Interview with Shadow Havens author Edenmary Black

Edenmary Black, whose books include the Shadow Havens series, talks about her approach to writing and her plans for the future.

Why do you write? Is it something you’ve always done, or always wanted to do? Or is it something that you started fairly recently?

I’ve always written and enjoy the creative process, using words as a method to craft stories that I hope evoke emotions. When I was young, I filled notebooks with them; however, I later found that writing was a way to relax. At that point, I was writing to create something for myself. I have always been a reader too and over time, I began to think about creating stories that others would enjoy. Reaching the point of self-publishing was a progression that really began in a love for reading and storytelling.

Tell me a little about your books.

The novels are in e-book format only at this time and the story begins with Sanctum Angels: Shadow Havens Book 1, which was published in January 2012. Sanctum Angels opens with a Prologue, taking readers to the heart of a powerful supernatural haven, where a young male vampire is fighting a mysterious illness. Chapter One opens four years later, as Priana Grey is taken as a hostage in a bizarre bank robbery. Priana is half vampire, half angel, and readers quickly see how these events connect and build. Sanctum Warriors: Shadow Havens Book 2 was released in April, 2012 and Sanctum Retribution: Shadow Havens Book 3 was published in September, 2012. These paranormal romance e-books continue the story, as situations and characters develop.

Readers can find the Prologue and the entire first chapter of Sanctum Angels: Shadow Havens Book 1, as well as a generous helping of passages from Sanctum Warriors: Shadow Havens Book 2 and Sanctum Retribution: Shadow Havens Book 3 at my website. Just click the ‘Excerpt’ tab. Sanctum Angels: Shadow Havens Book 1 also contains an excerpt from Sanctum Warriors: Shadow Havens Book 2.

Are there any authors who inspire you?

Many authors inspire me, self-published as well as traditionally published. Really, the diversity available to readers today is wonderful and I am particularly fond of JR Ward, Charity Parkerson, Tracy James Jones, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lorelei Orion, Dionne Lister, MJ Webb, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Justin Bog, Jennifer Rainey and so many others.

How do you write? Do you make yourself write a certain number of words per day?

I prefer to write in the morning, but I have found it helpful to plan time around this. If I have other things to do, I try to take care of everything that is not related to writing on days when I am not at my laptop. The idea is to completely focus on writing when that’s what I’m doing. That’s what works for me.

Once I am writing, I take it scene by scene and I find it very hard to walk away until the scene or situation I’m writing is complete. A scene in one of my e-books may take a couple of hours to complete or a day or two, because the goal is to create something that a reader will relate to. After I work on a scene, I will return to it the next day and I may delete it and start again. This process repeats until I’m comfortable with it, so I don’t worry about word counts. It’s more about whether the writing advances the plot or takes a reader where they need to go with a character.

What goals have you set yourself? Do you want to sell a certain number of books in 2012? Is there some way you measure success, on your own terms?

Every writer has to define success for themselves and I advise doing it even before one begins to create. Not all authors are writing for money. There are writers who will always create, but have no plans to publish. There’s nothing wrong with that at all and there are a lot of variables that figure into what makes a book popular or financially successful. At the end of the day, success can only be judged by the author, because only the author knows what he or she set out to do.

I was committed to self-publishing Sanctum Angels: Shadow Havens Book 1, Sanctum Warriors: Shadow Havens Book 2 and Sanctum Retribution: Shadow Havens Book 3 in 2012 and have done so. What’s ahead? Well, stay tuned!

Away from Amazon, have you had much luck with other outlets? Do you use Smashwords, Barnes & Noble etc?

I self-published with eBookIt.com, which was helpful because the company handles the conversion process and distribution to many online retailers. My e-books are available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and Sony. Readers can also find the e-books in PDF, MOBI and EPUB formats at the book store on the eBookIt.com website. I have sales through all of these online retailers and like having the e-books widely available.

What’s next? Are you working on anything at the moment? Do you have anything new coming out in 2012?

I can’t believe it is almost 2013! The fourth e-book in the series is a work-in progress, but I am looking forward to releasing it in 2013. The series will likely conclude in 2013, but there will almost undoubtedly be another e-book after the fourth. I’d like to explore the horror genre as well and give a twist to some of the better known horrific fundamentals, whether through short works or novels.

Edenmary Black’s books are available from sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, iTunes and eBookIt.com. You can also visit her website.