AUTHOR INTERVIEW - H.A. CAINE

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now? My name's H.A. Caine. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Although I have many dreams of someday traveling, I have yet to set foot outside of Brooklyn. Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be? As a child my life dreams were always changing. At one point I dreamt of becoming a lawyer. But one thing that never changed was my love of reading, and with it, writing. I decided early on I would write for a living. A few years ago that dream changed to include opening a bakery of my own. While I have not done this yet, I am working towards that goal. When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"? I wrote a lot of poetry growing up. It started with "Roses are red..." and ended with: "Save me from this darkness. You’re a creature of light, Yet I was born to a shadow. But I rebel, Do not accept this cursed, Haunted, Damned life. Give the strength to reach above this tide, To grab hold and drag my drowning self from This inner Bitter sea… That's the last verse of the last poem I ever wrote. I actually read this at the BAM Cafe here in Brooklyn, NY. Of course, it was written during that teenage angst period we all seem to do through, LOL. Did it take a long time to get your first book published? Yes, quite a while actually. After some time I decided I'm better off self publishing my first few pieces rather than submitting them to houses. Of course I did this a few times first but then I stopped. I want to get my name out there, get a few fans, you know? I figured I'm more likely to find a publisher if I already have readers and am not such a huge risk as a new writer. Do you work another job as well as your writing work? Right now I'm doing a bit of babysitting for family members as I search for a part-time job and take online buisness classes. What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say? My latest published piece is From Love and Pain . I'd have to say that: It's really a story about love and pain. When it couldn't get worse it does, but love's healing here. There. 19 words, *grins*. Who is your publisher? or do you self publish? I'm sticking with self publishing, for now. How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it? I couldn't really say. From Love and Pain took me a long time. I had a lot of ups and downs as it was my first go at writing a book. I'd say it took me a year, mainly because for about three months I couldn't get pass my writer's block and gave up. But then I went back to it and the words just came pouring out and within a few weeks I had finished writing it. Editing took a few months, too. Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others? The one I am writing now, Letting Go, is going much more smoother for me. What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre? I'm currently working on two stories, and a few shorts. They will all be Male/Male Romance. Unlike From Love and Pain, none of these are Romantic Suspense. These are love stories, with a few twists and turns, but love stories none the less. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? My main project is titled "Letting Go". I'm hoping to make this the first in a series. I already have a short written, involving the main characters, Timothy and Daniel. I have the outline for the next book, and an idea for a third. I'm not sure if I will expand it beyond that, we'll just have to wait and see where they take us. What genre would you place your books into? Romance. What made you decide to write that genre of book? Well, for starters I love a happy ending. I live off them. As for why I write gay romance, well, I love men and the idea of them learning to open up and express themselves in order to keep what matters to them. But the real reason is a little more complicated. Everyday I see the hatred gay men have to face in life and it hurts. For the life of me I cannot understand why it is easier for some to accept gay women but not men. Not that I wish gay women any more hardships than they already have to face. Not only do I hope my writing gives people a moment of peace and something to enjoy, I hope the more people that read and write it, the more accepting the world can become. Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite? I love all of my pieces. My characters become real to me and I find myself wondering what they are up to. Silly, I know, but this is how sequels are born. Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite? I adore Timothy the most, I think. He's so shy and uncertain. But he's always sincere and loving to those around him. He has a kind heart and endears himself to you. It's kind of hard not to love him or want to protect him from the harshness of the world. Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration? The book plots usually pop up right before I fall asleep and keep me up for another few hours writing them down or else I'd lose them forever. My inspiration comes from other authors such as, J L Langley, Christine Feehan, Carol Lynne, Kim Dare, Kaje Harper, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Josh Lanyon etc... The list could go on and on. I think these authors are wonderful and if I have even half the talent they do, I'm a happy camper. Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair? Hmm, I'm pretty easy. So long as I'm comfortable and have a book close at hand for little breaks, I'm good to go. I will admit, I do prefer to be laying down when I write. Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know? For my first book, I sent parts of it to a friend. Now, I have online friends and a beta reader who helps me every step of the way. Do you gift books to readers to do reviews? Yes, I have started to do that recently and think I will do that ahead of time for "Letting Go". Do you read all the reviews of your book/books? I try not to. I don't think readers feel comfortable when authors do that, but at the same time I want to know what readers liked and disliked so as to improve on it. Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books? God, no. Serious No-No. The first review I got, the person also PM'd (private message) me to let me know what they wrote and why. It wasn't the best review but they offered to help me revise the mistakes my eyes had missed and when I informed them a new edition was up, they re-read it and revised the review they'd originally written. The reviewer, who I now consider a friend, told me to let them know when I'd edited it and they would re-do their review. She was extremely kind, and in the end helped me a lot. How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books? The titles are hard. I want them to express the book/characters but not be so obvious. Eventually, as I'm writing, a phrase will randomly pop into my head. I'll play around with it and consider it a potential title. As for my cover, I asked Eden Winters, who is another writer of male/male romance, for help. She referred Jared Racklers, a cover artist. I'm glad I listened to her as he created the perfect cover, exactly what I wanted. He really is amazing. Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title? I write the book then choose the title. Or choose it as I'm writing. How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books? I have baby name apps, LOL. I think what ethnicity I want a character or what language etc...etc... and pick the one that seems right to me. Places are based on where I've been or somewhere I know a lot about. Usually they already have names, LOL. I've yet to venture into the art of world creating. Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?  A pick the basics at the start but mostly I listen to the character as I write and let them develop into their own person. 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 don't do outlines but I decide what I want the bones of the story to be and keep it in mind. If a new plotline takes plant, I jump to a new page and write a scene on it and if it fits into the story, as I write I keep it otherwise I trash it. How do you market/promote your books? I've joined Goodreads and a few groups there. I've also started my own blog and am participating in blog hops/guest posts/interviews. Social networks are a big help, too. I offer review copies, and hope word-of-mouth helps. I know there are plenty of other ways, but I've yet to figure them out. What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby? I love reading. I do it faithfully. And if that doesn't help, I bake/cook. If I have writer's block and decide to cook/bake, run for the hills because I will stuff food down your throat until I feel ready to write again. Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you? I use traits and reactions from RL people, but none of my characters are based on anyone. I'm thinking about using events but I'm still working that one out. Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..") Not really. As I said, I hope they help people accept others, but that's it. Besides, if you're reading my books my guess is you already are pretty accepting. I don't want people to feel like they've just been preached to and when I try teaching people lessons, they usually accuse me of doing this. It's not a bad thing but it's not something I want to include in my books. Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback? Each has their draws. If I'm on the move, I'd rather have an e-reader with me. But I have hundreds of paperbacks as there's no comparison to holding a good book in your hands. I like hardbacks if I'm collecting and don't plan on re-reading them often. Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer? Some, if done correctly. One example of this is Harry Potter. Others, not so much. I was a huge fan of the Twilight Saga. I looked forward to the movies and I cried two minutes into the first one when it was nothing like the book. (The car Bella's dad gives her is suppose to be a surprise when they get to the house but that's not how it happened in the movie.) And it was all downhill from there, for me. Personally, I'd have prefer they left that series alone. What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback) I'm rereading Handyman by Claire Thompson. It's a personal favorite. It's an e-book. Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books? No, I think they will grow to be more popular but paperbacks are classics and that's not going to change. Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing? I'd like to think so. Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life? Yes. I missed a lot of notes in classes because I was reading under the table. As always, if I wasn't reading, I was writing so writing's not new to me. Do you have a favourite genre of book? Yes, it's Paranormal. Romance, action, YA. Doesn't matter so long as it's Pararnormal. I am obsessed with vampires and with shifters, too. Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish? Anything with cheating. I'm too empathetic to read about that pain. I did it with Bareback by Chris Owen and my heart still clenches with pain when I think about it. I as wiped out emotionally for days before I could finish it. It's a really great book and I'm quick to recommend it, but now when I reread it I skip that part entirely. Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them? Kaje Harper. She writes male/male romance, too. She has a way with words. If you want to check her out she has a few freebies on smashwords. I'm telling you, you will not regret it. Lies and Consequences is my favorite freebie of hers. And its 98k. Pretty good, to me! What do you think about book trailers? I think they're cool. So long as what they show are acurate the storyline. I might make one of them... as soon as I figure out how to... Where can readers follow you? Your blog details? www.cainebooks.wordpress.com Your web site ? https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Caine Your Goodreads author page? http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044983.H_A_Caine Your Twitter details? https://twitter.com/#!/H_ACaine And any other information you wish to supply?  They can email me at definitelost @ yahoo dot com