Quick Six PRO
Interview with Tamara Monteau
Q: What's the most time-consuming part of a writer's life?
The edits. Even the most skilled writer knows he/she cannot write perfect prose in one pass. It takes a lot of careful reviewing, making changes and re-changes, until you have a marketable piece. I can write a novel in a couple of months, but I review it so many times I memorize most of it before I’m done. And that’s before the pros get their hands on it.
Q: On the topic of ebook piracy, hunter or head in the sand?
Hunter, I suppose, though I wouldn’t begin to know how. Certainly I don’t mind people borrowing books – that’s what we have libraries for. To me, e-book piracy ranks right up there with music and movie piracy. After all, it’s copyrighted material.
Q: How do you handle a bad review?
I try to look at the positive points, if any were made – try to find something to focus on. I try to look for the constructive criticism, and if there isn’t, and it’s a really bad review, I get upset. I suppose most of us would. But that doesn’t diminish my belief in my work, and if one person didn’t like it, I look to the many who have told me just the opposite.
Q: What advice do you give aspiring authors?
First, read. Know your genre. Do your research. Read others’ works in your genre and get a feel for the method, then try to develop your own. Make certain your ideas or plots don’t too closely mirror someone else’s. Then pick up a pen and start going. Share what you’ve written with trusted friends, teachers, or other writing professionals and take to heart the constructive criticism you receive. They can help guide you while you perfect your craft.
Q: If you've ventured into self-publishing, what are the pros and cons?
Well first, you get what you pay for. Self publishing is a great way to expose your work, and get it out to the world without the hassle of contacting traditional houses. It gives you complete autonomy, but it also places all the burden on you. Self-publishing can be very expensive, because you’re basically contracting the publisher to do the work for you, and even editing services run up big bucks. Still, had I not put my first book out through one of those, I would not have taken the initiative to write the rest, and helped me further develop my characters and style. Then, one fine day, as luck would have it, I came across Secret Cravings Publishing’s site and took a chance with my fourth book. Lo and behold, they contracted all four! I guess Lady Karma was on my side that day.
Q: Do you find yourself writing for the market and not for YOU, or self-censoring in any way?
I write more for myself than anyone else. I take great joy in communing with my imaginary friends and hearing their whispers. I get involved with them, often to the exclusion of all else, when the muse kicks in. The act of writing, of putting my thoughts down on paper (more or less) is as necessary to me as the food I must consume. It is a passion, and a deeply satisfying pleasure. I wouldn’t bend to any critic. My stories are what they are. I hope only that others like it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Tamara Monteau is author of:
Twilight Destiny
(Haven's Realm 1)
Tamara Monteau
Erotic Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires
(3 flames)
Joshua MacAaron led a solitary existence until the night he crossed paths with Catherine Mills. From the first, her innocent joy and strength invaded the most secret parts of his long-quiet heart. He felt inexplicably and irresistibly drawn to her, until at last he resigned himself to the fact that they were destined to meet, even though he knew the decision to involve himself with the young mortal could mean the end of his existence.
Katie led a simple life, ruled by order and practicality. She had no time for romance, had never given it thought, until the night a stranger stepped into her life. Joshua’s old-fashioned, Scottish mannerisms and extraordinary good looks awakened her heart to new and unknown
yearnings. When she discovered that the man she’d learned to love was a vampire, she became torn between fear she couldn’t control and an almost desperate longing.
Twilight Destiny(Haven's Realm 1)
Tamara Monteau
Erotic Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires
(3 flames)
Joshua MacAaron led a solitary existence until the night he crossed paths with Catherine Mills. From the first, her innocent joy and strength invaded the most secret parts of his long-quiet heart. He felt inexplicably and irresistibly drawn to her, until at last he resigned himself to the fact that they were destined to meet, even though he knew the decision to involve himself with the young mortal could mean the end of his existence.
Katie led a simple life, ruled by order and practicality. She had no time for romance, had never given it thought, until the night a stranger stepped into her life. Joshua’s old-fashioned, Scottish mannerisms and extraordinary good looks awakened her heart to new and unknown
yearnings. When she discovered that the man she’d learned to love was a vampire, she became torn between fear she couldn’t control and an almost desperate longing.
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