#WCW Author Chat & Interview feat. Sedona Rose

#WCW Author Chat & Interview feat. Sedona Rose

Happy Wednesday!

Typically on the first Wednesday of every month, I sit down with a fellow author and dive into the creative process and go behind the scenes of one of their books. Well, today is not the first Wednesday of June, but we’re definitely talking to an author today. 

I recently made the acquaintance of this author and am excited to let her talk about her books and hopefully find some new readers among you. 
Without further ado, let’s get into this month’s chat with author Sedona Rose

 

Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Sedona! 

Let’s talk writing… 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

SR: I realized I wanted to be a writer when I started writing spoken word and poetry when I was in high school, and I started to have dreams of characters in my head.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

SR: For me, the characters come first because they can come to my mind at the most random times. Lol 

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

SR: I love writing to music because many of the songs give me scenes.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

SR: Not as much, but I do like to have the town name, the major locations I plan to write about, and who are the owners of the locations. 

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? 

SR: I have written three books thus far and I’ll say my favorite thus far would have to be my latest release, titled Sweet & Sour. It’s my favorite because it’s my first ever erotica and it was a challenge to write the book. However, once the book was released it hit the top five on the Black and African America Erotica list on Amazon which was huge for me. 

You’ve written in the YA, NA, and contemporary romance genres. Do you have a preference?

SR: NA would have to be my favorite because I can write some of my personal experiences in my life since I’m in the NA age range in real life. Lol 

If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try?

SR: I would love to try paranormal or fantasy since I love reading them by black authors. 

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

SR: For me, it would be the short story I wrote in the Santa Sing Me A Christmas Coral: A Holiday Anthology. The title is the name I’ll Be Home For Christmas. It was such a fun and sweet story to write because it gave me all the feel of a Hallmark movie! 

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

SR: It would be either I’ll Be Home For Christmas or The One: A Jones Hills Novelette

THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT SEDONA

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Reading, watching Marvel movies, or spending time with family. 

What’s your favorite food?

Anything seafood! 

Favorite artist and favorite song?

My favorite artist is Amerie and my favorite song is I Just Died 

 

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SEDONA & HER BOOKS, CHECK OUT HER SOCIAL MEDIA

The Scoop on
LET ME SHOW YOU

 

Can you share something about your current book that isn’t in the blurb?

SR: It’s part two of Sweet & Sour, which is from my Jones Hills Holiday Series. You’ll get more into depth with the main characters while meeting new ones.

Are there any secrets from the book, you can share with readers? 

SR: The title of the new book is Let Me Show You, and it will be a spin-off for the baseball series that I have coming soon! So, make sure you pay attention to the new characters I bring! 

Do you write while listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?

SR: Yes, the theme song for Let Me Show You is “Show You” by Baby Rose. If you listen to the words of the song, it pretty much sums up the story. Song Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eQuB0U49YU

What is the future of the characters? Will there be a sequel?

SR: Can’t answer the first part without spoiling it lol but the second part, yes there’ll be one more book in Dec/Jan that will wrap up the series. 

If you had to describe the main character in THREE words, what would those three words be?

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

SR: I would love to have Mitchell Edwards from All- American: Homecoming and Geffri Hightower also from All-American: Homecoming.

AUTHOR CRUSHING 

Who is your favorite author and why?

SR: My favorite author of all time is Nic Stone. I love her because she’s unapologetic about herself. She writes books for her, and she believes that what she writes changes the world. She’s what I inspire to be in the black indie romance world.

Who is the author you most admire in your genre?

SR: Alexandra Warren

What famous author do you wish would be your mentor?

SR: I have two lol, Nic Stone or Alexandra Warren. 

BEFORE I LET YOU GO, HOW ABOUT A RAPID FIRE ROUND?

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Spiders

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Endless Summer 

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

Always be an Hour Early 

Tea or Coffee

Coffee

Movie or Book

Book

Coke or Pepsi

Neither. Don’t drink soda. lol

Share a playlist 

Here’s the playlist to Let Me Show You which will be out next month! Date: TBA Enjoy the vibes! 

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/let-me-show-you/pl.u-mJy833RIN1DVJJ0

 

Thanks so much for talking with me today, Sedona!

 


Be sure to hop by Sedona’s social media, give her a like, check out her books,

and tell her Santana sent you! 

#WCW–Author Interview & Chat feat. Carsen Lane

#WCW–Author Interview & Chat feat. Carsen Lane

Happy May!
It’s the first Wednesday of the month and it’s time for my monthly chat with a Author Pal of mine.

This month I’m talking to Carsen Lane. I was privileged to get an ARC copy of her upcoming release and I’m so excited to share our chat where she talks a bit about the between-the-covers of bringing it life

 

With that said… LET’S CHAT!! 

 

Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Carsen! 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CL: I’ve always used writing to process through my emotions. Then, I started writing when things got hard in my life, and I turned writing into a way to escape my reality instead of processing through it. I never saw writing as a career though, until I let a friend of mine read one of my stories and they declared, “You’re a writer.” I’ve never felt so fulfilled in any profession I’ve ever had as I do sharing my stories with others.

How do you handle writer’s block?

CL: Take a hot shower. It works EVERY SINGLE TIME. I always get my best ideas in the shower, so anytime I’m at a standstill in a story, I will take a long hot shower and by the time I get out I usually have a ton of ideas.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

CL: It depends on the story, but I want to say it’s almost always the plot. In Caging Grace, Grace for sure came first. I have dreams about her, and saw her in everything I did for a few months before the story slowly unfolded. But usually the story always comes first and the Characters just unfold when they need to.

Where is your favorite place to write?

CL: Out in nature. The balcony of a cabin, a park, the beach. I do my best writing when I’m alone and surrounded by nature. I’m not a sit in a coffee shop or at my desk type of author.

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

CL: I need silence for sure. If a scene has music in it, or is inspired by music, I’ll play that song to get motivated, but then go back to silence, otherwise I’m easily distracted.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

CL: Almost all of it. I do a ton of prep before I start writing. I will map out each chapter, and research and build each chapter in my mind, using my notes feature on my phone, several note books etc. When I have a chunk of time to writing, I just sit down and bang out all the words since everything is pretty much already been created in my mind and researched.

How do you deal with emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?

CL: I feel everything I’m writing, which is why I like to do so in solitude. If I tried to write in public people would think I was insane, laughing and crying in public.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

CL: Weird fact about me is I can’t start writing until I have a title. I come up with the concept first, title and then characters. If I don’t have a title, I don’t write.

Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?

CL: Subsequent novels are never as easy as the first, for me.

Who is your favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them special?

CL: My favorite character hasn’t been released yet. Trinity from my book, Forgive me Father was such a complex and hard to write character. But her character challenged me more than any in my writing career, and I felt more accomplishment at the end of that book than I ever have with any others I’ve written.

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

CL: I just really enjoy writing, but some books have for sure been easier than others. I think Caging Grace was a very easy book to write, so I got a lot of enjoyment out of it because it all flowed so naturally. I wasn’t hung up on any part of the story and I found the research really interesting for that book.

Where do you get your inspiration?

CL: I’m a bit of a hippie, so I find inspiration from all around me. I love trying new foods, going to new places and taking in how I feel and turning them into stories and ideas. A lot of my book ideas have come from world events, or random articles that sparked an idea.

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

CL: Bound By Grace is the prequel to Caging Grace, and it’s a nice quick read. It will show you my writing style, and get you ready for Caging Grace once its out. You can get it for free here: https://BookHip.com/XPWQDRK

THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT CARSEN

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

CL: I love growing/ canning my own food, Crafting and making gifts, Spending time in nature and drinking massive amounts of coffee.

What was your dream job when you were younger?

CL: I wanted to be a pediatrician.

What’s your favorite food?

CL: Nachos

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CARSEN & HER BOOKS, CHECK OUT HER SOCIAL MEDIA

With a sick, illegal immigrant mother, a dead father, and a younger sister to provide for, struggle has become second nature to Grace. What she doesn’t know how to do, is hope or dream. Those are two things you don’t have the luxury of doing when you work three jobs to support your family.

However, when fate sends her a lucky hand, will she be able to let go of the past long enough to get out of the underground fighting ring and make it in the UFC? Or will she allow her past to haunt her, and her guilt to burry her right along with her dreams?

This isn’t your average love story. Sometimes, the princess saves the prince. And sometimes, the best person to choose to love, is yourself. 

The Scoop on

CAGING GRACE

Can you share something about your current book that isn’t in the blurb?

CL: My grandfather immigrated from Scotland, so I used a lot of his background for inspiration.

Are there any secrets from the book, you can share with readers?

CL: When I first got the idea for Caging Grace, I started writing it as a Romance. But when it was almost finished, I realized this was Grace’s story, and HER journey, HER love story…so I rewrote it even though it was 75% done, so it went from a Romance to Female Fiction.

What was the inspiration for the story?

CL: It’s really weird, but I took my niece to see a modernized Cinderella play and Cinderella was amazing and intelligent and wonderful…but the Prince was a bit of a tool. I thought, when are they going to write something when Cinderella saves and enlightens the Princes instead of the other way around? So, I decided to write it because I wanted my niece to grow up knowing she didn’t need a Prince to save her,

What is the future of the characters? Will there be a sequel?

CL: There is already a short story prequel out now. There will be at least one other book, Saved By Grace…and possibly another after that, I haven’t decided for sure.

If you had to describe the main character in THREE words, what would those three words be?

CL: Resilient, Badass and Vulnerable.

AUTHOR CRUSHING 

Who is the author you most admire in your genre?

CL: Jane Austen. She was the queen of Women’s Fiction before it was even a thing. The voice she brought into literature back in a time when women were silenced will always be awe inspiring to me.

Favorite book when you were a kid?

CL: The Giver was my absolute favorite book, and I still read it every few years.

Favorite book you’ve read as an adult?

CL: I have way too many to pick just one: The Mist of the Serengeti, Verity, Kylan, The Hunger Games, A Court Of Thorns And Roses. And many more.

BEFORE I LET YOU GO, HOW ABOUT A RAPID FIRE ROUND?

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Spiders hands down! I hate snakes!

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Oh that’s hard…I’m a spring person, but I guess Winter because I like using my oven.

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

I’m always early.

Morning Person or Night Owl?

Night Owl all the way

City or Country?

Country

Paperback or E-Book?

Both! Paperback for my library and leisure reading, E-Books for night reading.

Share a link to a favorite song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

Thanks so much for talking with me today, Carsen!

 


Be sure to click over to Carsen’s social media, give her a like, check out her books,

and tell her Santana sent you! 

 

#WCW–Author Interview & Chat feat. Cynthia Rodriguez

#WCW–Author Interview & Chat feat. Cynthia Rodriguez

It’s April… and it just so happens to be the first Wednesday of the month, so you know that means it’s time for a special #WCW – Author Edition

If you’ve been here and following me for a while you’ll already know what that means, but if you’re new here, WELCOME!! I’m happy to have you join me, especially on an WCW where I sit down with a fellow author and get to pick their mind on all things writing. We also throw a little fun in the chat because I’m random like that lol. 

I’m really excited to share this month’s chat. I got to talk with Cynthia Rodriguez and I’m so excited to share our conversation.

 

Since reading her stories and following her via social media, I’ve come to see her as an author who uses her pen to write beautiful diverse character driven stories. I appreciate her genuine advocacy diverse authors and stories who not only writes amazing books but jumps at the chance to vocalize the WHY behind the necessity for these stories and variety. If you haven’t read her books yet, I hope you feel pulled to them after this interview.

Enough with my rambling.

Let’s chat…

 

Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Cynthia! 

Let’s talk all about your writing style first… 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CR: I started reading at such a young age. My uncle used to sit me down and have me read from a thick book, just to stare at me in awe over my ability to pronounce the “big words.” And from there, I fell in love with stories.

I think I always hoped to have a deeper love affair with words. I admired the ability to create something that evoked emotions in strangers. So I think I always wanted to be a writer. But when I genuinely started? Back in 2013, when I deployed. It was my now-or-never, do-or-die kind of moment.

How do you handle writer’s block?

CR: Writer’s block is inevitable, but I allow myself grace to take a break if I’m not finding that sweet spot. Also, I try writing another scene and if that works out, doubling back. I think writer’s block (for me) tends to be a plot issue. Something just isn’t working.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

CR: It varies from story to story.

Where is your favorite place to write?

CR: There’s nothing like writing at my desk. But since having a baby, I sneak in words on the bed while she’s asleep or on the couch.

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

CR: I used to need music but now when I write intense scenes, I lean more toward silence.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

CR: I only just started plotting my stories, so I’d say not too much.

How do you deal with emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?

CR: I don’t know that I keep it. Most of what I write are personal experiences. So majority of the time, the emotional toll is actually a release for me.

How do you come up with the titles to your books? 

CR: Pen and paper. This is also what I do for synopses. Something about writing it out just works.

Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?

CR: Okay, so I can’t do a dedicated series. I tried that and only got two books in. I’m much better with connected standalones. The Guiding Series, for instance, has a different main character for each book. And because I get to experience different stories, it helps to break up the monotony. So I guess I don’t know how to answer the question other than to say all of it is hard in different ways.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

CR: Written? No idea. Published? I still am not sure. I think eight since I removed two from publication and rereleased a few of them. My favorite? It’s a tie between EVOL and Teofila’s Guide to Saving the Sun.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them special?

CR: I think Teofila because she is a lot like me. She is my love of my culture, my lack of complete identity, my heartache, and my hopeful spirit.

If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try?

CR: Well, I’ve done dark romance and dabbled in paranormal romance. I like to think I’m limitless but I don’t know how true that is. As far as what I’d like to try next…maybe romantic suspense?

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

CR: The Sound of Serendipity. It was a NaNoWriMo project and I wrote it so quickly! It’s so light and sexy and I definitely had fun with it.

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

CR: EVOL. I think it’s my strongest work and it’s so personal. But I think the fact that it’s written in reverse throws people off.

THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT CYNTHIA

 

What was your dream job when you were younger?

CR: A veterinarian!

Favorite artist and favorite song?

CR: This is an impossible question. I love LEON, Verite, Muna…just to name a few artists.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you?

CR: I don’t think I share a lot online so there’s so much to choose from. Um…I can’t swim lol.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CYNTHIA & HER BOOKS, CHECK OUT HER SOCIAL MEDIA

The Scoop on

SABRINA’S GUIDE TO SEARCHING FOR SOMEDAY

Can you share something about your current book that isn’t in the blurb?

CR: I’ve put a lot of my personal experiences with my divorce and motherhood in it. I think it will resonate with a lot of women.

What was the inspiration for the story?

CR: I think becoming a mother really made it happen. Something about it wasn’t clicking with me until I did.

Do you write while listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?

CR: I have a playlist! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0VlMivgZpuXLIFyOregtp5?si=4f43b0b3829d457c

What is the future of the characters? Will there be a sequel?

CR: This is the third book in a series of standalones and is also interconnected to another book of mine, EVOL. I have two more books left in the series. As with my other characters, I’m sure they’ll pop up in other stories/series of mine.

If you had to describe the main character in THREE words, what would those three words be?

CR: Stubborn. Strong. Fragile.

AUTHOR CRUSHING 

Favorite book when you were a kid?

CR: This is going to sound so pretentious, but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was my favorite. I think I related a lot to the main character in her struggle to find her place and having to grow from a certain level of poverty. Even some of the darkness she was exposed to.

Favorite book you’ve read as an adult?

CR: It Ends With Us is seriously up there. I don’t think I’ve been that taken by a story in so long.

What famous author do you wish would be your mentor?

CR: Ha! Hell, probably Colleen Hoover.

BEFORE I LET YOU GO, HOW ABOUT A RAPID FIRE ROUND?

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Snakes. I’m way better with snakes than I am with spiders.

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Jeez. Um…winter? I prefer to bundle up than sweat my ass off.

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

Twenty minutes late, for sure.

Tea or Coffee

Neither lol.

Movie or Book

BOOK.

Coke or Pepsi

Coke.

 

Share a photo of a character inspiration 

I’ll share a Pinterest board, if that’s okay? It’s for my current WIP

https://www.pinterest.com/CynthRodriguez/sabrinas-guide-to-searching-for-someday/

Thanks so much for talking with me today, Cynthia!

 


Be sure to hop by Cynthia’s social media, give her a like, check out her books,

and tell her Santana sent you! 

Double Cover Reveal + Series Announcement

Double Cover Reveal + Series Announcement

I am more than ecstatic to announce that Sticks & Stones has gotten a new look! 

Not only that but it is now the first book in my new PEMBROOK ACADEMY series. Today I’m not only revealing the new updated cover for Sticks & Stones but I’m also revealing the cover and title for book 2!! 

::Drumroll Please:: 

She thinks he’s looking for a come up.
He just thinks she’s stuck up.

Both Darcie and Elijah step foot onto the campus of Pembrook Academy with one thing on their minds… getting out. Darcie wants nothing more than to finish high school and know that her spot in the Ivy Leagues is secured and waiting for her.
And Elijah?
Well, Elijah just wants out.
It was never his idea to go to Pembrook in the first place and now he’s stuck spending his senior year with a bunch of kids he has absolutely nothing in common with. Then, she came along. From the moment he meets Darcie Fitzgerald, he knows she is going to drive him absolutely crazy. But nothing could have prepared him for how amazing crazy would feel.

Darcie has ninety-nine problems and Elijah Benitez is now her biggest one. He seemed to coast into her life from out of nowhere, and she has neither the time nor the patience to deal with him. But every time she tries to put a little distance between them, life shoves them closer together and Darcie finds herself in a situation far more complicated than she could have ever expected.

They’re both about to learn a few things starting with lesson #1:
Not Everything Is As it Seems

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

A Love Letter to My Readers…

I’ve started this letter about two dozen times, but every time I’ve thought about posting it something else happened that seemed to derail me. If you’ve followed me on social media, you will have at least seen one or two posts over the past two months regarding the hits I’ve taken recently. For the sake of my own mental peace, I’ll refrain from regurgitating them again in this post, but to condense a whole lot of traumas into simple words– It’s been a lot. 

I haven’t had the mental fortitude (or even the honest desire) to post on social media. My website and author pages have been bare, my reader’s group has been filled with the heaviest of silence, and don’t get me started on Instagram and TikTok. 

And for an author who has chosen to go the independent route, the lack of posting means a lack of audience for my books. The ultimate kiss of death. 

I’ve had to remind myself so many times that my mental and physical recuperation deserved the break and that I didn’t owe anyone apologies for taking care of myself and my family. I stand by that. 

This letter is not an apology… but it is a love letter. 

If you’re reading this right now, it means you opened a newsletter, or clicked a link in Sweethearts or my author page. It means that even after so much silence from me you cared enough to get a bit of an update on me. 

And I appreciate you. That’s right, I’m talking to YOU! 

In my first tentative steps back into the online world, I’ve been met with so much love from old readers and new readers. I’ve gotten DMs from readers and fellow authors alike to tell me they saw a post of mine they related to or that they picked up a book of mine and couldn’t put it down. 

I can’t tell you what those messages have done to my heart. 

It’s been the best kind of overwhelming. 

In the coming days I plan to take a few more steps in a few new directions, feeling confident in the knowledge that even though I’ve been gone there’s a small corner of the social world that may have missed my posts and my words, and that same corner group of people is waiting to welcome me back. 

 

Thank you for showing up for me. 

Thank you for supporting me even with just the simplest comments filled with well wishes during this hiatus of recuperation. 

And thank you for welcoming me back… 

 

XOXO, 

Santana