About Ciara St. James:
I am sassy, fiery and sometimes a little crazy erotic romance writer with a serious addiction to reading! I started reading at six years old and have never stopped. While romance is my favorite, I do like to read all kinds of genres. I spent years with the burning desire to write a romance novel. I finally got that chance last year. I quit my work as a nurse and sat down at the keyboard. Now I'm spending my days writing, researching, and still reading other author's books. I read a book literally every day! I like romance mixed with hot sex, spice, and danger. That's what I hope readers get when they read my books as well.
Not what one would expect from a girl raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I grew up in Southeastern Ohio in a village, yes I said a village, of about 4000 people. My town consisted of five stoplights. Where the favorite pass time is to sit on your porch at night and see how many times the same car passes by! So, for me books was my escape.
Then I met my grandparent's new next door neighbors son, home on leave from the Navy.
That was the beginning of the changes in my life. It took some time, but I went from a village of 4000 to living in a city with several million people in Southern California. Talk about a culture shock! Now, years later I'm still with that same man, have two technically grown children and I am pursuing my dream. Talk about a wild and unpredictable ride.
What inspires you to write?
The desire to write something that allows others to escape like I've done for years! Sometimes, there is nothing more enjoyable or fulfilling than to be somewhere else or someone else for a while. I've had many authors give this opportunity to me, now I fell like I want to do the same.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Christine Feehan, Harley Wylde, Chantal Fernando, JR Ward, Sapphire Knight, and JK Rowling to name a few.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am not an outliner, though when working on my various degrees, I was very anal about doing that. I get an idea, which may only be a character or a scene that ops into my mind. Then I think about it. Might be for a day or weeks, until I get the overwhelming urge to sit down at the computer and start typing. I draft and re-read as I go. Once the book is written, I review it probably no less than three times making tweaks. I have someone beta read it as well.
Many times as I write, I think the book or character will go one way, only to have them go off in a totally different direction! That is when it is the most exciting. I always know I want the book to end in a HEA, but how we get there, remains a mystery until the very end, even for me.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to them. I try not to talk out loud to them, because that could get me sent somewhere not so nice…lol
I like to add details that I research such as details on wedding ideas, house designs, etc. which play into the details in the book. I research ways sometimes to torture or kill someone. Lord, I hope no one ever looks at my search history, I might be convicted just based on that!
Then there are the even darker things I weave into my books, such as rape, abuse, and human trafficking to name a few. I do research on those as well. Not to bring the story down, but to show what impacts many people's lives and yet they find a way to cope and even live a happy life. I love seeing those issues overcome with the right kind of support and love. So you will see those in some of my books.
What advice would you give other writers?
Believe in yourself! The hardest part is just sitting down for the first time to write something. After that, for me, it's not writing the book but promoting it. Get your promotion plan in place before you ever release the first book. I didn't and now I'm working to find ways to do it after the first one has already come out.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
The chances of someone getting a publishing deal are a million to one. This is what led me to do the self-publishing route. I didn't want to wait maybe for years to get one published, because I've already waited years to write. And I liked the idea of having more control over my books content and covers. Everyone should explore the various options in self-publishing as well as traditional publishers. You find which is right for you.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I only seeing it getting even more prolific. I do think as with many things it will be less and less with traditional publishers.
What genres do you write?: Erotic Romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Ciara St. James Home Page Link
Link To Ciara St. James Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
