Falguni's Blog: AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: introducing HD SMITH

Dear Readers, starting a new chapter for my blog where I'll be interviewing other writers in a series of guest posts titled:

Author's Circle.

Which brings us to...

Author's Circle debuts with a fellow author and good friend, HD Smith, to talk about writing, life and her book, DARK HOPE.

Hi HD Smith! Thanks for dropping by and letting us have a peek into your life. To jump right in...

What’s Dark Hope about?

Claire, the Devil’s assistant, knows very little about the world she was dropped into five years ago, when she inherited her mother’s unpaid debt to the Demon King. She certainly didn’t expect to be a contender for the Fallen Queen’s throne, a target for the Druid King’s mafia, or a suspect in the murder of Junior, the Devil’s oldest hell spawn … will Claire save her soul, or be trapped in their world forever?

What does your day look like?

I write software for an awesome cruise line in Celebration, FL. Most days I’m stuck in the office, but sometimes my office is a stateroom and I’m floating on ocean waves while I work.

Which author/s have inspired you the most?

Kim Harrison, Karen Marie Moning, Thea Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter … it can go on and on.

How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.

I started my first story (which I eventually used as a flashback in Keegan’s Point) over 15 years ago. I planned that story to death … literally. I put it aside before I’d even written one word of the actual novel and started a different story. The second one fell victim to the same fate, but I had at least started writing it. Shortly thereafter I discovered that I’m not a plotter … I’m a pantser … I don’t plan or outline I just write. My third attempt, Keegan’s Point, was the first story I finished. It’s available in all of its first book glory on Smashwords.

What is your best marketing tip?

Do a blog tour. Give readers plenty of chances to win a free copy of your book (Facebook party planned for May 9^th!). I’m a new author and as such I have NO fan base (yet). Getting out there in front of people, (social media, book signings, author promotional events) can only help you get noticed. This is the advice given to me by an author friend, and so far it has worked out well.

Why write urban fantasy?

I love the genre. I’ve found many great authors like Kim Harrison and Faith Hunter and Ilona Andrews that bring such fun worlds to life. I love the freedom of the paranormal world, with the believability of a contemporary setting. It’s magic :)

Naturally, in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?

I’ll have to say Claire (main character of Dark Hope), but mainly because several of my good friends hear my voice in their head for her. She’s a bit snarky like me, which is our only real similarity.

What can we expect from you next?

I’m working on Book 2 in The Devil’s Assistant trilogy. I have 2^nd drafts of Book 2 and Book 3, but both need revisions based on the final version of Book 1. No ETA for either book yet.