Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was shoveling horse manure when I started to imagine a detective and a vampire talking in an office and decided to write a book series about it. Now I’m an author and go by the name Sarah WaterRaven. I’ve published three books in the Detective Docherty series and have a fourth book on the way. It seems my vampire and detective had quite a bit to talk about!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest publication was actually a collection of poetry called Wonderings. It was quite a step away from my fantasy series, though there are a few titles that contain fantasy elements. The collection was born of time, from years of writing poetry to help cope and inspire others who may have gone through similar experiences.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You know, I wonder if I do. Is it abnormal to stay up till sunrise, days on end, because I am consumed with a writing project or is that just par for the course for an author? Because of my writing habits, I tend to jog at night and eat breakfast for dinner. There are days I find my way back to the diurnal habits of my fellow humans but truthfully, I am much more productive as a creature of the night.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne McCaffrey has been and remains to be a huge inspiration for me. Dragonflight was one of the first books I read for pleasure and would open up a whole new world for me. I loved the Dragonriders of Pern series so much, I wrote to Anne McCaffrey, telling her I wanted to be an author and asked her how I could become one. I was young and my mother helped me write the email to her. She wrote us back and while I don’t have the email anymore, I’ll never forget that she took the time to write to us. I cried when I heard she died.
What are you working on now?
My current work in progress is the fourth novel in the Detective Docherty series, Detective Docherty and the Dark Curse. It was inspired by the 2010 movie, The Wolfman.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Things tend to be hit or miss online but I’ve found I’ve always done well at book signings and conventions because I connect to readers through panel discussions or through one on one talks at my table. A large portion of my current readers I met in person.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love, always have your manuscript edited, and don’t give up. If you’re a self-published author and your book didn’t make the best seller list the first year, go back, re-evaluate your cover art and marketing, and come up with a new plan. There are tools available on blogs and youtube to help you, you just have to keep pressing on.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading Throne of Glass. It was given to me by a friend but I just finished Ink by Amanda Sun and Feeding Frenzy by Maaja Wentz.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The Docherty series will be around five to six books long and after that, I plan on publishing an illustrated novel and then starting another series. The truth is, my imagination won’t stop, and I plan on publishing novels for as long as I live 🙂
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?
1) The Book of Flying
2) The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern series)
3) The Night Circus
4) The Mists of Avalon
Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah WaterRaven Website
Sarah WaterRaven Amazon Profile
Sarah WaterRaven Author Profile on Smashwords
Sarah WaterRaven’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account