Colleen Gleason Interview
Publication Date: January 2, 2007
Colleen Gleason
Colleen Gleason is author of the new Gardella Vampire Chronicles. The first title in the series hits shelves today with the second installment due in June 2007.
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Upcoming Title or Latest Release
The Rest Falls Away: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles Release Date: January 2, 2007 Publisher: Signet Eclipse
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The Questions
Give us an update on yourself. What's your latest news?
I’m very excited that my first book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles is now available! The Rest Falls Away is the beginning of the story of Victoria Gardella Grantworth, a young debutante in Regency-era London who learns that she is the next in a long family line of vampire hunters.
How did you come up with the title?
The title is taken from a quote about choices by Muriel Rukeyser. Victoria, as most other superheroes you might be familiar with, has many choices to make during her life, including a life-changing one near the end of the book. The quote in its entirety is: “I think there is choice possible to us at any moment, as long as we live. But there is no sacrifice. There is a choice, and the rest falls away. Second choice does not exist.”
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, and what inspired you to start writing?
I have wanted to write ever since I was a little girl, and, in fact, I did. I’ve been writing stories since I was in third grade, and although I took some time off to have three children and grow a career in sales and marketing, I never gave up the dream. I still wrote at night after the kids were in bed, or sometimes during my lunch hour at work.
When did you write your first book?
Well, it depends what you mean by my “first book.” I wrote never-ending stories in middle school and high school, and they were longer than the books I write now! I actually probably finished my first full-length novel about fifteen years ago. It’s gathering dust under my bed now. I wrote several other books over the years as I juggled work and family, totaling about nine books, before I sold the first two books in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wasn’t sure. I suppose I wanted to be a writer, like John-Boy and Laura Ingalls Wilder—but I knew that was a very unlikely career because so few people are lucky enough to have careers in the arts. For awhile I thought I’d like to be a teacher, too. And then I actually ended up in a sales and management career in health care.
What projects are you working on now?
I’m currently writing the third book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series, titled The Bleeding Dusk, and set to be released in first quarter 2008. I’m also due to write the fourth book in the series, which will also be released in 2008. In addition, I write another type of historical novel under a pseudonym, and will be finishing a book for that line, also due to be released in 2008. I’m very busy, and loving it.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Eat. Read. Sleep. No, really, it’s true! I also like to garden and to cook, and watch movies and hang out with my kids and husband.
What does your family think of your writing?
My children (all elementary school age) think it’s the coolest thing to have a mom who’s an author. They are amazingly excited and perceptive about the situation, and I adore them for it. My husband is my best PR person. He will whip out my business card and give it to anyone, any time. He’s very proud of me and I’m sure that’s because he watched me struggle and work for years before my dream came true!
How long does it take you to write a book?
It used to take me a lot longer than it does now. Being paid for it helps! My average book takes between 4 and 6 months for me to write.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I usually get the kids off to school in the morning, and then goof arou—er, I mean, check email, write my blog entry, do correspondence, errands, etc., in the morning. I tend to write in the afternoon—often after I’ve spent my lunch reading for pleasure or researching, or, most often, staring off into space while trying to figure out what to write that day.
Do you have an interesting writing quirk?
I don’t think I do. But who knows? You’d have to ask my writing buddies. I guess one thing might be that I love, love, love to torture the men in my books.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
The ideas come to me in a variety of ways – there is no one way that I can pinpoint. As for information or research … well, I get a lot of that from the Internet, but also from reading other books (both fiction and non-fiction).
What do you think makes a good story?
That’s a great question, but I can only answer it from my perspective. The things that make a story work for me is a good “voice” or writing style—one that is engaging and smooth and one that fits the book. Then there’s the characters and whether I should care about them…and then the situation they find themselves in. The unrolling of the story with twists and turns that I don’t expect. The not falling into clichés or expected outcomes.
What was one of the most surprising things you've learned in creating your books?
That I can write a synopsis about a book before I’ve written it. I used to write completely by the seat of my pants. In other words, I never knew what was going to happen in the story until it did. Literally. But now that I have deadlines and contracts, I have to at least tell my editor what the book’s going to be about before I write it—at least a basic idea (7-10 pages). So it surprised me that I could actually work out, think out, the plot enough in my head first before writing the book…and still keep it fresh.
How many
books have you written? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve written twelve and a half. Nine of them probably won’t see the light of day any time soon, but you never know. The other three and a half are the two Gardella books, the third one that I’m working on, and also the historical that I write under another pseudonym.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I have several favorites. I love Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, and Nora Roberts, and Roberta Gellis. They all write so differently, too, but in each way, they’ve influenced me. Peters/Michaels writes witty mysteries with literate characters and a hero that isn’t always heroic. Hers are not emotional romance stories, yet they are some of the most romantic books I’ve read; and her spareness in dealing with the emotion has influenced me a bit in my stories. Nora Roberts just consistently puts out quality books and I love her voice. I particularly love her In Death series, and the way she’s handled the characters in the ongoing series, keeping them fresh and developing over twenty or more books. Her gritty voice, societal observations, humor and romance are a fantastic blend. And Gellis wrote one of my favorite historical series set in medieval England during the time of the Plantagenets. I love the depth of her history and the sense of setting and place and I think her style and attention to detail really helped me find that in my books. I never get jarred out of the setting or time period in her books as often happens with some historical romances.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Right now, Lara Adrian has been an amazing mentor for me. She’s writing contemporary vampire novels now, but she made a name for herself (under a different name) writing medieval historical romances and since she’s been through many of the things I’m going through now as a first-time author, I’ve found her to be a lovely and giving resource. She’s supportive and honest and caring, and a very talented writer. (And I happen to have an ARC of her upcoming KISS OF MIDNIGHT book.)
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Elizabeth Hoyt just released The Raven Prince, which I gobbled up in a day. Loved it!
Who designs the covers of your books?
The publisher is responsible for all of that. I can give them ideas or thoughts, but ultimately, it’s their responsibility to design marketable covers.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Since my book is just being released, the answer is no. I hope, though, that once I get readers, the answer will be yes!
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you!
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Yes:
- There is no secret handshake to getting published.
- Write the best book you can.
- Finish it.
- Send it out.
- Start writing the second book while you’re waiting to hear on the first.
- Finish it.
- Send it out.
- Keep doing this until you a) sell, or b) give up.
That’s the way to get published!!
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