What genres do you write?
Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, Action Adventure, and Erotica.
Where do you get your ideas?
Life and dreams. The idea for the current book I’m writing, ‘Demon
World’ emerged from an argument I had with my husband after watching
a Halloween special MTV was doing by putting a group of teenagers into a haunted
prison. When one of the girls started freaking out on camera I said that it
really wasn’t right to make a show like that. My husband made fun of
me saying ghosts don’t exist, which angered me a bit because as a child
I had seen one. So I wished that everyone could see the ghosts, and then I
came up with the idea of ‘Demon World’.
How do you come up with your characters? Are they based on real people or
pure imagination?
Often the main characters are based on people I’ve known or met. Others
are just made up to help the story along. Three of the characters in ‘A
Female Vampire’ are based on real people.
What books do you have planned for the near future?
I always have several books on the back burners that need fixed or rewritten.
I have ‘Chosen One’ which is a fantasy adventure about cat people
set in medieval times settings, it’s a two book series that I want to
submit for publishing together, so the second book still needs to be written.
‘Demon World’, which is currently being written, and an erotica
called ‘The Secret Games of the Women’s Bridge Club’ which
might end up just a book of several erotica stories put together. Then I have
an un-named project which a friend and I are working on which is an action
adventure involving vampires.
When is your next book due out?
Next summer! – But I say that every year.
Can we have a sneak summary?
I don’t have a sneak peek at ‘Demon World’ yet, but you
can read the first chapter of ‘A Female Vampire’ at http://afemalevampire.onlyhere.net
Do you have any book signings/appearances in the future?
I wish! Living in a country that does not speak English has made that honor
a very unlikely one.
What do you feel makes your books unique or stand out from others in your
genre?
My passion and descriptions. I make the reader feel like they in the very
room that the activity is going on in. They are there, and part of it. I hate
boring stories, so I keep action and suspense in every chapter. I believe
that any book that bores you …even in the middle of it… isn’t
worth the money you paid for it.
Do you have a special subgenre? What is it?
I write Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, Action Adventure and Erotica. I
think that no matter what I write they mix together.
Do you have a favorite place that you like to write?
don’t think it’s as much of where I am as to what I’m
listening to. I have a list of cds and mp3s I listen to while I write. Often
they influence the tone of scenes in the book. Some sad, some exciting, and
some are relaxing and give you pause to reflect on things.
In what order do you write? (Beginning to End; combining parts; in random
order; development cycle).
I usually have the idea for the beginning and the end, but the middle is
completely a mystery to me and sometimes it takes a few days for me to plan
a chapter all out. The story runs like a film in my head and I’m holding
the VHS remote. Sometimes when it doesn’t turn out well I hit reverse
and ask them to do it again, just in a different way. My brain is a movie
set, my characters ghostly actors and actresses, and I am but their historian
to pass on their stories to the readers.
Do you feel that the ebook industry affords authors a bit
more freedom of expression in their books?
It has more to do with the publishers. E-book publishers can afford to publish
more books per year since an e-book does not have to go through expensive
printing and shipping costs. Therefore the e-book publishers can notice the
talent of more writers than the average printing publisher.
What do you like about what is/isn’t being done to promote authors?
It’s very hard to get your printed book into the average bookstore.
Most bookstore chains are franchised and only buy from the big publishers.
If the bookstores would buy from smaller publishers, and even put up an e-book
section this would not only help their sales but the authors who have worked
so hard on their masterpieces.
Do you think that marketing departments have their “fingers on the
pulse of readers?”
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I’ve seen several books that were damn
slow and boring hit the top seller list because of marketing. I don’t
think this helps save the general reader’s money. However I have seen
some virtually unknown authors do well because their stunning work was noticed
by a great marketing firm. It’s a hit and miss situation.
How do you feel about the review rating system and its affects on public
opinion?
I’d rather see an opinion review system than one that just gave levels.
Some list best at number five and then worst at zero, but if someone rates
a zero on a book you still don’t know why. I believe people should write
in a little note why they didn’t like something. No opinion is the same.
What you might like may not be entertaining for someone else.
In what kind of venues can we find your books?
Currently my book and e-book versions can be ordered from www.amazon.com
, www.barnesandnoble.com , and several other distributors which you can find
on an average search engine search.
What do you feel is the best aspect of the Publishing Industry? What do you
feel could stand to be “tweaked” so to speak?
The best aspect of the publishing industry would be that it exists. Without
it we would be missing out on a lot of great books! What needs to be tweaked
is the publisher agent problem. It’s extremely hard to get a printing
publisher to notice you alone, and the agents never even answer your phone
calls or letters. It’s a brick wall that, unless you know someone on
the inside, it’s very hard to find the steps yourself.
With the rise of the E-book publishers and small press, do you think they
will be the wave of the future?
Several first time authors use ‘print on demand’ services which
make their books much more expensive than those on sale at the average book
store, so until these ‘print on demand’ services stop taking advantage
of the authors with their prices I don’t see much hope for the ‘small
press’ industry. E-book publishers have something else though. Palm
pilots, laptops, and mobile phones are the ‘must have’ items of
the business man or traveler and this gives him a way to read in his spare
time. E-books are cheaper and don’t take any baggage space, so they
are ideal for the current world. Personally I prefer a printed book in my
hands, but the sales of my book have proven that many would rather have the
E-book that they can take anywhere!
How do you think the E-book industry has affected the Publishing industry?
There are those that still love sitting down with a nice paper printed book
and just reading without the flicker of a screen, but in today’s world
not many people have time to do that. When they have a few spare moments on
the train, bus, or at lunch they want something like an E-book to keep them
entertained. Printed books will always be here, but E-books are pushing their
way in to be noticed.
Is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t covered?
I also write the ‘Dear Vampire’ advice column in ‘Bite
Me Magazine’. And you can visit my author site at http://katt.onlyhere.net
where you can read some of my work for free.
