Where do you get your story ideas?I watch TV, movies and read a lot. I always find a pattern in a story or a show and I think of all the ways I would do it differently. I like having a strong female character that isn’t afraid to get in the middle of the chaos and throw a few punches. The days of the damsel in distress are long gone in my books. Forget the dragon eating the beautiful girl, in my world the dragon should be afraid.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
I talk it out. I will find one of my writer friends or a trusted friend on Facebook and I’ll send them an IM. I will tell them what I’ve written so far (I throw in a few expletives from utter frustration) and then they will fire back at me with questions or they will tell me what they would have written which is usually something they know I will hate. This always get my mind working and I’m able to toss their ideas aside and run with what I need to do. If this doesn’t work I will read or listen to music or just move it aside and go to bed, lol.
How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
I have no formula. My characters tend to mold their world with me in the passenger seat. I write and find that they seem to develop their own personalities and I love discovering what happens next.
Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)?
I am a total and complete “punster” one hundred percent!
Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not?
I rely heavily on my betas who are also my critique partners. They are very honest and cut-throat which is what I demand. If they sugar coat anything I get angry. I want to know ahead of time if something isn’t right. A reader won’t sugar coat my work, a beta shouldn’t either. I love my betas. They are a big part of my work.
How much time do you spend on research? What type of research do you do?
This Night, the book I am currently working on, which is the last in my Grace Allen Series, deals with characters that need specific research. They are complicated and fascinating. I find I spend a lot of my writing time reading about them and deciding what parts of their lore I wish to add. I write fiction so the idea that I have to be entirely factual isn’t worrisome, but I do like to keep it as real as I can.
Tell us about your new book and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?
Currently I am writing the last installment of The Grace Allen Series titled This Night, which I hope to release this fall. The first three novels This Blood, This Curse and This Time are available at almost all retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google books, itunes and more.
Is there anything new, unusual, or interesting about your book? How is it different from other books on the same subject?
I created an entirely new species for this series. They are called the Madea and they are about to turn a perfectly ordinary woman’s life upside down. My book centers on Grace Allen, who at first, is just a normal Reno bartender. Then things get crazy. She discovers that she is actually the reincarnated soul of an ancient magical species and now everyone wants her, including a very sexy, power hungry vampire named Seth. Her only help happens to be and equally sexy man named Lucian who Grace suspects is not who or what he claims to be.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Taking criticism and going back to write some more. This novel had at least nine drafts. I swear I never figured it would see the light of day!
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned so much. First was to never give up no matter how much you want to chuck the !@*$ thing out the window! Also, that editing is a MUST and finding an editor you trust is key. I learned to research and to ask questions. So many wonderful authors have helped me along the way and I was surprised how many were kind enough to answer my questions.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in this book?
That’s funny because I already have in This Blood. I had it re-covered to fit the rest of the series covers and I re-vamped some of the chapters. I think as I have learned and evolved, my writing has too and I wanted This Blood to reflect that.
Tell us about your book’s cover – where did the design come from and what was the design process like?
I love my covers! Ronnell D Porter is my cover designer. When I wrote my first novel I let him have full control because I just didn’t know what to do. I can say that now I have a total vision for my covers and Ronnell and I are in total sync. All I really have to do is say something like, “I want red and gold, a male torso, fit. Tattoos and BOOM! He blows my mind.
Alisha lives in Nevada with her wonderful family and two sweet dogs. When not writing, Alisha is running around with lots of children or tending her garden. Please feel free to send her a note on facebook or drop her a line from her website alishabasso.com.
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When Grace Allen discovers a valuable ring in a gutter, she thinks it’s her lucky day, but, fate has other ideas. Now, Grace finds herself not only the keeper of tremendous power, but the only person in the world able to wield it.
Seth McPhee is a monster on the hunt and his prey has never been more seductive. While Grace's powers will ensure his leadership in the underworld, her beauty will make her captivity a pleasure.
Rushing to the rescue is Lucian, a man who is more than he seems. Will he prove to be the white knight that he claims, or is he just another beautiful monster?
Battling fantastic creatures as well as her raging libido, Grace’s resolve is tested. Will she succumb to a life of lavish entrapment, or escape for an uncertain freedom?
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Clever way to get through writer's block.
ReplyDeleteNew cover looks great, Alisha.