Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a positive, upbeat, friendly girl who writes dark urban fantasy about vampires murdering people and faeries torturing people.
I’ve written 5 vampire books and 1 & 1/2 faerie books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I wrote is entitled “Dead of Night.” It’s the third book in my vampire series, and it was unintentionally inspired by one of my closest friends dying of cancer.
I think it turned out pretty good, but it was a hard book to write. My main character was meant to be struggling with the harsh realities of being a vampire, so it was set up to be a tough book from the get go, but then my friend died and the darkness just came spiraling out of me. I think the main character’s inner struggle came through more believably because of my inner struggle. Still, a hard book to write.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but this habit amuses my husband.
I talk to myself.
In my characters’ voices.
I find it very helpful for figuring out how how different characters would react to different events, but I guess I sound pretty funny when I’m doing it.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Emma Bull, P.N. Elrod, Ann Rice, Charles De Lint, Kelly Armstrong, Joan D. Vinge, Terry Windling, Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker
What are you working on now?
That 1/2 a faerie book. It’s in the final editing stages, so it should be coming out by fall of 2019.
I thought it would wind up being between 20-40k words, since it was just supposed to be the back story of the love interest in my faerie story. Turned out he had a lot more to say than I first thought he would. It’s 70k words and counting.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m trying everything. I’ve been terrified to promote, so I haven’t, and my books have been languishing in Kindle hell. I decided it’s time to get started with marketing, but the results I’ve heard from people are all over the place, so I’m trying everything I can. So far it’s all working a little, but none of it’s working great.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read books. You can’t write well if you don’t know what a satisfying read is.
Read books on writing and take classes or join writer’s groups. You can’t get good by osmosis.
Write, write, write, and finish a piece. You need practice, and you need to do more than start stories.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hard to say for sure. There’s a font of super useful advice out there, and all of it matters.
My biggest “aha” moment was after a four-hour workshop on finding the theme of your work in progress. The instructor led the class through several exercises on word play, free writing, etc., finally leading up to piece it all together to find the theme.
It was four hours well spent. I didn’t really know what theme was before that class, and had a hard time defining it or understanding why it might be important. Now I know both those things, as well as how to find the theme of whatever I’m working on in less than four hours. It’s come in handier than I ever thought.
What are you reading now?
“The Golem and the Jinni.” I’m not real far into it, but so far I like it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have 4 different ideas to pursue after I finish the faerie story I’m working on. I plan to poll my email list and find out what they’d like to read next before I pick.
1) Another faerie story?
2) Another vampire story, from the perspective of the main supporting character?
3) A ghost story that I wrote years ago that needs editing badly?
4) A mage story?
We’ll see what they say. I also have an idea for space pirates rattling around in my head.
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?
That is an impossible question.
If I knew I’d be stranded on a desert island, I’d want books on how to survive and escape a desert island.
Aside from that, I can’t answer. I’ve re-read “Catspaw”about fifty times, so maybe that one, but maybe not just because I have read it so many times. “Good Omens” maybe, just because it’s co-authored by my two absolute favorites, otherwise I draw a blank.
If I’m not allowed to bring books on how to survive and escape a desert island, then maybe a set of encyclopedias just for sheer keeping the boredom off. That counts as one, right?
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