September 22, 2011

Interview with Gabrielle Bisset


Today's Q&A Thursday is with Author Gabrielle Bisset.

Enjoy & Comment!

What is the worst thing you’ve written, how did you learn or know it was bad, and what did you learn from it?

I wrote some poems years ago, and I just knew they were bad.  Some people have a knack for poetry, and some don’t.  Let’s just say I’m one of the don’t people. However, it made me realize that while I wasn’t suited for poetry, I did have creative ideas that were looking for an outlet.  From there, I began writing longer pieces, which are definitely more my style.

Why did you start writing and when did you decide to go professional?

I don’t know if I can remember exactly when I began writing.  It seems like it’s always been a part of me.  I wrote a lot as a girl, but then because of school and work, I left it behind for years.  I picked it back up a few years ago, slowly at first, and then it became very much who I am.  It was after I wrote my novel, Stolen Destiny, that I decided I wanted to go professional, and the rest is history. 

Do you write in more than one genre? Which ones and which do you like the best?

I write in paranormal romance and historical romance, often blending the two.  Because I’m a history prof, the historical side is always there, in some fashion.  Sometimes it’s in the form of memories and flashbacks, such as in my new novel, Destiny Redeemed, and other times it’s the focal point, as in my novella Masquerade.  I love both paranormal and historical romance equally, but I do have to say writing paranormal romance allows me to create all sorts of fantastic creatures and people, which is fun.

Do you read other author’s books when you’re writing? If so, do you read the same genre or something different?

I have to read for work, so I spend my time with a lot of non-fiction.  However, when I’m reading for pleasure, I often turn to paranormal or historical romance.  However, I’ve recently been dabbling in contemporary romance with a BDSM leaning, so that’s been interesting. That may become a genre I explore as an author someday. 

What is the most difficult part of the entire writing process for you? Queries, pitches, editing..etc.

This may sound bizarre, but the most difficult part of the entire writing process is the typing.  I hand write everything first—even 300+ page novels—so the entire book is complete when I finish and even basically edited because I edit along as I write, but it’s nowhere close to being finished since then I have to type it.  I hate typing.  Weird for a writer to say that, I know, but I do.  When friends ask me what I’d do if I became a rich and famous author, I always answer the same thing: “Hire someone to type my work!”  Everything else, from outlining to drafting to editing, is a chance to explore something about my writing, but typing is just a chore, and an odious one at that.  


If you could have the same type of career as any author currently publishing who would it be and why?

I think my knee-jerk answer is J.R. Ward.  She’s loved by paranormal romance readers and incredibly successful.  As far as a career goes, that sounds great to me.

Author Bio

By day, Gabrielle Bisset is a college history prof, but by nights and weekends, she’s an erotic romance author.  Her first novel, Stolen Destiny, was published by Siren Publishing in June, 2011, and since then, Gabrielle has released a trio of novellas set in Victorian England:  Vampire Dreams, Love’s Master, and Masquerade.  Together they make up the Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy.  In October, she’ll release the second Destiny Ones novel, Destiny Redeemed.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her son and five cats.  What can she say?  She can’t say no to a stray.

Book blurb

Masquerade

Annelisa Fielding has had the blessings of wealth her entire life, thanks to her industrialist father.  However, there is one thing even he can't give her: a title.  So he arranges a marriage between his daughter and the Earl of Swindon, Thornton Sutcliffe.  As long as his future bride is a virgin, the Earl will tolerate the marrying down because in return for taking Annelisa as his wife, her father will pay off his debts.  Everyone wins, as far as the men are concerned, but Annelisa wants more out of marriage than a title and is willing to wait. 

But she won't be able to wait if she doesn't find some way out of the marriage and fast because the deal is in one month she'll become Lady Annelisa Sutcliffe.  The solution to her problem? Count Nikolai Shetkolov, a diplomat in the service of the Tsar and stationed in England. An honorable man, he's the perfect person to help a young lady lose the one thing her odious future husband prizes most. But Annelisa must watch out or she may get more than she bargained for with Nikolai.


Link to Masquerade excerpt:  http://gbisset.blogspot.com/p/masquerade.html


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4 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for the interview! :)

Jenn Nixon said...

Great answers! Thanks for participating!

C D Meetens said...

Really interesting interview. I can relate to the annoying typing. I used to hand-write everything too, and the only way I could get through the typing was to do it in stages. I wrote some, I typed some. Then, it didn't seem so bad.

Unknown said...

I'm going to have to try your idea, CD. As of now, I avoid it until I can't anymore and then it's just odious. LOL