Well, my ask a question giveaway was a success and I received some awesome questions for myself and my characters to answer tonight! I’ve gathered all the required heroes and heroines into my interview room so it’s a little cramped now, but everyone seems to be getting along. There are a lot of questions for my heroes so I’m surrounded by a lot of very handsome men right now. Life is hard. 😀
I’ll start off by answer the questions posed to me as a writer as that means I can keep my heroes hanging around me for longer, and then move on to the questions you’ve asked my characters.
Alainala and Katrina W asked me: how many books do you have planned in the angel series?
FH: I get asked this question a lot. The only answer I can give at the moment is that there will definitely be one more novel, Her Demonic Angel, and that will come out in 2012. There is a potential hero for another novel, but I need to see how things pan out with Her Demonic Angel first. If I do write another novel after that one, it will probably come out in 2013.
Shae asked me: I know you have a couple of series, so do you write one book at a time or finish one before you start on another?
FH: I have a lot of series. I always write one book at a time but that doesn’t mean I’m not planning multiple books at the same time as I’m writing or editing that one book. I find that it’s not too difficult for me to retain my focus on writing or editing if I’m scribbling notes down for another book at the same time. I never write more than one book at a time though. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Miki asked me: I would like to know the time (general) between the publication of your ebook and the print book?
FH: At the moment, with my new releases, it’s very short. I just released Heart of Darkness on October 22nd and the paperback was available by October 29th, so that’s a very small window of time between the two. I try to keep them close together if I can. For my older books, I don’t have a schedule. It depends on whether I feel it’s worth putting the book into print or whether I’m happy enough with it to put it into print. Some of my books are almost five years old now and if I were to put them into print, I would probably want to polish them beforehand.
Madame D asked me: Are you ever going to write a gay couple to awe us with?
FH: I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ll ever write a M/M romance. There’s a chance of a minor character being gay but I’m not really into writing that genre and prefer to write straight M/F romances, with the occasional love triangle. I don’t have anything against the genre or those that write it, but it’s just not for me.
Madame D and Brandy B asked me: Where do you get your ideas for these amazing stories, and how do you find the time to write them all down?
FH: Ask the muse where they come from. Lol. They come from anywhere. A song, a passing moment out somewhere, a holiday, a movie, absolutely anywhere. I have a very easily inspired muse, which I am deeply thankful for. My mind is constantly on the lookout for new ideas. If inspiration strikes, I pretty much have to drop everything to write down the idea in my notebook or on my phone. I carry my notebook everywhere with me, even on holiday, and if I don’t have it on hand, my phone suffices. It’s a bit of a slower method but it still gets the idea locked away in the vault for musing later. If I’m actively working on planning a book, then I can spend hours writing down notes for it. I love to plan my books thoroughly.
Azahlia asked me: What made you start to write and what advice can you give to people who want to become authors?
FH: I first started out in fanfiction, where I read someone’s work and thought – I can do that. So I did. I learned as I wrote and improved over time to the point where a fellow author and my husband encouraged me to write something original, with my own characters. I was nervous about it but took the leap and I loved it. My advice to any aspiring author is to write several stories AND learn your craft through courses and books before taking the leap and putting anything out into the world. I was lucky enough to cut my teeth in fanfic where people were doing it for fun, not as a business, so it didn’t matter how dire my original few stories were. Out in the big wide world where people are paying, you’ve got to be sure what you’re putting out there is really good or you’re damaging your own career before you’ve got it off the ground. I think a lot of new authors rush into things and throw their first novel out there, and that’s just dangerous in my opinion. Every author in the business knows you never release your first few novels. You might think they’re great right now, but you’ll regret your decision five years down the line when you look back. Readers are quick to put you on your never-buy list. You want to be on their auto-buy list, not the never-buy one, and that means critique groups, honest opinions from friends on your book, and writing a few novels to really get the best out of the third or fourth, which is the one you release if it’s good enough.
Michelle, LuAnn and Tonya asked me: What made you decide to write paranormal romances?
FH: I was a great fan of the paranormal from a very young age. I have book reports from when I was six or seven where all the books I was reading were labelled as ‘boring’ unless they featured vampires, werewolves, monsters, witches and other creatures of the night. That love of the paranormal never left me and it’s probably stronger now than ever. If you handed me a contemporary romance I would probably call it boring. Hand me something with a vampire in it, or a shape-shifter, or demon, or a god and then you’ve got me hooked! Even better, give me a laptop and a couple of weeks away from the world and I’ll hand you a vampire, shape-shifter or demon god at the end of it. I really love the paranormal genre. I can’t think of anything else I would rather be doing than writing books for it.
Michelle asked me: Do you have a favorite type of paranormal character you like to write about more?
FH: I try my hand at various paranormal species but I always come back to my vampires. I play with their myth though so I produce interesting variants in each stand alone novel or series I write. I find that the vampire myth is so flexible and there’s such beautiful scope for darkness in it, and I love to write things dark. I’d like to write more about demon gods or humans with supernatural powers though.
Claire asked me: How do you decide on the names of your characters?
FH: With great deliberation and care. I have a list of names that I add to whenever I come across an interesting one. I hate using names that are common because I find they don’t suit my characters. A lot of the time, the names mean something too. With my vampires, I tend to go with names that are local to where the vampire was originally from as a human. It might not be their real name, but it’s one that suits them because it matches the accent, the looks, and everything else about them. I think it’s very important that a name really suits a character, and also a time period. If a vampire or demon or whatever creature is from 3000 years ago and you’ve called him something that the celebrities are naming their kids this year, then it’s not going to work, not unless you mention that he’s changed his name for some reason or his identity to stop people from realising he doesn’t age, etc. Because I write books mostly set in Europe, I get a whole variety of beautiful names at my disposal. It’s just a case of finding the right one.
Claire asked me: Are you ever tempted to go with one of the big publishing houses or do you like your independence?
FH: If Random House or another big publishing house came along and offered me a book deal, I wouldn’t turn them down if the price and deal was right for me. I am happy being an indie author and I love the statement it makes and everything it entails, but I won’t hide the fact that I would love to land a major book deal. Would it stop me from being an indie? No, not likely. I would still release books as an indie as well as a published author. I would take the best of both worlds.
Katy Grace asked me: which books and Authors are you a fan of and do you still have time to do some reading even though you are busy writing?
FH: In the paranormal genre, I absolutely adore Lara Adrian, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, and also like Christine Feehan and J R Ward (I went off her series at Vs book), and also sometimes enjoy Lynsay Sands and other paranormal romance authors. I still have time to read but it’s normally when I’m on holiday. I don’t read when I’m writing or editing any of my own books as I find it influences my writing too much. Because I don’t get much time to read, I’m very selective about what I read and tend to stick with authors I know will provide the best read for my valuable time. That tends to be the first three I mentioned above as they write books much like I write, and those as the books I love to read.
VampireGoddess asked me: If you could be one of your characters for a day who would you choose?
FH: That’s a tricky one. I would love to be Prophecy from my Prophecy Trilogy for a day as Valentine is my number 1 hero, but then I wouldn’t say no to being Elise from Heart of Darkness as I also adore Aleksandr, or Lauren from Love Immortal because Julian is a total hottie, erm, I mean, he’s rather lovely.
Brandy B asked me: Do you have a genre you would like to try but haven’t yet?
FH: It’s not a genre I haven’t tried, but I would love to be able to write more fantasy romances. I don’t have time at the moment, but if I did, I would write more books in my Tri-Kingdom series, which is unavailable at the moment, but I was offering The Night which is part of it as a freebie during this event.
Sam Moden asked me: Will there be any more stories involving Prophecy?
FH: Well, Sam, you’ll be glad to hear that Prophecy, Valentine and Venturi all feature quite heavily in Masquerade, which is the next book in the Vampires Realm series and I’ll be releasing it in January 2012. I’m not sure yet whether there will be another novel with Prophecy as the heroine, and Valentine and Venturi as the heroes, but I would love the opportunity to write about them again in that capacity. It would be awesome.
Jessica asked me: Have you ever thought about writing a book that had other shifters apart from werewolves?
FH: I have written about shape-shifters in the past. The In Heat series features a black panther shape-shifter hero, as well as puma shifters and white tiger shifters.
Andie asked me: What are the best and worst parts of writing for you?
FH: I love to plan books and write the first draft as that’s the most exciting part for me. I don’t mind editing as I know good editing is essential and I put a lot of effort into that part of the writing experience. I think the worst part is when I’ve read something on paper and scribbled comments and changes on 400+ pages and then I have to type all those into my word document! I hate that part.
Andie, Beverly and Stephanie asked me: Are any of your characters based on people in your own life? If so, do you try to stay true to the personality traits of that person? Which one do you feel is the most like you?
FH: I think I draw bits from everyone I know and everyone I have ever read in a book or seen on TV/movies. Writers are like sponges. We’re constantly absorbing and when we then come to create something, we draw on everything we’ve sucked in whether we realise it or not. There is a lot of my husband in Valentine (not the killer part, but the more human side to him) and other heroes of mine. As for my heroines, I’m not sure who is the most like me. It’s probably Lauren from Love Immortal. I actually think there’s more of me in my heroes. Lol. Where do you think Lincoln got that fear of death from? I think I draw more on my own emotions than anyone else’s. I’ve always said that I’m a method writer. I feel everything that my characters do, even when it means I end up crying in cafes as I write! Experiencing the emotions my characters are, tapping into that, makes for a better read in my opinion.
Mae asked me: What’s your favourite ice cream flavour or sweet treat of choice?
FH: I absolutely love dorayaki made with a custard cream (for those of you who don’t know, that’s a sort of sandwich of two sweet pancakes with a filling squished between them)! I also love those sweet bean filled pressed dough shapes they do at certain times of year in Japan.
Kristina asked me: I want to know what is your favorite book or series?
FH: My favourite to read? My favourite series is Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian, but my favourite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte or perhaps North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.
Katrina W asked me: When are you coming to see us in the land of Australia?
FH: Kat, I would love to come back to Cairns! We might be doing something terrible next year and going to New Zealand for three weeks. Forgive me!
Txgrll asked me: Is Hyperion going to have his own book?
FH: Yes, he does have his own story to tell. I have a couple of books in the Vampires Realm series to write first (Ineru’s story and Eve’s story) and then I’m going to work on Hyperion’s.
Txgrll asked me: Out of all your characters/books, which one is your favorites?
FH: My favourite books are Love Immortal, Forbidden Blood, Prophecy Trilogy and Heart of Darkness at the moment. My favourite characters are Valentine from the Prophecy Trilogy / Vampires Realm series, Aleksandr from Heart of Darkness, and Julian from Love Immortal. I also adore Marcus and Veiron from the Her Angel series… and then there’s a character or seven in my future series Hades’ Boys. My favourite hero in that yet-to-be-written series is brother #3, who I will only refer to by his initial, E, but I absolutely love him and there’s a chance he’s going to knock Valentine off my top spot!
CrazyAmmoB asked me: If Hyperion and Zsadist would get into a fight, Who would win?
FH: I have to side with Hyperion. Not because he’s my own character but because he is over 3000 years old and can probably kill most vampires with a single blow. Zsadist would put up a good fight, but Hyperion is extremely powerful.
Barbara asked me: If you weren’t a writer what would you do?
FH: I would be a web developer, which is what I used to do before turning full time author this year.
Anne asked me: Why do you write with 2 Author names (Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton) Are there differences in the type of books that go with each author names?
FH: I write most of my stories as Felicity Heaton but write my Vampires Realm series as F E Heaton. I was also going to write my Tri-Kingdom series under that name too. The only real difference is the series thing. F E Heaton was the name I decided to use for my Vampires Realm series as I had wanted to keep them together and that name linked and recognisable as the author of the series and a darker type of romance. I was writing a lot of stand alone novels as Felicity Heaton, and non-paranormals too. I’ve done some author housekeeping since then and done away with my historical and contemporary romances, and focused myself on just my sci-fi and paranormal romances.
Laura H asked me: which of your books would be your first choice to have made into a movie? And which actor would you want to play the lead role?
FH: Love Immortal without a doubt. A lot of people who have read that book have come back saying that it could be a movie and that would be awesome. I’m not sure who would play the lead role. There was a discussion on my facebook recently about giving the part to Ian Somerhalder from The Vampire Diaries. It’s a possibility. I think there’s a chance that someone like Bradley Cooper would be great at playing Julian too. Although, if I had my way, I would find some amazing unknown actors to play the parts. I’d really want them to resemble the characters!
Jkrowyn asked me: What are your thoughts on audio-books? Do you listen to them? Ever want to hear yours available?
FH: It would be amazing to see my books as audio-books. It’s so costly to produce them though. I like to have my Kindle read my own books to me when I’m proofing them. Does that count as hearing them? 😉
AmourousVixen asked me: How long did you have your story lines before you started writing them? Did you have any say on book covers? Do the cover models look like what you had in mind for each character?
FH: The length of time my story ideas sit around before I write them varies greatly. I have ideas from around five years ago still waiting to be written. My Hades series which I’m hoping to start writing next year has been with me since 2008. It really does vary. Sometimes I have an idea and write it straight away, sometimes it goes in the vault until I have time or feel inspired by that particular story. I make my own book covers, so I have plenty of say about them and can often choose models that really represent my characters in my mind. It’s part of being an indie author that I love!
Ashley asked Hyperion from my Vampires Realm series: you have your crow it shows when you aren’t around so I am just wondering can you see what the crow sees even if you are at a far distance from each other?
Hyperion: Well, my little Ashley, my ravens are very dear to me. You are right to assume that I possess the power to see through their eyes. Distance does diminish the strength of the connection between myself and the raven, but I can send them as far as the werewolf bastion without losing contact. As I age, my power grows and so does the distance our connection can span.
Madame D asked Winter from Winter’s Kiss: what was it about Nika that drew you to her, and how do you occupy yourself when not with her? When are you coming to visit me?
Winter: (smiles) Nika is beautiful and pure, and brave. Whenever she would pass me, she would single me out and even face me at times. It took courage to stand before a Watchman with a steady heart and question them. I could not answer her, but I admired her bravery and wished I could speak with her and reveal myself and what I was. It was not possible though. Now, because of my own foolishness, I have lost her to the werewolves. It is difficult to be apart from her. My duty occupies me most nights, but there are times when the longing to see her is too strong to ignore and it consumes me. At times like those, I hold the cross she has entrusted me with and look to the distance, to where my little wolf is waiting for me. As for when I can visit you, I am afraid you will have to ask my lord for permission. Perhaps you could visit us? Lord Hyperion does enjoy company.
Madame D asked Lilith from Seventh Circle: how have you been coping as a vampire, and do you feel strong enough to take over the Bloodline yet?
Lilith: I’m not going to lie and say it’s been a breeze. Lincoln has made the transition as easy as possible for me. He’s so attentive and considerate. I’ve taken over the bloodline now but most of the time I’m just repeating what Lincoln has said to me when addressing anyone within the bloodline. I’m getting there though. It’s easier now that Eve is back with us. She and Lincoln give me the strength I need to be who the bloodline expects me to be.
Madame D asked Valentine from the Prophecy Trilogy: tell us the truth – how do you really feel about sharing Prophecy with Venturi?
Valentine: (growls) As long as he remains within the boundaries I have set out, I have no reason to take his head. If he were to dare break the rules, I would make sure that he suffered the consequences and did not survive to make the same mistake.
Madame D asked Alicia from A Promise of Passion: when is the wedding, and are we all invited?
Alicia: Wedding? Well, it’s a little difficult. Technically Kassian can’t marry me but I guess we could have a sort of ceremony. I’d really like that and I think I would definitely invite the world when it happened. In fact, I’m off to ask him about it right now. It’s a great idea!
Madame D asked Tatyana from Hunter’s Moon: how has life been with your gorgeous werewolf?
Tatyana: Exhausting (smiles) I am only joking. Living with Nicolae on the mountain is wonderful but I do still think about my bloodline and the Law Keepers. There is always a chance of them finding us or hearing about us. I have been trying to fit in more with the werewolf pack. Nicolae tells me not to try so hard to get along with them but I know they are important to him, so I try regardless. They can be difficult at times. I think I have more success with the local timber wolves. The humans are also difficult to socialise with. Not because I am often tempted to bite one. It seems there are human females who had an eye on Nicolae and they hold some sort of grudge against me now because he is mine. Life with Nicolae is definitely interesting. Between the timber wolves, the werewolves and the humans, there is never a dull moment on the mountain.
Katy Grace asked Andrej from Heart of Darkness: Would you have ever made a move on Elise if Aleksandr has not arrived?
Andrej: I would like to believe I would have. It was my own sense of foolish pride holding me back, masked by the belief that Elise would only desire a male from her own bloodline. I love Elise, but what Aleksandr said to me is right. If I felt true love for her, the sort that lasts forever, I would not have held back. I would have told her. I love her but it was only once Aleksandr entered our lives and threatened to take her away from me that I felt a desire to fight for her. I do not think what I feel for her is true love. Perhaps one day I will find someone I want to fight for.
Mae asked the Her Angel boys, Julian from Love Immortal, Taig from Ascension and Kearn from Forbidden Blood: What’s your favourite ice cream flavour or sweet treat of choice?
Marcus: I shall start. Having experienced many flavours of ice cream, I would have to go with mint choc chip.
Apollyon: (claps a hand down on Marcus’s shoulder) Wrong as usual. It has to be chocolate of some variety.
Lukas: (shakes head) Vanilla.
Marcus: Rookie, that is just…
Einar: Boring? I think that’s the word you’re looking for there. I think strawberry shortcake. Taylor loves that flavour.
Lukas: There is nothing wrong with vanilla. Good vanilla ice cream–
Veiron: No one wants to hear about your boring flavour. Ice cream… well… it doesn’t exactly travel well to Hell. I have experienced chocolate though, so I’ll second the gloomy dark angel’s vote. What about you lot?
Kearn: Lot? Is that any way to speak to your superiors?
Veiron: (scoffs) I don’t see anyone superior to me around here.
Kearn: I do not have to listen to this. Angels should remain in the demon dimension where they belong. I have a blood only diet. Amber has the sweetest blood I have ever tasted.
Veiron: That’s disgusting.
Taig: (slaps his hand down on Veiron’s red hair and ruffles it) Let the adults talk for a while, kiddo, and quit shooting your mouth off before it gets you killed. I like any flavour of ice cream where I’m licking it off Lealandra. (grins)
Julian: I am beginning to wonder whether the definition of adult has changed in my lifetime. I am with the silver-haired vampire. I exist on a blood only diet and there is no blood sweeter than that of my love.
Casorb asked Veiron from the Her Angel series: Who do you imagine your ideal woman to be?
Veiron: Curvy, ample and sexy as sin (winks). I used to think Taylor was my ideal woman but things have changed recently. There’s a certain woman in my life now who is my whole world and she’s the opposite of what I used to think was my type. She’s petite, sweet, warm and hasn’t got an evil bone in her body.
Did you all enjoy this post? It was great receiving so many questions and a lot of fun answering them for you all!
