Friday 30 August 2013

Bethany Daniel

My second author of the day is the awesome...Bethany Daniel...


Bethany Daniel lives in Texas with her husband and 2 boys. She enjoys reading, photography and of course, writing. When she's not doing that she spends a lot of time chasing her 3 and 4 year old!

And now my favourite part of the spotlight...the interview...
Do you write as yourself or under a pseudonym? Why?
I use a pen name. I chose to use a pen name because I didn’t want my real name out there if my book was a huge flop lol.
What made you want to be a published author?
I’ve always loved writing. It’s something I used to do all the time but got pushed back when I got married and had babies. Once the idea got in my head for Reconnected, I just had to write it.
What genre do you write in and why?
New Adult, Contemporary Romance. It’s the genre I most connect with.
If you could talk to your 12 year old self, what advice would you give?
Don’t be so shy, get yourself out there.
Have any other authors influenced your writing through theirs?
There are several authors that I look up to in their writing, but I don’t know if they so much influence my style as much as inspire me.
If you are a self-published author what made you take this route and what was your experience (good or bad)?
I chose to self publish because I sent my story to several publishers and got the generic “this doesn’t fit our wants right now, we wish you good luck” response. So I decided to just put it out there myself.
How do you react to poor reviews of your book?
I appreciate constructive criticism more, because I can learn from it. The one that just try to trash the book or me as an author really agitate me, but I don’t give those people the benefit of responding to them.
What influences your choice of book covers?
I don’t want a cover that everyone else has, there are so many books that have the same covers out there that it confuses readers when they see the same picture appear somewhere. My covers have been created by designers that made a personalized covers that connect with my story.
How do you balance your writing with your real world responsibilities?
I’m a wife and have 2 kids under the age of 5, so at times I can be difficult. But the times that the kids are being good or are just asleep are good times to sneak in a few lines here and there.
Do your characters drive the plots of your stories or do you plan out your plot?
The characters do. I don’t plot out, I just have a general idea of how I want It to end up and just let them steer me there.
Do you ever write what you dream? Give an example.
I haven’t yet!
Do you market yourself or pay a professional?
I do it myself. I’ve contacted hundreds of blogs since I first released Reconnected asking them to post about it.
What are your tips for editing?
Take your time. Go over everything and then hand it to someone else to do the same!
What inspired you to write your current WIP or current published work?
I’ve always been someone to follow Hollywood gossip and I thought it would be fun to write something in that world.
Do you prefer to write stand-alone novels or a series? Why?
Reconnected was my first ever book and at first it was going to just be a stand alone, but after writing it, I felt like writing Liam’s side of the story gave more to the readers, and since Reconnected has been out so many people have said they love Krista and Scott so I decided to give them their own story too.
If you could change one thing in the publishing process what would it be?
The frustration of sending out queries and having to wait so long to hear back, especially for the turn downs.
What advice would you give to a new author?
Don’t let rejections make you give up your dream, just because a publisher doesn’t want it doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there that will love your story.
Share a favorite quote from your book.
There’s an excerpt from Disconnected that is my favorite Liam/Katy sceneI pull her close and sigh. "I know you're still hurting, Katy. Just know that I'm here, ok? You can talk to me, even if it's about Lucas."
She frowns as she looks up at me. "Are you sure?"
I nod. "Yes. I might not be Krista, but I can at least listen. I love you Katy, and I love how big your heart is. I know Lucas holds a piece of it, and probably always will and I'm ok with that."
Katy sniffles as she looks down. "I miss him. A lot." She wipes her eyes. "He was just always there, you know? Someone that I could turn to for any reason; one of my best friends." She takes a deep breath. "When we became more then friends it felt good. I hadn't really felt much of a connection with anyone since you. He made me open my heart again."
I rub her back in soothing circles and hold her tighter against me. Lucas might not have been my favorite person, but for him to love Katy and to make her open her heart and live again makes me grateful for him. I wish I had gotten the chance to know him better. Maybe over time we would have become friends, but now we'll never get the chance because of a woman out of her mind with jealousy.
"I'm sorry Katy," I whisper into her hair. "You don't have to be strong in front of me. Cry if you need to, you're allowed to miss him."
Her sniffles turn into gasps as she cries into my chest. I hate that she's been holding all this in for my sake.
I rock her back and forth as her tears continue falling down her cheeks. I wish I could just take this all away for her.
"I just...feel so...guilty," she whispers between cries. "It's not fair. He was supposed to graduate, go be this amazing architect and find a great wife, have a couple kids." Katy shakes her head. "Now he's just gone. Now he doesn't have a future. Why did he have to die, Liam?" She looks up at me with red puffy eyes and I reach out to rub some tears away.
"Sometimes there are no answers. Sometimes things just suck and all you can do is yell and scream and be pissed off. You can be mad, you can try and make sense of it all, but in the end the why of it doesn't matter, Katy. In the end you're left to just deal with it and keep living."
"I know," she whispers taking a deep breath. "But it really sucks."
I smile softly and wipe the last of her tears away. "I know it does, but you have me to help you through it, ok? If you need me, I'm right here."
Katy pulls me down to her for a kiss and leans her forehead against mine. "Thank you for loving me even when I'm broken."
I kiss her again and hold her tightly against my chest. "Always."

Now for the books...
Reconnected Blurb:
Katy Warren had it all. A new husband, who was a successful theater actor and their whole lives ahead of them. But then Liam got discovered and once whisked off to Hollywood, he changed. After a night of being ignored for "business", Katy decides she can't handle it and leaves. Taking back her maiden name, and deciding to go for a Psychology degree she leaves Liam Warren and his celebrity behind, but she never got a divorce and Liam hasn't stopped looking for her. When their paths cross again, Liam does all he can to fight for their love even with Katy fighting against him
Disconnected Blurb:
This is the retelling of Reconnected from Liam's POV.

A Fast Paced Love Story!

Liam and Katy were high school sweethearts. Shortly after they graduated they ran off to Vegas to get married. Liam does theater acting and it's there that he is discovered by Excite Entertainment and flown to L.A.

Once he's in L.A his marriage takes the backseat to rubbing elbows with Hollywood's biggest and brightest. One night Liam throws a big party and Katy comes into their house filled with half dressed women. When Katy says she's going to leave, Liam doesn't believe her until he comes home from filming and finds a note that tears him apart.

Four years later, he's tried to move on but never let go of the love he has in his heart for his Katy. It's in a little town they are filming in that their paths cross again and Liam has to try and convince Katy that their love is worth fighting for.
Here I go again...my TBR list is getting BIGGER...AGAIN!!!
Stalker links:
Twitter: @author_bethanyd
Reconnected Purchase Links:
Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/lo9a8qe
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/qj9fxml
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/lnvudvr
Sony: http://tinyurl.com/lqtcj4y
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/q3t4a44
iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/lo4l5jz

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