![]() I really intended to get this blog up much earlier, but today has been one of those days. I'd like to introduce you to Danielle DeVor, an enormously talented young lady who has a new book coming out from Crescent Moon Press. The novel is called Sorrow's Point. (Good title--I'd like to read it, especially since I am a horror aficionado.) She has this to say about Sorrow's Point: From her blog: With my love of horror, the supernatural, and fantasy, I set out to write a different book. So far, this is the only book I’ve written that is not YA, and besides writing sequels to it, I’m not sure if I’ll write another book for adults. We shall see where the muse takes me. I set out to actually write a horror novel. My eventual goal is to write a book that scares the crap out of me, but so far, I haven’t achieved it yet. So, when I started Sorrow’s Point, I wanted something that would be really scary, but lead up to the scare, kind of like Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. Instead, I ended up with a book that has a lot of magic, some scary parts, and a protagonist, Jimmy Holiday, who amuses me so much. How could you not like a defrocked priest with a heart of gold? Nope. Not telling you why he’s defrocked. That gives away from the book, but I will say the reason he is defrocked is more from bureaucracy than anything else. As the book progresses, Jimmy discovers that he is not who he thought he was, and he changes, in my opinion, for the better. Danielle is another Hurricane Sandy survivor. She has this to say about her experience: I live in a valley in between the mountains in West Virginia. Usually, the snow breaks up over the mountains, and we don't get hit with much, but Sandy had to be difficult. Unlike the counties to the east and west of us, we ended up with eight inches of snow. Those other counties? They had three feet! Luckily, we aren't like the tons of other people who are still without power, we only lost ours for about twelve hours. I am extremely thankful that the power company was able to restore power so quickly to us. But, even if they hadn't, we have a gas stove and could have heated one floor that way. So, all in all, my storm experience wasn't too bad at all. My Blog Link: http://www.danielledevor.wordpress.com Biography I didn’t pop out of the womb as a writer, but I always had stories bouncing around in my brain. Usually, these stories were fodder from daytime talk shows mixed with whatever supernatural element struck my fancy that particular day. I love vampires, horror films, music, ballet, and animals. I play the harp- which isn’t too common these days. Feel free to contact me at sammyig(at)rocketmail.com Upcoming book schedule is: Tail of the Devil- Eirelander Publishing- Release Date: TBA Sorrow’s Point- Crescent Moon Press- Release Date: 2013 Interview: How long does it take you to write a novel? Oh it depends. Sorrow’s Point started out as my Nano project last year, but I’d had the idea before then. But, after killing myself to get those 50,000 words, I took a break of several months before I could work on it again. I would say, from start to completion, roughly five months for this one. I’ve had another book take six years to write, and one to take three months. So, I guess my average is one book a year. What do you think makes a good story? Something that really pulls you in. If you find that you wince when something bad happens to the characters, then the writer has done their job. What do you do when you are not writing? I crochet. A lot. Usually, I do images in yarn. You can find examples on the Crochet Art page on my blog. I also read, watch a lot of movies, and when my hands let me, I play the harp. Do you have a day job as well? No, I don’t. What is your work schedule like when you're writing? I get up around seven every morning, and after everything calms down in the house, that’s when I try to squeeze in some writing before the household craziness begins again. I write at the kitchen table, so sometimes, getting quiet time to write is interesting. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? When I started writing, I started as a poet. Then, in college, I moved to writing drama. All of this means that I am used to writing things in a very short concise manner. This doesn’t work too well for prose, so after I write what others would call the first draft, I have to go back and add setting and descriptions of everything. So, I don’t consider myself having a real first draft until everything has been added to it. What does your family think of your writing? They are mostly excited to have a writer in the family. They are used to my weird imagination, so if they decide to read one of my drafts, then they usually aren’t surprised with what I’ve come up with. What books have influenced you the most? Anne Rice’s Vampire Cronicles, Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and The Shining, Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, and recently Guillermo De Toro and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I would love to be mentored by Stephen King, but then, millions of other writers would too. What book are you reading now? Victims by Jonathan Kellerman Do you work with an outline, or just write? Oh, I’m a total pantser. I once tried to write by outline, and it clicked the short side of my brain, so my first draft of this one book ended up being only 15,000 words. Not cool. So, I am a total and complete pantser. Thank you, Danielle, for being with us today. For those of you visiting, please leave a note and say hello. We welcome comments. ![]() UPDATE Steph Murray is one of Crescent Moon Press' co-founders. But that's not her only job. She is also committeewoman for Middletown, New Jersey. Without power and expecting a Nor'easter next week, she is hitting the streets in her area with information about where to find food, power, and warmth. Address to send donations to her area: Middletown Disaster Relief Fund c/o Mayors Office 1 Kings Hwy Middletown NJ 07748
Avery Olive
11/7/2012 04:01:54 am
Great post ladies!!
Louann
11/8/2012 01:02:47 am
Thanks for stopping by! 11/7/2012 06:20:11 am
Looking good! Loved the interview! Danielle, I do counted cross-stitch when I'm not writing--I love the mindlessness of it and the more detailed the pattern, the more fascinating I find the cross-stitch.
Louann
11/8/2012 01:03:42 am
You're welcome. Steph is doing a great job. Wish she was in my area. We could use someone like her.
Elaine B
11/7/2012 06:22:17 am
Hi, guys! Great interview. Stay safe in that new storm.
Louann
11/8/2012 01:04:22 am
Thanks for the sentiment. I know they appreciate it. 11/7/2012 10:03:27 am
Great interview! I know several writers who crochet or knit to battle writer's block. Makes me want to learn how.
Louann
11/8/2012 01:05:35 am
Hi, Connie. Thanks for dropping by. I tried to knit but my hands cramped up. Just couldn't get that thumb of mine to do what it was supposed to do. *grin*
Pat
11/8/2012 01:54:59 am
Nice interview ladies. Glad to hear you weren't hit as badly as others in our house, Danielle. A defrocked priest?? Hmmm, will be on the lookout for that one. 11/8/2012 03:52:53 am
The book sounds awesome, Danielle. Have you read any Lovecraft? Those give me shivers...
Luann DeMarco
11/8/2012 11:00:04 am
Great Blog! My thoughts are with all on the east coast affected by the storm.
Danielle DeVor
11/8/2012 09:42:46 pm
Thanks for all of your comments. Comments are closed.
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