Let me introduce an awesome Aussie Crime- fiction author who is on her way to making it big and leaving us behind...Nina D'Angelo.
The interrogation begins...
Tell
us a little about yourself and how you became a writer.
I’m a freelance writer and photographer. I graduated from Deakin
University with a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Public Relations. I’ve
been working in the media since I was 18 – working for several music magazines
before I briefly switched to PR in 2005. Not satisfied with my profession, I
returned to freelance writing. Since I graduated from Deakin, I’ve written my
own TV series, was a producer for a music show for three years, worked for
several music magazines and have had my photography published in magazines
worldwide.
I’ve always written creatively. From the moment I wrote my first
story at the age of 6 (which was about the smurfs and eight pages long), I’ve
written and never stopped. Right throughout University, I wrote creatively –
for friends and for myself. I wrote a short story called The Perfect Crime for my Literature class and my lecturer told me I
wrote in the same style as Tarrentino and I should look into writing
professionally. At the time I laughed it off and thought he was joking.
A few years ago I started playing with the idea for a story and one
night just started writing it. First it was a chapter and the next thing I knew
it was 122,000 words and a novel. I never wrote the novel thinking, I want to
get this published. I wrote it thinking. Okay, I need to write this – even if
it’s just for me.
Wowzers!
Are
you an Indie author or traditionally published?
I’m an Indie writer, but further down the track I would like to be
traditionally published.
How do your stories come to life, from fiction or fantasy?
My stories tend to pop into my head and come to life as I write them.
Are
you a ‘go with the flow’ writer or do you have structure?
I’m very much a go with the flow writer to begin with, but they then
tend to develop structure. For my second novel, Nowhere to Hide, I’ve been a little more structured. I’ve written
chapter summaries for the next few chapters and I’ve also used dot points to
write down what I want to happen.
Have you always wanted to be a writer or did you want to be
something else?
I knew by the time I was 8, I wanted to be a writer. By the time I
was 10 I decided I wanted to run my own magazine, but when I was 12 decided I
wanted to be a Journalist. Deep down inside, I wanted to write fiction but it
was kind of a secret dream I wasn’t ready to share with anyone. I started
taking it more seriously after someone read a novel I wrote and said to me I
had to get myself published.
What groups are you affiliated with and how have they
helped you through your journey of publication?
I belong to quite a few writing groups on facebook – including Books
Anonymous and The Writers Club – The Writers Club is amazing. It’s a group of
people who love writing. Everyone has either had their novels published or are
in the throes of publishing them. It’s supportive, a group that provides solid
advice and just a nice place to share your writing and your dreams with.
I can vouch for that group. I love everyone there. It is important to have a good support system and they are part of that. <3 their guts!
How much marketing do you involve yourself in and with the
mass consumption of social media, does this play a part in your marketing
choice?
As much as people hate to admit it, marketing is an important part of
an author’s life. I’ve been heavily involved in marketing my novel. I have a
degree in Public Relations and it’s helped me in so many different ways. A lot
of my decisions come from my experience in PR but also my instincts. Social
Media is a major tool an author should use for promoting themselves and
marketing their book. I’ve used social media to get my name out there. If it
weren’t for social media, I’m not sure as many people would be aware of the
authors out there and that would be a shame. I’ve found so many wonderful
authors through the likes of Goodreads or Facebook.
Social Media allows you to control how you want to be marketed and
gives you the voice to do it. People slam it all the time and yes, there are
also some bad aspects of it, but most the time it is a wonderful learning curve
and tool to use.
Here’s a random one for you. If you could be one animal,
which would it be and why?
I’d be an Eagle, mainly because I like the idea of being free and
soaring high.
I can see you as an eagle. But how will you hold your coffee?
What would you say is your inspiration to write in general
or writing a particular scene?
I actually love to listen to music when I write. It inspires me,
keeps me motivated and it allows me to block our surrounding sounds. Music
helps me get focused. I also find writing when I am emotional is brilliant. The
emotion I feel spills onto the paper. Most the time though I get so wrapped up
in my own writing, I lose myself in that world.
Music...worlds...losing ones self. I'm there with you on those. Maybe we escape?
Tell me about how you came up with your title and cover?
I had a wonderful cover designer in the form of Scarlett Ruger from
Scarlett Ruger designs. She really listened to what I wanted. I told her I
wanted to show Los Angeles with blood over the Hollywood sign. This eventuated
to Los Angeles with blood spatter on the title and also over the city with the
background showing a killing moon (blood red moon). The title is also spattered
in blood with shattered glass and a police strobe light. She came up with
several different concepts before we landed on the cover I have now. She really
worked hard to take my ideas and develop them onto paper and I think she nailed
it.
I actually had the name about 3 pages into the novel. The name Nowhere to Run came from the fact my
main character, Stephanie Carovella is being stalked by a serial killer who
knows her every move and won’t stop until he ‘claims her’. He follows his
victims and hunts them down until there is nowhere left for them to run. It’s
also about my main character standing up for what she believes in and deciding
she’s not going to be afraid anymore. She’s going to take him on and go down
fighting.
Do you have any tips for other aspiring writers or authors
out there?
Read and read widely. Reading helps strengthen your own writing. It’s
also a good way to find out what’s hot right now and what’s been done.
Join writing groups and get to know fellow authors. Network. You’d be
surprised at what you can learn just from talking to other authors. It’s also a
great way to meet new people who are going through the same journey you’re
going through, or who have been through the journey.
Keep writing. Even if you write a few lines of your novel a day,
you’re writing it. If you don’t want to write your novel, write a blog entry or
something else but write every day. It keeps your writing sharp and it gives
you focus.
Lastly, don’t give up on your dreams. If your dream is to be an
author, then do it. Make it happen. If people tell you you’re never going to
amount to anything, ignore them. Only you will know deep down inside whether it
can happen for you and if you’re determined and focused, it will happen.
So, I think we’ve gotten to know you a little now. How’s
about we step it up a notch. Are you panicking? Lol. Do you have any dirty
little secrets or confessions you’d like to share with us- what’s on the blog
stays on the blog, right guys. (wink)
I’m an adrenaline junkie. I love doing crazy things. I’ve jumped out
of a helicopter, skydived, bungee-jumped and para-glided 28,000 feet off the
Austrian Alps.
Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?
Do you think it's the addiction to caffeine that boosts your adrenaline? I'm scared for you merely reading this. lol
Where’s your favourite place to write?
I love writing in my bedroom, preferably late at night. I put
headphones on and write. I find it soothing and calming. It’s a bad habit to
write in my bedroom and I need to get out of it, but at the moment it’s the
only place I can get peace and quiet.
Tell us of your releases- where and when can we buy them?
Nowhere to Run is due out on
February 14th. It will be available from Amazon, itunes, and Barnes
and Noble. The paperback will be due out shortly after the ebook. I then plan
on releasing Nowhere to Hide, the
second novel in the Stephanie Carovella series
in August 2013. The third book in the series, will be out 2014 and December
2013 will see book one of the Live and
Let Die series.
In one word, how would you best describe yourself?
Focused.
Now that we’re all friends, tell us your most embarrassing
moment?
Most embarrassing moment was probably years ago when I went to
interview a musician and he suggests drinks so we went out drinking. We got so
drunk, we somehow staggered back to his hotel room and passed out on his bed
together. I woke up the next morning embarrassed as hell. Got the interview and
ended up getting a good friend out of it. We’re still friends ten years later.
Embarrassing with a HEA. That's well done!
Do you have any upcoming signings or author appearances you
would like to share?
I have a blog tour between February 1st and February 15th,
but other than that nothing at this time.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with
us?
Keep your eyes peeled out for Nowhere
to Run, due out on February 14th this year
whoop whoop! I'm cheering for it.
Here is Nowhere To Run blurb:
A dominatrix is murdered; her body
displayed in a show of dominance. An actress is found dead beneath the
Hollywood sign. There’s a murderer roaming the streets of Los Angeles and he’s
having far too much fun to stop.
Stephanie Carovella is a woman of fire and ice. She left her career, her
friends and her home town of LA but she couldn’t outrun the demons of her past.
When she is lured back by the death of her best friend she enters a world where
no one’s safe.
Can Stephanie find her friend’s killer or will she discover that she has
nowhere to run?
To find out more about Nina and her books, here are her links:
Twitter: @janinedangelo
