Krystal Shannan: @KrystalShannan Interviews

Please help me welcome the fabulous Natalie Gibson to the blog today. She is a wonderful storyteller and I just adore her Book of Sinnis Series.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I try to do something a little different, share something new with each one of these I do. I don't want to have the same author bio cut and pasted in a million different places, though I would love to have my name in a million places! I am Natalie Gibson, 34 years old, married, with one daughter. I have a regular 9-5 making home loans. I started writing Ishtar Bound during my maternity leave almost 5 years ago. It took me 2 years to write that first book. I have sped up the process since then. I wrote 3 books last year and 3 short stories. I plan to write 3 books and at least 5 short stories this year. I had a near obsession with paperbacks until my kindle took over. It's like any other addiction, I guess. It always escalates, moving to harder and harder stuff. I love the ease with which I can buy books on my kindle and the secrecy I can enjoy them in. No more bright pink or swarthy man laden covers being seen and judged by cashiers for this gal.

Did you always want to be an author?

I did not, but I always had a great love of reading. I was often found with my nose in a book between classes when others were flirting and primping. I am a performer at heart. I have a BFA from UT Austin with a specialization in classical acting. As a kid I was always putting on shows and just plain showing off. I did child versions of comedy stand-up where I told funny stories. I did write and had much encouragement to continue but it wasn't until later that I discovered my love of writing.

What made you choose to write romance?

Easy – Christine Feehan. I was going through a bad time in my life after college. My husband (now Ex for almost 10 years) had moved me for his job and I had no one and nothing. I went to a used book store and tripped over a display for her Dark Series. I bought one after another as they came out. I fell in love with paranormal romance with its grand adventure, passionate sex, and overwhelming need to be together and save the world from evil. It was just what I needed at the time. I read romance almost exclusively now. It is a great escape. I write it because it is what I like to read. I will admit to another reason for starting with it – volume. People who read romance read more books on average than lovers of other genres. Romance readers demand high volume. It is easier to get a following with romance, from what I have seen, though my historical horror is getting a bit of attention now.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

Writing. I am a god in the worlds I create. I create a world, a mythos, and then put people (who I also create) in that, bound by laws, subjected to extreme situations and desires, given great gifts or trials, and then see what they do. I love every second of it.

Tell us a little about your book. What inspired you to write it?

I actually have quite a few books. My Sinnis Series is my baby. Ishtar Bound is the first book I ever wrote (and the third, fourth and fifth with all of the total rewrites). All kinds of things inspire me to write: a daydream, a night dream, a memory, a good read, a bad read, a song...

The Sinnis Series is my first attempt to combine the elements I enjoy in a good read: action, adventure, magic, mystery, romance and racy sex. They are all for mature readers only. Please do not purchase or read if you are under 18 years of age.

The Daughters of Women is a secret order of magical adepts, each with abilities granted to them from their mother's bloodlines. Some will be, and some will give birth to Sinnis, a generation bound to an ancient race of men they call Guardians, the Nephilim. They are half men, half gods with mysterious abilities of their own. Their complex mental camouflage keeps them out of the thoughts of others, memory of their faces and names fading the moment they leave.

Veil of Ishtar, Book 5 of Sinns will be available on Amazon February 16th. Here is the blurb...

The Daughters of Women have all become pretty confident with the Nephilim living amongst them, if not comfortable. The days of being stunned and surprised by their nature and hungers are long gone. No one bats an eye when a new demi-god swoops in and claims Christy. Belial all but says she is his Sinnis, the woman he's been waiting for over ten thousand years. When Belial isn't muddling her mind with his allure, the one Christy really yearns for seems to be a real life monster. Imendand looks like an Akhkharu, a betrayer of his kind, a Nephilim who has drank the blood and feasted on the flesh of his brother.

Now the veil between this world and that of the gods of old has been torn and it looks like Christy is the only one who can repair it. Even if she knew how seal the portal, Imendand waits outside her shield for the second she drops her guard or steps over the line.

Does Belial love her or is he just using her? What interest does Imendand have in her? Will the Shinar come through the tear in the veil and consume all life on earth or can Christy, with no mentor, no training, and no help, do the impossible? How can she when the life of every human to come within ten feet of the tear is absorbed?

Forget everything you think you know about Nephilim and their Sinnis, grab a copy of this much anticipated installment, and get settled in. Book 5 of Sinnis will keep you guessing.

I can't wait!!!

Do you plot and outline or do you just write? Plotter or Pantser?

Oh goodness, I am such a list maker. I plan the hell out of a piece before I ever write a word. I use spreadsheets and old school outlines. I use a modified snowflake method that seems to work for me. My technique is always evolving but I am most definitely a Plotter.

Can you tell us about the process of getting your first book published?

Ishtar Bound was rejected many times, as well it should have been, before I decided it was good enough to self publish. I sent it before it was ready and most publishers won't look a piece twice even if it has been totally rewritten and most don't want to see the second in a series, so I kinda screwed myself there. Self publishing has been wonderful, though slow going. Marketing is hard work and complicated to figure out. I struggle with getting my books in front of the right audience without the help of a publisher. I am currently going through the process of having all my works re-edited and redesigned.

What advice would you give new authors? What have you learned about the business?

Yikes, I am the last person to give advice. I write. I am very bad at the business part. They say to build a base, a platform, a market, before putting your book out there. Instead, I put 5 books and 3 short stories out in my first year before I even had a website or facebook page. Don't be like me is the advice I would offer.

Do you have another book in the works?

Always.

Book 5 of Sinnis, Veil of Ishtar, will be out on February 16th, so that is past the stage where I am actually working on it. It is in the hands of others in the design stage.

I just finished a Sinnis Short Story that will be put on my website as free content once that is up and running in March.

I am writing Wretched Blood, the second in the Carrier Trilogy, follow up to Hateful Burden. It is not romantic in the least, though Hateful Burden did start out that way. It grew into something else and I let it. Boy am I glad. It is a gaslight era horror/psychological thriller with a paranormal twist. I am quite proud of it and am having a blast writing the second. It will be available this summer.

The last and final Book of Sinnis is planned and waiting for me to get to it at the end of the year.

I have a stand alone vampire novel all planned out to be available by mid year.

I also have a few more Mount Haven Quickies planned for this year too.

What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?

I don't have time for much else. My 4 year old daughter takes up what little time is left. We read and do crafts. I always have such grand craft ideas but they NEVER look as good in reality as they did in my mind. Luckily, 4 year olds don't care. They just want to make something and get messy doing it.

Where do you dream of going on vacation?

I do make time for vacation. We do something every year. I take mini vacations with my husband for romance. We live very close to Shreveport, LA and just took a birthday trip to the boats for a little gambling fun. At one point I hit 800, then 650 and 650! I was playing penny slots so it wasn't much money but that machine still jangled a whole helluva lot! We went to Walt Disney World last year for 11 days. It was my 13th WDW vacation, my daughter and husband's second. I freaking love that place and I start planning my next visit before I am home. I love to cruise. It is so simple and carefree. We want to go to Alaska. Dream Vacation: I want to pub crawl in London, ride the train across Europe, see the ruins of Rome, eat cheese and drink coffee on a sidewalk in Paris.

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxer briefs – you know the boy shorts kind that end in a straight line across the thigh but also highlight the package? I think I've said too much.

Cookies or cake?

CAKE! - cake is magical, liquid to solid with just a little heat, fluffy and moist and sweet. A little icing only. I scrape off most of it.

Pizza or hamburger?

Pizza

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?

Mixed drink. I like an ice cold Bloody Mary extra spicy and I'll take a Cosmopolitan any day of the week. I cannot stomach alcohol mixed with milk or cream at ALL. It makes me think of curdled milk and I always barf. If I am stuck I go with simple two ingredient drinks – i.e. vodka cranberry, screwdriver. I also enjoy a dark, dark, not too carbonated stout or porter if I have fries and curry ketchup to go with it.

Natalie is offering 1 ebook from her backlist to five lucky commenters. Enter in the raffle copter below. Be sure to leave an email so we can contact you.

Also, check out my review of Book 1-4 of Sinnis on Satin Sheets Romance Review!

Where to find you @

Contact

Email ishtarbooks@gmail.com

Friend page http://www.facebook.com/author.gibson

Fan page http://www.facebook.com/authornataliegibson

Website ishtarbooks.com and authornataliegibson.com

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Natalie-Gibson/e/B007UT880I

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827070.Natalie_Gibson

Review Blog http://satinsheetsromance.blogspot.com/

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