Please welcome author Draven St. James. And don't forget her excerpt will run Saturday.
LA: It's my pleasure. Tell us a bit about yourself.
DSJ: I've always been a writer. I've really just spent most of my life doing everything but seriously writing. It was something I would do for fun without any intention of people actually reading what I wrote. Finally I decided that if I was going to spend all my time penning words perhaps I should be open to sharing those. So here I am. My first book, Grey's Hidden Fire was released on July 9th!!
LA: Congrats on your first release. Tell us about your current series.
DSJ: Grey's Hidden Fire is the first in a series that revolves around both firefighters and those who work within that field. I believe in showing the strength of these individuals and the passion that they contain. These emotions are not just directed to their work but to the relationships that they have. There is much more to these individuals than their sexy uniforms. So much more.
LA: What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help? Use a publicist?
DSJ: Thus far my promo has centered around blog posting. I've enjoyed writing guest posts on other blogs and also participating in blog hops. I've had the help of those who put together the blog hops and also of those who are willing to post about my book on their own pages. I have not used a publicist. Although I wouldn't be adverse to it in the future. I've enjoyed talking to others with blogs and participating in giveaways. It is fun to be in the thick of it.
LA: What is your writing routine like?
DJS: I generally write in the morning or in the evenings. I need to have either a cup of coffee or a cup of chai tea. For the most part I have many books going at one time. This keeps the writers block at bay by allowing me to jump from character to character depending on how willing they are to participate in the telling of their stories. Before the writing even begins though I jump on the internet and respond to any comments or emails. I don't like to keep people waiting if they've taken the time to message me.
LA: Any advice you want to offer our readers about the dreaded Blurb writing ?
DSJ: I was surprised at how difficult writing the blurb for Grey's Hidden Fire was! I thought it would be easy to just give a brief description. In the end I divided it into three paragraphs. The first was a brief description of Grey, the second a brief description of Mica and the last was a brief description of the basic conflict. That way the reader gets an idea of the characters and the story that is unfolding around them.
LA: Key advice for other writers?
DSJ: The best advice I can give is to keep writing. Each word or sentence doesn't need to be perfect the first time around. Sometimes you just have to write through the block and come back to a scene to perfect it later. Often times those blocked moments are the ones that keep us from moving on through the story. The wonderful thing about writing is that, unlike in life, you can go back and edit your tales.
LA: Coffee, tea or other?
DSJ: Oh, well I'd say 70 percent of the time it is definitely coffee with a splash of vanilla creamer. The other 30 percent of the time a 6 pump, soy chai latte helps to smooth over the rough edges of sleeping to wakefulness.
LA: Tell us something about yourself we might not expect!
DSJ: I'm one of eleven children. We are all very close and growing up was like having all of my best friends stay the night every night. They have all been very supportive of my writing. One of my sisters went so far as to ask to pass out flyers.
LA: When writing, do you listen to music?
DSJ: Yes, I listen to music to set the mood. I have play lists for intensely emotional moments, funny incidents, action scenarios, and of course the 'let's get it on' songs. I find that sometimes when I'm transitioning between scenes, this is what helps me get into the mindset.
LA: Are you superstitious?
DSJ: Oh, there are times when I think voodoo dolls would be so very helpful or finding a penny that would give me good luck all day would be fantastic. If anything those superstitions would make a great book. I do think we all believe just a little though because I've seen spilt salt thrown over the shoulders of my most logical of friends. Just in case.
Draven's website: http://dravenstjames.wordpress.com
Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com
To get in touch with Draven:
- http://www.facebook.com/draven.stjames
- https://twitter.com/DravenStJames
- http://pinterest.com/dravenstjame
- Email: Dravenstjames@gmail.com
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