Author of YA Supernatural Romance:
Wilder: The Guardian Series
I first encountered G.K. DeRosa through an Indie Support group on Goodreads, and I am so glad I did. Since then, we have connected on other social media sites, and I find that Ms. DeRosa is a great resource for inspiration and information on the indie author experience.
I am excited to see where her writing journey takes her. She is currently hard at work on wrapping up the second book in The Guardian Series which she hopes to release this Fall.
Continue on for G.K. DeRosa's Interview &
a peak at her book, Wilder!
I am excited to see where her writing journey takes her. She is currently hard at work on wrapping up the second book in The Guardian Series which she hopes to release this Fall.
Continue on for G.K. DeRosa's Interview &
a peak at her book, Wilder!
Interview
1) Please introduce yourself.
2) Do you have particular genres you, yourself, enjoy reading?
3) When did you first begin writing Wilder? What motivated you to write Celeste’s story?
4) Is there a well-known novel you would compare Wilder to?
5) Who is the character you most relate to in Wilder? How so?
6) Feedback from readers is the number 1 way authors find out what others think of their work. Will you share one of your best pieces of feedback from a reader? It can be positive or negative.
7) Have you ever received a negative review or comment from a reader? If so, what was your reaction?
8) How do you market/promote Wilder? Have you found one technique which seems to be most successful?
- Hi everyone! I’m Geneviève, but I go by GK DeRosa because my first name is hard, but my last name is near impossible! I am a newly self-published author and am enjoying every minute of it. Unlike many of my fellow writers, I have not been writing for years and years. I just sat down one day last year and started. My only prior writing experience had been a restaurant review blog that I created while living in New York City. Food is my other passion and I started it just so I could document all of the amazing restaurants in the city. I enjoyed writing about foodie experiences, but it was nothing like writing fiction. I never knew I could love something so much and actually make a living from it!
2) Do you have particular genres you, yourself, enjoy reading?
- Though I haven’t been writing for long, I have been an avid reader for quite some time. My favorites are definitely YA and I love fantasy/supernatural, which is why I chose the genre to write in. But I’ll read just about anything as long as there is some sort of romance involved .
3) When did you first begin writing Wilder? What motivated you to write Celeste’s story?
- I started writing Wilder last September right before my birthday. I was pretty bored at my job and felt like I needed some sort of creative outlet. I had been reading a lot of YA and had just binge watched all five seasons of The Vampire Diaries. I was inspired by the love story of Damon and Elena, but I wanted Celeste to be a stronger character than Elena with her own supernatural side. And that’s where it all came from…
4) Is there a well-known novel you would compare Wilder to?
- I guess it would be like a Twilight meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin off.
5) Who is the character you most relate to in Wilder? How so?
- That would definitely be Celeste. It’s hard not to infuse personal details in your characters, after all your life is what influences your writing – in my opinion anyway. Like Celeste I am an eternal romantic and was always searching for my prince charming. Also like Celeste, I lost my father at a young age and I think that makes you grow up quickly. She is very mature in some respects in dealing with all these crazy things being thrown at her and she handles it well.
6) Feedback from readers is the number 1 way authors find out what others think of their work. Will you share one of your best pieces of feedback from a reader? It can be positive or negative.
- Probably the best feedback I ever had was from the first person to read my manuscript (not including my mom). She said she loved it and that as she read the pages really come to life. She said she could totally see it becoming a hit TV show! Because I was a new writer, I don’t think I would have ever dared to even continue with the project if she hadn’t been so positive about it. I really had no idea what to expect from my first unbiased review and if it hadn’t been for this reader, I wouldn’t be sitting here today with a published novel and the second one on the way.
7) Have you ever received a negative review or comment from a reader? If so, what was your reaction?
- Yes and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t totally crushed lol. However, all feedback is good feedback right? So I try to look at the comment objectively and not take it personally. I try to become a better writer because of it.
8) How do you market/promote Wilder? Have you found one technique which seems to be most successful?
- I did a press release prior to launch, which I sent through to Fiverr and had them distribute. I was extremely fortunate to have met Ian Somerhalder at The Vampire Diaries convention in Barcelona. As I mentioned, The Vampire Diaries and his character Damon were the inspiration to my novel so I wanted him to have a copy of my book. When I gave it to him, he was truly touched and asked me to sign it for him. My very first author autograph was to Ian Somerhalder - I was shaking to say the least! I got a picture with him and I used that story along with the photo for my press release. I think having a celebrity story got a lot of attention for my book and kicked up the initial buzz. I did also do a pre-launch giveaway with a blogger and a Goodreads giveaway. I also did a Facebook ad campaign featuring my pictures with Ian Somerhalder and did a giveaway with a signed picture from him. I’m also fairly active on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads and are all important to interact with readers. It’s hard to say what is most successful since Amazon doesn’t give you much information on where your sales are coming from, but I’m sure Ian had a lot to do with it .
9) What’s next for you? I know you are working on the second book for Celeste’s story. Will there be others?
10) What do you think is the best and most distinguishing aspect of Wilder?
To Connect with G.K. DeRosa, see links below!
Website: www.wilderbook.com
Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon
Twitter - @vampgirl923 and @CelesteWilder18
- Yes! I’m working on the second book in the series now and I’m hoping for a late October or early November release date. I will definitely do three books in the series, possibly four. I know where I want the story to end, but I’m not a hundred percent sure on what it will take to get there yet. After that who knows? I’ve had a lot of readers show interest in a spin off with Roman and Nico or maybe Stellan. I may do a prequel about the brothers prior to meeting Celeste. I think that would be a lot of fun!
10) What do you think is the best and most distinguishing aspect of Wilder?
- It’s a lighthearted supernatural YA romance without the smut! I think readers will appreciate the innocence of the main character while still admiring her as she grows into her new role as protector of human kind. It’s a sweet coming of age novel with a supernatural twist!
To Connect with G.K. DeRosa, see links below!
Website: www.wilderbook.com
Goodreads
Amazon
Twitter - @vampgirl923 and @CelesteWilder18
Thanks for an awesome interview G.K. DeRosa!
I loved learning more about you and your experiences.
I'm eagerly awaiting the release of your second book!
Continue reading to learn more about Wilder:
Genre: YA Supernatural/Romance
Description:
All that Celeste Wilder ever wanted was to find someone who would sweep her off her feet like she had seen in countless romantic movies. When she meets the gorgeous and mysterious Constantin brothers her senior year of high school, she gets much more than what she had bargained for. As they introduce her to an exciting supernatural world that she never imagined existed, she makes a startling discovery about her own family legacy and is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.
Description:
All that Celeste Wilder ever wanted was to find someone who would sweep her off her feet like she had seen in countless romantic movies. When she meets the gorgeous and mysterious Constantin brothers her senior year of high school, she gets much more than what she had bargained for. As they introduce her to an exciting supernatural world that she never imagined existed, she makes a startling discovery about her own family legacy and is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.