Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Her first novel, To My Senses, introduced readers to the world of Nicci Beauvoir and garnered numerous awards and rave reviews. Her popular second Nicci Beauvoir novel, Recovery, won the Gold Medal for best romantic suspense from The Reader’s Favorite Book Awards 2011, and was named best Romantic Suspense novel by the Spring 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Awards.
Her fourth novel, Broken Wings, won best Contemporary Romance by the NABE Pinnacle Book Awards in 2012, was a Silver Medal winner in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards for Romance, as well as a finalist in the USA Book Awards for Romance in 2012, and a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for Contemporary Romance for 2012. Her last novel, Acadian Waltz was a winner at Readers’ Favorite Book Awards finalist for Honorable Mention in Best Contemporary Romance and Best Southern Fiction Finalist. A permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I let the story come as I write it. I usually have an idea, and perhaps an ending, but that’s about it.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
No, I stay pretty focused on the flow and try not to let too many characters clog the plot. Some do outshine others, but they never drown out the story.
What is your favourite food?
Japanese vegie tempura.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Both. Some night I am up past one am, and then I am up early every morning because I have a house full of animals to feed.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Greece and Egypt. I am a hug ancient history fanatic, and that is where the best of ancient history is for me.
Do distant places feature in your books?
No. My books tend to stick close to my New Orleans roots. All New Orleanians are like that. We love our city and try to highlight it as much as we can.
Do you listen to music while writing?
No. I like peace to think.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine is a ghostly love story about a woman healing from a broken marriage and returning to the childhood home where she was happy. But the home is haunted by a ghost, someone she befriended as a child, and now that she has grown into a woman, their friendship turns romantic. But Gaston is a ghost of a plantation owner who died in the yellow fever epidemic of 1853, and being together is impossible for them, or is it? There is voodoo, intrigue, lust and a whole lot of New Orleans ambience set into this novel. A great Halloween read.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
A great deal. I began writing and publishing my books six years ago, and a lot has changed since then. Self-published is no longer a dirty word, and many really good authors are self-published. The business is always fluid and changing. With ebooks taking over the market, it will be interesting to see where it goes.
Is there anything you would do differently?
No, not really. I’ve enjoyed the way I have eased into it, and preferred to go at my own pace.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
The city where I was born and raised has influenced my writing the most. I think the eclectic atmosphere of New Orleans tends to bring out all those creative thoughts, and the people are truly inspiring. They make the best characters for books, and I have been privileged enough to know quite a few unique individuals.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Write. Just write and the rest will come. The only way you get better at writing and find your voice is to keep doing it, and give yourself time. The Sistine Chapel took a while to develop and so will your style.
What are three words that describe you?
Assertive, hard-working, and astute.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Ian Fleming, Casino Royale. He was a master at writing characters.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:
List of previous books if any: To My Senses(2007) Recovery(2011), Sacrifice(2011){The Nicci Beauvoir Series}. The Secret Brokers, (2012), Diary of a One-Night Stand(2012), Broken Wings(2012), Acadian Waltz(2013), The Satyr’s Curse(2013)
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
Here are a few links to learn more.
Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alexandrea-Weis/
FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/To-My-Senses/113609858681394
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexandrea-Weis/289566081083949
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
My website: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
Blogspot: http://alexandreaweiscom.blogspot.com/
***
The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine
Alexandrea Weis
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Date of Publication: 9/1/2013
Number of pages: 240
Word Count: 82,000
Amazon
Ready to get her life back on track after ending a painful marriage, Danica Giles returns to the Creole cottage where she grew up in the New Orleans French Quarter. Danica is anxious to rekindle her friendship with a former resident from her old neighborhood, the seductive Gaston Deslonde. But Gaston isn’t exactly a normal guy.
The charming man has been dead for over a hundred and fifty years, and the childish crush Danica once had on her ghostly playmate quickly turns into something much deeper.
When a handsome new man enters Danica’s life, Gaston vows to do whatever he can to hold on to her. Danica soon discovers that the most forbidden of all desires cannot be satisfied without paying a grave price. Love can blur the lines between life and death when you are living among The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine.
No comments:
Post a Comment