Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi I am a newly published writer (newbie) from Lufkin, Texas. I was born in South Dakota and raised in Montana. Somehow I ended up in Texas. I have always written something. Stories from cereal boxes when I was a kid. Poetry when I was a teenager and now books when I finally grew up. My other love is nursing. I have a PhD in Nursing and I presently am employed as an Assistant Professor at Stephen F Austin State University.
Spirit Warriors: The Concealing is my first book. It is in the YA, fantasy, romance genre. It was published by Booktrope Publishing in November 2013. The second book in the series Spirit Warriors: The Scarring will be out in Spring of 2014. I have started Book 3 and there will be a total of 5 books. My editor would like me to come back and do a prequel to the series. We will have to see about that!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and latest book is Spirit Warriors: The Concealing. It was inspired by a short story that I wrote in college. The short story was based on my childhood growing up in Montana. I gave a group of kids special abilities based on my experiences with the Native American culture. The professor loved the story and told me I needed to write a book based on the story. He warned me that it was unpublishable because it was too dark and no one would publish it for the YA market. Of course that was before Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. I went back to that story and wrote the book. I thought the time was finally right for me to tell my dark story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have music to write and I want it to be loud. There is something about music that makes me creative. I also match the music to the mood for whatever I am writing. If is sad I want sad music. If is upbeat or fast, I want some good thumping bass music.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I started out being influenced by the classic children stories. I loved Cinderella. As a kid, I actually thought the pumpkins in the garden turned into beautiful carriages! As I grew up I read the Little House on the Prairie series and Nancy Drew. Some other books that I read and adored included To Kill a Mockingbird, Lonesome Dove, Tom Sawyer, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight. I like books with a strong poignant message.
What are you working on now?
I have just finished editing on Book 2, Spirit Warriors: The Scarring. I am working on book 3, Spirit Warriors: The Burning. I hope to finish Book 3 this summer and have it ready for publishing in Fall of 2014.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is a hard question for me since I am such a newbie in the book publishing arena and my book is so new. Can I come back and answer this after I release Book 2? 🙂
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to not give up. You will be rejected. Some people will not like what you write. Write it anyway! If writing gives you pleasure and you enjoy it, just write. Don’t worry about what everyone else has to say.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My best advice comes from Mark Twain, “Write what you know.” You are an expert with what you know. It is hard to make something you know nothing about seem real to readers.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish the Spirit Warriors series I would like to publish a series of children’s books based on the bedtime stories I told my daughter when she was a little girl.
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?
Lonesome Dove, To Kill a Mockingbird, and as hokey as it sounds I would bring my own books. It would give me peace to read my own books and hope that I make it off the island!
Author Websites and Profiles
D.E.L. Connor Website
D.E.L. Connor Amazon Profile
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