Please help me welcome author Amber Scott as our guest..
Caroline: Amber, readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up.
A: I’m the middle girl of five girls and while we started out in Winnemucca, NV, we moved to Sparks, NV and mostly I was raised there. I moved to Arizona after college at UNR and fell in love with Monsoon season and the huge, blue sky here. I have two kidlets, age 6 and 3 and am married to their daddy. As a kid, I was painfully shy. In high school, I hung out with a crew of rough and tumble guys but took all honors classes. According to my sisters, I live in “romance novel zone” and I love it here.
Caroline: Oh, yes, the romance novel zone is a wonderful place to dwell. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?
Amber: I’m a huge Gini Koch, Carolyn Crane, Julia Quinn, Ann Charles, Carolyn McCray and Rachel Gibson fan. Anything they write, I’m reading. Maggie Steifvater, too. I prefer romance but any sub-genre will do.
Caroline: How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?
Amber: I read about four a month, depending on how many projects I have going on. Every summer I give myself a mental vacation and just read all I can. Then it gets up to be more like fifteen books in a month. Right now, I’m reading “Fated” by Carolyn McCray and “Stolen Dreams” by Stacey Kennedy. Loving both!
Caroline: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?
Amber: Besides reading? I love a good movie. I really enjoy getting crafty with the kids, too. Making goodies for the HOT Club, my fan group that’s on Facebook is a lot of fun, too. It allows me to follow my inner geek.
Caroline: Describe yourself in three or four words.
Amber: Determined, comedic, optimistic, considerate.
Caroline: Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?
Amber: Right now my guilty pleasure is new Britney Spears music. I used to detest her bubble gum pop music. I guess it’s the anti-establishment too cool for mainstream rebel in me from high school who didn’t like her back in the day. Now, though, I adore her. Does that make me a sell out?
Caroline: Whatever you enjoy is perfect for you, not a sell out. How long have you been writing?
Amber: With the intention to publish, for six years. I wrote all my life but didn’t really do it consistently or with any idea of how I’d make a career out of it. Once my son was born and I found myself with a couple hours of free time during naps, it came down to laundry and dishes or try this dream out for real. I got addicted and have been writing every day since.
Caroline: Writing is addictive, isn't it? Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?
Amber: I thrive in quiet with my iPod tuned to whatever playlist I created for each WIP but I long ago had to give up needing it to write. My little girl came along and like many other things, her naptime isn’t up to me. She sleeps when she wants to. So I learned to daydream a lot and sneak in a little here and a little there in order to keep sane.
Caroline: I admire anyone with small children who squeezes in time to write. Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Amber: I’m both. I plot a few chapters ahead and create plot arcs and character interviews but do need a sense of being able to change course if need be. If I plot too much my muse, Milla, gets a bit stifled and miffed that I don’t trust her. I’ve learned to not piss her off.
Caroline: Hmmm, I wonder if my muse has a name? Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?
Amber: I sometimes see similarities in characters to people I know and making that connection will help me understand the character better but when I’ve tried to base a character on someone real, the character always took over.
Caroline: Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?
Amber: Both. I research what I need to in order to get a strong sense of setting and rules. Then as I write, things pop up that need verifying. Or I think of a detail I need to flesh out and research more.
Caroline: Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?
Amber: I’m a huge goal person. I write at least 1000 words a day, preferably fiction, but any format will do. I also try to edit daily. Both are part of deep, daily practice that even though it can be really challenging, I know my brain thrives on and learns faster from. I have so many stories itching to get out that I tend to write pretty fast.
Caroline: Setting goals helps me, too. Do you write full time or do you have a day job. If you have a day job, what is it?
Amber: I’m a stay home mom so I just fit it in where I can between laundry, kid activities, grocery shopping. I also run programs with the Indie Book Collective and am on two Blog Talk Radio shows which I absolutely love doing.
Caroline: You're a busy, busy lady. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?
Amber: You know when you see an amazing movie and you tell a friend and then they see and tell you how much they loved it? Or when you hear a really good joke, laugh you butt off then tell it? And they laugh their butt off? That feeling. I want that for my readers. I want readers to experience the thrill of each story as I did and then get to connect with another person through sharing it again.
Caroline: Perfect. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?
Amber: Write every day no matter what. Try to get to that place where you surrender to the story. Then surround yourself with positive driven authors who will help lift you up and dust you off when the business knocks you around. It will, no matter how successful you become. Such is the case with any career. Don’t let the knocks keep you down.
Caroline: Positive, driven authors to critique and encourage are a terrific aid to all authors. Tell us about your latest release.
Amber: FIERCE DAWN is a paranormal romance where blood is a drug and vampires are the immortals addicted to it. We see shifters, elementals, seekers, and more in a realm that exists in parallel to the mortal world. But realm lines are at risk and humankind is evolving. Some humans are becoming changelings, no longer human but not truly immortal either. This evolution will put humankind and immortals at risk plus there is a secret immortal sect who wants the mortal realm destroyed.
“X-MEN action meets True Blood heat.” -Ann Charles
NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD, 2010 Daphne Winner
“Intensely satisfying!” -Carolyn McCray
Kindle Bestselling author, 30 PIECES OF SILVER
Blurb: Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after Sadie Graves.
Elijah Stokes, the man who haunts her dreams, enters her reality claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.
Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for Sadie’s life, but for all of mankind's as well.
Excerpt:
He stepped closer, so close he could see thin gold flecks in her sky blue eyes. “Do you remember the night something chased you past the park?”
Her eyes widened. She perceptibly swallowed. “A werewolf?”
“No,” Elijah said, not wanting to correct the mortal term and create even more confusion. “I thought she was a shapeshifter, but she claimed to be a changeling. And that you are, too.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re sure I am.”
“I wasn’t. Until now. The changeling has been following you. I can’t get a strong enough trace to hunt her again.”
“She wants me dead?”
“I don’t think so, but she wants something. She’s waiting, watching.”
Her hand went to her throat but her gaze hardened. “That’s why you want me to come with you?”
“Yes,” Elijah said. “There are immortals who would kill you just to keep the realms pure. Half-breeds aren’t tolerated in the immortal realm. They’re seen as inferior, tainted perfection by many. A changeling would be far worse. Right or wrong, your existence threatens both realms. The fact that I’m not the only one who knows you are transforming puts you in higher danger.”
She threw her hands up and started yanking drawers open, tossing clothes aside. Impatient but not angry.
He took in her every move, listened to the even keel of her vibration. She sounded resolved. Elijah’s worries subsided. She was far sturdier than he’d first assumed.
She paused but didn’t face him. “And?”
“And there is a faction—The Illeautians—who consider humankind parasitic. They want the human realm destroyed. If humans start evolving….”
She pulled off her tee. The smooth bare skin on her back, two crescent shaped scars at her shoulders, filled his vision. Elijah couldn’t look away as she strapped a bra around her slender ribcage and put her arms through the straps. His gaze caressed the slope of her back. Two hollows above her ass peaked out from her bottoms. His imagination filled in what he could not see.
His body tightened against his will. He had no business wanting a mortal.
Even a changeling one. Because a part of her might always be human.
Humans died. Immortals lived.
“If you’re right and I’m not going to be human anymore, why would anyone care what I am?” She brought a snug blue shirt over her head then glanced meaningfully over her shoulder.
He should turn around, give her privacy. “Because, what are realm lines for if humans are evolving? Mortals live, they die, they do not become immortal. In human terms, it could be seen as the first stages of Armageddon. Only this wouldn’t be a war between Heaven and Hell.”
Caroline: Powerful excerpt. Where can readers find your books?
Amber: Pretty much anywhere online for ebook and paperback. I’ve found them in a few bricks and mortar stores but with the way the industry is going, I’d count on online if you want a copy.
Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?
Amber: http://amberscottbooks.com/ is my weblog. There, I stalk my fave authors, talk music and news about my releases. I’m hooked on Twitter and my handle is @amberscottbooks and I’m on Facebook under that same name, too. For fans, I also have the not so secret, secret Facebook group, The HOT Club, where I give first dibs on swag and extras and news. I sneak over to http://www.darkmediacity.com/ a lot, too because I’m a paranormal junkie.
Caroline: Thanks for visiting with us today, Amber. Continued success with your writing career.
 |
| Amber Scott |
Caroline: Amber, readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up.
A: I’m the middle girl of five girls and while we started out in Winnemucca, NV, we moved to Sparks, NV and mostly I was raised there. I moved to Arizona after college at UNR and fell in love with Monsoon season and the huge, blue sky here. I have two kidlets, age 6 and 3 and am married to their daddy. As a kid, I was painfully shy. In high school, I hung out with a crew of rough and tumble guys but took all honors classes. According to my sisters, I live in “romance novel zone” and I love it here.
Caroline: Oh, yes, the romance novel zone is a wonderful place to dwell. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?
Amber: I’m a huge Gini Koch, Carolyn Crane, Julia Quinn, Ann Charles, Carolyn McCray and Rachel Gibson fan. Anything they write, I’m reading. Maggie Steifvater, too. I prefer romance but any sub-genre will do.
Caroline: How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?
Amber: I read about four a month, depending on how many projects I have going on. Every summer I give myself a mental vacation and just read all I can. Then it gets up to be more like fifteen books in a month. Right now, I’m reading “Fated” by Carolyn McCray and “Stolen Dreams” by Stacey Kennedy. Loving both!
Caroline: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?
Amber: Besides reading? I love a good movie. I really enjoy getting crafty with the kids, too. Making goodies for the HOT Club, my fan group that’s on Facebook is a lot of fun, too. It allows me to follow my inner geek.
Caroline: Describe yourself in three or four words.
Amber: Determined, comedic, optimistic, considerate.
Caroline: Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?
Amber: Right now my guilty pleasure is new Britney Spears music. I used to detest her bubble gum pop music. I guess it’s the anti-establishment too cool for mainstream rebel in me from high school who didn’t like her back in the day. Now, though, I adore her. Does that make me a sell out?
Caroline: Whatever you enjoy is perfect for you, not a sell out. How long have you been writing?
Amber: With the intention to publish, for six years. I wrote all my life but didn’t really do it consistently or with any idea of how I’d make a career out of it. Once my son was born and I found myself with a couple hours of free time during naps, it came down to laundry and dishes or try this dream out for real. I got addicted and have been writing every day since.
Caroline: Writing is addictive, isn't it? Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?
Amber: I thrive in quiet with my iPod tuned to whatever playlist I created for each WIP but I long ago had to give up needing it to write. My little girl came along and like many other things, her naptime isn’t up to me. She sleeps when she wants to. So I learned to daydream a lot and sneak in a little here and a little there in order to keep sane.
Caroline: I admire anyone with small children who squeezes in time to write. Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Amber: I’m both. I plot a few chapters ahead and create plot arcs and character interviews but do need a sense of being able to change course if need be. If I plot too much my muse, Milla, gets a bit stifled and miffed that I don’t trust her. I’ve learned to not piss her off.
Caroline: Hmmm, I wonder if my muse has a name? Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?
Amber: I sometimes see similarities in characters to people I know and making that connection will help me understand the character better but when I’ve tried to base a character on someone real, the character always took over.
Caroline: Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?
Amber: Both. I research what I need to in order to get a strong sense of setting and rules. Then as I write, things pop up that need verifying. Or I think of a detail I need to flesh out and research more.
Caroline: Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?
Amber: I’m a huge goal person. I write at least 1000 words a day, preferably fiction, but any format will do. I also try to edit daily. Both are part of deep, daily practice that even though it can be really challenging, I know my brain thrives on and learns faster from. I have so many stories itching to get out that I tend to write pretty fast.
Caroline: Setting goals helps me, too. Do you write full time or do you have a day job. If you have a day job, what is it?
Amber: I’m a stay home mom so I just fit it in where I can between laundry, kid activities, grocery shopping. I also run programs with the Indie Book Collective and am on two Blog Talk Radio shows which I absolutely love doing.
Caroline: You're a busy, busy lady. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?
Amber: You know when you see an amazing movie and you tell a friend and then they see and tell you how much they loved it? Or when you hear a really good joke, laugh you butt off then tell it? And they laugh their butt off? That feeling. I want that for my readers. I want readers to experience the thrill of each story as I did and then get to connect with another person through sharing it again.
Caroline: Perfect. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?
Amber: Write every day no matter what. Try to get to that place where you surrender to the story. Then surround yourself with positive driven authors who will help lift you up and dust you off when the business knocks you around. It will, no matter how successful you become. Such is the case with any career. Don’t let the knocks keep you down.
Caroline: Positive, driven authors to critique and encourage are a terrific aid to all authors. Tell us about your latest release.
 |
| Available now from CreateSpace! |
“X-MEN action meets True Blood heat.” -Ann Charles
NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD, 2010 Daphne Winner
“Intensely satisfying!” -Carolyn McCray
Kindle Bestselling author, 30 PIECES OF SILVER
Blurb: Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after Sadie Graves.
Elijah Stokes, the man who haunts her dreams, enters her reality claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.
Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for Sadie’s life, but for all of mankind's as well.
Excerpt:
He stepped closer, so close he could see thin gold flecks in her sky blue eyes. “Do you remember the night something chased you past the park?”
Her eyes widened. She perceptibly swallowed. “A werewolf?”
“No,” Elijah said, not wanting to correct the mortal term and create even more confusion. “I thought she was a shapeshifter, but she claimed to be a changeling. And that you are, too.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re sure I am.”
“I wasn’t. Until now. The changeling has been following you. I can’t get a strong enough trace to hunt her again.”
“She wants me dead?”
“I don’t think so, but she wants something. She’s waiting, watching.”
Her hand went to her throat but her gaze hardened. “That’s why you want me to come with you?”
“Yes,” Elijah said. “There are immortals who would kill you just to keep the realms pure. Half-breeds aren’t tolerated in the immortal realm. They’re seen as inferior, tainted perfection by many. A changeling would be far worse. Right or wrong, your existence threatens both realms. The fact that I’m not the only one who knows you are transforming puts you in higher danger.”
She threw her hands up and started yanking drawers open, tossing clothes aside. Impatient but not angry.
He took in her every move, listened to the even keel of her vibration. She sounded resolved. Elijah’s worries subsided. She was far sturdier than he’d first assumed.
She paused but didn’t face him. “And?”
“And there is a faction—The Illeautians—who consider humankind parasitic. They want the human realm destroyed. If humans start evolving….”
She pulled off her tee. The smooth bare skin on her back, two crescent shaped scars at her shoulders, filled his vision. Elijah couldn’t look away as she strapped a bra around her slender ribcage and put her arms through the straps. His gaze caressed the slope of her back. Two hollows above her ass peaked out from her bottoms. His imagination filled in what he could not see.
His body tightened against his will. He had no business wanting a mortal.
Even a changeling one. Because a part of her might always be human.
Humans died. Immortals lived.
“If you’re right and I’m not going to be human anymore, why would anyone care what I am?” She brought a snug blue shirt over her head then glanced meaningfully over her shoulder.
He should turn around, give her privacy. “Because, what are realm lines for if humans are evolving? Mortals live, they die, they do not become immortal. In human terms, it could be seen as the first stages of Armageddon. Only this wouldn’t be a war between Heaven and Hell.”
Caroline: Powerful excerpt. Where can readers find your books?
Amber: Pretty much anywhere online for ebook and paperback. I’ve found them in a few bricks and mortar stores but with the way the industry is going, I’d count on online if you want a copy.
Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?
Amber: http://amberscottbooks.com/ is my weblog. There, I stalk my fave authors, talk music and news about my releases. I’m hooked on Twitter and my handle is @amberscottbooks and I’m on Facebook under that same name, too. For fans, I also have the not so secret, secret Facebook group, The HOT Club, where I give first dibs on swag and extras and news. I sneak over to http://www.darkmediacity.com/ a lot, too because I’m a paranormal junkie.
Caroline: Thanks for visiting with us today, Amber. Continued success with your writing career.
3 comments:
Amber, welcome to the blog today.
What a fun interview this was, Caroline! Thanks for having me.
Great interview! You rock AMBER!!!!!!!! Congrats on the fab day!
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