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
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