Shelves of Books Blog: Blog Tour and Interview: Wombstone- Jessica Roscoe

Title: Wombstone: A Vampireland Novel

Author: Jessica Roscoe

Genre: YA Paranormal (Warning - Mature Readers only 15+. Book includes violence, swearing and sex scenes)

Publisher: Indiana Ink Publishing

Release Date: March 1st, 2013

Edition/Formats available: Ebook

Synopsis: Mia Blake wasn’t the first girl to be taken by the vampires. She is kidnapped and held prisoner by Caleb, the world’s oldest and most powerful vampire. Turned against her will, Mia must find a way to free herself from Caleb’s grip and get back to those she loves. But defeating the world’s most powerful vampire isn't going to be easy…

Interview from Justine Vandale at Shelves of Books Blog
Author interview questions for Jessica Roscoe

1). Can you explain what your book is about and what inspired you to write it?

Sure! My book, Wombstone, is the first in a series. It is about a seventeen year old girl, Mia Blake, who is about to graduate from high school and go off to college. She has a charmed life - private school, great social life and loving boyfriend - until, in the blink of an eye, it is all ripped away. Mia is kidnapped by vampires on her way home from school and imprisoned in a small cell with another girl who has already been a prisoner for months. Initially used as a blood supply, things get even crazier when Mia is Turned and wakes up as a vampire.

The book focuses on Mia's struggle to escape and return home to her loved ones, and the many obstacles she faces along the way.

2). How long did it take you to get Wombstone written and published?

The main writing took me about 12 months, but split over 3 years. I started the book in late 2009 while I was writer-in-residence at Katherine Susannah Pritchard writers centre, and then shelved it for a couple of years due to full-time work, a wedding, several overseas trips, and a baby! When my daughter was about six months old and life was becoming a little more predictable, I saw my chance to finish Wombstone before having to return to my day job. I finished the book in about 4 months, including editing, cover design and formatting for kindle and paperback. I self-published in late February 2013. The book has been out for about 6 weeks now and the reception has been fantastic!

I chose to self-publish because I see writer-as-publisher becoming a viable and increasingly popular option in the publishing market. I love that I have control over all aspects of the process! My long-term goal is to run my own publishing press and publish works by other writers as well as my own. It's an exciting time for publishing!

3). What is your favourite part of Wombstone and why?

Ooh, thats a hard one! In terms of the most exciting part, probably when Mia jumps out of a window and then wakes up as a vampire. I really like the part when she is Turning and isn't sure whats happening beyond her physical pain. I'm also quite fond of the ending because I love cliffhangers (I know lots of people hate them but I can't get enough of them!).

4). What was the hardest part in Wombstone to write and why?

The sex scene, without a doubt! And probably the ending. The last few scenes were especially confronting and emotionally harrowing for me to write.

5). Who is your favourite character from your book and why?

Hmm... I do love Ryan. He is such a bad boy and is pretty easy on the eyes as well.

6). I love the cover! How did you decide on what to have as the cover picture?

Well thankyou! *smiles* I originally sourced the image and created my own basic cover, but I wasn't 100% happy with it. There was nothing wrong with it but it lacked punch. Then the very talented Frankie Rose (hellionworks.net) took the original image and added her magic to it! I love it now :)

7). If one of your characters miraculously had a voice, what would they say?

They all have voices. It's just that I'm the only one who can hear them! Hmm. It depends, really. If Ryan were here he'd be talking you into letting him take a bite out of your neck. And he's so convincing, you probably would :)

8). Do you have a writing routine that you follow?

Yes and no. With a baby, a job and a household to run, I don't get a lot of time to write. But when I'm in the middle of writing a novel, I usually devote every spare second to writing. I wake up and I think about what I am going to write. I scribble notes at red lights and in the driveway if the baby has fallen asleep in her carseat. I steal precious moments when she is napping (which isn't often!) to write. When my husband gets home I throw baby girl at him and run to my computer. I write when she goes to bed and I pull a lot of late nights!

When I sit down at my computer, it is usually with a cup of tea and some kind of chocolate. I re-read the last few paragraphs from my last writing session and then jump straight into it. When I first begin a story I often write out of order, but as I progress I try to write from beginning to end to keep the flow going. I always outline, even if its not a very detailed outline. I always know how the story is going to end - I don't start writing a story until I know the ending.

9). What other authors and/ or books inspired you to become a writer?

Stephen King is a great role model. I haven't read all of his works but the sheer volume of his work is so impressive. Paullina Simons is another favourite - her books always have me in tears. I met her once at a book signing and told her that, and she told me that that's all an author ever wants to hear - that a book has moved a reader so much they cried. I've always remembered that.

10). How do you come up with all your ideas?

I don't! They just fall into my head, usually while I'm driving. I hope my muse keeps sending me all of this lovely stuff!

11). What are you working on now, and can you give us any details?

I am working on a few things at the moment. First up is the sequel to Wombstone. It's called The Vessel and deals with the aftermath of a terrible decision Mia made shortly after becoming a vampire. I can't give too much away without spoilers for Wombstone, but The Vessel is coming along nicely. I hope to release it in late summer (US summer).

I'm also working on a New Adult romantic thriller. It's a hefty tale of betrayal and revenge that spans a decade. I am super-excited to be writing in a different genre and I plan on having this one out by Christmas 2013.

12). What advice would you give others who are pursuing writing?

Write every single day. Keep the momentum going. If you're writing something and it is boring you, STOP! If it's boring you, how do you think your readers are going to feel about it?

And if you're yet to have children, for goodness sakes, write a LOT and get ahead in this game. My one regret is that I didn't utilise the copious amounts of free time I had pre-motherhood (even working a full-time job and running a household).

13). If you were stranded on a desert island with one of your characters, who would you pick and why?

First I was going to answer Ryan, but then he'd probably just drink all of my blood :/ So I'm going to answer Evie. She's a powerful witch and could easily supply everything we needed by using magic. Though if I had to stay on the island for a long time, I'd have to take Sam. He's gorgeous, smart and a big kind-hearted puppy-dog kind of guy :)

14). What's your favourite flavour/ type of tea?

I love my old faithful English Breakfast, hot with a dash of milk. I practically live on the stuff!

Thanks so much for your time. I look forward to hearing your answers!

Thankyou so much for having me! It has been a pleasure answering these questions :)

Author Information

Jessica Roscoe is the author of Wombstone, a Young Adult paranormal novel. From a young age, she delighted in the written word and would often scare her poor parents with outlandish stories filled with the supernatural and macabre.Jessica studied film and screenwriting at university before deciding that novels were her calling. The setting for Wombstone was inspired by a six-month stint in the U.S. where she worked as a lifeguard at a summer camp in Mt Freedom, New Jersey. She is currently working on the next book in the Vampireland series. Her other loves in life include good quality tea, delicious wine, reading and hanging out with her husband and baby girl.

Book Links

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wombstone-The-Vampireland-Series-ebook/dp/B00BKG8VJK/ref=la_B00BKQ5KLM_1_1_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1361753357&sr=1-1

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/289085

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208007-wombstone

Blog:

http://jessicaroscoe.net/?page_id=11

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wombstone-A-Vampirelandnovel/119054381506021

Goodreads Author Page: