Today I'm interviewing writer Sharon Anderson whose debut novel, Curse of the Seven 70s, has just been released. Congratulations, Sharon!
“My stories are dark and twisted
with a sense of humor, because if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re already
in hell.”
Sharon grew up in a haunted house in the sleepy wilds of Ballard
in Washington, where front lawns seemed grander, roads wider, dad’s hands
larger, and everyone was a friend or at least a potential audience member. Sharon
spent her time daydreaming, making up stories to share with the neighborhood
kids. As for the ghost—a less creative person might chalk it up to older house
issues and an off-the-charts imagination…
Sharon
is the first place winner of 2014 Chanticleer Book Review Summer Short Stories
and Novelettes Writing Competition for her short story “The Stone God’s Wife”. This is her first novel.
1. What gave you the idea to write The Curse of the Seven 70s? I’ve always been a big fan of old horror movies. There’s a
particular movie where a guy digs up a coffin, opens it up, pulls out a stake,
and the skeleton becomes Count Dracula! I remember seeing that movie as a kid
and thinking, if that were me, I’d put that stake right back in! I’m really
glad that I was able to write a story where that could happen.
2. How long have
you been writing? What was the motivating factor that got you started? Great question. I think I’ve been
writing from a very early age – ever since I was able to use a crayon. I’ve
been telling stories much longer. I saw a meme recently on Facebook that said,
“She’s not a schizophrenic, she’s an author!” And every single writer I know
gets it. Whatever makes us write, makes us unbalanced if we don’t. We (writers)
all have voices in our heads whispering storylines at night, throughout the
day, stalking us in the shower, mining our conversations for good, meaningful
content. I write because by doing so, it frees something within me, that creative
force, and it makes life so much more interesting and vibrant.
3. What do you want most for
your readers to come away with after they’ve read your books? I would hope my readers would be glad
that they’ve taken the time to read one of my stories. Life is hard, I write to
reflect that or draw out the absurdity of it. After reading Curse, I hope that
my readers would enjoy the book enough to pass it along to someone else who
needs a good laugh.
4. Tell us about your marketing strategy: I think a lot of writers look at
marketing as a necessary evil – something that’s painful, degrading, and
probably embarrassing. I’ve learned from listening to Bill Kenower (Author to
Author radio blog) that marketing is simply talking about what you love. So, if
I’m standing in line at the grocery store and strike up a conversation with the
person next to be about the heartbreaking Seattle Seahawk loss, we might get
around to talking about what we do for a living… one thing flows into the next
and pretty soon I’m giving that person the logline of my novel or script or
poem – whatever. I think it might be helpful to have cards made up with all of
my information on it, so wherever I am, I can just give someone a card instead
of writing my web address on the back of their hands with permamarkers. Also,
it helps to have a team on your side, someone to help you create a Press Kit,
book readings, bug you about stuff you should have done ages ago, but put off… So,
to sum up: Don’t be afraid to talk about your stuff, AND find a really good
marketing person to help you.
5.
Name four essential items for writing:
1) Something with which to write, of course,
be that computer, paper & pencil, whiteboard, post-it notes, banana leaf,
whatever you’ve got—it ain’t writing unless you put words down!
2) Then of course a writer needs a
healthy imagination, able to ask the big What If Questions, follow a story line
from If This –Then That, don’t be afraid to put your characters in peril, and letting
their characters come alive through the story.
3) The ability to not take yourself too seriously – having lots of
writer friends helps with this. I find my friends are always willing to poke
their noses into my work (which, albeit can be annoying, usually always ends up
with a tighter story, a better read).
Finally, 4) really
good butt glue.
Sometimes
love proves sweeter than revenge… even for a 15th century vampire.
Heartbroken, hungry, and a little bit drunk,
Cassandra soon realizes that just when she thinks things can’t get any worse,
sometimes they can get very strange…like finding a skeleton in the basement of
her newly inherited cottage.
But when that skeleton suddenly becomes a
hot, romantic, and business savvy vampire named Varo…things can get a little better.
That is…until his infamous older brother shows up, and their centuries old
sibling rivalry threatens her chance at true love.
Can their love survive her conniving ex-fiancé, his vengeful brother,
and the Curse of the Seven 70s?
Links: http://www.sharonandersonauthor.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Seven-70s-Sharon-Anderson/dp/1620156504 Labels: #paranormal #romance #vampire #haunted #humor