Interview with Author Crystal-Rain Love

Please welcome author Crystal-Rain Love to In the Hot Seat! :-)

HFP: When did you first decide or realize you wanted to write books?

CRL: I realized I wanted to be an author pretty early. We had the Young Readers program in elementary school where we would write and illustrate books. Most kids wrote a 5-10 page story. In 5^th grade I wrote a whole novella. We had a really mean librarian who everyone hated, but I was her pet because I was obsessed with reading and writing. I read everything I could get my hands on and that combined with the fact I’ve been a daydreamer since the day I was born naturally led to me wanting to create my own worlds and characters.

HFP: What would you claim as your most interesting writing quirk?

CRL: Not sure if it’s interesting, but when I start a new project or really need a boost to get me going again when I’m struggling through the middle of a project I cut my fingernails all the way down to the nubs. There’s something about feeling the keys against the skin without that click-clack of fingernails that seems to make me type like the wind.

HFP: Where do the ideas for your books come from? What inspires you to write the books you do?

CRL: Ideas come from anywhere. Sometimes they come from dreams, sometimes from life, and sometimes from TV or movies, even songs. My latest series, Twice Bitten, was inspired by a mix of David Cook songs, my love of the humor in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, my love of the paranormal, and the need I felt there was for a heroine who looked more like me and less like the perfect curvy, hourglass shaped woman most heroines tend to be.

HFP: What was the most surprising to you about getting published for the first time?

CRL: The most surprising thing was that once I got published by one publisher, offers started coming in from others. I was signed with Sapphire Blue Publishing and Imajinn Books within months of each other and The Wild Rose Press came soon after.

HFP: What advice do you have for aspiring and or newbie authors?

CRL: With the process of indie publishing so easy now I’m seeing a lot of newbies bypassing the traditional publication process altogether without even trying and I would advise against that. I’ve been indie publishing for several years now because I love having control of my cover art, pricing, and release dates, but I was blessed to be traditionally published first because I learned invaluable skills from going through that process. Other than that, grow a thick skin for the inevitable mean reviews you will get at least a few of, and learn to take and learn from constructive criticism. Write what you love so it’s always a joy to put in the work and PUT IN THE WORK. Series will build your fan base so try for 1000-2000 words a day to keep putting new material out frequently (after editing!). 

HFP: If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming a published author what would it be?

CRL: I would have committed to 2000 words a day a lot sooner and I would have read my first contracts closer and made changes to some or passed. Be very careful with any contract you sign! I learned the hard way with one of my publishers.

HFP: What has been your favorite book to write so far and why is it your favorite?

CRL: My most recent release, Vampire Girl Problems, from my Twice Bitten series was my favorite to write because it was so funny. I was literally laughing myself to tears while writing certain scenes and I wrote it pretty quickly because it didn’t feel like work at all. It flowed so well because every scene was a joy to write. Also, I gave the heroine my body (small chest, thick thighs and butt) and the insecurities that come with it because I never see that in anything I read so it’s nice being able to offer a heroine who looks like women like me.

HFP: What qualities do you think make a great story that keeps readers coming back for more?

CRL: Heart, humor, heroines you root for, heroes you fall in love with, and really good plots with some surprises.

HFP: How long does it take you to write one of your books?

CRL: Anywhere between one to three months on average, depending on genre. I still work full-time which gets in the way of writing time, plus I have three teenagers, one of which is homeschooled so that’s just the average. It used to take me a year per book so I’ve come a long way. 

HFP: Okay, this is the fun question, if you could only choose one, would you choose coffee or chocolate and why?

CRL: Chocolate because I am one of those rare people who abhors coffee. It smells great but seriously, how do y’all drink that stuff? ;)

Bio:

Crystal-Rain Love is a romance author specializing in paranormal, suspense, and contemporary sub-genres. 

Her author career began by winning a contest to be one of Sapphire Blue Publishing's debut authors in 2008. She snagged an 8-book contract with Imajinn Books that same year, going on to be published by The Wild Rose Press and eventually venturing out into indie publishing. 

She resides in the South with her three children and enough pets to host a petting zoo. When she's not writing she can usually be found creating unique 3D cakes, hiking, reading, or spending way too much time on Facebook. 

Author Links:

http://crystalrainlove.com
http://facebook.com/crystalrainloveauthor

Twitter: @crystalrainlove

Book Spotlight: To Stir a Tiger’s Heart by DM Roberto

Good Morning! Today we welcome author DM Roberto and her book To Stir a Tiger's Heart! Welcome DM! 

A were-tiger needs to convince one stubborn woman she is his for all time, but to do so he has to face his fear of possibly losing her at the same time.

Michael Barnes is a rare white were-tiger and is tired of roaming around the world–alone–after underhanded dealings stripped him of his rightful heritage as leader of his pride. Meeting his destined mate in Devon Falls is unexpected. Dixie Sinclair is fun, sexy, and everything he feels he doesn't deserve. The past has a way of coloring a person's life, and Michael has let down his guard to show Dixie he is the one to hold her heart.

Can a were-tiger convince one stubborn woman that she is his for all time and show her that falling in love is just as sinful as a chocolate kiss?

Excerpt: 

Dixie Sinclair had just about had it with happy people, especially those happy people in relationships. She shook her head as the coffeemaker decided to go on the fritz again and tried to keep her temper as the machine sputtered out a few drops for the customer waiting at the counter. It had been one of those days where anything that went wrong did, and not in tiny amounts but a really big "I should have crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over my head" amount. "What the hell is going on in this town? Everyone need a coffee fix or something lately?" Dixie muttered as she tried to get the temperamental coffee machine to work. Short of beating it with a crow bar, which she didn't think the health department would approve of, this pain-in-the arse machine was going to be the death of her, she was sure of it. It had to be some kind of cosmic conspiracy among machines. 

Interview with Author ML Sparrow

Please welcome author ML Sparrow to our blog today! We're so happy to have her visit. 

HFP: I see you write in multiple genres. Do you have a favorite to genre to write in?

MLS: I am a hopeless romantic, so all of my books have varying degrees of romance! I just love writingrelationships between people and how they develop.

HFP: What is your favorite genre to read? Who is your favorite author?

MLS: That’s a hard question, because I read all different genres, from YA to the classics and everything in between. I can honestly say that I don’t have a favorite genre, I do have several favorite authors though, two of which have books coming out soon which I’m very excited about: Cherise Sinclair, Nalini Singh and Kresley Cole. I’m also a huge fan of V.E. Schwab, though I’ve only just discovered her work and haven’t read everything yet!

You can find out more about the books I love it this fun interview I did with Ryan Lieske –  https://ryanlieske.blog/2017/08/21/la-legado-vivo-with-m-l-sparrow/

HFP: If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go and why that place?

MLS: Oh, there is so many places I want to visit in the world. I’ve done my fair share of travelling and have visited France, Mexico, Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka, but the place I’m dying to visit at the moment is Australia. I’ve always dreamed of backpacking around Australia and I’m sure I’ll get there one day!

HFP: What do you enjoy most about living in England?

MLS: I’m actually living and working in Tokyo right now, though I’ll soon be moving to Hong Kong, which I’m actually quite sad about since I love Tokyo, but the thing I miss most about living in England would obviously be my family and friends, but I also loved how green it is and being able to take walks in the woods with my doggies. J

HFP: If you could only choose one character from all the characters you’ve created to meet in real life, who would you choose and why?

MLS: That’s a hard one, because whilst Sin from Ghetto is my favorite character that I’ve written so far, I think I’d actually want to meet Sunny (also from Ghetto) or Anthony (from No Rest for the Wicked). Anthony would be fun to meet not only because he’s so charming, but also because he’s a wizard and I’d love to see some cool tricks and maybe get him to put one of those handy self-cleaning enchantments on my apartment! Then I’d want to meet Sunny, again for purely selfish reasons, because she’s a tech genius and she could sort out all the little glitches and hook the DVD player up to the TV for me!

HFP: Which of your characters is most like you and why?

MLS: I like to think I put a bit of myself into all my characters, but I’d have to say Chloe, from Player, the first book in my What Happens on Campus Series, is most like me. Not in appearances, the only thing we have in common there is that we’re both brunettes and burn easily, but in attitude and likes and dislikes. I wrote Player when I also had the dream to attend university in America, so I guess Chloe is a version of me and a projection of my dream. Unfortunately, that dream didn’t go anywhere for me, but as one door shuts another opens and if I’d gone to university I wouldn’t be living in Japan right now.

HFP: Inquiring minds want to know, what is your favorite free book promotion tip? (I love graphic teasers!)

MLS: I love graphic teasers too, I also love working with bloggers, whether it’s an interview, guest post, or review. Building relationships with bloggers can also be really fun and you can learn a lot, as well as being helpful to promoting your book.

HFP: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

MLS: Just keep writing. Sometimes it’ll seem as if you’re going no where, but if you truly love writing, just keep doing it! Becoming an established author is a marathon, not a sprint, you have to build up a readership and a name for yourself.

HFP: Okay, here’s a fun one! If you could be any superhero who would you be and why? (Personally, I love Batgirl because of all those gadgets. LOL)

MLS: Eeek. I have to say I don’t really know any superheroes beyond the Avengers movies, so I’m going to go for Black Widow, because she has awesome skills and I love how kick-ass she is and how she handles herself in a team full of men!

HFP: And another fun question! Coffee or chocolate and why that choice?

Chocolate definitely. Chocolate is so yummy and coffee is yuck! I’ve never liked coffee, though I do drink it very occasionally if I was up too late writing the night before!

Author Bio: 

M L Sparrow is currently the author of four full length novels, two novellas and a slew of short stories published in various anthologies. Her novella, Red Days, was a winner in the Book Excellence Awards, Current Events category. Another novella, A Tangled Web, was a finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and in the 2017 Readers' Favorite Awards.

She will write pretty much anything that pops into her head, no matter the genre, and enjoys keeping her readers guessing as to what she will write next, though you can pretty much guarantee that there will be some degree of romance! 

As well as writing, she enjoys travelling and is currently living in Tokyo. Her travels are a constant source of inspiration and she has an endless supply of ideas for future novels…

Thank you so much for allowing us to interview you!