Interview with Alice Wade!

Hey guys, today I'm lucky enough to have Alice Wade, author of Talon and Flame Thrower here to answer a few questions!


Question: An elven vampire is an extremely unique idea. How did you come up with that?
Answer: Blending vampires and elves, hmm, it makes total sense to me, doesn’t it to you?  I don’t have your typical elf envisioned in my head, and I’ve never written them to be small, skinny and delicate. My elves are more warrior based, tall and strong. Which absolutely fits with a vampire, so this made perfect sense to blend the two.
When it came time to introduce my title character, it just seemed so logical to put my fantasy stamp on vampires that have been told so many different ways. By bringing in elves and the limitless magic their race can introduce, I thought to open up the possibilities this story could take. The moment I did, boy did the muse start screaming.
I also don’t do anything in my writing that is ‘typical’ and love to stretch my mind beyond the norm. What you will read is a perfect blend of the darkness of the vampires and the light from the elves – the best of both worlds really. This story also has a heavy dose of spice, something that I used to either further define the characters or the plot. So you see, I just couldn’t leave my elves and magic at home. Instead, I brought them along on this journey and I like how the merging worked out. I hope I gave you a different spin on vampires 

Q: How long have you been writing?
A: I’ve been thinking about writing for fifteen years. I’ve been writing  for about  three. I obviously wasn’t ready to write anything down yet, lacking the confidence or the drive. Three years ago however, I challenged myself and embarked on this journey to see if I could become an author. So I sat down, cranked out a 1,200 page Sci Fi Fantasy novel in three months and frankly, I’ve never stopped since. I guess I just needed more life experience to find my muse.
I didn’t start out as a romance author.  In all honesty, I still blush when I write it. I am by nature a G Rated thinker, but knew that I was missing a key element in my novels and that was the power of sensuality. It is amazing how much power just one look, one touch or one whisper can generate.  After learning this, I entered the genre of romance and erotica, continuing my growth and ultimately created the novels that are being published by Eternal Press (Talon, Flame Thrower, & A Jewel of the Kingdom). I will one day try to publish my Sci Fi Fantasy novel that started all of this (wink, wink).

Q: What is Talon (the character) like?
A: Hmmm. Talon.  Think Spartacus. A strong man, ripped from his world and thrust into an immoral environment where he must learn to survive – without succumbing to the wicked side and turning rogue. He made choices along his five hundred year exile, most of which keep him insolated and alone except for the love of his mate, Kailani. He spent years laying false rumors about his wickedness, creating a mysterious legend to kept people away. His name is feared and whispered by parents as a threat to make children behave. But…all of them are lies. He’s never engaged in anything immoral or cruel and vowed to destroy anything that does.
So he is wounded, craves a family and to be part of something that is larger than his little world. He ignores the pain from his exile and denies he misses his homeland. All that matters is Kailani and he will do just about anything to keep her safe. His honor drives him, forcing him to hunt down those that made immoral choices, like the Dûr Falas, a rogue group of vampires. The Dûr Falas move through the lands and destroy anything they touch out of pure enjoyment. That, Talon finds distasteful. 

Q: Was writing TALON more difficult than writing FLAME THROWER, since TALON took you outside of your comfort zone as a writer?
A: Oh yes.  I struggled with Talon and figuring out how to make vampires my own. How many wonderful novels are out there with vampires as the star? I didn’t want to create something typical or expected. It was a stretch for sure.  I also had to push myself to be deranged and dark, since most of my stories have a lighter, romantic flavor. Introducing crueler intentions, scheming and killing was definitely more difficult for me. I also had to relax my normal shy tendencies around erotic elements in order for me to bring the characters Kaen and Deandra to life.
Writing  Flame Thrower is second nature to me. I know these characters so well and have more novels and experience them through. Not to mention, Flame Thrower is within my fantasy comfort zone, therefore easier to slip into and write.

Q: Can you tell us about your writing process?
A: I don’t outline, I don’t do detailed character maps and I don’t draw the entire plot out. I usually only have a focus (magic, elves, fairies, etc) married with a problem (quest, issue to be resolved, trauma experienced, etc) and then my hero and heroine.  I then start writing and it may take at least two chapters before I settle on an approach but once I do, it moves pretty quickly. When that happens, I typically lock myself away because I’ve entered ‘the zone’ and it’s really difficult to pull me out of it.
After I’ve written the bulk of the chapter, I will then go back through and polish what I’ve written with emotions, descriptions and enhancements by filling in the holes. It is pretty common that I will go over each chapter at least three times before I will send to a trusted friend to do a proof read.  
I equate the process to me to cooking – you start with a basic recipe but every chef will modify it to make it theirs, make it unique. That’s all I do. Start with the foundation and then build on it from there by adding flavor in the form of emotions, deep characters and love.

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Ugh. Depends on my mood.  Probably have to default to The Lord of the Rings. Nothing beats that production in my opinion. Current fixations are Priest, Immortals and The Tudors.  I do like a good romantic comedy though. 

Q: What authors/books have inspired you to write these two different novels?
A: Anything by Anne McCaffrey (sadly deceased), Anne Bishop, and Robin Hobb. Their novels have been the greatest influences in my writing.  All have amazing abilities with character development and spinning engaging plots that suck you in – something I strive for as an author. 

Q: Say you have writer's block... what helps you get rid of that?
A: I hate writers block! But it’s a reality is it not? I get out of it by juggling stories.  It is inevitable that I will get stuck, but I never force it and I don’t give up unless there truly is zero inspiration. One trick I frequently use is to have two stories simmering at the same time. When I get stuck on one, I juggle to the other one and vice versa. By having two in motion, I can always stay writing, but it forces me to think from a different perspective and that seems to unlock what I was stuck on.

Q: What song do you think best describes TALON? What about FLAME THROWER?
A: I have no idea. I don’t pay attention to music that way, I use it more to influence my mood, not pay attention to the words. 

Q: What upcoming release are you most looking forward to?
A: Both, but for different reasons. Talon  I am excited for because it’s one of a kind and I am still floored it’s getting published. People like it, which makes me grin like an idiot. Flame Thrower because it’s the first of a series and I would love to bring the entire saga to life. This is my baby and I can’t wait for the world to meet King Ryan and Princess Tillian (and in later books, the rest of the crew!). I just recently found out that Eternal will publish the second book in the Flame Thrower saga, A Jewel of the Kingdom as well, but I don’t have a release date for that yet.
I love the edits on both books and Eternal Press has done a fantastic job publishing them.
You are the best judge of all, so pick up a copy on April 7, 2012 (Talon) or May 7th (Flame Thrower) from Eternal Press and tell me which one you liked better. I’ve included the link to their New Releases to make it easier to remember, so bookmark Eternal’s page and check back in April and May. http://www.eternalpress.biz/searches.php?category=new

About Alice:
I graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Psychology. I am a Marketing Professional by day, writer by night and have devoted myself to using the written word to motivate emotional responses. With my writing, I’ve proven that anything is possible if you just try, as evident by the accomplishments to date. I have written a total of nine novels, three of which are being published with Eternal Press. Talon  (April 2012) is a Paranormal Romance and will be the first to release. This is followed by two books in the Flame Thrower Saga:  Flame Thrower (May 2012) and A Jewel of the Kingdom (TBD), both books are Romantic Fantasy.  I’ve also got one more novel (Gem) in the works and the chapters can be found on my website.  I live in California with my two step daughters, two boxer dogs and a very supportive husband.  
I can be reached (and please do stop by to say hello) at:
Website/blog: www.alicewadewritings.com
Twitter: @AliceWadexx  https://twitter.com/#!/AliceWadexx
Facebook: Alice Wade http://www.facebook.com/AliceWadeWriting