Tuesday 27 March 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - STEPHANIE NELSON




What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Stephanie Nelson. I was born in the Midwest and still currently live here.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
 I wrote poems when I was younger but never thought about writing a novel. There were so many things I wanted to be, it changed all the time. At one point, I wanted to be a graphic designer, a photographer, be in advertising, own my own gift shop….

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
When I hit the “publish” button and uploaded my book for the world to read. Granted now that I’m published, I have a different take on what is considered a “writer”. To me, anyone who loves to write and tell stories is a writer to me. Whether they keep their books to themselves or they allow the world to read them.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?  
Craved took me seven months to write and edit and Deceived took just a little over four months.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
I’m happy to say that I’m a full time author.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Well, I have 2 recent books out right now. Deceived, which is the second book in the Gwen Sparks series. It picks up right where Craved left off. Gwen is pulled deeper into the world of Brew and what it means. She’s being used in a war she doesn’t support but can’t get out of. My other recent book is an anthology called, Cupid Painted Blind. It features 6 authors, myself included. My story is called, When Opportunity Haunts and is told from Dorian Hade’s point of view. (You meet Dorian in Deceived).

Who is your publisher? or do you self-publish?
 I self-publish

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
My first book took seven months, but it’s gotten a lot easier since then. Now I can finish a book within 4-5 months.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
Well I only have 2 novels out and a short story. My first book, Craved was harder to write because it was my first. I was still learning the ropes. Deceived was a lot easier.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
 I will always write paranormal romance. I’ll continue on with the Gwen Sparks series and I’m also starting a new series called, The Anna Avery series. The first book, Taming the Wolf will be out late May, early June.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Yes. My new Anna Avery series is about werewolves living in Wyoming. It’ll be a series, although I don’t know how long. I’m very excited to be working on two different series.

What genre would you place your books into?
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
 It’s the genre I love! All of my books are paranormal in some way. I just find writing and reading about creatures other than ourselves is interesting.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? and why are they your favourite? 
Hmm, I love all my characters in some way or another. But I’d say my favorite is Dorian Hade. He’s the Angel of Death and still a mystery, even to me. I love that mysterious aspect of him and his snarky attitude.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
 I’d love to be Gwen for a day. I’ve always been fascinated with witches, and wanted to own my own gift shop so as long as people weren’t trying to kill me, I’d have fun walking in her shoes for a while.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
 I began writing a little over four years ago. The Twilight series inspired my love of books, so I began buying anything paranormal romance I could get my hands on. I read…and read…and read some more. Finally, a story popped into my head and it was too good not to write down. I began playing with the idea and typing it out. I trashed a lot of the stories I began because I wasn’t capturing what I was trying to say. Finally, Gwen’s story popped into my head and I knew I had to finish it. Seven months later, I was published.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?
 They just sorta pop into my head. I think about things a lot so it’s not uncommon for ideas to just place themselves in my way until I dissect what I could do with them. If I think they’d make a good book then I sit down and write the first chapter. If it doesn’t work, then I trash it and move on.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I have to write in my office and on my desktop computer. I cannot write on my laptop for some reason. I always listen to music when I write, that’s a must for me.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
My sister reads my books before I release them and gives me feedback , as does my critique partners.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
I do for reviewers and bloggers but not to the general public.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
 I did when I first published. I was anxious to hear what people thought. But I don’t do that anymore. It can be very distracting sometimes.

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
 I’ve gotten a lot of great reviews so I can’t pin down just one. The toughest reviews came with my first book. I got a lot of negative comments about my editing. This frustrated me because I’d hired what I thought was a great editor. She was recommended by a very well-known Indie author. So finding out that the editing wasn’t good and that I’d been lied to was very frustrating. I since then had my book reedited, but the damage is sorta already done.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
 Absolutely not. Everyone is entitled to their opinions.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
My titles are one worded so I try and find the perfect word to describe the entire book. It’s not always easy. I had to change the title of my second book because of this. I do all my own covers with photoshop.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I begin to write the story first and then eventually title it.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Names are one thing I have trouble with. I always hear really unique names in other books but I can never find ones to suit my characters. I’ll look on baby name sites or in the phone books. The setting in the Gwen books I made up. The setting in the Anna Avery series is because I love the mountains and have been to Wyoming several times so I can visualize it really well.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I know what problem my characters will face, but I never map everything out and write according to that. I feel you can lose a lot of creativity that way. I just let the characters take me where they want to go.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
 Luckily, I don’t get writer’s block. There have been times where I couldn’t capture what I was trying to say but If I go back and reword things different I find that it takes care of the problem.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
 I don’t do too much besides write. But I’ve been trying to be better. I’ve been taking time to read a lot more. In the summer I go fishing with my family. My husband and I also like to watch movies and play games.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
No, all of my characters are fictional. However, I do try and give them as realistic personalities as I can.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
 I own an ereader, but I prefer paperback books. I like holding an actual book in my hand.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
 I don’t. You lose so much of the story when it’s made into a movie. If I love a book I usually won’t watch the movie because of this. The worst transfer would be the Twilight movies. I loved the books but thought they did a horrible job with the movies, which is just sad. My favorite would be the Harry Potter movies.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
I’m reading Almost Everything by Tate Hallaway. It’s the 3rd book in her Vampire Princess series. It’s in paperback.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
 I’ve heard a lot of debate on this. I personally don’t think so. I’ll continue buying paperbacks and I’m sure others will too.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I hardly ever read before. No books ever captured my interest. Being a reader and a writer is something that happened in my early twenties.

Did you have a favourite author as a child?
 Shel Silverstein. I enjoyed poetry when I was younger and loved his books.

Do you have a favourite genre of book?
Paranormal romance.

Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?
The only thing I’d change is the editor I used for Craved. I’m happy with my storyline and characters.

What do you think about book trailers?
They’re fun and a great way to show your readers what you’re story will be about.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
 Write every single day. The more you write, the easier it’ll come. Have a good support system. You can find wonderful writer’s groups on Facebook where you can also find critique partners.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
 I do not use a pen name. I thought about it before I published, and I can see why some people do use them but I decided to publish under my own name.

If you could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs and Keri Arthur.

Where can readers follow you?

Your blog details?
Your web site?
https://www.stephanie-nelson.com
Your facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Nelson/177640978961830
Your Goodreads author page?
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5105592.Stephanie_Nelson
Your Twitter details? @stephnel1





1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for having me on your wonderful blog! It was so much fun!

    ReplyDelete