Fallen Angel Reviews would like to welcome Dina Keratsis. Thank you for
agreeing to chat with us today. Let's jump right in, shall we?

Do you outline your stories or do you just write as you go?

A little of both. I do a lot of research into my characters and as I get to
know them, a plot emerges, which I outline. It’s a very rough outline,
though, enough to provide direction but with plenty of leeway for
creativity. As I write, I get more ideas, and will take time out from the
story to work the new ideas into the outline.

Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write?

You mean do I eat, sleep, and dream them? Sigh! Yup. They become family
after a while. It’s maddening.

How has being published changed your life, if at all?

There’s a lot less time, that’s for sure. Before, it seemed difficult to fit
writing time in between the job, social life, “Gilmore Girls” episodes… Now,
I’m learning a business as well.

What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?

I’d like to earn a living by writing and not have to work a day job. More
importantly, I hope to see my writing skills grow and my creativity expand.
The careers of Teresa Medeiros, Nikki Leigh, and Nora Roberts inspire me,
not necessarily their financial success, but the manner in which they
comport themselves to their fellow authors. They appear to me to be very
classy and polished, respectful, hard workingq1 --good role models
for any businesswoman.

What does your working space look like?

My pretty lavender writing room with its wall of books, scented candles, and
Irish lace curtains is now a nursery so until we move into a larger house,
my laptop and I work wherever we can!

What is a typical day like for you?

It involves vast quantities of coffee. I have a ten-month old son, so my day
revolves around him now. Next comes my day job. Promotion, paying attention
to my husband, petting the dogs, showering, reading, writing, tidying the
house, and eating are sprinkled through the day. Very little time for
writing these days but I work when I can to keep the juices flowing and have
faith that I’ll pick up where I left off when Jabe is a little older.

What is the biggest misconception about being an author?

A lot of folks assume that I make a lot of money as an author, which makes
me laugh. Or, worse, that I must have eons of time on my hands. Sometimes,
they look at you funny and say, “I’ve always wanted to write a book but I
don’t have time. It must be nice to have that luxury.” And when I’m not
feeling bitter, that assumption has me rolling on the floor in hysterics.

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?

Rarely, I have a burning need to just write and that is enough to drive me
to the keyboard. Usually, though, it takes music, a cup of tea, and sheer
will power.

How do you know what to name your books or the characters?

Titles have been easy and my publisher, Wings ePress, has allowed my working
titles to become the actual titles, for which I’m grateful. Charlesgate is
the setting for Charlesgate and the old hotel is so entwined with the hero
and heroine, the force that brings them together, in fact, that it had to be
the title. Kicking Sideways is taken from a lyric to the song that inspired
the book, and with Cake well, I just like the word and so I named my
imaginary world Cake.

Do you have any bad writing habits?

Yes. Not writing. I fall prey to the most deplorable of sins, that of
procrastination. Like most writers, I have an innate need to write. I get
panicky and anxious and doubtful about life when I don’t write. That said,
I’ll do everything I can to avoid writing. I have a very clean toilet.

Of all the individuals you have created, do you have a particular favorite?
What appeals to you the most about this character?

Mike Sullivan from Kicking Sideways. He’s a beta hero, when I usually fall
in love with the alphas, but he’s so darn good looking (in my mind anyway!)
that the fact he’s not a bad boy doesn’t matter. He’s an already mature
character when the book opens, as opposed to his heroine, and has already
resolved his bad boy past. There’s something very sexy about a man who knows
what he wants and can attain it without snarling. Well, once in a while
anyway! Mike’s hero is Wolverine so you can see he’s got some hot blood
underneath his kindness.

Can you tell us a little bit about Charlesgate and its sequel, Kicking
Sideways?

Charlesgate is inspired by the old Boston hotel. Like Zylla, the heroine in
the tale, I fell in love with the dilapidated ruin and had to write a book
about it. In the book, Jabe Thayer sets out to restore the hotel. With
Zylla’s help, he unlocks the history of the building and awakens its
vengeful ghost. It’s a fun ghost story full of romance, curses, and Boston
history.

Kicking Sideways is more of a spin-off rather than a sequel. Mike Sullivan,
a minor character in Charlesgate, just screamed for his own tale so I took
him to California, where he’s taking a sabbatical from his life of creating
comic book heroines. There, he meets Cree Cabot, a woman who tries to carry
the whole world on her shoulders. Mike is taken with her superhero
tendencies but she’s a damaged woman. She’s the quintessential Byronic
heroine and Mike has his work cut of for him. Cree is kind of a pain―a very
annoying character to write, stubborn and lonely―but she redeems herself in
the end.

Other than Cake, A Fairy Tale, do you have anything else in the works?

Cake is completely different from my other books. It’s a fantasy romance,
definitely a fairy tale, and a lot of fun to write. It’ll be available at
Wings ePress in May 2007 and I’ll be running a very tasty contest so be on
the lookout!

I’m toying with its sequel, featuring Rune and Breena’s daughter, maybe
called A Slice of Cake. The book wants to be a contemporary marriage of
convenience story, though, rather than a fantasy, so I’m trying to sort that
out.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Just want to say thanks to Fallen Angel Reviews for the opportunity to
babble at your readers and thanks to the readers for reading. I always
include a lot of background history about my books on my website, along with
some excerpts, so if you’re so inclined, please visit!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions
for us today Dina! Readers can learn more about Ms. Keratsis and her books
on her website at http://www.dinakeratsis.com/index.htm.

Interviewed by: Serena