I cannot agree more with Yolanda Sfetsos....

...when she says the waiting when you're a writer is the worst thing! Because sometimes it feel as though we do more of that than we do write, LOL! Welcome, Yolanda (even if I did post your interview a day late, SO SORRY!!)

1) Did you set any goals for 2010?

Yes, I did. I always set a bunch of writing goals that I’d like to achieve during the year, and then break them up into smaller monthly goals.

This year I’ve been doing a lot of revision. I’ve got a bunch of first drafts that need my attention—two of those are already contracted—so I’d like to clear those before throwing myself into any new stories.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t got several other ideas that I’d like to either plan or write. Oh, and I intend to take part in NaNoWriMo, which is something I’ve been doing for the last four years.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?

I have to admit that I love every step of the writing process. Each step has its own special qualities that make it great, but I do love that pre-writing stage when the story is slowly taking shape, the characters keep beating inside your head, and you spend hours researching. It’s filled with wonder, daydreaming, and the possibilities of another writing adventure.

3) The worst part?

That would probably be the waiting. There’s waiting at every step of the way, isn’t there? And I’m not just talking about when you’ve got things out in Submission Land. I’m also talking about the time between drafts, or the time you need to give the story to percolate, or finding and slotting the right time to tell your story because there are so many things to do in one day…

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?

You know, I think that’s the book I haven’t written yet. ;)

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?

There are a lot of urban fantasy authors that I absolutely love—Rachel Caine, Charlaine Harris, Carrie Vaughn, Kelley Armstrong, and Jeanne C. Stein to name a few— but if I have to narrow it down, my fave authors are the two who’ve influenced me the most during my life. And that would be Clive Barker and Stephen King.

Reading Clive Barker’s CABAL when I was a teenager changed my writing path.

6) Tell us about your upcoming release?

I’ve got a novel coming soon from Eternal Press. It’s called SHADE OF GREY and is a contemporary romantic Sci-Fi story about a woman who finds herself caught up in the middle of conspiracy theories, UFOs, abductions, and Men in Black.

I don’t have a release date yet, but I can’t wait for it to get out there. This is the first book in a trilogy I have planned, and it’s my tribute to The X-Files with a little romance and heat on the side.

7) Tease us with a blurb/short except

I don’t have anything official yet, but here’s a short, unedited blurb:

The night two intruders dressed in black break into Gypsy’s store, a mysterious sexy man comes to her rescue. Calvin has one objective—to keep both a secret organization and an alien clan from finding and taking Gypsy. But after they meet, his duty is overridden by his desire.

Together, Gypsy and Calvin travel halfway across the country, trying to stay one step ahead of their pursuers and dodging danger at every step.

8) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?

I love stories where the heroine is an everyday-kinda girl who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a huge mess she had no idea she was a part of. This is what happens to Gypsy. She's happy with her boring life but feels like she's lacking something, and this adventure helps her find it. And Calvin's a nice guy, but one with a dark past that keeps haunting him. He's got plenty of secrets he's keeping from Gyspsy, and they might just be enough to tear them apart before they get started.

So, my favourite attributes about both of them is their ability to keep moving forward no matter what obstacle they face, because they do that a lot in this book. :)

9) What’s next?

Well, I’ve always got something new in the works. I’ve got a bunch of projects that I’d like to revise and submit before the end of the year. Actually, one of the books I want to finish up is the next book in the Omega Trilogy, which starts with SHADE OF GREY. *grin*

I’ve got a few novellas due out later this year from Damnation Books, and the first book in an urban fantasy series I’ve contracted with ImaJinn Books.

10) Tell me where you write?

I mainly write in the living room, on my laptop. I don’t have a desk, so I wander around the house. But that suits me just fine, because I love sitting on the couch in front of the sliding door. I get to look outside every now and then. It’s very inspirational.

11) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?

Oh gosh, this is a really cool and hard question to answer. I know where I’d love to be, but will I get there? I’m not sure, but I’m determined to work as hard as I can to find an agent and get some of my other ideas out there.

Regardless, I’d still love to be writing. Telling stories is what I love to do the most. Also, ePublishing has been a great experience, so I’d still like to be doing that too.

12) Where can we find you?

You can visit my website at http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

I’ve also got a blog: http://ysfetsos.blogspot.com/ and I’m on Twitter: http://twitter.com/yolandasfetsos

Thanks so much for having me here today!

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Yolanda Sfetsos
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Yolanda Sfetsos lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, daughter, and cat. She loves to spend most of her days writing stories. Her muse doesn't like genre restrictions, and loves to toe the dark, otherworldly edge of storytelling.

When she’s not writing she spends as much time as possible with her small family. She also enjoys watching movies, TV shows and reading.

Fabulous interview, Yolanda - please leave your comments, folks!!