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Deborah A Stansil Interview

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Self-Publisher’s Showcase: Today we are joined by Deborah A Stansil, author of The Twisted Tales series. Welcome to the Showcase Lounge, Deborah.

DAS:  Thank you and thank you so much for having me!

SPS: For any of our readers that haven’t come across your work previously, can you take a moment to tell us all a little about yourself and your work?

DAS: I’m 35 and I come from the North East of England. I write mostly horror, although I am branching into non-fiction too (my first non-fiction book was released on April 16th). I have two short story compilations available and two novels. I also write my own blog too.

SPS:  What are your perfect writing conditions, and how often do you write?

DAS: I write every day. The conditions depend on my mood really. Some days, I have music blaring out in the back ground, other days I prefer to work in silence.

SPS: Can you put your finger on the moment where you decided that you wanted to publish your work?

DAS: Publishing a book is something I’ve always wanted to do, but the moment I actually decided to do it was a couple of months after starting my blog. I just sort of thought “if I don’t do this soon, I never will”.

SPS: Why do you think it is that you have found yourself writing in the style that you do?

DAS: I’ve always loved horror stories so I guess it was always going to be mostly horror writing for me. One thing I really hate about books is a lot of filler – you know just pointless prose to up the word count – and I was determined not to do that.

SPS: What would you say, if anything, best differentiates you from other authors?

DAS: Hmm, that’s a tough one. I would like to think that I write as me if you know what I mean. Obviously I take on my character’s personas, but I do try to keep my books true to who I am – I don’t want to try and sound all literary!

SPS: Where does the inspiration for your work come from?

DAS: I get inspiration from the strangest places. Like a week or so ago I was sat writing my next day’s to-do list and an idea just popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. Before I knew it, I’d abandoned my list and a couple of pages of my diary are now covered in scribbled notes for a new novel. When inspiration strikes, you can’t just ignore it!

SPS: Have you received a favourite review of your work?

DAS: One of the bloggers who reviewed my latest novel, The Mirror, said she could imagine it playing out as a movie. That one really touched me because it means she could actually see these characters as real life people.

SPS: What’s next on the self-/indie-publishing horizon for yourself?

DAS: I have another short story compilation planned for later on this year, plus another novel. And I also plan on releasing another non-fiction book this year too.

SPS: Was the Self-Published/Indie-Published route always your preferred route for your work?

DAS: When I first started to think seriously about publishing a novel, my first thought was to get a literary agent. Then I started researching it, and I realised I didn’t want to wait almost a year to get my first book out there (and of course that’s assuming that an agent wanted to take my work on straight away). I started looking into self-publishing and I realised this was something I could do my way.

SPS: Has the experience so far been all that you thought it would be?

DAS: Yes and no. Of course it’s been an incredible journey and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t loving writing and publishing my books, but I have to be honest. I had literally no idea how much time and effort goes into marketing a book. That’s been an extremely steep learning curve, one that I’m still very much on.

SPS: If you could give one piece of advice for someone looking to get into writing, what would it be?

DAS: Just do it! You’ll see so many people saying it’s impossible. It really isn’t. If you’re willing to put the time and effort in, not only is entirely possible to get your writing out there, but its entirely possible to make a career out of it.

SPS: Before we bring this interview to a close, it’s your chance to name-drop. Anyone who you feel is deserving of more recognition at present or someone whose writing you have recently enjoyed? Now is your chance to spread the word…

DAS: I love so many authors! Two of my current favourites are Adele Parks and Michael Grant. I’m also loving Patricia Josephine and JH Moncrieff too if you’re looking for lesser known authors who deserve a mention!

SPS: Thank you for joining us today, and all the best for the future.

DAS: Thank you for having me! It’s been a pleasure chatting to you today.

SPS: For more information on Deborah and her work, please do visit Deborah’s author page here

Blog: www.myrandommusings.co.uk

Author page: viewAuthor.at/DeborahAStansil

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