Author Interview with Jennifer Blackstream
I’m interviewing Jennifer Blackstream, author of paranormal romance “Divine Scales”. Thanks for answering my questions, Jennifer, and welcome to my blog.
1. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I think like most authors, I’ve always known. Most authors I know write because they have to. The stories just come to them, and they have to get them out. It starts at an early age. The difference between an author and every other human, is that for an author, those stories never go away. They need to be exorcised. So I’d say I’ve always known I wanted to be an author. However, I didn’t start seriously pursuing publishing until about five years ago, though. Right after I had my son. Strange how having no time to write inspired me to write seriously…
2. Where did you get the inspiration for Divine Scales, and the previous books in the series?
I get asked this question a lot, and the fact is, I can’t pinpoint where inspiration comes from. Ideas just pop into my head. For the Blood Prince series, I had the idea of a version of Cinderella with werewolves. It all sort of snowballed from there…
3. What is your editing process like?
I write three layers. The first layer is basically a very rough outline, mostly dialogue and physical placement with a stark statement of emotional status. The second layer removes the repetition, fixes plot holes, smoothes out characters, and fleshes everything out. The third layer is for description (which I despise). By the time I’m done with layer three, I’ve read it so many times I need outside eyes. First, it goes to my sister. She’s a librarian, the most well-read person I know, and an extremely harsh, yet supportive critic. Once she’s torn into it, I fix what was wrong and send it to two betas that I choose from volunteers in my Facebook group Sirens of the Black Stream. They do a read through and make sure the story is strong and doesn’t have any weak points that need more development. Then I hire a proofreader. Then I have one more fan who graciously goes through fro a final read-through and notes any typos the proofreader might have missed. I also do a Typo Challenge, where any reader can report a typo and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $25 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
4. What was the most challenging part of writing this series?
I honestly couldn’t say. These books were challenging the same way all books are challenging. By that, I mean that no matter how much planning I put into a book, it always takes the characters a while to fall in love. And until I hit that moment when the love happens naturally, the writing all feels very stilted. Makes it hard to keep writing.
5. Did you set any writing goals for 2014? Did you accomplish any, so far?
Yes. My goal is to write 2k a day. So far, so good. My goal for 2015 is to have a release every other month, alternating full length novels (in my spin-off series) with short stories (with characters from the Blood Prince series).
6. Are you working on something now? If so, can you tell us a little about it?
Right now I am working on the first book in the spin-off series to the Blood Princes. The series is (tentatively) entitled Lords and Ladies, and the first book is (tentatively) titled All for a Rose. It will be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I can’t say too much more without ruining the ending of Beautiful Salvation (fifth and final book in the Blood Prince series), which was released November 1st, 2014. All for a Rose should be released around April 2015. I’ve also finished two short stories that feature the Blood Princes. Dead to Begin With, a retelling of A Christmas Carol, will be released December 1st, 2014. What Big Teeth You Have will be released in February 2014.
About Divine Scales
Title: Divine Scales
Author: Jennifer Blackstream
Genre: Fantasy Romance
A warrior with a hunger for sin . . .
Driven by a terrible hunger for the black souls of evil men, Patricio, divine executioner of the gods, patrols the kingdom with blood on his hands and ice in his heart. The families of his victims sing his praises–the result of a witch’s cruel curse that condemns him to be forever surrounded by false adulation. When the curse sours the first hint at romance Patricio has had since becoming the king’s heir, his rage is all consuming. Disgusted, he leaves the mermaid in the sea and returns to the palace…only to be shocked when she bargains for the legs to follow him.
A mermaid out of her element . . .
Marcela’s world has been turned upside-down–literally. Once a proud member of her father King Triton’s royal guard, she’s now the victim of an angel’s curse. Enchanted into false adoration bordering on obsession, she traded her tail–and her voice–to the sea witch for the legs she needed to pursue the object of her desire. In a cruel twist of fate, the very magic that gave her the means to pursue her passion also broke the spell that caused it. Now she’s in the angel’s arms, but how can either of them trust the desire churning inside them when so much magic has muddied the waters?
Trust isn’t easy when nothing is as it seems . . .
A mermaid with legs and no singing voice. An angel with a curse. A witch with a chip on her shoulder. The world is full of magic and mayhem, and for an angel and a mermaid, it will take more than a kiss to balance…the Divine Scales.
Author Bio
Jennifer Blackstream is a psychology enthusiast with both a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology. Her fascination with the human mind is most appeased through the study of mythology and folklore as well as any novel by Sir Terry Pratchett.
Jennifer enjoys listening to Alice Cooper, trying new recipes (to which she will add garlic whether it calls for it or not), watching television with her family, and playing with her woefully intelligent young son. She lives in Ohio.
Jennifer spends most of her time drinking coffee from her X-Men mug and desperately trying to get all her ideas written down before her son can find that all magical button on her laptop to make her latest work vanish.
To learn more about Jennifer Blackstream and her novels, visit her website at http://www.jenniferblackstream.com.
Links
BOOK ONE
Buy Before Midnight on AllRomance
Buy Before Midnight on Barnes and Noble
BOOK TWO
Buy One Bite on Barnes and Noble
BOOK THREE
Buy Golden Stair on AllRomance
Buy Golden Stair on Barnes and Noble
BOOK FOUR
Buy Divine Scales on AllRomance
Buy Divine Scales on Barnes and Noble