Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
It is the story of a Courtney Winston, who is getting over her heartache and dumping her family at Christmas to retreat to a mountain lodge. There she plans to rewrite her novel. An accountant with a big firm, Courtney struggles with her life choices and secretly wants to write romance novels. Once hidden away at her cabin in the woods, a host of odd creatures and characters offer her little peace and a lot of advice about life and love. When she discovers the supernatural identity of the people coming and going from her hideaway, Courtney realizes she has been hiding from life and not living it. Is this a series? Could be.
Do you have a favorite character?
Courtney’s feistiness, forward-thinking, and stubborn attitude were fun to write. Probably my favorite character was Mrs. Finn; the cook sent to the cabin to care for Courtney. She’s brash, very opinionated, and ready to hand out advice to Courtney about her love life. She’s like those pesky aunts who swarm at the holidays wanting to know everything about your life and touting tons of advice on how to improve it. Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?
How interested is that agent or publisher interested in my career is a big one. Do they see me as a one-time book for hire, or are they investing in growing with me as a writer? A career can have several different employers but finding one who believes in you and investing in your future is vital.
Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I have more contracts with Rosewind Books for future novels. I also have several contracts and works coming in 2021 with Vesuvian Books. Then there are the contracts I have with an Italian publisher Delrai Edizioni, who has translated some of my indie books into Italian and will be releasing them through 2022.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I never listen to music. I find it distracting. I park in front of my computer and write. Sometimes I have an outline to go by. Others, I write what comes into my head.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I always have my books edited and proofed. Today in the business, it is worth the investment.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
Being a writer is all about juggling. Fortunately, I have fantastic publishers who take care of a lot of marketing, but I still spend a lot of time on social media getting the word out. I split my day up with marketing and writing. The marketing does slip when I am deep in a book, which is most of the time, but there is never a day that goes by that I’m not checking social media or investigating a new way to promote my books. Having a great network of writers you trust can help. They can offer suggestions and share some marketing duties.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
Those first tough reviews can be hard. But take the constructive criticism and grow from it. You will develop a thick skin in this business, but you can never give up.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Animals. I am a wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, so I am always rescuing orphaned or injured wildlife, or tending to my menagerie at home.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
I love cats and dogs. Prefer chocolate. Never drink tea or coffee. And love the night. You get so much more done when everyone is asleep.
What’s next for you?
2021 is going to be a busy year with three releases coming from Vesuvian books. The second installment in my YA thriller series St. Benedict Series, A River of Secrets, will come out in February. A new series about a private high school with a history of murder will appear next year, called Have You Seen Me. It is a YA thriller series reminiscent of I Know What You Did Last Summer. There will also be the first book in a dark, grounded sci-fi series call The Chimera Effect. Another romance book with Rosewind Books about time travel and lost love called a Locket in Time will come out in fall 2021.
The Christmas Spirit
Alexandrea Weis
Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: October 27th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONE BROKEN HEART TO HEAL ANOTHER.
Courtney Winston is a writer on a deadline. Eager to finish her book and get over a recent break-up, she ditches Christmas with her family and retreats to a secluded cabin in the mountains.
Appliances rarely work, and cell service is spotty, but Courtney senses there is more to her rustic rental—something dark and haunting.
Then Peter, the attractive Stone Mountain Lodge owner, and a meddling cook, Mrs. Finn, keep coming around, shattering her peace and offering advice on how to fix her heavy heart.
Courtney grows closer to Peter, but Mrs. Finn warns her of his troubled past. Undaunted, Courtney sets out to win him over. But being with the brooding stranger may end up costing her more than she ever imagined.
Author Bio:
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.
Weis writes romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, supernatural, and young adult fiction and has sold approximately one million books. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
She is a member of both the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association. www.AlexandreaWeis.com
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Nice cover. I liked the blurb. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
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