Ask the Author: Angela V. Cook
Answered Questions (7)
Angela V. Cook
Yes! The rough draft of the sequel is finished! I'm currently working on revisions and edits with one of my crit partners. I would love to have it released by this time next year, but I'm in the process of moving, so working on the book has been slow going. I'm determined to release it by winter 2017 at the very latest!
Angela V. Cook
I've always loved the YA Paranormal Romance genre, but I thought it was saturated with vampires, werewolves, and witches. I wanted to write about something different, and a succubus was something I hadn't encountered in YA literature. Plus, a teenager with raging hormones who couldn't even a kiss a boy without harming him?? I knew I could have a lot of fun writing a story about that.
What kept me going through the tough stages was pure determination. I knew I had a good story on my hands, and I knew it was one that would appeal to teenagers.
I original tried my hand at traditional publishing. After going through months and months of query hell, I landed an agent, and he then submitted my manuscript to about a dozen of the larger publishers. However, this was during the anti all-things-paranormal phase in publishing, and most of them just weren't looking for anything in that genre. Eventually, my agent was ready to shelve my manuscript, but I wasn't. So, we amicably parted ways, and I began to submit it to small presses. In December of 2013, Red Adept Publishing offered me a publishing contract, and the rest is history!
What kept me going through the tough stages was pure determination. I knew I had a good story on my hands, and I knew it was one that would appeal to teenagers.
I original tried my hand at traditional publishing. After going through months and months of query hell, I landed an agent, and he then submitted my manuscript to about a dozen of the larger publishers. However, this was during the anti all-things-paranormal phase in publishing, and most of them just weren't looking for anything in that genre. Eventually, my agent was ready to shelve my manuscript, but I wasn't. So, we amicably parted ways, and I began to submit it to small presses. In December of 2013, Red Adept Publishing offered me a publishing contract, and the rest is history!
Angela V. Cook
During the summer of 2010, there was a short-lived TV show called The Gates. It was about a gated community where the residents were of the supernatural persuasion (werewolves, vampires, witches, etc.). One of the residents was a teenage succubus. Every time this girl kissed her boyfriend, she absorbed some of his life energy, which in turn weakened him. I had never heard of a succubus, but I loved the idea of a teenage girl who was in love, but couldn’t so much as kiss her boyfriend without harming him. It was then the wheels of creativity started turning.
Angela V. Cook
I have two other manuscripts that I wrote after INTO A MILLION PIECES, but those are on hold right now, because I’m writing a sequel to IAMP that I’m really, really, REALLY excited about. A sequel wasn’t necessary, and I even debated whether or not to write one (the book could stand alone as is), but I just don’t feel like Allison’s story is over. I have questions I want answered, and to be honest, writing about a teenage succubus is fun and exciting! I really enjoyed writing IAMP, and I feel that same excitement as I continue Allison’s story.
Angela V. Cook
My two cents, for what it’s worth, would be for writers to get to know other writers. Share your work with them. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism. It can be difficult to take at first, but if you want to grow as a writer, you have to be willing to not only take criticism, but also be willing to utilize it through the revision process.
Angela V. Cook
Being able to "bring to life" worlds that only existed in my head is the best thing about being a writer.
Angela V. Cook
Writer's block is the equivalent to stage fright. Sometimes I'll start to doubt myself and my abilities as a writer, and this causes my confidence to plummet. When this happens, I literally can't write--literally (not a blog post, not a brief email--nothing). This has happened to me a couple of times over the years, and when it does, I'll usually take a break from writing and read some really good books. Doing this will usually inspire me and help remind me of why I love to write in the first place.
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