Spotlight Sunday:
Casey L. Bond
This week I would like to show off one of my favorite Paranormal/Horror/Romance authors, Casey L. Bond! She is so awesome. I actually got the chance to finally meet her after chatting with her for months, at the Authors in the Bluegrass signing! I was so excited and I thought I was going to be too nervous to really talk to her. You know how it is.. getting all tongue tied in front of amazing people. But she was so down to earth and easy going, it was hard NOT to talk to her forever.
She really knows how to take a story that's been written over and over again and make it fresh and new! And that takes a lot of thinking. So kudos for that, Casey.
So after reading Casey's books and falling in love with them, then meeting Casey and falling in love with her...is that weird?... I decided she needed the spotlight. So here it is!
Q: What is your name?
A: Bond. Casey
Bond. *wink*
Q: What is the genre that you write?
A: I write
paranormal, fantasy and contemporary romance.
Q: Where do you live? (You don’t have to be specific)
A: West
Virginia
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: Hmmmm.
Everywhere. The news, dreams, music is a huge influence. Real life is great
inspiration. Just when you think you’ve seen it all…..Nope.
Q: What is the first book that made you cry?
A: November
Blue by Amy Harmon
Q: What is your writing process like?
A: I write fast
and polish later in the re-writing process. If you don’t get your first draft
finished, you’ll never end the book. J
Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
A: Both,
depending on the time. At the end of a book, when I click the publish button,
I’m usually mentally tired. I’ll take a few days to do nothing but hang out
with my kids. During the writing of the book, I’m pretty energetic. I get
excited to finish a draft. And I always have ideas lingering for the next book
(or five).
Q: What are common traps for aspiring writers?
A: Worrying too
much about the craft of writing. I’m not saying not to study it, read books on
it, etc. But if you want to be a writer, you have to put your butt in a seat
and write the book. If you lead with characters that you know inside and out,
the readers won’t want to part with them.
Q: What advice do you have for writers?
A: Not to get
too hung up on what everyone else is doing. Everyone else is not you. You are
unique. Your story is unique. Write with your heart and don’t worry about
keeping up with other authors.
Q: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what
they want?
A: I’m a real
weirdo, so yes! LOL! I’m original, or I think I am. Some of my stories are VERY
different and I love it. I don’t want to read the same story a dozen times (as
a reader), nor do I want to write it a dozen times.
Q: How do you select the names of your characters?
A: Ha!
Sometimes my family or street team helps. Sometimes I use baby name websites
like nameberry.com.
Q: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
A: On a great
editor and cover artist. WORTH more than gold.
Q: What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
A: I don’t know
that I’ve ever disliked an author. I wasn’t thrilled with a few book series,
but have loved other books from the author. It just didn’t happen to be what I
was looking for at the time. As a reader, I have book moods. Sometimes, I only
want fantasy, sometimes only contemporary romance. And I hate reading in the
genre I’m writing. I don’t know if I’m weird in that respect, but I don’t do
it. LOL!
Q: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
A: One that is
half-finished. Five that are being plotted but not written.
Q: What does literary success look like to you?
A: A writer who
is happy with what he or she writes, can make enough to help support her
family. Would I love to hit a bestseller list? Heck yes. Will it happen? Maybe.
Maybe not. But I’m happy. I love what I do.
Q: What’s the best way to market your books?
A: I wish I
knew the answer to this question. I try to keep writing and to publish fairly
quickly once the book is ready. That keeps fresh material in front of
established fans. Bookbub has been my most successful marketing tool, but isn’t
exactly a reliable one because you never know when or if your books will be
selected for a deal with them. I find that going to author events and signings has helped me
meet several readers in person. I love chatting about books.
Q: How did publishing your first book change your process of
writing?
A: I had no
idea what I was doing at first but with the completion of the first, I knew I
wanted to make a career out of writing. So, I focused on that goal, attended
conferences about the business itself and the rest has come from trial and
error.
Q: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or
good ones?
A: Sometimes
and I don’t mind bad reviews. Some authors freak out. They don’t make me feel
warm and fuzzy, but the good bad reviews teach me something about my book that
was lacking for someone. Maybe I can fix it in future works. I want to get
better with each book I release. I can’t do that if I don’t take criticism
well.
Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people
will find?
A: I sometimes
will hide old book titles of mine in my new works. If you know my full catalog
of books and are a fan, you’ll see them. J
Q: What was your hardest scene to write?
A: Keeper of
Crows’ final scene. It tore me to pieces.
Q: What is your favorite childhood book?
A: I loved
everything Dr. Seuss. I don’t think I can pick just one.
Now
give me your links so we can get people to your book
sites!!!
Website:
www.authorcaseybond.com
twitter:
@authorcaseybond (also my handle on Instagram)
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/authorcaseybond
Pinterest: CaseyB007
Here is my latest release, Keeper of Crows:
AmazonUS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonUK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonAU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonCA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonUK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonAU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
AmazonCA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XRFWGCQ
Add
any other links or updates that you feel would be helpful in convincing readers
that they absolutely must buy right this minute or they’ll die!!
Keeper
will be on sale for $0.99 on May 5th ONLY. And only for one day.
It’s part of a duology and the second and final book will release May 19th!
So, if you haven’t read it, you may want to snag it while it’s on sale. I don’t
put my books on sale that often. As an indie, they’re already cheaper at the
regular full price of $2.99 than any traditionally published e-book that can be
more than $9.99 (jaw drop).
If
you’re into demons, angels, the paranormal or romance, this book might be for
you! It’s for more mature audiences. J
Thank
you for reading the interview! <3
Casey
B
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I'm just going to throw out my favorite book by Casey.. I can't stop thinking about it and if you like horror and gore and vampires, I know you'll love this one too.
It's the first of a series, so get ready for a bumpy ride!
Blurb:
After the world was ravaged by a viral apocalypse, Blackwater is one of the only colonies that remains. The survivors came together to create this safe haven. Nestled between a fierce river and a city’s flood wall, the well-being of its residents hangs on a long-established treaty with the night-walkers. Sounds simple enough, but lately, the people of Blackwater have been dying, and the humans believe the night-walkers are to blame.
Porschia Grant starves for more than her parents’ affection. Forced to enter the rotation, she will be given extra food rations in exchange for becoming a vampire’s breakfast and dinner for a week. The rotation has an extra responsibility as well: leave the colony and enter the dangerous forest to hunt for food. A night-walker will protect the hunters from the infected that roam the woods. But with the treaty hanging in the balance and tension between the humans and vampires rising, anything could happen in the darkness.
What would you do if your only chance at survival might kill you?
Suggested reading order for The Frenzy Series: Frenzy, Frantic, Frequency, Friction and Fraud.
Porschia Grant starves for more than her parents’ affection. Forced to enter the rotation, she will be given extra food rations in exchange for becoming a vampire’s breakfast and dinner for a week. The rotation has an extra responsibility as well: leave the colony and enter the dangerous forest to hunt for food. A night-walker will protect the hunters from the infected that roam the woods. But with the treaty hanging in the balance and tension between the humans and vampires rising, anything could happen in the darkness.
What would you do if your only chance at survival might kill you?
Suggested reading order for The Frenzy Series: Frenzy, Frantic, Frequency, Friction and Fraud.
