1. What inspired you to write this book?
The initial idea for Daughter of Light came
from a scene from a dream I’d had. The story grew up around that one
scene.
2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?
Daughter of Light is a paranormal romance about
a Guardian, Dominic Peverell, who finds his soul twin, Kitty Katz, after a
500-year search. Kitty is only a child and Dominic needs to stay away from her
until she has grown up. Unfortunately, their link means that demons
targeting Dominic turn their attention to Kitty and she is put in danger. I
wrote Daughter of Light for readers like myself who enjoy reading novels with a
supernatural element to them, with more complicated storylines than a simple
romance.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I hope
that readers will enjoy the novel for the romance and drama. There are
one or two scenes in the novel which I hope they will also find scary!
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
I wrote ‘Daughter of Light’ when my youngest
daughter started school back in 2008 and it was called ‘Demon Legacy’. It
was intended to be the first in a series of books – but the name of the series
kept changing. I tried to find an agent, without success, and put it to
one side. I wrote another two books in the series, then started a third,
but I had to return to work and was unable to find the time for writing –
especially as I had started working towards my degree. Then, along came
Covid, and I was made redundant so I had time to revisit ‘Demon Legacy’.
I no longer liked the title of the book and decided to change the name to
‘Daughter of Light’, as Kitty’s status as a Daughter of Light is central to the
novel. Austin Macauley asked if I had any ideas for the cover and I had a very
vague idea that I wanted the cover to feature the figure of a woman
standing with the moon behind her. I am really delighted with the cover
that Austin Macauley provided.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than
run!?
I don’t really think I’m in any position to
offer sensible advice to other writers – like many other writers, I suffer from
Imposter Syndrome! However, although the usual advice is to write for your
readership, I tend to write novels that I would like to read – if you enjoy
your novel, then there will be others who enjoy it, too. Also, it is essential
to love your work as the editing process is vitally important before sending it
to anyone. Spelling mistakes really distract readers. ‘Daughter of
Light’ has had many edits and each time I have been able to fully immerse
myself in the story again, which makes the process much more enjoyable.
6. What trends in the book world do you see — and where do you think the book
publishing industry is heading?
I think that self-publishing and hybrid
publishing are the future of publishing. For any new writers trying to go
down the traditional route, it is an incredibly frustrating and soul-destroying
journey – especially when you can see a traditional publisher giving huge
advances to celebrities who rely on ghost writers, while true writers are
unable to break into the industry. Self-publishing and hybrid publishing
also enable the author to have control over what is published in their name.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy
when writing this book?
Not that I am aware of.
8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your
writing similar to?
I try to write simply and clearly so that the
reader can understand what I am trying to say. I do enjoy descriptive
writing – although not for its own sake. I also like dialogue as it is a
good way of introducing the reader to a character. The writers who have
had the most influence on me are Dean Koontz, Lillith Saintcrew, Stephen King
and Christine Feehan.
9. What challenges did
you overcome in the writing of this book?
My biggest challenge was in 2022, when I had to
go in for brain surgery three days after Austin Macauley had sent me the first
pre-publication version of ‘Daughter of Light’! In the end, I had to have
three operations as the first two didn’t work. These days, my biggest challenge
is finding the time to write, now that I am working outside the home.
Especially in view of all my singing and family commitments.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be
yours?
‘Daughter of Light’ is more than just a
romance. It is not a short book; it is something you can really get your teeth
into. There is an element of danger throughout and a (hopefully!)
satisfying resolution at the end. There is a great deal of action
throughout which hopefully keeps the reader hooked! This is the kind of
book you’d read on a rainy weekend when all you want is to sit in front of a
roaring fire and forget the outside world!
About The
Author: I live just outside Greater London with my husband and our
two youngest children, a very old Chocolate Labrador, our very chunky cat and
my youngest daughter’s kitten. In my day job I work at a local church as
Hall Manager/Parish Administrator – I am truly fortunate to work in a job I
love, with people who mean a great deal to me. Best of all, as my job is
part time, I get to indulge in my twin passions of writing and singing, which
have both been important to me for almost as long as I can remember. My
teachers weren’t always impressed with my writing: one of my teachers asked for
a one-page essay about what we did over half term and was less than impressed
with the six-page horror story I submitted. My other great love, singing,
was probably inevitable as my father was a semi-professional jazz pianist and
my earliest memories are of my brother and me dancing as he played ‘Black &
White Rag’ . I sang with him from the age of 15 until I was pregnant with
my eldest daughter (morning sickness and nerves don’t mix!). When I
returned to singing five years later, I joined a local choral society,
eventually leaving them to become a backing vocalist in a local band. The
wheel turns and I am no longer with them – I now sing with, and run, our local
church choir, as well as singing with two other choirs. Life is good. For
more info, please see: amandajanedearle.ampbk.com
Need PR Help?
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page
views, can be reached at [email protected] He is available to help authors promote their story,
sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in
successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your
advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
