Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
D. Alyce Domain. Is a long-time lover of creative fiction. She learned to read with Dr. Seuss, grew up reading Sweet Valley High, James Howe, and Lois Duncan, and graduated to category romance with Harlequin and Silhouette in her teen years. Ms. Domain started out writing fan-fiction after her favorite fictional characters met with death and cancellation on network television. Inspired by the entertaining, multi-layered storylines created by so many female romance, young adult and television writers, she began to experiment with her own characters. Coupled with her own unique brand of genre-bending romantic fiction, Ms. Domain was able to create a whole new world within the pages of her books.
Ms. Domain was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the youngest daughter of Charles and Eunice Domain. She has one older sister. She earned a BS in Biochemistry from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a MS in Biomedical Sciences from The UT Graduate School for Biomedical Science in Houston. She worked in Patient-Based Biological Research before switching careers and opening her own fashion boutique, The Aesthetic Domain. In addition to fashion apparel and accessories, she sells her own original jewelry creations and runs the Boutique & Blog website, which is based in Houston, Texas. Ms. Domain also has avid interests in inspirational music, art/entertainment, and history.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Well, Dominic’s Nemesis was born of my love of Gothic novels and dark paranormal romance. I like Gothic stories but there’s not a lot of good Gothic romance out there. Most of the really good ones were written by classic authors who are deceased. Phantom of the Opera, Rebecca, The Count of Monte Cristo, Jane Eyre (and anything written by Poe). The modern Gothics are hit & miss…they’re also few and far in between. So I figured I’d write my own. Right about this time, paranormals were coming into their own…and I saw them as lesser Gothics. (No insult intended) What I mean is that they have many of the same elements, but paranormals usually have better endings…the hero is always redeemable, the couple always end up together, and the bad guy gets his at the end. In Gothics things sometimes end gloomy. (which honestly, I don’t mind, but it can get depressing after awhile.) So, I decided to write a kinda genre bender that has all the good elements of 3 romantic sub-genres (Paranormal, Gothic, Historical) and Dominic’s Nemesis was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure. I mean what is considered unusual in the mind of a writer? I will describe my process and you be the judge if its unusual or not.
Things start off a little shaky. I’m generally at the track, running….or asleep…or washing dishes or something…when an idea or an interesting character hits me. I drop whatever I’m doing to write it down. (There are notebooks of varying shapes, sizes, and colors all over the house filled with random ideas of mine.) Most of these ideas go nowhere or they end up as one great line in a book that I’m already working on. If the idea continues to nag at me and I get a good two or three pages of cohesive ideas together, I’ll write a summery (again, sketchy.) If I’m still interested in it after I’m done with the summary, I do some character bios to nail down personality traits, history and what not. If I do this, I’m vested. Next up is the outline for the plot…(Who does what when…the timeline, yadda, yadda, yadda). Then, after that’s done. I start Chapter 1…or in some cases a prologue.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors who influences me: Edgar Allan Poe, Christine Feehan, Daphne Du Maurier, (all the great Gothic Fiction writers.) And some Paranormal Authors, particularly Nalini Singh. Historical Romance Author: Lisa Kleypas (Queen of the love scene)
Books that have influences me: Rebecca, The Count of Monte Cristo, Feehan’s Dark Series and the Scarlotti Curse, anything written by Poe.
What are you working on now?
Two projects actually
1. A sequel to Dominic’s Nemesis. Placeholder title is Nemesis 2. Its not evolved enough for me to attach a permanent title to it…yet.
2. Calamity Jones – Contemporary African-American romantic comedy novel. I’m basically done writing it…currently in editing hell.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a new indie, self-published author (1st book just published in November 2015), I can’t really say. I have no point of reference. Possibly my author website & Blog.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do extensive Character Bios on all the major players in your story…at the very least, the main couple. Their personalities and points of attractions (and all that jazz) have to be nailed down before you start writing. Its so hard to create a believable Hero/heroine if you as the writer don’t know them that well. There should be a bible of Bios that you work from.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I read some writing advice that Stephan King wrote. It has to do with deleting the first chapter or two of your book to see if it really changes anything. If you can still read the book and don’t really miss anything by leaving off the first chapter or so…that means you don’t need it and you should leave it off. Just slows down the story. I did this for my current book, Dominic’s Nemesis. The published chapter 1 was originally chapter 2…I deleted chapter 1 after, I read the book without it and didn’t miss it.
What are you reading now?
Just finished Veronica Roth’s Divergent series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I’m currently working on a five or six book paranormal romance series…The Ambrosi Legacy. That should keep me busy for a while. Not sure where I will go from there.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh geez, here goes…
Lisa Kleypas: Then Came You
Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo
Jane Austen: Pride & Prejudice
Janet Evanovich: One For the Money (Hilarious!)
Author Websites and Profiles
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