Name: Anna del Mar
Book Title: The Stranger
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Carina Press
Thank you for your time in answering our questions about
getting published. Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you
decided to become an author and pen this book?
Anna: I
became an author because I didn’t really have any other choice. I’ve been a
life-long writer and I had all these stories worked out in my mind. I wasn’t so
sure about the publishing adventure. But I just had to write my stories down.
As to The Stranger, I started to travel to
Alaska a few years ago. The place inspired me. The people intrigued me. It was
the perfect setting for a kickass adventure centered on a hot, sexy romance, an
opposites attract scenario that featured the clash of ice and fire.
I was
rattling in the sky, flying in a single-engine over the Alaskan tundra when the
story was born. In The Stranger, ex-military pilot, Seth Erickson is fighting his own demons, but when he
finds Summer Silva, a beautiful, warmth-loving, Miami woman stranded in the
frozen wilderness, he’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe from
murder, treason, and the ruthless Alaskan winter.
Is this your first book?
Anna:
The Stranger, is actually my third
release with Carina Press and the second novel of my romantic suspense Wounded Warrior Series. It follows on the heels
of my Amazon bestseller, The Asset and the first
novel of my erotic romance series At the Brink.
One cool fact about all of my novels is that even though they’re interrelated,
they are each a standalone journey. You can read them in whichever order you
wish!
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional,
small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Anna:
I’m very lucky that my novels found a home with Carina Press, an imprint of
Harlequin. I chose to go with Carina Press because they have an amazingly
talented team and they are all about romance. To me, they’re the place to be if you’re writing
anything romance.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?
Anna:
My publishing journey began when my husband kicked me in the rear and convinced
me to go for it. I found a romance editor, Nancy Cassidy, from the Red Pen
Coach, and asked her if there was any merit to my story. Nancy was a joy to
work with and so very positive and encouraging. She knows the industry inside
and out. She led me through the intimidating process of putting my work out
there and recommended a few houses she thought would be a good fit for me,
delivering me with very little pain to Carina Press’s doors.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular
publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Anna:
I’ve learned patience, perseverance and grit. Patience is a big one. The
publishing industry moves at its own pace. It’s very competitive out there,
with lots of great authors presenting polished manuscripts and amazing serial
concepts. It’s about more than one book. Publishers today are looking for
productive authors capable of enduring the rigor of professional writing, willing
to create a brand and deliver a steady stream of high quality novels. It’s all
about depth and endurance.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Anna:
You mean would I recommend Carina Press to other authors considering
publication? Heck, yes! Absolutely.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Anna:
Write, write a lot, often and continuously. As a newbie, without a completed
novel, you’re dead in the water. Find a top of the line editor that knows your
genre and listen carefully. If your editor doesn’t get it, neither will your
reader. Work hard to polish your manuscript and don’t let rejection kill your
writing.
***
ABOUT THE BOOK
When her sister runs away with a guy she met on
the internet, a warmth-loving Miami architect chases her reckless sibling to
Alaska and finds her life in danger from more than the elements. Only a
stranger, a wounded warrior who is also Alaskan tycoon with a quarreling family
as complicated as her own and no time for a lady in distress—let alone one who
walks on her sleep—can save her from disaster. Together, two strangers from
different worlds and opposite spectrums of the thermometer must unravel the
intrigues that threaten their lives to chase after a new dream, together, in
majestic Alaska.
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