Interview with Debut Author, Ariana Zamora!

Today I have for you an interview with Ariana Zamora!  I asked her a few questions about her debut and what her experience was like writing her novel!  Check it out and the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of the post too! 

Hey Ariana! Thanks for "stopping by" today!

Just to start us off, Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm just a girl who wrote a book. I'm not special and I'm not

brilliant. I just love to write. I'm passionate, and witty, and a

veteran of the United States Navy. Writing got me through the hard

times, and I feel blessed to be able to share my work with the world.

I hear you just recently released your debut!  Can you tell us a

little bit about it?

Oh jeeze, this question is always super embarrassing for me. My friend,

Amy, asked me this same question, and I blushed then, too. Writing is

personal for me. Asking me what I wrote about is like asking me what

color undies I've got on. I can't explain it, but it's the honest

truth of how I interpret this question. Haha!

I can throw my book out into the world, no problem, but ask me a

question about it and I panic!

Well, the dreamer is about a young girl named Anjaleena Jamison who

has suffered from night terrors all her life.  After her grandmother

passes away, Leena discovers that she isn't the only one in her family

that has bad dreams...

Her grandmother secretly owned property in a small town called Myrtle

Creek in Oregon, and Leena's parents feel it's a good idea for the

family to get a fresh start. So they move.

Well, it turns out that the property happens to be a very old, very

haunted manor in which a man named Julian Bennett resides.

What's so special about him? Well...he's dead...and he doesn't know

how he came to be that way. Julian's a century and a half year old

ghost who Leena happens to be able to see.  What she doesn't

understand is that her dreams are a huge reason why she can see

him...and why she is there. It wasn't coincidence.

Anyway, Julian asks Leena to help him solve the mystery of his death

so that he may "cross over" to rest peacefully in his afterlife. Of

course, being of sound mind and all, Leena accepts the challenge of

solving the mystery and is then thrown into the past...literally. What

does this mean? Well, you'd better read it to find out!

Where did the idea for The Dreamer come from?

Actually, I was home alone one night a couple years ago, and I was

getting kind of creeped out by my old apartment. It was making weird

sounds, and I was becoming more paranoid by the hour. By three o'clock

in the morning I lay restless in bed, freaking myself out by thinking,

"Man, I really hope there isn't a ghost in my room...oh, crap...I bet

there is a ghost in my room...Well...if there IS a ghost in my room,

he'd better be cute, at least..."

Paranoia mixed with lack of sleep got the wheels in my head turning,

and, thus, THE DREAMER was born!

When did you start writing The Dreamer and what made you start writing it?

I started writing THE DREAMER a couple years ago. It was called

something else back then, but I won't even bother you with the

stupidity of the title...it was bad, trust me.

I really got into the story, and then gave up on it halfway through.

I was getting out of the Navy at the time, and I just didn't have the

time to dedicate to writing like I wanted to.

Well, two months ago, I found this forgotten little file on my

desktop. I clicked on it, and was thrown back into my writing

immediately. I did a major overhaul, completely re-doing the story

line and characters, and was quite satisfied with how it turned out.

What is one thing that surprised you during the writing process?

I was surprised with how quickly my storyline changed. While beginning

my writing, I had no idea where the story was going to go - besides

the general idea of scenarios and characters. I mention one thing on

my word processor and my brain just took off on a rampage. It was

actually kind of neat.

Did you start out with an outline?

I didn't start with an outline. I let my mind wander and do whatever

it saw fit with the characters and story. After I had a good solid

feel for the characters and where the story was heading, I sat down

with my sister and we wrote the ending outline. It made the writing a

lot easier.

Did you finish with that outline?

I did, more or less.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My office is the best place to write. It has a large window  that

catches an excellent breeze. It's quite peaceful, too, except for when

my husband decides to barge in and throw off my groove.

What is one thing you learned during this process?

I learned not to set deadlines and not to fly by the seat of my pants.

It takes a lot less time to write a book if I'm not constantly going

back and revising in order for the story to make sense. So I've

decided that an outline is my friend! I've also come to find out that

setting a deadline is like putting an expiration date on something. I

feel rushed and that's not good when I'm trying to put my best work

out there...how can it be my best work if it was rushed? No more

deadlines!

Are you currently working on something?

I am! I'm working on the next book in THE DREAMER SERIES, actually.

It's been great fun to write so far. I can't wait to be able to share

that one with you, too!

Thanks for coming by and taking the time to answer all my questions!

I can't wait to read The Dreamer!

The Dreamer by Ariana Zamora

Add it on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon 

SYNOPSIS:

 A murderous power, born of betrayal, was passed down the Jamison line, searching for the one who would bring an end to a timeless agony. It lay dormant, until one day it came across a young, unsuspecting girl in the form of a dream.

      A woman whispers to Anjaleena Jamison in the dead of night, plaguing her mind with terror, and haunting her very soul. No one thought anything of it, except for Grandma Rose - the only other living person who knew the terrible secrets of Bennett Manor. After her grandmother's death, Anjaleena soon finds herself residing in the manor, and discovers the ghost of Julian Bennett – a handsome young man who she can't help but feel drawn to. Soon Anjaleena learns that, in the halls of Bennett Manor, nothing is as it seems. Follow Anjaleena on her journey to the past in THE DREAMER.

GiVeAwAy

an ecopy of Ariana's debut, The Dreamer

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