Author Interview With Rose Pressey

Rose Pressey, author of such books as 'Rock and Roll is Undead' and 'How to Date a Werewolf', is a light paranormal romance author. That means her books have all the romance, but are acceptable for your teenage daughter. A native of Kentucky, her home and it's charm tends to find it's way into her books.

Rose's Mystic Cafe series happens to be my favorite. A young woman takes over her grandmother's restaurant. A magical mishap brings two men into her life. One only thinks he loves her. The other, well he may just take away her magic forever. Throw in one crazy ex-girlfriend and you have one heck of a ride!

I haven't had time to read her last two releases since I'm writing my own book, but once I'm done, I'm heading to the Rose Pressey section of Amazon to catch up on my reading. If you like books by HP Mallory or Amanda Hocking, Rose's books are right up your alley.

Like the other authors I've interviewed, Rose is a self-published indie writer. Through tireless self-marketing, she has made her niche in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre.

Self-published (indie) authors do not have any support except what you give them. Your reviews, purchases, and word of mouth is what makes an indie author successful. Please, when you read a book, go to Amazon and Barnes & Noble and leave them reviews. The more reviews, the better authors get listed.

You can find all of Rose Pressey's book at Amazon and Barnes&Noble

And now, a quick ten questions with the wonderful Rose Pressey:


Why paranormal romance/fantasy?

I’ve always been interested in the paranormal and I guess I’m a romantic at heart. Putting the two genres together seemed like the perfect combination. I love mystery too. My books have mystery also.



How do you feel about being mostly an indie author?

I love being an indie author. If I have an idea for a book, I can write it and publish it. There’s nothing to hold me back. I do have an agent and I’m pursuing traditional publishing. I’ll always indie publish, but I’ve always wanted to be traditionally published as well. Doing both would be perfect.



Who are you reading right now?

I’m reading In a Witch’s Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell. I have to squeeze in reading time when I get the chance.



Who is your favorite character/series of your books?

I absolutely love the Jane Jameson series by Molly Harper.



What has you excited right now?

I’m excited for fall and Halloween coming up. Plus, I’m working on a writing project that I’m excited about, but it’s super secret. Sorry for being a tease.



Give us a typical day in the life of Rose Pressey.

I’m up early with my Chihuahuas. I eat breakfast while answering emails, marketing, etc. I usually eat lunch while working too, but sometimes I take a break and go outside to enjoy nature. I spend the rest of the afternoon writing. I write 2,000 words a day every day.



If you weren't an author you'd probably be....

Well, I wanted to be an actress when I was young, but now, I’d probably try something else creative. Painting, crafting, decorating… anything that allowed me to be creative.


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love Kentucky. It’s my home and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I do love the beach though. I’d love to have a beach house and split my time between the beach and Kentucky. A girl can dream, right?


How long have you been writing for?

I’ve been writing seriously for five years. I’ve dabbled in projects for the past twenty years though.



Is there a new series/release you're working on and would like to tell us about?

How to Date a Demon will be out in a couple weeks. That’s the third book in the Rylie Cruz series.


You can find out more information about Rose Pressey and her books at http://www.rosepressey.com

Mistfall Update

The book is still on track! I'm down to writing the last 4 to 7 chapters. I should be starting edits and revisions within the next two weeks. I'm setting October 31st as the latest release date, but will upload it sooner onto Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads if I can. I'm getting excited!

In the mean time, check out the sneak peek of the first two chapters of Mistfall under "Sneak Peeks." I've also posted interviews with Deanna Sletten, Joyce Strand, and HP Mallory. I have a interview with Rose Pressey coming soon, so check back regulary.

Interview With Deanna Sletten, Semi-Finalist for Best Indie Book of 2012

Deanna Sletten, Semi-finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Book of 2012, has been a writer for twenty years. While working and raising two kids, Deanna managed to find the time to write two of her novels. Now that her children have grown up, she's free to follow her dreams of being a full time author. Deanna has written three books:

Memories is about a vet who's readjustment to civilian life isn't without it's troubles. His inability to cope has repercussions, for the other people in his life.

Widow, Virgin, Whore follows the lives of three women from different walks of life. They come together under one roof, deal with one's terminal illness, and all find love in the most unexpected of places.

Outlaw Heroes is a story about a twelve year old boy who has to deal with the new man in his mother's life. On a trip to see his great-grandmother, Will suddenly finds himself in the Old West with Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.

Deanna is another author that belongs to http://www.worldliterarycafe.com. It is a website that promotes good literature. Authors an readers can come together to promote books, find great authors, and interact.

And now, a quick ten questions with Deanna Sletten:


Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in southern California and moved to northern Minnesota in my late teens. I majored in accounting in college and worked at various part-time jobs over the years while also being a full-time mom to my children. At the same time, I was active with writing for print media and then websites. I also wrote my first two novels while my kids were younger. Now, with both children grown and on their own, I am able to write full-time and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I love traveling, baking chocolate-chip cookies (for some reason this relaxes me), walking the wooded trails around our home with my beautiful Aussie and relaxing on the lake in our boat with my husband.

How did you manage to find the time between a part time job and raising kids to write your first two books?

It's amazing where you can find time to do something you love if you want to do it bad enough. I spent a lot of time in my mini-van driving my kids to and from school and sports, so I always kept a folder and notebook with me so I could write whenever I was waiting. I'd then transfer what I'd handwritten onto the computer when I was at home. I pretty much finished both novels in the van and sitting at baseball practices. I also chose many times to skip sleep and write late at night. It wasn't always easy, but it was the only way I could do what I loved to do.

Favorite way to procrastinate?

Wandering around the internet! When I sit down to write, I usually start by checking my emails, checking my Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook pages and basically just reading random things I see. I may even play around on Pinterest for a while. Then I finally force myself to close out of the internet and start writing.

You've had quite the prolific writing career: Print media, internet, and now books. Which was your favorite?

I love to write, so I enjoyed every phase of my writing career. Of course, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be novel writing. I've been writing books for 25 years, I just wasn't able to share them with others until recently. I have several novels started, some far along and others only an outline, so I have plenty of ideas to keep me busy in the years ahead.

How do you feel about indie vs. traditional publishing?

I love the whole indie publishing phenomenon right now. When I started writing novels and tried publishing them the traditional way, the door wasn't opened very wide for newcomers. But indie publishing changed all that. Having the opportunity to share my work with others and, hopefully find some success at it, is wonderful.

Who are you reading right now?

I am reading "The Phantom Student" by Ann Swann. I read book one in the series, "The Phantom Pilot", and loved it so much. Ann has a beautiful writing style that keeps you so engrossed in the story you literally don't want to put it down. And the best part is that these two stories are perfect for kids through adults.



Do you have any new projects you'd like to tell us about?

I am currently finishing up my fourth novel titled "Sara's Promise". It is a Romance/Contemporary Fiction novel. I plan to have it available in December, 2012. To learn more about it, readers can visit my blog and click the tab with the book's title at the top of the page.

Favorite food/indulgence?

Wow – there are so many! Anything chocolate is on the top of that list. Second is a nice, fat doughnut with sprinkles!

If you weren't a writer you'd be...

Unhappy! I went to school to become an accountant and I've worked at many different jobs throughout the years. I even owned a gift shop for a few years. But through it all, my goal was always to be home full-time and write novels. That dream has finally come true and I wouldn't want to do anything else.

Would you like to tell us about the award you're up for?

My romance novel MEMORIES is a semi-finalist in the Romance category of The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Novels of 2012. The next step is to try to make it into the top five books of my genre (cross fingers). The judges are judging the books by quality of writing, plot and formatting. Considering I started my indie author journey less than a year ago, I am honored to have already been chosen in the first round of this contest.


Books/Links:

Memories
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Memories-ebook/dp/B007DCBI7C/ref=zg_bs_158568011_64

Widow, Virgin, Whore
Genre: Women's Fiction/Family Drama
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Widow-Virgin-Whore-ebook/dp/B006LXJBUK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323889135&sr=1-1catcor

Outlaw Heroes
Genre: Children's-Middle Grade Fiction/Action/Adventure
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Heroes-ebook/dp/B006M9WSOO/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

How to find Deanna online:

Blog: http://www.deannalynnsletten.com

Twitter: @DeannaLSletten

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/DeannaLSletten

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/555634.Deanna_Lynn_Sletten

Q&A with Joyce Strand, author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries

Joyce Strand is one very accomplished woman. Born in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Strand completed her PhD while raising two young children and following her husband as he travelled around the world for work. Joyce also made a career for herself in the corporate world as a communications professional, just like her character Jillian. The similarities stop there as Joyce never encountered a murder mystery in her line of work.

Joyce has always been a fan of mystery novels. Inspired by the genre, she now writes mysteries herself. The Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries follow the title character as her life as a communications professional becomes embroiled with murder, mystery, and an ex-husband intent on changing his "ex" status.

I met Joyce through http://www.worldliterarycafe.com. It's a website for readers and authors who's goal is to promote great literature. It's a community of authors, book reviewers/bloggers, and reading enthusiasts promoting each other. I was looking to host a few author interviews and Joyce graciously accepted. So here we go, a quick ten questions with Joyce Strand:


Would you like to tell us a little bit about your series?

The Jillian Hillcrest mystery series follows PR Executive Jillian Hillcrest as she strives hard to promote her small, biotechnology company. Unfortunately, murders, her ex-husband, her neighbor, and a San Francisco homicide inspector repeatedly interrupt her and challenge her to solve a variety of Silicon Valley mysteries.

The first mystery, ON MESSAGE, starts with the arrival of a strange package and moves to a frightening call from the homicide inspector.

The second mystery, OPEN MEETINGS -- which was just released -- starts in a restaurant when a nervous woman interrupts Jillian and her reporter colleague claiming her life is in danger if he prints anything she’s told him.  Shortly thereafter the woman dies in a suspicious car crash.

Jillian Hillcrest mysteries are inspired by California cases – specifically, ON MESSAGE by the murder of a retired biotech executive in the San Diego area and OPEN MEETINGS by the illicit activities of a police network in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I noticed that you grew up reading mysteries/thrillers. Did this inspire you to write in the same genre?

Yes, I grew up reading mysteries – beginning with Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, moving onto Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner – to today’s mystery authors such as Michael Connelly and Stieg Larsson – and many, many more in between. I’ve never stopped reading mysteries. I love the puzzles and the tension. When it came time for me to decide what kind of books would I write, there was little question it would be in my favorite genre.

You've lived in various countries through the years. Do you have a particular favorite?

I have lived in Brazil, Italy and The Netherlands. They are all different – each with their strong points. I love Italian food – it remains my favorite.  And Brazilians are as gracious as the Dutch are straightforward. When we lived in Brazil, I chose to research and write my doctoral dissertation about Brazilian politics and their transition from a military dictatorship to the democracy of today. In The Netherlands, I really loved exploring the museums and art.  And my son was born in The Netherlands – a significant event! I learned something from all of these cultures, and also came to appreciate my own.

You hold education in high regard. How does that relate to your causes?

I’m not sure how high I hold education. I know many very smart people who are not necessarily book-educated.  I just happen to enjoy learning.  More important, my brother got a PhD, so I had to get one, too!

What's your favorite book?

James Clavell’s SHOGUN is my favorite book – the author drew me into a totally different world, fascinated me with the many unexpected twists and turns of the memorable characters, and made me want more. I felt like I was actually living in feudal Japan watching the rise of a Shogun with all the surrounding intrigue, love, and battles.

How did you use your marketing background to your advantage with regards to promoting you and your books?

My marketing background in both high tech and biotech prepared me for the many steps it takes to build momentum and sell books. The implementation is different, but the requirements are similar – get the name of you and your book to as many different places as possible where target readers might be. And sustain whatever momentum you can build. Without marketing and promotion, readers are not likely to be aware of a book – no matter how well written it is.

What's your favorite way to procrastinate?

Probably watching TV.  And Tweating and Facebooking. Petting the cats. Sometimes I can use procrastinating to my advantage – if I really don’t want to write, I do housework instead. It becomes a choice of which task do I want to do the least. I get a lot more accomplished that way!

Favorite food?

My favorite food is definitely Italian pasta, led by penne Bolognese. And I also like duck – prepared in many ways.

Would you like to promote your editor and cover designer?

My cover designer is superb and captured the mood of the genre and characters. She also has provided consistency in the book series:
Gwyn Snider – GKS Creative http://www.gkscreative.com/

Also, my editor has great patience and persistence, as well as creativity.
Laurie Gibson, member of Central Coast Writers, a branch of California Writers Club

Who are you reading now?

Among others, the second Stieg Larsson mystery “The Girl Who Played with Fire” Actually, I have approximately 20 books loaded on my Kindle waiting for me to read – almost all mysteries.

LINKS:

Webpage: http://joycestrand.com
Blog: http://StrandsSimplyTips.blogspot.com
Twitter: @joycetstrand
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JillianHillcrest
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

On Message
Paperback:  http://tinyurl.com/d8wbtem
Ebook:  http://tinyurl.com/crog4om

Open Meetings
Paperback:  http://tinyurl.com/d7leoyh
Ebook:  http://tinyurl.com/cent6zr