Have you heard? It's spring! Wow...and we've had -24C. Can't wait to see what summer will be like. Oh, wait...bugs ;o)
Ok, ok...Let's give a big round of applause for our next visiting author, Zelda Benjamin! Ooh, and she comes bearing chocolate. Score!
Could you share a little about yourself and
what led you to become a writer?
I was born in Brooklyn, New York and like to think of each neighborhood
as a small town with its own unique setting and characters. The people and the
neighborhoods were the inspiration for my Love
by Chocolate series. When I'm not writing, I'm usually out in the garden
with the dog, working as a nurse, or eating chocolate (not necessarily in that
order). My stories are sweet sensual romances. They are full of the passion and
emotions we all experience.
I was always a
storyteller and have had stories floating around in my mind forever. I started
writing for professional nursing journals before I published my first romance.
Do you write full time?
My day job involves
long shifts in a pediatric ER. On my days off I write every afternoon. And eat chocolate....
Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel
and the world you’ve created?
Chocolate Couture is a story about Lily Peradou. Lily, a former Chocolatier
and Food Network star
When Lily inherits the
vacant space next door, her plans to expand her shop are set in motion. They
come to a full stop when the heirs of the estate contest the will. To further
complicate Lily’s plan, along comes Noah Adler. He has purchased his Uncle’s
diner on the other side of the vacant space and has expansion plans of his own.
Where does the inspiration for you main
character and story come from?
All my stories have
come from real life events. The plot twists in Chocolate Couture were inspired by an article I read about an
inheritance case.
Do you work from an outline or just go with the
flow?
I don’t work from an
outline and definitely go with the flow. A few years ago I started using
Scrivener software as my preferred writing process. I love the way it lets me
navigate between my chapters. If an idea for a scene strikes me, I can move
ahead and jot down my ideas and easily go back to the chapter I’m working on. Hmmm, maybe I could have you come back and give us some Scrivener pointers.
Could you tell us how you go about your
research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?
I would be stating the
obvious if I expanded on how much I enjoy doing the chocolate research. As for
my other research, using Scrivener makes it easy to save and view any articles
I need alongside my writing. I also do lots of hands on research when I travel.
I take photos of buildings, food, and interesting people. I save them on my
computer under the story name or add it the side bar of my chapter. (Scrivener
allows me to do this) OK, you really have to think about a tutorial.
How is this book different or similar to what
you have written in the past?
Chocolate Couture is the 4th book in my Love by Chocolate series. The story
lines all revolve around different chocolate shops in Brooklyn, NY.
The first three books in
the series were published by a traditional publisher, Avalon Books, They are now under the Montlake imprint.
Chocolate Couture was my first Indie published book.
How have the changes in present day publishing
impacted your schedule as a writer?
Marketing and social
media are a big part of writing today. I prefer to get that over with early in
the day. I recently created a schedule that has me resetting my day at 2pm.
When my social media needs are addressed, I take a break. It helps knowing that
at 2pm I will sit down and concentrate on writing. I think that makes sense. One can easily waste the day way on social media sites, getting little work done and leaving little time to write.
How do you handle marketing? Do you have a
plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?
I take one day at a
time. There are too many changes in publishing to know what works best.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Write, Write, Write - even
if it’s only a paragraph at a time. If you decide to self publish, make sure
your finished work is professional. Use an editor, a cover artist, or a
formatter if you can’t do it yourself.
Could you tell us what you’re working on now?
My current work in
progress is a romantic suspense. The challenge is finding the balance between
the
A pediatric ER nurse
with a passion for story telling, traveling, and everything chocolate.
I write happily ever
after stories. The heroes in my stories are sexy men who you can't help falling
in love with. My heroines are sweet and sassy, independent women who know what
they want out of life. Like everyone, they sometimes hit a bumpy road to get
there.
I grew up in Brooklyn,
NY. I like to think of each Brooklyn neighborhood as a small town with its own
story to tell. The books in my Love By Chocolate series are set in Brooklyn,
where the characters are connected like any small town.
Reviews
InD’tale Magazine
“Crowned Heart” for
excellence. Witty and utterly entertaining. A scrumptious confection for sure.
Amazon 5 Star
This lively
story will leave you satisfied and hungry for more in this series. Zelda
Benjamin is a master at creating rich sensuality in a sweet love story.
Links
Books available-
Kindle and paperback
Great interview! I love that you bring your own experiences to your stories. And we can all relate to chocolate!
ReplyDeleteYou got me with the chocolate! Great questions, I think is great that she has both tradititonal and self-published books.
ReplyDeleteRuty @Reading...Dreaming