Author Interview: Ash Krafton

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About the Author:

Ash Krafton writes from the heart…of the Pennsylvania coal region, that is.

She is the author of the Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press).

BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1) is a six-time RWA finalist and was voted "Reviewer Top Pick" by Gravetells.com. Ash continues the story of Sophie and her Demivampires in her latest release BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2). She's hard at work (when she isn't watching Doctor Who) writing the third book, WOLF'S BANE.

Ash Krafton's poetry and short fiction has appeared in several journals, including Niteblade, Bete Noire, Abandoned Towers, and Silver Blade. She's a member of Pennwriters, RWA, and Maryland Writers Association. She lurks near her blog and contributes to the QueryTracker blog.

Ash lives with her family and their German Shepherd dog deep in the Pennsylvania wilds, awaiting the day the TARDIS appears in the driveway (the dog most likely keeps the Doctor away. What a beast.)

Until then, she writes.

Find Ash at: The Demimonde blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

A little of everything.

Bleeding Hearts was born in scenes and snippets, and a story grew around them. Blood Rush was more linear, since I already knew how all three books would flow. Words That Bind, a paranormal romance WIP, is storyboarded six ways to Sunday. Face of the Enemy, a New Adult fantasy WIP, is in bulleted outline form. I can't say one process is better than another because I think it depends on the story and how deep I am into it. My attachment and my involvement with the story dictate how much planning I do before sitting down to write.

What is your favourite food?

I love cooking and exploring new foods…really weird since I was such a picky eater when I was growing up. I enjoy Indian food a lot, and adore German cooking, as well as PA Dutch-style recipes. But if I had to pick one food as my favorite, I think it would have to be Pad See Ew. That's a Thai dish that had wide, soft, sweet rice noodles with chicken or other meats and Chinese broccoli. I could live off that forever.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a morning person. :)I am most productive in the daytime, which is a result of years of writing when the kids were in school and the hubby at work. (Summers completely mess me up.) At night, I just want to kick back in front of the tube with my family after dinner and just hang out.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

My semi-dream vacation is coming up in 2015 when we'll get to accompany our local Girl Scout troop to Europe for 10 days. We'll be in Heidelberg, Venice, and Lucerne. My absolute dream would be at least three months and visiting the UK. I'm Irish and Welsh through my father's family so it would be nice to see where my ancestors live. Plus…the food. I'm going for the food.

Do distant places feature in your books?

In the book to follow BLOOD RUSH, there will be characters who hail from Mannheim, Germany. I can't wait to do the research.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Absolutely. Music is my muse! Many times I will (mis)hear a line of lyric and it will send me off to explore it. Stories and poems have just sprung up from hearing a song--a single line, even--and those are my favorite pieces.

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

I learned it was truly a business and I had to learn how to take a step away from my writing, which is a very personal endeavor. I had to look at each book, story, and poem as a marketable product and I had to learn how to find the right buyer for each piece. Separating myself emotionally from my products was essential to my sanity when the rejections come in. If I took each rejection

Is there anything you would do differently?

I would have held off on seeking agent representation. However, the almost-year I spent with an agent was necessary because my publisher, Pink Narcissus Press (http:pinknarc.com) wasn't accepting novel-length fiction yet. When I got back to marketing my book on my own, Pink Narc was taking submissions. BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1) was their second novel release. It was very serendipitous so I can't even regret a non-productive agent relationship.

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

The most important lesson to learn is how to persevere. Writing in notebooks is one thing, handing the notebook to another person and saying "Will you read this?" is another. When you ask someone to read you, you find yourself opened to a flood of criticism. Some positive, some not, because not everyone is going to "get" you. As you pursue writing, you'll eventually figure out who your audience is and you'll be getting your work in front of the right people. That's when criticism can turn to honest praise. Persevere, until you find your perfect audience. (And in the meantime, feel free to join me at The Query Tracker Blog (http://querytracker.blogspot.com) because the bloggers are dedicated to helping writers into print.

What are three words that describe you?

Passionate, limitless, perseverance

What's your favourite book?

My favorite book is The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott. http://www.melanierawn.com/books/Golden_Key.html  It's a story about a duchy that has ties to a family of master painters. That's why the cover is so awesome: the artist, Michael Whelan (who is one of my artist heroes) painted himself as the Master painter Sario. I just want to hug that book.


List of previous books:

Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1)

Strangers at the Hell Gate

Deliverance

Doorways: Three Tales of No Going Back

Blind Alleys: A Collection of Dead Ends

Blood Rush

The Books of the Demimonde, Book 2
Ash Krafton
Genre: urban fantasy
Publisher: Pink Narcissus
Date of Publication: May 14, 2103
ISBN: 9781939056016
Number of pages: 353
Word Count: 94000
Cover Artist: Duncan Eagleson
Book Description:

Sophie doesn't believe in happily ever after. These days, she'd settle for alive after sunrise.

Advice columnist and newly-appointed oracle to the demivampire, Sophie Galen has more issues than a Cosmo collection: a new mentor with a mean streak, a werewolf stalker she can't shake, and a relationship with her ex's family that redefines the term complicated. And then there's her ex himself, who is more interested in playing leader of the vampire pack than in his own salvation.

Becoming a better oracle is tough enough, but when Sophie encounters a deadly enemy - one she never dreamed of facing - it will take everything she's ever learned in order to survive.