I have another very special guest today! Thanks so much Author Chameleon for joining us and sharing your great insight. She has two books out: Pawn of Innocence and 3 Days in Paradise

Author Bio: 

I was born in Bakersfield, California. After years of extensive traveling around the US, with a great trip to England, Scotland and Wales, I settled in South Texas. I’m married, and have a saucy little Chihuahua and a mini doxie. My main pursuit in life is writing, though I enjoy taking the pontoon boat out with my husband for some sun, and a little fishing. Someday, I’d like to try my hand at hang gliding, and maybe jumping out of a plane- with a parachute, of course. But I think I’ll wait until I feel like I’m near death, that way if something goes wrong in either instance, it won’t matter.

Synopsis of Pawn of Innocence: 

Camile can hardly believe the luck of her chance encounter with a tall dark stranger, and it eventually leads to what she hopes to be a sizzling vacation romance. But she slowly learns chance had nothing to do with it, and unlucky is the word that begins to best describe it as events take a terrifying turn.

She quickly finds herself knee deep in a web of lies and deceit, and the object of an abduction that turns out to have far reaching consequences. Once back home, however, she is blissfully unaware of the secrets that seem to be common knowledge to her friends and family. Then, she overhears a conversation that leads her to uncover the shocking truth of her abduction, and forces her to face something she never thought she would have to face again. Him.

Interview with Author Chameleon: 

Briefly tell us about the book(s) you have published.

 As of right now, I have Pawn of Innocence, and 3 Days in Paradise. Pawn is the kind of romance novel I like to read. I don’t really care for sappy plots and characters. Mine are anything but. Riddled with action, adventure, suspense, drama, and a bit of humor, the encounters between my 2 main characters are…tantalizing.

3 Days is a YA short novel about a young woman haunted by her past actions. A fateful drive, one day, takes her off the main road of reality and into the supernatural where she’s forced to face what she’s done.

 What motivated you to write your book(s)?

A wild imagination- and a very active one, at that. I simply had to start getting all these stories out of my head. I don’t see any end in sight, though, new ideas come to me every day. Sometime just a paragraph or 2, sometimes complete novels unfold there. My husband calls it a real gift. I call it terribly annoying because I simply can’t write them fast enough. I’m sure I’ve forgotten far more than I remember.

 What do you think your book(s) offer to your readers?

3 Days is a fairly fresh premise, I believe, and it’s quite thought provoking. There are lessons to be learned from books like this. Pawn is simply an emotional roller coaster, a rather fresh look at an old premise. Of course, it’s the character interactions that bring new life to any story, no matter how many times it’s been told. I think the reviews I’ve gotten from Pawn say it all. It’s been well received.

 Who is your favorite character from your book? Why?

<laugh> Well, I really like all my characters in Pawn, but Eric wins hands down. He’s mysterious, gorgeous, and strong- in more ways than one. He walks the fine line between being dangerous and civil quite well, though often crosses the line in either direction with scintillating results.

 Do you prefer pen/paper or the computer when you write?

Computer.

 What do you do to get yourself to focus when you’re writing a scene? (music, location, etc)

I don’t have a problem with focusing, rather with drawing up the emotions necessary to make the scene believable, to color my words enough so the reader feels what I’m feeling. To do that, I use music. I have a certain music CD that I put together of songs that elicit certain emotions. They never fail to put me in the exact mood I need to be in.

 Do you prefer reality or fantasy?

Fantasy.

Who are your favorite authors?

I actually don’t have a favorite, per se. I either love, like, or don’t, every book based on it’s own merits, regardless of who wrote it. And because I like numerous different genres, I ‘m exposed to many different authors.

 Out of all of the books you’ve read, which books have “stuck” with you?

Hmm… that’s tough… really tough. If I were just a reader, that might be a lot easier to answer, but, because I’m also a writer and have my own books swimming around in my head constantly screaming to get out, it’s pretty hard to remember anything over the din, believe me. I just can’t answer that honestly. Pawn is the only book that is forever in the corner of my mind. He’s a jealous novel, and wont give up his top spot easily.

 What type of advice would you give other indie authors?

Wow, do we actually have enough room for me to list even the half of it? <laugh> I have written my first real Blog over on https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5128893-information-overload – Am I allowed to say that? Well, if not take it out <smile> I don’t want to hijack your blog. The title though, as you can see, is Information Overload. I’m an author, the last thing I was thinking was what I should be doing once the book was finished and actually uploaded. I figured I’d dust my hands off and move on to the next adventure. Then out of the blue- or so it seems, you’re blindsided with having to actually tell people you’re shining star is out there and available. Certain yours is shining far more brightly than the others, you wonder why on earth everyone can’t just look up and pick yours out? The frightening truth is, your star (book) looks and maybe even sounds shockingly like every other one being pumped out. You simply have to find a way to let everyone know yours really is better. Thankfully, there are ways to stand out.

Have you had any regrets regarding this writing/publishing/marketing process? Is there anything you would do different?

This is a subject I plan on addressing in my next blog, actually. It’s a lengthy answer, so let me try and cut it short. I grew up in the age of paperbacks, that mindset was still there as I was getting Pawn ready for the electronic age. Do download the free book from Kindle on preparing and formatting your book. It will save you a TON of heartache later, and though it looks daunting at first, just take a deep breath and read carefully. Always remember to just breathe. Amazon is all good and fine, but do not pass up putting your book on smashwords, as well. Though, you wont be able to do that if you enroll in Amazon’s KDP Select program. My advice? Don’t lock yourself in chains <smile>

Since you started this journey in writing, what are some positives and some negatives you’ve encountered?

Sadly, the biggest negative I’ve found is that non writers don’t seem to understand you need your peace to be creative and to actually write. And I’d really prefer not to say anything more on that line. The positive? What great people you’ll meet and become friends with. Other authors who know your pain, confusion, aggravation, and the joy of your triumphs. They understand it all. No one else in your life- if they aren’t writers, can share in that with you- no matter how much they appear to understand. They don’t.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I’m always writing. If not physically, then always mentally. But, there are times when my husband can coax me from my office to go down to the coast, or out for the day on our pontoon boat for some fishing and sunning. I can get caught up in anything that challenges my mind, though.

Tell us your most memorable or proudest moment.

The first time I saw Pawn on my own Kindle. It took my breath away. After 24 years of having this book completely written in my mind, there it was, finally. I couldn’t stop looking at it. I did everything on it: the writing, editing, book cover, uploading- all of it. It was a very emotional moment.

Tell us something interesting about you that your readers may not know.

<blink> Well, that I’m an introvert, and extremely quiet. It’s really only through the written word that people see the real me, and I have a sense of humor that is often missed by most people. I actually preface the beginning of my book 3 Days in Paradise with a true story- a conversation between my husband and I…well, it’s a little hard to explain given the constraints of space here, but it speaks volumes. It’s there appropriately, but it tells and even deeper story all it’s own.

 Finally, if you could say something to your readers, what would it be?

Try and realize that most Indie books are written with a lot of love, care, and months of hard work, disappointments, and aggravation, all for the sheer joy of bringing something to life that we hope will sweep you away- even if only for a short while. The biggest compliment you can pay any of us is to go back to our book page and leave a review. It’s often our greatest reward, and most will gladly sweep that $40.00 quarterly check from Amazon out of the way to read those precious reviews that are, in fact, priceless.

Remember, Pawn of Innocence and 3 Days in Paradise are available on Smashwords and Amazon! 

Thank you, Author Chameleon for your time and sharing such useful information. We wish you lots of luck on your writing adventures.