Angela Roquet

March 6, 2013 Monica La Portaangela roquet, graveyard shift, indie boks giveaway, indie life, indie stories, urban fantasy novelLeave a comment

Urban fantasy author Angela Roquet has stopped by my blog to answer a few questions. Her Graveyard Shift is a darkly comic and imaginative read. Enter the Indie Giveaway to win a copy.

When you were a kid you wanted to be…?

I wanted to be an animation artist for Disney or Cartoon Network. I doodled little picture stories all the time.

The first book you read was…?

The first book I remember reading was “The Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree.” It was one of my favorites as a child. I still have it, although the spine is duct-taped together now.

You discovered you were quite good at writing when…?

When I was in grade school, a lot of my friends enjoyed my illustrated stories. In high school, an English teacher saw a script I was writing for an animated show and suggested that I write it as a novel instead. So I did, and I’ve never looked back.

As a reader, your favorite genre is…?

I really enjoy a lot of different flavors of literature, but my favorite is Urban Fantasy. I can’t get enough of MaryJanice Davidson, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Laurell K. Hamilton, and those like them.

No, really, what’s that title you’re hiding in your kindle…?

Umm, I intentionally read books that raise eyebrows, so I can’t say that any of my books are hiding. I’d say that the book in my library that freaks people out the most is “The History of Hell.” My “Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc.” series is set in the afterlife, so that was a good research book.

You write…?

Urban Fantasy. I have an overactive imagination and a scientific nature about me that enjoys making fiction as believable as possible.

The praise about your writing you like the most is…?

Well, I did receive a great cover blurb from MaryJanice Davidson, my favorite best-seller. I’m pretty sure I will squee about that until my dying day. Other than that, I once received a constructive critique from a competition judge that was full of praise, which thrilled me to no end, especially considering the judge was anonymous. One of the things the judge suggested that really made me smile was that I should omit my disclosure page. The page insisted my writing was not meant to offend, that it was merely entertainment. The judge said that I should never apologize for my work. That really stuck with me, and I did omit it from later versions of the book.

What’s next…?

Oh boy, so much! I’m working on book three of my Lana series, due out in April, and I hope to complete the fourth by the end of the year as well. I’m also working on a standalone YA novel, and I have another adult series in the works too. I can hardly keep up will my imagination, but I try.

About Angela

Urban Fantasy Author Angela Roquet is a great big weirdo. She collects Danger Girl comic books, owls, skulls, and random craft supplies. She no longer collects paperback books, because she can’t fit any more in her office, however she does collect ebooks. She has an unhealthy obsession with television shows created by Joss Whedon and fantasizes about him directing television or film versions of her novels. Angela’s favorite book/movie is The Wizard of Oz. She likes a little coffee in her cream, and her favorite food is sushi, even though it’s takes her FOREVER to make. Angela is a peace loving, tree hugging hippy who tries to buy organic and local as often as possible. She’s a fan of renewable energy sources, marriage equality, and religious tolerance. As long as whatever you’re doing isn’t hurting anyone, she’s a fan of you, too. Angela lives in Sedalia, Missouri with her husband and son. When she’s not swearing at the keyboard, she enjoys painting, goofing off with her family and friends, and reading books that raise eyebrows. You can find Angela online at http://www.angelaroquet.com

Angela’s first two novels GRAVEYARD SHIFT & POCKET FULL OF POSIES are now available in select stores and on Amazon.com in print and for the Kindle!

http://www.angelaroquet.com
http://www.facebook.com/adroquet
http://www.twitter.com/angelaroquet
http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Roquet/e/B0030CVZ72
http://www.goodreads.com/AngelaRoquet
www.youtube.com/angelaroquet

Friday Snippet #10

July 20, 2012 Monica La Porta#FridaySnippets, friday snippet, indie stories, small excerpt dystopian novelLeave a comment

Technically speaking there are still six minutes left before Saturday in Redmond. The fact that I’m typing from Porano in Umbria and it’s already 8:54 of the next morning it only proves the Earth isn’t flat after all. It’s not cheating.

Before it’s too late, here is the snippet from this week. TCOM, again.*

Marie had been taught that ending in a waste plant was a better fate than serving as a mother, but she wasn’t sure Carnia would be happy. “She’ll be fine, don’t worry.” She didn’t have a clue of what she was talking about, but she felt the need to reassure Verena once more. The wind shook the branches with more strength and the whole green umbrella swayed under the assault. Something swiftly moved at the corner of Marie’s eye and she automatically turned to her right only to see Grant stepping back into the shadows of the corner. He was listening. Her heart skipped a beat.

“What was it?” Verena tilted her head and Marie rearranged her body in a useless attempt at hiding Grant’s presence when he was probably already gone.

“Nothing.”

“A cat, probably.”

Marie wished she was alone. “Yes, a cat.” He wants to know about Carnia. She felt her stomach contract.

*For the sake of being honest, it’s now 12:01 in Redmond, which it means it’s a Saturday snippet after all. Oh well, I did try…

Grazie Mille, Merci Beaucoup!

June 16, 2012June 16, 2012 Monica La Portaamazon indie book sales in Europe, amazon.fr sales, amazon.it sales, dystopian novel, indie publishing, indie stories, reverse genders role dystopian novel, small accomplishments great joyLeave a comment

Just two pics about the little things that make a small indie author like me happy. The road to success is paved by this kind of accomplishments. One at a time.

The Italian mug shot is from February. I personally know the three people who adopted my little book and found in their hearts the strength to give my words a home. One of them deserves a special thanks: Grazie, papa’.

Today, much to my surprise, I found I sold a copy in France. What a great way to start the weekend.

Pax In The Land Of Women

June 11, 2012June 11, 2012 Monica La Portadystopian novel, dystopian reality, forbidden love, indie publishing, indie stories, reverse gender roles society, second book in The Ginecean Chronicles, slavery story, strong women stories6 Comments

I’m proud to announce that after several months of gestation and two days of labor, Pax was digitally born yesterday night, June 10 2012; she weights 485 KB and looks beautiful. Mom’s tired but happy.

Just Hit The Button!

June 10, 2012June 10, 2012 Monica La Portadystopian novel, indie publishing, indie stories, kindle dystopian title, second book in The Ginecean Chronicles2 Comments

Pax in the Land of Women is currently under review and in a few hours it will be available on Amazon. After hours of writing, reading, re-writing, editing, proofreading, the second book in The Ginecean Chronicles is out. My dystopian world is growing. My characters are roaming free, eager to love, fight, and conquer their fears. The sun is shining outside. Ciao.

The End Is Night

May 17, 2012 Monica La Portadystopian novel, editing stories, indie life, indie publishing, indie stories, new released dystopian novel, writing process2 Comments

I’m happy to announce the editing for Pax in the Land of Women is officially done! Next week the formatted manuscript will be in the hand of the proofreader. In the last seven days, Amy and I went back and forth on the last eight chapters, slightly more than 30k words. On some of them we had more than ten revisions. It was gruesome. But it was all worth it. There were moments, toward the end, when I started doubting several things, but I fixed the holes in the plot and the inconsistences. Finally, I had to let it go. The gestation time for Pax has ended, she’s now and independent, well rounded story ready to have a life of its own.

This Author’s Delights

March 22, 2012 Monica La Portaalternate reality novel, author's best gift, author's greatest satisfaction, book report on an indie novel, indie life, indie stories, inspiring novel, novel about social issuesLeave a comment

There’re moments in life when you feel pure contentment. Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to experience joy in different forms. Now, I’ve reached the next, blessed level, Authors’ Nirvana. E. J., a high-schooler who has recently read The Priest, is writing a book report on it. Inspiring a teenager to talk about a story on social issues is both humbling and exhilarating. I feel honored my little book was chosen. No other words are required. Thank you, E. Much love to you all.

Write, Edit, Publish: Possibly In That Order

March 2, 2012March 2, 2012 Monica La Portagood cover artists, good editors, indie author, indie stories, overcoming personal struggles, realizing one's dreams, simple pleasures in life, writing from home, writing in a language that is not your ownLeave a comment

Yesterday, I went to sleep and I thought, “I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow.” The mere idea of spending a whole day writing, reading, and editing made me smile. I consider myself extremely lucky, because I can do what I like and I’m surrounded by people who let me do it. Having a good editor and a good cover artist behind my books also help achieve peace of mind.

When, three years ago, I decided to start writing in English I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. To begin with, Italian and English require two different parts of the brain to be learned, spoken, and written. Moreover, writing a novel is a demanding affair by itself without adding the language challenge. But, I do like to be challenged and I’m a patient person. I write every day and I don’t need holidays or breaks from it, because it’s something I want to do. Writing energizes me. It’s my personal vitamin D.

I strive to reach 1000 words written every day, sometimes I end up with more, other times less. Since I embarked on this journey, I’ve written 800k words: 8 finished novels, and 2 short stories. Not every one of them will leave my pc. My first Nanowrimo’s attempt, 56k words, it’s an example of fantasy gone terribly wrong and isn’t salvageable. Although, it was a good exercise and I learned a lot from it. I’m constantly working on my writing until it reaches the point where I think it’s worth hiring an editor.

The Priest was edited by not one, but three different editors, plus the final proofreader. Being the first time I tried to publish anything, I didn’t know what I needed to get the novel out and I made a few mistakes along the way. Fortunately, when I thought the time had come for my little book to see the light of day, I was told by the editor hired for the very final pass before publication that there were several problems with the manuscript. She didn’t have any opening soon, but was nice enough to send The Priest’s first chapter to Amy Eye, so that she could give me an example of her editing skills. She is currently working on Pax in the Land of Women, and I already booked her for the third and final installation in The Ginecean Chronicles, which sums up what I thought about her editing skills. Lesson learned, catastrophe avoided, and all is well that ends well (literally translated from Italian).

Morale of the story: work hard, be scrupulous, and never give up. Eventually, you’ll find the editor who’ll make an honest writer out of you.

Pax in the Land of Women: Cover 1

February 29, 2012February 29, 2012 Monica La Portaindie author, indie book cover, indie stories, interaction between author and cover artist2 Comments

Pax, which is currently being edited by the extraordinaire Amy, is the second installation in The Ginecean Chronicles, so its cover should immediately convey a sense of belonging to the trilogy. At first, I thought to ask Alessandro to mirror the composition of The Priest’s cover in Pax. Instead of having half face on the right, Pax’s face would be on the left. As a background, I wanted a glimpse of Ginecea City. Although the result is beautiful, after seeing the first attempt I think Pax’s cover should follow The Priest’s exact layout and feeling, but in a different shade; something blue to symbolize the city, whereas in The Priest the sepia was chosen to symbolize the desert. Also, I asked him to display the portion of the city’s image containing the statue of the Goddess instead of the ruins. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Cover 1

Writing Companions

February 29, 2012 Monica La Portaa writer's loyal companion, beagles, collaboration between authors and graphic designers, concept art for a book cover, concept art for a graphic novel about beagles, indie stories, Nero the Beagle, pet therapyLeave a comment

Nero, my furry baby, has gone through a lot, but here he is by my side, on the couch. He’s only six years old and the sweetest beagle you can imagine. I write everyday while petting him; it gives me peace beyond comprehension and he makes me smile. Nero shadows me wherever I go, and, if he feels I’m upset he nudges his big, snoopy-like nose against my leg. Life is definitely better if a dog adopts you.

Beagles on a cover

Last year, I wrote a short story about a boy and two beagles, and Alessandro, my favorite cover artist, worked on the concept art for a possible graphic novel based on it. This was the very first drawing for the cover. The project has been put on a hiatus for the time being, but Alessandro’s art deserved to be properly showcased.