Interview with Author Sandra Love

Joining us today is Sandra Love. Thanks for the taking the time to answer some questions for those of us still struggling to be more disciplined with our writing.

When did you start writing? Did someone or something influence your decision?

SL - I started to write this past year! I was reading Bitter Fruits by Sarah Daltry and was like, hey I want to do this. Many authors had inspired me to write. Genevieve Scholl was one of the authors who would talk me through it every day!! She is also my editor, publisher and cover designer.

What do you write?

SL - Right now I write YA Supernatural. I do want to write a Romance novel one day! I have started one, but right now I want to work on my Broken Wings series.

Was writing something you always dreamed of, or did a story just come to you one day? If you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?

SL - The story just came to me one day! I wanted to bring it to life on paper. I really want to work with special needs children.

On to the fun questions – Can you describe a typical writing day for you?

SL - I wake up, have some coffee, and start to write. My cats decide that’s the time to start playing.

How many hours a day do you write? How many days a week?

SL - Well with the new year I plan on writing for 2 or 3 hours a day, and 5 days a week. I do have book two coming out April 18^th. So excited about that!

Are you a plotter or pantser?

SL - A plotter.

How do you handle distractions during your writing time?

SL - I am good at shutting things out. I usually put my phone on silent and unplug the internet. *laughs* so I don’t get tempted.

What made you decide to self-publish?

SL - For the time being I think self-publish will be great for me, so I don’t have to have that added stress.

Have you ever thought about being a hybrid author, the kind of author who traditionally publishes and self-publishes?

SL - I think right now I just want to self-publish. I want to wait and see how people react to my first book.

How long did it take before you were making a “real” income from your writing?

SL - Well my first book was just released on December 22^nd 2013, so I haven’t had any income yet. I’ve sold plenty of books but amazon hasn’t paid me *laughs*.

Finally, do you have any advice for those who want to turn their passion into a true career?

SL - Just follow your heart and never give up. J

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day!

You can find Sandra Love's books on Amazon here and here.

Or follow Ms. Love on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

 

 

Want to know a little more? Here's a blurb to Broken:

Broken by Sandra Love

Cordelia Rose has a horrible life. She gets bullied by students at school, beaten by her father, practically abandoned by her mother, and wants to end her life and suffering. But when some strange things start to happen, she questions whether or not she has a purpose in this life.

Then she meets a brother and sister that means more to her than she realizes. They are her protectors, and her kindred spirits. Just like her, they are bruised and broken, though for different reasons.

When she finally discovers the truth of her existence, her mind is jumbled with everything She has to take in; not to mention the battle she has to fight inside and out.

A little about Sandra Love

 

          My name is Sandra Love, I live in Olivet Michigan and I am 33 years old. I live with my boyfriend Brad and my son Charlie. Charlie is 11 years old and he battles with Autism and ADHD. He is my world. I did attend college, where I studied Accounting and Ancient History. I am very fascinated with Mythology. Norse Mythology is my all-time favorite. I love learning about the Gods and Goddesses.

         I am a big time cat lover, I swear I will end up being the crazy cat lady. I have 3 cats Stubby, Odin and Thor. I do take care of a stray as well his name is Louie. I want to save all the cats in the world.  J

          In my spear time, I love to read. My favorite genre of books are YA Supernatural, but I read anywhere from Erotica to Fantasy to Romance. I love to read and review for authors. I am a BIG supporter of ALL authors. They have inspired me to write.
          Speaking of writing my first book is YA Supernatural. It is book 1 of 3, with a Prequel. I really enjoy writing, it allows me to escape reality for a while. I hope you all enjoy my first book.
          I am really a boring person; I rather stay in and hang out with my cats and my family then to go out.

 

 

 

My Laptop and I Have Been Displaced

I'm a classic housewife/stay at home mom. I write full time. Yes, I know how very lucky I am. During the week, after the last kid heads to the bus stop, I prop my laptop on the dining room table, open the blinds and curtains in the dining room, and start pecking away. Well, this week, my husband's on vacation.

What does that have to do with anything? I've been starting out my days in our downstairs living room, stretched out on the couch with my laptop on my lap. I don't want to wake him up at six am; my husband works up to twelve hours a day during the week, so he deserves to sleep in.

Are you wondering what any of this has to do with writing? Or maybe why the hell I'm even bringing it up? Being stretched out on the couch is causing some discomfort. My legs are tight and sore by the end of the day - that's even after constantly getting up to do laundry, vacuum, and do laundry. It got me wondering about other writers' writing habits. You see, there's a place called The Writers Cave on Paige Cuccaro's site. I have spent hours going through the pictures of other authors' writing spaces.

Paige Cuccaro's "Cave"

At one time, when we first moved into this house, I had started hanging posters and arranging things in a certain area that I had designated as my writing space. Well, just like any other home with kids, a television and game system made their way into that space and it became yet another space for the kids. So, I'm currently writing homeless.

Laurell K Hamilton's "Cave"

I'd love to see pics of other writing spaces? Do you actually have an office? Or do you sprawl out wherever you can? Maybe you're like me and just plop your laptop down in the place that looks good for the day. Want to share pics of your writing spaces?

A Guest Post by Katie Salidas - How many more words do you have until you’re done writing that book?

For my first guest post, I'm joined by the incredibly talented, and beautiful Katie Salidas. Katie, thank you so much for participating. You can find her books and the many ways to stalk her at the end of the post. Without further adieu, Katie...



So my dad comes over the other day. He pokes his head into my makeshift office. He sees me typing away in a MSWord doc and asks, “How many more words do you have left until you’re done writing that book?”

“Oh probably 30k or so more words,” I said with a bit of a groan. I’d been working through a particularly hard scene and the words were not coming fast enough for my liking.

To that, my dad responded with, “Great. Can I get you to help me with some typing when you’re done?”

Dad’s question got me thinking. An author’s view of a word count is different than most people. Non-authors don’t really know what it’s like to write a book. It’s a creative process which is a very abstract concept to non-creative types. It’s not a matter of just hitting a word count. You can’t take my average words per minute typed and use that to estimate how long it would take to write an 80k novel. If that were the case, I’d be churning out stories by the truckload monthly! That would be pretty awesome though, wouldn’t it?

A lot of “writing time” (and I’m using myself as an example here) is spent staring at a blinking cursor, making odd faces at it while you work through a plot issue in your head. There are also many hours of research that need to be done for some stories. Distractions like: Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Message boards might have something to do with that too, but we’ll just ignore their influence for now. =p

For me, an average writing session can last anywhere from 1-3 hours, and in that time I may not get more than 1k words down on the paper.

Of course, some stories take longer than others to write. My first novel took 5 years. The second, only 6 months, but by the time I got to the fourth one, I was back up to taking a year to write it. Each story is like a living, breathing thing, which requires its own amount of time to grow and mature.

So, while I’m stating a word count goal to my dad, it’s really not a measure of how long it will take me, just an end result. Which means I won’t be getting out of helping him with his typing project any time soon. =p

Alas, a writer’s work is never done.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to check out my work, you can find me at

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Immortalis Carpe Noctem (Book 1)

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

Bleeding to death after brutal mugging, twenty-five year old Alyssa is rescued by the most unlikely hero: the handsome and aloof vampire, Lysander.

His gift of immortal blood initiates Alyssa into a frightening, eternally dark world filled with: bloodlust, religious fanaticism, and thousand-year old vendettas.

With Lysander as her guide, Alyssa will have to learn what it takes to survive in the immortal world. She'll have to find the strength to accept her new reality and carpe noctem; or give in, and submit to final death.


Hunters & Prey (Book 2)

Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She’s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum’s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she’s missed more than anything.

Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.

Pandora’s Box (Book 3)

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…



To purchase the Immortalis books (In print and ebook):

Amazon USA

http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Amazon DE (Germany)

http://www.amazon.co.de/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Barnes & Noble

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=katie+salidas&page=index&prod=univ&choice=allproducts&query=katie+salidas&flag=False&pos=-1&box=katie+salida&ugrp=2

Smashwords

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KatieSalidas


About the Author:

KATIE SALIDAS

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

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Stephanie Meyer, Rachel Vincent, Stephen King...oh my!

Someone recently told me they hated Stephanie Meyer's writing. "Why?" I asked. She couldn't give me a specific answer, other than she's tired of vampires and the writing was amateur.

It got me thinking...what is amateur writing vs professional writing? Of course, there are those who can write text books for students, but is that how you want to read a story? Or would you rather read a story and believe, to your soul, that it is being told my a seventeen year old girl?

Is it possible that Stephanie's writing is lacking, or that she very brilliantly told such a beautiful story that it sucked millions of readers in, regardless of their age. (Yes, I'm a Twihard.) Is it possible that Stephen King could be considered a mediocre writer, even by others in his genre? Sure he could. But, my real question is this...by what standards do we judge a writer, and how do we determine a favorite book, or author.

There is one commenter on my site who likes to bash writers, and pretend they are the last great writer. To be honest, I get bored when reading this person's little stories; they just don't suck me in. That, and it's written in first person; first person writing always reminds me of the little stories in nudey magazines.

I'll tell you how I decide who's my favorite, as opposed to who I'd never read another book by. The story. "Oh, CL. That's what we all look for; a really good story." Of course, we do. But, by what standards.

As I've admitted before, I'm a Twihard. I mean a really hard core Twihard. But, Stephanie Meyers isn't my favorite author. I love Rachel Vincent, and have devoured every book she has written. Why? Because I get sucked into her stories.

Writers suck as Meyers, Vincent, and King have the ability to suck you into a story so well, that when you put the book down, you forget the characters aren't real. I remember reading Stray by Vincent for the first time, and actually wondering how Faythe Sanders was doing after I'd put the book down hours before.
How about how every woman who's read Twilight fantasizes about finding their own Edward, regardless of the fact that he's physically seventeen years old. And regardless of the fact he was described as being as hard as stone and ice cold to the touch. Ew! Who wants to snuggle with an ice cube? Um, me if it happens to be Edward!

Well, here's my favorite part. This is where I ask you how you base your decision on your favorite author, or book? Do you guy by the goose bump factor? Or how about how many nightmares Mr. King's book gave you. Maybe it was a fear of an unknown, non-existent creature. Sound off and let us know...and don't forget to tell us who your favorite author is or what your favorite book is.

No, I'm not weird. I'm just an author!

"Hello, CL."
After reading through a bunch of conversations on various links I'm a member of, I've come to realize, we're an odd bunch. At least to those around us.
Someone recently asked if our family members and friends think we're weird. That was hard for me to answer. I mean, I've always been weird, writing has nothing to do with it. Come on, I prefer the color black, including in my eyeliner, I dye my hair a different color every couple of months, and I own lizards as pets. One of them is over five feet long, and I refer to him as my baby. While that may seem weird to others, it's completely normal for me. Did I mention I put my big green baby on a leash and take him outside to sun during the summer? Again, completely normal for me. Hey, the baby needs sun sometimes.

I think what people truly think is weird about writers is what comes out of our heads. My current work in progress, for instance, is about a petite red head who just happens to hunt and kill demons. "But, Christy, doesn't that sound a little dark? I mean, why are you thinking about demons?" My answer, I'm not thinking about demons, Tena is. Who's Tena? The red headed demon hunter...duh.

I also tend to talk to my characters, as well as talking about my characters as if they're real people. They do become real, at least to the creators. Ask any author about her/his characters and they'll tell you, once we're done with a book it's like telling an old friend good-bye. It hurts in a way. Seriously, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Think about it this way...if you worked at a job for, say six months, became close to your coworkers, knew everything about them (and I do mean everything), wouldn't you be sad when you had to walk away, never to talk to them again? Of course you would. That's how it is for us. We're getting to know someone, albeit someone we created, then we kill them/marry them off/end the story, never to look back at their lives again. See, now you're sad, aren't you?

For those of you authors out there, feel free to chime in and explain to the non-authors how very NOT crazy we really are.

Marketing, Promoting, Publicizing....Ugh!

We've all been there at some point as new authors...we want to get our product/art out there, and our name without becoming an Internet troll. So, how do you go about doing this?

Personally, where I've started is simple; Facebook, MySpace (not that anyone's on there anymore), Twitter, a blog, a website, and LinkedIn. But now what?

I'm a bibliophile. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, I love books. I can't stop buying and reading them, and have a hard time parting with them when I'm finished. My house is stock full of books from every genre, both fiction and nonfiction. Currently, I'm reading three different books with an emphasis on getting my work and my name into the world. How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead by Ariel Gore is my most recent buy and read. While she can be crass at times, her writing and style is very to the point and in your face. But are her words of wisdom just that, or yet another author with the best of intentions with antiquated words?

That's yet to be seen. One of her chapters focuses on "Being an Anthology Slut". Personally, I love anthologies, they can be really fun sometimes. But where is the fun in that? What if it's just another non-paying, non-publicized e-zine run out of someone's basement? Does this still count toward your published works? I don't know. I don't have the answer to that question, but I can tell you this...I struggle to find the time to work on my own novels while raising a family, how am I going to find that 26th hour to contribute to an unknown, unread anthology?

Here's the part where you all chime in...tell us, all of us, how you publicized your own work. Tell us what avenues you utilized to bring attention to your brand. Sound off, my beloved fellow authors.