I’m very pleased to have PR Mason on my blog today.  Please join us and leave a comment to be entered into a drawing to win a copy of her book.

 

1.    How did you get started writing?

One of my earliest memories is of telling a story while surrounded by a group of friends. I was into the “paranormal” genre even then, since my stories always seemed to feature dragons, witches, ghosts and the like. While in college, I wanted nothing more than to pursue my dream of being a novelist. However, the dream seemed impractical. Since my family was extremely poor, I decided to devote all my energy to a realistic career and went into law. For many years my creativity was stifled by a high stress job requiring long hours and I didn’t FINISH my first novel until about six years ago. I give a lot of credit to my move to Savannah, Georgia. This city is so strange and wonderful it could inspire anyone.

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

The stories in my head dictate the genre. My novel, Entanglements is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance. It sprang out of the quantum physics theory of the same name. Scientists observed that tweaking one particle caused another entangled particle miles away to move even though there was no discernable link between the two. They theorized the link was in an alternate dimension. When I ran across an article on this phenomenon I began to wonder what would happen if people or beings were linked in alternate worlds. The more I read about quantum entanglements, the more inspiration I drew. For instance, one article discussed the fact that cause and effect may be reversed; that cause may come after effect in the world of quantum physics. That idea inspired a huge plot twist in Entanglements.

3.   What movie best describes your life?  Why?

I would like to say Gone With the Wind just because I love Scarlett’s determination and resilience. I hope I can capture some of that without also incorporating all her selfishness. In reallity I think my current life is much more like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil since I live in Savannah, Georgia.

4.    What inspired your latest book?

I am writing a sequel/prequel/midquel to Entanglements entitled Resistance. Resistance takes place in an alternate universe where the monarch was transformed into a vampire by a failed attempt to cure his hemophilia. This is the same world my heroine, Kizzy, opens a portal to in Entanglements. Amy, the human resistance fighter must, with the help of her warlock/vampire love, battle an army of golems. When considering characters for this world, some real people in Britain’s history inspired me.

5.    What is your favorite part of writing?

There is a certain point in writing a novel that feels almost like a runner’s high. It’s the point where I’m so far into the story and the heads of the characters that the story is almost writing itself. The characters start dictating what they want to do and sometimes twists and turns I never plotted start happening.

6.    What is your least favorite part of writing?

When I first begin a project, I’m energized by the newness of the idea and the shininess of the characters. But once I’m about a third of the way in, the novel becomes a slog for a while until I get to the “runner’s high” I talked about earlier. It’s that “slog” point in the process of the novel I like least. It’s the most dangerous point in writing the novel because, if I allow myself to, I can easily get wrapped up in the sparkle of a new idea and characters and never complete the story.

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

I’m hoping to release Resistance in February of 2012. In the meantime, I’m working on a short story entitled Fated Hearts, which I plan to publish as a free read in January.

8.    What is your typical day like?

At home, I’m somewhat at the mercy of my cat overlords. Alley, who I rescued from a haunted cemetery, and Zuzu, the squirrel killer, get me up about 5 a.m. Once all their needs are met they allow me to leave the house. I generally like to go to a local coffee shop and write for three to four hours.

9.    How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?

Marketing and promotion has been a process of trial and error. I’m still trying to hit a happy balance between writing time and time spent on promotion. Right now it seems like I can send the entire day on marketing if I’m not careful because I love connecting with readers.

10.  How has your experience with self-publishing been?

So far it’s been wonderful yet terrible. I love the control I have in the self-publishing process. But being responsible for all aspects of the process is also scary. The ability to see what “works” to make a connection with readers is a major advantage. I was previously published by a small publisher and while that was a good experience and I have no complaints with how I was treated by them, self-publishing somehow makes me feel closer to the readers. When you work with a publisher royalty statements are so far removed from marketing it is difficult to tell what works and what doesn’t. Self-publishing also gives me the opportunity to get the story to readers much faster than I could if I used a traditional publisher. Since the whole point of writing is the READER this is a major advantage. The other day, I saw a tweet from someone on Twitter about Entanglements and it made my week! It is so amazing to think that someone I don’t know is reading and enjoying the story and characters I created. Having a reader compliment something I wrote is awesome and makes all the effort worthwhile.

11.  Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I get many ideas from my hometown of Savannah, Georgia. It’s a place filled with quirky characters, strange occurrences and moody settings. But I can find inspiration in almost anything. The story Sacrifice in Stone which I wrote under the pen name Patricia Mason was inspired by Michelangelo’s’ unfinished sculptures at the Accademia in Florence. Fireflies and ghost balls inspired the plot of the screenplay I’m working on.

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

Go for it!

Readers can follow me on Twitter @PRMason and visit my website at www.prmason.net. My cat, Alley, is also on Twitter @ConfuciusCat and he has a blog: www.ConfuciusCat.blogspot.com.

Entanglements Blurb:

Teen KIZZY TAYLOR is just hoping for an evening of fun when she joins her friends in a spelunking expedition through an under-city tunnel. But fun turns bizarre when Kizzy accidentally opens a vortex and her stepsister is swept through to an evil alternate dimension. The only way to rescue her stepsister is to reopen the vortex and go in after her. But is her new boyfriend, ROM CALIXO, going to help Kizzy or try to stop her? And if she can get past Rom, will she be able to get back home?

Links:http://amzn.com/B005R0RPPG
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/entanglements-pr-mason/1106038862?ean=2940013363403&itm=11&usri=entanglements
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/90979
http://www.prmason.net