Isabella Norse writes sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal romances with a humorously-ever-after. Her newest story, VIRTUALLY YOURS (A Nerdy Short Story) was released at the end of May. It is Izzy’s homage to her favorite virtual men from the video games that she loves.

Izzy, thank you for coming. As a warm up, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself?

I’m a wife, mother, animal lover, gamer and all-around nerd. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t for video games, I might never have become a writer! I fell in love with creative writing in high school but always had plenty of excuses to keep from actually trying it.

In 2010, while researching one of my favorite video games, I discovered the world of fan fiction and was immediately hooked. Over the course of the next year I wrote and posted my first fan fiction. My story received a lot of positive feedback which gave me the confidence to begin writing original stories.

 

A fan fic writer turned novelist! Very E.L. James of you! Exercise in lean writing: give us a synopsis of your current WIP in under 200 words.

I’ll do better than that! I’ll give you the blurb for Dial V for Vampire, the first novel in my upcoming sweet paranormal romance series:

Maggie Robinson is a full-time server, part-time blogger, and 24×7 skeptic. Her love life? Non-existent. Why bother? Her parents’ divorce is proof that “happily ever after” is a fairy tale. To make matters worse, she has no idea that her tongue-in-cheek blog, “Life with Zombie,” has placed her at the top of the werewolves’ “Most Wanted” list.

Noah Townsend is a vampire with a broken heart. It has been two years since his wife’s death and he is still recovering. Instead of dealing with his grief, he has thrown himself into his duties as the head of a security firm that specializes in protecting paranormal beings and hiding their existence from humans.

Worlds collide when Noah saves Maggie from a werewolf attack. Can Maggie overcome her skepticism and Noah his grief in time to realize that they are made for each other? Or will the ripples started by Maggie’s blog grow into a tsunami that will tear them – and Kudzu Korners – apart?

That’s a good blurb! Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I envy those authors that can turn out multiple books a year; I am a very slow writer. I don’t set a specific word count goal, but I do try to write every day. On a good day I may be able to allot an hour and a half to writing, other days not so much.

You’re my kind of people 🙂 Plotter, pantser or both?

I am a pantser. When I begin work on a story I generally know how it begins and how it ends; I also have a few random scenes and bits of dialogue that occur somewhere between the two.  Even though “pantsing” is probably one of the reasons that I’m such a slow writer, I enjoy watching the story unfold as I type. I love discovering new locations and meeting new characters along the way!

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

I have a tendency to keep going back and revising what I’ve already written. I eventually have to force myself to stop editing and just get the story out – imperfect though it may be.

Again, I can totally relate! Maybe we should start time-keeping each other! Have you experienced “writer’s block” and how do you overcome it?

So far, I haven’t experienced writer’s block. Right now I have more story ideas than I can possibly keep up with!

Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring?

I don’t have a dedicated workspace, although I hope to change that within the next few months. Many authors play music when they write, not me. I’m easily distracted by noise, so my laptop and I move to the quietest part of the house. Also, I am an animal lover and my husband and I have several cats, all rescues. The cats love my laptop and it is not unusual for me to have their “assistance” when I write. Cricket, the kitty in the picture, fancies herself quite the editor.

Lovely! Now your photo is “pinned” on my Featured Writers’ Workspace Board on Pinterest. Cricket can hang out with Wallace and Toby, the doggies dominating Marjory McGinn’s and Nat Russo’s respective workspaces. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

I am learning to use Scrivener. I’m one of those people that loves to organize and I love the way Scrivener allows me to have my story, notes, character info, research, and so on all in one place.

I work on Scrivener too. What I really love is how you can separate scenes within chapters and have instant word count. How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

I don’t have a specific celebration in mind, but it is a safe bet that chocolate will be involved!

I hear ya! Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

I outsource cover design and editing, but I am comfortable doing my own formatting and uploading of my books to the various etailers.

You’ve one-upped me there… I haven’t delved into formatting yet. Is romance the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

Oh, I’m definitely a romance author through and through. I write in multiple romance sub-genres; I love sci-fi and fantasy, aliens and vampires. Even though my stories may be set anywhere from fictional Southern towns to outer space, it’s the relationship between the hero and heroine that is always most important to me.

Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

Of course!

Website: http://isabellanorse.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/IsabellaNorseAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorIzzy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/IsabellaNorse

Email: Isabella.norse@gmail.com

Thank you and best of luck with Dial V for Vampire!

Thank you so much for having me!