AUTHOR INTERVIEW - VERONICA BLADE

1.                  Did it take a long time to get your first book published? It’s all relative. I have zero patience and want it all RIGHT NOW. Someone else might wait seven years and think I’m a whiner for complaining about four years. 

2.                  Do you work another job as well as your writing work? I’d love to write full time but, sadly, I can’t do that just yet. My husband and I own a copy that I run. Part of my job is to send him out to work — a wife’s favorite thing to do.

3.                  What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say? A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable. A girl, Cinderella, who spends her nights as a wolf and a prince who has a taste for blood.

4.                  How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it? It depends on the length of the book. A 150 page novella takes me 7 to 10 days to write the first draft. I’m a sloppy writer and I’ll vomit out words just to get the story down. Then I’ll spend the next month or so on revisions, which brings the total time to about 6 weeks.

5.                  Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others? None of them were easy. Seriously. If you read a book and it flows well with a story line that isn’t confusing, then you know the author slaved over that book. A good writer makes it look easy, but it’s anything but easy.

6.                  What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre? I’d been writing mostly YA urban fantasy (like A Bite’s Tale and Something Witchy This Way Comes), but I’m having a blast writing contemporary YA right now. I might stay there a while or I might go back to urban fantasy. I find that I have to follow my passion (not trend). I do whatever I’m feeling at the moment. If I don’t, my work suffers and my test readers complain. 

7.                  Do you have plans for a new book? From Fame to Shame just released in March 2012 (contemporary YA) and I’m currently working on its sequel. Here’s the blurb for From Fame to Shame: When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie, she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.

Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered, Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception?

8.                  Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite? My favorite changes daily, because I’ve poured a piece of me into each one. In Something Witchy This Way Comes, I love the bad-boy and the way he loves Tessa. I adore the sweetness in the romance with A Bite’s Tale and the prince’s loyalty to her. In Blind Date, Checkmate, I love how they never got over each other. And From Fame to Shame, I don’t know, that one’s just pure fantasy. Maddie gets to pretend to be a movie star and kiss a guy she’s fantasized about for years.

9.                  If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why? I’d probably be Tessa from Something Witchy This Way Comes.  I love that she’s strong and sassy and doesn’t take crap from guys. She really whips Hayden into shape. She earns his respect before he totally falls for her. Plus, she’s got magic powers. Yeah, I totally want to be her.

10.              Do you read all the reviews of your book/books? Yes, I am masochistic that way. But I’ve been fortunate on Amazon. So far, even the worst reviews say how much they enjoyed it.

11.              Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along? When I start writing a book, I know the character inside and out. I know his/hers dreams, what makes them sad, what they look like, what they ate for breakfast and how they react to different situations. If I don’t sort it out ahead of time, then they end up all over the place. It’s tricky because if the reader can’t get inside the character’s head, they won’t sympathize with them and won’t care enough to finish the book. But if your character is real, the reader will become invested.

12.              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 do the basic plot but if I know too much going in, I get bored because I already know everything that’s going to happen. If I get bored, I won’t finish writing it.

13.              What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once? I have many books I adored, but probably my favorite is the first Twilight. But only the first half. It’s the romance I go for — once they say, “I love you” I’m done and I got what I wanted out of Edward and Bella about half way through. The rest of the series wasn’t for me, but I just loved how Stephenie Meyer had me turning the pages to see if Edward would talk to her again and what he would say. I was quite pathetic and obsessed reading that, actually. 

14.              Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life? I didn’t like to read. Crazy, huh? We had to do one book report a week, but we could choose any book we wanted. Instead of reading a book, I’d make everything up. Saved so much time! I still make up stories, but now I also love to curl up with a good book. 

15.              Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish? There have been quite a few best sellers that I couldn’t read. Not because they weren’t good but because they didn’t have enough romance. Some of my friends have argued with me that the rejected book did have romance, but it wasn’t enough. City of Bones, Vampire Academy, Hunger Games.  Very well written books with great plots, but just not for me.

16.              Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them? Susan Hatler if you like sweet romances with a little humor thrown in. Katie McGarry if you like contemporary YA with just a little edge to it. It’s difficult for me to choose a favorite author, but these two rate right up there.

Sandra, thank you so much for having me!! Thankyou Veronica for taking the time from your writing to take part inthis Interview for my blog and it's readers!

Your web site ? www. VeronicaBlade.com
Your Facebook page? http://www.facebook.com/VeronicaBlade
Your Goodreads author page? http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5184237.Veronica_Blade
Your Twitter details? @VeronicaBlade