Author Spotlight - Sharon Ashwood

Thanks so much for being here with us, Sharon!

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Sharon Ashwood is a novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle would never work out, so she writes her adventures instead.

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)

Not counting the books under the bed (which will stay there!) this is around number twelve.

What inspired this book?

I was out for a walk by the beach and thinking about the next book I wanted to write. It was a perfect, sunny summer day and a bridal party drove by in a big white convertible decorated with yellow pom-poms. One fell off at my feet and I took it as a sign! So the series centers around a royal wedding—what I was really after was all the hope and joy and excitement I saw in that couple driving by.

Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?

I was entertained by the notion of James Bond with fangs. The heroes of the four books are named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (War, Plague, Famine, and Death) and are three vampires and a werewolf. If I had to pick actors for War and Plague (aka Sam and Mark) I think Sam would look like John Hamm from Mad Men—that sort of classic, clean cut but suave type—and Mark would be more a Joe Manganiello model. Imagine Joe in a doctor’s white coat coming to check your pulse!

Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?

I’d like to try a straight mystery. I’d also like to write an epic fantasy someday—I think it would be a bit like climbing Everest!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

I didn’t anticipate the amount of publicity I’d end up doing. It takes a completely different skill set. I was fortunate enough to be taking business classes around the time I got published, so I signed myself up for one on marketing. I’m not sure whether or not it helped, but I love throwing around terms like “early adopters” and “SWOT analysis.” I’ll be fine as long as I don’t delude myself into thinking I know what I’m doing!

Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?

I work full time, so I write in the evenings. I CANNOT write in the mornings. I’m a drooling idiot before at least 9:00 a.m. and anything I write is pathetic drivel. I peak at around 9:00 p.m. and hit about a two-hour patch of focus where the best work gets done. I do believe in writing every day. There are times when enthusiasm tanks and habit is the only thing that keeps you going.

How long does it take you to complete a book?

How much time is left before the due date?

Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?

Sleep. Usually problems are because of fatigue. If that doesn’t work, I ask the question of where the book is going. I think the subconscious knows when the story goes off track and puts the brakes on even before the conscious mind figures it out.

Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them?

I send out a newsletter periodically, but my favourite is one on one communication. Email me or contact me on Facebook. Sometimes I take a bit of time to respond if I’m racing to meet a due date, but I do respond to each and every one.

Contact: Sharon@SharonAshwood.com

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Sharon has kindly offered a signed paperback of POSSESSED BY AN IMMORTAL to any commenter!! (international okay)

Possessed by a Warrior

A dazzling dress is wreaking havoc—and costing lives…

The violent death of her uncle sends Chloe Anderson reeling—and rushing to his estate. As coexecutor of Jack's will, she assumes that he has left her something. What she doesn't expect is a bejeweled wedding gown with a note warning her to trust only his business partner—dark, mysterious and sexy Sam Ralston.

Chloe's been burned in love, but never bitten, and there's something about Sam that keeps drawing her in, despite her fears. The attraction is mutual, intense, and it takes all of Sam's willpower to hide his fangs. With Chloe's career at stake and murderous thieves hot on their trail, the vampire vows to protect her. But can he save her from himself?

Amazon

Possessed by an Immortal

Can a mother in jeopardy melt the heart of a jaded vampire?

After witnessing a murder, Bree Meadows is on the run with her young son. But the bad guys are in hot pursuit. Dropped in the middle of nowhere amid a torrential thunderstorm, things look pretty grim. To make matters worse, her son is in desperate need of medical attention.

Mark Winspear has been alone for too long. When the vampire senses a gorgeous female nearby, he discovers that her swift, selfless courage pulls at his instincts. The doctor has history with the same men who are after Bree—and he's ready for revenge. Working together now, they discover an attraction that might save them both—if they're lucky.

Amazon

Excerpts available for both books at Sharon's website.