An interview with the amazing and fabulous Michelle Gent!...

1. Hi Michelle! Would you mind telling me a little about yourself and your books?
Oooh... me and my books... Well, I’m a tom-boy and probably always will be. I ride a motorcycle when I’m not injured (not been able to ride for 2 years now L ) and I have always loved reading.

My books are written to suit me and the way I read, I think. I love Stephen King and CS Lewis and the way I find myself immersed in the story is how I like to read so I wanted to emulate that style. I hope I managed it. With Deadlier... than the Male I wanted to drag my readers into a world where Werewolves exist and survive alongside humans, undetected and unsuspected.

Red – the main character – is a female Werewolf and at the pinnacle of her career as head of the Police Force. It’s her job to protect the head of the royal family and to ensure that the Werewolf society remains unnoticed by humans.

The book takes the reader through present day and into Red’s past and the story of how she became a Werewolf. It shows the betrayals she had to weather and her journey to becoming the chosen one who was prophesised more than a millennia before her actual birth.

Cruel... and Unusual is woven around the actual facts of the murders perpetrated by Jack the Ripper. It’s still a Werewolf story but it explains how everything happened. I had a lot of fun fitting facts to my story and I believe it works well.

Blood... on the Moon is more the true sequel to Deadlier. Red goes back to her home town to try to prevent a murder attempt on the Lycaeon’s life (Lycaeon is the head of the Werewolf royal family).

Red’s job is made all the more difficult because she has to contend with the Lupine Moon – an occurrence which comes around only every 500 years or so.

My final book is on ebook only for the time being. It’s not in the Wolf series and it’s about Dusty. She’s a Demon Hunter first class and is asked to help her friend to fight off an Incubus attack. Dusty has to travel the Astral Plane to find and defeat Impundulu, the Incubus.

Dusty is a feisty and kick-ass girl and she’s part-demon so she knows what she’s doing in the world of demons and faeries and such... or we hope she does.

2. Do you have a outlined ‘plan’ when you write, or do you just write and see where it takes you?
Hmm... a plan would mean that I was organised... I’m not. On my last book, as I was writing the final scenes, I was tapping away at the computer, my husband was at the side of me, working on the cover etc and I said: “Ooh, I never saw that coming!” He stopped what he was doing and asked me if I’d actually said what he thought I’d said. He couldn’t believe that I didn’t know what was going to happen... of course I don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens... J

My writing takes over and it takes me where it takes me... I really enjoy it when it drags me along. It means that the reader will probably be dragged along too J

3. How do you manage to come up with your amazing plots and ideas?
The plots just happen... they evolve as I write. I have a fair idea of where the story needs to go (although, sometimes, that takes a back-seat too). The ideas – I have no idea where they come from... some kind of mental email I think...

4.What was the most challenging part when you’re writing?
The most challenging part is actually being able to sit down and concentrate. Sometimes there can be all sorts of stuff going on around me and I don’t notice, but other times I can be distracted by nothing.

5. Are you the writer who listens to music, has the TV in the background, or so you prefer the silence?
It has to be absolute silence for me and preferably with no-one else in the house – which is difficult when you have 6 people living under one roof!

6. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
I have quite a demanding job and sometimes I’m at meetings all day but what I like to do is read. I don’t really get time to watch TV but when I go on holiday (vacation) I take my Kindle and do almost nothing! J I also have to study as I’m learning how to become an accredited proof reader and editor.

7. Which author would you most like to meet and why?
Stephen King! He’s such an inspiration! I read his book ‘On Writing’ and it helped me to learn how to edit my own work so that it reads even better than it did.

8. If you could travel to one country/place in the world where would you go and why?
Well, I’ve been to quite a few countries and I’d certainly like to go back to all of them but I suppose a country that I’ve never visited would be Egypt. I love the thought that there was a whole civilisation prospering thousands of years before we managed to become organised!

9. What’s your favourite colour?
I wear black as much as possible... I’ve been told it doesn’t suit my colouration but I can’t get out of that habit J My favourite colour is Red which could be one of the reasons my main character shares the name... maybe not ;)

10. Do you have a favourite word that you love?
‘Paradox’ is a good word I think. I love all words though because without them where on earth would we be?

11. Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors out there?
Aspiring Authors... yes, don’t give up! If you have a story, write it. If you’re desperate to get it published, please, please, PLEASE check out the company you send your work to so you’re not setting yourself up to get ripped off. The last thing is make sure the work you send in is as good as you can possibly make it before you send it. Give your ‘baby’ the best possible chance by proofreading it and editing it before you send it. If it looks professional, it will catch an Agent or Publisher’s eye for the RIGHT reasons!

12. Finally, would you like to add anything/say anything to your fans etc.?
To my fans – Thanks for the encouragement you’ve shown so far. I won’t let you down! I promise to never become one of those authors that writes because it pays to write *another* one in the series. If my next book isn’t going to have my 100% talent and ability thrown into it, then I’ll not write it.

Thanks for the opportunity Katie.

Thank you SO much for answering the questions!! It was absolutely brilliant to have you! :D

~Katie

An interview with the amazing MJ Schutte, author of 'Energy'!...

1. Hi MJ! Would you mind telling me a little about yourself and your books?
I am 38 years old, married to an angel and have 3 wonderful kids. We live in South Africa’s North West province.
Energy is my debut novel and Birth of a Wizard, the second book in the series, will be launched early next year.
2. Do you have a outlined ‘plan’ when you write, or do you just write and see where it takes you?
I do have a plan, but nothing on paper. I run the book through in my mind before I start writing.
It can be compared to a movie playing over and over until you know the entire thing word for word.
3. How do you manage to come up with your amazing plots and ideas?
My wife asked the same thing when she read Energy for the first time.
I told her this: “There is an entire world that exists in my mind. I simply close my eyes and watch what happens. “
4.What was the most challenging part when you’re writing?
Editing my own work. Because I know the book so well, I struggle to see mistakes. Luckily, I have four proofreaders and one professional editor who help me with this.
5. Are you the writer who listens to music, has the TV in the background, or so you prefer the silence?
I don’t have a preference. I can write in silence or when the kids have their music at full volume. I disappear into my own world when I write and very few things disturb me.
6. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
I play tennis and golf. I also love to spend time with my kids, just listening to music or playing outside.
Occasionally I will play chess with my son, but not often! He is 15 years old and will be playing in the South African Nationals in December.
If I’m lucky, I can win one in ten games against him!
7. Which author would you most like to meet and why?
Raymond E Feist, author of Magician (and other good fantasy books)
Magician is easily one of my favorite books of all time.
8. If you could travel to one country/place in the world where would you go and why?
I would go to the UK. My wife and I were there for a short visit earlier this year and we did not see everything we wanted to see.
I’m fascinated with old buildings, churches and castles.
9. What’s your favourite colour?
I don’t really have a favorite colour. If I had to choose, it would be black since it is the sum of all colours.
I also have a fascination with black panthers, as most people who have read Energy already know.
10. Do you have a favourite word that you love?
The word “love”, especially when me wife uses it in the sentence “I love you”.
One critic said that Energy contained “giggly teenage romance”.
Interesting comment since the romance between the two main characters is loosely based on the romance between my wife and I and we are hardly teenagers.
11. Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors out there?
Something I like to say is “Write with passion, publish with pride”
Put your heart into your writing and be proud of your work.
12. Finally, would you like to add anything/say anything to your fans etc.?
The fans have really been awesome! Thank you to every single one who has read Energy and for all the good comments and reviews.

Thank you so much MJ, for taking the time to answer the questions! :)
~Katie

Please check MJ out at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnergyNovel?ref=ts
And: http://authormjschutte.posterous.com/

A new beginning...

Now, some of you may already know that I'm writing a book thanks to my page, @Beneath the Cover. I had been thinking about it for a while, and thanks to many awesome people, Willow Cross, Michelle Gent, Nat Morales and many more, and I mean, many more, they'd convinced me to start writing. So what did I do? I opened up a clean, blank Word Doc and started!

Thank you all for helping me! You all ROCK!
<3
~Katie

A signature for a good cause...

Could you please do me a favour and add your signature to m petition for author Lauren Myracle? Lauren Myracle was nominated for the National Book Awards, and that nomination was taken away because of a mistake on their behalf. Our objective is for them to admit their mistake and accept Lauren again on the nominations!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/authorlaurenmyracle/

Online Petition by iPetitions.com

An interview with the amazing Caddy Rowland!...

1. Hi, please would you mind telling me a little about yourself and your books?
Sure, Katie, I would be happy to. I am a new author, with my first book out since August 2011. Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream is the first book of a several book series. It takes place in nineteenth century France. Gastien wants to become a painter in Paris-and the greatest love maker in France! It takes place during the time in history when Paris was the art capital of the world, Impressionism was starting and modernism, cubism, etc were all going to start there.

The second book is where the “big” romance happens. I hope to have Gastien Part 2: From Dream To Destiny out by December 1st, 2011. Key word: hope! It is written and I am now polishing it. There will be a couple other books in the series after that.

As far as me personally, I am also a painter. I paint in oil, acrylic and watercolor. Although I can paint all types of subjects, my favorites are life form and abstract. However, even though I like life form, I do NOT like to do portraits (unlike Gastien). The reason is that people always see the people they love much better than they actually look. It is hard for an artist to see what isn’t there when they don’t know the person, and it is even harder for an artist to NOT see what IS there! I find it difficult to make my brush lie in order to please someone.

I am married to my high school sweetheart. We have been married too long to mention! Let’s just say a long time. We are childless by choice, but have two parrots. They can both talk, but the African Grey talks the most. She has an endless vocabulary. I am quite worried that she will write a novel someday and tell all of my secrets.

I had breast cancer about 1 ½ years ago. They caught it really early, at Stage 0 and it is completely gone. But, getting that news and going through the uncertainty and the radiation really teaches you that NOW is all you have.

2. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
When I am not writing, painting or playing with parrots, we walk, hike, play Texas Hold ‘Em and other card games, enjoy movies and just hang out with friends. I also enjoy working with flowers. Unfortunately, my favorites are annuals instead of perennials, so very year I have to rebuy!

3. Do you have a outlined ‘plan’when you write, or do you just write and see where it takes you?
I commit a certain amount of time five days a week. I get an idea in my head about a story, kind of a “Wouldn’t it be cool if” type of thing. I also “see” a main character. I do not write down plans or details. I just sit down and start to write the idea. I call on the main character in my head and he/she tells the story. Seriously. It is the strangest thing.

4. How do you manage to come up with your plots and ideas?
Gastien is very personal for me. Gastien came about because I had gone to a therapist after cancer for past life regression and life between lives regression after reading “Journey of Souls” and “Destiny of Souls” by Michael Newton, PhD. This opened up the creative flow inside of me. Regardless of if Gastien was a part of my past or just creativity unleashed that is how this series started. Book 1 and 2 were at first one book. It was over 1,000 pages and written in less than four months. So, I made it into two books, because no one buys 1,000 page novels. The editing process for book one took five months. I have been editing book two for 3 ½ months. I have started to write book three.

I have two other books that I started to write and quit years ago. I want to do them. I won’t say what they are about quite yet, though. I want to keep them a secret. I also have book four general idea in my head, and the possibility of a book about one of the other characters in book one….we will see. I also have a suspense/horror type of idea that I have kept in my brain for about twenty years. That would be different from all of the others.

I have written a children’s book “One Little Snowflake” and did all of the illustrations. It is for children with terminal diseases and explains the circle of life. A little snowflake knows he is melting and is sad and angry. An icicle helps him understand. I have not really send it anywhere and have not self published because Kindle was black and white. Now that Kindle Fire is color perhaps I will publish it sometime.

5. Do you have a favourite character from your book?
I love Gastien dearly. He is very real to me, and to most of my readers.

6. What was the most difficult part when you’re writing?
Writing just comes for me, but a certain scene in book one was very, very difficult. I had to go back several times and add more. I can’t be specific because it would give things away.

7. Was it a challenging task in order to get published?
I self published, as most new authors do now. At first, I thought that was still looked down on. Then I researched and found that it is the fastest growing thing in publishing. The good part is you have freedom. The bad part is you wear a half dozen different hats, from writer to marketer. Plus, the formatting scared me, as I am very right brained. Once I got going, though, formatting for Kindle and NOOK was not hard. The formatting for paperback was much more difficult. Several times I almost gave up on that. However, I wanted to hold my own book in my hand, so I kept going. That came out in mid-September.

8. Which author would you most like to meet and why?
Either George Orwell, because my favorite book is “1984”, or William Burroughs, because he was a beat author and I am arty and odd, too. “Naked Lunch” and other books were amazing. He would write and then cut the sentences up with a scissors, then put pieces together randomly, kind of like abstract painting. My kind of guy!

9. If you could travel to one country/place in the world where would you go and why?
Paris, France and I would stay in the 18th arrondissement, which is Montmartre. That is where Gastien had his home/studio. I would like to see the area, go to the museums, etc. It is the most important art area in history.

10. Do you have a favourite type of food/s?
REAL ice cream, not the sugary crap that passes for it. Popcorn with real butter. Did I mention that I need to lose weight?

11. What’s your favourite colour?
Asking an artist to pick one color is like asking a parrot to swim. So, I will tell you my favorites: black, white, screaming bright red, teal, quinacridone gold. Those are my favorite to wear, paint with and decorate with.

12. Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors out there?
I laughed when I read this question. I wanted to write a book since I was a little girl. I would read other authors saying this and I would say, yeah..but how? But, here it is:

Just do it. Seriously. Just firmly commit, say 1 hour a day 5 days a week. Then sit down and start typing. Don’t worry about going back and fixing or sharpening. Just keep going every day. You can pretty it up later. Until you have a book, you have nothing to pretty up.

13. Finally, would you like to add anything/say anything to your fans etc.?
I would like to thank every one of them individually. I truly appreciate that people take time out of their lives to read what I write. Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream is quite dark. I know that it stays with readers a long time. I have them tell me that Gastien is real to them and that, after they are done with the book, they keep thinking about him for weeks and even months. I am so thankful that they have allowed him into their lives.

I hope they stay with me, reading my future books. I would love to hear from them, too. Gastien has a fanpage on facebook. Here is some social media information for everyone:
www.facebook.com/gastien.beauchamp
http://twitter.com/caddyorpims
email: caddyauthor@yahoo.com
My blog: http://caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com
(writing, art, men, women, life, love, etc)
You can also find me on Goodreads.
Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream for Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/3ecu8ku
For NOOK: http://tinyurl.com/3ue4a7h
For Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/3luddg7

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! I really appreciate it! I can't say how much some parts touched me. :)
~Katie

Zoctornyia (Vultar's Heart, Body and Soul Mate Part 3)...

Zoctornyia by Beth Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the third part of the Vultar’s Heart, Body and Soul Mate by Beth Wright! I was eagerly waiting for this next part of the story to be published as the last left my on yet another cliff hanger! All of the characters are amazingly thought out, and they all have likeable qualities that make them unique and original. Setiana still didn’t fail to make me laugh countless times throughout the story! The story flows very well and I soon found myself at the final page. The biggest surprise was how many children she actually ended up having! You see Setiana go through troubled times after, the baby blues, and you see how she copes with things now. You witness her inner strength as she battles through. I loved this storyline loads, and this one left on a large cliff-hanger! It was once again fantastic and I loved it throughout. I waited keenly for the next part! Thank you for this amazing read, Beth! You’re a fabulous writer!



View all my reviews

Zoctornyia (Vultar's Heart, Body and Soul Mate Part 2)...

Zoctornyia by Beth Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the second part of the Vultar’s Heart, Body and Soul Mate by Beth Wright! I was eagerly anticipating this to be published as I was left at one serious cliff hanger at the end of part one. I loved all of the characters in this book, mainly Setiana, as I absolutely love her personality. She makes me laugh with many of the things she does. This is truly one unique and original story. And one that I love until the last page of this part! The storyline was fantastic as always and I found myself at the end very soon. This part ended on yet another amazing cliff hanger, and I was enthusiastically waiting for the next instalment! Thank you for this awesome read, Beth! You’re an amazing writer!



View all my reviews

Just a quick one...

I cannot believe how many books I have on my 'to be read' list! :O Seriously...I've got around 45! I really need to get through them all and get my reviews up.

To: My Said College,
Would you mind not giving me so much work to do? Do you actually realise how many books I have to read for these very amazing authors (Willow Cross, A.J.Sweeny,Beth Wright, J.S.Bailey, Mia James..and there are more!) and get their reviews up A.S.A.P. But you giving me so many various, seemingly pointless tasks to do and I hardly have any time to read!
Sincerely,
Katie

Sorry I'm just having a moan LOL! ;)

Review for My Soul To Take:Soul Screamers book 1 by Rachel Vincent..

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My Soul To Take is the first book in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. I found this book utterly captivating! I was hooked from the very first page. I picked it up and started reading, but by the time I looked to see how many pages i had read, I'd read most of it. If you have not read this book yet, I would without a doubt recommend it!

The characters are complex with each having defining qualities that make them individual and unique. For example, there is Kaylee Cavanaugh, a compassionate and caring person, while always knowing what she wants and will not stop until and gets it. I love her strength and loyalty to others. There is Nash, he's loyal to Kaylee and will protect her, sticking by her side throughout thick and thin. Their love story is intricate and full of passion!
I loved watching how their two separate lives became intertwined together forming a unbreakable bond.

The plot of the book drew me in straightway, keeping its hold on me until I had turned the final concluding page. There were numerous twists and turns which kept me interested and engaged throughout.

I don't want to say anymore, as i don't want to give any precious details away, but what I will say is, you are never going to suspect what happens!

I really truly recommend this book! Thank you Rachel for a fantastically written book! I have to go and buy the next book before I get withdrawal symptoms haha!
~Katie



View all my reviews

Review for 'Oceans of Red' by Willow Cross...

Here's my review for the fabulous, Willow Cross's book Oceans of Red!! :)

Oceans of Red is the first volume by Willow Cross. As I finished this amazing book, I found myself eagerly and impatiently anticipating the release of Volume Two!
Oceans of Red is based around the December 2012 prophecy; the prophecy declaring the end of the world as we know it. Demons are running the show, inhabiting humans and ultimately, it is the story’s main character’s jobs to stop this from happening. This book left me yearning for more, to know what happens! I was left at a cliff-hanger at the final page!

The characters, Remy, Greg and Shane, have been intricately created, with each having definable, individual characteristics. For example, there is Remy, the leading heroine. Her strength, sarcasm, and smartness makes her individual, while simultaneously caring and compassionate, makes her a character that everyone would just simply adore and admire. These three figures in the book make it an attention-grabbing read, from start to finish, while also playing a vital role in the telling of the story!

Willow has shaped and brought into existence, this magical and mystical world, crammed demons and power. Instilled in this book, is everything a paranormal addict like me could want! With demons embodied in humans to magic and ancient Druids, this volume is a definite read. The story flowed beautifully, from start to finish, and I never found it at all difficult to continue reading!

Willow has a natural remarkable way with the words she uses, thus creating a world of mystery and fantasy, brimming with pleasure and enjoyment. This undoubtedly leaves you longing for more, the desire to read the following volume. I would without ANY hesitation give this book a massive 5/5 stars! I would also without a doubt recommend it to every single person out there. It a definite must read!! Praise for Willow!

Thank you Willow, for crafting these incredible worlds that we, the reader, can enjoy and adore for hours on end! I ultimately found it very hard to write this review, as I continually found myself typing what happens, only to find myself hitting that delete button way too many times. I don’t want to give any of this remarkable tale away, but what I will say, is that you need to get it now, and read, read and read!
~Katie

Review for Vultar’s Heart, Body and Soul Mate, Part 1 by Beth Wright...

I've decided to put this review up on here as I feel that this author really deserves to have more recognition than she currently has!...

Vultar’s Heart, Body and Soul Mate part 1, is the first segment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was funny, romantic and exciting. Upon finishing this, I wanted to know what happens next! The only thing, was that the book needs to be longer, but in this short part, quite a lot actually happens…A young girl goes down to the basement, and is kidnapped from her home, to wake up shrouded in darkness, surrounded by an unfamiliar kind. Trapped in the basement, these strangers do not allow any harm to come upon her. Vultar captures her heart, revealing that they are soul-mates and that he will never let anything ever hurt her. The book is brimming with excitement and a sweet one of a kind love that captures our hearts. This is a brilliant read, by an amazing author, and it had me in stitches countless times. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone. It is different, but an amazing type of different. I’d give it a 5/5 stars, even though there were a few spelling mistakes, I do not feel that they detracted at all from the amazing storyline. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

~Katie

Review for 'The Dark Gifts:Birthright' by Willow Cross...

Some of you may have seen this review before, but I wanted to post it anyway! :)

Birthright is the first book in the series named, “The Dark Gifts” by Willow Cross. Upon finishing, I am eagerly awaiting, (not so patiently!) the next instalment!

This E-Book is not your typical, vampire romance book, where there is brooding, lust and danger. It is considerably more! I found myself having to turn the ‘pages’ every few seconds as I was just so engrossed in the story. It captivated me, had its hold on me so tightly, that I was forced into continue reading until the final page.

The characters are so complex and so intricately thought out with striking, individual personalities that consequently lead you to falling in love with them. For example, you see Cass, one of the most powerful of the Witches face tremendous difficulties. You witness a side to her that you ultimately would not expect, as she is a character who you expect to keep composure. The love observed between Liz and Michael is one of a kind, extraordinary, brimming with passion. They have an understanding that many would crave.

Willow has created a mystical world that you are catapulted into from the very first page. Infused into the book, has everything and anything any lover of the paranormal could ever want from a book. There are witches, vampires, ghosts, permeated with mythology and history. The story flows beautifully from the first page to the final concluding page, at the end leaving you feeling like you have lost a part of you. You feel as though you were part of the story, an observer, and it leaves you aching with neediness for the next book. There are countless twists and turns in the storyline that leave you gasping for more, forcing you to read on to find out what happens next!

The way that Willow describes and her spectacular way with the words she uses, leaves you craving for more. I would without a doubt give this book a 5/5 stars and I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a must to be read. You must read it!
Thank you Willow, for this amazing book!!!
~Katie

An interview with the amazing Willow Cross!

Hi Willow! Thank you for agreeing to do an interview for my first proper blog post!! I am honoured, really! Without any further ado, take it away!!

1) Hi Willow, please would you mind telling me a little about yourself and your books?

            Hello!  My name is Willow and I’m a fantaholic. ;)  I’m a complete and total genre-ist.  Any type of fantasy, be it Epic, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, or demon hunters--I’m there.  I’m married to a man who seems to have made peace with my eccentricities and we live in Arkansas with most of our children and grandchildren.

            Currently, I’ve published 3 books: 

            The Dark Gifts: Birthright YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance (featuring vampires, witches, ghosts, and a druid)

            The Dark Gifts: Inheritance YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance (featuring werewolves, druids, and vampire cameos)

            Oceans of Red volume one (Urban fantasy loosely based on the 2012 prophecy, featuring demon hunters.) 

2) How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

            Pretty much the usual.  Babysitting grandchildren, dishes, laundry, the ever-dreaded dusting, watching TV/Movies, and reading.  One of my favourite things to do (when I can find the time) is to watch scary movies with my sister and my friends.  I spend gobs of time on the phone because most of my friends live in other states.  (I’m long winded in real life too.)

3) Do you have an outlined ‘plan’ when you write, or do you just write and see where it takes you?

            I never know where a story is going to go.  I’m as surprised as the reader when a plot twist occurs.  The characters seem to have minds of their own, and my job is to write down their interpretations of the story.

4) How do you manage to come up with your amazing plots and ideas?

            I’ve been asked that before, and my answer is always the same.  I have no clue.  I’ll see something, hear something, have a dream…it just comes to me.  I have a few friends who believe it might be insanity leaking through.  (They could be right, who knows?)  lol

5) It’s a hard question I know, but do you have a favourite character of yours?

            I really don’t have a favourite.  To me, they are all interesting and important.  I’m attached to all of them.

6) What was the most challenging part when you’re writing?

            Finding the time to do it and being in the ‘mood’ when I find the time.  Sometimes the words just won’t come.  There’s no rhyme or reason to it.  Other times, sentences and scenes are swirling around in my head begging to get out.  When time and need collides--it’s an awesome day! ;)

7) Was it a challenging task in order to get published?

            I spent roughly 2 years trying to find an agent and secure a traditional publisher for Birthright.  It was incredibly daunting.  If I received replies, they’d usually say we love your writing style, the plot seems solid, and your characters are well rounded.   However, due to market saturation, we must decline.  And yet, I kept seeing more and more new vampire books, movies, TV shows--all the time.  Finally, I decided that I wasn’t going to wait any longer and self-published.  I believe it was the best thing I could have done.  It is exceeding easy to self-publish an eBook.  That said, it is exceedingly difficult to make sure said book is ready for publishing.  You need a decent sized group of people to run through the manuscript to iron out all the kinks.  Even with a professional editor, 14 beta readers, and another 4 proof readers, you can still find mistakes here and there.  So my advice to anyone wanting to self-publish is to make sure you have that group in place.

8) Which author would you most like to meet and why?

            Anne Rice.  I think she’s just a phenomenal person on top of being a huge fan of her writing.

9) If you could travel to one country/place in the world where would you go and why?

            Ireland.  My heritage is mostly Irish and Scottish.  I can’t see pictures of the rolling green hills, cliffs surrounded by the azure sea, or the old dilapidated castles without yearning to be there.  I have this strange feeling that even though I’ve never stepped foot on the soil, just the act of being there would feel like coming home. 

     

10)  Do you have a favourite type of food/s?

            I love all kinds of food.  My favourite is usually whatever I’m in the mood for.  I can totally eat chili for a week though.  Lol

11) What’s your favourite colour?

            Pink!

12)  Do you have a favourite word that you love to say? 

            Facetious.  I totally love that word!! LOL

13)   Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors out there?

            If you’ve always wanted to write a book, then write it.  Don’t say things like: “I wish I had time.” Or “I wish I could.”  You can.  Just do it.  Understand that the chances of anyone (other than friends and family) buying the book are slim to none.  Understand that you may just be writing for you.  Write it anyway.  You never know what might happen. ;) 

14) Finally, would you like to add anything/say anything to your fans etc.?

            Just this (and I know I always say the same thing, but it’s because it’s so very true) :  A book is only as good as the reader believes it is.  I’m so very thankful for each and every person that has taken the time out of their lives to sit down and come into my world with me.  I’ve enjoyed having you here, and I hope your visit was a nice vacation.  Thanks for believing in me!!!  *insert big smile here*

Thank you so much Willow, for taking the time to answer my questions! I really appreciate it! I hope you have an amazing rest of your day! <3

Willow is over at: https://www.facebook.com/willowcrossbooks

And has her own website: http://willowcrossbooks.weebly.com/index.html
Make sure you check her out :)
~Katie