Monday 14 January 2013

Author Interview and giveaway: Sarah Mäkelä


About the Author:

Sarah Mäkelä lives in North Carolina with her husband and cats. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, computer and console games, and traveling all over the world. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapters. Find her online at www.sarahmakela.com.


Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

A: I generally plan out the overall story, but there tends to be things that I haven’t figured out. In those cases, I let the story flow.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

A: Sometimes they do. When that happens, I look at what will be better for the story. Is the direction the characters are taking it for the best or is it a rambling tangent?

What is your favourite food?

A: One of my favorite foods is Chicken Florentine.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

A: I’m a night owl, for sure!

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

A: I’d love to travel by train through Europe. Europe is so full of history, and I love learning about history.

Do distant places feature in your books?

A: Yes, they do. My Amazon Chronicles books are set in the Amazon Rainforest. Her Christmas Elf takes place in Finland. Captivated was set in medieval England.

Do you listen to music while writing?

A: Yes, I do. I love music. Sometimes I listen to it to help me get into a certain mood for a scene, and other times, I use it to focus and block out noise, which probably sounds weird but it somehow works for me.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Skin Deep is about, Angelique, a woman gifted with a magical black panther tattoo that feels like she needs to keep the love of her life at a safe distance. The tattoo is her dark secret, and she knows there are people out there who would do anything to take the power for themselves. Except Connor isn’t sure why she left, and he’s determined to win her back. He’s a werewolf, and his alpha will force him to mate with a female he can’t stand unless he can claim Angelique as his mate, but they might not have a chance if their enemies destroy them first.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

A: I’ve learned a lot about writing and publishing since I first started. I’ve learned that it’s important to keep writing even if you’re in love with a certain book. The more you write, the more you hone your craft, and the better chance you’ll have of getting published.

Is there anything you would do differently?

A: Yes, I would’ve focused a little more on building an audience on my journey to getting published.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

A: I count Laurell K. Hamilton as one of my main influences.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

A: Write a lot! As I mentioned above, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at writing. It’s like a muscle that needs to be exercised. Most importantly, don’t give up!

What are three words that describe you?

A: Creative, Ambitious, Gamer

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

A: Hmm… it’s hard for me to choose a favorite book since I really like several. One of my favorites is Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance. My favorite writers are Karen Chance, Ilona Andrews, and Laurell K. Hamilton.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

A: Blurb for Skin Deep: Angelique had no idea her black panther tattoo would force her to abandon the love of her life—Connor O’Reilly—but she’s determined to keep him safe no matter how much it hurts. Her tattoo doubles as her feline familiar: loving, protective, dangerous, and with a life of its own. It’s also her deepest secret and draws enemies who desire its power for themselves.

Connor has no idea why Angelique left him, but he’s determined to win her back. As a werewolf, he has secrets of his own. Now his alpha is ready to force him to pair with an ex-girlfriend he can’t stand unless he can find Angelique and claim her as his mate. But even as their secrets threaten to keep them apart, hidden enemies seek to destroy their chance at love forever.

List of previous books:

A: Hacked Investigations series: Techno Crazed, Savage Bytes, Blacklist Rogue.

Amazon Chronicles series: Jungle Heat, Jungle Fire, Jungle Blaze.

Single titles: Stolen, Captive Moonlight, Her Christmas Elf, Captivated.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

A: Website: http://www.sarahmakela.com

Blog: http://blog.sarahmakela.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahmakela

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmakela


a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 comments: