Today's special guest is Tricia Schneider. Patricia, welcome to my blog. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Could you tell us a little bit about you?

Thanks for having me here, Elaine! I’m a mother with two small children and another on the way. They keep me extremely busy but I manage to get writing done during naptimes and after bedtime. Before I had kids, I worked for 12 years at a Waldenbooks store. I was the resident ‘romance expert’ and also the Assistant Manager for 6 years. Working at a bookstore is perfect for an avid reader, although your paycheck tends to go right back into the business.

I bet they do! I'm a sucker for a book store. How long did you write before you got published?

I’ve been writing as long as I could pick up a pencil. I didn’t consider serious publication until my late teens, however. And for a number of years I studied the writing craft and wrote more than I submitted. It wasn’t until my first son was born that I decided to pursue that dream with more determination. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this and I want my children to know that dreams really can come true.

I've said the same thing many times. What is your favorite genre? Why?

I’ve always been an avid romance reader, something I picked up from my mother since my memories of her were always with her nose in a romance novel. It was only natural for me to start writing romance. I’ve also held a fascination for all things paranormal since I was very young and I love history, so my writing reflects that, as well. Historical paranormal romance is where I fit best.

That sounds good to me! What are you working on now?

Currently I have 2 projects I’m working on. First, I’m working on the sequel for my debut, The Witch and the Wolf. And I’m in the process of re-writing parts of my full-length novel, With My Last Breath, which won third place in the Haunted Hearts contest in 2008. Both, of course, are paranormal romances.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Never give up. I’ve been told those three precious words for as long as I’ve been studying this craft. It’s great advice for anyone who has a passion to pursue something. Write, write, and write some more and never give up. The more you write, the better you get at writing.

Once more you've given advice that I've also given. Would you share your links with us?

I have a website where you can find me http://www.triciaschneider.com. I’m also frequently at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/triciaschneider and GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/triciaschneider and will gladly chat with anyone who’d like to join me there.

We’d love to read an excerpt. Don’t forget to give us a buy link.

You can find The Witch and the Wolf at The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-witch-and-the-wolf-p-4136.html

Excerpt:
There were several moments Jeremy North suspected he suffered hallucinations. Most of those times had been when he had first begun to change into the beast during the full moon. And now, as he answered the knocking he had at first imagined to be the pounding in his skull, he wondered if the brandy he had been drinking this evening was perhaps tainted. He could not quite believe his eyes.

A woman stood on his doorstep, covered in a layer of snow, her bright blue eyes silently pleading to him just before her eyelids fluttered closed, and she crumpled at his feet. He managed to set the candle down safely on a table in time to catch her before she cracked her head on the stone beneath her. He lifted her effortlessly into his arms, brought her into the house, slamming the door closed with his foot. He hurried into the library with his unexpected guest. North had returned earlier seeking the warm oblivion of yet another glass of brandy. He grimaced at the memory of countless other sleep-deprived nights spent in much the same way. Sans an unconscious woman, however.

He placed the bundled woman onto the sofa, ignoring the fact that the snow was bound to create a water stain on the fabric once it melted. He leaned over her, pushing the curly brown strands of wet hair off her face and checked to see if she still breathed. Satisfied when he felt her breath on his hand, he went back to the corridor.

“Amery!” He roared.

Turning back to the woman on his sofa, he again felt the necessity to blink his eyes, wondering if they played a trick with his senses. He lit more candles to brighten the room and added more wood to the fire. Then he walked back to the woman and knelt at her side. He found her hand dangling over the edge of the sofa and took it gently in his, the digits frozen stiff. He inhaled a gasp. He cupped both of his hands instinctively around hers, hoping to lend her his warmth.

He heard the shuffle from the hallway and Amery’s muttering, then a noisy yawn.

“Bloody hell! What is this?” Amery bellowed from the doorway.

North ignored the query. “We need blankets,” he said, instead. “She’s frozen through.”

Amery nodded and left.

A muffled groan from behind drew his attention, and he turned to see the woman’s eyelids flutter open. He inhaled sharply as her bright blue gaze fell upon him.

She studied him for a moment.

And then, she smiled.