A.
I live in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of beautiful
woodland. When I’m
not writing or gardening, I love to commune with nature. A pair of barn owls
returns to the property every year to birth their young, and show them off in
the high branches of the oak trees. Nothing more adorable than these white
fluffy babies with heart-shaped faces. A lifelong animal lover, I devote my
time and support to the local animal shelter. Emma LaPounce, a rescued feline,
has been my furry companion for the last ten years.
I’m an award-winning and bestselling author who
writes in several genres: Western, Historical, Paranormal, and Contemporary
Romance. I have also written in the genres of Thriller, Urban Fantasy, and Gay Fiction. My books have received numerous accolades, including RWA contest
finalist, Authors After Dark finalist, Top Pick of the Month and Recommended
Review from many top review sites, and Best Romance Finalist from The
Independent Author Network.
Ps: For some strange reason, ghosts often show up
in my stories.
Q.2
Do you have any upcoming books?
A. Thank you for asking. My latest release is I Spy A Demon, a demon-hunter novella. It’s available in Kindle Unlimited on all Amazon venues.
A. Thank you for asking. My latest release is I Spy A Demon, a demon-hunter novella. It’s available in Kindle Unlimited on all Amazon venues.
Q.3
How do you come up with the title of your books?
A. That’s
a great question. Often, I don’t come up with a title until I’m half-way
through the story. I know the plot and the characters, but the title usually
comes to me through some events in the book. Once in a great while, I’ll know
the title beforehand.
Q.4
Among all the protagonists of your titles, who’s your favourite and why?
A.
That’s a toss-up between Morgan, the alpha hero in Decadent Deceptions and Gavin the protagonist in Land of Falling Stars. Both
are historical novels, and I love writing about alpha males during that period. Both men are dominant, bold and commanding, yet very kind, and caring
toward the heroines.
Lately,
a reviewer said she wished she had a Rann in her life, and he would talk to her
like Rann talked to Season in my latest thriller Season, Unforgettable. It’s
pretty clear readers see different things in heroes.
Q.5
What about the supporting characters? Who is dearest to you?
A.
I really related to Cecily in I Spy A Demon. Her parents died when she was very
young, leaving her and her twin to be raised by family friends. The family
members were very good to them, treated them as their own sons. But as Cecily
and Calder grow to adulthood, they realize their adoptive family engages in
some very strange happenings. Cecily was strong, courageous and independent for
one who lost so much in her young life.
Q.6
How many books have you written? Which one is your favourite among them?
A. I think I’m up to 22 books now, and I couldn’t possibly name a
favourite. But, here’s a little secret: When I go back and read them I always
think...did I write that book? Of course, I did, but I’m always surprised when I
see the whole book come together, and then sit back and read it.
Q.7
What is the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite
sex?
A. Getting
them to their happily-ever-after. If you’re writing about opposites who
attract, they probably have a lot to overcome. If you’re writing about a couple
with enormous baggage, background issues, they also have a lot to overcome to
get to a happy ending.
Q.8
How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A.
I develop both in my head way before I begin to write the story. Some plots
come from a newspaper article I might have read, some from dreams, and some come from just thinking about life and its many twists and turns. The only formula I
have is to NOT have a formula. I like to write out-of-the-box; that is, manage
some surprises, something the reader in no way saw coming. If you read some of
the reviews on Season, Unforgettable, you’ll see many said they didn’t see that
coming, or the story took a completely unexpected turn. That’s not
only fun, but I think I’ve done my job if the book wasn’t run-of-the-mill.
Q.9
How do you select the name of your characters?
A.
Again, this is sort of the same way I named my children. None had names until
they were three days old. Not all names fit all people. I like to live with the
person for a while, and then decide if the name I’m thinking of fits them. Same
with my book characters. I name them after I see their personalities on the
page, and how they react to life.
Q.10
Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
A.
One never knows...not even me. As you’ve probably determined by now, I skip
around genres. I never have stuck to one genre/brand. I’d get too bored. I like
to dabble in this, try this out, whatever strikes me at the time.
Q.11
Does your family support your career as a writer?
A. Very
much so, although, I don’t have as much time to write as I once did. I’m a personal caregiver for an elderly parent and a very old furry companion. This
takes up more time than one could imagine.
Q.12
Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. It’s
never really happened to me. I believe more in not having enough time to write. LOL
Q.13
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. I
do not search out my book reviews. Once in awhile, I come across them while I’m
on Amazon or Goodreads. There’s nothing I can do about them, and I think
everyone has different tastes when it comes to books, so one has to take
reviews with a grain of salt. If I wrote to please all readers, I couldn’t
accomplish such a feat.
Q.14
Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A.
Other than that I’m a nighttime writer, no, and I like it quiet when I write,
no music, no television. Complete stillness.
Q.15
Do you hide any secrets in your book that only a few people will find?
A. No,
but I think there’s a little bit of every author in every book. Maybe they
don’t display a huge part of the author’s personality, but there is always some
little piece that could fit the author.
Q.16 What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
A. To
read everything you can get your hands on. Write what you know, and do it in
your own style. Eventually, you’ll find your niche and your voice.
Q.17 Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
A. Probably
Harper Lee, the woman who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird. I’d love to ask her some
questions about character development and plot. For me, that was one book where
I could smell the sultry streets of the south, feel the characters’ pain and
anguish, taste the prejudice, even with the secondary characters, and I
absolutely fell in love with the names of her characters. They all suited so
very well.
Q.18 What is your favourite book and why?
A. To Kill A Mockingbird for reasons stated above.
Q.19 Share the experience of your journey so far?
A.
Up and down, high and low - that best describes everyone’s writing journey.
Another laugh.
Q.20 Share your social account links -
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ketadiablo/
What an exciting interview! Thank you so much for sharing, Aakanksha!
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