Guest Blog: Stacy-Deanne - pubished author

Continuing with the writing by and for writers series, I have Stacy-Deanne with us today. I have long been a fan of Stacy-Deann and feel honored to call her a friend.

I had the privilege of interviewing the unbelievable talented and beautiful Stacy-Deanne:

Thank you for joining us! Can you tell us what kind of novels you write?

My primary genres are crime fiction, mystery and suspense.

When did you know you wanted to write? And how did you decide to write what you do?

I began writing at 19 when I got my first computer. I've always been a mystery and suspense buff so those are the type of stories I have the most interest in. I am a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan and seeing how he is my idol I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

When did you get your first contract for publication?

The end of 2003

Can you tell us, as best you can, how long it took from the time you sent your first query until your first book appeared on shelves? Feel free to go into detail as much as you’d like…

Wow, let me see if I can remember. My first book was published in 2005 but it wasn't the first book I went on submission with. I'd written about eleven books before then and had subbed about half of them. My debut book wasn't even fiction but a compilation biography centering on female musicians. The very first query I ever sent was probably back in 1997 or 1998. I subbed several different novels for years and out of all those earlier novels I've written, only one of those have been published. So as you can see the first book you sub most likely is not the first book that will be published and most times your first book isn't ever published. Since 2005 I've released three more books with my next fifth on the way. I consider all those earlier novels I wrote as practice so I am not sure if I would ever go back to subbing them one day or not.

When you’re not writing, what books do you enjoy reading?


I love to read the same types of books I write. I love mysteries, thrillers, detective stories as well as historical romance.

Do you have a favorite author?

I love mostly the classic authors but two of my favorites are Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe.

In your opinion, what is one of the biggest mistakes new authors make? And how do you feel about the new craze of self-publishing?

A lot of new writers are too impatient. They don't wanna put in the time and effort it takes to sell a novel. It's true that every road doesn't fit every writer but I feel like too many newbies expect it to be easy these days. I am seeing less and less of people who take time to fix up their craft and work on their writing and more of the people who want instant gratification or who think that all you have to do is write a book, throw it out there and people will buy it. That's an insult to writers who take their craft seriously and the truth is every book isn't worthy of publication. But if you want the rewards you gotta work hard for them. There's no shortcut. As for self-publishing the craze isn't at all new. Self-publishing has been around for generations, except now people are self-publishing ebooks. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it's good for some writers and damaging to those who don't know enough about the business and who expect it to be a quick and easy recipe for success.

Do you have any advice for those of us still trying to break into the publishing industry?

One of the most important things is to learn the business and how publishing works. Also work hard on your craft. Be patient and don't worry about time. If you love writing and are doing it for you then there is no need to rush. You don't wanna regret a decision you rushed into later. Make sure your book is the best it can be. Anyone can write a book but not everyone can write a book that deserves to be published and that people will wanna read. Also welcome positive criticism because it only makes you a better writer. Too many new writers think that their work is perfect and that they don't need any input but that's not realistic.

Again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to answer these questions.

Thank you for having me!


Where can we find your books and keep up with your news?

My books are available wherever books are sold. Keep up with me by visiting the sites below. My upcoming release, "The Season of Sin" will be released February 2012 (Peace in the Storm Publishing).

http://www.stacy-deanne.net
Facebook
Twitter

It's the End of the World As We Know It...

And I feel fine.

I know I promised to blog on a more regular basis, but I gotta tell you...I'm not sure what to write about. Sometimes I try to think of something I think you'd want to read. Others, I feel like venting. But, what should this page truly be about?

Tell me, oh wonderful readers, what would you like to see me blog about more often? Would you like more writing tips from experts? Or maybe some more guest posts by some of the most awesome people I've ever had the privilege of meeting? How about just a whole lot of pictures of naked people....seriously, I'll do it.

Here's your chance, peeps. Tell momma what it is you want to see on a regular basis. It's all about you at this moment!

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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