As regular readers know, I am a participant in The Hotel Paranormal series. Since I’ve enjoyed all the stories I’ve read by fellow authors in the series, I’ve decided to open my blog to visit with them. This week, we get to know the author of the book released November 6, Sheri Queen:
- How did you come up with the title for this book? It’s my protagonist’s job—bounty hunter. I decided I wanted to separate my novel from the many other bounty hunter ones, so I came up with the gender switch of huntress. It worked.
- Is there a message or theme in this story you want readers to be aware of? There are several themes within the story, mostly about family and relationships, but the biggest one is that it’s okay to be different. Love who you are, and don’t let what others say make you think you’re not good enough.
- Is this part of a series? If so, can you share a little about what’s coming next? This is a short novel that’s part of a multi-author series, The Hotel Paranormal. Over twenty authors have penned their own paranormal story set in a common world—the Hotel. It’s been so much fun to do. You can find out more about the series at www.thehotelparanormal.com, but basically it’s a hotel set in an alternate dimension that’s a gathering place for paranormal creatures.
The Hotel Paranormal is THE place for supernatural beings looking to get away from it all. Beings like werewolves, vampires, elves, sprites, djinn and more check in from all over the world for business and for pleasure—and sometimes for both.
Also, I’m using this as an introduction to a new series I’m working on, the Sleepy Hollow Hunter series. The next novel will be out in 2017, although I don’t have a release date as yet. It will see Janda Gray take on her hunter role in earnest. She’ll have great joys and even greater sorrows as a Sleepy Hollow Hunter.
- Is there a process you go through when deciding your character’s names? I find names in all sorts of places—street signs, town names, shop names. My character, Janda Gray, was inspired by a florist shop—Janda’s Flowers. Lol. If the name fits the character, why not?
- What made you become an author? I love reading. It was my go-to activity growing up. I make up stories in my head all the time, so I thought it would be good to actually learn how to write them down. The other thing about being an author is that you can do it any place. It’s portable. I spent years getting uprooted as a Navy wife, and it’s hard starting over all the time. This is something I wish I had done sooner, but at least I’m doing it now.
- Beginning writers look to published authors for advice, so what words of wisdom can you give new authors? Well, I’m still a new author. This is my first release. I have other stories written, but other than some short stories in a college journal, I have not been previously published. I’d say, keep at it. Don’t give up.
- Do you have one particular character in your current novel that you just love? Besides my main character, I have several I really like. Sebastian, the vampire in the story, is probably one of my favorites. He was a lot of fun to write.
- Social media takes up a lot of an author’s time, but it’s crucial to expanding our readership. Can you tell me which social media platforms you prefer to use when connecting with your readership? This is a hard one for me. I’m building my following, so I try to hit most of the major platforms. I connect with a lot of people on my personal Facebook page, but I restrict that to people I know. Pinterest is a lot of fun, but Twitter and Instagram seem to be the best spots for me to connect with potential readers.
- How do you want to be remembered as an author? I write stories I hope people will enjoy and that will resonate with them in some way. I don’t need to be remembered, but if one of my characters makes a difference in someone’s life, then I’d be happy.
- What new stories/projects are in your pipeline? The next story in the Sleepy Hollow Hunter series is a priority. I also have an SF short story that may be dusted off to become part of a group anthology in the spring. That’s plenty for me at the moment.
Sheri Queen received her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She grew up in the Hudson Valley region of New York—an area she loves to depict as a backdrop for her stories—and enjoys traveling to new places where she is constantly discovering inspirations for her writing. In particular, she loves visiting old graveyards.
You can follow the author at:
www.sheriqueen.com
Twitter: @SWQueenFlemming
https://www.facebook.com/SheriQueenAuthor/
https://www.facebook.com/SheriQueenBooks/
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