Author Interview - Willow Rose & Giveaway

  SAVAGE:

The year is 1983. Christian is 22 years old when he leaves his home in Denmark to spend a year in Florida with a very wealthy family and go to med-school. A joyful night out with friends is shattered by an encounter with a savage predator that changes his life forever. Soon he faces challenges he had never expected. A supernatural gift he has no idea how to embrace. A haunting family in the house next door. A spirit-filled girl who seems to carry all the answers. An ancient secret hidden in the swamps of Florida. One life never the same. One love that becomes an obsession. Two destinies that will be forever entangled.

Savage is a young adult title with some language, violence, and sexual situations recommended for ages sixteen and up

 

Willow Rose writes YA Paranormal Romance and fantasy. Originally from Denmark she now lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. She is a huge fan of Anne Rice and Isabel Allende. When she is not writing or reading she enjoys to watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

 You can find Willow:

on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowredrose 

or twitter: @madamwillowrose 

or her blog: www.willow-rose.blogspot.com

1) What did you want to be when you were younger? 

I always wanted to be a writer. Okay some days I wanted to be a ballerina and some days an actress, but most days I wanted to be a writer. I have always told stories. I remember telling stories to my friends as a child in school and making them forget that they had to go out and play for recess. Even my teacher would listen in and he told me to keep it up and to  write them down. I wrote several notebooks filled with stories that he read. He encouraged me a lot. I went on to become a journalist and wrote my first novel when I was 28. It was published by one of the big Danish publishing houses.

2) Who was your favourite author as a child? Who is it now? 

As I child I didn't have a favorite author but I had favorite books. The Neverending Story is an all-time favorite of mine. But I also remember reading Uncle Tom's cabin several times and the Flying Dutchman. Today my favorite author is probably Anne Rice. I read all she writes. I also love Isabel Allende, John Irving and Stephen King.

3) Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a special spot? 

I sit at my desk in my bedroom with views of the Intracoastal waters. Some days I spot dolphins and manatees. 

4) Can you tell us a bit more about  your book and how it came about? 

I was inspired to a lot of it from my daughters. I love the mind of little children. Their world is so magical. Their way of viewing everything inspired me to the world of the family of magical women living next door to where Christian lives when he first arrives in Florida. These women are so strong and powerful. I have fallen deeply in love with them. I know everybody will. 

5)Are any of the characters based on people you know? 

My main character Christian is partly based on my husband. He went to Florida when he was only 19 and lived with an insanely wealthy family very similar to the one Christian lives with.  

6) How did you choose names for your characters? 

A lot of my characters are descendants from the Timucua Indians that lived in Florida before the Europeans came so they have Native American names. Each name has a meaning. Like the woman that Christian falls in love with. Her name is Aiyana which means "Eternal blossom".

7) When you write, do you plan the storyline or just go with the flow and see where it takes you? Plotter or Panster? 

I always know my story. I have found that it is best to wait till I am almost about to burst before I sit down and begin to write. I need to know my characters very well, I need to know their background and why they are the way they are. I also need to know where the story is going. I don't write it down, but I know the plot.
8) How many books will there be in the series? I will write three about the main character Christian.  It is sort of a family-saga really. In the first book he is in his twenties and so is the woman he falls in love with. In the second book they have kids of their own and are in their thirties. In the last book they will have young teenagers. I am also planning on doing a book about Aiyana, the spirit-filled Native American girl that he falls hopelessly in love with. About her and when she first discovers who she really is. I might also do a book about her sister who does telekinesis and their grand-mother who predicts natural disasters. I love those characters so much that they each deserve their own book.

8) Can you give us any hints about book 2? 

It involves a black panther. 

9) Do you listen to music whilst you write? 

I have a thing for James Blunt. I always listen to him when I write. Never when I am not writing. It is weird. There is something about the intensity in his lyrics that makes me want to write. 

GIVEAWAY

Willow Rose is offering 2 prizes!!!!

1 x Signed Paperback copy of Savage

1 x  e-book copy of Savage.

Both open INTERNATIONAL!

All you need to do is leave a comment below saying whether you are entering the Paperback or E-book giveaway. (You can enter both) :D

Here are the rules: 

1) Competition opens Thursday 14th June
2) Competition closes on Thursday 21st June Midnight GMT
3) Leave a comment below
4) You Must be a Follower to enter!
5) One Name will be selected at random from the comments for each prize.
6) Contest is Open Internationally
7) Winners will be contacted by e-mail
8) Winners will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be selected. 



UPDATE: -The Giveaway has now finished and there were only two entries, which means both entrants gets a prize, the only thing to decide is which person gets the paperback, as both of them preferred that format.

So I will number them, dyabeu is 1 and nat is 2. Now to Random.org.
With a 50/50 chance Random.org selected - 

Number 2, meaning that Nat gets the paperback copy and dyabeu will be offered the e-book version.

Thanks to both for entering and to Willow Rose for the giveaway chances.