Anya Bast

The winner of yesterday’s book, Hell Kat, is Rebekah E! Congrats! Please drop me a note with your snail mail via the contact form on my site. 🙂

Vivi Anna’s Nocturne Veiled Truth comes out TODAY, btw! I’ll be picking that one up this afternoon.

Good luck in today’s contest everyone! My husband asked me this morning when are these contests going to end? Heh. (He’s the guy who picks the winners.) SOON! Next Tuesday, to be exact. I’ve had a lot of fun with this, though, and I’ll probably do it again in the future. You guys rock!

Some folks listed me in their answers yesterday, so I feel like I should answer the questions. LOL.

Q: I was wondering if you ever thought about writing in a completely different genre (other than paranormal)?

A: I do occasionally write non-paranormal contemporary. Very occasionally. Edge of Sweetness (Ellora’s Cave) is one example. Also my novella The Deal in the Harlequin Spice anthology What Happens in Vegas is non-paranormal contemporary. Honestly, though, paranormal (in all its various forms) pretty much has my heart. 🙂

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Q: Would you guide an aspiring author and help them finish their book?

A: I would enjoy helping out any aspiring author, however I’ve been advised not to weigh in on unpublished author’s WIPs. It’s just not a good idea for a host of reasons. But keep writing if you’re working on a novel. Just do it. Finishing that first one is most of the battle. I know it sounds trite (but it’s true), perseverance pays off.

There are a multitude of crit loops out there to join too. Finding a crit partner (or partners) is highly advisable for any author. Crit loops and my local RWA chapter were both HUGE helps to me when I was starting out.

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Q: How do you come up with your book ideas? (Two people asked a variation of this question)

A: Honestly, I don’t really know. It all starts with a seed. I’ll think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if….” Or “I’d really like to write a character that…” and it all spirals out from there. Sometimes it’s just an opening scene, something stuck in my head. It’s a mysterious process.

Coincidentally with the whole Q and A thing, I have an interview up at Bitten by Books today (goes up at 8:00 am PDT). There’s also a chance to win an autographed copy of The Chosen Sin.