Jamie Rush, also know as Tina Wainscott early in her writing career, is here with a Q&A for us today. Since selling her first book in 1995, Jamie has published 24 books (plus 2 novellas and one in the Bitten By Cupid anthology). Living in Southwest Florida her whole life, Jamie does like to escape to the mountains of North Carolina in the summer. She enjoys, swimming, workouts, meditating, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She also says she tries to find joy in the little things in life and to find the lessons in the hard times. Considering herself truly blessed, Jamie feels life is truly what you make it.

1. Your early work is under the name Tina Wainscott. With the series OFFSPRING, you switched to Jamie Rush. What brought about the change and why?

As Tina, I'd moved from paranormal romantic suspense to straight romantic suspense and finally to psychological suspense. With the Offspring, I was going back to my roots. My new publisher wanted to bring me out as a debut author.
However, I'm excited to say that I am bringing out much of my backlist as Tina Wainscott and will be developing some new romantic suspense in my original name.

2. We all love the OFFSPRING series, for our followers that need to defiantly move it up on their TBR list, can you explain a little about it?

Aw, thanks! I had this idea that these different people had extraordinary psychic abilities but didn’t know why. Each had one parent who'd died in some strange and tragic way. Oh, and not to mention that some shady government agency is trying to kill them. I loved that they'd all be thrown together, trying to survive, falling in love, and solving the mystery.
I'd always envisioned that the initial arc would close after 3 or 4 books, and then the books would spin off individually from there. Then readers coming in at that point wouldn't have to slog through a lot of "what's already happened" and could jump right in. Along the way, the story has evolved, because the reason behind their abilities really opened up the possibilities. I've had a lot of fun finding out stuff right along with the characters and readers.

3. Could you tell us where things stand on the next installment in the series, Darkness Becomes Her? Will it be the last one? Can you give us some specifics about the story or characters in it?

This book takes a character we met briefly in the earlier books, Lachlan McLeod, and throws him into the action. He has some personal baggage, and feels he's a man beyond redemption. He's lost his psychic abilities, one of which was being able to astral project. Suddenly, he projects to the future and sees his brother, Magnus, lying on the ground dying and a woman standing near him. Lachlan is sure she's responsible, especially when he learns Magnus is dating her. Or trying to, anyway. And when Magnus is nearly killed, and now lying in a coma, Lachlan learns that Jessie holds an ability far from anything he's ever encountered. And so does the man trying to kill her. And Lachlan ends up with a surprising new ability, too.
I has three more books planned, including Magnus's and Pope's stories. Sadly, with all the bookstore closings and the economy, publishers are holding off on moving forward with series that are only selling at certain levels. I want to be honest about this, as I once heard a reader complain about authors who drop a series or trilogy before it's completed. And while that may happen because an author suffers some kind of setback, more often it's because the publisher isn't seeing the sales they need to justify going forward. Dear readers, please know that authors never give up on a series. But if we can't continue with the current one, we come up with something new, as we are determined and can't not create stories.
However, I have to finish the series for my loyal readers, so I am now in the process of indie-pubbing the wrap-up story, which will include Magnus and Pope. It wraps up the villains from my novellas, so it should give everyone closure. The downside is that it will only be available in e-format (but all formats). The good news is that it's on my timeframe so as soon as polished (it's already written!), I will release it.
And more good news: I've sold a new series to Grand Central Publishing, which I'm totally psyched about. It's called The Hidden, is set in Miami, and debuts in January 2014, though I'll be releasing two novellas next summer. Here's the gist of it:
Crescents, humans who hold the essence of deities, walk the knife's edge between the glamour of Miami and the Hidden, a place filled with dark magick. Dragons, angels, and sorcerers, Crescents must fight the dissension amongst their kind, magical beings, and the lure of their darkest nature.

4. Eric Aruda, is one of our favorite characters.  Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have a favorite? If you could live in one of your characters shoes for 48 hours, which one would you pick?

Eric … ah, yes, a hottie in every sense of the word. Funny thing about Eric, he wasn't going to even be a hero when the cast started coming together in my mind. I saw him as a self-destructive time bomb who might end up getting himself killed. And then a strange thing happened. Well, a few. Readers were totally intrigued by him, even if some were put off by him at the same time. And I realized I felt the same way! When I found myself daydreaming about him while at the gym one day, I knew I had to give him his story. He was my first real alpha male and suddenly I "got" why dangerous heroes are so appealing. I'm a convert .
Silas Koole, the hero of one of my earlier books, Unforgivable, is also one of my faves. He was also a dark, dangerous guy but in a more psychological way. He's psychically connected to serial killers … or is he one himself? While that book, Unforgivable, is out of print, I've resurrected it in e-book format under the same title.
As to which one I'd like to spend 48 hours in their life … probably Cheveyo, from Beyond the Darkness. Not only can he turn panther, he fights all manner of paranormal vermin, which makes for a pretty exciting life.

5. Having done both, which do you prefer, stand alone or series books and why?

I love series and being able to revisit the hero/heroines from previous books. For instance, Lucas and Amy, from the first book, continued to have angst into some of the subsequent books. Even though they were more in the background, I loved being able to draw out their story a bit. Well, continue torturing them, let's just be frank about it, LOL. But writing a series is much harder. Details! Oy, they torture me. If something happens in book 2, it better be the same in book 5, and with an overriding arc, you also need to have a complete book arc, too. It's a lot to juggle.
Now I'm delving into true world creation, and that will bring its own challenges as well, but I'm so loving it.

6. Tell us some of your favorites,....

Movie?     While You Were Sleeping

Thing to do to relax?       Swim

Drink?         Margaritas

Season?     I live in Florida … there are no seasons. But I do love going up to NC in the fall.

Book?      Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. Eye-opening!

Smell?    Coffee

Photograph?   I love taking pictures of funky or cool places. I took this one in GA. Just as I was in position, a dog came running by and scattered the butterflies. I had to wait until the dog left and they came back. Worth the wait!


7. Have you ever been in a conversation or event when all of a sudden, BING, an important thought entered your head that needed to run and expand, and you had to excuse yourself to get it on paper or your computer?

All the time, though I'm very good at retaining an idea or concept. When I get dialog, though, I have to go type. Immediately. I love those moments, but they probably make me look a bit kooky. Kooky is good. Kooky is part of being a writer.

8. Tell us about an embarrassing experience you have had in the past as a author.

At a Romantic Times conference years ago, I was waving at a man I thought was author Larry Martin (Kat Martin's husband). I wanted to introduce my friend to him. As soon as he got close, I whispered to my friend, "That's not Larry." I had to just go with that I was being very friendly. Fortunately, he didn't think I was trying to pick him up or anything! But for a long time that was our private joke: "That's not Larry." And I just got to tell him that story at the RT Booklover's convention.

9. Thanks for answering our questions today Jamie. Now it’s your turn. What would you like to ask our followers? 

What's the one thing you love most in a hero, real or fictional? And/or what's the one trait you can't stand in a hero?
(Leave your answer or comment for Jamie and be entered in a giveaway.)

Jaime is giving away a copy of  Darkness Becomes Her, which is the 6th book in the series (and a stand-alone). US residents only.

Ok everyone you know the rules.

1. Be a follower of this blog (it's not hard, just click follow and the good news- we will not spam you- promise)

2. Leave a comment answering Jaime's questions from question #9.

3. make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you win..Good Luck.

  Author's website: http://www.jaimerush.com/