Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it
part of a series?
Death Dealer—A Death Angel Novella Book 1
Death: a word Mia Baron was all
too familiar with since the murder of her parents when she was a young girl.
Her drive for vengeance was the reason she became a Death Dealer—a soul guide
through the spirit realm—signing her life away in her own blood. Pain forged a
concrete wall around her heart and no one or nothing would ever penetrate it…until
she got what she desired most—revenge.
Deacon Gage craves justice for
his own horrific tragedy that forced him into the same life Mia chose, with the
same promise of vengeance dangling just out of reach. His expert training makes
him an Elite—one of the few Death Dealers to ever achieve such a status—and no
one can shift his focus from the blood he seeks.
But when the two are partnered
for yet another job and a heart-shattering case rips open Mia’s heart, Deacon
realizes he’s the only one who can save her…at a price that might be too much
to pay: opening his heart to her. The clock is ticking and her life hangs on
the balance of whether he can truly let go or will hold onto his desire for
blood.
What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
At first, I hated the idea of self-pubbing—absolutely hated
it. I mean come on, who would love being rejected by countless literary agencies?
But it was the few personal rejections I received that actually motivated me to
self-publish. Apparently a lot of agents are sick of vampires, and anything to
do with them is an automatic “no,” so when a few of the agents responded with, “I
like your writing style, do you have something else you can submit to me?” I
knew I couldn’t just put my book to the side and abandon it; there had to be
others out there just like me that still loved the mysterious, sexy, and
sometimes malicious undead. So I moved forward to publish Crimson Groves, learning everything I could about the indie
industry along the way. By the time I had my second book, UnGuarded, ready to
publish, the whole process was a LOT easier. Thankfully I’ve formed a system to
the madness of self-pubbing, and so far, it seems to be working. I have a
wonderful editor (Stephen Delaney with Close Reader Editing Services) and
graphic designers who do my book covers. Yes, these are additional expenses to
your book—but they are essential to your success as an author.
If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?
I’m a team player and I feel like our combined ideas
resulted in four fantastic covers. I worked with Stephanie at Once Upon A Time
Covers for my newest release—Death Dealer
(which came out fabulous!) And Phatpuppy Art created both UnGuarded and Crimson Flames.
Before that, I’d hired an artist from Crowdspring to assist me with Crimson Groves.
What is
your writing process?
Do you listen to music or do you like silence? Usually I
need absolute silence when editing, but when I’m working on first drafts I
enjoy listening to house music.
Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
I’m a freestyler for sure—I actually wrote an article for
another guest post about this called “Freestylin’.” I’ve never done an outline,
and whenever a synopsis is asked of me, I totally cringe. Basically, I just
write what’s in my head and that gives me freedom to flow with the characters.
However, I do have profiles of places and people so I don’t confuse those
details during the story.
Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
In my opinion, this is one of the most important steps of
the publishing process. I have used Stephen Delaney with Close Reader Editing
Services on all of my books and he’s amazing to work with.
Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Yes: Smashwords. Barnes & Noble. iBookStore. Books-a-Million.
Shelfari.
What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?
Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?
Keeping a good balance between work and other
responsibilities is extremely important. For me, I’ve found that creating—and
sticking to—a schedule helps.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into
the self-publishing arena?
I could go on forever here and totally make this
question a guest blog post. But in an effort to keep things short, here are a
few important bullet points that are a MUST:
Finish your manuscript! Whether you want to publish
traditionally or self-pub, you’ve got to have a completed book on your hands
before you can do anything else.
Hire a professional
editor! Not your friend! You want someone that will shoot straight with you and
not give a damn if they hurt your feelings because at the end of the day, you
want your book as good as it can be for your readers, right? I use Stephen
Delaney with Close Reader Editing Services and he’s pretty badass.
If you’re
not a graphic designer and can’t manipulate artwork on a computer, then hire a
cover designer! People really do judge a book by its cover, so you need it to
look as good on the outside as it is on the inside. I use Stephanie with Once
Upon A Time Covers or Claudia with Phatpuppyart.com.
What’s
next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to Death Dealer and hope to have
it published fall/winter 2013. The title is Blood Promise—A Death Angel Novella
Book 2 and it is packed full of action and sizzling romance.
Author Bio:
ASHLEY ROBERTSON - 2013 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALIST
Ashley Robertson resides in sunny Orlando, Florida, and loves writing about anything paranormal. She also composes poems and songs, though she learned long ago she doesn't have a singing voice. When she isn't writing you'll find her spending time with family and friends, sharing personal training and nutrition advice via ExtremeMakeovers.com, traveling and exploring new places, and drinking fine wines and gourmet coffees from her Nespresso machine.
Visit her website to learn about her upcoming releases, guest blog posts, and featured giveaways at: AshleyRobertsonBooks.com
Ashley Robertson resides in sunny Orlando, Florida, and loves writing about anything paranormal. She also composes poems and songs, though she learned long ago she doesn't have a singing voice. When she isn't writing you'll find her spending time with family and friends, sharing personal training and nutrition advice via ExtremeMakeovers.com, traveling and exploring new places, and drinking fine wines and gourmet coffees from her Nespresso machine.
Visit her website to learn about her upcoming releases, guest blog posts, and featured giveaways at: AshleyRobertsonBooks.com
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