A. Sangrey Black~ Author Interview & Upcoming Release: Old Dog, Old Trick

 

Please help me welcome today’s guest, A. Sangrey Black, who is sharing a little about herself and her upcoming release!

Where did you get the idea for OLD DOG, OLD TRICK?

It came from a few places, as most of my stories do. I don’t usually write contemporaries, but this particular premise just hit home for me. It’s the great love who got away, and looking at what you might do if you had another chance many years later. The characters came right away (they were already living in my head), and music really helped.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’ve written quite a bit of m/m before. Only one has been published so far, along with an m/m/f, but I wrote a ton of slash fanfiction years ago. It doesn’t translate directly to original fiction, but it’s a great place to cut your writing teeth.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

It was actually very personal. Wish fulfillment, absolutely, even though I’m a woman.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

This one actually was one of those rare animals that came to life very organically at once. It’s just a short story, so I can easily stay focused long enough to get something that length finished. Usually I have to fight distraction, and other things constantly vying for my attention.

Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

I always write down a ton of notes before I begin writing. Usually characters, the skeleton of the plot, a playlist, maybe even some poetry. Then I will outline for novella or novel length, or sit right down and get to it for a short story. IF WISHES WERE SHADOWS had no preparation. One night I drank a few glasses of sangria, ate some nachos, and BLURT! There it was. Of course I had to go back and hack it up, do some research and such. But there was none of my usual ritual involved.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

If the review said something specific about what the reader didn’t like, and wasn’t presented in an obnoxious way, I would much rather have a bad review. I might obsess over it for a while, but eventually I will turn it into a lesson for next time! No review means the reader just didn’t care enough to take the time to say anything. If they at least leave a star rating, that’s something. Constructive criticism is important feedback for writers, in my opinion.

If you could change something about one of your books that’s already released, what would it be?

LOL! I would probably re-write every one from scratch! It’s difficult for me to go back later and re-read my published pieces. I can see every mistake, every little flaw, everything that as my writing evolved I never would have written in that way. Worst of all, I never fail to find a plot point, a scene, or some dialogue that might have improved the story tenfold!

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

HORROR! I’ve started horror stories and novels at least 10 times, and they’re always missing that skin-crawling, teeth chattering, look over your shoulder quality that’s so delicious about horror. I’m not good at the tenor it requires. Which is weird, because in my PNR and UF, I write some pretty dark stuff. (Especially under my A. Sangrey Black pen name. My bestselling story If Wishes Were Shadows, has gotten reviews from BDSM romance fans who said it was FAR too dark for them. Well, it DOES star vampires! I think they can take further extremes than others.)

But “dark,” “violent,” and “monsters”  don’t necessarily translate into horror. Someday, I hope.

What is your favorite quote?

Heh. I have a few. My favorite, which has served me well in my writing, is from Hemingway: “The first draft of anything is sh*t.” It’s a reminder that, hey, you’re going to have to go back and rip your story apart to edit and rewrite anyway. Why not just charge through, get the bare bones of the story down, and go back to fix it later?

Most of my very favorite literary quotes can be found on my Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1370461.H_A_Fowler

Thank you for allowing me to guest on your blog today, Alicia! The tentative release date for OLD DOG, OLD TRICK by A. Sangrey Black is August 26, 2016 from MLR Press. You can follow the blog for A. Sangrey Black @ http://asangreyblack.wordpress.com or follow my main blog at http://bloodthirstymuses.wordpress.com!

You’re welcome…thank you for joining me. I enjoyed getting to know you.  We have much in common. I agree about the bad reviews, the temptation to rewrite everything, and I’d also love to write horror. 🙂