One of the greatest joys I get when I invite writers to my blog is that I usually find a new friend. And such is the case with today’s guest. I’ve been trying to get Juli over here for a while but something always happened, whether it was be losing files or her getting bombarded by hurricanes. So today is a special day because we finally got it together! Go, us.

And since we finally got it all together, Juli, tell us about your book.

Well, it’s about a woman whose husband’s obsessed with a chair he’s creating. She’s not altogether sure this is a good thing. In fact, the chair’s featuring in some very vivid nightmares she’s been having—along with the appearance of several ghosts and other folks she’s sure aren’t exactly …well, human. Her hubby’s sanity seems to be slipping too. Because of all this, she’d just like to toss the chair in the wood chipper.

The blurb goes:

Settling into their new home in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Caitlin finds strange changes coming over her husband Trevor. He seems obsessed with a beautiful chair he’s carving.

When the nightmares deepen and ghosts begin lurking—she knows something’s not right, and not just her newfound precognitive abilities. It’s the damned chair, she’s sure. Could it be just what it seems: a mundane piece of furniture? If so, why is it attracting dark forces—the forces she suspects drove Trevor’s siblings to insanity and suicide?

Before the same happens to Trevor, Caitlin must convince him to sell his art. But armed with only a handful of allies, and little experience of the supernatural, she must proceed with caution against the hellish forces besieging her family. If she succeeds, she will break the ancestral curse. If she fails, she may lose forever the one thing she cares about most: her beloved Trevor.

And if your readers would like to check it out, it’s available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Where did the story idea come from/how did it come about?

My friend, author Jolene Dawe, and I were writing collections of short stories for each other’s Christmas presents one year. The collection centered around various pagan gods and coupled with my recent readings in the ancient Welsh mythological collection The Mabinogion, The Artist’s Inheritance was born.

One thing you want the reader to walk away with after reading this book.

That creativity isn’t always as easy as some folks make it seem, and if they go and peek into The Mabinogion or other Celtic myths, that’d be just fine too.

Your favorite character—

Oh, Caitlin, most definitely. Although my ghost soldier Roland is a sweetie as well.

And the most dreaded question of all—are you going to try your hand at self-publishing again?

Yes. I have several more stories to tell in Caitlin’s world, and a few other stories are stewing that I hope to release.

Any advice to those thinking about self-publishing?

My experience so far has been rather positive. Aside from a charity anthology I was blessed to be part of last year (Dark Things II: Cat Crimes), I have been very lucky—and am very grateful—to have friends who walked this path before me. They were generous in lending their talents and their expertise, without which, The Artist’s Inheritance wouldn’t’ve made it out the door, so to speak. If your readers would like to learn more about it, they can check it out at Amazon, or Smashwords, and they’re also welcome to visit my site at http://julidrevezzo.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Inheritance-Antique-Magic-ebook/dp/B008XL82IU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345040600&sr=1-1

Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/220457

 Just a few more questions. Why did you choose your genre? 

It seems to come naturally. I’ve written a version of fantasy and paranormal long since before I even knew what to call it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?

Oh, a few things. The one that stands out, though, is I wanted to be a singer in a rock band.  How has the dream affected me? I tend to feel a rhythm in most stories. I’m told not everyone does. ;) I admit, I may be weird.

What do you do for fun?

Read. Watch movies, I dabble in gardening a little too.

How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

I have a confession to make. I’m terrible at titles. This one, The Artist’s Inheritance was originally “The Artist’s Price”, until my hubby suggested the new title.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Now and then. Not this one, so much as other works. Well, they were contemporary at the time.

How much of your work is real? How much is fantasy?

For the most part, for this one, just the setting. Fort Pickens is an actual Civil War era fort in north Florida. The rest is all out of my imagination.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Sometimes finding the right audience, sometimes just getting to “The End” can be challenging.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Keep trying, keep learning and if you really love what you do, don’t give up. Heck, these days, self-publishing is a very viable option. If you love it, polish it and try it out. You never know.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I have to say not so much writer’s block as working writer’s block. That’s something I heard the singer of Googoo Dolls once mention and it made perfect sense. In a nutshell, it’s where you can start about a million manuscripts but never finish them beyond a few thousand words. What do I do about it? Keep trying, trying something different. Usually working on something totally new will help shake the cobwebs loose.

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

Hands down, my favorite is fantasy author Michael Moorcock. He just has this…Baroque style and characters that I just fell in love with. I haven’t read one book of his that I’ve looked back on with anything less than a smile. Even when I’m not working on a manuscript with fantastic elements I tend to think, what would Michael do?

How did you deal with rejection letters?

Pout and log it in my journal and go on to the next name on my list. Really, that’s all you can do, besides self publishing your work. But I’ve always thought, why not exhaust all your options first?

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Books on craft, books in your genre, books in different genres, literary classics, novels, plays, history books. Any book on any topic that strikes your fancy. You can learn from just about everything. What to do and probably more importantly, what not to do. Some of my must-have writing tip books are Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. That one can help you get the bugs out of your manuscript before you hit send or upload. There’s a great book called Slang Through the Ages by Jonathon Green—that one really helps out if you want to include some form of historical scene in your work. I could go on, and on and on, but those are all the best off the top of my head.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Author Patty G. Henderson invited me to be part of a charity anthology of suspenseful cat *ahem* tales, called Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, last year whose proceeds are going to Cat House On the Kings in California. If your readers would like to check it out too:

It’s still available in Kindle and paperback at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/DARK-THINGS-II-Crimes-ebook/dp/B006O15YBE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/185-0297248-1137456?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

And in Epub at Lulu:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/compiled-by-patty-g-henderson/dark-things-ii-cat-crimes/ebook/product-18787458.html

Thanks for having me here today, Amy! I’ve looked forward to it and appreciate you hosting me.

Thanks for coming, Juli.

Readers, are you intrigued with The Artist’s Inheritance? Well, come on back tomorrow. That’s when I’m posting my review of The Artist’s Inheritance.  Until then…

Lots of <3–Amie

And I almost forgot! Juli is  also over at The Saturated Page today. Be sure to check that out as well.

http://thesaturatedpage.wordpress.com/