Author Interview : Ashley Levering and Curse of the Beast

I am so excited. Today I get to interview author Ashley Levering who wrote Curse of the Beast. It is a paranormal YA and I am sure you will love it . Why you ask? Because it is a fractured fairy tale retelling of one of my all time favorite stories, Beauty and the Beast.  

First of all, I had the chance to meet Ashley at a writer's conference this summer and I we had a wonderful time getting to know each other. She is an amazing and talented person. Now I want to give you the chance to get to know her too. So I sent her some questions and she answered them for me.

So sit back, get comfy and learn a little more about Ashley and what inspired her to become  the great writer that she is.

 Me: How long did it take to bring it all together, pre writing and the actual writing?

 Ashley: With having small children and writing only part time, I finished Curse of the Beast in two years. However, I was able to use some of that writing for Star Cursed, book 2.

 Me: How do you find the time and how do you organize yourself so you can get your writing in when you have to work around your family?

 Ashley: That is a hard one. I find that I write a lot at night, and when I can find a babysitter. Sometimes when my girls are watching a movie I’ll sneak off to my bedroom and write. As to the organizing myself, I have a bulleted outline and a calendar. The calendar helps me keep the time frame organized and the moon cycles.

 Me: Are you already working on your next book?

 Ashley: Yes! In fact, I am sending Star Cursed book 2 in the Curse of the Beast Series off to my editor in September! Very exciting.

Me: What is your most favorite thing about being a writer?

 Ashley: I love being able to create my own worlds. It is great to have an idea and be able to mold it and then breathe life into it. It is the best feeling ever! And of course, to then share it with everyone.

Me: How did you come up with your cover?

 Ashley: I wanted the rose to be a big part of it. I also thought about the other elements that make up this first book. And Tayla and Beast came to mind. So with those three elements, I hiked up the mountain with my models and we started shooting pictures until I figured out what I wanted.

Me: I love the answers to these questions Ashley. I am excited for you to have your next book ready to go. That means we get to read it that much faster, which is a huge plus for us. 

 To make this all the  sweeter, Ashley is doing a huge giveaway on her blog for a signed copy of Curse of the Beast . So jump on over to http://www.ashleylavering.blogspot.com  to enter. And click here for your own copy of Curse of the Beast.