Author Interview with Nichole Chase

I would like to welcome the lovely Nichole Chase to my blog today. She is the author of Mortal Obligation and Mortal Defiance which are the first two books in the Dark Betrayal trilogy. The final book in the trilogy, Immortal Grave comes out in March.
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First, could you tell us a bit about the Dark Betrayal trilogy?

The Dark Betrayal Trilogy is set in Savannah, Georgia, and revolves around Ree McKenna and her friends. In the first book, we start out with Ree, a pretty normal girl. Unfortunately, she suspects that someone or something is following her. After a night of pretty scary revelations, Ree and her friends find out that they are in the middle of a battle that could mean the end of the world. In fact, they are the only thing standing between the Earth and complete destruction.

What inspired you to write the books?

Actually, I was driving through the historic district of Savannah with the radio playing. An Evanescence song came on, and my imagination just took over. I think that a lot of my ideas started out this way. Something triggers my over active imagination and a scene or image will pop into my mind. Then I feel this need to understand it better. That’s it. That’s how it all starts. I’d say it’s simple, but it isn’t. It can take months to understand the why, how, and what of a story.

Your books are set in Savannah, Georgia. What is one thing you love about this location?

I adore the historic district. The old oak trees, dripping Spanish moss, the lush green squares, and the building themselves add up to a magical place. That’s not really one thing, but I can’t imagine one without the other. The go together like Macaroni and Cheese.

What was your publication journey like?

I received a Nook for Christmas in 2010. I downloaded an Amanda Hocking book and read it in one sitting. I started looking into other Indies and I decided that this was a good fit for me and my writing. I’ve never queried or submitted. (Well, I did submit a flash fiction piece for the Pink Snowbunnies in Hell anthology, but it was for charity and I was incredibly honored to be accepted and listed as one of the top contributors.) I had always hated the idea of the traditional route. The waiting, the anxiety attacks when you check the mail, didn’t add up to a welcoming industry. I also hated the thought that my book was dependent on someone else’s good/bad day. So, I decided to do it myself. I worked really hard on Mortal Obligation, had critique partners, beta readers, and hired an editor. I treated it like it was my job, because I felt that the readers would appreciate the hard work. After all, they deserved to have the very best that I could put out. So, once it was all finished, I uploaded to respective sites and held my breath. Okay. I didn’t hold it for long, because I started to turn blue, but you get my point.

I love both the covers for Mortal Obligation and Mortal Defiance. Could you walk us through the process of how the covers are made?

Thank you! That’s such a nice thing to hear. Covers are an important part of being an Indie author. We all know that we aren’t supposed to judge a book by it’s cover. But we do it anyways. ( I’m guilty of it too!)

First, I searched through covers online and in book stores to see what was popular and what caught my attention. Once I had an idea of something that might be an attainable layout, I scoured stock image sites for the right photos. I needed a model that fit Ree’s description and had three useable photos. I then begged and bribed my mother in law into putting it all together for me. She does an amazing job with Photoshop (it doesn’t hurt that she is an artist and perfectionist, so I knew I was in good hands). We sat in her living room for two days straight trying things, changing things, and tweaking things until we were both happy with the final product.

Do you have any routines you follow during your writing process?

I have a toddler, so my routine consists of: Quick, she’s asleep! Focus! Back up every sentence in case she gets something sticky on my keyboard and fries the hard drive!

What are some of your favourite books?

This is such a hard question to answer. I will give it a try, but there are so many excellent books out there to read!

Classic: Pride and Prejudice by the great Jane Austin

The Dragonriders of Pern by (the sorely missed) Anne McCaffrey

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter (an indie, and one of my favorite books of 2011!)

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

I love to paint. In fact I used to do paint murals in businesses and homes. I love to read and often have a book on hand. I love to craft and make homemade things. And, this is cheesy but, I love to play with my daughter. She is just so much fun!

Can you give us a little teaser from the final book in the trilogy?

“We’re fugitives now.” Paden’s wicked smile made her heart skip a beat. He moved toward Ree until she was backed against the brick wall. Placing a hand on either side of Ree’s shoulders, Paden barricaded her between his arms. “For being a good girl, you get into an awful lot of trouble.”

            Ree snorted. “Who said I’m a good girl?”

            Paden raised an eyebrow and smiled down at her. She could feel his humor bubbling under the surface.

            “Okay. Maybe I was a good girl. But I’m turning a new leaf. Rebellion here I come!”

            “Bar fights, murder, and arson. You don’t do anything small, huh?” Paden moved closer to her so that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

            “Go big or go home.” As if to prove her point, Ree reached up and pulled Paden’s head down.

(Please keep in mind that this might change slightly. It has not been through my editor yet.)

What can we expect from you after the Dark Betrayal trilogy concludes?

Well, the last book of the DBT comes out in March of this year. After that, I should be ready to release a book in July titled Flukes. I can’t share much information about it, but I can tell you that it is set in the Bahamas and will be a paranormal YA novel. It has nothing to do with the DBT or its characters. I also have another novel planned for a November release. If you would like to find out more about my current and upcoming projects, check out my website or some of the social network sites.


Thank you for joining me today, Nichole!
Thank you so much Komal, for having me on your blog. I had fun answering your questions. 

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On Tuesday I will post my review of Nichole Chase's debut novel, Mortal Obligation.

You can find out more about Nichole on the following sites:

www.nicholechase.com

www.nicholechase.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/author.nicholechase

Twitter: @NicholeChase

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5074162.Nichole_Chase