Please help me welcome V. S. Nelson to my blog today. She has given me a wonderful interview which I know you’re going to enjoy. Ever generous, she is giving away a $5 Starbucks card and some swag to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave her a comment.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write across genres but most of the time you will find me writing what is now classified as Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Why? Because I have always had a fondness for the unusual unexplained events that occur on our home. And less face isn’t there something sexy about an immortal with deep penetrating eyes.

Tell us about your current series.

Sekhmet’s Guardians, my paranormal series takes place around modern day lake Chicago. They (the Guardians) operate a private world renowned protection agency simply called Guardians Incorporated. While protecting the rich, the famous and those less fortunate they also protect the human race from an evil which escaped their home world, New Tuat, a parallel world, created by their ancestors. Although a large majority of their stories take place in our modern world, the reader will also experience glimpses into their ancient past. You see this Band of Heroes is over five thousand years old. They’ve been here for a very long time and have a lot of tales to share.

So far, eleven books are planned for the series including two historicals. Book one, Eternal Lovers launched in January of this year. Book two, Eternal Nights is scheduled to be released May 1st, followed by Eternal Blades the first of December.

I might add I’m an avid series reader and hate waiting a year for the next installment in a series I’m reading to be released. Because of this 2014 will see books four and five. Two books are planned to be released each year after to keep the reader entertained and happy.

A little note I’d like to add. Most Band of brother type paranormal romances revolve around the heroes. I’ve spent a great deal of time on the heroines of the stories. In reality, book one, Eternal Lovers, is Jennifer’s story, not Gabriel’s and book two, Eternal Nights is Jessica’s, not Raphael’s. The women who attract these immortal warriors are beyond extraordinary and need to have there story told.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

Aside from my paranormal series I plan on releasing another Urban Fantasy, the Adventures of Cupid and Penelope. Cupid and Penelope’s Novella was so well received in January of this year, I’ve been asked to continue on with their story.
For some time I have been working on a commercial fiction story, Sins of a Man, the story of a Mafia Hitman. I hope to have it ready for the publisher by early 2014.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

Years ago I never would have dreamed of self-publishing. I was raised with the idea there was only one way to publish; Find an agent who sells your books to a publisher. But times have changed. No longer do we write by hand or an old IBM typewriter. Stories are written very quickly and published just as fast. Just look at your local Kindle or e-store and you’ll see what I mean—with hundreds being published every day of the calendar year.

Still being old school at heart I began my quest for an agent and publisher. After a year, I ended up turning down the two contracts I was offered and decided, if I was going to have to do most of the publicity and work myself, why not give self-publishing a try. Eternal Lovers was sent to my old non-fiction editor who worked her magic on it (copy edits), then I sent it to a more modern male editor for line edits. Some habits are hard to break and I would never try to edit my own work… even with my college degrees, my grammar still sucks… and I’m not afraid to say so.

Self publishing has been quite an experience but I am happy to say I am more than pleased with the outcome. The process from writing to editor to print is so much faster than past traditional publishing – at least on this end. Its one of the joys I’m sure my readers will love—being able to read 2-3 of the books in the series per year verses one.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Don’t try to do everything yourself. It’s a big world out there that can swallow you whole if you’re not careful.

First off, I would suggest you join a writer’s organization like RWA (Romance Writers of America), find a critique partner and take as many lessons as you are able to from qualified professionals. Learn your craft and apply that which will benefit your writing style. Find a good editor—you’ll need him or her. Long before you jump on the band wagon of self publishing, I would suggest you start making your self known around the many social media outlets. Build a website, blog and join face book, twitter and other such sites. Let people know you are a writer and what you have to offer them. Start a long list of other’s writers, bloggers, reviewers, book cover artists and so on. You are going to need them too before you release your self published book.

This sounds a bit overwhelming and it can be if you let it get to you. But if you pace yourself and plan your future, it can all be accomplished long before you hit that “go to print” button.

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization? Which one? Have the helped you with your writing? How?

I am currently an active member of three RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapters. I’m the current Vice President of the Future, Fantasy and Paranormal on-line chapter and the membership director of my local chapter, Desert Rose, here in Arizona. I’m also a member of the Passionate Ink chapter, the chapter designated for writers of erotica. Each RWA chapter hosts an abundance of classes, conferences and much more. The friendships and relationships I’ve build with other writers through these organizations are immeasurable. I firmly believe no one understands a writer like another writer especially when you start talking about the voices in your head. Try doing that in a room full of doctors and you’ll find yourself sitting on a shrink’s couch.

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

I think every writer has at least one rejection story. I know I have a few. Perhaps my favorite isn’t really a rejection from a publisher or agent but a story involving a piece of work I sent in to a contest. I had started a rather hot contemporary romantic piece which boarded on main stream erotica. Wanting to get feedback on what I thought was a good story I submitted the “unedited” first twenty five pages. Somehow, my work ended up in the hands of a Christian inspirational author who had volunteered to judge the contest. How she ended up judging erotica is yet to be discovered by me but she did. She in so many words crucified me and my work, telling me I didn’t need to use cuss words in a manuscript to get it noticed, nor did I need to show my couple having sex in the various positions they were in. Needless to say, my scoring was at the bottom of the pile. I came pretty close to tearing up the manuscript and tossing it into the trashcan. Thankfully, I opened the second score sheet. The second judge raved about my exciting concept, calling it a fresh and welcome change. (Bless her heart).

I still enter contests from time to time when I want to hear what someone outside my critique group or peers think but I am also aware that judge’s opinions, just like readers vary from person to person. It is what the second judge wrote on her score sheet which inspired me to become a contest judge. I now judge 4-6 RWA contests per year. My goal in doing so is to inspire author authors no matter how I personally feel about their writing. I read for story and content and if there is a story there I make sure I tell them. I’m also quick to complement the good in what ever I find. A little, “I like this,” goes a long way especially when one is young and inexperienced in their writing career. I don’t ever want to be that judge who told me on my score sheet, “You should forget a career in writing.”

BIO

Being a Native American woman and a Scorpio, author V.S. Nelson has always had a fondness for history, mythology, the occult, and the unexplained events which have occurred on this world we call home. It was no wonder she found herself writing a paranormal series.

Raised on authors like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne and coming from a long line of oral storytellers, Ms. Nelson work has been defined as innovative and fresh. She will take you by the hand and lead you into the depths of her imagination as if you are sitting next to her on the couch one minute and alive within her fantasy world the next.

She has always enjoyed reading stories with strong relationships and happy-ever-after-endings and it is reflected in her work. Even her commercial fiction, Sins of a Man, the Memoirs of a Mafia Hit man, is layered with romantic elements. I’ve heard her say she is in love with love more than once and that too is echoed in her stories.

Landing in Arizona, after an exciting teaching career, which took her to the Middle East for several years, she lives in Arizona where she spends most of her time making love to her computer while writing, editing or researching, seven to ten hours a day. The days she’s not writing, you will find her with her critique partners, attending or presenting a workshop or at a RWA (Romance Writers of America) meeting. She’s extremely active in three RWA chapters in addition to her other associations.

She enjoys hearing from readers, fans and people with similar interests. They are more than welcome to contact her through her website http://www.authorvsnelson.com

All of her books can be found on her Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00AXYLHF0

EXCERPT

“I shouldn’t have taken Nowaki with me…” Raphael said. His head hung low as if he was over come with guilt.

“Listen, don’t you go second guessing yourself. Jessica offered you her blood to save your ass. If it wasn’t for her, you would have bled out before we got there and you wouldn’t be sitting up talking to me right now. We would have a bigger mess on our hands if that happened.”

“I know, but I still can’t help but feel some how responsible. If I hadn’t taken Nowaki with me and if I hadn’t taken so much of her blood…”

“Hey, you don’t feel like howling at the moon or taking an unusually long swim across the Atlantic, do you?”

“No, why?”

“Oh nothing much, just the little fact your last blood work came back mixed with traces of canine and Selkie.”

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Gabriel. “You’re shitting me, right?”

“ No actually, it did…I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to get all wacked out and start changing in front of me… The way things have been happening around this house, you never know…”

He was sure their laughter was heard all the way down the hall of the underground tunnels.