old were you when you read your first romance book?
Fourteen. The first one I read was Rosemary Rogers’ Sweet Savage Love. I still have that book, some thirty plus years later.

If you still have one of those pesky day jobs what is it?
Writing is my day job.

What are you currently working on, and what else is in the wings?
I have several projects that I’m working on for both Loose Id and Resplendence Publishing. The most notable of which are Inked, for LI, and Hunted and Through Traitor’s Gate for RP.

What is your reaction to people who say one of the following…”Oh you write romance, I thought you were a real writer”, “Romance isn’t a real writing career” or the ever popular “Oh, one of those books”..
I usually wink and say, “That’s right, and I love it.”

Where can readers find you?
http://melindabarron.com/

I don’t have a facebook or twitter account, but I’ve been informed that if I don’t get it done soon it will be done for me, LOL.

And for the silly side – What is your favorite type of chocolate?
The type that finds its way into my mouth…preferably dark chocolate with raspberries.