Guest Author Elyssa Patrick
I’m super excited to have debut author Elyssa Patrick here on the blog today. If you weren’t already aware, she’s the genius behind the names of my Loveswept novels and she’s an incredibly talented author. We’re here today to talk about her debut novel AS YOU WISH which features a rock star hero! As a child of the 80s, I have a serious thing for rock stars.
Thanks, Jessica, for the interview and having me on your blog!
Tell us a little about Elyssa Patrick and your book AS YOU WISH.
Here’s my official bio: Elyssa Patrick is a former high school English teacher who left the classroom to write fun, sexy, and emotional contemporary romances. Besides being slightly addicted to chocolate, she loves cupcakes, classic movies, and Shakespeare. She is a member of RWA. Elyssa lives in New York, where she is currently working on her next novel.
You decided to self published AS YOU WISH. What were some of the factors that went into this decision? Were there any authors you looked to for advice and guidance as you went through the process?
I ultimately decided to self-publish because I had read and absolutely loved Tammara Webber’s EASY. Seriously, if you haven’t read this amazing New Adult, do so right now! And I was reading through the backlog of Tammara’s blogs and I came across a post where she first announced she was going to self-publish. She said something that resonated with me—that she just wanted to write and get her books out there—and I thought, well, I want that, too, and I can do it.
And also I’ve been faced with a lot of rejection in the last few years and I just wanted to take this chance on myself. If I failed, I failed. But at least I would know.
Yes, there were many authors I looked to for advice. But the main ones that were so helpful to me were Courtney Milan, Gwen Hayes, and Julianna Stone.
You’ve been active in the online community for a while before you decided to publish. How do you think that shaped your decision?
It didn’t shape my decision at all. I just enjoy being social on Twitter where I can talk about books and interact with people that I like.
There are so many options out there for authors these days. What would you tell another author thinking of seeking publication, either through traditional press or indie?
Every author is so different and what works for me won’t work for another. I would just encourage any author to put out the best product she can and to focus on the next book.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from this whole process?
I’ve learned HTML, which I didn’t think I could do. So I felt very accomplished when I did learn that, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Courtney or Gwen.
What can we expect next from Elyssa Patrick?
A novella called One Hit Wonder that will be out Spring 2013. It’s basically: When his personal assistant quits, this once famous pop singer will do anything to make her stay. Think: Two Weeks Notice meets Music & Lyrics.
There’s a brief excerpt in the back of the ebook of AS YOU WISH. 
Blurb for AS YOU WISH:
Love doesn’t always follow the sheet music . . .
This Christmas, Portia Jackson needs a miracle to save her family’s generations-old florist shop. What she gets instead is a car that breaks down during a blizzard. Help arrives unexpectedly when the infamous Aubry Riley pulls over. She only expects him to drive her to the gas station . . . she never expects that kiss. But Portia lives in the real world—she knows this is only a holiday fling for Aubry. Except it doesn’t feel so temporary, and the last thing she wants is a broken heart.
Sometimes you have to sing some different notes . . .
Rock star Aubry Riley has no secrets. Thanks to the media, everyone knows about his troubled past. Six years have gone by since his world crashed, and now he’s ready for a comeback. But first he needs to reconcile with his family—starting with his six-year-old daughter. A month-long vacation at a Vermont lake house affords him the perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. He doesn’t need any other emotional entanglements, especially not with the bright-eyed florist he can’t stop thinking about. But no matter how hard he tries to resist her, he can’t. Now all he has to do is to convince Portia that there is nothing temporary when it comes to love.
Website: http://elyssapatrick.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @elyssapatrick
Buy links:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Wish-ebo...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/as-yo...
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/As-You...
