A Special Friday Feature: An Interview with Tamela Quijas

Happy Friday! I'm pleased to welcome author Tamela Quijas today...enjoy her interview!

Tamela, welcome to Allie's Musings. Tell us a little about yourself...when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I am a fanatical reader and began writing in my early teens. For many years, I would write novels then carefully pack them away. Recently, I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream and become a published author.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

Currently, I am putting the finishing touches on my latest paranormal romance, Blood of the Beast. I'm hoping to have the novel available on Amazon in a month's time.

Set in New Jersey, the tale involves a police detective (Valentina Kureyev) who is investigating a series of unexplained murders that are plaguing her city. With the aide of an obscure museum curator (Demetri Daskova), who harbors dark secrets of his own, she seeks the serial killer that haunts the streets.

Valentina is a complex individual. She's been with the city's police force for a number of years and, as Demetri phrases it, she's gritty and abrasive. Val is dedicated to her job and is obsessed with finding the serial killer that is leaving bloodless corpses on the doorsteps of her community.

Demetri is in charge of the Russian Antiquities Department at the local museum. There are matters about him that are unexplainable and dark. The murders, and the unwitting involvement of a local priest, brings the two individuals together.

The curator forces Val to accept his assistance in locating the killer, enlightening her with the unknown and the unexplained.

Perhaps matters would have been simpler if Val's grandmother wouldn't have a picture of Demetri Daskova in her possession: a Photograph that is over a hundred years old.

Ooh, sounds great! Now, how do you go about developing your characters?

That's a tough one to explain. My characters have a basic outline in my head that evolves as I write. I haven't any formula, each person seems to burst from the computer with every word.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Patience. New writers require a lot of patience in the publishing and writing fields. There isn't anything that just happens overnight and don't ever be discouraged. Writing takes an immense amount of dedication.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read everything! My favorites have always been Jude Deveraux and Johanna Lindsey. Others: Dan Brown, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Alexander Dumas, Edgar Rice Burroughs, there are too many to name.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

The most difficult thing about writing is not being too obsessed with the edits. I can edit a novel to death!

The most exciting---seeing my work in print and actually holding it in my hand. Secondly, having a fan that 'sees' the images I have attempted to portray in my work.

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

I have to force myself to not spend more than four hours a day on a Work In Progress. Otherwise, there is an obsessed fanatic in me that will write from dusk til dawn.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I HATE writer's block. When I wrote Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood, I suffered a writer's block that took two weeks to overcome. It was debilitating in all aspects, I couldn't focus on reading, writing, or watching tv. I finally found something that made the dreaded curse disappear----I read excerpts of my project to one of my daughters (I have seven children) and she started asking the who, what, where, when and why questions. Before I knew it, fresh ideas began to pop up. My teenager is currently my sounding board for story development...Bless her heart.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I homeschool my youngest son and juggle motherhood with my seven children, all ranging from ages 30 to 8 years old. I cook a lot, if that's not obvious by the headcount in my home. Also, I enjoy chatting with my fans and friends on the internet.

Tamela, thanks so much for being here today! Anything else you’d like to mention?

Please stop by http://tamelaquijas.wordpress.com or http://www.myspace.com/tamelaquijas and visit with me! I would love to hear from you!