This week I am so excited to share this with the world! The cover above makes me giddy every time I see it! The lovely cover model is a prior client of mine...and that photo is one I had taken this Spring in one of my boudoir/pin-up styled sessions! In honor of this fun and exciting time, I am featuring the talented author - Elise Marion!
Below is an interview with Elise. Enjoy!
What "hats" do you wear aside from writing?
Aside from making a
living as a writer, I am also a military wife and mother of 2. I spend
my days balancing my time between the two, and let me tell you, it's not
easy! Because I am independently published, I do not have the same
resources as an author published by a major house, which means I spend a
LOT of time wearing what I like to call the 'marketing' hat. I spend
just much time promoting on
twitter, facebook, blogs, and other romance sites, as I do writing in
an effort to spread the word about my books. I also personally choose
all of the photos for my cover art before having it designed, work with
editors to polish my work, and organize promotional virtual tours for
each book as it comes out. I also write a blog that reviews books and
showcases independently published authors of romance like myself.
How long have you been writing?
My love for writing really started as a love of books. That evolved into
an active imagination and flair for storytelling and by the time I was
12 I was sitting down to write my first novel. I wrote poetry all
through high school and also penned my first couple of romance novels.
They were beyond cheesy and mushy, but I got my start scribbling out my
gooey love stories on notebook paper.
How did you decide to become an author?
Years
ago I got an idea for a Historical romance that just wouldn't get out
of my head. I hadn't written anything in a long time, so I decided to
give in and get this story on paper. After two computer crashes and
about a year's worth of 'I'm not going to rewrite it.....okay, I'll
rewrite it', the book was finally done. I immediately rushed off to find
agents and publishers interested in my work. I never realized until
then that publishing is a business. I mean, I did know this before, but
the impact of it didn't hit me
until the rejection letter started rolling in. None of the agents said
that my work was bad. In fact, most of them said my work was good but
they couldn't represent it. Their reason? They didn't think they could
sell it. Publishing is about trends, point blank. If your book isn't
what's trendy (Twilight, Hunger Games, etc.), then agents just aren't
willing to take a chance. It's all about moving 'units'. For me, though,
it was about getting my voice heard, about living that dream of seeing
my book in the hands of others and having them love the characters I'd
created as much as I do.
It wasn't until June of 2011 that I
discovered the world of indie publishing. Getting a Kindle at my baby
shower opened my eyes to the revolution that is happening in publishing.
Ebooks have become the wave of the future and more and more authors can
be discovered by publishing their work digitally. After weeks of
research and work on preparing my book for the ebook
market, I finally published my first novel to Amazon. Barnes and Noble,
the itunes bookstore and many others followed. I've published 3 novels,
4 novellas and 1 short story since then and I have to say that doing
this was the best decision I've ever made. Those agents that didn't
think there was a market for my book were dead wrong, but I didn't do
what I did to prove anything to them or anybody else. I did what I did
for me and it's been the start of something really spectacular in my
life.
What inspires you?
I am really inspired by love and
the human connection. Yes, it sounds corny, but I am a romance author!
:) My stories are about people from all walks of life, all backgrounds.
Other than that, I think it's the idea of building a legacy that
inspires me. I aspire for so much, even if it's a long shot. The dream
of seeing my books on the NYT bestsellers lists or on the big
screen...these are the things that push me to keep writing.
What is your favorite book that you have had published and why?
I
think that my favorite is, and always will be my first. It's my baby.
It's the one that put me on the map and I am so attached to the story
and the characters. As a writer, you do get bad reviews from time to
time, but that is one story I hate to see bashed because of the power I
feel it has. It's all about love overcoming adversity, and in that
particular story adversity is a tame word for the kind of emotional
torture I put those characters through. I think that the Historical
style is also my favorite to write in, which is another reason I love
that first book so much. I think it's style totally defines who I am as
an author.
Briefly describe "Cake".
Cake was a blast to
write. I wanted to create something fun and funny, but also emotional
and heartwarming. It is about a wedding planner named Taylor Vaughn who
is desperately in love with her best friend. When he
asks her to plan his wedding to another woman, Taylor struggles with
her feelings for him and whether or not to reveal them. On the other
side of that is a new love interest, a man named Ethan who designs and
bakes stunning wedding cakes...I'm talking Cake Boss stuff here. Taylor
approaches him about making some cakes for weddings she is planning, but
it soon turns into something else.
Essentially, Cake is about
that precarious of position of friendship between men and women. Taylor
and her best friend, Caleb have been together all of their lives, grown
up together. At some point the possibility of more becomes a question
but Taylor will find herself torn between the two men. Ethan isn't shy
about making his feelings known to Taylor, but she is still unsure. In
the end, it's not so much about which of them will choose her, but which
of them she will choose to give her heart to.
When is it available? Where can one purchase it?
Cake was released July 2, 2012 and available for purchase now at these ebook retailers:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Cake-ebook/dp/B008GITQ58/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1346258993&sr=8-7&keywords=elise+marion
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cake-elise-marion/1111917884?ean=2940044724174
AllRomance Ebooks:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cake-857412-149.html
(Coming soon to iTunes, Kobo, Sony, and Deisel ereader stores)
It is also available in Paperback form at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Elise-Marion/dp/1478163798/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1346259103&sr=8-7
Thanks Elise! Take some time on this holiday weekend - download it on your Kindle, kick back, relax, and enjoy some "Cake"!
