Sunday, December 4, 2011

Author Interview/Giveaway - Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder





Describe your book in five words or less.

Paranormal romantic adventure with goddesses.


How did the ideas for your books come to you?


For the first book in the trilogy, Under the Moon, I wanted to write about goddesses in modern society, and I wanted to write about guys similar to a couple of characters on a TV show I love. I also wanted to write a book in a month via National Novel Writing Month. Everything kind of squished together in my head enough to get me to start writing. The ideas for the next two books arose as I wrote the first one, with a lot of "what if" questions about the characters and the villains they face.


Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Nope, the only thing I hope my readers get from my books is entertainment. Anything else is gravy. :)

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part is both finding time to write, and making myself use that time wisely. There are always 150 other things that call for my attention and pull me away from my books. The easiest part is hard to describe. It's being "in the zone," when, for some reason, everything just works and the words fly through my brain.


What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Heavy Metal, the second book in the Goddesses Rising trilogy, is completed and with my editor, awaiting her brilliant comments for all the ways I have to change it. LOL Heavy Metal's heroine is a goddess who never knew it. I'm currently working on Sunroper, the third book in the trilogy. I have a non-paranormal romantic adventure, Acceptable Risks, coming out in April. When I can manage it, I hope to finish a paranormal young adult that I've been working on for a while.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I love writing paranormal because it allows for such imagination-stretching. And I don't have to do a lot of research. LOL I love writing romantic adventure because the stakes are so high, and yet so personal. Adventure stories are exciting because the pacing is fast, and the romance makes saving the world (or some part of it) even more important.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

That is the most gratifying thing I could ever hear. I get giddy knowing someone out there really likes my books. It's the whole reason I write them! :)


What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

It's funny, I was driving home from a meeting yesterday and thought, "I hope no one in an interview asks me what no one ever asks but should, because I won't have an answer!" LOL This is why I don't give interviews from your side of things, and why I'm so bad at small-talk.

Oh, wait, I know! The question would be, "What are your editors like, and what's it like to work with them?" I have fantastic editors at both Entangled Publishing and Carina Press. One of the most difficult things an author can face is an editor who doesn't match well with them. I am so grateful every day that I've been matched perfectly with dream editors. At Entangled, KL Grady and Liz Pelletier have been fantastic at forcing the best book possible out of me, and at the same time supporting my delicate author ego. At Carina, Elizabeth Bass is a steady, brilliant professional who sees all my flaws and suggests fantastic cures for them.

What was your road to publication like?

I started writing seriously in 1992/93 and finished my first book in 1996, getting the second book I finished published in 2000. I've just celebrated the publication of my 10th novel, with more contracted for next year. So it's been slow and steady growth over the last decade, punctuated with lots of highs and lows and struggles and joys. I'm incredibly lucky to be actively publishing with two dynamic, high-quality publishers right now, and am excited for the future.

Again, thank you so much for this wonderful interview!


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About the Author:



Natalie J. Damschroder came to writing the hard way—by avoiding it. Though she wrote her first book at age six (My Very Own Reading Book) and received accolades for her academic writing (Ruth Davies Award for Excellence in Writing for a paper on deforestation her senior year in college), she hated doing it. Colonial food and the habits of the European Starling just weren’t her thing.

She found her niche—romantic fiction—shortly after college graduation. After an internship with the National Geographic Society, customer service for a phone company just wasn’t that exciting. So she began learning how to write the books she’d loved to read all her life. Now she struggles to balance her frenetic writing life with her family, the most supportive husband in the world and two beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, independent daughters (the oldest of whom has become a writer). She somehow also fits in a day job and various volunteer positions in and out of the writing industry.
Learn more about her at her website, www.nataliedamschroder.com, follow her on Twitter @NJDamschroder, or friend her on Facebook


Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author




12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the giveaway. I know what you mean by "in the zone" - I love those moments when the words just flow.

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  2. I hadn't heard of this book before today....but I am totally intrigued! I can't wait to read it, whether I win it or buy a copy. :D

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  3. Natalie,
    I'm curious about something. Has there ever been a time when an editor has suggested you change something in one of your books that completely changed the progression of the story? If so, were you reluctant to do so? If that has not happened, what would your reaction be if it did happen in the future?

    Thanks!

    Pam
    vanillaorchids69(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. CD, being "in the zone" is so addictive! Too bad we can't make it happen all the time. LOL

    Thanks, Beth! I really appreciate your interest!

    Ooh, Pam, that is a GREAT question. I've been sooo lucky. For the first 9 books, plus the two dozen short stories and novellas I've had published, I never had any reason to balk at changes the editors wanted. For Under the Moon, I was absolutely slammed by a change they requested, one I was willing to give up the contract for, and I said so. But I also offered an alternative revision, and we hammered out the details in a compromise that I felt really good about, and that they were ultimately pleased with, too. It's all about communication and a willingness to work together to make the best book possible. It can be difficult if "best book possible" means something different to the different parties, but if everyone is professional, it will usually work out. Thanks for the question! :)

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  5. Great post I found a new to me author today .I realy love the idea of goddesses in modern society.I am a paranormal junkie I cant get enough . You had me hooked at Paranormal romantic adventure with goddesses.I ll defaintely be reading Under The Moon.


    flanagan@mebtel.net

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  6. That's awesome, Wanda, thank you!

    This is exactly why authors do blog tours. To find readers like you who'd never heard of them before! :)

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  7. Fun interview:) The book sounds awesome and I'd love to read it. Great bio picture!

    bchild5 at aol dot com

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  8. I so enjoy discovering a new blog and then the bonus of discovering a new author; w/ multiple books! SCORE!!! Thanks so much to you both. Now off to read more about you Natalie..... :)
    Sebrina_Cassity(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  9. Thank you very much for the great giveaway! I would love to read this book sounds so good!

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