Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Celeste Hall to the blog today
Celeste, can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’ve always been an adventurer and a daydreamer. I would make up elaborate games with treasure maps and story plots (Indiana Jones style) for my siblings to play as a child. Later I gained mobility with horses and cars, which let me vanish into the wilderness for weeks at a time.
I may have grown up, but I held onto that daydreaming little girl inside. I still love a good adventure, traveling all over the world to meet new people and explore places I’ve read about in books.
When I write, I always strive to take my readers along on a voyage of one kind or another. Delving into fantasy, mystery, romance and suspense with the same passions I employ in my own life.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’ve always loved books and writing. As a child I wrote longhand, filling up dozens of notebooks and dairies with my stories, poems and exploits. I never really planned on publishing any of them, but life has a funny way of nudging us into roles we might not otherwise have taken.
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
I have a very eclectic taste in books, but my favorites will always be the stories that either scare me or seduce me. I love Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann and so many other fabulous writers. It’s hard to say which have influenced me the most. I suspect my writing style matured from a wide diversity of books I’ve read throughout my life as well as the experiences I’ve had.
How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I primarily write romance novels, but I’ve completed dozens of other stories throughout the years. A couple have made it onto library shelves, but the majority will probably gather dust in the closet until I find the time to go back through them and give each a proper editing session.
What are some of your writing rituals?
I don’t have any rituals per se, other than keeping a full pot of coffee handy. I also utilize a variety of different construction techniques, depending on the type of story I’m writing and how inspired I might be at the time. Some days I just sit down and the words flow out onto the page as fast as I can type, while other days I have to write out storyboards for motivation and an outline to follow.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Last month I published Blood Seductions: Gavin, which is the first book in a spinoff series from my popular Dream Seduction line. The stories follow a group of Incubus and Vampires, which are normally enemies, as they are gathering together to fight against an evil unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.
This month I’m releasing Secret Admirer, a fun contemporary romance about a girl that receives an array of very frightening letters and acquires the protection of a very sexy bodyguard.
I also plan to publish the next book in the Dream Seduction line this summer, as well as a couple more contemporary romances, so stay tuned!
How did you come up with the idea for this story?
I gain my inspiration from a variety of sources, most of which stem from my own life experiences and wild imagination. I’ll have a dream (or a nightmare) and it will stick with me until I get it down on paper. Other times it will be an event, or person I’ve met, someone who just begs to have their personality captured and shared with the world.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’ve recently started completing stories for a variety of anthologies, largely suspense or romance collections, but they won’t be coming out until early next year. Never fear, my wonderful followers will have plenty to read in the meantime. I currently have three completed novels I plan to release this year, and another three that are in progress.
Keep an eye on my webpage for excerpts and information on Secret Admirer, which will be coming out this month. Dream Seductions: All the Queen’s Men, which will be published in July. And Passionate Creatures, which I plan to release in August.
What would you be if you were not an author?
As a round cheeked and dimpled little girl I used to pray every day for a horse and a cow. I really wanted to be a cowgirl when I grew up. I dreamed of wide open places and endless skies.
I suppose I still yearn for those things. Someday I hope to have a big ranch out in some wonderfully remote and beautiful location. But I’m sure I’d still find myself driven to write. That’s simply who I am, and what I’ve always loved.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I’m currently halfway through E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. As soon as I’ve finished these, I plan to read Deadlocked, by Charlaine Harris. I get a huge kick out of reading her books and then watching the True Blood series to make fun of their adaptations. I do the same thing with the Game of Thrones series so I’ve been forbidden from watching either show with my friends. =)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I just want to add a quick thank you to all of my friends and followers alike. You’ve all made such a huge impact on my life. I would never have made it this far without such a wonderful support group!
For those that are new to my writing, I’d love to talk to you about what you’d like to see more or less of in my stories. I hope you’ll all feel free to drop by and share your opinions or suggestions!
You can almost always find me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Celeste-Hall/163107347079149
I’m a huge Facebook junkie, so messages left there will usually be answered that same day. =)
Other places I can (less frequently) be found include:
My website, http://www.celestehall.com
Blog, http://celestehall.blogspot.com
Twitter, http://twitter.com/ACelesteHall
Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915911.Celeste_Hall
or YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/user/authorcelestehall
I look forward to speaking with you again!
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