Sunday, April 15, 2012

Dellani Interviews Dellani


I interview other people all the time. Today, I decided to interview myself. I sent myself the questions I generally reserve for others and was surprised at how I responded. Which just goes to show that not only am I full of surprises, I am, quite possibly, suffering from some horrible dis-associative disorder. As I post this, I think I might have done this before. Doesn't matter since not everyone read them.

When did you start writing?
I was telling stories even as a child. I didn't start to write them down until I got into elementary school. One of my first formal works was a myth "How We Got Hair". I remember absolutely nothing about it but the title. When in high school, I wrote lots of short stories and humorous essays. In college, I branched out into plays. I didn't attempt my first novel until I was teaching high school many years later. It's not finished yet, but it has potential! My first finished and published novel is "Indian Summer", an historical adventure/ romance set in St. Augustine, Florida in 1739.

What gave you the idea for your first book?

My very first, as yet to be finished, novel, "How Many Miles to Avalon" was inspired by a board game I developed for my gifted students. The idea for "Indian Summer" came to me when I was a chaperone on a field trip with my eldest son. I wandered around St. Augustine thinking how many amazing stories the oldest city on the East Coast had to tell.

What genre do you write?
I write mostly romance. I also have a sci-fi series that could be called futuristic romance. I also write a crime/ romance blend that gets your pulse racing for more reasons than one!

What do you do to keep yourself focused?
Me focused? Not gonna happen. I try, but life is full of distractions. I think I have a slight ADD problem which makes it even harder to concentrate. I keep music playing all the time and that helps me ignore many distractions.

Do you stay with one project or do you work on multiple projects?
I'm a multiple project girl. I get stuck on one story or the muse takes a powder, and I move on to something else. I rarely suffer from writer's block as a result.

What is your writing process?
When I get an idea, I sit down as soon as possible and start at the beginning. I try to find a strong starting sentence and work from there. I don't really outline, though I do jot down notes—like names, ages, hair color, eye color, etc. If I don't, I have the hero gazing into the heroine's beautiful brown eyes on page 10 and into her bottomless blue ones on page 66.

I write chronologically. I've tried writing scenes and stringing them together, but that doesn't work well for me. I did write one story in reverse once. I wrote one section which became the end, wrote a middle and moved on to a beginning. That's extremely rare for me.

How do you find your voice?
This was hard for me when I first started writing. Gabriella, heroine of "Indian Summer", very much wanted to tell her own story. Since she was capable of doing that, I allowed it. She did a great job. I originally chose to write as journal entries but that was far too limiting. Instead, I let her speak her own way and the voice found me. I do that all the time now with great results.

Do you know your ending before you begin?
I very rarely know the ending when I begin. I like the exploration process. I might have a goal in mind, but it doesn't get there often. I enjoy the ride.

What is your latest release?
My latest release is "Lone Wolf", the first in my sci-fi series.

What other books do you have published?
I currently have two novels in print. The first is "Indian Summer", the second is "Lone Wolf".

Where are your books available?
Both books are available through Second Wind Publishing, Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.











1 comment:

Verso Graphics Studio/Deanna Meyer said...

"I very rarely know the ending when I begin. I like the exploration process. I might have a goal in mind, but it doesn't get there often. I enjoy the ride."

I do the same thing. Not always the best results for me but when it works, it *works*!

Old Time Religion ~ A Love in the City Romance by Dellani Oakes – Part 51

Mrs. Bannister bustled in a couple minutes after Obi and Clive arrived. "Thank goodness you're here," she said to Clive. "...