And it’s a guest! Not really new for whoever has been following this blog since she was already interviewed here waaay back in 2011 and then again in 2015 for her wonderful series… And even her characters were interviewed on this very blog! Anyhow, for those of you who don’t know Mighty Jo, let me present you Amaranthine creator Joleene Naylor!
Where do you live and write from?
I live – and sometimes write – in the midst of chaos; a Victorian house that we’re very slowly redoing. We have three rooms finished, the rest are in various states of stacked boxes, displaced furniture, and partially stripped wallpaper, with copious amounts of dust bunnies and a few skulking cats.
Why do you write?
I’d love to say that I write because I have a story to tell, but honestly I write for two reasons. 1) It’s fun. 2) I have people who want to read what I’m writing. If the day comes when those no longer apply, I’ll quit and find something else to do. Maybe glut on anime.
When did you start writing?
I started writing stories before I could spell. My first “book” was a fully illustrated masterpiece about a girl who gets a phone call and goes roller skating. I didn’t do too bad for a three year old, though I hadn’t grasped vowels, so the spelling is pretty creative.
What genre(s) do you write?
I write the paranormal Amaranthine universe. Though it’s vampires, I lean on a lot of fantasy-style tropes – including epic quests, evil wizard-like figures, and sort-of magical abilities – because fantasy is my favorite genre.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
I see so many authors with great answers to this question. They want to help people, or save the world, or change someone’s life. Me? I just want to entertain people. Nothing is more amazing to me than when someone tells me they were thinking about my characters.
As far as what I’m doing to achieve it, I’m trying to relax and not get caught up in the numbers game. Author communities put so much emphasis on sales numbers, on making money, on getting votes, on having a 1,000 member email list, on and on, by saying that we have to do these things in order to be “legitimate” authors. There was a time when I happily said, “Sure, I’m a hobby author, and I don’t care.” But, after listening to the same routine for years, it got to me. My sales aren’t good enough. I’m not making enough money. No one votes for me (or nominates me) in contests. I have a very small email list. Those kind of thoughts sap all the fun out of the craft, and make you not care whether you’re entertaining anyone or not – why should you care when they can’t even click a vote button? That’s why I decided to back off novel writing for a year and reevaluate if I want to keep at it. To fill in the gap, I’m writing serial short stories for a blog group. The blog group is fun, and if I write – and publish – shorts from the Amaranthine Universe I can use them to stay relevant, just in case I want to keep at this writing gig (a year vacation can make an author’s sales disappear, and mine were pretty low already). I’ve been at it for five months, and I’m starting to remember why I liked writing. Since the stories are free, there’s no sales numbers for me to worry about. Dropping out of most authors’ groups has also helped a lot, not to mention I refuse to read any “You MUST do THIS!” articles. I’m once again happy to be a “hobby writer”, and am planning some longer works in the future.
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
Usually I’m an improviser, though I’ve outlined a couple of times. As for speed, I’m sloooooow. It takes me a year to get a novel done.
Tell us more about your book in the bundle
I have two books in the bundle: Shades of Gray and Legacy of Ghosts.
Shades of Gray introduces us to Katelina. When her friend with benefits is murdered, she’s dragged into the world of vampires. Dodging an angry coven, she falls under the protection of Jorick. But what happens when her knight in shining armor turns out to be one of the monsters?
Legacy of Ghosts picks up where Shades of Gray ends. Healing from their previous battles, Katelina is afraid to go home covered in bandages, so she agrees to go to Jorick’s house to heal. If only they’d get left to recuperate in peace, instead of getting dragged into another war…
Tell us about your latest book
I’m working on a year of short stories right now, with at least two free shorts released every month. Currently I’m writing Tales of the Executioners, short stories about the elite police officers of the vampire world. You can find all the details – including links to all retailers – on my website http://joleenenaylor.com/freebies/tote.php
Any other projects in the pipeline?
When my short story year is up, my next novel will star Micah and Loren on a road trip to California. Then I have a trilogy planned that takes place sixteen, or so, years after the original Amaranthine story ends, and stars Paylin and Jayleth. I also have plans for a gothic-style novella, and a half idea for a standalone mystery with Jamie and Verchiel. We’ll have to see about that one, though.
Barb’s note: I totally agree on the point of being a hobbyist writer so one doesn’t have to care about sales numbers and MustDo – it’s probably where I’m going too (keep writing but not publishing). As for the projects after the sabbatic year… erm… Jo… Sorino and his pet human (no spoilers) pleez? (Yes, I’m a fan of Amaranthine, my favorite being Verchiel, followed by Jorick)
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http://www.JoleeneNaylor.com
see: http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/author-excerpts/
*First time author?* Check out The Self Published Authors’ Lounge<http://selfpubauthors.wordpress.com/>for tips and advice!
Barbara G.Tarn - writer 