Today's guest shares a nice Q&A with us. Dlesheree Gladden is the author of Wicked Hunger and she wants to tell us a little about it.
Q: When did you first start writing?
A: I first started writing when I was a teen. It was mainly just a hobby at that time, and I wasn't very good. After I got married my husband encouraged me to focus on writing and get into publishing. His support has made all the difference.
Q: Do you read much? If yes, have you always loved reading?
A: I have always loved reading. When my mom would take us to the library when I was little I rarely left with less than twenty books, and I always had them all read by the time we went back for more books.
Q: Who's your favorite author? What's your favorite book?
A: This is always such a tough question because I have so many. Can I pick two? Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson are at the top of my list. I love the Dresden Files and the Mistborn Trilogy.
Q: What writers have influenced you the most?
A: Patricia C. Wrede and Jim Butcher. Wrede's books were the first books I really fell in love with. Her characters brought the whole story to life. Butcher's imaginative and unique take on magical creatures and elements inspires me to stretch my mind and be creative.
Q: Do you have a favorite fictional character? Either from a book or movie or a tv show?
A: I think I'd have to pick Mat Cauthon from the Wheel of Time books. Even though 15 rather long books, he always surprised me and kept things interesting.
Q: What are you working on right now? Can you tell us something about it?
A: Too many things at once! I'm working on the sequel to Wicked Hunger, called Wicked Power, which will continue the story of Van and Zander Roth as the explore the world of the Godlings and try to figure out who to trust. I'm also working on a sequel to Escaping Fate. Soul Stone follows Arra as she discovers new abilities. A new project, Invisible, a story about an invisible boy who discovers someone is trying to hunt him down, is the last project I'm focusing on. It will be featured on Wattpad starting in Sept. 2013.
Q: Is there anything in particular that you do to get in the mood to write, or to get in the 'zone'? Any particular pre-writing routines?
A: It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I want absolute quiet, an other times I need to have music in order to concentrate.
Q: Where do you do your writing?
A: I do most of my writing either on the couch or up in the extra room that is my office/sewing room. My computer shares the desk with two sewing machines and a dressmakers dummy, but it works!
Q: How do you approach your writing? i.e. - Do you do outlines? Character bios? Etc.?
A: I jump in and keep writing until I either get stuck or finish the book. I only outline when I absolutely have to and I've never once done a character bio.
Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
A: Read a lot. There is so much you can learn from reading other writers' work. I get a lot of inspiration from favorite books. Authors I really admire encourage me to keep expanding my abilities and push myself.
Q: Are you a morning person or evening person? Day or night?
A: Night, definitely. I am not a morning person at all, although I taught a seven o'clock yoga class twice a week for over a year!
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Nope. Between me and my husband, we're allergic to most pets. The ones we aren't allergic to are too smelly. Some day I'm sure my daughter will talk us into a dog regardless of allergies, but she hasn't been successful just yet.
Q: What's your favorite 'I need a break from writing' activity?
A: Reading a good book. I love losing myself in a story and I love sharing my favorites book with my kids now.
Q: How do you approach writing sex scenes? They can range from mild to wild. Where are you on the mild to wild meter?
A: Since I write YA, I don't really write sex scenes. I write steamy scenes when they are called for, but even in the adult books I'm working on, I have a closed door policy.
Q: Do you write in one genre? Or more than one?
A: All of my published books are YA urban fantasy, but I have three adult dramatic romances that I am working on right now.
Q: Are you self-published or with a publishing house?
A: Most of my books are self published right now. I worked with a publisher on The Destroyer Trilogy originally, but after many problems I decided to go back to self publishing. Wicked Hunger was signed with GMTA publishing early this year, and is now available from most major ebook retailers.
Q: What are your thoughts on getting a literary agent?
A: I've never worked with a literary agent, so I don't have a lot to go on to answer that question. I think it depends on their experience and contacts. If they can do more than an author can do on their own, I'm sure it would be a great partnership. The publishing industry is becoming more open to working directly with authors, though, so it will be interesting to see how their role changes in the future.
Q: What about marketing? How do you approach that area?
A: Most of my marketing is done online through social media, reviews, blog tours, workshopping, and participating in giveaways and author related events.
Q: What about beta readers? Do you use them? How many do you have? Where do you find them?
A: I have several great beta readers I work with. I have found beta readers through writing groups as well as recruited a few loyal readers and new readers through mutual friends and social media.
Q: What's your favorite food?
A: Green chile chicken enchiladas. Being from New Mexico, I love green chile!
Q: What's your favorite color?
A: Orange. I love fall colors, the dusty, muted reds and oranges of fall leaves.
Q: Is there a particular website or facebook page or blog that you, as a writer, find very helpful?
A: The Next Big Writer online writing community has helped me connect with so many wonderful authors. Goodreads is also a great place for authors. You can connect with readers and share updates about your writing.
Q: What's your favorite time of the year?
A: I love the fall. Living in a desert, it's always a relief when the heat starts to cool into nice autumn days.
Q: What's your most recent book about? And where can people buy it?
A: Wicked Hunger is the story of the Roth siblings. Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. Vanessa's instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy's appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy's secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. One of them is right about Ivy . but if they lose control of their hunger, it won't matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they'll all be dead.
Q: As a writer, what do you feel is your strongest gift or talent or skill that you have, that helps you the most as a writer?
A: One thing readers have told me they enjoy are my characters. I always try make sure my characters are unique. I want them to have a life before the book starts. Their backstories drive the decisions they make in the book. I don't want readers to feel like the character was "born" on page one.
Q: Please share some of your links with us - facebook author page, website, where people can find your books?
A: Readers can find me online at:
About the book: Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.
About the author: I live in New Mexico with my husband and two children. I love expressing my creativity through writing and painting and I get a lot of my inspiration from my family and from the culture and beauty of New Mexico. I write mainly Young Adult urban fantasy, but my writing interests are ever expanding. I am also currently in the Dental Hygiene Program at San Juan College, so 90% of my waking hours are devoted to thinking about teeth for the time being!
