Sunday, October 7, 2012

Author Interview: Ife Oshun, Author of Blood to Blood.


Blood to BloodHey there everyone! I've recently interviewed the author of Blood To Blood-- Ife Oshun! 
Click HERE to read my book review.
 I planned to post these Q & A's later, when the blog tour was up, but I decided I might as well post it earlier anyway, and I could always link back to this post. 

Anyways, all answers are exactly as the author answered. (: 

Well, let's get started! Hope you enjoy!


Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: The inspiration for Blood To Blood came to me in a couple of stages. First, a long time ago, I was hanging in London when the news of Aaliyah's death was broadcast on television. It was a quick soundbite as if she wasn't that popular over there. I was shocked and ticked-off at the lack of coverage, and then finally I was just heart-broken. She could have had an amazing career; she was a clean cut, gorgeous woman, a  great singer and she had this dark little edge. She was sexy without being trashy, tough without being hard. And there was a "something" that came across in her videos but it wasn't anything you could put your finger on. She was mad mysterious that way. Angel's character is based on her. 
A little later, when I was doing my Writers Guild of America internship on Star Trek: Voyager, I thought it would be cool to see a TV show that was a cross between The Cosby Show and Dark Shadows with a young singer. I wrote a pilot episode treatment which got good feedback but I didn't do anything with it and it literally sat on a shelf in my mind for 7 years until, in 2008, it occurred to me that it wasn't a TV series after all. It was a series of books.


Q: What exactly does Sawyer Creed, the main male character in this story, look like? I had a bit of a hard time imagining him. 

A:Tall, green eyes, long dirty blonde hair and an angular jaw. He always has a serious expression. Perhaps like a young Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman from True Blood). Come to think of it, he's just like my first boyfriend.

Q: Did you ever want to be a singer, like the main character, Angel? 
A: Of course, who doesn't want to be a big pop or rock star? But alas I can't sing well.

Q:Are you a fan of vampires?
A: I love vamps, but I'm not keen on the idea that they're soulless demon spawn. I prefer immortals with human qualities. They're much less predictable.

Q :How long did it take you to write this book?
A: I started in 2008. It took 3 years for everything to be done -- researching, rewriting, beta-reading, editing, and more re-writing and more editing, and on and on, along with outlining the sequel.

Q:Where did you get the idea for Angel's "Reflection"? 
A: I have absolutely no idea where that came from. Sometimes I surprise myself.

Q:How many traits do you and the main character share?
A: I no longer suffer from anxiety, and I definitely never had panic attacks that lifted me off the floor! We both have a lot of hair. We both love, love, love music. And we both come from conservative families who struggle to understand what motivates us and our non-traditional career choices.

Q: How did you come up with the title of your book? 

A: It's part of a phrase in a blood ritual scene with Angel and  her sister. Her sister, Cici, says "blood to blood" as part of the mind lock spell.

Q: Are you planning to write more books in the future?

A: The sequel to Blood To Blood is due in the Fall of 2013. I'm also finishing a short story based on Sawyer Creed and a novella based on Justin McCarthy. I'm also outlining an idea for a book that I had when I was 6.

Q: Do you have any writing advice to aspiring writers?

A: Read a lot, especially the type of books you see yourself writing. Take classes that help you break stories down, see them in terms of structure. Do this for a few years. Then just sit down and write. Don't wait for inspiration, waiting for inspiration is just a distraction, a way to procrastinate. Make a plan to write consistently and stick to it through thick or thin.
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And, that's it!

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