Author Interview Cassandra Lawson, author of Raven’s Blood

 

 

Today on the blog we have author Cassandra Lawson, author of today’s book blast Raven’s Blood. We would like to thank Cassandra for stopping by and sharing with us.

 

 

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

 I didn’t really consider myself a writer until I started working on my third book. Before that I kept insisting that writing was just a hobby

How long did it take to get your first book published?

 I wrote my first book more than fifteen years ago and published it in May of 2013. I will admit that prior to that, I had never made any effort to get my book published.

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

I homeschool my daughters, ages 4 and 6. I consider that my primary job and I truly love it. Basically, my other job involves planning engaging educational activities, taking my children to park days with other homeschooled children, and spending time with my sweet little girls. It’s a pretty awesome job.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

Raven’s Blood is a dystopian paranormal romance about a born vampire and a wood nymph

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

I self-publish my books.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

 It usually takes me around five months to write, edit and format a book.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

I love romance. Anything that I do in the future will definitely be a romance. At the moment I am working on my next Psy-Vamp novel and I’ve started the next Moon Virus novel. I have some ideas that are more contemporary romance and one time travel romance. They will likely end up being paranormal romance by completion. For some reason, even when I try for normal, I end up with a vampire, demon, witch, or some other paranormal creature in the story.

What genre would you place your books into?

My books are definitely paranormal romance. Raven’s Blood has a much stronger paranormal theme than my Psy-Vamp series. I consider my Psy-Vamp books paranormal-light.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

That just seems to be the direction that my imagination goes. I wrote my first paranormal romance over fifteen years ago. At that time I had never even read a paranormal romance.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?

 I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this, but Drew from my Psy-Vamp series is my favorite character. I just love writing his dialogue because he is such a little psycho.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?

 I have been writing since the seventh grade. When I was learning to type, an instructor suggested I write a story to practice. I never finished it, but that was the beginning. I was also influenced by a playwriting class that I took in junior college. The one act play that I wrote for that class was the first work of fiction that I completed. It made me realize that I really could do more than come up with ideas and start them. The ideas are easier than actually completing the story.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

I always listen to music when I write, especially if my husband and children are still awake. I actually have several playlists so I can pick one that fits my current mood.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

 Yes, I do read the reviews.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

I choose the title while I’m writing the book. This is always a big struggle for me. I find myself putting down keywords and then I have this document that is full of nonsense.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

 I usually have some idea of what I want to name the characters when I start writing. For any characters that I have absolutely no ideas for names, I go to Babynamegenie.com and let the genie decide. Those names never stick but I have to call them something. As for places, I tend to use real places. If I’m making one up, the idea usually came to me before I wrote about it.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

I start out with a basic idea of the traits that each character has but there are times when they evolve.

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

I prefer reading paperback. I like the feel of a paperback in my hands while I read. I am reading more eBooks now because my vision is so bad that I find it hard to read the print in many of the paperbacks.

What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?

My all time favorite book is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. My father urged me to read it when I was in middle school. It will always hold a special place in my heart because it inspired my passion for reading. After that I was constantly on the lookout for more good books. I have read it more than once but never loved it as much as that first time.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?

 I try to avoid seeing the movie if I plan to read the book. I find that I’m always disappointed. To be fair, it’s hard to take all of the details that are in a book and squeeze them into a two hour movie. There is always something that is lost.

Your favorite food is?

That is a tough one, but I think it’s my homemade pizza. This choice could be influenced by the fact that I’m getting ready to make a batch of pizza dough.

Your favorite singer/group is?

 I really don’t have a favorite group. I am a true rocker and I listen to just about everything. My favorite recently released CD is California Hell by The Rocketz. I love every song on it.

Your favorite color is?

I love all bright colors but red it my favorite. I’ve found that I just can’t be in a bad mood when I’m wearing red.

If you would like to find out more about this amazing author and her work, check out the blast below.