Author Interview: Seleste deLaney

Please extend a warm welcome to this week's guest, the (absolutely awesome, downright gorgeous and sweet as can be) multi-published author, Seleste deLaney! Seleste writes for Evernight Publishing, Decadent Publishing and Carina Press, and is here today showing off her release, GunShy!




When/How did you decide writing was something you just had to do?
Wow. I like the way that’s worded because I don’t get to answer with the standard “all my life” thing. I wrote a lot as a kid, Then wrote a ton of poetry as a teenager. Then I went to college and wrote papers (*yawn*) and dabbled with writing again (but not seriously at all). Sometime after graduating, I started noticeably suffering from depression. I didn’t realize how therapeutic writing was until after my son was born and I started doing it regularly. That was about the time I started for real, and I’ve never looked back.

What steered you to romantic fiction, or your particular flavor of romance?
Most of my stories have had strong romantic elements, though there are few that most people would classify as straight romance. For me, falling in love is such an integral part of life that to avoid it is doing a disservice to the characters (and in that way, to the reader as well). I want my characters to be whole people, and generally that means some sort of romantic entanglement, whether there is a happily-ever-after or not.

What is your writing routine?
I’m supposed to have a routine? Crap. (*jots down note to set up a routine stat*) Seriously, my biggest obstacle, now that my kids are back in school, is focus. During the day, I have a difficult time focusing on creating fiction. I can do blogs and edit and take care of all the business stuff, but my creative juices flow best at night when the house is dark and everyone else is asleep. So, most of my actual writing happens between the hours of 10pm and 2 am.


In my perfect world, I suppose I'd have a routine where I write for 20 minutes and miraculously 8,000 beautiful words appeared on the screen while I sip my morning coffee. I'm holding out hope this is possible!

What is the most important thing you've learned, either in writing or publishing, or both?
That no matter what, you have to do what’s best for the story. I won’t add sex just to add sex. Same with violence or anything else. My characters have a story to tell and other people don’t get to dictate what that story is. Luckily for the most part, my editors have all understood my characters and have helped me see deeper into things rather than having me change them.

As for publishing, the biggest thing I’ve learned is it’s a business and the moment things become personal, it means I’ve stepped away from that. I can like the people I work with (and in general do), but that doesn’t mean that I can put blinders on to my career path. It also means, like I mentioned above, I have my own path to follow, and I won’t let anyone else choose it for me (even if my way takes longer).

Favorite book/story you've read recently, or what are you reading now? Any scene, hero or heroine that just jumped out at you?
I just read Bloodlines and Hunter by Skyla Dawn Cameron. LOVED both books. Zara Lain is the most bad-ass, snarky heroine ever. I have a feeling those books are going to be go-to reads for whenever I need a good dose of kick-in-the-pants.

What is your favorite line from GunShy? Just to give us a taste before we hop into the excerpt :)
As soon as his zipper was down, her fingers searched for the waistband of his underwear... and found his dick instead. “Oh God,” she moaned against his mouth, and he pulled back from the kiss. “You go commando. Of course you go commando.”


Oh, wow! As if anyone needed any more incentive to read on!


GunShy is book 1 of Cupid’s Conquests

Banished from Olympus with orders to restore love to the world, Eros starts with a match no one sees coming. No one but him.

Straight-laced principal Kira isn’t looking for love, especially not right after getting dumped. Then a chance encounter leads her to Jesse, and damned if she isn’t drawn to the bad-boy with a heart of gold. A night of reckless abandon leaves her confused. Was there something there, or did she imagine the connection between them?

Jesse knows lying to Kira is a mistake, but she's the first woman in a long time to see the man and not just the rock star. When his plan to come clean goes terribly wrong, Kira bolts, leaving Jesse in the dust.

Now Eros has to nudge the star-crossed lovers together and prove to Zeus that love does exist, even among the gun shy.

At Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/products/GunShy-by-Seleste-deLaney.html
At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/GunShy-Cupids-Conquests-ebook/dp/B005N8WS1S
At All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-gunshy-601094-140.html

Where can readers find you?
I am literally all over the internet. I’m on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/SelestedeLaney) , Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001203081398), and Google+ (https://plus.google.com/114272582132948921800/) under Seleste deLaney. Plus, there’s my website (http://selestedelaney.com/), blog (http://selestedelaney.blogspot.com/), plus I blog periodically at Here Be Magic (http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/) and The Evil League of Evil Writers (http://www.skyladawncameron.com/ELEW/blog) , and I do occasional reviews at Wicked Lil Pixie (http://wickedlilpixie.com/). And sometimes I sleep too :P

Thanks so much for having me here!



And thank you for joining us today, Seleste! Now some homework for my readers. Go check