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How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start?
I’ve been writing since I was little. I always loved to make up stories and characters. It’s just a part of who I am. My first official writing project, was a novel I attempted to write when I was 14. I had just finished reading the Vampire Diaries series and wanted to make my own teenage story. I had most of it written and then was told we were moving from Texas to Nevada. Sadly those pages were all lost in the move. Though that accident hurt, it didn’t stop me from writing. I don’t write YA style stuff any longer, but I do still write about vampires and other such creatures of the night. They’re just so much fun to work with!
What drew you to the paranormal genre?
I love vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. I remember as a kid, watching the old Dracula movies and being interested vs. scared. When I was ten, I read my first vampire book and never looked back. There is an escape there, in the supernatural world, it adds a layer to life that makes the mundane not so dull. To imagine other creatures, other beings living amongst us yet still hidden in the shadows was such an interesting concept.
Do you ever have problems with your characters doing what you wanted them to do?
All the time! LoL. I call that writer’s block. It’s also the reason I am a pantser. When I first started to write “officially” I thought I had to plot out every detail of my story ahead of time. Then my characters revolted! The refused to do what I had set out for them to do. That stalled my story and made me so frustrated at writing, I almost gave up. Then, I got some sage advice. Just relax and “free write.” I took a break and let myself write other things without a pre-planned plot. It was then that I learned I was a pantser. I don’t work well with strict rules and outlines. Now that I know that, my writing has become easier and my characters are more cooperative.
That’s not to say I never run into writer’s block. I still do from time to time, and there are many days where I have to scrap whole chapters because I have written myself into a corner. But, even with those stumbling blocks I’m still writing and creating.
What do you do when you’re not writing/editing/promoting or thinking about writing/editing/promoting?
You mean there is something else besides writing/editing/promoting? LoL.
Actually, all of my non-work time is devoted to family. I work so many hours on the computer doing just that, writing, editing, and promoting that they often feel neglected. Weekends are work-free time (otherwise the family would mutiny). And family dinner, movie night, and game night are a staple in our house.
What is your muse to help you write and keeps the creative mood flowing?
Music helps, but not just any music will do. I have to listen to something that can become a sort of white noise. Sounds strange, I know. When I know a song inside and out, I can listen without listening, and just hear the “mood” of it. That’s when I can use it. I often use music to set the mood of my scene.
If the music is too unfamiliar to me, my ADD kicks in and I end up listening to the words and learning the lyrics rather than just enjoying the feel of it.
We writers are weird, huh?
How would you pitch the Immortalis series to someone who has not heard of your books before?
My favorite line is actually the tag line to my first book. “Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition, that’s the hard part.”
You might have read books about vampires, but how many of them took you step by step through the emotional turmoil of what that change actually entails? In Immortalis you’ll see a normal, everyday girl lose everything as she becomes a creature of the night. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Sure, there’s a learning curve there, but if she can overcome it, both she and you, the reader, will find that it can be pretty sweet!
Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the Immortalis series is set in?
The Immortalis series is set in modern times. Books one and two are set in Las Vegas Nevada, which, by the way, is the best city out there for creatures of the night. Book three, Pandora’s box takes you to Boston. There you will learn even more about the world of unnatural creatures and some of their origins in Ancient Greek Mythology. What I wanted, was to show you how easy it would be for these creatures of the night to actually exist and oftentimes co-exist within normal society.
What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
Book 4 is in the works right now and I hope to have it out by spring 2012. I can’t give too much away, but suffice to say the cliffhanger of book three will be resolved!
Many super thanks to Katie Salidas for stopping by today. Like I said before, don't sleep on this series...it's a good bit of fun, and will hopefully have many, many more installments to come. ^_^
Here's a bit of info on the latest book in the Immortalis series: Pandora's Box:
After a few months as a vampire, Alyssa thought she’d learned all she needed to know about the supernatural world. But her confidence is shattered by the delivery of a mysterious package – a Pandora’s Box.
Seemingly innocuous, the box is in reality an ancient prison, generated by a magic more powerful than anyone in her clan has ever known. But what manner of evil could need such force to contain it?
When the box is opened, the sinister creature within is released, and only supernatural blood will satiate its thirst. The clan soon learns how it feels when the hunter becomes the hunted.
Powerless against the ancient evil, the clan flees Las Vegas for Boston, with only a slim hope for salvation. Could Lysander’s old journals hold the key? And what if they don’t?
And how welcome will they be in a city run by a whole different kind of supernatural being?
Werewolves…
Stay tuned for reviews of Hunters & Prey (book 2) and Pandora's Box (book 3), here at MNtR!
Psst....this blog tour stop for Bewitching Book Tours is just one of many for the Immortalis series. Follow the link here (or hit the image below) to see what other festivities are going on! Yeuh!
Sounds like my other fave series Dark-Hunters with the Greek Myth tie-ins. I'll check this out. Great interview btw :)
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