Tuesday 11 June 2013

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - CASSI CARVER

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Cassi Carver and I grew up in San Diego, California. I moved away for a few years after high school, but I’ve been back for quite a while now. I love it here! The weather is awesome!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I wrote stories when I was younger, but I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was little. I’ve had to settle for simply having lots of animals. LOL

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
After I completed my first urban fantasy novel. It was my first attempt at writing and I was totally hooked. The book was a whopping 550 pages, but writing it was so fun! I don’t think it took all that long.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
The first novel I wrote wasn’t one I tried to get published. Slayer’s Kiss, the first book in my spicy urban fantasy series, was actually the third book I’d written. I was fortunate to get a few offers on Slayer’s Kiss soon after submission.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Dark Flight is the 3rd full-length novel in the Shadow Slayers series. Kara helps Gavin bring down his evil black-wing father.

Who is your publisher?
My urban fantasy series is with Samhain Publishing.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It can take a few months for a full-length novel, but recently, I wrote a novella from concept to submission in 11 days. Of course, I was on a tight deadline—and that always helps. LOL That novella should be out next year.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
The hardest book to write was book 2.5 in The Shadow Slayers series, The Silverwing’s Sorcess. It’s Abbey and Jaxon’s story, and I’d never tried to write a novella before. It came in at 30,000 words, and toward the end of edits, for every word I put in, I had to take one out, so that it wouldn’t exceed 30k.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
Dark Flight, my recent release, has been one of my favorites so far! I’ve struggled with the heroine, Kara Reed, through her ups and downs and this book has such a satisfying ending that reading it makes me so happy.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Yes! In fact, on my website, there’s a link to sign up for my reader review team. I will gift a digital copy of any of my books in exchange for an honest review posted to Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Yes, I do. But I never comment on a bad review. (Though I’m not opposed to giving a thumbs up to someone who loved the book!)

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
A man once said something like, “I should have just watched porn.” I got the biggest kick out of that. It didn’t hurt my feelings at all. I’m generally just honored that someone takes the time to read my books!

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Never. People are entitled to their own opinions. I certainly don’t like every book I read. The difference is, though, since I consider authors my peers, I don’t post reviews for books I didn’t like or books I didn’t finish.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
I decide all that during the planning and plotting phase before a book begins, but I still learn a lot about the characters as I go.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
No. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I suffer from being a busy mom. I suffer occasionally from scheduling kid doctor appointments or grocery shopping trips during time I should be writing. But when a story is grinding to a halt, it usually means I got off track and I need to fix something. Once I fix this broken thing (usually by brainstorming other options), the story is off and running again.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
Reading, pets and gardening are some of my favorite things! (Plus my kids are pretty cute and need lots of snuggling.)

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Not in my urban fantasy, but the chicken in my contemporary novella, If You Need Me, is based on a real bird. LOL

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books?
No, but there is a secret passageway on my website that no one has ever found. It leads to a special page where you can win something just by finding it!!!

Where can readers follow you?

I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads and I love talking to readers!!

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