Interview & Giveaway with Carol Cassada

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome first time guest Carol Cassada to the blog.  We are chatting about her new book “Westmore: Broken Ties” 

Carol, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I come from Ringgold, VA and I have a very supportive mother and two brothers, who love to tease me. I’m a romance writer; most of my books are inspired by soap operas. I’ve been writing for about three years now, I’ve done both traditional and self-publishing, although I prefer the latter.  During the night I write, but during the day I work a number of telecommuting jobs.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

It wasn’t until my final years of high school when I became interested in writing, and I loved it so much, that I decided this is something I’d like to do with my life. At first, I thought about becoming a journalist and working for the local newspaper, but in the end I decided to jump ship and write novels instead, and I’m happy I went in that direction.

Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?

I used to write during the day, but with my busy schedule I switched my routine to the night time, which is great because my family’s asleep and I have privacy. I usually start at around ten or eleven, and work for about two hours or until I get sleepy. The only thing I have to have while writing is peace and quiet, although occasionally I’ll put on my headphones and crank up the tunes.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

The most challenging part is writing itself. I’m the type of person who gets an idea in her head and just goes with it; I type whatever I think of. Then when I go back to read the manuscript, it looks messy and I have a lot of editing to do. I usually do revision about two or three times to make sure everything looks good. I admit it’s a hassle but in the end when you see your finished product that’s the most rewarding part.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

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The Westmore series is what I call a romance novel meets a soap opera, the books focus on the lives of three families: The Greens, The Braxtons, and The Reynolds. The first volume was an introductory to the characters, and the second volume had an accident which caused a feud between The Braxtons and The Greens. The third volume is called Broken Ties; in the book the families and some of the couples are dealing with relationship issues, which threaten to tear them apart.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Soap operas inspired me to write the series, I got my dose of romance from the shows. Years ago I wrote ideas for a soap opera in an old notebook, but with my busy schedule I never got a chance to do anything with it. Then I was looking for inspiration for my next book and I found the soap opera ideas and decided to turn it into a book series.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

Next, I’ll be working on volume 4 of Westmore which I plan to release next year. Aside from that I’m working on other writing projects, including a paranormal romance novel.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins are two of the biggest romance writers in the world and authors who I admire. One day I hope to achieve the success they have.

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?

I feel that my writing style is different from most romance writers, because I don’t write love scenes. I’ll have couples kissing or making out, but as for sex scenes, I have it happen behind closed doors. I like to leave it to the reader’s imaginations.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I have a shelf full of books that I haven’t even touched yet, they’re mostly ghost books and I try to read one at a time. Right now, I’m reading a book about the most haunted places in the world.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I want to thank you for hosting me. I love doing interviews and connecting with readers. And I hope you’ll check out Westmore.

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Carol is giving away one E-copy of Westmore: Broken Ties. To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter below.
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