Interview with Dora Machado, author of 'The Curse Giver'
ABOUT THE CURSE GIVER
Lusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when her husband betrays her and she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames.
Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark.
Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.
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Can you start out by telling us whether you are published
for the first time or are you multi-published?
I'm a multi-published author. My first three books are part
of the Stonewiser series, and they include Stonewiser:
The Heart of the Stone (2009), Stonewiser:
The Call of the Stone (2010), and Stonewiser:
The Lament of the Stone (2012). I'm really excited about my latest book, The Curse Giver (July 2013), a stand-alone
fantasy romance that has just been released by Twilight Times Books.
When you were published for the first time, which route did
you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published, or self-published and why
or how did you choose this route?
I went with a small press, a micro press really, mostly
because I knew that, as a new author, I was going to have a hard time getting
picked up by a larger press, but also because the small press offered me an
incredible opportunity and lots of involvement in the process of publishing my
book. For The Curse Giver, I went
with Twilight Times Books, a small to medium independent press that publishes
in critically acclaimed books.
How long did it take you to get published once you signed
the contract?
The first time, it took about seven months. The Curse Giver took about a year.
How did it make you feel to become published for the first
time and how did you celebrate?
It was an awesome feeling and I celebrated with more
writing, by finishing my second book.
What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when
you were published for the first time?
The first thing? Hmm. Let me think. I did an interview for
SFFmedia.com. It was a really in-depth interview that made me think hard about
the novel I had just written. It was a very positive and eye-opening experience,
and even though interviews are commonplace in my life these days, that's the
interview that taught me all about interviews.
Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer
and now a published author?
I have grown in so many different ways since I've been
published! When I finished my first book, I didn't know anything about the
publishing industry, the trends, the monumental changes taking place for
readers and writers everywhere, and the challenges of marketing books. Since
then, I've become quite educated, mostly out of necessity. I've also learned a
lot about my readers, what they want, how they want it. Thanks to them, I think
I'm a much better writer today than I was when I first started.
What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry
as a whole?
The incredible rate of change that has taken place in the
last five, ten years. From the technical
innovations that have reshaped the industry, to our attitudes about reading,
writing and publishing, to the shifts in how we read, buy and promote books,
I'm blown away every day by how fast and thoroughly the industry is channeling
change.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a published
author?
The readers, definitively the readers. They are the ones joining me in my mind's adventures.
They're my partners and traveling companions and they deserve every good word,
line and paragraph I can manage.
Any final words for writers who dream of being published one
day?
Keep at it. It might be confusing out there some days, but
there's more opportunity than ever for good writers to tell a great story.
Don't be distracted by all the hoopla. Write all the way to The End.
ABOUT DORA MACHADO
Dora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, coming this summer from Twilight Times Books. She is one of the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today. She holds a master's degree in business administration and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a love for history, and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She enjoys long walks, traveling, and connecting with the amazing readers who share in her mind's adventures. She lives in Florida with her indulging husband and three very opinionated cats. You can visit her at www.doramachado.comWATCH THE TRAILER!
The Curse Giver Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule
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Monday, August 5 - Book featured at Margay Leah Justice
Wednesday, August 7 - Interviewed at Review From Here
Friday, August 9 - Interviewed at Examiner
Monday, August 12 - Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Tuesday, August 13 - Interviewed at Straight from the Authors Mouth
Thursday, August 15 - Guest blogging at She Writes
Friday, August 16 - Interviewed at Beyond the Book
Monday, August 19 - Book reviewed and Trailer reveal at Miki's Hope
Wednesday, August 21 - Guest blogging at Literal Exposure
Thursday, August 22 - Book featured at As the Pages Turn
Friday, August 23 - Interviewed at I'm Shelf-ish
Tuesday, August 27 - 1st chapter reveal at Examiner
Wednesday, August 28 - Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book
Thursday, August 29 - Book reviewed at moonlightreader
Friday, August 30 - Guest blogging at The Writer's Life
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