Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Oath-Breaker is the first of a demon romance duology set in our world after an invasion of celestials and demons from their world. They’ve remade the world as we know it, and the book centers around a character at the heart of that remaking: Ayla, current leader of the Order, a group of paladins chosen by a celestial to fight demons.
Ayla is headstrong and loyal to her paladins, so it’s no surprise that when one gets stuck inside the demon city of Alastia’s limits, she goes right in to save her. But when they’re caught and brought before the Angel of Death, Alastia’s demon king, everything changes. Because the Angel of Death is not only Ayla’s sworn enemy, but also her fated mate.
Oath-Breaker is a fun, action-packed enemies-to-lovers romance with equal parts action and sizzling steam. It was so much fun to write—I think it’s my favorite book I’ve written to date!
Do you have a favorite character?
Honestly, I really love Jessa! She’s a side character in Oath-Breaker, but she was just so interesting to write. Heroines need fantastic allies, and Jessa is that for Ayla. She’s her fellow paladin, her sister, her friend, and her rock.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
I did try the traditional publishing route many years ago under a different name and in a different genre. It was a slog. I queried agents, I pitched agents at conferences, I participated in all of the old Twitter pitch contests. Ultimately, I found that the genres I wanted to write were not the genres that traditional publishing wanted to publish—but that’s okay, because the indie market is where those genres excel anyways! Now I get full creative control and a direct line to readers, and I couldn’t be happier!
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
A large factor was just how much of a slog the querying process was and the way traditional publishing works. I had a very specific vision for my first series way back when, and traditional publishing’s version of “success” was vastly different from mine. Another factor was creative control—I love that I now get to direct cover art, decide what types of stories to tell, and really just dive into the entire production and marketing process with full transparency to myself.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I definitely need to listen to music—it helps me drown out the outside world and focus on the story at hand. Normally, on my writing days, I write in huge chunks in the morning and take afternoons off to recharge. I write in 25-minute sprints and take breaks between. It’s fun to see those sprint numbers add up!
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
My process is a bit of both, honestly. I like to start with a bare-bones outline just to get an idea of structure. Then I go through and do a little more detail, add more beats, and then get a chapter-by-chapter outline together. But when I write, I follow my muse, so by the end the final book may not match the outline at all. Oftentimes new characters pop up, the order of things changes, and it’s almost always for the better. But I cannot start without some sort of direction decided!
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? Do you try to write everyday or carve out certain times during the week?
It’s definitely a challenge. I find balance hard in general because this is not my full-time job, so my writing and publishing hours are very limited. When I draft, I only draft, and that helps a lot, but it also means I have to pad in time around drafting to set up marketing and plot the next books and next series. I’d love to write every day, though! These days, it’s more of sprint drafting for 2-3 weeks, and then some time off for edits, admin, marketing, and other production activities. Then rinse and repeat 😊
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
Go at your own pace. Seriously. There are as many ways to burn out as there are release schedule models and writing advice. And what works for someone else may or may not work for you, and vice versa.
Whatever you decide to do, consistency is key in everything; writing, releasing, marketing, all of it. Whether you write every day and release every month, or write once every two weeks and release once a year—if you’re consistent at your own pace, it will all work out.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
To start: I’m a Libra, so I can’t easily make decisions lol. I love the idea of owning a cat, but I love to visit other people’s dogs. I love both chocolate and vanilla, and coffee and tea. But all of these situationally. These days, I prefer night, but that’s because my sleep schedule is very messed up and the quiet early-morning hours are now my enemies-to-lovers love.
What’s next for you?
Next for me is getting ready to finish and release both Oath-Maker, the second half of this duology, and Monster Bride, the second half of my other duology that just released, Shadow Pact. That one is a monster romance and is also a lot of fun. Then I’m off to work on a large, 5-book project I’m also super excited about!
Oath-Breaker
River Starr
(Angel of Death & Demons, #1)
Publication date: May 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
No one survives their meeting with the Angel of Death—except for me.
After being accused of rallying citizens to revolt against him and breaking the rules of engagement with demons to save my best friend—guilty as charged on both accounts—the Angel of Death demands to personally oversee my sentencing in his obsidian castle of demons and death.
I’m done for. This is the end. But my death won’t be in vain—I’ll die a martyr to the Paladins Order’s cause, and I’ll rescue my best friend at the same time. She’ll be safe and the paladins will pick a new leader. They’ll thrive and continue the fight.
Or so I think. When judgment day arrives and I’m knelt before the Angel of Death, with his onyx eyes, his ebony hair, and his seductively imposing stature, my soul doesn’t leave me.
It soars.
Because when I dare to look the Angel of Death in the eyes, everything changes. And what unfolds in my anger and vengeance’s stead is a thread of events I never could have foreseen.
I survived my meeting with the Angel of Death. But can I survive his love?
OATH-BREAKER is the first of a M/F paranormal demon romance duology full of steamy goodness.
Author Bio:
River Starr writes books that help you escape, especially fantasy romance full of magic and supernaturals. Favorite things: coffee, wine, chocolate, and a heavy dose of books to chase away the dark... or invite delicious darkness in.
Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted by:
Thanks for being on the tour!
ReplyDelete