YA Fantasy Book Junkie: Muse Unexpected by V.C. Birlids

YA Fantasy Book Junkie: Muse Unexpected by V.C. Birlids: Another Fantastic Review for Muse Unexpected!

Interview with Author, Patricia Lee: Part 1

Hello everyone,

​What better way to kick off the holiday season! I sat down for a chat with the talented and delightful author of The Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy, Patricia Lee.

VC: Patricia, thanks so much for taking time to meet with me.

PL: I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Needless to say the elaborate kidnapping plot wasn't necessary of you to plan and execute. ​

​VC: Well, one does what one needs to do for one's public. I hope the ride in my car's trunk wasn't too uncomfortable.

​PL: Not at all. The fact that you drive a Ford Pinto adds a little spice to the adventure with the whole risk of an exploding gas tank.

​VC: Let's begin. Give us an introduction about yourself. What’s your background? Where did you grow up?

PL: First off, I love being Canadian. Nothing against any other country, but I truly am grateful to be Canadian. Background – kind of boring. I’ve moved around a lot, not because of any specific reason (ie: military, running from the law LOL!!) I think it might have something to do with my dad; he traveled extensively before he married my mom. Could also be because I haven’t found a place where I want to definitely stay. Currently I’m living in a house the longest time in my life – ever – eleven years.

VC: And I love you being Canadian. I love your maple syrup and definitely your handsome Mounties. And on behalf of the United States we'd like to thank you for Michael Buble. It makes up for Celine.

PL: Thank you, we are so proud of Michael. And I take it you're a big fan of the Royal Family also?

​VC: It's my daytime tiara. Anything bigger would be a bit much. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

PL: I came across a book by Karen Ross while on holidays in Austria last year. Very much liked her writing (romantic suspense.) I’m thinking of trying George R. R. Martin, since he writes fantasy and that seems to be where I’m heading – for now.

VC: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

PL: I initially wrote a book years ago (which is still locked away in a closet) that actually prequels the Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy. I’m reluctant to discard it so I might polish it off but it will need some major revisions.

​VC: I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

PL: That would require whips and chains...Wait, sorry, I forgot who I was talking with...

VC: Darn... You're no fun. If you could meet any of your own characters, who would it be?

PL: I’d have to say the Sorceress Narena. She is so strong, much more than I think I could be. She’s practical but has a depth of caring that she doesn’t reveal to most people. Plus, she can do awesome magic (using herbs instead of ‘black magic’)like send someone through time.

VC: Let's go a bit darker. Ever take someone you absolutely despise and create an equally disgusting character as a form of therapy or dare you admit…revenge?

​PL: Not yet and when/if I do I’ll have to write under a pseudonym!

VC: Naturally, I would never be one of those characters....

PL: I'm sorry, was that a question? Of course not, I....adore....you...

​VC: Are you jealous of other writers, besides me;? If yes, why?

PL: I don’t think I’m jealous. Envious, definitely. But since I don’t know the road any of those writers have tread, I can’t label my emotion as jealously.

VC: Now, I never thought in a million years I would become an author. Did you?

PL: Without sounding egotistical, I think so. I’ve dreamt about it long enough and was determined enough not to let it go. I don’t give up easily. I see it as a job, not a hobby and because I look at it as a job, I work at some aspect of it every day. My dream is to make a living out of it – someday.

VC: Do you belong to any writer’s associations? If so, which ones and why?

PL: Not locally. But I do belong to RWA (because a fellow writing friend was a member and said it might help me out) the subsidiary chapter of RWA called Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal, and also the Paranormal Romance Guild. Have been thinking about joining the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, but joining the V.C. Birlidis fan club is at the top of my list.

VC: OMG! I am so surprised and flattered. I didn't see that coming.

PL: So I should have ignored the little piece of paper you just shoved at me, with the words "Fan Club" on it?

​VC: Moving on. How about someone you absolutely love or adore? Are they in your book(s)? 

PL: There are three women (good friends) whose characteristics make up the Sorceress Narena, the heroine in my second book. That’s why the book is dedicated to them.

​VC: It’s pretty hard to keep the usual humdrum aspects of life, particularly when you are working on your latest manuscript. Take me, for example. It's so hard to point where the housekeeper missed polishing.. Well, that's if I had a housekeeper. How do you keep from resenting your duties and every human’s sleeping requirement when you have to stop writing to take care of them?

PL: I’m lucky when it comes to that. I don’t have kids and my cats have been relatively easy to care for. I’m also a bit selfish when it comes to my writing. And my hubby is super supportive. He knows how important it is for me so he doesn’t disturb me during my creative process. Like I said, I’m very lucky.

​VC: How do you react to a bad review of one of your books? Voodoo dolls and some pins work for me.

PL: It’s one person’s opinion. Period. That’s how I looked at it regarding all the rejections before getting published. It’s the only way I can look at it and continue to write.

VC: If you could pick the perfect location to write, where would that be?

PL: Sitting on a balcony in a condo in the Mediterranean (have never been there but seen lots of pictures) overlooking the ocean. But I’ll take my second choice, which is a small cabin on a lake, alone, with no phones, TV, radio or internet. In fact I go to a place like that ever year for a week.

VC: I am lucky enough to have that perfect place, also. A family cottage in Michigan, on a lake, on 190 acres. So it has that sense of total peace and quiet, yet close enough to town to run in for a gallon of milk or a loak of bread. Two more questions for this installment: If you could work with any author who would it be?

PL: My ultimate favorite author was Sidney Sheldon and I wished I had a chance to meet him. Other than that I can’t think of anyone because my writing is so solitary I only share it with one beta reader.

VC: If you knew your book was awesome, but others thought it was horrible, would you try to convince them that it really is good, or would you think to yourself that it isn't good at all?

​
PL: Neither. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If I don’t think the book is good, I won’t send it to the publisher until I’m happy with it. And if I’m happy with it and another reader is not, that’s okay. Books, wine, music, art – it’s all selective.

VC: Patricia, thanks so much for taking time to sit down and talk with me.

PL: Oh, no, thank you, VC. Thank you....

VC: Just a reminder, this is the first installment of my interview with Patricia Lee. Two, of the three installments are available of her series, The Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy. Below I've provided  additional information about these two wonderful novels.

​

The Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy.

Destiny's Past

Destiny's Past Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvWZX0r9UCU

No-nonsense medical examiner, Kelly Richards, relies on the familiar comforts of science and scalpels to get her through the day. So when a not-so-dead guy who claims he's from

the past lands on her autopsy table, she considers calling the men in white coats to escort him to a padded room. But Jarek’s old-world ways and hot gaze trick her heart into falling for him—a mistake she swore she’d never make again.

When Jarek, Prince of Leisos, discovers someone he trusts has been slowly poisoning him, he travels to the future in search of a cure. Driven by vengeance, he enlists the help of an impudent scientist to return him to his time. Caught between his growing desire for Kelly and the need to expose his would-be assassin before he strikes again, Jarek must either forfeit his ticket home or lose the only woman he’s ever loved.





​Destiny’s Present

Destiny's Present Book Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-sHT8jy7Xo

The sorceress Narena has done many things for Leisos – advised the king, helped heal a young girl and sent a prince forward in time to save his life. Now, to protect her people, she may have to sacrifice herself, her lover, her child. Maybe even all three.

She hunts for the one who threatens the royal family and the throne of Leisos. And also seeks the daughter taken from her at birth. There’s only one problem. They might be one and the same. What she finds on her quest is love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, and a revelation that will change her life forever.

Ardis is a warrior and former captain of the king’s army. His allegiance to the throne lives in his blood – as does the secret he carries. He will protect both at all costs. Even if it means killing Narena or someone she loves.

​

​Where you can find Patricia Lee on the web:

Website: http://patriciaclee.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorpatriciaclee

Blog: http://authorpatriciaclee.com

Sometimes you can't resist that touch of evil, especially when it's author Danielle DeVor.

Welcome to the final part of my interview with the queen of all that is horrifically Halloween, Ms. Danielle DeVor.

VC: Thanks for making it for our final sit down, Danielle…. Could you please put that knife away?

DD: You did say this was our final interview but leaving it up to me to determine how final it is, is never a good thing.

VC: Well, I’ll raise you one crossbow pointed at your black heart, to your knife.

DD: Well, aren’t we in a mood.

VC: I wish I could cut to commercial break right now. So Danielle, Sorrow’s Point has been released. How exciting has the release process been?

DD: It has been murder, but in a good way. Reception for the Sorrow’s Point has been incredible. It has received a lot of attention and is receiving overwhelmingly fantastic reviews on Amazon and Good Reads. I am very humbled.

VC: Oh… that’s just the arsenic talking. I have read Sorrow’s Point and loved it. The atmosphere of that manor house was so thick that I actually felt the anguish of your characters.

DD: Thank you. Throughout my research on demonic possession, one of the facts that came up time and time again was the atmosphere created by the inflicted. It wasn’t just the person possessed that was impacted by it. It was everyone around them, as demonstrated by the couple featured in my story. Their marriage has gone beyond the brink, pushed over by their poor daughter.

VC: So, why don’t we dive deep into the submission process in this final interview. How did you approach the writing of your query letter? What resources did you use to create a winning query letter? Can you provide the query letter that landed your publisher?

DD: I started reading everything I could online about writing a query letter. When most of this turned out false, I found Absolute Write Water Cooler and some kind writers took me in and helped me really write a solid query letter.

 

Query Letter for Sorrow’s Point:

Not all exorcists are created equal- especially those that are “marked”.

When defrocked ex-priest, Jimmy Holiday, agrees to help an old friend with his sick daughter, Lucy, Jimmy doesn’t expect the horrors that await him. Blackmoor, his friend’s new residence, rests upon the outskirts of the town of Sorrow’s Point. The mansion’s history of magic, mayhem, and death makes it almost a living thing – a haunted mansion straight out of Flowers in the Attic. Jimmy must decide if Lucy is only ill, or if the haunting of the house and her apparent possession is real.

After the house appears to affect him as well; seeing colors of magic when rooms of the house are warded by a witch and his voice taking on a power he doesn’t understand, Jimmy is met by a transient who tells him he has “the Mark”. Whatever being “marked” means, Jimmy doesn’t care. All he wants to do is help Lucy. Helping Lucy means performing the exorcism.

Jimmy knows the ceremony, but it's belief that matters. And if a demon is using a little girl as a meatsuit, his faith had better be strong enough to kick it back to Hell. Otherwise, he might damn them both.

VC: Did you have to write and re-write this query letter to get it right?

DD: Several times. There were moments where I had to force myself to sit down and rework it for the 90^th time. Sort of like putting a knife to my own throat.

VC: A position I’m sure you’re familiar with. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

DD: Well, sadly enough, Tail of the Devil was finished right when the market for vampire books got saturated after the Twilight craze. I couldn’t get an agent to take it on, though many had good things to say about it. Finally, I decided to query small publishers that published YA and found a home for it with Eirelander Publishing.

VC: What sort of changes did your publisher make you do to your manuscript? Did they change the title of the book, restrict the page count, and change plot/ character?

DD: One change was that I had to cut down on some of the foul language. My MC is a street kid, so he cusses. But, the editor thought I had a little too much and had me tone it down a little. The title was originally “Riding on the tail of the Devil” but the editor though that too long, so it was shortened to Tail of the Devil. The plot and characters were untouched.

VC: How long did it take you to publish your first book, after you started trying?

DD: Roughly one year. The publisher, Eirelander, let me know they wanted it 6 weeks after I queried them about the book.

VC: Synopsis: Love them or hate them? Why? How on earth do you write an effective synopsis?

DD: I am not a fan of writing a synopsis. Mostly, because people make a judgment off the query letter more often than a synopsis.

The best advice I ever got was to think of a synopsis like you would think of describing a movie to someone. Add all the key action points, but keep it simple enough so that who you are talking to can understand the plot.

VC: What kills me about the synopsis is that you have to create several different versions. No one in the publishing industry seems to embrace any sort of standards regarding this. You have one agent requesting a single page synopsis, then a publisher requests a ten page synopsis, which is different than the three pager. It’s very frustrating.

DD: I agree. It’s like having to write that senior thesis, over and over again.

VC: If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

DD: I would write the book faster. Who knows what would have happened if I got it out there more quickly.

VC: The first edit phase, did they send it back for tons of corrections or just a few?

DD: I would describe my edits as medium on this book. I did have things to change, but I was able to complete the first round within a few days.

VC: Were you shocked to find out the amount of work/needed to get your book in shape?

DD: Not really. I had harder beta reads than what I saw in my edits.

VC: What were the most common mistakes found in the rougher version of your work?

DD: Overuse of certain words that even my betas didn’t catch.

VC: For me, I was told adverbs weren’t my best friends.

DD: They’re not. They are sneaky little bitches.

VC: Some say a book is like a child to an author. Were you able not to feel the emotional impact associated with your editor/publisher’s suggested changes to your manuscript? Did you ever get frustrated with the editing process?

DD: I was lucky in that my editor loved my book. So, her changes, I knew, were coming from a good place. There were some minor things that I disagreed on and later ended up changing. The frustration wasn’t with the editing process. It was myself. I tend to always want to be early, and I’ll work myself to death to reach an imaginary deadline.

VC: What do you think about the publishing world today?

DD: I think it’s in great upheaval. There is a sense of flux because of the e-book market expanding.

VC: I think the new crop of Indie authors and boutique publishers, like our beloved Crescent Moon Press, have rewritten the rules and the big publishing houses are struggling with change.

DD: Very much so.

VC: What was going through your mind when you found out you landed a publisher? Can you tell us about the very moment you found out you had a publisher interested in your work?

DD: I was scared. Then, I read the contract, and got even more scared. Though, it was nice to know that I didn’t suck after all and Mathias was good enough to get out into the world.

VC: I think my reaction was, “Holy SHIT!” That was followed by a lot of “Holy Shit”. When your first book was published did it feel rewarding as you thought it would be?

DD: It was honestly a stressful time. A lot was resting on my shoulders- mostly put there by myself. It is also hard to get press when you are with a small publisher, so it’s important for you to try to get people to know who you are.

VC: Good point. I can’t stress enough how important networking is. Also, I think people get so weighed down with the whole forest when they should be breaking it apart into smaller section of trees.

DD: Exactly. Start locally and work your way out. Do this while working the social media sphere. Working on a local and national level can be done quite successfully if planned correctly.

VC: How many times did you have to submit to get published?

DD: I subbed Tail of the Devil to 4 different publishers, all at one time. So, I guess you could say I only had one round. I subbed Sorrow’s Point to only 3 publishers, and Crescent Moon Press took it on that first round.

VC: Were their any resources that you would recommend for other's to use to get published?

DD: ASMSG- they are a great writing group that will help with publicity on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. And, Absolute Write Water Cooler.

VC: Tell us about your publisher, Crescent Moon Press. How has your experience been with them.

DD: So far, it’s been great. Sorrow’s Point was originally supposed to be published in July 2013, but Steph thought, giving the subject matter, October and the Halloween season would be a better fit. So, October 15, 2013 became my official release date for Sorrow’s Point.

VC: Do you believe an agent is necessary to get published?

DD: No, I don’t. Now, to get with a big publisher, they are helpful. But to get published with a small press? I don’t think they are necessary.

VC: Let’s discuss cover design. How did the process work? Were you happy with the end result of your novel’s cover?

DD: For Tail of the Devil, cover design happened after I got the final edits done. They had me fill out a form with thoughts, and then, the cover came out being something totally different from what I expected, but I really liked what they came up with. And yes, I loved it. I liked the idea of showing Mathias as victorious, rather than a scared kid.

VC: Danielle, thank you for stopping by my blog. Her book, Sorrow’s Point has just been released and is available on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com. I’ve read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m sure the readers out there will enjoy it to.

DD: Thanks again for having me.

VC: You can also visit Danielle online at http://danielledevor.wordpress.com.  Her additional links are below.

Twitter: @sammyig

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danielledevorauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/DanielleDeVor

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/danielledevor

Amazon Link for Sorrow’s Point: http://www.amazon.com/Sorrow’s-Point-Danielle-Devor/dp/1939173418/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Barnes and Noble Link for Sorrow’s Point: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sorrows-point-danielle-devor/1117032105?ean=9781939173416

Amazon Link for Tail of the Devil: http://www.amazon.com/Tail-of-the-Devil-ebook/dp/B00CJHO7D8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367324817&sr=8-1&keywords=tail+of+the+devil

Barnes and Noble Link for Tail of the Devil: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tail-of-the-devil-danielle-devor/1115225829?ean=2940016494050

I Couldn't Get Rid of the Body: Part Two of my Interview With Author Danielle DeVor

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the second installment of my interview with the delectable author of everything that goes bump in the night, Ms. Danielle DeVour. This dark vixen turns the tables on me and leaves me begging for more... or was it pleading for no more. You be the judge.

VC: Thanks for making it for our second sit down, Danielle.

DD: Like I even had an option of saying no.

VC: Are the ropes too tight?

DD: Oh darling, I wish they were tighter…

VC: You are so naughty, you sassy little minx.

DD: I’d purr right now, if I weren’t so morbid.

VC: Duly noted. So let’s start by discussing a little more about the writing process. It’s pretty hard to keep the usual humdrum aspects of life, particularly when you are working on your latest manuscript. How do you keep from resenting your duties and every human’s sleeping requirement when you have to stop writing to take care of them?

DD: Well, I do almost all of my writing early in the morning. I live with my parents. My father now has a lot of special needs, so it is a help to my folks to have me around the house. So, I write after she has gone to work and before my father wakes up in the morning.

VC: I’ve always thought it took a special person to be a caregiver. Your parents must really appreciate having you there to help them.

DD: Thanks. What can I say, I love my Dad. I’d do anything to make my parents’ life easier.

VC: If you knew your book was awesome, but others thought it was horrible, would you try to convince them that it really is good, or would you think to yourself that it isn't good at all?

DD: It would depend on who thought it was horrible. I am my own worst critic, so it would be odd for someone else to view my writing harder than I view it myself. So, I guess my answer is that I wouldn’t argue with them because I would probably already know it wasn’t ready.

VC: I totally get what you’re saying. If I were at a point of being comfortable enough to show a part of a work in development to anyone, I already have it in my mind that I thought it was good. At that point, I would be looking for comments on what works and what doesn’t. Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?

DD: Usually, I have a loose subject idea I want to work with. Then, I find the character that the story is about.

VC: If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

DD: How to drive yourself crazy in eight easy lessons.

VC: I’m guessing you in school you majored in that subject?

DD: Total Dean’s List.

VC: Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

DD: Mathias’ life with his parents is based on my life. I was the goofy kid that read all the vampire books, and my dad always teased me about it.

VC: I was the same way, except I would always watch the old Hammer films and would drive my mother crazy because I would then have nightmares and end up sleeping in their room. What do you think are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

DD: Having a sense of humor, knowing when to stop, and being disciplined.

VC: Which makes me bat shit crazy.

DD: Well, since you brought it up…

VC: Careful, my dear. What do you consider your biggest failure?

DD: Not fighting against the downfall of the cape.

VC: Oh my God. Are we the same person?

DD: Honestly, probably not paying more attention to grammar classes in school. I wish I could take a grammar class now.

VC: What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well?

DD: I do what I loosely call crochet art. Basically, it is sort of painting portraits with yarn instead of paint. I also teach people how to fit pointe shoes.

VC: Now, you come across as completely goth-ish and now I have this picture of you crocheting.

DD: Don’t judge, even the living dead like a good piece of crochet.

VC: Although the pointe shoes fitting is very interesting. Not everyone understands how complex pointe shoe fitting is. Not all pointe shoes are created equal. Blochs, Capezio, Grishko… all very different fits.

DD: I am stunned. How do you know so much about pointe shoes?

VC: In another life, I was a ballet dancer. Long story.

DD: You’re like an onion, VC.

VC: Moving on…What has been the toughest, demeaning criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

DD: I had one agent post on Twitter in a #tenqueries post that the book I was querying to him was a piece of garbage- later that day I got a request for a full from a different agent. The best compliment I have gotten so far was that I depicted street life very realistically.

VC: What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

DD: Is there some emotional response that you hope that your writing evokes? Yes, fear. I would love to scare someone with my writing.

VC: When did you first, without hesitation, call yourself a writer?

DD: Probably when I started not being able to stop the stories coming into my head.

VC:  I still have a hard time with it. Some friends of mine will introduce me as an up and coming author and I can’t help but cringe. Hopefully in time, I’ll get over it.

DD: I have all the faith in that ego of yours.

VC: I always knew I could count on you. Is there a difference between a writer and an author?

DD: I think there is a big difference. As a writer, you can write anything from grants to research lab notes. An author either writes books or articles based on research.

VC: I’ve always thought differently about writer versus author. A writer writes, an author creates. God, that sounds pompous. Who is your biggest cheerleader?

DD: Probably my dad. He tells all of his friends about my books.

VC- Danielle, thank you for stopping by my blog.

DD- Thanks again for having me.

VC- Just a reminder, this is the second installment of my extensive interview with author Danielle DeVor. If you liked what you read, please watch for additional installments where we will dive deeper into Danielle’s novel submission process, along with pealing back the layers of the onion that makes up this author’s mind.

Her novel, Tail of the Devil is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also visit Danielle online at http://danielledevor.wordpress.com.  Her additional links are below.

Twitter: @sammyig

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danielledevorauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/DanielleDeVor

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/danielledevor

Amazon Link for Tail of the Devil: http://www.amazon.com/Tail-of-the-Devil-ebook/dp/B00CJHO7D8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367324817&sr=8-1&keywords=tail+of+the+devil

Barnes and Noble Link for Tail of the Devil: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tail-of-the-devil-danielle-devor/1115225829?ean=2940016494050