Monday, September 16, 2019

Chatting with fantasy romance author Deborah A. Bailey





Greetings Everyone!

Today, I’m featuring an interview with fantasy romance author Deborah A. Bailey. She talks about her latest release, why she writes fantasy, and more!

Q: Tell readers a bit about yourself and your books. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've written 10 fiction books and 3 non-fiction books so far. I've written for years, though when I was working in IT, I didn't write for a long time. During that point I'd given up on writing and publishing for some reason. Probably because during that time I was always on-call, and I had little time for my personal pursuits. Eventually I did move out of that career and I started taking writing classes and the rest is history. My first non-fiction book was published in 2010, and my first novel in 2012.

My favorite? That's tough because I do feel a sense of accomplishment about them all. I think my second Hathor Legacy book is my favorite, though. With my first novel, I was so focused on trying to be perfect. Following all the rules I'd learned over the years. Then, with book 2, I just relaxed and told the story. It felt so much better to write it.

Q: Your latest fantasy romance, Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams was just released. Please tell us all about it.
This is the third book in the Once Upon A Princess fairy tale romance series. Actually it's a sequel to Once Upon A Princess: Heart of Stone, and has the hero from that book, Willem, as the hero of this one. But in this case, he's gone through a transformation and he's a completely different person physically. He was a gargoyle in the previous book, and now he's become a gargoyle shifter. This book was tricky because I had to show that Willem is a new person created by elemental magic.

It took about a year to finally finish this story. Life happened and there were times when I had no idea where I wanted the story to go. Finally I started working on another story, and that one helped me to finish this one. When you're stuck, changing things up helps to clear your mind.

Here’s the book blurb:

Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams

Willem was created of magic and trapped in the Land of Dreams by a curse in which he shared his gargoyle form with Eduardo. When Eduardo freed himself from the evil spell his jealous half-brother Erokan cast on him, Willem was given a new life.

Now a gargoyle shifter, Willem meets Cicely, daughter of Lord Montrose. Everything he's ever wanted is within his grasp. But he isn't the only man who longs to capture her.

Aware Cicely descends from royalty and was hidden away as a child to keep her magical ability a secret, a mysterious stranger intends to bend the powerful fire elemental to his will. Cicely knows she possesses magical ability. Falling in love with the courageous, self-sacrificing Willem may be the key to awakening…or unleashing…something formidable buried deep inside her.

Q: Why do you write fantasy romance? What draws you to that genre? Would you write romances in other genres?
I never expected to write fantasy romance at all. My first love is science fiction, and that was the genre of my first novel. But a couple of years ago I decided to give fairy tale-inspired story a try. As it turned out, I really enjoyed writing it. So, I wrote a second one, and eventually this one. What I like is that you can create worlds without having to stick with what's possible or probable. As long as you can dream it up, you can create it.

Also, I think particularly these days, fantasy romance gives readers (and writers) a break from reality. I want to entertain my readers and give them something fun and sexy while they're reading. And, of course, I enjoy writing them, too.

I've written contemporary romance under a pen name, but contemporary is not my first choice. As with most of my other books, I wanted to try out a new genre. Right now I have ideas for a couple contemporary books, so they might turn up eventually.

For the most part, though, I will always be drawn to fantasy and sci-fi.

Q: Do you have a backlist title you would like to promote? Something readers may have missed...
My short story collection, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales is something that doesn't neatly fall into the categories my other books do. I call them speculative fiction stories, which I guess covers it! They're a combination of stories I've had previously published in the Sun magazine, and stories I'd originally written to submit to a Star Trek fiction contest. They weren't accepted, so I rewrote them with my own characters.

Q: Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
I put a bit of personal experience in the story about Willem's rebirth. I think everyone goes through those times when you start over in your life. That's the fun with fairy tales, they're actually life lessons. The good thing is they can be entertaining without being preachy. But there is a lesson underneath.

Q: Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say about your books?
They love the paranormal – especially shifters! So do I, but I want to be able to try different things. Readers have their favorites, and I get that. But I hope that they'll also like the new stories and characters that I introduce.

Q: What's next for you? Are you working on anything new?
Yes, I'm working on a mythology retelling under a pen name. And I've got a dragon shifter series in mind, and another paranormal/sci-fi romance novel. And, there's another Hathor Legacy novel coming at some point, along with another Family Pride lion shifter book. I have a ton of ideas, I just need more time!

Ready to start reading? Order Deborah’s books here:

Once Upon A Princess: Duet

Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams

Hathor Legacy: Outcast

Hathor Legacy: Burn

Hathor Legacy: Revelations

Family Pride: Blood Fever

Family Pride: Love and Challenges

Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales


Follow Deborah on Social Media here:
Twitter: @AuthorDeborahB
Facebook fan page: @AuthorDeborahAB
Instagram: @db2233


About the Author
Deborah A Bailey’s Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance stories include suspense, a bit of mystery, and a lot of romantic heat.

She’s the author of the Hathor Legacy Science Fiction Romance series, and Paranormal Romances including the Family Pride lion shapeshifter series and the Once Upon A Princess fantasy romance series.

Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun. They’re included in her short story collection, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.

In addition to her fiction work, she has published three non-fiction books and articles for various online publications. She’s also the host of Women Entrepreneurs Radio, a weekly podcast available on iTunes.

Visit her site to learn more: http://www.brightstreetbooks.com