What inspired you to become an author?
I don't
know really. I was creating stories as far back as anyone can remember. I've
always loved the idea of entertaining people and enjoyed creating a world and inviting
people in for a visit. When I was growing up I wanted to be an actress. It was
not until I was in late high school that I began writing the stories I told
down and taking them serious in anyway.
Becoming an
author would not take root and become my passion until I was in college. I made
a joke about how funny it would be if a friend of mine became a cop. I started
describing the scene and even after I finished telling him about it the scene
continued going in my head. I wrote it down when I got off the phone with him.
Those few pages would eventually become a whole world and a paranormal thriller
series.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I have writing quirks more than style. For instance I work
best when I have sticky notes up all over the wall (separated by series by
strips of yarn, of course) Each one has a separate note on it, some will even
be attached to other sticky notes. I am told the notes seem absolutely
nonsensical at first glance. I also will have notebooks or word docs with all
the notes on a series when a wall of sticky notes is not plausible.
What book are you reading now?
I have a million books in my reading queue. Currently I
am partway through: Anatomy of Love by Helen Fisher (An anthropology book about
the human mating dance) Survivor in Death by J. D. Robb (A futuristic romantic
cop thriller and part of the In Death series) River Marked by Patricia Briggs
(Urban Fantasy by an author local to me. It is in the Mercy Thompson series)
What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?
I am
currently working on two stories that I am hoping to publish within the next
six months. The first is a book called Berman's Wolves. It is an Urban Fantasy
about the aftermath of a science experiment that turned several hundred
students into Werewolves. Since the experiment the government broke the
students up into groups for testing. The book takes place years later after the
government officials have stepped out of the picture. Or so it seems.
The second story
is an Urban Fantasy about a homicide detective who is handed a case that opens
his eyes to a paranormal world he did not know existed. He not only has to stop
the murder spree but come to terms with the fact that the world is not as
simple as he always thought.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Lady of the Dead
is a Paranormal Romance. It is the first book (hopefully) in the Night World
series. The female lead, Gwen, has the ability to see the Spirit World. This
ability make her prone to attacks from Spirit World inhabitants. Because of
these attacks she has a detail of guards assigned to protect her. While helping
the police with what seems to be a common case, Gwen hears about a war
beginning in the Night World.
The male lead,
Cesar, is the King of the North American Night World. When he hears the war
rumors surrounding the Lady of the Dead he travels to Washington to
investigate. He is quietly distracted from his task by an ever growing
attraction to Gwen.
Is there anything you find particularly
challenging in your writing?
The
biggest challenge in my writing is that my laptop was stolen about two months
ago. I had 30+ stories at various stages of the writing process saved on it. I
knew my USB drive did not have everything but when I went to check, it turned
out to have backed up a shortcut to my writing folder but none of the contents.
I was devastated. My work from the last ten years was gone forever.
Due to having
shared several of my stories with friends over the years I was able to salvage
about 30% of my work. I was also lucky that Lady of the Dead was at the editor,
so the completed manuscript wasn't lost. Almost all of my notes are gone. So
the biggest challenge I face as a writer is trying not only to get passed that
loss but in trying to recreate as much of my work as I can.
Do you have to travel much to do research for your
books?
Not really, I based the setting on where I live for two
reasons. First, I love where I live! The Pacific Northwest is awesome, why not
base my books here? Second, I do not like
when I am reading a book based on a place I know semi well and it is clear the
author does not have any knowledge of the area. I do not want to do that. If I
am going to base my books somewhere I want locals to be able to say, 'I know
exactly where she is talking about!'
Who designed the cover of your latest book?
I did. I did not really have the money to pay someone to
do it, so I deigned it myself. I am not a talented artist by any means. I went
through six covers before getting the final product. I was putting them up on
Facebook as I went asking what people thought about each one.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Do not be
afraid to try new things. So many writers I know talk about how parts of their
process is slow but they are afraid to try other methods, in case those work
less.
I for instance
work best if I have copious amounts of sticky notes on a designated section on
the wall. I know this drives some on my writer friends nuts because to them it
looks like a Technicolor mess. Some authors I know swear by outlining the story
out first. I have tried it and it just did not work for me. I find that too
much organization drives me batty.
It is important
to experiment with different creative methods until you find what works best
for you. Writing can be difficult on its own. No need to make it harder by not
using the methods that work best for you.
December 2 Interview
Author Karen Swart
December 3 Interview
Eclipse Reviews
December 4 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books
December 5 Interview
Pembroke Sinclair.
December 6 Interview (review)
Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books
December 9 Interview
Roxanne’s Realm
December 10 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books
December 11 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
December 12 Interview
Mythical Books
December 16 Interview and feature
Bewitching Book Tours Magazine
December 17 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
December 18 Guest blog
Paranormal Romance Fans for Life
December 19 Spotlight (possible review)
Saph’s Books Blog
December 26 review
Booklover Sue
December 30 Spotlight and review
Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
December 31 Guest blog
Cloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuff
Lady of the Dead
Night World Series
Book 1
Gretchen S. B.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9781311214874
Number of pages: 262
Word Count: ~93, 000
Cover Artist: Gretchen S. B.
Book Description:
A Lady of the Dead only comes along once in a century. Gwen knows this makes her valuable but she hates the constant supervision of her Warrior guards. Her increasing power has gifted her some independence until rumors of war spook her guards enough to report to the King
Cesar has been King of North America through several wars and rebellions. When one of his generals informs him these new rumors involve the Lady of the Dead he flies to Seattle himself it investigate, posing as his second-in-command. The instant attraction he feels to Gwen becomes increasingly hard to ignore.
Will Cesar be able to protect Gwen while battling his lust? Will Gwen stay with her warrior guards or will Cesar’s dominating nature push her to switch sides? Hidden alliances begin to surface in Lady of the Dead.
About the Author:
Gretchen happily lives in Seattle, Washington where she spends her time creating new characters and situations to put them in. She also enjoys cheering on her local sports teams, even though it sometimes seems they are allergic to winning.
She has loved reading and telling stories as far back as she, or anyone else, can remember. Currently, she loves to read the same genres she writes. She also loves exploring her home state. At the end of her adventures she unwinds by curling up on the couch, knitting while catching up TV shows.
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