Author Interview and giveaway: Reena Jacobs author of Shadow Cat

We are happy today to Welcome author Reena Jacobs to Once Upon a Twilight. Reena took some time out and answered some great questions for us today. She is the author of Shadow Cat a new series she has started working on. Shadow Cat was just released in January of this year. 

Reena Jacobs Links:

Reena Jacobs Website

Reena Jacobs Blog

Reena Jacobs Facebook

Shadow Cat is available on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Welcome Reena!

OUaT:  In Shadow Cat which character did you enjoy writing and which was your least favorite to write?

Reena: Hands down, Bryan was my favorite character to write. On the surface, he’s a bit laid back, but it’d be a mistake to think he’s a pushover. He’s just one who picks and chooses his battles wisely, making him a great joy to work with.

Eric was my problem child. He’s stubborn and self-centered. I really had to pound him in order to get him to see beyond his own wants. Of all the characters, I had to do the most cutting and revising with him. The guy just couldn’t seem to understand that no one likes a jerk.

OUaT: How did you come up with the concept of Shadow Cat?

Reena: I love shape-shifter books, and wild cats have always been my favorite animal. In many ways, the cart came before the horse with this one. :) When I settled on a tiger, I spent a lot of time researching folklore and came across the Malay concept of orang belang which translates to “the striped ones.” The more research I put in, the more the story came together.

OUaT: Where do you hope to take your writing to in the future?

Reena: The more I write, the more I learn about myself. I’m not a genre loyalist, but I do love writing about relationships. Currently I’m working on the sequel to Shadow Cat which I’ve entitled Chasing Shadows (Mujur’s story). Hopefully I’ll finish the rough draft of Chasing Shadows this month. I plan to tentatively conclude the Striped Ones series with Bryan’s story, which I’ve already written, at least the first draft.:)

Beyond the Striped Ones, I have several interrelated stories, two of which I’ve started. Some of the characters have cameo appearances in Bryan’s story.

Then I have my love child, a story called “I Loved You First.” I should have the rough draft of that finished sometime next month. It’s a coming of age novel. I let my daughter pick the names for many of the characters, and she’s not at all happy with the storyline I’ve picked for them.

OUaT: How did you come up with the name Berani and does it have a meaning?

Reena: Berani’s name, as well as the other wehr-tigers in the Striped Ones series (except for Bryan), does have a meaning. For Berani, I wanted a name which had a feminine and foreign feel (at least when it came to American readers). Her name translates to the word “brave” in Malay, which is one of her strongest strengths but also her weakness.

OUaT: Can you describe your book in 5 words?

Reena: Primal, adventurous, sexual, unconventional love

OUaT: What is your favorite quote?

Reena: Whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on. Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all. -Utada Hikaru

OUaT: When or how did you feel or decided you were going to become an Author?

Reena: Becoming an author is kind of an ongoing process for me. Finishing Shadow Cat was a wonderful moment. I’d done it! I had something to show for my efforts. Then I finished Bryan’s story and felt even more like an author. Afterward, I published a short story which was a pivotal moment. Win or lose, my work was in the public eye. Shadow Cat going live was another notch.

In my mind, I haven’t donned the official title Author (someone who writes professionally). Though I continue to push forward, I still feel like I only have one toe in the water. I don’t know when I’ll feel like a real author, but with every tiny success I come closer to that mentality.

OUaT: If you can have dinner with one person (dead or alive) who would you choose and why?

Reena: Last time someone asked me that question, I said Jesus or God. Still a good choice, because I still have lots of question. But to keep it original, let’s go with Amy Tan today. Why? Of all the books I’ve read, the Joy Luck Club is still my favorite.

OUaT: What do you like to do for fun?

Reena: I absolutely love to read. Sometimes I’m not sure what I spend more time doing—writing or reading. Oh! And picking on my husband.

OUaT: Can you recommend to my reader the one book they should read?

Reena: Any of the Immortal after Dark novels by Kresley Cole. If you haven’t read the first one, A Hunger Like No Other, I’d definitely recommend starting there. I absolutely love her story telling, and after ten books, she’s yet to let me down. I just received her 11th release in the mail, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, and can’t wait to start it.

Shadow Cat
The Striped Ones
Author: Reena Jacobs
Pages: 368 pgs
Reading Level: Adult
Published: January 7th 2011

Summary: (from goodreads) They formed a bond so strong even death couldn't keep them apart.

CEO Eric Randall’s plan is simple—fix the mess his researchers have created in Malaysia, experience the pleasures the country has to offer, and hightail it back to the comforts of America. Then again, simple plans always seem to have a way of going awry. All it takes is one beautiful aborigine to completely flip his world upside down, and Eric finds himself stranded in a world of Malaysian myths and legends.

A novice shaman amongst her people, Berani is free and independent; the rain forest is her playground. Yet all is not well in her homeland. Evil forces are slowly causing her people to dwindle to extinction. When a strange speaking man invades her forest, she has one more item to add to her already troubled life. One thing for sure, she’s not about to let some overbearing human control her on her own turf. Attraction or no, she will fight Eric tooth and claw to maintain her freedom. But will she end up destroying herself in the process?

Giveaway Info:

• The giveaway is for a ebook copy of Shadow Cat
• The giveaway is International
• Giveaway ends Friday March 18th 2011
• To be entered leave a comment below with your name and email address

Good Luck!