Monday 2 December 2013

#Interview Deck The Halls with Zrinka Jelic @Firetulip #holidayromance

Happy Monday, people! I'm excited to have guest author Zrinka Jelic here this week. Her latest book Deck The Halls is a Christmas novella just in time for the holidays. Please make her feel welcome.

Leave a comment and you could win a copy of her book. I will pick a winner next week.
Lisa B. won a copy of His Reign by Sascha Illyvich. A copy has already been sent to her.

Now on to the interview.


Q1) Welcome to my blog, Zrinka. Can you tell us a little about yourself


One of the most dreaded questions on job interviews. I never know what they would want to hear, if I’m volunteering too much info, giving the wrong impression. But I’m assuming I’m safe here, so here we go. I love to lose myself in a good book, and I love to lose myself in writing a good book. It’s hard to find time for both. A full time job takes most of my day, then the house chores, two kids and if there’s a time at the end of the day, I usually dedicate it to my writing.


Q2) You're my kind of girl. So, have you always wanted to be an author?


No, although I love to make up stories and alternate versions of movies or books, I never put the pen to the paper. Once actually, I wrote the story by hand,  in grade seven (I think) and somehow every girl wanted to read it.

 

Q3) Another late bloomer like me. Do you have favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?


There are a few famous ones like C.S. Lewis, Arturo Perez Reverte, Danielle Steel (got me into romances), and I’m still being influenced by some emerging authors like Liv Rancourt and Sharon Kramer and Debbie Christiana.


Q4) Great authors. Tell us what a typical writing day for you is like. 


                Usually a few hours at the end of the day that I can dedicate to my craft of love. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t plot and jot things throughout the day.


Q5) Now, let’s talk about your new book.  Can you tell us a little about it?



My latest release is titled “Deck the Halls” just like the song and it’s a Christmas novella with a shape shifter Zach and a human girl Julie.
Here's the blurb:
It isn’t the string of crappy jobs, or people’s irrational urge to spend their money, or even his inability to ask Julie out on a date that Zach can’t get excited about Christmas. It is the fact that today is his last day he gets to spend in his preferred human form.

When jealous Tia, a wicked sorceress disguised as the pack’s alpha female, tries to force his wolf out a day early, all-consuming anger sends him into a rage against her. She punishes shape shifter Zach, by changing him to a dog. He has 48 hours to save his family and trade his life for someone else’s in order to break the spell—the only problem, Julie’s cat Miss Molly knows who he is and won’t let him near her owner. But Julie’s safety is the greatest importance and he sticks by her side.

Julie can’t resist falling in love with the stray dog she rescues. She prolongs putting a found dog ad in the local newspaper just to keep him for another day. Strange thing is, the animal reminds her of Zach.

Confronted with the woman who stole the man she secretly loves, Julie discovers the truth about Zach. When his dog form proves useless against the powerful alpha werewolf, the help comes from unforeseen allies.

Q6) How did you come up with the idea for this story?


This story spun in my head for some time now, but I didn’t know exactly what’s going to come out of it until I started writing it down. Then I thought to submit it to holiday anthology as a short story, but the word count kept going up and by the time it was done it reached almost 22K.


Q7) Looks good. What's up next for you?


I’m working on the prequel to “Bonded by Crimson”, titled “Rose of Crimson” For those of you who read Bonded, I’ll delight you by taking you back to Kate’s university days when Matthias influenced her to write his story. I know some readers commented that it wasn’t clear on how he managed to do this, and it was merely mentioned in Bonded, but once you read the Rose, you’ll see that I couldn’t spill it all out in Bonded.


Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a budding writer?


If you have a very supportive family and friends, you ‘re lucky, but don’t completely relay on them, because a true reader will come along someone who doesn’t know you and will post the review as it is. And you may not like it, truth hurts, but truth doesn’t care. While your family and friends may give you glowing reviews and praise your work, do take some writing workshops. Familiarize yourself with guidelines such as POV, telling vs. showing, active vs. passive voice, proper dialogue, echoing words, grammar and such. It’s very hard for reader to wade through the script if you’re head hopping. Long paragraphs are a hurdle to go through. And join some critique group, have someone else read your work and be open to all critiques. Know that in the draft stages is the time to make and correct errors. and hopefully learn from mistakes.


Q9) What is the next book on your To Read Pile that you are dying to jump into?


“Wickedly they Come” by Cathrina Constantine


Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?


            Keep writing, you can only get better at it if you stick by it.

Favorite Quiz

Favorite city: Paris, France, though I never visited, someday soon, I hope

Favorite beverage: Jasmine tea

Favorite place you’d like to visit: I guess that would be Paris, France

Favorite place to write: my couch

Favorite hobby: writing, but I do enjoy crafts like knitting, if only there’s time

Favorite movie: The Wedding Singer

Favorite book: Can’t just name one, too many to list

About Zrinka


A member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapter Fantasy Futuristic &Paranormal, as well as Savvy Authors, Zrinka Jelic writes contemporary fiction—which leans toward the paranormal—and sometimes adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic’s love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but when it rains, it pours.  

Find me on: Amazon  Facebook   Twitter 
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