Paulette courthouse picThis week on Author on the Couch,

I conduct a session with

J. Paulette Forshey.

 

GIVEAWAY!

*Paulette is giving away a copy of her novel THE TARCZAL ALLIANCE to one person who comments on this blog.

 

Me: Before we get started, I’ve gotta ask. What’s the J in J. Paulette stand for?

Paulette: I don’t have a first name just an initial because my mother hated her first name and gave me opportunity to pick a name I liked. I love the ‘J’ it’s mysterious and screws up computer documents.

Me: Gotta love screwing up those computer documents. How easy it is to mess up the mighty machine!

Tell me about an experience that had a profound impact on your life.

Paulette: Having two miscarriages then finally our son, who was born blue to complications. Once home I would sit for hours holding him and marvel at how beautiful he was and what a miracle.

Me:  Oh, Paulette… I’m so sorry about your miscarriages. But I am very happy you had your miracle baby.

What personality trait of yours helps you most as an author?

Paulette: Stubbornness – I dig into writing and edits and don’t come out for days.

Me: What personality trait of yours hinders you most as an author?

Paulette: Self-doubt – it rears its ugly head and makes me question if I have the talent and the brains to writer anything.

Me: One of these days I’m going to go back and count the number of Authors on my Couch who list self doubt as one of their biggest hinderances. I think it’s a clear majority of us!

What was your high point as a writer—a time when you were happiest?

Paulette: I received my first contract, delirious happy with the acceptance and then the fear I’d never be able to finish another book again.

Me: What was your low point as a writer—a time when questioned your path as a writer?

Paulette: I think the low point happens about mid-way through each new book and I question every aspect of writing. Is the story line good? Are my characters interesting and complete? Why did I EVER think I could be a writer? To get over the lows and climb out of that pit I get reassurance from the husband. Re-read my good reviews and talk to other writer friends. The dogs help too they’re good listeners and give kisses and tail wags.

Me: If you had to pick a mental disorder to have for only one day (purely for writer research purposes), which one would you choose? Why?

Paulette:

Dementia/Alzheimer’s – it would help me understand the horror my father went through the last years of his life. The Dementia wasn’t too bad to deal with, the worst parts were the days he ‘remembered’ who he was and what was happening to him. Those days broke my heart.

Attention Deficit Disorder would be next, all though I think I might have this, oh, look a squirrel! What were you saying? Having this would help me understand my youngest son better.

Depression, again I believe most artist suffer from a form of this in some manner. I know I do. I’ve often wondered if this is because we deal with the emotions around us and those of our characters. That Depression is an overload of emotional stimuli.

Me: How many books have you written? How long does it typically take you to write a book?

Paulette: Seven are out right now an eighth book I wrote for a publisher, and now have back, was too short for me. I hope to expand on it in the future with a richer story line. The short version that was published received nice reviews at the time.

My writing process can anywhere from a couple of months to years, the latter isn’t a good thing. I won’t bore you with the sordid details but the last couple of years have taken a big hit to my writing process. My new goal is to write and publish two books a year.

Me: What’s the worst piece of writing advice you were ever given? How did you get beyond it?

Paulette: A high school guidance counselor told me to: “Find a good man, get married and forget writing.” I took his recommendation to heart and married my high school sweetheart at the tender age of 19. Some 20 years, and two children later, I took another man’s advice — my husband’s — and went back to the writing I’d given up.

Me: Ha! I love that story. Sounds like you’ve got a good man.

How do you deal with rejection or bad reviews? What advice can you give others about how to handle rejection and bad reviews?Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00023]

Paulette: Some days I handled them better than others. Some days a glass or bottle of wine is needed. Just kidding or not. Once I receive three letters in the mail (snail mail) one was from the IRS, one from our bank, one from our son’s teacher, and then there was the reply back from a publisher. I opened the one from the IRS first, publisher last.

Remember, a review or rejection is one person’s opinion on one day about your work. That same person may love your book the next day, week, month or year. I’ve heard of many authors being rejected by a publisher one time and next time they’re in a bidding war for that same book.

Just keep writing the stories you want to read.

Me: Paulette! You are so true!

Tell me about your paranormal romance THE TARCZAL ALLIANCE.

Paulette:

A woman with a legendary past. A vampire with a broken heart. Their love could change the world.

Me: Share with us a favorite passage from THE TARCZAL ALLIANCE.

Paulette: My apologies this is a bit long but this is where Logan bares his soul to Allyson and commits to her as she finds out who and what he is really. Until this moment he’d sworn off women, love and faithfulness. The last time he opened up to a woman was nearly one hundred years ago and at that time it didn’t end well.

Logan could tell the moment she knew he wasn’t playing some macabre joke on her.

“You’re telling the truth.” Allyson cocked her head to one side. “You’re really a vampire.”

“Tarczal, not vampire. Vampires are only in legends. I have an extra set of teeth, which slide into place when needed. That’s the closest to the myths I come.” He swayed, and tiny spots danced before his eyes. Dang he should’ve fed before coming to her.

“Vampires aren’t real.”

“No, they’re not.”

“But you said, the whole blood thing, vampires do those things!” Her feeble protest sounded whinny even to both of them.

“I’m Tarczal.”

“A vampire.”

He corrected. “Tarczal.”

“And the difference is?”

“Tarczal’s are real, I’m real. Vampires aren’t.”

“But you need…”

“Nourishment.”

“Potato. Potăto.”

“There is a difference, I assure you.”

“Logan, you don’t look so good.” Allyson reached out to touch him but stopped short of actually doing so.

“I’m less than you fear and more than is known.” Logan moved closer to her. “Allyson, let me hold you, let yourself give me the nourishment I need. It is a simple thing to do. I promise you, there will be no pain. No danger.”

Allyson’s gaze ran over him. Indecision marred her face.

“I want to give you more….”

“You mean sex?”

“No, I want to make love to you.”

“Isn’t that sex?”

“No, they are two separate things and I want to show you the difference between them. Let me give you much more than the physical of two bodies joining. I want to give you not only my body, yes, but and my heart and soul as well.”


[Tweet theme=”basic-full”]Got a thing for heartbroken #vampires? Read an excerpt of @ForsheyJ’s THE TARCZAL ALLIANCE. Via @Abbie_Roads http://wp.me/p5h5aN-ka[/Tweet]

[Tweet theme=”basic-full”]#AuthorontheCouch @ForsheyJ discusses how to move beyond a painful review or rejection. Via @Abbie_Roads #giveaway http://wp.me/p5h5aN-ka[/Tweet]

To Purchase THE TARCZAL ALLIANCE:

AMAZON


You Can Find Paulette Here:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Paulette-Forshey/e/B004YPN0LI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Web page: www.jpauletteforshey.com

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jpaulette-forshey/3b/567/b76

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/paulette.forshey

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ForsheyJ


Abbie Roads writes dark emotional novels featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending… After torturing them for three hundred pages. Her first book RACE THE DARKNESS  will be published October 4th from Sourcebooks.

About the author: abbieroads