Archive for the ‘Author Interviews’ Category

The Word Queen interviewed talented author, Katie Salidas, about her first vampire novel, Immortalis Carpe Noctem. The second in the series of four, Hunt & Prey, is due for release in 2011. Here she answers my questions.

Why did you decide to write this book?

It wasn’t really a conscious decision, “I am going to write a book today.” I have always jotted down short stories or odd little quirky snippets of things. This one just ran longer. Ha!

Seriously though, Immortalis Carpe Noctem was a story that I couldn’t let go and I found myself working at it daily. That’s when I knew I had to do something with it.

How did you come up with the idea?

The idea kind of came to me. I love to read vampire fiction but I noticed that the transformation is sort of glossed over a bit. I really wanted to focus on that. I wanted to take the reader through that change, step-by-step and show them what becoming a vampire might actually be like.

How long did it take for you to write the book?

Immortalis Carpe Noctem took a long time to write. It was hard for me to narrow down the plot. I had so many ideas floating around in my head I could barely keep things straight. That’s when I knew that this would have to be a series of books not just a stand alone book. The first one took five years, after that, the second one, Hunters & Prey, which will be out in the Spring of 2011 only took 6 months to write.

Can you describe the book in a couple of sentences?

Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition, that is the hard part.

What kind of people do you think will enjoy reading your book?

Readers of vampire fiction or anyone who loves the Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance genre will enjoy this book. But you don’t have to like those genres to really get into it. I’ve had many readers approach me and tell me this was the first vampire book they have ever read and they were surprised that they found them selves getting sucked into it.

How did you know there was a market for your book before you wrote it?

Vampires have been around for centuries and always manage to find their way into pop culture. I think there will always be a market for these kinds of stories.

Of course, it does help that they are extremely popular right now. With the Twilight series enthralling the YA market, and the Sookie Stackhouse series keeping older readers hooked, not to mention the TV/movie spin-offs, there is a huge built-in market for vampire stories.

What reader feedback have you had so far?

I’ve had a lot of really positive reviews. People really seem to like the gritty and realistic approach I took to showing how hard the transformation from human to vampire could be.

In the next book, Hunter & Prey, I’ll be tackling human/vampire relationships.

What steps are you taking to let people know about your book, both offline and online?

I’ve participated in a couple of blog tours. I find them to not only be fun, but a great way to help spread the word. Along with that, I am a regular on social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and I have a blog of my own. Basically, I am telling anyone and everyone who will listen, about my book, Immortalis Carpe Noctem.

What advice would you give other’s who want to write a book?

Kind of like the old Nike ads, “Just Do it.” Lot’s of people say they can’t write a novel and that is because they don’t try. Writing is not that hard, it is just a bit time consuming. Just sit down and write. That’s the best advice I can give.

Have you plans to write any more books?

Oh yes. The Immortalis series is planned at 4 books. I am preparing the 2nd for publication in early Spring of 2011 and the following year, book three will be out. I’ll keep writing as long as the muse keeps whispering in my ear.

Follow Katie’s blog here!

About Immortalis Carpe Noctem:

Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity.

As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her “turning”, did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander.

Only by accepting her newfound immortality, seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander must fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them both.

Immortalis is available on Amazon and it can be purchased by clicking here.

I interviewed author, Pamela Abel-Smith, about her children’s book, Little Ed & The Rise of Grimehog, which is published by The Word Queen!

Why did you decide to write this book?
I decided to write the book to help our grandson Eddie enjoy reading.

How did you come up with the idea?
I came up with the idea simply because I wanted to encourage him to read. I thought that as I was his Grandmother, and writing it just for him, that he would enjoy it. The theme just popped into my head.

How long did it take for you to write the book?
Four months.

Can you describe the book in a couple of sentences?
The book is a story about three children who make friends with the gnomes in Gnomeland. The children help the gnomes, through magical stones by getting rid of a horrid goblin who is making their lives miserable.

What kind of people do you think will enjoy reading your book?
It was written for a child, but all ages from 6 to 80 have read and enjoyed it.

How did you know there was a market for your book before you wrote it?
I wasn’t thinking of publishing my books when I wrote them. It was only after several adults had read them and said I should get them published, that I went ahead.

What company published your book, or did you choose to self-publish?
I got in touch with The Word Queen and asked if she would be interested in publishing them.

What reader feedback have you had so far?
So far there I have received great comments about all three books from children and adults alike.

What steps will you take to let people know about your book, both offline and online?
We have already taken steps on Facebook and Twitter to let people know my book is published. My husband has got in touch with several old pupils from the last school we both taught at. Family and friends are telling their friends about it. I’m having an interview on Radio Thanet FM, and my cousin who started the Crediton Country Courier, is publishing an article about it in her paper.

What advice would you give other’s who want to write a book?
If you want to start writing then just sit down and do it. I didn’t have a set time to write; I just used to write during the adverts on TV. Other times I would have a sudden idea and sit and write for half an hour. I had no set plans of a plot, things just unfolded as I wrote.

Have you plans to write any more books?
I have already written two other books and I’m now on the fourth one. They are all about Little Ed and his friends.

Sheila Beecham, lives in Nerja, Spain, with her husband, Brian. She has just released her new book, Avoiding The Inevitable, which explains some of the common myths around schizophrenia.

Why did you decide to write this book?

I saw something on television that was very misleading about schizophrenia and I thought something should be done to correct it. I realised that I was in a good position to do so myself having had the illness. By writing a book about modern schizophrenia I hoped I could persuade many people that the common outlook about the condition was far from the truth.

How did you come up with the idea?

From personal experience I thought the best way to write the book would be for people who
had a relation or partner with the condition. My own family had no knowledge of the illness at all and were of no help to me. It wasn’t until after I married that my husband realised I was not well mentally and he got me some medical help.

How long did it take for you to write the book?

Three months in total.

Can you describe the book in a couple of sentences?

Avoiding The Inevitable is an attempt to dispel the myths surrounding schizophrenia and to educate the general public in laymans terms the true nature of the condition.

What kind of people do you think will enjoy reading your book?

Anybody who knows somebody with schizophrenia.

How did you know there was a market for your book before you wrote it?

I researched the situation and could not find one book about schizophrenia that explained the condition in laymans terms.

What reader feedback have you had so far?

Everybody that I have sold the book to personally has told me that it is interesting, informative and helpful.

What steps are you taking to let people know about your book, both offline and online?

My publishers are marketing my book in England and America. I am doing so locally in Spain by approaching bookshops and getting it mentioned in magazines.

What advice would you give other’s who want to write a book?

Take the time to plan the book, especially the beginning and ending. Having written it, leave it for two weeks, then read it out loud. This will show you any faults.

Have you plans to write any more books?

I have already written another book of short stories in draft form, and I’ve just completed the second volume of my autobiography which should be available to the public in time for Christmas.

Order Avoiding The Inevitable by clicking here!

Love & Light

The Word Queen xx