Category: Young Adult Romance

Gisele Walko Interview

4/10/2016

The guest author for today on Interviews by Dante is Gisele Walko. She is a writer of Young Adult Paranormal Romance. Her latest work is The Vampire and the Necromancer: An out of Sequence Love Story. It is book 2 in her multiracial monsters series.

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am a wife, mother, and Media Assistant at a school library. I love reading and writing stories. I live in Oklahoma with my family and three fat dogs.

Tell us about your latest book.
The Vampire and the Necromancer: An out of Sequence Love Story is book 2 in my multiracial monsters series (They can be read in any order). Ivan was born into a long line of necromancers, and when he transfers to a new middle school, he meets Noah, a fellow biracial classmate, and falls for his quirky twin Nova. Nova is an overachiever, vegan and violinists (orch-dork), her senior year of high school, after a misunderstanding with Ivan, she goes to a party and gets turned into a vampire. It is magical realism, so not real heavy on the supernatural, and follows a couple from 7th grade, when they were just friends, through their freshman year of college. Oh, and it’s not written in order, but most people are able to follow it just fine.

What do you have coming out in the future?
I am working on an interracial romance novella, following two college students, Travis and Legend, and I’m trying to keep all the supernatural stuff out of it. So far so good. Also I’m working on book 3 of my Multiracial Monsters series which follows Ko, a black and Japanese bratty cheerleader, and Noah (Nova’s twin)with Kleine-Levin syndrome. I hope to have both books out in April. Fingers crossed.

Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
They are technically a series, but they can be read as a stand-alone, or in any order. They run parallel to each other.

Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I love love stories! I think my stories are original, and relatable despite the presence of a werewolf, vampire, or necromancer here and there.

Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
Right now, I think I’ll stick to romance. I don’t intend to only write paranormal romance. If a story came to me that wasn’t a romance, I would pursue it.

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From where do you draw your inspiration?
My everyday life. My husband, my kids, social issues, work, music, movies, shows.

Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
I think so. Many of my characters have personalities, thoughts, and traits similar to myself, or my kids, or my hubby. The situations are fictional.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Binge watching horror shows, hanging out with my kids, cooking, reading, on Goodreads, or trying to learn Twitter.

What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
I submitted my work to a few places, and got a lot of positive feedback but no offers, so I self-published. I’m impatient.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
The Vampire and the Necromacer: An out of Sequence Love Story, I wanted people to know that it was out of order so they didn’t get their hands on it, hate it, hate me, and be completely confused. With Wolf Girl finds necRomance, I was making a pun about necromancy having the word Romance in it. My daughter hates the title.

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
Mostly Romance, some horror, some magical realism short stories.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Just getting the ideas, out of my head and on the computer.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Coming up with ideas, and dialogue.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
Nova is my favorite, because I love her nerdy quirkiness, and her sometimes irrational behavior.

What is your preferred writing environment?
In bed, with coffee or tea, with the TV for background noise.

How would you describe your writing style?
I write in 1st person, with alternating points of view. I’ve tried other styles, but I’m most comfortable in other people’s heads.

Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I just go with the flow. I usually don’t outline at all. I let the people in my head do whatever they want to.

When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
My husband said, “You always say you want to write, give it a shot. Write something. He’s my biggest cheerleader and my editor.

What is your favorite quote
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Just write for yourself. You won’t be able to please everyone. Some won’t like your writing style or stories. Not everyone will get it. Just write the stories you want to hear, and they will be the stories that others want to hear. Some will connect with your work, and be moved by it, and read more of your stuff.

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
No one has ever asked me about advice for other authors before you, so in addition to: write what you want to read, I would say if you have writer’s block, just write badly and clean it up later.

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Lindsay Marie Miller Interview

1/10/2016

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The guest author for today on Interviews by Dante is Lindsay Marie Miller. She is a diverse writer. Her work spans multiple sub-genres, including Adult, New Adult, Young Adult, Suspense & Historical Romance. Her latest work is Jungle Eyes.

Please tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Lindsay Marie Miller, and I am the author of Emerald Green, Me & Mr. Jones and Jungle Eyes.

Tell us about your latest book.
Jungle Eyes is the name of my latest book, which was released on November 20, 2015. It is a Romantic Action/Adventure novel set on a deserted tropical island in the year 1899.

What do you have coming out in the future?
There will be 3 more books in the Emerald Green series, a sequel to Me & Mr. Jones and 2 more books in the Jungle Eyes trilogy. I’ve also been working on a New Adult Contemporary Romance, which will be my first Stand Alone novel.

Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
Jungle Eyes, Me & Mr. Jones and Emerald Green are each the first installment in their own respective series.

Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
Romance is always the one element of a novel or film that I am most interested in. For me, it’s the best part of any story I am reading or writing. I have always described the way I write romance as a “tasteful sexiness.” Just because something is sensual or passionate doesn’t mean it can’t maintain a certain level of innocence. I believe in keeping that steam or heat between the characters alive, because that intimate connection is what love and romance are all about.

Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
While I only write romance, it is the sub-genres within romance that I like to experiment with. Emerald Green and Me & Mr. Jones pertain to the suspense/thriller category of romance. But Jungle Eyes falls under historical and action/adventure romance categories. They also apply to different age groups: Emerald Green is Young Adult, Me & Mr. Jones is New Adult and Jungle Eyes is Adult. I’ll probably experiment with other romance genres over time, because I really enjoy different ways of telling a love story.

In the spring of 1899, Henry Rochester boards a ship on the docks of New York Harbor and sets sail across the Atlantic. Desperately seeking freedom and adventure, Henry fails to anticipate the violent ocean storm that will destroy the ship, murder his fellow comrades, and leave him stranded on a deserted island. However, Henry is not alone in paradise, as a beautiful young woman, named Elaine, acquaints him with the enchanting, yet evil nature of the jungle. As the two quarrel, reconcile, and bond, love blossoms between them like an exotic wildflower. But when the tide turns, bringing an unescapable wave of danger with it, Henry and Elaine must face the callous brutality of the uninvited.

Jungle Eyes - Released November 20, 2015 (Historical Romance/Action/Adventure)

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From where do you draw your inspiration?
A good book or movie. A special day. Time spent with family or friends. Really anything can inspire me to write. Mainly, it has to do with people. The ones I’m with and the ones I’m writing about.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Play the piano and guitar. Sing. I’ve been writing songs since I was a teen, so music is very near and dear to my heart. I love watching movies as well, especially those that have been adapted from novels. I’m also a TaeBo enthusiast.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
Certain titles just sound right to me. When it clicks, it clicks. I think Emerald Green probably had a lot to do with the fact that my birthstone is emerald, and Me & Mr. Jones was inspired by an old R&B song by Billy Paul. With Jungle Eyes, I have no earthly idea. It just came to me.

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
Usually, I read romance or some subset of it. But I’m open to thrillers, mysteries, biographies, and a whole lot of other genres. As a writer, I think it’s important to keep an open mind.

What celebrity would you chose to play the main character(s) in the movie rendition of your book?
When I first thought of the idea for Jungle Eyes, I pictured a twenty-five-year-old Christian Bale as Henry and Katy Perry as Elaine. If Hollywood was able to pull that off, I would be very pleased.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Those days when the words just won’t come. Sometimes, it can be hard, and you really have to push yourself. But that makes you appreciate the days when the words flow like honey.

On a chilly December night in Savannah, Georgia, seventeen-year-old Addie Smith dreams of an alluring young man, too mysteriously handsome to be real. When spring semester commences the following week, at Maple Creek High, a new student, named Tom Sutton, arrives, bearing a striking resemblance to the beautiful stranger from Addie’s dream. Addie feels inextricably drawn to Tom, and his rare, unwavering resiliency, as the enchanting nature of first love takes hold. But when a cold-blooded criminal returns to Savannah, in pursuit of a long-forgotten possession, Addie must confront the darkest secrets of an elusive, hidden past that threaten to destroy her future.

Emerald Green - Released June 7, 2015 (YA Romantic Thriller

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What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Getting to know my characters. They are so much fun to write, and I really enjoy the time I get to spend with each of them.

What is your preferred writing environment?
I’m not really partial to any one place. Indoors. Outdoors. Rain or shine. The story in my head goes with me everywhere.

Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
Go with the flow. Initially, I can see the map of a new story, where it begins and ends. It’s those moments between the main points in the plot that I don’t even know exist until I’ve written them.

When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
When I was a junior in high school. Twilight had a profound effect on me, because it left me wanting to write a novel of my own, which resulted in my first release, Emerald Green.

What is your favorite quote?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Stay hungry for new stories. Each time you write, you will only continue to get better at it. Also, enjoy the development of your characters and all of the unique things that make each of them important to you.

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
Why do you want to be a writer?
In my opinion, if you write, you are a writer. I never chose to write. It just happened naturally. I never wanted to be a writer. I am one.

Finley O'Connell is a shy, reserved college student, who has no intention of ever trusting another man. At nineteen, Finley spends her Friday nights alone, studying clinical psychology to ease her mind of the abusive childhood she has yet to overcome. Her new professor, the young, charismatic Cabel Jones, begins to take an interest in Finley, whose first instinct is to run. But when an ordinary experiment turns to bloodshed, Finley must rely on Cabel, as the two hide away in a rustic, secluded cabin in the wilderness. Plagued by deception and fear, Finley soon finds herself in the arms of the one man on campus who can never truly be hers.

Me & Mr. Jones - Released October 7, 2015 (NA Romantic Thriller)

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Zara Steen Interview

9/30/2015

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The guest author for today on Interviews with Dante is Zara Steen. She is a writer of Paranormal and Fantasy Romance for both Young Adults and Adults . Her latest work is Blue Moon Rising book two in the Mercrutian Chronicle.

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I absolutely love writing and reading Paranormal and Fantasy Romance. I'm from Atlantic Canada, where I let my adventurous spirit roam for inspiration. My main aim with my writing is to create meaningful stories with captivating characters in magical places. I hope to inspire readers with a sense of joy, excitement, love, and wonder.

Tell us about your latest book.
My latest book released on August 22, 2015 is Blue Moon Rising. It is a young Adult Fantasy Romance about a society of Mermaids co-existing with humans in Seabright, Nova Scotia. The female protagonist, Anya, returns home in this sequel to Heart of Shell (the first Mercrutian Chronicle), after transcending to a full Mermaid over the summer. Now she has new powers, a new and stronger sense of herself, and new challenges she'll face.

What do you have coming out in the future?
In December, I'll be releasing King of Shadows, the second book in the Arzulian Kingdoms Series. This will overlap with the first book in the series Prince of Fire to tell part of Salha's story from her perspective and then encompass all of the characters.

Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
Both of these books are part of a series but I do have a stand alone short story out right now called Eyesight. It is a quick enjoyable read in the New Adult Paranormal genre and was a winner of the Winter Solstice Short Story Contest.

Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I would say that my brand of romance is fun and sometimes silly, but most importantly I support and explore healthy equal relationships between characters. My young adult books especially try to support positive ideas about relationships. I write females who are strong and don't define themselves only by love, they ask themselves questions to listen to their mind and hearts. I write males who don't feel obligated to follow traditional roles, and ask themselves questions about what they think or feel. I want my characters to express genuine love and affection to their counterpart without being archetypes.

Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
At this time I only write Romance. It's what I enjoy and I feel can have such a positive impact, so it is my area of focus.

In this sequel to Heart of Shell, Anya returns to Seabright changed. Summer has brought her deeper into the world of the Science Mers and what she's learning, she may not like. Meanwhile, Merrick seems the same, but keeps revealing more and more, despite Zale's attempts to curb his conversations with her. Now that The Depths are on the move, everything is changing for the Mers of Mercrutia.

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From where do you draw your inspiration?
There are a lot of things that I find inspirational. Walks in nature can be especially helpful to create a sense of calmness and serenity that helps me with finding the right tone and voice. Generally with my ideas though they are eureka moments. An idea kind of pops into my mind and takes over. Suddenly I'm swept up into a scenario outside of myself and my curious nature wants to know more. So I ask myself questions and delve further into the tale. Characters will introduce themselves to me too, which sounds funny but is the easiest way to explain how it happens. I'll be daydreaming and they just pop into my head and say “Hello” because they have a story they want to be told.

Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
I think every writer does whether we intend to or not. I wouldn't say that my characters are specific people in my life, but I would confess that sometimes a gesture, a thought process, or a way a character says things are slightly influenced by people I know. I think when it really comes down to knowing a character, they are telling me who they are – it's up to me to figure them out rather than create them.

What authors inspire your writing?
When it comes to Romance: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Katie MacAlister, Nalini Singh, Marjorie M. Liu, and Lynsay Sands are some of my favorites. I admire their strong characters and their writing is always just what I need, a bit of intrigue and mystery, or some humor and laughs. I start reading and immediately I'm enveloped by the worlds they have written.

How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
I'm very fortunate to have the love that I do in my life, with my partner, with my family, and with my friends. I believe all of those experiences influence the way I approach love and romance. I think because of the positivity and faith I have with these people no matter how dark or challenging a situation might appear my characters prevail.

Anya isn't your typical teenager─ she's mostly mermaid. Only the successful transformation to magic and beauty seem elusive to her. Relocating to Seabright, Nova Scotia she finds that there may be some hope for her, until suddenly things become more complicated, and complicated's name is Merrick Price. A teal eyed, dark haired Mer from a warrior family, he's hand picked her for his mate and she isn't quite sure why. She's a science Mer with no mermaid tail in sight and can't seem to uncover his true feelings or his motives.

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What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Spending time with my loved ones is important to me. As well as taking time to have little adventures in nature. I find wildlife inspirational so I try to spend some time recuperating outdoors. I also like to mediate, craft, and read.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
It popped into my head. I wanted something that would make you think of mermaids. The moon is equally important to the Mer mythology in my books like water is so Blue Moon Rising seemed very approriate. The rarity of the situation and the historical connotations and meanings surrounding a blue moon are reflective of the undelying themes in the book.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Coming up with ideas is the easiest part for me. Sometimes I have too many ideas and I end up scribbling them all down and tucking them away for later when I'll get the chance to revisit. Once I have an idea, from there the characters and places and events flow very easily.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
I actually haven't written my favourite character yet. She's a guardian named Stitia from a world called Morianna. I'll be writing her story in a fantasy romance series in 2017.
If I had to choose a character from my current books though it would be challenging. I would say that Samira from Prince of Fire is my favourite female character and Merrick from Blue Moon Rising is my favourite male. I like Samira because she's tough and doesn't ever give up. No matter what life throws at her, she will perserveer. Merrick would be my favourite male because he gets overlooked sometimes. There's so many things about him that the reader will understand over time. He has a lot of layers and he's not always what he appears to be.

Samira and Salha Khan, sisters living in modern Halifax, Nova Scotia, awake one day as slaves. Trapped in Arzule, an alternate world they've somehow been transported to, they struggle to make sense of their lives. When Samira is unexpectedly whisked away by an Akorian Prince, Arkson it seems as though their luck has gone even further astray. Samira finds herself drawn to this handsome prince, but cannot seem to decipher his intentions. He is a prince of many secrets, and Samira has secretive tendencies of her own.

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What is your preferred writing environment?
My home office. :) With a cup of hot tea, some instrumental music softly playing and my curtains open to an overcast or stormy day. There's something very magical about lightning, thunder, and rain that I find highly motivating. It might be the sense of awe.

How would you describe your writing style?
It is very creative and imaginate and I try to focus on also building a world that you find yourself engaged in exploring. My pacing is often fast with reflective moments for the reader to pause. There's a lot of action and positive dialogue going on.

Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I use both, I typically know what will happen in a book and will plot it out but when it comes to writing I think it is a very organic and cylical process. I'll write chapters, shift them around for the sake of flow and sometimes fill things in in chunks. I'm not a very linear writer. I write in circles until I've completed each part of the curve.

With many publishing routes available today, which felt the most reliable to you when it came to the many choices?
Online publishing by myself and through online publishing companies are my choice right now. ePublishing has been really accessible, easy to use and I think something that a lot of authors are exploring now. To me an eBook felt reliable since they're so widely used. I do certainly love a hard copy of a book and so enjoy the tactile feeling of flipping a page, but I feel like focusing on ePublishing is the way to start, print can develop later.

Salha Khan has lost the one who means the most to her, and now she finds her self in the company of Alexandros, a strange leader of the small human population left in Arzule. He's a mystery to her, the King of a dying race. What she wants most is her freedom, but now there's so much more at stake, things have changed, and Guedan is out there planning his return and his revenge.

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Forthcoming 12/9/2015

When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
In my heart, I've always been a writer, but there are times when outside influences can drown out that love and that instinct to write. At the beginning of this year I decided I would change. I had written a book that I wasn't talking about and another book (Heart of Shell) was just sitting there waiting to be shared. I took a course in the early spring called Infinite Possibilites and it was then I realized I had all these stories I wanted to tell-- that's when I said to myself, okay let's do this... now or never.

What is your favorite quote?
“The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can.” - Mike Dooley

Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Keep writing. No matter what anyone ever says, there are millions of people out there waiting to read your book. The more you write, the better skills you acquire, so keep at it, and BE CONSISTENT. Write your plans out and know what you want to accomplish before you start writing. I don't start writing a book and know all of the ins and outs, but I do know that I will finish it and I think that's powerful in itself.

Forgive yourself too, you're going to make mistakes and someone will notice. Put your best efforts forward, and another person will think it's great. ; ) Writing involves a lot of evolution.

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?

If you could ask your readers anything, what would it be?
I would ask for them to provide positive constructive feedback or reviews. I think we sometimes hesistate to connect with authors to let them know what we thought of their books, if we enjoyed them or that we're waiting for their next book to come out. For independent authors this is something that is highly motivating and so appreciated. Reading a review that someone enjoyed your book, or what they thought of your characters can be wonderful! It also helps us think of things we hadn't considered before. Plus on the bad days when we want to give up and throw in the towel, we then think, no I can't someone out there wants to know more.

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Lindsay Marie Miller Interview

Zara Steen Interview

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