Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?
A: I have been writing my whole life. I always loved English in school and would write short stories. In high school I wrote a lot of poetry, and after school I started to write a few novels but didn’t end up finishing them. Chase is the first one I ever actually finished.
I decided to indie publish about a month before Chase was published. There was a lot of hurdles I faced, and I wouldn’t have made it without help from a lot of amazing people. I knew what I wanted to write, but I had no idea about the ins and outs of the self-publishing world. I asked a lot of questions.
A: I was inspired by my baby sister, who moved to the city looking for a place to rent on short notice. She came home telling me how she found a place to stay with two hot guys. I took that idea and turned it into my own story.
Q: Do you plan to write more in the series? If so, how many books do you envision in the series?
A: I will be working on a spin-off series, starting with Saxon. I’m not sure how many I will write just yet :P
Q: You’re currently working on Spin My Love. Can you tell us about the book? When do you hope to share it with fans?
A: Spin My Love is a contemporary romance about two childhood friends. The idea came to me in a dream, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. I’m hoping to release in November this year.
***Add Spin My Love to your "to read" shelf on Goodreads.
A: I love reading and writing contemporary romance. I have written some paranormal romance in the past, which I may consider finishing and publishing in the future, but right now I am happy writing this genre.
Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?
A: Names off my baby name list that I never got to use, or just random names that come to me.
Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?
A: Good question! I’ve actually done both in different books. But usually I create the character and build around him or her.
A: Music definitely. I wake up in the middle of the night a lot with new ideas. Also while I’m in the shower lol.
Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?
A: I jot notes down, even if it’s just on my phone.
Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?
A: I try to take from reviews what I can. I’m always looking to improve, to get better, and to work harder.
Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fiction. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?
A: My heroine in Chase is half Sri Lankan. I myself am Sri Lankan, so I found it fun to add because I could add small pieces of my culture in.
Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?
A: I just write until it stops flowing. They usually end up being around the same length.
Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and what do you do to shake it off?
A: If I find that ideas aren’t coming to me, I take a break. I concentrate on something else, I try not to get stressed. It’s worked for me so far.
Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?
A: I love books by Kristen Ashley. Motorcycle Man was a fave of mine.
Q: What are you plans for 2013 as an indie writer?
A: I’m going to write, write, write. I love it. I want to finish the projects I’m working on and produce work that my readers will love.
I actually just hit publish on James book three in the series. It’s an early surprise as its official release date was on the 31st!
***Add James to your "to-read" shelf at Goodreads.
Find Chantal's books at Amazon.
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