A Perfect 10 With Darlene Foster

Today, I’m very excited to feature Darlene Foster as she sits down for this weeks edition of a Perfect 10. Please enjoy.

If you want to check out past interviews, you can find them in the following links:

A.C. Flory, Steve Boseley, Kayla Matt, Mae Clair, Jill Sammut, Deanna Kahler, Dawn Reno Langley, John Howell, Elaine Cougler, Jan Sikes, Nancy Bell, Nick Davis, Kathleen Lopez, Susan Thatcher, Charles Yallowitz, Armand Rosamilia, Tracey Pagana, Anna Dobritt, Karen Oberlaender, Deby Fredericks, Teri Polen

Also, if you are an author and you want to be part of this feature, I still have a few slots open for 2017. You can email me at don@donmassenzio.com

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• Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Writing energizes me. I believe tapping into your creative side is so good for you. I wrote my first four books while working full time. I would come home from work exhausted, make dinner and then sit down to write. It was amazing how quickly I perked up and wrote well into the evening.

• Do you ever write under a pseudonym? If not have you considered it? Why or why not?

When I was twelve I wrote under the pseudonym of Shirley Dale which I thought was so cool at the time. Not sure if that counts. As an adult writer I never considered it. I want people to know who I am and to be able to find me. Now if I started to write erotica, I may rethink it!

• Does a big ego help or hurt writers? Why or why not?

A big ego could be an asset while promoting yourself. It didn´t seem to hurt Ernest Hemmingway.

• What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

The best money I ever spent as a writer was taking trips to interesting places, which later became settings for my novels. It helps to have been there.

• What does writing success look like to you? Have you achieved it?

Writing success for me is having people read my books and enjoy them. I feel I have achieved that. Now I would like more people to read my books. Success is a moving target.

• What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What sources do you use?

I use the Internet for my research and sometimes the library. I tend to do my research as I write. I also do some research while I am travelling, keep notes and take pictures to help me remember things.

• How do you select the names of your characters? Have you ever regretted choosing a particular name? Why?

I have always been happy with the names of my characters. In many cases they chose the names themselves.

• What is the hardest type of scene to write?

I find it hard to write scary scenes. I don´t read a lot of scary novels or watch scary movies, perhaps I should. I am never sure if the scene is scary enough or maybe too scary for kids.

• If you could have dinner with four people, living or dead, who would they be and what would you want to ask them?

I love this question. I would chose Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Margaret Atwood and Lucy Maude Montgomery. I would have so many questions. One I would ask is how they came up with the amazing characters in their stories. I would have a separate list for each of them. It would be a long dinner.

• What platform has brought you the most success in marketing your books?

I think blogging has brought me the most marketing success. It is such a great way to build relationships with readers and other writers.

Darlene’s Book:

Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music, the fifth book in the Amanda Travels series.

Book Blurb:

Twelve-year-old Amanda Ross finds herself on an elegant riverboat with her bestie, Leah, cruising down the beautiful Danube, passing medieval castles, luscious green valleys and charming villages. When she is entrusted with a valuable violin by a young, homeless musician during a stop in Germany, a mean boy immediately attempts to take it from her.

Back on their cruise, Amanda struggles to keep the precious violin safe for the poor prodigy. Along the way, she encounters a mysterious monk, a Santa Claus look-alike, and the same nasty boy.

Follow Amanda down the Danube, through Germany, Austria and Hungary, as she enjoys the enchanting sounds of music everywhere she goes. She remains on the lookout though, wondering just who she can trust.

Buy links

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Danube-Sounds-Music-Travels-ebook/dp/B01J4KULPU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1467057798&sr=1-1

 Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/amanda-on-the-danube

 Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amanda-on-the-danube-darlene-foster/1123486689?ean=9781771681025

 Book Deposiotry http://www.bookdepository.com/Amand-on-the-Danube-Darlene-Foster/9781771681025

 Connect with Darlene:

Website www.darlenefoster.ca

 Blog https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter/

 Twitter https://twitter.com/supermegawoman