What is your name and where do you live now?
My name is Andrea, but I write as Rose Wulf. Right now I live where I have always lived, which is the city of Chico in Northern California. We’re right at the top of the valley so we don’t ever get snow but we have lots of semi-distant mountain views.
First off, how has your week been?
Hmm, I suppose overall my week has been all right. I’ve been busy trying to balance promoting my brand-new release, Deep Waters, with writing the third book in that series! Plus there’s been the ever-present distraction of my day job to contend with.
Please tell us about your current release.
My current release is a paranormal romance called Deep Waters. It’s the first in a series of five, which I’m very excited about! Deep Waters begins the story of the Hawke family’s struggle for survival against a mysterious enemy with dangerous powers, and, of course, that struggle happens simultaneously with their discovery of love. Deep Waters focuses on Blake, the eldest of the Hawke children, and Brooke as they fight to hold on to the bond forming between them. Blake has always had his secrets, though their enemy is new, but Brooke’s life was entirely normal until she met him. And though staying with him could change everything, she’s no longer sure that ‘normal’ is what she wants.
Are your books available as eBooks? Were you involved in that process at all? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?
Right now actually my books are only available as eBooks. My previously released novella, Campfire Romance, will stay that way, but Deep Waters will be eligible for print release once I’ve sold 100 e-copies. I can’t wait for the day I can walk into my local bookstore and find my book on a shelf! But I wasn’t really involved in that process beyond the editing of the book itself. And for me, personally, I prefer print books. I still love the feel of a book in my hands and the way it smells when you open the cover for the first time! But I imagine someday I’ll dip my toes into the waters of the e-reader community – as a reader, that is!
When you started your book, did you plan on writing it as a series, or did it just grow into one?
I knew from the beginning that Deep Waters was the start of a series. Even many years ago when I originally thought up the idea I planned it that way; I knew I had four brothers, so of course each brother would get his own book! It wasn’t until later, when I was really plotting everything out, that I added their younger sister and expanded the series to five books. But I like it better this way!
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
This is a good question! My Elemental Series isn’t such a great example, since I had the original idea when I was still in high school and then abandoned it for years. But in general I would say, assuming that I sit down and chip away at it with some regular consistency, it takes me one to two months from beginning to end. If the idea – and plot – flows then it doesn’t take me long at all to get to the writing stage, and from there it all depends on how easily the story comes to me. Sometimes I could crank out the full book inside of a month, and other times it makes me fight for every sentence, so takes a few extra weeks.
Do you have plans for a new book?
Of course I’ve got ideas for the entire rest of my Elemental Series. As I mentioned earlier I’m currently writing the third, and I’m being constantly interrupted with plot/scene ideas for books four and five! And beyond that I actually have the first book of another proposed paranormal romance series written; as well as increasingly-crazy ideas for yet another series I haven’t actually started working on. Come to think of it, there are probably a couple other stand-alone book ideas floating around in my head, too, but those aren’t my focus at the moment.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Character names either come to me first or come to me only after unspeakable agony. I’m terrible with names! Sometimes I’ll hear one from somewhere in life and it’ll stick with me, or I’ll think one up and remember it when I’m looking for a name later. Mostly, though, I come up with a rough character outline, and I’ll know what kind of name I want, but I’ll have to randomly surf name websites or flip through the pages of my name book until I find the one that speaks to me. And, yes, I use a baby name book! As for place names...that’s even worse! So whenever possible I’ll probably try to borrow a real location, for the ease of not thinking up a fictional one!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Subplots. I can come up with a great main plot, and of course I know how to handle the romantic angle, but the subplots that help develop character and stretch the book into a proper novel-length just drive me crazy! It’s like my brain zeroes in on the romance, and the main plot which is always tangled up with the romance, and it doesn’t want to have to think about anything else! So I do often struggle with subplots; I can admit it.
What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Hmm...I think I would give two pieces of advice, actually. There’s a quote, and I honestly have no idea who first said it, that says to “write the story you most want to read.” These words inspired me for years and motivated me to keep writing, even if I was writing something I doubted anyone else would ever read. So I think it’s a good idea to keep in the back of your head as a writer; remind yourself that the story you’re working on already has its target audience: you. Beyond that, and as unoriginal as it is, I would encourage any new writer – or anyone thinking about writing – to write. It doesn’t have to be grand, elaborate, or epic. Just keep writing. The more you write the better you’ll become, and if it’s something you’re passionate about then sooner or later, if you keep at it, the door will open.
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Native to the small, Northern California coastal town of Darien, Blake was the kind of guy who seemed to have everything going for him: wealthy background, charming smile, calm confidence, and the good looks to match. The strangest thing Brooke noticed about him upon first inspection was that he genuinely seemed to enjoy the dreary rainy weather. But, as the semester pushes on, Brooke comes to discover that Blake has a secret. A big, ancient secret.
Everything changes when Blake’s little sister is attacked by an enemy no one even knew they had. And Brooke quickly finds herself thrown into the thick of an ages-old family feud that could change her life forever; if it doesn’t kill her first.
Purchase Deep Waters from Jupiter Gardens Press.
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