Author Interview: Trista Jaszczak

Interview with author Trista Jaszczak talking about writing her novels, including the upcoming, Little Red.

  

SDG: Welcome, Trista and thank you for taking the time to do the interview. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

 

TJ: I'm Trista Jaszczak and I am originally from Hamilton, Ohio. I'm married to the military and call home wherever the Air Force sends us, which is currently Anchorage, Alaska. I've been writing for about 11 years now and have written close to 30 novels. I have Darkness Falls: Hunted and Loverboy currently out for purchase and the upcoming Believe series.

 

SDG: What inspired you to write this book?

 

TJ: I have always had a great love for fairy tales, even as I near my 30's, I can't get enough of them. A close friend of mine, knowing my love of fairy tales sent me a song (Hey There Little Red Riding Hood, by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs) and as I was listening to it, I couldn't help but to have this little movie play in my head. A young woman, gorgeous, one night in the woods. Then in dawned on me...who said fairy tales are for kids. Right away my brain went into over drive and Little Red and the rest of the Believe series was born.

 

SDG: What was your approach to writing it (did it just flow or did you use an outline or other preparatory method)?

 

TJ: Because my mind kicked in so fast it really poured out of me. Once I started writing I found it difficult to stop. It was unbelievable and completely verged off my normal writing routine but somehow, it has worked out perfectly.

 

SDG: How long did it take to write the complete novel from first draft to edited final?

 

TJ: For Little Red, it took about 10 months with a lot of sleepless nights, from start to finish.

 

SDG: Can you tell us a little about your book and if you have had book signings or readings?

 

TJ: Little Red is a whole new look at the classic children’s tale, Little Red Riding Hood. It’s about one woman’s desperate escape from her past where she finds herself landing in Louisiana and into the arms of an unlikely hero. With lots of passion, a close knit pack of brothers, some old bayou magic and feuding families, Little Red will spark the feeling that fairy tales once created in every woman.

 

Little Red is currently beginning the publishing process with Front Porch Romance but I will definitely plan signings and readings when I can.

 

SDG: Is your family supportive of your writing and what do they think about your writing career?

 

TJ: My family is very supportive of my writing career. For as long as I can remember I have had a wild imagination and my parents always supported me. As I got older and got married, thankfully my husband didn't think I was crazy for sitting around for hours as I scribbled notes in notebooks and pecked away at the keys on my computer. I'm pretty sure that when I'm up at all hours of the night writing, my husband is too. Without my family, I don't think I would be where I am today. I am thankful to have my family and my husband.

 

SDG: Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for beginning writers?

 

TJ: Never give up. Never let a bad day, bad review or bad anything tarnish your dreams. They're your dreams, after all. Just keep writing and keep moving forward.

 

SDG: What are you working on now? Is it in the same genre?

 

TJ: I'm currently working on completing the Believe series, which Little Red is a part of. They're all modern twists on classic children's tales. I currently have The Shoe (Cinderella), Who's the Fairest (Snow White), Only Sleeping (Sleeping Beauty), and Fairy Dust (Tinkerbell). I'm also working on a few other romances that are separate from the series.

 

SDG: What is the best time for you to write and does it ever interfere with your day job, if you have one? Also, how long on average do you write each day?

 

TJ: All of my writing is done at night. For some reason at night when my house is silent, my mind opens up with new ideas that begin playing like movies, screaming for me to write them down. Each night I'll write anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. As long as I write, every single day, I'm happy.

 

SDG: Is writing, to you, a lonely occupation?

 

TJ: Not at all! For some reason all these characters that I create are alive and thriving in my mind. I create new places and people that, to me, feel real. I don't think I could ever consider that lonely.

 

SDG: What is your website and where can readers purchase your book or books?

 

TJ: I can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million (Keyword search: Trista Jaszczak). Both Darkness Falls: Hunted and Loverboy have print and eBook editions. Little Red has a tentative release of June 2013.

 

SDG: Do you have anything else you’d like to say?

 

TJ: I really have to thank my fans who have been following my writing these past few years. I am so thankful for their support and to see people waiting on the release of Little Red is completely mind blowing. I cannot say thank you enough. It means a lot when someone buys a book from an unknown author. Thank you.

 

Author website/social media sites:

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTristaJaszczak

Twitter: TristaJaszczak

Tumbr: AuthorTristaJaszczak

Blog: www.tristajaszczak.wordpress.com

 

 

Author Interview: Christy Newton

I will be posting author interviews as I get them. My first interview is with romance author Christy Newton talking about writing her debut novel, Stolen Hearts.


SDG: Welcome, Christy and thank you for taking the time to do the interview. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

 

CN: Hi Sofia, thank you for having me on your blog. I live in Indiana and I started writing seriously about 14 months ago. Writing is my job and I love it.

SDG: What inspired you to write this book?

CN: This was my first book, though it was revised so many times. I wrote about things I would enjoy reading. My characters Cammie and Simon came to me in a dream. I fell in love with them and had to tell their story.

SDG: What was your approach to writing it (did it just flow or did you use an outline or other preparatory method)?

CN:I am a pantser for sure! I didn't do an outline, though I knew where my story was headed the whole time writing it. I am a fan of Post-it notes so those are stuck all over my wall.

SDG: How long did it take to write the complete novel from first draft to edited final?

CN:I am going to guess almost a year. There were other stories written in between the revisions. Happy to say, I've gotten much faster.

SDG: Do you have critique partner and do you think they are important?

CN:Yes! My critique partner, Danielle, is awesome!

SDG: Can you tell us a little about your book and if you have had book signings or readings?

CN:Stolen Hearts is my debut book and is estimated to come out in ebook sometime in June and in print sometime in fall. Stolen Hearts is romantic suspense. Simon is a mysterious ex-jewel thief turned bodyguard. He rescues Cammie, a woman that has had the most horrible things happen to her. They are both broken people that crave adventure and complement each other well.

SDG: Is your family supportive of your writing and what do they think about your writing career?

CN:Oh my goodness, yes! If they weren't I couldn't do this. My husband encourages me to write and my daughters cheer me on. My mom is my biggest fan and keeps me positive. My brother is also supportive.

SDG: Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for budding writers?

CN: My advice is to fit time in to read. You won't get better if you leave that step out. Don't make excuses, just sit your tushie down and write!

SDG: What are you working on now? Is it in the same genre?

CN: I am currently working on the third book in the Cammie and Simon series.

SDG: What is the best time for you to write and does it ever interfere with your day job, if you have one? Also, how long on average do you write each day?

CN: I don't really have a best time. Inspiration can strike at any moment so I just go with it. I try to write a couple of hours a day. The other time is spent on Facebook and Twitter or reading.

SDG: Is writing, to you, a lonely occupation?

CN: No way! My writing friends are what keep me going. I have met so many wonderful people on Twitter. If you think writing is lonely, talk to other writers. I've never met an unfriendly writer.

 

SDG: What is your website and where can readers purchase your book or books?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christy-Newton/359791990763912

 

You can always check Front Porch Romance for updates:

http://www.frontporchromance.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24_94

 

Author website/social media sites:

 

CN: twitter @CNewtonAuthor

 

Just learned what prose poetry is!

I am not a poetry expert. In fact, I just don't 'get' most poetry. I've dabbled in the typical rhyming poetry off and on, but overall, I don't write it. So, when I attended the monthly meeting of my local writers club, the Ventura County Writers Club, to hear our speaker, Perie Longo, an acclaimed poet, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the talk. But I did. I really did. She explained the differences and similarities of poetry and prose poetry and I actually understood what she was talking about. Prose poetry, if you didn't know, is a little like flash fiction (although there really isn't a required length) in that is doesn't rhyme and it's written in paragraph format, not the short lines of a regular poem. However, just because it's not a rhyming poem doesn't mean it doesn't have a lyrical or musical quality to it. Ms. Longo read several prose poems and they were lyrical. Some were funny, some were poignant, but they were all well-constructed and meaningful. So, my hat's off to those poets and prose poets out there! I don't think I could do what you do :)

Busy is good

I like being busy, I really do. Not the housework kind of busy, that's no fun at all. In fact, you can't really call me a good, dedicated housekeeper. I figure I have better things to do than sweep or vacuum the floor. Sure, I'll do it when I need to, or when company is coming over, but otherwise, a little dust never hurt anyone. Well, maybe it would hurt an asthmatic, but I don't have asthma so it's okay. Besides, I have three hairless Sphynx cats, so there's definitely no cat hair sticking to the furniture or carpet. This allows me to justify not cleaning every day. I'm good at justifying things. Anyway, back to my main topic here...being busy. The kind of busy I enjoy most is the writer-type busy. And I am writer-busy right now. I am getting an historical romantic suspense novel published very soon and I'm still querying a couple other novels I've finished. And, I'm currently writing a New Adult novel. I'd only recently learned about this new genre, so thought I'd take a whack at writing a novel that falls squarely into the New Adult category. I've also written a few flash fictions, but haven't managed to get them published yet. I'll keep trying thought.

I received this little gift yesterday. A baby starling I believe. I've been watching his parents for weeks now, building a nest and then carrying bugs to the nest. The nest, however, is built in an awful place, up under the eaves of my condo complex, about 15 feet off the ground, very precarious. I just knew a baby would fall. Luckily for this little guy, he somehow survived that terrifying fall. He's eating...and eating and eating...meal worms and chirps up a storm. For anyone who has fostered a baby bird, you probably already know that they won't swallow until you jam your finger down their throat, which stimulates them to swallow. So, I'm now the responsible party who plucks a wriggly meal worm from the container, plops it into baby Apollo's (yes, that what I named him) mouth and shoves my finger into his mouth. Fun times!

Ojai WordFest-Women's History Month

I'll be appearing at the Ojai WordFest writers conference this month, March 2012. I'll do two readings, one on March 27th from my novel, A Woman's Way, and then on March 25th from my sci-fi novella, The Clean Slate Accord. What a great way to celebrate Women's History Month!

Untreed Reads has a special offer in honor of WORLD SPACE WEEK: OCTOBER 4TH - OCTOBER 10TH. You get 30% off all Science Fiction, including, of course, my novella, The Clean Slate Accord.

http://store.untreedreads.com/