Author Interview: Grea Alexander: Book of Ida: Book of Quay: Cabello: Aberration Esau: Book of Soung: Book of Choi

She really can't remember a time when she wasn't a writer. Ever since she could write, she enjoyed writing all sort of things - essays, poetry and short stories. She won a lot of prizes for writing but didn't become a "serious" writer until she was like in 6th grade (at which point she adopted the pen name Grea Alexander and stopped giving everything she wrote away).

Unfortunately, she didn't discover the magic of the Library of Congress until AFTER she lost more than 300 poems and 30 something short stories. As this was before the time she (or most people) had a home computer, there were no copies. She was devastated and stopped writing for a long time.

One day, she started back up again and found she still enjoyed it and still had a knack for it. Only now, she wrote novels that she shared with friends and posted for a number of years on SeamonkeyInk.com. Only last year, did she start publishing and trying to make a go of being a paid author. She has only started learning about marketing and making an actual effort to do marketing in January of this year. (grin) So she is way behind the curve.

Welcome onboard Grea!

Your real name and pen name?

My real name is withheld to protect both the innocent and the guilty (but most especially the guilty). However, I gave my pen name to myself when I was in elementary school so I've had/used it almost as long as my real name - long before making up aliases on the interweb became cool or most people had ever even heard of the internet.

Pen name: Grea Alexander

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life

Life itself is my biggest source of inspiration. (grin) Just being on this earth, going outside, inhaling fresh air, enjoying nature, having new experiences, interacting with physical objects, learning, laughing, being actually out in the real world and not sitting behind a computer.

And dreams. While most people think "What the fudge?!" I wake up and write things down.

What hurts you most in this world

Large pointy objects? Yes, I'll go with large pointy objects, however, that in no way lessens my regard for the pain which small pointy objects are capable of inflicting.

Now as to what pisses me off the most in this word...

It's unnecessary and/or unwarranted cruelty - especially to those who are not capable of defending themselves or removing themselves from the situation such as children, the elderly, animals, etc. I can't stand bullies.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?

Childhood. I grew up.

What is your favorite genre and why?

I actually have two favorite genres to write. One is historical fiction and the other is horror.

Historical fiction I enjoy writing because I enjoy history. There are so many rich characters and stories and lots of room for speculation. I find it kind of fun to play around with history a bit and get people more interested in the past (because while the toys and the players may change, it's both kind of cool and frightening how much humanity basically stays the same). I like interweaving real historical figures, places, events and/or facts into a fictional account which is not all that far outside of the realm of possibility. It's like having a puzzle with missing pieces and being able to fill it in with the pieces of your choosing.

I enjoy horror because being creeped out can be fun. It's pretty difficult to scare me personally but it amuses the heck out of me to scare other people. Writing horror also helps to keep me on the right side of the law. (laugh)

When did you start writing?

I don't actually remember when I started and I really can't remember a time when I didn't.

What is the purpose of your writing?

The purpose of my writing is to give life to those people, places and events that live in my brain and bang on it until I release them. The purpose of my writing is to provide a break from real life, entertainment, and/or distraction to those who want or need it. Are there subtexts and themes etc within my work deeper than that? I certainly hope so. (grin)

I don't like, however, to tell people what they are or aren't supposed to get out of my work. Whatever the reader gets of value or that resonates in my reader is my writing's purpose for them. While I may have one thing or the other in mind while I'm writing or hope that certain things are viewed in certain ways, everything and I mean everything (even things spelled out explicitly)are open to personal interpretation and I'm fine with that.

I actually find it interesting when someone approaches me and provides an interpretation that never even occurred to me.

Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?

Published thus far:

Amarna Book I: Book of Ida

Thebes, Upper Egypt. 1324 BC

The last living male descendant of the Amarna line, Pharaoh Tutankhamun, has died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. His wife, Queen Ankhesenamen, is left without a male heir. The ambitious vipers Ay and Horemheb are nipping at her heels in their bid to seize power.

Queen Ankhe has but one hope to maintain her hold on the throne - an alliance with the Hittites. With Ay and Horemheb watching her every move, there is only one person she can trust to save her and her line - a girl, a slave - Ida.

Rebellion Book I: Book of Quay

Intrigue, deception, betrayal. What are a few knives in the back between two lovers?

Qing Dynasty, China.

Some wounds cut too deeply to ever truly heal, to ever be forgotten. For the rebel Phong Quay, The Princess Ni Soung is one of those wounds - a remnant of the most painful chapter in his life, a pawn in his never ending war with his greatest enemy, the Emperor Ni Fehn.

As the Han rebellion against the Emperor intensifies, The Princess Soung becomes caught in the middle. As bait in the Emperor's most brazen bid to date to bring Phong Quay down, the princess may just find herself a casualty in the battle between the two men - a battle between the past and the present, between the truth and lies, between love and revenge.

Cabello

Not all guardian angels are heaven-sent.

In Saintsville, TX, fewer than five people under the age of 70 have died in the past ten years. Now, in the course of a few weeks, the residents of Saintsville are dropping like flies.

When everyone involved in the cover up of Mineau December's abuse and brutal assault begin to die under mysterious circumstances, Mineau believes her prayers are finally being answered. Answered prayers, however, quickly turn into a nightmare when Mineau finds that her savior is more dangerous than anyone she has ever known, than anything she could possibly dare imagine.

Cabello.

What are your forthcoming writings?

M
The Aberration Esau
The Pack Book I: Addison
Rebellion Book II: Book of Soung
Rebellion Book III: Book of Choi
Amarna Book II
Cabello Book II: Descendant
The Pack Book II: Bristol
Amarna Book III

In addition, I have a number of works that are still in the beginning phases.

What are your future plans?

Travel. I love to travel. Seeing and experiencing new things invigorates me.

I also plan to wrap up some of the many personal projects I'm working on right now in order to be able to narrow my focus and spend more time prepping the novels I have already finished but haven't published and to complete the ones that are partially written. I hope by the end of this year to get everything published that's already completed:

M
The Aberration Esau
The Pack Book I: Addison
Rebellion Book II: Book of Soung
Rebellion Book III: Book of Choi

That's alot considering I have a full time gig in addition to only 9 and 1/2 months left in this year. (laugh) However, I always set difficult goals for myself. That way, even if I fall short, I'm still pretty far ahead of the curve.

Your zodiac/ sunsign?

Leo.

Your favorite color and why?

Red. Why? Because it's red. (grin) Red is powerful and vibrant. It's the color of both love and rage.

Some quickies: Sun or Moon, Laughter or Smile, Morning or Evening, Coffee or Tea, Mountain or Sea, Long Drive or Short Drive, Silence or Conversation, Water or Fire, Air or Earth, Mars or Jupiter, Moon or Sun, Tulip or Rose, Red or Blue, Left or Right, Glance or Stare

Sun (Warmth & light. What could be better?)
Laughter
Morning
Neither (Water or Coke (Cherry or Regular - never diet) for a caffeine kick)
Mountain
Long Drive (more scenery and more opportunities for adventures/detours/discoveries)
Silence
Fire
Earth
Mars
Still Sun (reversing the order doesn't change that (laugh))
Rose (after Sunflower and Orchid)
Red (no contest)
Right
Stare (I stare, but you can only glance (laugh))