20 Questions
(Author Interviews)
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1. Where do you write from?
Alexandria: I currently live in Southern California, however, I've spent the last 3 years in New York and loved it so much that I will be returning in July of this year.
2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Alexandria: When I was like 16 and wrote my first novel. It was penned after a Shakespearean Tragedy, and laughably it was just that. However, my friends got a kick out of it and thought it was hilariously funny; yet the sad part is that it was meant to be a serious work lol. It was then that I found out that I could write comedy lol.
3. How long does it take you to write a book?
Alexandria: It depends on which genre I'm writing in at the time. I currently write in five genres.
I have a Romantic Suspense Serial, so that will usually takes me about 3 days. A Contemporary Romance will usually take me about two weeks depending on whether I have to do research or not. A Historical about a month, because I want the information to be accurate. The Erotic could be anywhere from a day or two, and lastly, a Paranormal about two months. I do massive research for the paranormal as well, especially because I link myths from all over the world.
4. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Alexandria: By profession I'm a teacher and a chef. I teach Art History/ British/American Literature and Mythology.Often times some myth will spark my interest and I just run with it. I can see an advertisement for something, a hot guy on the train ( My character Saix in the Teaching Between Midnight & Dawn series) the Barista at Starbucks ( Kailen in the A Lite Farie Tale series) or something as simple as looking out the window. All four of my Paranormal series are based off Egyptian myths. I also write a series called Chef's Like it hot, and I based the first two books off some of my experiences working in the culinary industry.
5. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
Alexandria: 16 lol.
6. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Alexandria: I'm an advent readers myself, so I read from Sci-fi to Historical. I love tea, so I looove looking for quaint little tea shops. I'm a serious Broadway fan, so I trek for shows. A serious wine drinker too lol, so I loved to visit our wine country here in SoCal. Comic books are my first love, so Com-icon, Movies, especially if they're Marvel or DC. :Pretty much anything fun.
7. What Genre do you write?
Alexandria: I write Multicultural Paranormal Romance, Multicultural Suspense Romance, Multicultural Contemporary Romance, Multicultural Erotic Romance, and Interracial Historical Romance.
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Alexandria: I've written 52 so far lol. I would have to say my Paranormal series. I love them, because I get to go against the grain, and anything goes.
9. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Alexandria: Not as much as I would like, which I wish was completely different.
I feel like it would make me a better writer if I did lol. I usually get fan mail from all five genres, however the ones I get the most fun out of are the crazy comments about my paranormal series, especially about my character Sephoroth. Seph is a Psychic 2,081 year old vampire who actually used to be Spartacus. He feeds off of chaos/emotions, stirring up trouble, and lust. He carries this lil thing called Kant Savant, which gives him incubus qualities; which he can emit through his bite or blood. He has the rare desire for blood, because he's so old; but if he does transfer blood the receiver takes on the succubus/incubus' qualities. He's patterned after his Purpleness Prince, only the Caucasian version lol.
The comments are hysterical sometimes. We actually did something to him in book two, and the fan cry was so hugely unexpected, that we brought him back in book five, and just made him even more naughty than he was. Readers Love to Hate him! Lol, but it's more love than hate. I consider myself a Paranormal author who dabbles in the other genres; so I pay more attention to the paranormal readers lol. Not to be biased, but they leave some of the most hilarious comments on my blogs. One reader left that she wanted,"To Stab Sephoroth in the Thoke!" And I couldn't stop laughing. So I usually get then saying that they want to either kill the character, or me(but not in a murderous stalkerish way lol) because of some plot twist, or cliffhanger I wrote into the story. One readers said she threw the book into the wall so pissed, but she just had to know what happened anyway; so she picked it up and continued reading and fell in love with my main character Arieanna.
10. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Alexandria: I wanted to be a writer, however, life has its own roads sometimes.
11. Tell us about your current project.
Alexandria: I just finished 2 new contemporary romances, "So NOT a Fan" and "Fortis Fortuna Aduvint; Fortune Favors the Bold". I have five other titles in the works, 3 Historicals, and two Contemporaries for February and March; with the summer releasing the next installments in my four paranormal series. I usually take extra time on the paranormal, because many of the books in all four series are crossovers and are linked.
12. How do you handle writers block?
Alexandria: Fortunately I hardly ever get it. I pretty much just force myself to write whatever sprouts from my head. My creative writing teacher swore that whatever you write, the plot and the point of the story will always be in the first 3 paragraphs; and so far she's been right lol!
13. What one subject is TABOO in your writing?
Alexandria: Children, or any violence against them, old people and women.
That I cannot do, and neither will I read it.
14. If there was one book you wish you'd written, which would it be?
Alexandria: Twilight! hahaha!
However, from a Marketing stand point only. I give all props to Stephanie Myers an her team, because they pretty much set the marketing bar with that series. I'm not a fan of the books or series (my 14yr loves her! lol), but I do respect what she did with them.
15. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Alexandria: I'm a New Yorker at heart, so I pray I don't offend any of your readers or come off rude; but I have three where writing is concerned:
1. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know what's inside.
Also Step outside of your racial comfort zone please. There are a vast many diverse writer out there, with some amazing authors in the Romance field. I myself am Puerto Rican/Cuban, with a few other races thrown in the mix for some serious spice; but if you only stick to one type of book, you have no clue what you're missing out there. Try an author of Color, you may have more in common with them than you realize, because we are people first.
2. For the love of GOD...Read the author's notes in the book please. LOL. I cannot stress this enough! We put them there for a reason, and something that you were pissed about in the book, might have actually been given a warning to in the author's notes lol. We put vital information about the book in the author's notes many times.
Example: I write in a Scottish Accent for my Weres because they're a Scottish Fortage, which goes all the way back to Celtic times. Many of the books are set in England, and not America. I write British Slang and Accents for my Vamps as well because they're British lol. Welsh for my Warlocks, and depending on the Fortage, Coven or Den, the language can be different. As well as Spanish/Spanglish for my lead females; languages from all over the world basically from Japanese to Greek because of the myths which are from all over the world as well. Yet, if you ignore the author's notes, then you'll be like wth! This woman needs to learn English lol.
3. And lastly, if I can be honest readers who never read a book; but because they have an issue with its subject matter, or the author, they give it a low review without ever having read the book. I just feel like you have to read it first to give a valid opinion. This is the same thing that I teach my College students. Your argument is invalid if you can't produce valid facts for the way you feel about a subject, and if you haven't read it, then your argument is moot. If you think it still sucks after you've read it, then your opinion is valid, and I say go ham!
16. Is there one current tv show that is a "can't miss" for you?
Alexandria: Not really. I have a few shows that I really like; The Flash, HTGAWM, and a few more; but I don't obsess, and I wouldn't just die if I didn't watch them lol. I try not to watch Paranormal much, because I always feel a bit leery about it. I try to be original in my work, and sometimes whether the author realizes it or not; they can glean from other writers and authors without even realizing it; and I just feel like that's cheating.
17. Who was your greatest influence?
Alexandria: as far as writing Paranormal Romance
1. Kevin Grevioux 1st and foremost. I love the Underworld series!
However, the crazy part is that most people have no idea who he is (the African-American Were Raze in the movie series) or that he was the original writer (screenplay & books. Graphic novels) for the first 3 movies and the newest installment. I love the world he's created, and the fact that the books as well as the movies have major diversity. I seriously believe that the world of Romance needs more diversity.
However, I feel that authors of color shouldn't have to label their work AA, IR, MC and such, because they should be included in the mainstream of the Romance genre regardless. It should be about the book and the characters; and race as well as ethnicity should have no baring when choosing a book to read. I also find it sad that in order for writers of color to make it in this industry they had to invent genres that would be supported by people of color; outside of the mainstream of Romance, and that shouldn't be.
It is the main reason that I write MC & IR. As a teen who loved Paranormal Romance from day one, it was few and far that I saw a character like me; (Puerto Rican/Cuban/Irish/Native American/ African-American) that wasn't the comedic side kick, or the villain. I decided that I wanted to write heart felt characters, who loved and dated outside of their race, showing that "True Love has No Color; it is True in its Purest form, and only violated when haters come in and make it something it isn't." And I've lived by this mantra throughout my writing career. As a author of color, it is just amazing to see an author of color cross over racial lines and make it in an otherwise predominantly Caucasian field without having to label his work. I just wish more readers would take a chance on something new.
2. Laurel K. Hamilton. I have loved her books for what seems like forever, and it was because of reading her books that I realized that I could do this as well.
18. How do you choose your book covers?
Alexandria: I try to stay in-line with the story line. I am not the traditional author. I like all things weird, and my number one goal is to be as different as I can from anything else out there.
19. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
Alexandria: That I have a 30 year old son. Lol
20. How would a reader find you online?
IE: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Street Team, Reader Group.
Book Retailers:
I have both websites and blogs, as well as twitter and facebook.
Websites:
www.alieinfante.webs.com (IR Historical)
www.alexandriainfante.webs.com (MC.Paranormal)
www.farietalewish.webs.com (MC Paranormal Fae)
www.contemporarylove.webs.com (MC Contemporary)
Blogs.
www.alexandriainfante.blogspot.com (MC Paranormal)
www.alieinfante.blogspot.com (MC Contemp & IR Historical)
www.aureleparker.blogspot.com (MC Erotica)
Twitter:
@lex6802
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