Danielle Bourdon is a versatile author with experience of writing in multiple fiction genres. We interviewed Danielle to find out about the lady herself and her work. She told us about her latest book called Rendezvous in Rio and about her approach to writing. Danielle also has shared some top writing lessons and gave us insights into her future book projects. Read on to find out what the USA Today Bestselling author had to say.
Hello Danielle, and welcome to e-Books India! Thanks very much for joining us for this interview. Please tell us about you. Where are you from, what is your professional experience? Please tell us a bit about your journey to becoming an author.
Hello, e-Books India! Thank you so much for having me here. I’ve been writing since I can remember, but didn’t publish my first book until 2010. Since then, I’ve become a USA Today Bestselling author of 26 novels. I self-published my first 23 books, then signed with a publisher for a three book series. The final book for that series comes out February 2nd, 2016. Although I was born and raised in Southern California, I now reside in Texas.
What types of books do you write?
I write across multiple genres. My interests vary wildly, from thriller to young adult and fantasy to contemporary romance. I have books in all those categories and have plans to write more in the fantasy and romantic suspense genres.
Your most recent book is entitled Rendezvous in Rio, which is the second instalment in The Inheritance Series. Can you please tell us about this story?
This book follows Madalina Maitland, a woman who receives clues from her late grandfather that send her on a dangerous journey to find a piece of her inheritance. The artifact is also sought after by a nefarious cabal, which gets Madalina and her boyfriend Cole into a few hair-raising scrapes. Time is running out for Madalina to procure the artifact and make a deal—before it’s too late.
Are you working on any other books(s)? If so, can you please tell us what we can expect to see from you in the future?
I’m currently writing book seven in my Royals series, which is my bestselling series to date. This contemporary romance saga is about a girl from Seattle who becomes embroiled in the secrets, lies and deceit of a modern day royal family. I’m also working on book five in my Fates series, which is an action packed young adult tale about a girl who discovers that she is responsible for everyone’s Fate. I’ve got several other romantic suspense novels on the backburner for next year.
Can you please tell us about your approach to writing? For example, do you follow structures and writing rules? Or do you write in a free flow way? Do you have any particular time of the day you like to write? Or any specific environment you prefer to sit down and write?
I’m usually an early morning writer. My typical day starts with two to three thousand words, and sometimes more if I’m on deadline. Now and then, I write two books at the same time. My structure then is to rise around four in the morning, get three thousand words on book one written, take a short break, and come back in the early afternoon to do three thousand on book two. I don’t pre-script out the scenes, although sometimes I scribble notes about ideas that I’ll use for a particular part when I get there. My best plot twists come while I’m writing. I write in my office with my cat usually snuggled up somewhere within touching distance. 🙂
From your experiences of writing and publishing, could you please share 2-3 important lessons you’ve learnt to help beginner writers who dream of becoming published authors?
My first piece of advice to a new writer (or a struggling writer) would be to understand that the first draft does not have to be perfect. It’s okay (it really is) to draft out your story with mistakes. Get your story told, then go back and fix what needs fixing.
The second thing is discipline. Books won’t write themselves, and to publish on a regular basis, a writer needs to stick to their goals. If you set one thousand words as your daily goal, don’t allow yourself to do anything else until you reach it.
Thirdly, if you want your writing to be your business, you have to treat it like a business. Writing takes a lot of work, especially if you’re self-publishing. Understand what your commitment to your business is, and pursue it with all due diligence. Organize your day accordingly, always leaving time for you and your family. Sometimes my organization skills go out the window and I won’t emerge from my writing haze until one or two in the morning!
How can people find out more about you?
You can find out more about me on my website: www.daniellebourdon.com and keep up with news and announcements on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/authordaniellebourdon.
Once again, thank you so much!
Danielle
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.[/author_info] [/author]