Saturday, 2 November 2013

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & AUTHOR INTERVIEW - SEVERED BONDS BY KYRA DUNST


PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT

ASIN: B00EHMNDJW
Series: Annwn Unveiled
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File Size: 318pages/499KB
Formats Available: E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
My life will never be the same again…

Sometimes I wonder if my life would have gone differently if I had been a little less impulsive. Most people would think twice about driving into a snowstorm, but not me. Now I am caught up in all sorts of trouble, and not of the weather variety.

Vampires, werewolves, and the Fae, oh my!

Yup, they exist, all right. And I landed smack dab in the middle of their little dispute. One faction wants to keep everything quiet, and the other? Well, they seek nothing less than total world domination. Or something.

And they both want me. Well, isn’t that special?

Now I am pulled so deep into their world that I can never hope to break free. Not only have I risked those I hold most dear, but I have discovered some things about myself that will change who I thought I was.

It really sucks when you find out your whole life was a lie…

My name is Alexandra Blakely, Lexi for short, and this is how it all began.

PURCHASE LINKS
 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW


Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I have wanted to be an author since middle school. I spent most of my time in the school library, and started by writing poetry. I also penned a few 'songs', but none that will ever see the light of day. As far as other careers, I was practical, and knew that writing was unlikely to pay the bills. I considered teaching and genetics/lab tech, but ultimately ended up working in security and insurance. Blech!

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I have always considered myself a 'writer', but only recently considered myself worthy of being dubbed an 'author'. I have always written, often daily and sometimes on post it notes and napkins. When I finally sat down to write seriously, I had a drawer full to bursting of all my scattered 'writings' on scraps and in the margins of schoolwork. Now I am more practical; I text and email myself notes instead of using the backs of receipts and torn envelopes.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It took me less than three months from start to finish to write Severed Bonds, but it took more than a year of planning and revising my outline before I got started. I kept changing things around, and eventually decided to 'wing it' and started writing. I still outline, but now I just do it as I go, instead of wasting time on it beforehand.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I am currently halfway through the second book in the series. I hope to publish that one before Christmas 2013. I also have a short story, told in Teagan's point of view, that will be included in an anthology in December 2013. There will be several books in the Annwn Unveiled series, and I have another series geared towards adults coming out next year.

What genre would you place your books into?
Both of my series have Paranormal elements, but the Annwn Unveiled series is an Urban Fiction. The other series I have planned is a Paranormal Erotica series. As you might imagine, I am interested in the paranormal right now, but I also have notes for a plain fantasy stand alone novel and a historical romance (possible time travel) series in the future, as well as countless ideas for others.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I didn't really plan to write in any particular genre, I just started writing. I have always loved the paranormal, and the thought of them being around right under our noses is appealing to me, so it isn't a far stretch to write about it. I enjoy many genres, this just happens to be where I started.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
I already mostly based my main character, Alexandra 'Lexi' Blakely on myself. Her nature is pretty spot on with mine, and I enjoy putting her into situations I could never hope to be in and seeing how she/I will react.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
I get ideas for my books from everywhere. I am a voracious reader, and love immersing myself in other worlds. When I am not reading, I am daydreaming. My husband has teased me more than once for stopping mid-activity to run off and jot down a note or idea. I have emailed myself entire chapters from my phone while sitting at the doctors office. The harder part is shutting down the ideas so I can sleep!

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
I have gifted my book to other readers for reviews, and wouldn't mind doing it more often. Unfortunately, my family and friends either do not read for pleasure, or never leave reviews, so outside reviewers are always welcome to contact me for a review copy.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
At this time, I only have one review, so I have read it. It is highly likely that I will read them all, good and bad, because I am new to writing, and I believe there is always room for improvement. I am not one of those authors who will flame someone for a negative review. I would only hope the negative review was informative enough for me to learn from it.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
I would never ask a reviewer to alter anything about their review, unless there was something incorrect about it (wrong character name, etc.). I leave reviews for everything I read, and I would be offended if anyone asked me to be less than honest, so I won't ask it of others.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
I designed the cover of Severed Bonds using some resources from contributors on DeviantArt. I knew what I wanted pretty much from the beginning, so the only challenge was finding the resources and teaching myself enough about Photoshop to make it work. I hope to have my book covers professionally done in the future, but I am satisfied with the result for now.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
It took me a long time to come up with the title. I went through around twenty different titles before 'Severed Bonds' clicked for me. I actually didn't solidify the title until a few days prior to publication. I am now halfway through book two, and I still only have a one word working title for it!

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
My characters pretty much created themselves. They pestered my poor brain until I started writing, then kept me awake until their time in the spotlight faded. The hardest part I have is descriptions and names, personality and habits come naturally to me.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Most of my characters' personalities come to me before they ever touch the page. I even make character bios for them so that I can refer to it later, but this is mostly since this will be a multi-book work, and I tend to forget details, so need to reference this often.

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 use a combination of both methods. For my first novel, I tried to over-plot it, so I scaled back. I don't plot in a linear fashion, instead a scene or conversation will come to me and I write that down. I had most of book one planned out before I wrote it, but for book two, I just pulled some of the ideas that didn't make it into book one from my notes, tossed them in a rough order, and started writing. So far, I think it is going great. I know what needs to happen in the beginning, middle and end, and let the rest flow organically.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
So far, I haven't experienced writer's block, but I tend to have a short attention span, so if something is balking me I just switch gears. I enjoy many genres, and often make notes for one novel while writing another. If one book begins frustrating me, I switch to a scene or plot from another. I haven't tried writing two books at once yet, but I do skip to the other 'world' for a bit if I need a break from the current one. Writing with little pressure and on my own schedule probably helps too.

What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby?
My 'hobby' is reading, so after finishing my writing goals forthe day, I sit back and read. I can read a book or two a day, and tend to if uninterrupted. I also dabble in crafts, digital and otherwise. Anything that sparks my creativity is fair game, even if I lack the talent for it. ;)

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
I used to prefer paperback novels, since they were lightweight and fit in my hand, but now I am a solid eBook reader. I enjoy being able to jot down notes or highlight and switch books easily on the go. I would never have defaced a book prior to using the eBook app! I will still purchase a few series in their paperback format (namely the Xanth series by Piers Anthony), but almost everything else is on my Kindle now.

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?
I don't have a favorite book, but a series. The Xanth series by Piers Anthony played a big role in my love affair with reading and writing, and I still purchase his novels as they come out. Every year, I re-read the entire series (30+ books) before purchasing the next. Not because I need to, but because I want to.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
This is a tough question, and the source of my biggest dream and nightmare. Some books have translated well onto the big screen or series, and others were raped and pillaged by Hollywood. For a very long time, Eragon was a bad word in my house... what they did to that book in translation... definitely my worst nightmare.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
Since I read so quickly, my 'book of the moment' is constantly in flux. I switch between fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, and any combination of the above on any given day. I also venture out of those genres often, so one never knows what I will read next. Everything I read is in eBook format now.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I don't think it will happen soon, but it is likely in fifty or a hundred years that books won't come in any other flavor. I still enjoy going to the library, and I like to hold a book in my hand, but eBooks are just so convenient. If humans keep as they have for centuries, they will seek the most convenient path, so it just seems logical to assume the trend will continue.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I do use a pen name, mostly because I plan on releasing a series in an adult genre later, and didn't want the two to overlap and cause issues. In this day and age, if people want to find you, they will, so hiding behind a pen name is pointless. Using a pen name to keep genres separate, however, seems logical.

Where can readers follow you?
I can be found at:


Thank you for the opportunity to appear on your website!
Kyra Dunst

Thankyou Kyra, for taking the time do the Interview! ~ Jeanz

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