The first author interview of 2009 and it just happens to be one of my fellow DC Area Storytellers!
The Basics
– Dana Marie Bell
– Brand – Dance with an alpha in the pale moonlight…
– Genre(s) – Paranormal Romance
– Current Publisher(s) – Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
To Other Authors
– What are the three MOST important pieces of advice you would give to a brand new author?
- 1. Don’t stop writing! The best advice I ever heard was when I went to a sci-fi convention in my teens. Isaac Asimov was a guest speaker, and I nearly died of hero worship. I was close enough to touch his cane! Someone in the audience asked, “What’s the secret to a successful writing career?” he said, “Write!” Sit down and write every day, even if it’s crap, even if you hate it.
- 2. Remember, as much as this is an art, it’s also a business. You’ll need to learn everything you possibly can, and understand you can’t possibly learn it all.
- 3. Don’t be afraid to join groups, like critique groups or RWA chapters. You’ll learn a lot from people already in the business.
– What’s your favorite way to advertise?
- So far putting up ads in places like The Romance Studio and Manic Readers has done wonders for me, but I think the best possible way is to post excerpts to reader groups. Give the readers a taste of your book, the part that makes you smile or makes you cry, and hope they feel the same. If they like what they see, they’ll check your book out.
– What hard-knock lesson did the publishing world teach you (can be your own experience or someone else’s that you learned from)?
- That rejection stings, but if you give up after two or three (or five or six) you’ll never make it. I got rejected after a full manuscript request from Harlequin, and had my second submission ignored. Ellora’s Cave never got back to me, either. I’ve been rejected by Changeling Press, as well as Samhain (who I’m already published with). But there’s no way in hell I’m going to give up! After the Samhain rejection I got two other manuscripts accepted by them, so it’s a matter of perseverance, aka sheer bullheadedness.
For The Readers
– What are you reading, if anything, at the moment?
- Today? Huh. Depends on my mood, but I’ve been on a real m/m or BDSM kick lately. TA Chase, JL Langley and Maggie Caspar, to name but a few.
– Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?
- I have no preference. I love the smell of a good paperback as much as I love the convenience of an ebook.
– Name three of your all-time-favorite, read-them-over-and-over books.
- Hmm… Angel’s Evolution by TA Chase; The Three Fates by Nora Roberts; and Santa Claws by MaryJanice Davidson.
Idle Curiosity Compels Me To Ask
– What inspired you to be a writer?
- Wait, I have a choice?
- I write mostly because it’s a way to get the voices out of my head. Even if I didn’t publish, I’d find some way to get the stories out. But what inspired me was a day at the beach. I came home from a day at the beach with my family with a story that just wouldn’t get out of my head. I asked for a pencil and paper from my grandmother, locked myself in my room and wrote until it was gone. I was thirteen at the time, and I’ve been writing off and on ever since. And I knew that someday I’d try and make it a career when I got accepted into the Creative Writing program at The High School for Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
– What do you do immediately after finishing a manuscript?
- “Whew! Done. Now for the Meat Grinder!” (The Meat Grinder is what I call my “editing” process, or turning the rough draft into something I feel comfortable sending out to my Beta readers.)
– Do you talk to your characters or your muse or both?
- Mostly my characters. My Muse hasn’t given me her name yet, although she responds to “Bitch” and “Stop talking, I’m driving!”
Promo Section
| ~ Most Recent Release ~ |
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Cat of a Different Color Genre: Paranormal Romance ISBN: 978-1-60504-239-8 Length: Novella Price: 3.50 Publication Date: November 18, 2008 Cover art by Anne Cain
He’ll do whatever it takes to protect his mate.
Halle Pumas, Book 3
Dr. Adrian Giordano is quite happy with the way his life is going. His two best friends are happily mated, and he’s still sanely single. He has friends, a thriving business, and the occasional Saturday night date. Then Sheridan Montgomery comes to town. His inner Puma responds to the husky-voiced snow princess in a way that tells him his life is about to be turned upside down. Sheri can’t believe her luck could be this bad. Instinct tells her Adrian is her mate, but the last thing she wants to do is drag him into her messy life. She’s on the run from a big bad wolf—an ex who won’t take no for an answer. Worse, if he catches her, he’s got the teeth (and the Pack!) to take what he wants. She doesn’t stand a chance alone, but with her friends—and the persistent Adrian—by her side, she might just survive. If her ex doesn’t eat the yummy Dr. Giordano for lunch, that is…
Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, a handsome, dark-eyed shifter and a couple of bites to remember. |
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| ~ Coming Soon ~ |
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Very Much Alive Genre: Paranormal Romance, Red Hots! ISBN: 978-1-60504-392-0 Length: Category Price: 4.50 Publication Date: February 17, 2009 Cover art by Anne Cain
Her destiny rests in their hands…
True Destiny, Book 1
Kiran Tate and Logan Saeter have been on the run from Oliver Grimm for so long they’ve forgotten what it’s like to be free. Ending Grimm’s power games won’t be easy, but this time they have an ace in the hole. PI Jordan Grey, Guardian Investigation’s resident hot shot—and Grimm’s step-granddaughter. Jordan Grey has her doubts when Logan and Kir show up in her office with a tall tale of how her step-grandfather has framed them for murder. And to top it all off, they’re claiming that they’re really the ancient Norse gods Loki and Baldur, and that Grimm is Odin! When the two lovers see the sexy detective for the first time, stopping Grimm suddenly takes a back seat to seducing her into their arms. But Grimm never rests, and when his anger spills over onto Jordan, it sets them all on a collision course with a destiny that will rock their world…
Warning: This book contains explicit sex, graphic language, some violence, and hot male/male/female action. In fact, it could be considered a religious experience. |
Learn More
– Website – http://www.danamariebell.com
– Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/danamariebell
– Blog/Newsletter –
– Yahoo Group – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danamariebellschat
Thanks, Dana!!
Join me next week for Biana Kingsley’s interview. Have a Happy New Year’s!!