Interview with Author Skyla Dawn Cameron:
Hi . Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...
- Please tell us about your latest book.
Bloodlines is the first book in a new urban fantasy series I have planned. Zara Lain—an arrogant, immoral vampire with a love for money and hot guys—is making her transition from thief to full-blown assassin. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with dangerous people, life gets a little dangerous for you too, and Zara finds herself caught up in the middle of a massive assault on supernatural beings, a secret government, and rumblings of an apocalypse. Also, her nice clothes keep getting ruined, so that really ticks her off a lot of the time.
- What can we expect from you in the future?
Wolfe, the sequel to my debut, award-winning novel River, will be released next year. It continues the journey of wolf-turned-human River Wolfe.
Hunter is the first sequel to Bloodlines, and it will be out either late 2009 or early 2010. After that, there are three more sequels contracted (that I haven’t written yet).
I also provide free serialized fiction on my website via www.apocalypsenovel.com and www.curiokilledthecat.com. I like to keep busy.
- How do we find out about you and your books?
- How may readers contact you?
skyla@skyladawncameron.com (email)
http://indigochick.conforums3.com (message board)
Or you could try astral projection into my dreams, but I’m not 100% sure that’ll work because I don’t sleep much.
- How many readers/fans contact you?
Well, less than J.K. Rowling. But I do okay—between my free online work, and my commercially published novels, I have a fairly loyal fanbase, and the number that contact me has been growing exponentially.
- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?
They do in that they encourage me to work on things. I constantly receive letters from people who read River and want to know about the sequel. I doubt I would have finished it if not for very vocal fans who wanted the story to continue.
- Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I write cross-genre, and romance (or at least a love story) is always a part of my work. People do stupid things when they’re in love, which is always great in fiction when you need some conflict. Seriously, though, love makes the world go round—it’s kind of hard to NOT include it in my work.
- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
I’m extremely opinionated, so it’s hard to keep my values out of my work. For example, I’m a life-long feminist. As a result, my work usually features well-rounded, strong (but flawed) female characters.
- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?
I was reading at age two and a half, so I’ve been writing almost as long. My first submissions were to poetry anthologies and contests, but I’m a crappy poet, so I don’t do that anymore.
My first novel submission came about when I was twenty-one. Mundania Press was looking for werewolf/shapeshifter stories, I wrote one and decided to see if they wanted it, and four months later they offered me a contract.
- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
It varies. I’m an A.D.D. writer, so I always have several projects on the go at once, and I write in short, creative bursts. So I often finish the first draft of a full length novel in two weeks or less. If I don’t finish something in a short time frame, though, I often won’t work on it for several months.
- Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I’ve become very disciplined over the past several years. Writing rarely pays well, so I don’t have time to just go with the flow or wait for the muse to strike. If I’m not feeling inspired, I at least edit. Having free serials for so many years taught me to write on a deadline (a chapter has to be posted every month), and write whether I feel like it or not because readers are depending on me to finish the work.
- What is your writing routine once you start a book?
I’m not sure I have a real “routine”, but there are certain things I always do early in the process. I soundtrack the book fairly early on, and if I have trouble finding the right songs, I know that I don’t know the characters very well. I’m also an artist, so I create character portraits and concept pieces. Otherwise, I just sit and write. I never outline.
- What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
I don’t relax, actually. My mind is constantly going, and I’m a total workaholic. If I’m tired of one project, I move onto another. If I don’t have any work that absolutely needs to be done, I’ll play a video game for a few hours.
- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?
What motivates me is a need to express myself, and being highly competitive. If it weren’t for those driving forces, I’m not sure I would have gotten as far as I have in life.
- Do you feel humour is important in women's fiction and why?
I think humour is important in all fiction. Fiction represents life. Life is pretty ridiculous most of the time.
- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?
I hate writing love scenes. I’ve gotten better at it over the years, but they still make me giggle. I’d rather people argue because I prefer writing dialogue.
- What does your husband/wife think of your writing?
I’m actually dating my biggest fan, so he thinks pretty highly of my writing. That’s a wonderful change from my last partner, who couldn’t have cared less. So I’m able to talk about my work with my boyfriend, and he can give me the perspective of a reader.
- Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)
I graduated high school in 2001 and started writing full time immediately. I work a variety of jobs now, including doing cover art and acquisitions editing (slush reading), which I love. I adore television, though most of my favourite TV shows always get cancelled (or just aren’t around anymore).
- Fill in the blank favorites -
1. Dessert - I’m not a big sweets person, but I love potato chips.
2. City - Toronto, I guess, since it’s nearby. In my head I think I’d love Tokyo, though.
3. Season - Fall.
4. Type of hero - Heroes that respect strength in women, and aren’t intimidated by it.
5. Type of heroine - Flawed heroines. Also, snarky ones.
- Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?
My favourite book is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
- Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
My biggest influence has been screenwriter Joss Whedon. I learn more about storytelling every time I watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer than I’ve learned anywhere else.
- What do you think of critique groups in general?
I’ve never used one myself, and I’m a little cautious of it. I think it’s important to get the perspective of others, but not everyone has the same agenda (which should be to improve the story), so a writer has to be careful.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
I really want to own my own Irish pub, but that’s more of a ten year goal. In five years, I hope to have several more books out, and to be making my living purely through writing and art.
- How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I’ve written about twelve. The first three were my “practice” novels, and though I learned a lot, I won’t be publishing them. Two have been commercially published, with two more scheduled to be out in the next few years. Three were eSerials or webnovels available for free on my website. Others were completed for National Novel Writing Month, one of which I’m working on the second draft of so that I can pursue publication with it.
- After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and/or read it?
Absolutely not. I’ll read something I’ve written a dozen times before it’s published, but once it’s out, I’m done with it. If I have to write a sequel, I just wing it and hope I’m remembering everything from the first book.
- What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?
River was probably the easiest—the first draft was completed in twelve days. Wolfe, its sequel, was ironically the most difficult. The most fun was Asha’s Guide to Zombie Dating Etiquette, a horror romantic comedy that hasn’t been published yet.
- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
Characters. Usually I get a sense of a moment and an emotional truth, and the characters involved. The process of writing, for me, is discovering how those people got to that moment.
- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?
World dictator. So let’s all be thankful that I’m writing. 
- What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?
“Have you ever shot a man in Reno just to watch him die?”
Thank you very much for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
Author Links:
Skyla's Website Email Skyla's Blog Skyla's MySpace Skyla's Yahoo Newsgroup Skyla's Message Board Children of the Apocalypse Skyla's Stories: Curiosity Killed the Cat
RaH Links:
Interview Review Review
Purchase Links:
Buy Skyla's Books At Amazon
Buy Skyla's Books at Mundania Press
Buy Books at Mundania Press
