Author Interview with Adrienne Woods

6/14/2019

Who are you?

My real name is Erika, But I write under multiple pen names. I have three at the moment. Adrienne Woods, who writes Fantasy for YA and adults. The Dragonian Series is my more popular series, Dream Casters and the Beam series which is novels derived from the Dragonian Series.

Isabella White writes Romance. Contemporary, mostly. So sad and soppy love stories. She has the 4ever series, a trilogy, but has The What if series derived from the 4Ever series, what if versions that would change the outcome completely. There are up to date 13 novels in the what if series written, but only three are published. Then there is For Me, the male character's point of view from Imperfect Love, first novel in the 4ever series. Two stand alone novels, From a Jack to a king and one in editing called Finding Mr. Right.
Kristin Ping is my third pen name that writes Paranormal. She only has three novels from the Guardian of Monster Saga published, but it's also a 9 book series.
All three my pen names has reach USA Today bestseller lists. So proud of that.

Where do you live?

I live in South Africa. The East side of Johannesburg where I run Fire Quill Publishing with my partner Carlyle Labuschagne, also a USA Today best selling author and together we try to help as many authors trying to make their dreams come true.
So I'm living the dream.

What’s your home life like?

Writing, hahahaha. No I've been married for ten years to the most understanding man one could get. Have two beautiful daughters that we try to raise through all the busy work and writing schedules. I work from home, and together with a team of employees we try to do the impossible.

via GIPHY

What genre(s) to you like to write? To read?

I like to write what I read. Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance and Murder and mysteries.
I'm planning to release a fourth pen name that is writing stories about serial killer cases and the attorney defending them.
It's still in the pipe line as I am not an attorney but my own lawyer is desperate to help me out.

via GIPHY

Why did you start writing?

Guess it was something I always had to do. My mother told me when I was thirteen, she love Daniel Steele, I told her that I'm going to become an author as I saw the love it put in her life at that time. And at thirteen wanted her to look and talk about me, be proud, the way she was about Danielle's novels. So I said I'm going to become a Woods. I completely forgot about that when I did start penning down my own ideas, and she reminded me about the story when I published Firebolt under Adrienne Woods. I love that story even if I couldn't remember it when I published my novel. But I do remember saying that to her when she told me about it. Shows you how things in life works in mysterious ways. I also was an avid reader and wanted to read stories that was sort of in my head, but struggle to find them, so decided to write them myself, and here we are.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

That is a hard one. My hubby teased me all the time that I'm a work a workaholic, but when I'm not working I spend it with them.

Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?

Book stores. I love bookstores. Would live in one if I could. Just to go through the shelves and see all the beautiful covers and lose myself in them.

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At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?

After the first three chapters. If I can't get into a novel after three chapters I do not carry on reading it. A book has to be good from the get go. Authors do have it in them to captivate readers from the beginning so I always try to get to action or plot lines in the first three chapters of my novels. So important to write page turners.

Are you independently or traditionally published?

I was with a publisher but it didn't work out at all. So you can call me a hybrid. My Dragonian Series audios is with Tantor. But Because of my bad experience with a publisher, I decided to publish my own novels through Fire Quill Publishers.

How many books/stories have you published so far?

Published about twenty I think. Written about forty. The editors has piles of my stories waiting to be edited.

What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?

It depends on what I'm in the mood for. If it's love story, the one of Isabella WHITE novels, if I'm in the mood for action and supernatural, something of Adrienne Woods or Kristin Ping. But I'm currently finishing all the books in the What if Series that is Isabella White

What’s the elevator pitch?

I suck at elevator pitches and back blurbs. Really. I could never capture the main essence of my story. I guess I have too many plot lines and things in my novels that sounds all super important. It's like answering what your kids are good at. I like to think my children is a little bit good at everything. So Elevator pitches is a big no for me. Sorry.

How long have you been working on it?

Hahahaha. If I do them, it never gets done.

When will it be available to buy? Where?

My novels are on Amazon, BN, Kobo, iTunes, Smaswords. Everywhere I can get them on. I'm not exclusive at all, as I have many readers spread around all the platforms

How can readers find you?

Adrienne Woods

Kristin Ping

Isabella White

All my social media links are on there.

What inspires you to keep writing?

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
― Terry Pratchett

I so agree with this one. It's raw, it's from your heart and I always built on that.

My own. Not true on the fact part, but it's a way of talking.
They say one in a thousand author make it. You will never know if you are that one if you don't try.

Anything you’d like to add?

I have some advice for aspiring authors that I see in so many groups that they are struggling with and here is my advice.

Forget the rules in writing a story, just write your story. Write it the way it is suppose to be told. Don't ask for advice when crafting your story, let your gut and heart lead you to the end.

If you don't know how to get to the middle, go back to the board, or day dream about it, don't every rush the creating part of your novel, whether it's creating worlds or characters. The more they are fleshed out, the easier and faster you will finish your story.

Remember if you can't read your novel over and over without getting tired of it, don't publish it. The reader only experience twenty percent of what you put on pages. So make sure that you love your pages 100 percent first, otherwise it won't be what you want it to be.

Write with your emotions. Cry if you want the reader to cry, laugh out loud and for at least a minute if you want the readers to laugh and catch the joke. Dislike certain plot lines if you want your readers to dislike. Make sure your readers get the right emotion.

Reviews are very important, but do not get sucked in by them. Remember reviews are there for readers not the authors. You are not going to please everyone with your book. The big names have more one stars than some authors have reviews. Not everyone is going to love your book, but you will find your readers. Be generous with review copies, give at least 1000 copies to readers. Don't see them as money wasted, cause if your book does what it should do, and it's a brilliant story, they will tell others and you will make a living on just your writing.

Always find time to write. Even if it's just ten minutes. If it's your dream, then don't let it die. Keep pushing and enjoy the journey.

I would like to thank Erika for joining the Laughably Inane Blog and sharing her extensive wit and experience with me. I wish her, and all her other personalities, all the best in her (their) future writing endeavors.

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