I am extremely pleased to welcome author, Arianna Skye to A Whole Latte Romance today. Her interview is a great one, and as you'll see below, we have some prizes to give away to some lucky commenters. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and without further ado...I give you Arianna Skye.
Can you tell us a little
bit about yourself?
I’m not nearly as exciting as my books. LOL. I’m a single woman in my
mid-thirties who obviously enjoys writing, as
well as arts and crafts. I love
more than the written word when it comes to creating. I also have a bit of a
geeky side too when it comes to computers and technology.
What do you do when you are
not writing?
Daydreaming
about what I should be writing? To be honest, I enjoy playing video games. We recently got a Wii. It can be a great stress
reliever when things get a little sticky.
Do you have a day job as
well?
Currently I am
between jobs. The economy kind of sucks right now, but I’m remaining
optimistic.
When did you first start
writing and when did you finish your first book?
My first book?
It was a whole 20 page masterpiece about the woes of peer pressure. Quite a
feat for a ten year old.
How did you choose the
genre you write in?
I’m not quite
sure I chose it. I think it chose me. My first attempt was historical romance
(still one of my favorites to read) but fantasy sort of called out to me. I
always try to incorporate some form of history into my books though.
Where do you get your
ideas?
Anywhere and
everywhere. Dreams, sitting in line at Taco Bell, watching people at the mall.
Inspiration has no boundaries.
Do you ever experience
writer’s block?
I plead the
fifth. Haha. In times of stress, my thoughts and words can sometime get stuck.
The best thing to do is just write. I’m not sure where I heard this, but it
really hit home. Dreck is better than a blank page, because it can be edited.
Do you work with an
outline, or just write?
It varies from
project to project. I see myself as a plotting pantser. I start out with a
general story idea and let my characters do the walking. They may go off course
every so often, but they always end up at “the end.”
Is there any particular
author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I would have to
say Johanna Lindsey and Kathleen Woodiwiss really inspired me to explore the
possibility of writing romance. Historical romance also helped me explore my
love of history.
Can you tell us about your
challenges in getting your first book published?
Wings of
Desire, now being re-released, was my first published novel. Not many
publishers were interested in fantasy erotic romance. And the word count—111K
was way too long. Most publishers want your book between 80-90K, so options were
really limited.
If you had to go back and
do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that
you would change?
To be honest,
it was a learning experience. And we grow from our mistakes and bumps in the
road. So, in that aspect, I don’t think I would have changed anything.
How do you market your
work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I tweet, use
facebook, and have bought ad space on sites like Manic Readers. I also have
made some Romance Trading Cards, which seem to be quite popular with some
readers. The best ways I’ve marketed—which is also pretty darn fun—are book
signings and reader and author get-togethers. Nothing better than meeting
readers face to face.
Have you written a book you
love that you have not been able to get published?
That would
probably be my Regency-set historical, A
Most Unlikely Match. It’s half-finished and moldering under my bed. Not
because it’s bad, but my writing has ventured off in another direction.
Can you tell us about your
upcoming book?
My current
release is Wings of Desire. It’s a fantasy
erotic romance set near Beltane. There’s a lot of Celtic lore in the story.
Here’s a short
blurb:
Rhiannon Kinsley's ready to call the men in white coats
when an intriguingly sexy man appears and insists she's a faerie princess.
Cerne Silverwing has a duty to save his kingdom. He needs Rhiannon to be his
consort and help defeat the Dark Faerie Queen. Will these two discover that
their true destiny lies together?
Is anything in your book
based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
The idea for
the story is based on a real life what
if moment. Ages ago, I used to spend an ungodly amount of time in computer chat
rooms. Told you I was a computer nerd, eh? I took a look at the names of people
who logged in. Ares, Aphrodite, Osiris, Morrigan, and tons of other godly
names. My name, included. It was storming one night, and I wondered what if
someone’s computer got struck by lightning? What if someone from ancient times was trying to summon that particular
god, but instead summoned the person in the chat room instead? I clearly have
an overactive imagination. I then turned the computer off and went to bed. I
didn’t want to get electrocuted after all.
Ten years
later, I decided I wanted to write an erotic romance. My muse, ever so helpful
friend reminded me of my brainstorm. I realized it wasn’t a “god” at the
computer, but a faerie. And she wasn’t just any faerie, she was a missing
faerie princess. And that’s how Wings of
Desire was born.
What was your favorite
chapter (or part) to write and why?
Every chapter
is important to the book, so I can’t play favorites.
Chapter 7 is
the most interesting chapter. Dueling Butterflies anyone?
How did you come up with
the title?
Part of the
plot involves them gaining their wings when they join as one. And the Desire,
part… it sort of just fit.
What project are you
working on now?
I am working on
Sidney Ayer’s Demons Unleashed series right now. I’m putting the finishing
touches on Kalli’s story.
Will you have a new book
coming out soon?
A Demon To Die For (Demons
Unleashed 3) comes out in February 2013. I may have some short stories in
between though.
Are there certain
characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love
to work with?
I’ve got a kick
ass idea for a regency set fantasy series I’d like to get into.
What has been the toughest
criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I was once told
in a contest by a judge to “use my burgeoning voice on a plot we can relate
to.” Kind of like a backhanded compliment. But that book sold, so obviously
someone related to my plot.
The best
compliment? “I love your books! I can’t wait to read the next one!” How can you
top that?
Do you have any advice to
give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up.
Keep writing. You’re writing skill develops with every word you write-whether
you’ve only written one page or one-hundred books.
Is there anything that you
would like to say to your readers and fans?
Also,
I’m in a generous mood today. 3 lucky commenters will win a free pdf copy of
Wings of Desire. 1 lucky person will win a $20 gift card to Amazon!
Have you ever gone out in public
with your shirt on backwards, or your slippers on, and when realizing it, just
said screw it?
I have put my shirt on backwards before, but I snuck
into the restroom and quickly adjusted myself. What can I say, I’m paranoid
like that.
Do you prefer fuzzy or tube socks?
I don’t have a
preference, just that they don’t have holes.
Are you a person who makes their
bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
Why make a bed if all you’re going to do is climb back
into it later anyway?
Be honest, how often do you wash your
hair?
Every other day.
Do you get road rage? What pisses
you off the most about other drivers?
I will admit I’ve flashed the bird a few times in my
life. My pet peeve is people who drive below the minimum speed limit on the
expressway. Hello, what part of express do you not understand?
Do you go out of
your way to kill bugs? Are there any that make you screech and hide?
It depends on what kind of bug. If it’s an annoying fly
that just won’t leave me alone or a spider that just decided to drop in for a
visit, then I will swat it. If it’s a grasshopper or a lady bug, I will usually
let it live. I’m deathly afraid of bees, hornets and wasps. I’ve done my fair
share of screaming when dealing with them.
Have you ever secretly wished you
were a character in a book? If so, which character did you wish you were and
why?
Who hasn’t ever wished they were Scarlett O’Hara? She’s
a strong character who overcame a lot. You can see her mature as the story
progresses. I always wanted to run after Rhett and give them their happily ever
after.
Thanks again Arianna for being here today. It was a pleasure having you and I wish you all the best in your writing career.
All My Best,
Kayla
