Please give a warm welcome to
Tell us a bit about yourself
I want to state for the record now I’m really horrible about talking about myself. I never know what to say, but I’m willing to try if you’re willing to listen. I grew up in a small town in Midwest USA. Books have always played an essential role in my life. I loved them even before I could read. My parents would give me a new book for successful potty training (embarrassing baby stories lol). As I learned to talk, I began to make up stories to go with the pictures and “read” them to my very attentive stuffed animals. I taught myself to read at 4 or 5, with a little help from my friend Julie—who was a year older than me and was using what she learned in school—was the game-changer.
Fast-forward to the present day, I’m still an avid reader. I typically go through a book a day. I have lived all over the United States but settled back in my home state of Iowa after my divorce. Once my son started school, I knew I was locked in—at least until he graduated from high school. Now that he’s done with that, I’m free to move around again. I have a list of places I want to go to before making any significant changes. I may end up just staying put—it is where my family and my son is after all. Plus, I’m pretty sure my cat, BB, wouldn’t know what to do if he couldn’t police the neighborhood from his window perches anymore.
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Have you always wanted to become an author?
It was definitely high on my list of possible career choices. All of my English type course professors encouraged me to write. I have always written short stories and poetry. It’s my way of journaling. I just never had any clue on how to get started, as far as where to submit a manuscript, finding an agent, etc. This was before the internet, and the unlimited information it provided, and LONG before Amazon came along to give self-publishing authors a platform. I shelved that dream for a really long time and focused on a career in business, until now. *evil laugh*
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What was your inspiration for your current book/series?
I find my inspiration by watching people or from interesting pictures I find on Pinterest. Sometimes, I’ll come across an image that screams really loud at me, it demands to have its story told. The pictures that inspired this current book/series ate at me for months. It wasn’t as loud as others, but it kept pulling me back to it. I knew there was a story and that it would be good, but it just wasn’t forming a clear picture in my head right away. Here’s the original inspiration:
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Beautiful, isn’t it? ***NOTE: I have no rights to this artwork. I don’t know who the original artist is, I found it on Pinterest.
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What are you working on now?
I’m still working on the Masquerade of Myths series. I need to get Betrayals & Broken Promises as close to perfect as I can before I release it out into the world, but I’ve also started outlining and plot the scenes for books two and three. This is just the first series that will be housed within the Hell on Earth World. There are currently, at least, three more series planned that will pick up the world story arc (it’s a big one) but will showcase a different heroine in each, with lots of crossovers involved. There’s always a possibility there will be additional series added to the world. It all depends on how many it will take to tell the story(stories).
I’m also working on, in the background, an epic fantasy series. It was actually the story that got me back into writing and started this journey for me. I finished book one a while ago but wasn’t happy with the scope of it, so tore it apart. I’m really working on the world-building and character development for the entire cast (there are A LOT) before I start again. Don’t expect to see this one for quite some time. I’m only casually working on it when I have writer’s block for my current WIP.
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Do you have any quirks while writing?
Hmmm, that’s a good question. I sometimes need music and other times I need absolute silence. The one thing I can’t have is somebody in the house talking. My son has learned to either use his inside voice while I’m writing, or he escapes the house completely when he sees me sit down and pull up my laptop. I don’t think I have anything really quirky though. If something pops into my head, I’ll get back to you.
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What are your hopes for the future?
I want to make this into a full-time endeavor. I’m willing to put in the work and time to make that happen. I’m more concerned with the quality of my stories versus the quantity I put out right now. I want to get to the point where I’m reliably publishing four books per year, one every three months. I’m excited and altogether nervous, but even failure can be a success if you can learn from it and get back up to try again.
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Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?
Well, I’m new myself, but I’ve been around the community for a while. I think my best advice is:
DON’T GIVE UP. This is a skill that needs practice and lots of work. Nobody starts off perfect, nobody ends up perfect either. There’s ALWAYS room for improvement.
FIRST DRAFTS ARE NOT PRETTY OR PERFECT. They’re not supposed to be. Every time you revise it, the words will come together more, and it’ll look better and better.
EDIT. Hire an editor. Yes, this will be one of the most significant expenses you’ll incur on your book, but if you find a good editor, it’s worth the cost. Self-editing is essential, but you won’t get it as clean as a professional editor. You read what you think you wrote, not what you actually put on the page. Find an editor who is knowledgeable and interested in helping you grow as an author. Ask them questions.
Ok, that’s enough advice from me for now. 😊
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Do you have anything to say to your readers?
To all my future readers: Thank you! Thank you so much for taking a chance on me by reading my book(s). When I write, it’s with the hope that I’m able to tell you the story well enough that you join the people in each book on their journeys.
I love hearing from people about anything: send a picture you think could inspire a story, how you related to something I wrote, even constructive criticism (don’t be an asshole) is welcome; tell me what I’ve done right or what I could use improvement on, tell me about your day. I’m a tad socially awkward, and small talk is not a skill I’m good at, but I’ll do my best to form a connection so I can speak more freely with you.
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Betrayals & Broken Promises (Masquerade of Myths Book 1) by Takari Hunter
Being a chameleon demoness already made things tricky, but did it need to be this difficult?
All Dahlia wanted was her freedom, but first, she needed to buy out of her promised bonding, a promise that was made for her before she was even born. Almost a century of trying had taken its toll, and she’d done things she wasn’t proud of. Lost parts of herself along the way and flirted with the darkness inside her.
And it flirted back.
She told herself it would all be worth it in the end, but before she won that battle, everything in her life systematically blew up in her face—one piece at a time. Blaming it all on the beautiful, egotistical vampire who showed up in her life would be easy, but it started long before he arrived. With his help, she might succeed, but Dahlia wasn’t sure she could trust an outsider—not even one sent by Lucifer himself.
Dahlia was standing on the brink of having everything she’d ever dreamed of, but she also risked losing it all.
Was her freedom really worth the cost?
Helle Gade 