The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers Welcome Author Dayana Knight

Please welcome author Dayana Knight to The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers Blog.
Dayana juggles a family, a full time job, and another full time career as a writer.
She will answer some questions for us and gives us insight into her writing.
We all want to know about you Dayana.

Interview: Mary Ricksen


How long did it take you to get published and how did it happen?

Hmm… well once I got the nerve up to seriously submit my first novel, it had been about 2 ½ years since I’d finished the draft. I took the manuscript down, dusted it off, and began the submission process at this point and can honestly wallpaper my office with all the rejection letters I collected. It was exactly 3 years when a small epress finally gave my book a chance. I had been editing for the house for a couple of years and they weren’t a romance per se pub house but one day I mentioned my novel to the production editor and she asked to have a look. With great trepidation I sent it to her. After I spent a very nervous week or so she emailed me and asked my why I was hiding this novel. She loved it! Thus, my first contract and one giant step in the writing process. I’d made that transition into actually getting a project out there. You can well imagine what a boost to one’s confidence that can be.
What made you write about shape-shifters, specifically wolves?

I am an animal lover, canines to be specific. We always had dogs when I was growing up and I’ve had two of my own. Wolves are beautiful and very social animals. We, humans, could take some lessons from wolves on socialization. Wolves mate for life, care for the young and old and function as a pack unit. They are wonderful animals.

The supernatural aspect of my writing is just something that I’ve always loved. Paranormal is fun because the sky’s the limit. I can build my own world with my own rules. Sure, research is always a must to keep things as close to believable as I can but I have so much more freedom and I get to use my very vivid imagination, as well.
Are a plotter or do you just let it come?

No, I am not a plotter. I don’t do outlines or goal writing or plotline mapping. I have never been one who could sit down and force the craft. I just write what comes to me. I can spend days writing or spend weeks without writing. When the ideas flow I’m on my way. Usually at some point the characters take over and we’re off and running.


Tell us a bit about what you like to personally read?

I like to read J R Ward, Black Dagger Series, Laurell K. Hamilton, Katie McAllister, Kim Harrison, and Diana Gabaldon. Mostly paranormal. But I do like crime suspense as well. Authors like Linda Howard, and Kathy Reichs, etc.

Do you find yourself using personal experiences in your stories?

Absolutely. There are bits and pieces of me and my life in everything I write. For instance, the idea for Curse of the Marhime came from a real life experience. I had stopped off at a grocery store one night after work and was approached by a woman who claimed to be a ‘seer’ or psychic. She told me she had information I needed to know. Although she freaked me out, I never pursued it thought Pita Sedgwick, my heroine does.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve written in some capacity since the age of eleven, whether it be journals, diaries, poetry, stories. I’ve always written. I had a poem published in my Sixth grade yearbook and even wrote a romance novel in a spiral notebook at a very young age. I’d truly love to see that little story now but have no idea what ever happened to it.

I didn’t begin to take the craft seriously until the year 2000 though when I’d had some tragic loss in my life. It helped me work through my grief.



Tell us a little about the next book in this series?

Book two of the Roma Wolf Tales is still in the works. It will take place between Romania and Montana here in the US and have lots more of the secondary characters stepping forward. Predominantly, Tomas and Pita’s father, Stephan. I won’t divulge more than this right now as I am still in the drafting stage and as we all know things change constantly in the early stages of writing. I have, however, sold a companion story titled Bestial Cravings to the Wild Rose Press that will release June 2009. This introduces the American pack leader and his soulmate/Lupa.

Do you find that promoting swallows up a lot of your time, time you could spend writing?

Absolutely, but it is a necessary interruption. Marketing is very important to an author’s career. I learned first hand from my first novel, Dancing on the Edge. I have since pulled the novel from the publishing house and plan to re-release it with a more romance oriented house. Dancing sold well at first but dropped off to nothing soon after for two reasons. My lack of experience at the promotion/marketing and the fact that the publishing house I’d signed with wasn’t a known romance publisher, nor are they to this day. Lesson well learned is to be discriminative in selecting who you sign with. Don’t sign because you are afraid you’ll not have another offer. Since then I have learned so much. I have grown as a writer and in the marketing venue as well.


If you could give aspiring writers advice what would you say to them?

I would pretty much say what most authors say. Don’t give up. It took me a good five years or more from my first inkling at writing a novel to completion and publication. No one ever said anything you want in life is easy. At least nothing I ever wanted to accomplish was easy. It takes dedication, discipline, and perseverance. If you are a quitter writing is not for you. There are many obstacles but I feel the most rewarding thing for me is the fact that I did accomplish my dream. Now I want to keep it going.

I may never be a Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer, or JD Rowling but I did get past the hardest part. I didn’t do this to make lots of money. If that is why anyone decides to write, my suggestion would be to rethink it because the odds of you becoming one of the jet set from publishing one or two books is highly unlikely but to have people read your stories and love them, to me that is what its all about.

Hey, don’t get me wrong. If somehow I turned into a JD Rowling or Stephanie Meyer I would be one happy camper but that is not why I write.

I will close by saying, keep writing, be selective, and by all means never give up. Only you can make your dreams come true.

Thank you so much for having me here today.

Dayana Knight
Paranormal Romance and Erotic Author
www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com
www.romawolftales.com
Email:
gothscribegirl@aol.com

Available books: Curse of the Marhime(Available now, The Wild Rose Press) Eternal Obsession (Release December 12, 2008, The Wild Rose Press), Bestial Cravings (Release June 2009, The Wild Rose Press)

Curse link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=177_136&products_id=944&zenid=f1e990b71addda1c4daad844be51d390

Scarlet link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=167&zenid=f1e990b71addda1c4daad844be51d390