Happy FoX Friday, my lovelies! We have a brand new FoX with us today, the immensely talented Raven. St. Pierre. I’m so excited to share this author with you.
Raven is here with her brand new release, DELIVERED. You can check out the trailer, and here’s a bit about the book:
There were three simple rules:
Be available.
Be discreet.
Don’t fall in love.
They followed them all… except one.
Kai carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, always putting the needs of others before his own. Angel is almost thirty and finds herself starting over in more ways than one. Both sought an outlet, a no-strings-attached arrangement to escape reality, but what happens when that fantasy becomes the realest thing they’ve ever felt?
DELIVERED is is a stand-alone within Raven’s Free Falling series. This contemporary, office romance features secondary characters from the bestselling saga, and you don’t have to read the rest of the books before you read this one, though I highly recommend it. What I love about Raven’s stories, aside from her fluid, vivid writing, are her characters. They’re diverse (in this case, an Asian man finds love with an African-American woman) and so real they just leap off the page. I adore stories that reflect the world we live in and prove that love is, indeed, universal.
Grab a copy of DELIVERED on Amazon, and check out the entire first chapter on Raven’s Blog.
I sat down with Raven and asked her some rather random questions, just to get a peek into her writer’s mind.
When did you decide you wanted to write for publishing? Why?
I started my first full-length in 2009. Of course I fantasized about sharing it with the masses, but did I believe it would happen? No lol. So I basically wrote GRAVITY for myself, a few family members, and my friends. However, as the series continued to grow and change and as I saw potential in the story line and characters, I decided to research self-publishing and released the first book in the series in November of 2013.
What was the first book you read that really stuck with you?
Honestly? Beloved. Not sure why, but I had to read it my senior year of high school for my English class and loved it. Part of that may be because I was a teen who enjoyed being contrary. So, while the rest of the class groaned and complained about not understanding a single thing that went on in the story, I couldn’t put it down. There was just something about that book that gripped me.
What is your favorite book-to-film(tv) adaptation? Or what book would you love to see brought to screen?
This question (or at least a question that somehow forces this admission out of me) always seems to come up lol. Twilight of course. I read it in 2009, which also happens to be the year I wrote my first book. There’s definitely a connection. I read all 4 in the series in a week and it left me with this huge, gaping hole and ALL my emotions exposed. I loved it! I hadn’t been that touched by a book… ever. I’d never read a book and felt the words like I did with that series. After that, I went on the hunt for something to feed my new addiction, but as I chased that high, I kept coming across novels that simply told a story. They didn’t tear me apart and leave my heart on the floor like Meyers was able to do. So, I decided I’d try to write one myself LOL. The end result was the Free Falling Series. Twilight definitely influenced my writing style and is the reason my work is heavily doused with emotion.
Describe your perfect writing space.
Bright, kid-free, with something to play my music on. I’m easy to please.
If you could have lunch with any author, past or present, who would it be and why?
Ugh… you’re gonna make me say it again, Xio lol. Stephanie Meyer. And I don’t mean to imply that I’m ashamed of what sparked my inspiration; it’s just that Twilight was the inspiration for so many new authors. I suppose it just conflicts with the rebellious side of my personality haha! All jokes aside, though; Meyers is great with emotive words and imagery. I’d love to just have her tell me everything she can in a one-hour sitting. That’d be awesome.
What’s your favorite word?
My favorite word would have to be “profundity”. Sounds kind of funny when you keep saying it, but it’s fun to use. Try it LOL!
[Note from Xio: that is an awesome word.]
What’s your least favorite word?
My least favorite word is… well… I suppose I don’t have one of those!
A native of the Midwest, Raven has been writing for most of her life. Dreams of becoming a full-time writer seemed afar off, but she’s ecstatic to say that dream has been realized. In addition to growing her list of completed works, she also does some writing/publishing/marketing consulting on the side. With several novels already published, she looks forward to adding many more in the years to come. If you enjoy stories told from the heart with beautifully flawed characters, then she definitely has something just for you.
Catch up with Raven on:
Amazon, her blog, on Facebook, and sign up for her newsletter. You can also follow her on Pinterest, YouTube, and on Twitter @RavenStPierre