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Let's all welcome Author Alexandra O'Hurley to Epically Romantic. Alexandra will be giving away a PDF copy of All's Fair In Love and Lust. So to get in on the chance to win, please visit her website (http://alexohurley.blogspot.com/) and follow it, as well as clicking follow on this blog and when you comment on this blog leave your email address so you can be contacted if you are the lucky winner! Now on to the interview.
How long does it take you to write a book? It really depends on the story and my distractions, but I can usually finish a novel in about a two month window or a novella in one. But life and work happens, so I do my best to just keep at it.Are you anything like your heroines or heroes? I think any writer has a little piece of themselves in each and every character. But I admit that each one of my heroines has quite a bit of me in them.
Where do you get your ideas for your books? Gosh, I really wish I could tell you. I have had ideas come as dreams, researching an idea that has lead to new ideas, a simple comment from someone else, or even some guy walking out in a sports uniform from a convenience store one day gave me a spark of 'oh!'. I think our muses speak to us all the time. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? I currently have nine published/contracted pieces ranging from two shorts in two anthologies, two novellas and five novels. My favorite? Whichever I am working on! I think the story consumes you when it is in your head begging to get to the page. But if I had to choose, I would have to pick The Lottery.
Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing? I read them. Most creative people have a slight narcissistic side to them. We want people to like our work. It feeds the fire to continue creating. And I do take note of some of the critiques, especially if it something I hear repeatedly. But I also have to be true to myself and my vision. You have writers who are all about the money and will write any ole crap to get it out there. And then you have the ones who see their work as above reproach and they refuse to change it to fit the market. I am that writer in between. I want to make a career from this, so I need to listen to my audience/publisher, but I also want the writing to be good and the story to draw the reader in. At least that's my hope.
What do you like to do when you're not writing? I work full time and go to school part time. So when I am not writing, I sleep and eat. Both of which I excel at, by the way.
What does your family think of your writing? My 15 year old calls my books "those smutty things" and my mother refuses to read them due to content. But they are very proud of me. I actually got an earful one day when my mother didn't know I was there. It almost made me squirm it was so gushy.
Tell us five things about you, that we wouldn't know. One, I went to culinary school. Two, I originally wanted to be a History teacher. Three, I build websites. Four, I have two spoiled dogs. Five, I went to four different elementary schools in the fourth grade alone.
Tell us about your newest release. I have several. Night of the Dragon was released August 26 from Evernight Publishing and All's Fair in Love and Lust was published September 27 from Siren Publishing. Being Improper will be out October 7th from Evernight. The Midnight SeductionAnthology includes my short Going Berserk, and it will be out in mid-October.
Thanks for having me, Nichelle!
