For my last post of my 3-Year Blogiversary Celebration I'm spotlighting YA Author, SABRINA RAMOTH! So let's dive right in...
The Bruel Witch Series is a three (maybe 4) book series that follows the story of Vivienne Davenport as she discovers that she's a witch and is at the very center of a curse that has plagued her family for generations.
In the first book, The Curse of the Bruel Coven, Vivienne discovers that not only is she adopted but she is also a witch and she must learn to control her powers to save her birth mom from a Coven of Witches that wants to see the Curse on Vivi's family come to pass.
There is really so much more to the story than that but I don't want to give anything away. So I will tell you how I got the idea for this series. As I mention in my answers below, my best friend convinced me to read this book called Twilight, and it ruined my life in all the best ways LOL
See, after reading Twilight, I couldn't get enough of paranormal YA and started binge reading anything else I could find. Then one day while driving my oldest daughter to a birthday party, I got this totally random idea about a man and a woman who were in love but separated by a curse. I remember sitting at a traffic light as I jotted the idea down on a piece of scrap paper I had found on the floor of my car. I didn't immediately start writing it either because up until that day, I had never written a book before so I wasn't even sure it was something I could do but the story kept nagging at me until I eventually got to the point I had to write it. The story has evolved much from the simple idea I jot down on the scrap paper that day, but the core of it is still there in Lizette and Oliver's Story.
Q&A with Sabrina...
1. Who is your favorite character in this book?
My favorite character in this book. Wow that's hard. So hard. That's like picking a favorite among my own kids. And now I sound crazy... LOL But if I HAD to pick just one.... ehhhhh I guess I might have to say Desmond. I just love his character. He's honorable and easy going and he is so easy to write because for some reason while writing him, he just takes over.
2. Which came first, the title or the novel?
Oh the novel for sure. In fact I had several working titles before officially titling the book.
3. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
There is a fight scene I think in chapter 18 or 19 that I am especially proud of. I think that scene stands out to me because it was the hardest for me to write... What can I say, I am not a fighter LOL In the early drafts there was simply a placeholder note that said *FIGHT SCENE GOES HERE* and every time I came back to that scene in the drafting process I just couldn't write it. When it came time to write my final draft I remember giving it one last try and still it just wasn't working. Nothing I came up with felt right so I scrapped the whole fight scene and found some alternate way of working out the climax of the book that did not include a fight between the two covens. I then submitted the book to my editor for final edits and the book was done. Or so I thought. Then one night while I was doing my final pass and approving the edits my editor sent me, something clicked and I rewrote that entire chapter to include the battle scene that is in the final version of the book. And had to send my editor an apology for giving her more work to do before we could send the book off to publication.
4. What upcoming book release are you most looking forward to?
Hmmm. Well I am exciting about the Rite to Reign Box Set that I am part of. It has been an amazing experience collaborating with other authors and I've been learning a lot about marketing. We are also aiming to hit the USA Today's Best Seller list which is super exciting because should we reach our goal, it will be my first time making that list. I am also excited about, The Curse of the Voodoo Bones, which is the sequel to The Curse of the Bruel Coven. I know people have been waiting a long time for that so I am really looking forward to getting that out to my readers as soon as possible. Plus, it's been a lot of fun writing this story, since Vivi is much more settled into the world of magic.
5. What is your most recent favorite read?
Recent reads. Well this is embarrassing but I haven't gotten much time to read recently since I am behind the wire on deadlines, but I have the new CoHo (Colleen Hoover for those that do not know) on my night stand waiting for me to get sucked in.
6. What are you working on now?
Well as I mentioned above I'm working on The Curse of the Voodoo Bones and Rite to Reign. My contribution to Rite to Reign is in the Bruel World and follows a young Delphine as she rises to power. I am also working on an entirely new series, called the Huntress Saga. I am about 40% through my first draft on the first book, City of Smoke. So as you can see I've got a lot going on.
7. What authors, or books, have influenced you?
Well I guess if you could tale a look at my bookshelf that would be the easiest way to answer that question. I've got lots of Kami Garcia, P.C. Cast, L.J. Smith, Lauren Kate, Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris. But if I had to say what books were the most influence, I would have to say Stephenie Meyer Twilight Saga. I had been a while since I had read any paranormal or witchy books and my best friend convinced me finally after months and months of begging to read this book called Twilight. After reading it my love for all things paranormal were reborn and I couldn't get enough, which eventually lead into my idea for The Bruel Witch Series.
8.What is your favorite part of the writing process?
NOLA research trips? LOL No but really... I love researching for a novel. Especially when it means going somewhere and seeing the world inside my head come alive in some way. Plus I am all about the Beignets so any reason to go to New Orleans is my favorite thing!
For a limited time, you can get The Curse of the Bruel Coven for just $0.99 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Bruel-Coven-Witch-Book-ebook/dp/B01F3X3J8S
Join Sabrina's mailing list to say up to date on new releases and projects in the works. She also run giveaways from time to time. http://www.sabrinaramoth.com/
Thank you Sabrina for stopping by to help celebrate my 3-year blogiversary!
