Interview with Katie Salidas Author of "House of Immortal Pleasures" and "Halloween Fantasies"

Author of the hot new Urban Fantasy series, Immortalis, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she's dreamed up fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires at an early age, she devoured every book, featuring those mysterious, blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. She claims that, of all the monsters out there, vampires had always been the most interesting.

It was only natural that a love of reading about vampires, and a love of writing, turned into a desire to write her own stories.

A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.

Interview with Katie Salidas:

What was your inspiration behind writing vampire erotica books?

Honestly enough I don’t set out to write erotica. I get an idea for a story and it blooms on its own from there. I’m a self-proclaimed pantser which means I just free write and let the muse take over.

A lot of my ideas come from asking questions. For example, in Immortalis Carpe Noctem (my first novel), I really wanted to explore the change. What would it really be like to turn into a vampire? What hardships would the main character have to overcome? That is what really drove me to complete the novel. As I answered each question, more popped into my head.

In House of Immortal Pleasures, I wanted to know if vampires could be “good guys” and actually help someone. Connor is a vampire but he is more human than some real humans. He has a soul and wants to redeem himself. Since it’s an erotic romance I asked myself, how could he take his position and heal Daphne’s broken heart.

In Halloween Fantasies, I asked the question: what if some of the costumed creatures at Halloween parties, weren’t all in costume? How much fun could you have if you met a real life creature of the night?

Have you always known you wanted to be an author?

I’ve always loved to write and I have always loved vampires. It was just a natural thing to make up my own stories about them. When I was 14 I wrote my first vampire story. Sadly though I lost all of the pages I’d written during my move to Las Vegas. It might have made a good YA book back then. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Immortalis Carpe Noctem is the second full story I’d ever attempted about vampires and since then I’ve found more and more inspiration to keep writing about those creatures of the night.

What made you open up your own publishing company?

After I was laid off at my old job, I had a lot of free time on my hands and very little new job prospects. I’d spent a lot of time trying to hunt down agents and editors and collected quite a few rejection letters. Most of the letters had the same lukewarm response: Nice idea but the market is flooded right now with Paranormal fiction and Vampires. While they are “in” it doesn’t guarantee a publishing contract. In fact it is actually harder to break into the market traditionally when you write something that is so “in.”

I realized there was another option out there. I could do it myself. After a heart to heart with my husband, he gave me the nudge to “give this a shot.” Rather than go the Lulu or Iuniverse route, I wanted to try and make this 100% my own, so my husband and I started Rising Sign Books, LLC.

Self publishing is often thrown around like a dirty word. It’s actually a lot harder than you think. True self-publishing means doing everything yourself. And there is a ton of steps involved in self-publishing.

Do you plan on publishing work from other authors?

Right now I’m still really learning the market. There is a ton of things involved in publishing and marketing books. I want to be able to do it right if I’m going to be working with other authors. I don’t feel confident enough yet to start working with other others but I do hope to be able to expand Rising Sign Books, LLC in the next year or so.

Do you plan on making a sequel to "House of Immortal Pleasures"? (I hope so)

I’ve had a few inquiries about this being turned into a novella series. Many people have fallen in love with Connor and want to know what happens next. When I wrote it I intentionally left it open-ended to allow for expansion. At this point I have a few ideas swimming around in my head. Let’s face it; a vampire-run brothel does open the doors for lots of sexy stories.

What can we readers look forward in the near future from you?

The sequel to Immortalis Carpe Noctem is in final editing right now. It’s due to be published in January 2011.

Here is a quick blurb…

Immortalis: Hunters & Prey.

When Alyssa was turned she was told she could never again see her mortal friends. She was resigned to this fate, until a chance run in with Santino Vitale, thought to be dead, causes her to rely on a mortal friend for protection, trusting that no hunter would attack in public.

By doing so she has broken vampire law and finds out that divulging vampire secrets harms everyone involved. Because of her actions, she's now drawn her friend into the struggle between vampires and hunters, a fact that has her clan calling for punishment.

But there are bigger dangers looming on the horizon, more pressing than a mere mortals knowledge of vampires. The Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again. It will take everyone, working together and an unlikely truce, to fight against the newest threat, the Frenzy Soldiers.

What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?

I’m a big fan of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal romance. I just love devouring stories about vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, etc… I’m currently working my way through the Sookie Stackhouse series from Charlaine Harris. I loved the True Blood TV show, I just had to pick up the books.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

When I’m not writing, it’s all about my family. I’ve got a wonderful daughter and husband and they are my world.

Blog

http://myimmortalstories.blogspot.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ksalidas?ref=profile

Facebook Author Fansite

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/katelv

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter

http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

GoodReads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3395431.Katie_Salidas