Ashley Suzanne

First and foremost, please tell us a little bit about yourself.  I'm not really that exciting.  I'm a mom of 2 little boys, a wife, a full time employee and an author.  I love football and ALWAYS cheer for my Detroit teams!!  I'm a book worm and a blogger.  I spend way too much time on FB.  I have a select group of girls I chat with all the time.  They are my lifeline!  My husband leaves me alone so I can write and my kids live off of mac and cheese!

You tend to write various types of genres.  What's your favorite to write and why?  What are you most comfortable to write and why?  I find myself sticking with Romance - New Adult.  It seems to be what flows the best.  Who knows though, that might change.  I love writing romance!!!  I love writing about couples and I'm an ANGST whore!

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I don't know what this means, but I'll go out on a limb and say plotter!

What is your writing routine?  Wake up at 7 to get the kids ready for the day .. Spend about an hour reading over what I wrote the night before .. do my actual day job .. get the kids from school and daycare .. get the oldest too and from football .. make some dinner and maybe clean up a little .. 7pm the youngest goes to bed and the oldest goes to watch tv after practice .. get situated, light some candles, take a hot ass shower, turn on the Pandora and plot/write until I can't hold my eyes open .. wake up the next day and start again.

Where do you find your inspiration?  Friends .. Family .. Situations I've been through before .. Dreams .. Plotting with my other author friends .. Music  .. Fall smell candles .. and I've recently started writing with a group of girls from an author group I belong too .. it keeps me motivated

Where did you come up with the concept for MIRAGE? Mirage started off as a stand alone.  Then I had a dream about my husband dying .. we spent a while talking out the "what if's" and he said, maybe you should write about this .. and I did lol

Did the characters come first, or did the storyline?  Danny was the first thing I thought of .. he's inspired by a real person that my husband lost .. then all the others followed suit .. and then the story line!

What type of relationship is your favorite to explore and develop?  I like to work out the "not supposed to be together" couples .. I think they make for the most angst and best story line

What type of person is your ideal heroine when you're both reading and writing?  What type of person is your ideal hero when you're both reading and writing?  Are they the same?  Why or why not?  My heroine needs to be strong minded but know when to take a back seat and let the man be the alpha.  I don't like overly confident/too strong females .. and the males need to be EXTREME alpha .. i'm talking cave man style .. GAWD I love them!!!

What has the publishing process been like? Inception was a lot easier than Mirage.  Mirage was a NIGHTMARE.  It was problem after problem and I thought I was drowning.  I'm surprised I decided to publish another book.  I'm so happy I did though.  Inception was easy and a lot of fun to do actually!

Would you recommend advertisements or did you market your books through a different venue? I'm a big fan of my street team.  Those girls are dedicated and I love them all!!  I have never purchased an ad but I'm not opposed to is.  This is a business; a way many of us support our families.  I'm sure that if the right type of advertising came my way, I wouldn't snub my nose at it.

How involved are you in terms of editing/book cover/release date/marketing process?  My editor and I talk on a weekly basis, even when she's not working on something for me.  When she's editing, we talk daily.  My cover designer is one of my closest friends and I talk to her multiple times daily.  Release day and marketing I do with my street team.  I don't leave everything to them, but i'm sure I could (they're that good!)

Are you working on anything now? I'm working on Awakening Book 2 in the Destined Series and Façade Book 2.5 in the Destined Series.  *fingers crossed* I can release both this year!

Any upcoming releases?   Awakening will be in November and Façade hopefully in December, if I can keep pace and not get writers block.

www.ashleysuzanneauthor.blogspot.com ---- website

http://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Suzanne/e/B00F559F24/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1  ----- Amazon Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Suzanne-Author/482175685198747 ----- Facebook

@itsashleyyo ----- twitter

Jay Crownover

First and foremost, please tell us a little bit about yourself.  I live in Colorado and don’t think I would ever want to live anywhere else. I love a good story. I burst into flames in the sun and I am prolly the world’s worst speller. Bad when you need to use words correctly to make a living. My current favorite song on repeat is Blue Mountains by The Diamond Rugs and it’s about a stripper.

You tend to write various types of genres.  What's your favorite to write and why?  What are you most comfortable to write and why?  I don’t know that I write various genres. All my characters are intertwined, live in the same world and interact with each other. All my books are classified as New Adult, so really I just have tattoo guys, army guys and rocker guys all in that same classification.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?  I start with a theme. Rule’s was finding your true path, Jet’s was being true to who you are and not letting the past dictate the future, Rome’s is forgiveness. Self forgives, forgiveness of others and learning that asking and taking help is okay. 

Once I have the theme I go from there and figure out the plot points on getting my characters to where the overreaching theme is explored and developed.

I don’t outline or brainstorm or take notes. I just sit down and write and write and write.

What is your writing routine?  I just write. No routine, no rhyme or reason. That’s why this job is great. I can typically knock out 5,000-10,000 words a day but I can do it in the morning or at 2 am. I just write when the mood strikes, but am always very aware of my deadline. I write everyday even if I don’t want to because it’s my job and it’s a way to stay motivated and keep on top of it. I don’t always save everything, but I put words on the paper every day. When I’m finished I revise, reread and then send my MS to my book bestie for feedback and to throw commas in there because I suck at it! I just recently started using a proofreader as well, and then I send the finished product to my agent and my editor.

Where do you find your inspiration?  Life. Music. Colorado. In dreams. My past. Everywhere and anywhere, which I think is true for all authors.

Where did the concept of THE MARKED MEN series come from?  That being ‘marked’ means a lot of different things. People see marks on the outside and make snap judgments, but life…circumstance…choices we make or don’t make fundamentally mark us along the way as well. All the guys have marks in different ways, it’s fun to write each one of them and explore the markings that go beyond the surface.

What is it about bad boys that attract us to them when we know better?  Lol…everyone always says I write bad-boys. I really don’t. I write guys secure in who they are, in what they are doing in life and that are just at home in their skin, marked or unmarked as it may be.

Women like to think a bad boy will change just for them because they matter that much. The allure of someone dangerous and slightly hard to handle is sexy and if you are the one he comes home to it makes you inherently feel special.

Did the characters come first, or did the storyline?  I couldn’t get rid of Rule. He was hounding me and demanding I tell his story. When I started his journey the rest of his crew organically feel into place. I knew he was a twin, knew he and Shaw had history, knew he was misunderstood but the nuances of the story were a surprise as I followed him along.

How did you research rock stars for JET?  No, because Jet is a rocker not a rock star. Totally different kind of guy. Jet doesn’t want adulation or exorbitant fame. He wants to write songs and play music for people that appreciate it. He’s in it for the art not the fame and fortune. 

I know Jet. I worked in bars forever. I know the kind of guy Jet is and what ultimately drives him.

What type of relationship is your favorite to explore and develop?  Complicated ones. Ones that shouldn’t work but can’t be denied. Ones that have history and baggage. Ultimately the relationship has to have the characters grow so easy doesn’t really play into that.

I also like difficult family dynamics. I think the reason young adults make the choices they do has a lot to do with becoming untethered from home. It plays a part in how they grow and interact with others.

What has the publishing process been like?  Interesting. I never thought I would be learning a new job in my 30’s. I love my editor, but having someone tell you to change things, move your words around…it can be hard. She’s amazing and I know she is pulling the best story possible out of me, but I still want to pull my hair out.

It’s a business. You have to be patient, you have to be aware. You have to network and be available to readers and the publisher. You have to WORK at it, just like any other job and you can’t take any of the opportunity for granted. I’m very lucky.

Pretty weird for a girl that was pouring beer for a living this time last year. :)

Would you recommend advertisements or did you market your books through a different venue?  Social media is a must…readers have to be able to know what’s going on with you, have to be able to connect. The more ways for people to find you and see what you have going on book wise and promotional wise the better.

I have a PR team: http://literatiauthorservices.com/, and HarperCollins has a huge marketing team that handles most of my promotional stuff.

How involved are you in terms of editing/book cover/release date/marketing process?  I’m fortunate that my publisher lets me pretty involved. HC gets the ultimate say but thus far they have been super receptive to my feedback. Release dates are all them and I need an editor so…also they have a massive marketing team that studies the market…they KNOW what will sell…like I said above, I’m super lucky. I have no complaints about the publishing process. I think HC really understands my vision, what I’m about and I think they know what makes my voice in the NA world unique.

Are you working on anything now?  I am but I can’t talk about it just yet but if you go snooping around on Goodreads or Amazon or B&N or I-Tunes it’s pretty easy to find out what it is. I’ll have an announcement coming hopefully this week or the next about what’s up next!!!!

I’m really excited about it and I think my readers will be thrilled.

Any upcoming releases?   Again peeps are gonna have to venture out and see for themselves…my next guy very well might be floating around but I don’t have the official okay to shout it from the hills just yet!!

www.jaycrownover.com

Jaycrownover@gmail.com

Jaycrownover.blogspot.com

http://www.goodreads.com/Crownover

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover
Twitter@jaycrownover
facebook.com/jay.crownover

Rachel Van Dyken

Ms. Van Dyken has offered the first five commenters get a free e-copy of THE ELITE.  Make sure you leave your name and email address so we can get in contact with you! 

First and foremost, please tell us a little bit about yourself. I love to read and write. I always tease that I'm a reader first writer second ;) I enjoy pumpkin spice americanos, have been happily married to my husband for four years and am 28 years old. 

You tend to write various types of genres.  What's your favorite to write and why?  What are you most comfortable to write and why? That’s such a hard question! I love writing New Adult because I love the emotion and angst tied into that genre, but historical will always have a special place in my heart ;) 

Are you a plotter or a pantser? TOTAL panster! I never know where the story is going to go. I think it makes it more exciting that way. 

 

What is your writing routine? I usually get up around 7am answer emails, do interviews or radio show interviews, then around 8 or 9 start writing and don’t stop until around 4. I try to write all day every day, but usually take Sundays off to give my brain a rest. 

Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere. I love dialogue. For me, that’s where the story begins, it’s in a funny one liner I overhear someone say, or a conversation I have with one of my best friends. 

THE BET is not your typical pretend-we're-engaged-fall-in-love storyline.  How did you come up with the plotline? I actually started writing the book based on a conversation I'd had with one of my friends. Believe it or not, I had a goldfish I left behind during Christmas break, she flushed him down the toilet so he wouldn’t die and we were laughing about it when I got the idea for the story. Everything else just kind of followed, having my real Grandma as inspiration also helped. 

What is EAGLE ELITE COLLEGE?  What does it teach you, and why would anyone want to go there? Eagle Elite is a prestigious university located in the heart of Chicago. Only people with lots of money or great importance go there. The whole idea behind this school is that if you go graduate from it, you can get a job anywhere. 

Without giving too much away, what secrets do the Elect hide, and why are there so many rules about them? The Eagle Elite reminds me of a secret society. Everyone thinks they want to be in on it, but once you find out the truth you're trapped for life. The people pulling the strings at Eagle Elite are not ones you want to make enemies of. 

THE UGLY DUCKLING DEBUTANTE is a unique twist on a classic fairytale.  Why did the concept come from? I LOVE fairytales and wanted to write a Cinderella type story for my first regency. It's easy to write about insecurities b/c as a woman I know what it’s like to feel like the outcast, we all do, so it was a really interesting story to write. 

What type of relationship is your favorite to explore and develop? I LOVE writing about heroes who are broken or heroes who need a woman to come into their lives, giving them a reason to want to fight for the greater good. 

WHISPERED MUSIC sounds like a cross between BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.  How much research did you have to do on the fairytale, Russia, and music while simultaneously keeping your story new and fresh? It totally is!! I love music, and have a music background. I wanted to be able to write a story about it without making it like a typical regency where the hero is some lord fallen on hard times who turns to his music for strength. I wanted the music to have a magical feel. In this story Dominique see's everything in music, even the way people walk or talk. His scars remind him of his past and of why he is considered a Beast. It's probably one of my favorite historical stories I've ever written. 

How did you choose the fairytales to write for in your LONDON FAIRYTALE series? I Googled! ;) I went through and looked up all the fairy tales and picked. Of course, I chose my favorites but a lot of people don't realize how dark and depressing most Fairy Tales are. We always see the Disney versions on TV but Grimm's Fairy Tales are slightly horrifying, so I tend to lean towards the more Disney type of story. 

You write a lot of New Adult.  What about that genre draws you to it? I love the angst and emotional turmoil. It's so interesting to write and I feel like I can put a lot of emotion into the characters. With NA you don’t really have any rules, the possibilities are endless. 

What type of person is your ideal heroine when you're both reading and writing?  What type of person is your ideal hero when you're both reading and writing?  Are they the same?  Why or why not? My ideal hero is someone who, despite having all the cards stacked against him, still comes out on top. I like to write the broken hero who doesn't even realize he still has strength left inside of him. I like to write strong male leads, the type that would die for the ones they love. As far as a heroine, I get so tired of weak female characters. I try to make my female leads equally strong but with visible chinks in their armor. For many of my regency stories this usually has to do with the girl being trapped into marriage or told what she can and cannot do by her family. 

What have you learned about the publishing process? It doesn't get easier the more you write. If anything, it gets harder. The publishing process is extremely fun, but at the same time, it's constant work. 

Would you recommend advertisements or did you market your books through a different venue? I advertise through Facebook, Goodreads, etc. But my main suggestion for advertisement is word of mouth. 

How involved are you in terms of editing/book cover/release date/marketing process? When I self-publish and when I’m traditionally published, I'm involved every step of the way. As far as release dates, my publisher decides that for me ;) And I work around their schedule for my self published series.

Are you working on anything now? I’m currently working on the third book in The Bet series, The Gamble, as well as Entice, the third book in the Eagle Elite series. 

Any upcoming releases? The Wager just released and Elect is up for pre-order ;) 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wager-Bet-Book-ebook/dp/B00E7XUGM8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381596366&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Wager

http://www.amazon.com/Elect-Eagle-Elite-Rachel-Dyken-ebook/dp/B00FKAD59I/ref=pd_sim_kstore_7

www.rachelvandykenauthor.com,

@RachVD

Facebook: Rachel Van Dyken Author

If you want to do a giveaway to commenters I can do that too! I'd be willing to give away five e-copies of Elite ;) Let me know!