AUTHOR CHAT WITH ANNA DELC

As many of you know, I occasionally interview authors on my blog. Today, I'm visiting with Anna delC, a multi-published author with a new book coming out soon.

Thank you so much for bringing me to visit your blog, Tina. It is always a pleasure to be with your friends. 

I’m glad to have you. Please tell us about your new book.

It is called Emerine’s Nightmare and is for children. The protagonist is a boy that is persecuted by dark fairies. They have killed his parents and now it’s his turn.

What other characters are in this book?

Humans, fairy boys & girls and the son of the Sun God. 

Why a fairy book?

It was a challenge I gave myself. I never read a book with fairies and wondered if I could write one. So I read one story on the internet and wrote Amerine - Fairy Princess. That is what this story was originally called.

Really how interesting. Why change the main character from a girl to a boy?

I changed my mind when I went to a class and we were told that there was a shortage of boys’ books on the market. That gave me the idea to turn her into a boy. It was a lot of work but it turned out well.

Who should read Emerine’s Nightmare?

Children from 6-years-old up. Especially boys…I double dare you!!!

Is it true you received an award for this book already?

Yes. When it was “Amerine - Fairy Princess” it won second place in a short story contest. Then when I changed it to a boy protagonist and it became “Fairy Prince” it won first place in a first page contest.

So, it started as a short story and developed into what you now have?

Yes, from Amerine Fairy - Princess (2500 words) to Emerine’s Nightmare (12615 words.)

 How is Emerine’s Nightmare different from your other published books?

It has a boy protagonist and the theme is darker than I am accustomed to. This Halloween-y tale really breaks the mold.

Since we are on that topic of broken molds, do you plan to break any other molds?

Yes. There is a shortage of boys’ books especially between 4th – 7th graders and I want to try my hand at helping fill that void.

Do you have anything in mind?

I just finished the rough draft of the first of a new series for boys called “The Intergalactic PI.” Then it will come the title of that book “In the case of …”

Can you tell us more?

It is about an 11-year-old boy who is a genius and his parents don’t know it. He is so bored with the pretence of his normal life that he decides to have an alternate life. His genius helps him create an almost human robot and the two of them travel the galaxies investigating crime.

Sounds like fun! But what about your Elf series? Are you done with them?

No. My elf series is to close to my heart and, like I have said before, there are 7 books in that series. The next stand-alone book, the fifth in that series, is called “The Royal Elf of Abalon.”

When will we see it on the market?

It is in the editing process right now and will come out about April of next year. 

How wonderful. Elfs books, fairy books and now intergalactic books--it seems like you have something for everyone’s taste.

I hope so. It is so fun to write that I can’t help it. And I do appreciate your time and that of your readers.

Well, Anna, it's time to let everyone know where they can find copies of your books, and thank you for stopping by.

Thank you for having me, Tina.

As for the books, here are the links:

Emerine’s book in Kindle (only $3.99):

http://ning.it/qRC9la

Barnes and Noble (only $3.99):

http://ning.it/rcD6p4

Ebook (only $2.00):

Http://www.annadelc.com

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!

With 54 comments and people joining my blog, I’m pleased to announce the winner of a $10 Target Gift card.
Before I announce the winner, I want to thank you all for participating. I’m so pleased with all of your support, and I wish I could give you all a gift card--alas, it isn't possible.

So, without further adieu ...   

Drum roll please …da dum, da dum, da dum ... and the winner is ...

Wendy Hansen!

come on down and get your prize.

(Not really. I’ll email her privately and get her address.)

But really, thanks everyone for stopping by.

Best regards, Tina Scott

 

Welcome to the September Blog Hop! Celebrate the beginning of fall with me and my blogger friends by hopping around, visiting our sites, and entering our contests! There are no limits - you can enter the contest on every blog. With over 40 blogs participating, that's over 40 prizes you could win. Just click on the links below to move on to the next blog. On my blog, you can win … A $10. Gift Card from TARGET

Would you like to win this prize? You just need to do two things. 1. Become a follower of this blog. 2. Leave me a comment in the trail and tell me why you'd like to win this prize. That's it! You are now entered. The contest ends on Saturday night, September 24th, at midnight MST, and the winner will be contacted shortly thereafter. Please either leave your e-mail address in the comment trail or make sure it's visible through your profile so I can contact you to tell you that you're the lucky winner. Now go visit my other friends ... September Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author 2. Joyce DiPastena 3. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer 4. Mandi Slack 5. Michael D. Young 6. Six Mixed Reviews 7. Pam Williams 8. Laurie Lewis 9. Kristy Tate 10. Marilyn Yarbrough 11. Stacy Coles 12. Kristie Ballard 13. Lynn Parsons 14. Pushing Past the Pounds 15. Sheila Staley 16. cindy Hogan

17. Jamie Thompson 18. Jaclyn Weist 19. Cathy Witbeck 20. Secret Sisters Mysteries 21. Tamera Westhoff 22. Tina Scott 23. Lynnea Mortensen 24. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan 25. Jeanette A. Fratto 26. Bonnie Harris 27. Melissa Lemon 28. Mary Ann Dennis 29. Stephanie Black 30. Jane Still 31. Janice 32. Laura Bastian

33. Tamara Bordon 34. Betsy Love 35. Maria Hoagland 36. Amber Robertson 37. Debbie Davis 38. 39. Christy Monson 40. Carolyn Frank 41. Rebecca Birkin 42. Melissa Cunningham 43. Emily L. Moir 44. Ronda Hinrichsen 45. Lisa Asanuma 46. Joan Sowards 47. Jordan McCollum 48. Diane Stringam Tolley

Learn more about September Blog Hop here. Get The Code

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ADVICE FOR AUTHORS

How do writers get their ideas?
Mine come in various ways--but usually they're presented to me when I'm in certain situations--meaning the basic idea jumps into my head and then it's up to me to flesh out the idea and turn it into a full story. Here is what another author has to say:

Joel Strangis, author of Grandfather's Rock, as quoted in Story Sparkers (by Debbie Dadey & Marcia Thornton Jones).

"The ideas are in  you--they are around you--but you have to listen. Sit down, turn off the television, turn off the radio, turn off the CD player. Now listen--who did you meet today? Yesterday? What did you do? Start writing. Ideas will come--if you will listen.

When I sit down at my computer, the first thing I do is play a game for five to ten minutes (no more) to separate my writing from the rest of my day. This helps me concentrate and open me up for ideas."

It sounds like great advice. I know that personally, I can't write with music on or any of the above distractions.
Happy writing!

THE KISS OF A STRANGER, by Sarah M. Eden

Sarah M. Eden’s books are as clever and quirky as she is herself, and The Kiss of a Stranger does not disappoint.

            After Crispin inherits his family money and gains his father’s old and prestigious title of Lord Cavratt, the young women of society begin chasing him mercilessly. One in particular, a Miss Cynthia Bower, under the encouragement of her mother, tests Crispin beyond his limits of gentlemanly behavior.

She had practically thrown herself under his horse on a number of occasions, lost control of her own horse, and managed to be at every social event he attended. Yet, her practiced coyness and blushes did nothing but annoy. These kinds of “man hunts” did nothing for Crispin over the years except make him cynical and wary of female attentions—they were all false.

            The Kiss of a Stranger starts with one such “accidental” meeting between Miss Bower and Lord Cavratt. She manages to find and pursue him to an out of the way country inn. Her insistence that they’ve been seen together in society often enough that people are talking about them, and that he needs to declare himself, makes his blood boil—but when she insinuates that the only reason he hasn’t yet kissed her is due to a lack in ability—well, that sends him over the edge of reason.

            Rather than kiss Miss Bower as she clearly wants, Crispin looks around the gardens for another woman to display his “talents” on. Seeing a poorly dressed young woman standing nearby, and assuming she is a servant girl, he marches over to her and kisses her fervently.

            He is not some innocent young pup, and is surprised at how the kiss affects him. Nonetheless, girl’s abusive uncle sees this one kiss and insists that Crispin marry his niece, Catherine, instantly.

            While Crispin and Catherine try to show society that they are indeed happily married, they fall deeper and deeper in love, but neither believes that the other feels the same. Unfortunately, the gossiping socialites don’t believe it for a minute either, and young damsels and their mothers continue to come calling on Crispin, while under their breath they insult Catherine and reinforce her insecurities.

            Although it will ruin her socially, Catherine refuses to stay married to a man who doesn’t love her. She knows that eventually Crispin will become angry and bitter, like her uncle.

            Crispin gave up on the idea of true love years ago, after being thrust into society’s insincere and money-grubbing hands, and thus he doesn’t understand these feelings he has for her.

            As Crispin and Catherine both try to figure out their marriage before an annulment makes the idea too late, her uncle learns that he gets a greater inheritance if Catherine is not married, and starts trying to force her to come back home with him.

            I won’t give away the ending, but the whole book is fun and exciting, and worth every minute.

FROM REJECTION TO REJUVINATION

I’m not going to lie, when my last book was rejected—again, I kind of lost my fire. No one wants to publish my novels? Why, oh why, then, am I writing them? It takes tons of time to write a novel. It takes thinking of the idea—writing the rough draft of your idea—being as honest as you can with yourself while critiquing your rough draft.

It takes getting up the nerve to let someone else read your novel that, by this time, you think is pure literary genius. Then, when you get their critique back, you discover that your manuscript is NOT literary genius. So, you get out your computer and make more and more changes.

By then, you’ve gone with your inspiration, you’ve taken advice, you’ve checked and re-checked your grammar, you’ve read several books on how to write books and tried your best to make sure that your novel has structure, a definite beginning, a middle, and a super-exciting climactic ending—and that each chapter starts and ends in an interesting way. Then, thinking that this time you really do have it, by Jove, you hunt down another critiquer or two.

I’ve been in this editing cycle for seven years now (on this particular novel), so you can see why the air in my author-balloon kinda fizzled out.

After a month or so of pouting, I just cannot let it go. I AM AN AUTHOR. I AM AN AUTHOR. I AM AN AUTHOR. This is how I know—even though I have not found a traditional publisher, I still want to write. I still need to finish my stories. What if I died tomorrow and all I left behind was five unfinished stories? The thought sickens me.

And so I write.

One of my cyber-buddies, Christine Bryant has inadvertently helped me in this process as she is going through her own journey. She has decided to go “Indie”. I’d never heard the term before, but I like it. I will try one more time (with this particular novel) to find a traditional publisher, after that, I’m going Indie—or independent. Yeah, baby!!!