Pump Up Your Book Chats with Katie Salidas author of Immortalis; Hunters and Prey

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KatieSmall bio Author of the hot new Urban Fantasy series, Immortalis, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she’s dreamed up fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires at an early age, she devoured every book, featuring those mysterious, blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. She claims that, of all the monsters out there, vampires had always been the most interesting.

It was only natural that a love of reading about vampires, and a love of writing, turned into a desire to write her own stories.

A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.

Blog
http://myimmortalstories.blogspot.com/

Hunters and Prey Virtual Book Tour

Thank you for this interview, Katie. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

A: When I was 14 I wrote my first vampire story. It was a masterpiece (Hey I was a kid) inspired by LJ Smith’s Vampire Diaries. Then, sadly, on the move from Texas to Las Vegas, I lost the pages. That halted me briefly but did not stop my love of vampires or of writing their stories. It wasn’t until 15 years later that I finally saw one of my stories in print, Immortalis Carpe Noctem.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

A: I’m happily married to a man who really supports me. And when I say that I really do mean he supports me… I lost my job last year and now I’m trying to make writing my job. Keeping that in mind I try to set aside time for it and keep that work/life balance. When my daughter and hubby are at school/work, I work. And when both of them are home, it’s family time. It’s not always a perfect system but that’s what I strive for.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?

A: Oh, my dream vacation would be to visit Europe and go castle sightseeing. I’ll be saving up for that one for a while, but on a smaller budget, a getaway to California for some beach time is always nice. Living in Vegas, it’s only a couple hours away. I do love the beach!

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

A: On the beach in Australia, but I’d want to be there a little longer than an hour. I’ve never been there and I’ve heard such great things about Australia. It’s on my “Places I must see before I die,” list. =p

Who is your biggest fan?

A: This is going to sound cheesy, but my Dad! From the moment I published my first novel, he’s been out there sharing it with others. He’ll tell a perfect stranger about it if he happens to have one on hand, which he usually does. I love my Dad!

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: My loveseat under the front window. I have great light there and it’s the perfect size for me to stretch out on (I’m short). Plus it is uber comfy.

Do you have any pets?

A: I have three insane cats: Boose (the old cranky lady), Shady (the lovable teddy bear), and Lurky (neurotic runt).

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

A: I’m insanely shy. You wouldn’t know it by my FB page, but in person I make a wallflower stand out.

Now I’ve got a couple of fun questions for you. If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, unearthed a copy of your book, how would that help him find a way off the island?

A: I don’t think it would help him off the Island. I have a feeling it would start a fight between him and Wilson. They’d argue over who gets to read it and instead of trying to build a raft, become obsessed with the book, wondering what will happen next in the series. =p

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi and the newest addition, Ellen DeGeneres, to determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay where you’d make millions of dollars. What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your author photo – and why?

A: Ooooh tough question. I think they’d be impressed with the characters and their interactions. So definitely the excerpts would get them. I’d like to think even Mr. Simon Cowell would be impressed, or at least he’s tell me it wasn’t a load of crap. (He’s the one that hates everything, right?)

You just got word that your book has received the 2010 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony to give an acceptance speech. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. What would you say and who would you thank?

A: I’d like to thank my parents, my family, my friends, my beta, readers, my fans, (I can already hear them trying to play me off the stage…). Honestly, without the support I’d have never taken the step to publish.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in January via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

A: In this age of social networking, blogs are the digital word of mouth. They let you reach a wide audience and give you the ability to give potential new readers a taste to whet their appetites.

Thank you for this interview Katie. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

A: Thank you for having me here today!

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"Oh, awesome!! Thank you so much! You ran such a lovely tour. Those images are great, I look forward to using them and will miss seeing the regular postings on Twitter ;-).
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Aiken Brown, SON OF A SOLDIER

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Laura Preble, ANNA INCOGNITO

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Jennifer Chase, FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

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Shami Stovall, KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST

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Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

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Karen-Anne Stewart, ASH TO STEELE

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Lauren Carr, Best-Selling Mystery Author of Mac Faraday, and Lovers in Crime, Mysteries

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Kaylin McFarren, BURIED THREADS

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach