Author Interview - Tish Thawer

We had the pleasure of interviewing Tish Thawer, author of The Rose Trilogy.  Tish was also kind enough to offer a giveaway of a signed bookmark and an ebook copy of Scent of a White Rose, the first book in The Rose Trilogy.  See below for details of the giveaway!

~The Rose Trilogy, book 1~
A vampire's love...

An innocent's guilt...

A secret no one could've imagined...

A paranormal romance that entices with a heroine that isn't quite what she seems, a vampire whose love story is filled with dark surprises, and a vampire clan whose Sire has lost the ability to inflict "the change".

~ ROSE ~
I'm Rose Reynolds. I have recently lost my Mom in a "freak accident".
Now everyone sees me as an innocent girl.... a “white Rose”.
But I have a secret that no one can imagine.
I'm not as innocent as everyone thinks…


~ CHRISTIAN ~
I'm Christian and I’m in love with Rose. I also have a secret as old as time.
I’m a vampire.
No, she doesn’t know…yet.
But when our new Sire is revealed, I'll petition them to change her.
Because truly, I can't live without her..

Thank you, Tish for taking time out of your schedule to answer our questions!  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

As a child, I wanted to be a secretary like my mom. I fulfilled that dream at a young age and eventually worked my way to graphic design and into computer networking. I still type 93 wpm to this day. But once I had my children, that's all I wanted to be...a mom. I've been lucky to be a stay-at-home mom while my kids grew up and then decided about three years ago to finally follow my passion for writing and started putting words to paper.

Were the characters in your book created around people in your life? How did you decide on the character names?
No, I did not base my characters on anyone in my life. The names of my characters come from, what I like to call, divine inspiration. When I woke up with the title of the books in my head–obviously I knew they would be about a girl named Rose. Then once I started writing and would reach a place to insert a character's name it would just fly from my fingers onto the page without any thought. And most of the time they were the perfect fit.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I'm usually up by 5:20 a.m. to get the kids ready for school. Once everyone is out the door by 9 a.m., I turn the lights down, draw the shades and write. As far as a schedule...I don't think I really have one. I write as long as the story is flowing and if it's not, then I take a few days off. I try to write every day, but sometimes life just gets in the way.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 
I have a hard time with the technical aspects of writing, because I tend to write like I talk. I can't force myself to think about the tenses and proper grammar and punctuation WHILE I'm writing...that's what editing is for.


How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
Growing up, I've always been a fan of the supernatural or anything paranormal, and as a kid my favorite cartoons were the ones about superheroes. So I'd say that because of that, my reading choices and writing have definitely been influenced by my childhood.


How would you describe Scent of a White Rose to someone who has never heard of it? 
Take the vampire love stories you've heard about and flip them around. What if the vampire was the good guy and the human girl was the one to fear? Scent of a White Rose is full of surprises, twist and turns, and will leave you thinking of vampires in a whole new light.

Why vampires? How did you come up with the ideas behind your books?
When I woke up with the title of the first book in my head, Scent of a White Rose, I knew it would be a story about a young woman named Rose, and I think the "scent" part of the title is what made me thing of vampires...how they would smell her. Kinda lame, but that's really all there was to it. Plus, I love vampires and was excited by the challenge to make mine something new and unique.

What were your feelings when you first saw the finished product of your first book? 
LOL. This is a great question because I told my friend, "I don't think I'm reacting to this like I should be."

When I held my first proof in my hands, it was such a surreal feeling. I'd seen the cover for months online, working with my cover artist back and forth, and then having it displayed on Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon & Barnes and Noble, but then when I got the actual book...it was so strange because it just felt like any other book that I'd ever picked up. I didn't really sink in that it was mine. But after I received the first run shipment, it finally clicked, and I was filled with excitement and a sense of accomplishment and joy.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing/creating your books?  
Writing is the easy part. I usually have the entire story mapped out in my head before I even start the books. I know what will happen from beginning to end and which parts will be in which books. It's the formatting, prepping and marketing that are the hard parts.


What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?
A great cover artist, and an amazing editor. I'm blessed to have both. And the skills and desire to research every aspect of the writing process. Buy books, attend webinars, ask other authors questions. It's important to gather as much information as you can so that you are not surprised by any of the steps along the way. I'm a research fiend!


What book are you reading now? 
Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Thank you, Tish, for your time and for the giveaway of your book!                        

You can find out more about Tish Thawer and her books here:

Goodreads

http://tishthawer.blogspot.com

    

~The Rose Trilogy, book 2~

Doubt blooms...

Someone bleeds...

Change is coming... time to take heed.

Book 2 in The Rose Trilogy. A paranormal romance that continues to surprise with a heroine that’s embracing her darker side, a vampire whose love starts to waver, and a vampire clan whose new Sire is filled with doubt.

~ ROSE ~
I'm Rose Reynolds. I’ve shared my secret and ruined lives.
I’m no longer welcome in my childhood home.
And, I’ve recently threatened to kill my best friend.
I warned you - I'm not as innocent as everyone thinks…

~ CHRISTIAN ~
I'm Christian and I’m worried about Rose.
She’s changed and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
She knows my secret and loves me still.
This I know, because I’m starting to hear whispers wherever I go...

 ~The Rose Trilogy, book 3~

A black Rose dies...

Now it's time to run...

The one I love lost... oh God, what have I done?

Book 3 in The Rose Trilogy. A paranormal romance that concludes with a heroine who's now the one to fear, a vampire who vows to save the soul of the one he loves, and a vampire clan whose new Sire is already facing extinction.

~ ROSE ~
I'm Rose Reynolds.
I’m now a vampire and everyone's afraid of me.
My blonde hair has drifted to black,
indicating just how "bad" I've become.
Christian swears he can save me....
... but what if I don't want to be saved?

~ CHRISTIAN ~
I'm Christian and I’m still in love with Rose.
She’s now a vampire, which is not a good thing.
She turned out darker than I could've ever imagined.
I know I can save her. I have to....
.... because my very existence depends on it.

Now for the giveaway!  Tish is giving away one copy of Scent of a White Rose, the first book in The Rose Trilogy, plus a signed bookmark!  Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win!

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