Author Interview & Giveaway: YA Paranormal Romance Author - Amber Delaine

Hi everyone, today I am pleased to say that I have had the privilege to work with a new self-published author, Amber Delaine. Her first book which she self-published is named "Haunt".  Haunt was first published on June 5, 2011. I have read and reviewed it here and I loved it. Amber has been so kind to do this interview with me and giveaway 2 copies of her book. I hope my lovely readers will enjoy this interview and giveaway. 

Amber Delaine's Links:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Goodreads
• Blog

Welcome Amber! 

Buy Haunt:

Amazon | B & N | Smashwords

Hi Amber. Thank you for being here to do a interview with me about yourself and your new book, Haunt.  I am sure my readers would love to know all about your book.  After reading Haunt I must say I really enjoyed it and I am sure my reader will too. -  So without any futher ado on with the questions about you book. 

Thanks so much, again! I'm really excited to be featured on your blog. Here are the answers to the questions. 

-Amber Delaine

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in Hawaii with my husband and our little girl. We moved here several years ago and the easygoing lifestyle has really allowed me to be both a stay-at-home mom and a writer. I'm also a commercial artist and do graphic design professionally. I even create my own book covers which I think is pretty exciting because most writers don't have the ability to get exactly what they are looking for in terms of cover art, plus it means I don't have to spend any money on publishing. 

Writing is something I have always loved, but writers rarely get anywhere with their talent, so I put those ideas on hold and spent my life working regular jobs that were more apt to provide a source of income. A few years ago, I began writing online articles part-time and made a little money doing that. Several months ago, I read about the new world of epublishing and was excited that writers can now publish themselves and make a good living. My husband suggested I start writing again and with his support, I decided to break into the world of publishing.

2. What was your inspiration for your book?

I initially had the idea for a similar storyline years ago. I'm a huge fan of romance and I wanted to write more adult romance. Working full-time didn't give me the time I needed to write, so the story stayed an idea for a decade. I pulled it back out again once I decided to start self-publishing novels. In the original version of Haunt, Adam was the only love interest and things worked out between him and Megan. Tony was nothing but a jealous best friend.

When I picked the story back up, I decided to write it as a YA romance instead because young people have infinitely more interesting and exciting lives and it adds so much more dimension to a story. As the plot panned out, I fell head-over-heels in love with the idea of Tony's character and changed the storyline around quite a bit to put Adam in the antagonist's spot. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

3. Do you have a favorite scene or character from your book?

I hope it shows that Tony is definitely my favorite character. I think that's inspired by the fact that my best friend is a guy and I grew up hanging around with guys most of the time. I even lived with just my father and my little brother as a kid, so being girly wasn't something I learned until I was much older. 

4. Where do you do your writing? Is there anything you need to have with you while you write?

I have an office desk set up outside our house on a huge screened-in lanai so it's just like being out in the yard. It's nice and breezy and I'm able to watch my daughter play in the yard while I'm working. I love that the weather here allows me to have an office that's not closed up in a closet in a stuffy house. The scenery and fresh air are really inspiring.

5. What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

I had such a difficult but also fun time creating Tony's character because he's so complicated. He needed to be goofy, immature and boyish but also strong, loyal and a bit wise at the same time. It was almost like trying to mesh two different people. Not only that, but he had to take on the non-traditional role of being equal with the female lead rather than her rescuer. I didn't want a hero in my story. I wanted an equal partnership, even if that meant that they both seemed imperfect a lot of the time.

6. Do you have a favorite book or author that you’re always recommending to people?

I do! Though she's not a YA romance writer. She writes adult romance and tends to lean a bit on the erotic side. Karen Marie Moning has a writing style that I just love. It's fun and she makes me laugh and I love the way her books all come together. I recently finished reading the Fever series which was fantastic. I highly recommend her books.

7. Just for fun: If you could go back into time where would you go and who would you see?

Wow, that's a hard one. I really love historical novels and reading about history, but I've always wondered what happened pre-history, so I think I would probably head back to see what the dinosaurs were up to. I'd be the first!

8. When writing a book do you plan it out before you start or do you just begin and see where the story and characters take you?

I like to spend several days to a few weeks planning out my story in my head, then I write a rough outline and take it from there. Sometimes the story sticks with the outline, sometimes it doesn't. It helps me to have some kind of plan, though, or I get stuck halfway through.

 9. How long on average does it take you to write a book?

I've only completed one novel so far and the time from start to publish was approximately two months. I write pretty quickly and I like to spend a lot of time doing revisions.

10. What are your plans for the future? Any other awesome ideas for books that you can share with us?

I actually have a second book in the works titled Incubus: Adam's Story, which is Megan's story told from Adam's point of view. I left a lot unsaid about Adam in Haunt and nothing was really explained. I hadn't initially intended to write a second book and wanted Adam to remain an enigma, but a few weeks ago, his life story just seemed to come out of thin air and I had  a bit of an "aha!" moment, so I hope readers enjoy learning exactly what's going on with him and where he comes from. Incubus isn't a romance but there's plenty of paranormality.

11. Do you have any closing thoughts or final remarks you’d like to share with the Bittersweet Enchantment readers?

I'd just like to encourage readers to give self-published books a try if you haven't already. There are plenty of amazing writers out there waiting to be discovered and I've saved a lot of money buying self-pubbed books since they tend to be quite a bit cheaper. If you're just coming into the world of ereaders, there are plenty of free books to try if you are wary of self-published authors. Reading reviews is a great way to sift through the chaff and find the real gems and purchasing ebooks helps writers earn a living with their craft. And if you've thought about self-publishing, give it a try! There's nothing to lose and it's a lot of fun.

Thank you so much Amber for taking the time do this interview with me. So now comes the extra fun part.  Amber is going to be giving away 2 e-book copies of her book, Haunt.  So please keep reading it you would love to enter and have the chance to read Amber's book. 

To Enter: 

• Leave a comment about the interview, be sure to tell me your GFC username.
• MUST be a follower ( new or old )
• Open to US/Canada/international
• Leave your email address (so I can contact the winner)
• Giveaway will end 8/24 at Midnight

--> Want extra entries? <---

Get +1 for each of the following.

1. Follow me on Twitter @SyCo4Twilight

2. Share this giveaway. (twitter, facebook, blog post, ect.) Leave proof.

3. Add my blog button to your blog (tell me where I can find it)

Please leave comment for each extra entry you do and be sure to add URL's of where you shared this giveaway as well as your GFC name, and twitter name.