Today I’m fortunate to present Stacey Rourke author of over a dozen books spanning various genres.
Hi Stacey, thanks for agreeing to this interview!
Question 1) What part of the world do you come from?
Born and raised in Michigan, hence my hatred for the cold. I live where the air sometimes hurts my face.
Question 2) What do you think makes a good story?
Strong character development. I need to feel for the characters, to engage with them to want to accompany them on their journey.
Question 3) What inspired you to write your first book?
My children. Many literary works still portray women as damsels in distress that need to be rescued by big strong men. For my daughters, I wrote The Conduit, which was the first of many strong female leads I created to empower females of all ages to be the hero of their own story.
Question 4) What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I do most of my administrative and marketing tasks in the early part of the day, and tackle writing and editing later in the day when my mind is more awake and able to tap into creativity.
Question 5) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I act out a lot of the dialogue to myself, playing the part of every character, to make sure it flows and is believable.
Question 6) Give us the title and genre of your latest book.
Veiled, an urban fantasy novel
Question 7) What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?
Vampires and politics really work well together. There are so many jokes about blood suckers I could insert here, but it would almost be TOO easy. LOL!
Question 8) Do you have an excerpt from your current work you’d like to share?
“Wait!” Finn attempted to plant his feet with all the weak resolve he could muster. “The puppy, we have to get the puppy.”
“Puppy?” I pulled up short, searching his face for signs he was kidding.
“There, in the corner. Little thing won’t make it much longer if he’s left here.” I followed Finn’s nod to a tiny French Bulldog pup cowered in the corner. Covered in his own filth, every rib was clearly visible through his patchy, black hide. Ears pulled back, his slight frame trembled in a combination of fear and starvation. “He used the dog as an hour glass, taunting me with the promise of a meal if I could just get off the table. He gave the dog water but no food and told me when his time ran out, so would mine.”
“That’s the heartbeat I heard.” Helping Finn lean against the wall, I retrieved the frightened pooch. After letting him sniff my hand, I unhooked the chain wrapped around his neck and carefully folded him into my arms. Pointed ears perking, he thanked me with a feeble lick to the point of my chin. “You slaughtered my entire family, but your soft side comes out for a puppy?”
Giving me a minute to tuck the pup under one arm, Finn eased his weight back onto my shoulders. “No, I’m still starving. I was hoping you would cut the little guy’s throat and let me drink him.”
“I’m not feeding you a dog!” I yelped, tone dripping with disgust. “Ugh … thank you for reminding me why I loathe you.”
“If you loathe me, why did you save me?” Finn asked—his tone not one of accusation, but genuine curiosity.
Shuffling through the shadows of the basement, I tipped my face to the light beaming down from above. “Because, no one gets to kill you but me.”
Question 9) What can we expect from you in the future?
The Veiled Series will continue, as will the other collections I’m working on including The TS901 Chronicles, The Gryphon Series Resurrection, and The Unfortunate Soul Chronicles.
Question 10) What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Each time I travel to book events. The opportunity to meet new authors and readers is always an invaluable experience!
Question 11) How can we contact you or find out more about your books?
www.staceyrourke.com,
www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor,
Twitter and Instagram @rourkewrites
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-rourke
