We have a give away going on today for The Demon Souls series. One lucky
winner will receive an electronic copy of Whiteout and Vamped, Books 1 and 2 in
the series.
About Me?
Hi and thank you for having me here, Julie. I’m brand new at this author “thing,”
having published my first two stories in April, 2013 and January, 2014. I live
in southeastern PA with my teenager son and daughter, three kitties and two
mini dachshunds. When I’m not working or writing, I love watching TV series on
Netflix (yes, I will admit I am a couch potato) and reading books.
As you know, Julie, I had a blog post finished, but then unforeseen
circumstances occurred with the publisher I was using, so I’ve had to revamp my
interview. What I’d like to write about is what I’ve learned about publishing in a
very short period of time.
My options?
As I mentioned before, I had two stories published in the last year, but unfortunately, the publisher went out of business. This apparently is common in publishing; very few publishers are successful and many do not stay in business beyond the first year. I believed in this company (and I’m still
friends with many of the people I worked with there), but finances are finances.
So, the other authors and I were notified about the business closing. I immediately had
to figure out what my options were and make a decision.
My first option was to submit the stories to another publisher. That would mean going
through the entire submittal, approval and editing process again – something that could take months.
My second option was to self publish the stories. There are pros and cons to this, and many
of the other authors and I discussed them. For me, it was the best option.
Two of the three stories in the series have already been released. I’ve been marketing
them in the last month since their launch. And, I already have gotten the rights back to the stories.
Now what?
Well, this is where the learning curve has gotten steep, having to know all the
details that need to be done to get a story published – something I took for granted
while having a professional publisher handle them. So, I’ve had to find someone to
make covers for me, as well as find a content and line editor for the third story. Once
I get all this in place, I’ll then have to learn the magic art of uploading the stories
to the various third party vendors, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and ARe.
I’m hoping I can get all the details handled in the next couple weeks, so Whiteout and
Vamped can be available once more!
What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance, sex, blood and guts?
The Demon Soul series is a paranormal collection of short stories.
Whiteout is the first story of the series, involving Hunter, a policeman and
Helena, a chaos demon, who get stuck in a motel during a freak snowstorm.
Even in the frigid temperatures, things get very heated between the two.
The second book is called Vamped and it’s about a another policeman, Luke,
who is attending a convention in New Orleans. He’s been depressed after a
couple personal losses and while drowning his sorrows, finds himself involved in
a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a coworker.
Well, there is a bit of everything in the Demon Souls Trilogy: action, drama,
romance, and sex. There is some blood as well, but… that might give away too
much of the plot of Vamped {weg}.
Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? And Why?
I’ve always been drawn to Luke Arnold, the male lead in Vamped, probably because
there’s a bit of me in his character. He’s smart, tenacious and very loyal to his friends.
For him, those traits are a double-edged sword and so… wait, I can’t give too much away.
Let’s just say that Luke’s good qualities are what also get him into trouble in the story.
How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
Ah, yes…Victor was the first character that came to mind from Vamped. Again,
I can’t give too much away, but let’s just say that his motives are entirely selfish
throughout the story.
What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Well, that’s an easy question. Spread the word! Since I’m a new author, I’m trying
to establish myself, which is quite difficult on a budget. Writing is a tough industry
and I would hope if someone reads my stories, they’ll spread the word to their
friends about them.
Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
For readers, I would have to say KEEP READING! For writers just starting out? My advice
is to find some trusted people who will give you constructive criticism about your stories.
Not your friends. They’ll tell you they love your work no matter what, but a group of people,
maybe some other newbie writers who can read over your work and really pick it apart. I
would also suggest growing a thick skin. Not everyone is going to like what you write or how
you write it. It will hurt, but try to not take it personally.
Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?
I have A LOT of favorite authors, fortunately and unfortunately. I’ve been trying to
put just one down here and have rethought my decision a dozen or so times. So,
instead of choosing just one, I will tell you I just finished reading stories from Cat
Johnson, Molly Harper, Dakota Cassidy, Jaci Burton, Vivien Arend, Jayne Rylon,
…oh and Lorelei James. I can’t forget her. There are so many wonderful authors
out there, and depending on my mood, I’ll choose one or more to help me wind
down at the end of the day or to fight off boredom at work.
Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable?
Yes, I wrote a very short scene and put it on Literotica. It was an impulse thing to
do, so it wasn’t very good. I might, someday, go back to it and fill in around the
edges to make it more presentable.
Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your works?
Most of my inspiration comes from life: pictures I’ve collected that spark a scene
in my head and from there, the characters and action just seems to flow from there.
Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like
to share?
I already mentioned reading, which is very important to me. I also love to bake and cook,
so I enjoy finding new recipes and trying them out. I’m also an animal lover. I recently added
two mini dachshunds to our household. They were from a rescue and are just characters. I’m in
the process of introducing them to the cats, which is NOT going as well as I hoped.
Favorite places to travel or visit?
I travel with work, for now, just in the US. However, I traveled to Europe as a
child and did enjoy it very much. I’d have to say, that each place I’ve visited has
been wonderful. I enjoy learning the history of new cities and cultures. That being said, I’d
have to say I recently most enjoyed the Oregon coast with its stunning views of the Pacific.
And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book: (Include links to were we can
find your work)
I’d love to entice you with a snipped from Vamped, the second of three stories in
the Demon Souls series.
Luke Arnold was miserable as he sat alone in the small, seedy bar; but that
was nothing new for him. The dim lighting in the place was a perfect match for
his mood—depressed. The lack of people in the establishment only added to
his feelings of desolation. Good, he didn’t think he’d be very good company for
anyone but a big bottle of whiskey.
When he’d heard about the topic for the week-long national conference, he
jumped at the chance to be one of the three representatives from his station to
attend the police convention in New Orleans. He would be learning about new
techniques to uncover clues in cold cases that could possibly help him solve
meant to intrigue and tantalize
one he’d been obsessing on for some time now. It was day three, and thankfully
the daily sessions kept his focus; however, the problem for him came after the
educational meetings concluded. There was plenty of leisure time, which was not
a good thing for Luke. It gave him too much time to think about the one case that
was driving him insane.
He continued to drink, justifying in his mind, that the alcohol was the only thing
that helped him stop focusing on his friend, Hunter, who had been murdered
months earlier. If he could only get a break on the case, then maybe…. It wasn’t
even his case. Shaking his head, he couldn’t think about the “what-if’s” anymore
tonight. They were exhausting. He took a large gulp of the booze in front of him.
Ten years ago, he and Hunter Barnet met at the police academy in St. Louis,
and during training, they became best friends. Like two peas in a pod, or at least
that’s what everyone had said about them, he and Hunter hit it off immediately,
both enjoying high-adrenaline, physical activities, like skydiving and kick-boxing.
Heck, they even looked similar, both with blue eyes and short brown hair. Luke
was taller than Hunter, but not by very much. Luke had gone back to San Antonio
after his mom passed away following a lengthy illness and stayed there to attend
to family business. By the time he’d sold the business, he had already settled
back into the community and gotten a job on the local police force. The distance
hadn’t mattered, because the two men remained very close and talked several
times a week.
The last time he had spoken to Hunter was while Hunter was on patrol right
before an incoming blizzard. Strangely, it wasn’t long after returning to work
following the storm that Hunter was found dead in his bedroom, a gaping hole
in his chest. The St. Louis police department had no idea what happened since
there was no sign of a struggle or forced entry. There was no gunpowder residue
or metal filings around the wound or anywhere else on Hunter’s body. The police
and medical examiner weren’t even sure exactly how the six-inch wound was
made. After coming up with only dead ends, the department decided to stop
actively investigating the case, so he took a month’s leave of absence to begin
his own investigation, but to no avail.
Now, here he sat at the bar, alone, dealing with Hunter’s murder on top of his
mom’s death. The stress was too much for Luke’s mind, and he turned to alcohol
to help deal with the pain. Feeling even more sorrowful due to his ruminations, he
raised the glass to his lips and finished off the third, or was it the fourth, whiskey
he’d drunk in the last hour? It didn’t really matter. He didn’t care, because he
wasn’t paying close attention to how much he drank. New Orleans was a great
city to forget his problems, and all he wanted to do was to not feel the loss of
the two people he was closest to in this miserable world. Waving his hand at the
bartender, he ordered another drink, nodding his thanks when the liquid amnesia
was delivered.
“I knew we’d find you here.” He turned and saw his fellow officers, Seth
Armstrong and Jonathan Murray, coming up to the bar, almost spilling his
whiskey when Seth slapped him on the back. “We’re gonna hit the strip clubs
on Bourbon Street. Wanna go? We’re going to find some fun.” Seth grabbed his
crotch to emphasize his point, looked at Jonathan, and then laughed.
This was the first time in the three days since they’d arrived in New Orleans that
Luke really got a good look at his colleagues. Although they came from the same
precinct, he didn’t work the same shifts as Seth and Jon, but he could tell from
the short time they’d been together that both men enjoyed a good time. In his
alcohol-fogged mind, he decided both men were handsome. Seth was a bit taller
than Jon, but neither were as tall as him. Because they had physical jobs, they
were all solid muscle from their gym workouts and, at least in his case, from the
physical extracurricular activities he enjoyed.
Luke wasn’t in the mood for lap dances or strippers shoving their enhanced
breasts in his face. “Nah, go ahead. I’m gonna stay here for a bit and then go
back to the room to crash. I’ll catch you guys tomorrow for some coffee.” He
raised his shot glass in a salute. “Have fun.”
“You sure? I hear there’s some very fine looking women over at a place called
Fang. That’s our first stop, right Jon?” Luke could tell Seth wanted him to go, the
other man’s face apparent with both concern and anxiety, but looking at naked
women right now was not going to brighten his mood.
“Yeah, come on, Luke. You’ve been hanging at this bar since we got here.
They’re going to commemorate this stool in your honor if you’re here much
longer. Plus, how many times are you gonna get the chance to hear some pretty
Cajun gal call you ‘cher’ while you’re getting some? ‘Cher fuck me harder.’” Jon’s
bad Cajun accent actually made Luke’s lips tilt upward a bit. Damn, the man
could make a joke out of anything. Well, that and the half bottle of whiskey he
had imbibed made it even funnier.
“Go ahead you two. Go find some women and get laid. You both get twitchy
when you’re horny. Don’t forget to wrap your dicks so you don’t take home any
unwanted souvenirs.” With that, Luke chuckled again, and so did the other men.
He looked up and saw the tall, ancient-looking bartender staring at the three of
them with what he surmised was something like concern on his face.
Jon shook his head. “Whatever, you don’t know what you’re going to miss.” And
the two men walked out the door of the bar, leaving Luke alone with his empty
glass. Wait, didn’t he just order another shot?
Luke looked up again to see the bartender still staring at him with the whiskey
bottle in his hand, and now with an almost fearful look on his face. At first, he
thought maybe their conversation had upset the man, but then he filled Luke’s
glass and said in a heavy Cajun accent, “I don’t know what you boys are doing
here in New Orleans, but your friends need to be careful at…” he looked around,
“…Fang. Those women are…” he looked around again, and this time, he
whispered, “…they’re different.” Before Luke could say anything to the man, the
bartender turned and walked away to the opposite side of the bar and began
wiping the counter.
That was strange, he thought, throwing back the shot of whiskey. His mind hazy,
something niggled at him. The longer he sat thinking, the more he replayed
the bartender’s words in his mind, and the more he felt the need to find Seth
and Jon—urgently. After a few minutes, he stretched his long legs and got up
from his stool and started toward the door, the uneasy feeling in his stomach
intensifying by the minute.
Luke stumbled a bit on his way to Bourbon Street, the light of day fading into
the west as he walked down the street crowded with partiers. He didn’t have to
go far, thankfully, since the alcohol and crowds created an almost suffocating
atmosphere on the street. His head began to throb with the music and noise
from each passing establishment. It wasn’t hard to find Fang; two blocks from his
hotel, it was a large building with a neon sign of a naked woman with large fangs
dripping blood. Yup, this was the place.
I want to thank you, Julie, for having me here. I had a really great time! Updates
on the publication of the Demon Soul series will be provided on my Facebook
page, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/KimSeidelStories?ref=hl.
Thanks for visiting us here on JBR! We wish you great success!
Julie Ramsey
ADM JBR
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