Sunday 14 April 2013

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - KAREN SWART


 What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Karen Swart and I was born in a small town called Prieska in the Northern Cape South Africa. I live in Santoy another small town also found in the Northern Cape South Africa

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
No, I always wanted to be a vet but life has its own plan. Although I was encourage by my English teacher to write I never really took it to heart until I found myself writing Kasadya and finally understood why she kept pushing me to write.

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
Lol I think maybe around the 10th review it started to sink in.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
Yes writing was the easy part, but editing and finding a publisher took a few months.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Yes, I specialize in HRIS systems and payroll.


What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Hellhound Twisted is my second edition to the Kasadya Series, it takes off where book one stopped and in this book Kas finds out that it’s easy to fight but really hard to make the right decision to ensure everyone’s safety and not to mess up. In short she is brought back to earth real fast.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
My fist book Hellhound Awakened was published through Anchor Group Publishing and my second Hellhound Twisted is self-published. I am exploring both avenues.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It takes about six months for me to finish and publish a book, with my day job it’s hard to find time to write and get it published sooner.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I am currently writing Hellhound Born book 3 of the Kasadya Series, and also trying to finish my first Paranormal Romance.

What genre would you place your books into?
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I love paranormal and urban fantasy, so it fit right into my writing style.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Strange but my main character is not my favorite, another called Nanini keeps stealing my heart with her strange ways. She is small but feisty and can either be a great friend or a huge pain in the butt. She is always looking on the bright side of things and don’t go into depressed moments. With her adrenalin disorder she ensures that I stay intrigued all the time.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
I have been writing for a year now. For years there was a girl in my head so I decided to try and write her out of my head, I ended up with the first book Hellhound Awakened.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
I have some small plots that I follow but mainly I just rewrite what I see in my head.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
Music is a must, I can’t write without it.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Yes, I do.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Yes, it’s important for me to know what each reader thought. This way I would know what most liked and disliked to ensure my writing improves.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
It started with writing first but after the completion of the second book I already have the titles for book 3 and 4.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
I like to research names and use the ones I find or just modify them to work for my novel.

Are character names and place names decided after their creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
I create a complete bio with a picture before I write them in my book this way I know them throughout my writing.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Their character play out for themselves, I just write what I see going on in my head.

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..")
I have a lot of messages in my book but the most important one is to take life one step at a time, and you would finds that some steps where worth taking.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
I love paperbacks, but with space running out I mostly read ebooks.

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?
Acheron of the Dark Hunters series. The saddest book I have ever read, I cried most of the time.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
No, screenwriters change a lot of the story because they believe that its more receptacle to the viewers, unfortunately they forget that the viewers were readers first. Favourite would be Hellboy.

Your Blog Details?
http://authorkarenswart.wordpress.com/
Your Website?
http://jasjenswart.wix.com/authorkarenswart
Your Facebook Page?
http://www.facebook.com/authorkarenswart
Your Goodreads Author Page?
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6475775.Karen_Swart
Your Twitter Details?
@karenswart1

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