Stacy Eaton Author Interview

Hi all!
 I wanted to introduce you to the fabulous Stacy Eaton! She's a great person, very busy yet finds time to serve her community as a police officer, is a mom and a wife to a fellow officer. Where she finds time to write is beyond me. Her new book,

deals with some of the domestic violence she comes across on her job. She's got another series you'll see at the bottom and much more she's working on. Here's her interview:

Tell me a bit about yourself:

A little bit about myself, okay… First and foremost I am a full time police officer. For 12 years I have worked the streets of a small town in Southeaster PA and now I spend most of my time doing investigations as the department detective.  I am also married to a police officer – so that has always made our schedules kind of crazy. I have a grown son who is serving in the US Navy and a 9 year old daughter.  I also own my own business, which is a juggling routine all its own!

What type of genre do you write?

I’m not one to stick to one genre! My first two books are paranormal/suspense, but my latest novel crossed the lines into dramatic fiction. I honestly don’t want to stay in one genre and hope to jump in and out of them to accommodate readers.

What genre to you personally read?

Like my writing, I don’t stick to any one genre. When I just need something to relax me, or I’m reading while I’m sick, I’ll pick up a feel good romance. If I want to get lost in something, I jump into a paranormal or fantasy to lose myself in another world. Sometimes I like a good mystery and other times I want to suspense.

Tell me about your latest?

My latest novel is “Whether I’ll Live or Die”. It is a dramatic fiction that deals with the very taboo subject of domestic violence.  I released it in July of 2012 and it became an amazon best seller the first day it was released.  It is not a feel good story in any way – it is raw and emotional, very intense.

The series I write, “My Blood Runs Blue” invites you into a world where the police work with vampires. There is no real gore, but it is an adult series with content, language and sexual situations. The vampires in this series are more human than many other books out there. They try to fit quietly into the world of humans and even have their own law enforcement system to deal with rogues. There is a huge romance aspect to these novels, and the twists and turns in the stories will keep you on your toes.

Where are your books available?

Right now all my books are available on Amazon, print and electronic versions. The first two books of the “My Blood Runs Blue” series area also available on Barnes & Noble. “Whether I’ll Live or Die” will be back on Nook in December.

Where you live and one thing you love about it

I love the location. I am two hours from the beach, two hours from the mountains and an hour from country farms. No matter what I want to do or see – I can be there is just a matter of hours.

Website:

Currently I have a website at www.stacyeaton.com and a my blog is http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

What sparks your passion for books and the art of a good story?

I love to read. I try to read at least 2 books a week – sometimes I can manage to read up to 4. The books that really pull me in are where the author can hide where they are going with the story. I want to get sucked in and not be able to figure out the ending. If an author can throw in a really good twist or two that makes the story all the better.

Is there a particular book that changed or affected your life in a big way?

Not that I can think off. Like I just mentioned, I read a lot. I can’t think of any one or two books that affected me in some dramatic way.

What was the seed of inspiration for your latest book?

With “WILoD” my inspiration came from real life. I see domestic violence in my job, and I have seen it in my life. It was a very important story to write about.

In the “MBRB” series the inspiration came from my love or the paranormal. One night at work, I was standing outside me car late at night stretching my legs. I saw eyes in the woods that were too high for an animal. I spent the rest of my shifts that weekend thinking about what would happen if I was in trouble, could a vampire come to my rescue? Three days later, I sat down and wrote the first 4 chapters.

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

In “WILoD” there are many messages. But the biggest one is that there is a way out of abuse, you just have to find the resources and strength to do it. 

In MBRB I don’t know that there is a direct message, but I wanted readers to know that even though someone might seem different, we needed to learn to accept them for who they are.

What challenges have you faced in your writing career?

My challenges always deal with time. Finding the time to write, edit and market are really hard with my schedule. I spend a lot of time thinking about my characters when I am away from my computer so when I have the time to sit down, the characters pretty much writes themself. It is just finding that time to sit and let them out.

What has been your best moment as a writer?

Lol… I think one of my best moments ever was in October, I was on a cruise. I had met some other people who were on the same cruise and they knew I was an author. One day we were sitting out at the pool and one of the ladies walked up to me and handed me a copy of my book and a sharpie to sign.

I am always humbled by people asking me to sign their books. That day, my friends made a big to do over me signing the book and before I knew it – I was the buzz on the deck and people were asking me all kinds of questions. It was a pretty cool moment.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Lol… I always love this question!  Oh yes!  In the “MBRB” series – I am Officer Kristin Greene – plain and simple! If you read those books – you will know exactly the type of person I am.  She was so easy to write because I just used my own words.

Do you feel like your dream has come true or is there much more to do?

When you complete one dream – you have another. Two and a half years ago if you would have told me I would have published three books and be writing four more, I would have laughed at you. It was never a dream, it just happened and now that my mind has found a way to vent the energy it has, I don’t see myself every stopping. 

What is your personal cure for procrastination?

Lol… I don’t have time to procrastinate!!! I am a control freak, so staying on top of things is fundamental for my mental health! If I can’t seem to accomplish something, I will walk away for a while, take a break. Sometimes I push myself to hard and I go full throttle until I crash. When I do that I take a day or two just to chill. I will read, watch some movies or just sleep. Then I will jump right back on!

What does your workspace look like?

Hahahahahaha…. Right now – A MESS! I got back from vacation a few weeks ago and still have not unburied my desk!  The best part of my work area is the bulletin board above my desk. It is a huge on and I have pictures of my characters up there to inspire me.

Have you ever had a day when you just wanted to quit?

I can’t say that I ever feel like quitting, I’m not that kind of person. Are there days when I ask if all the marketing and stressing is worth it, yes. Are there days when I need a break? Yes. But to quit?  Nope, I’m not a quitter.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

Now this is a hard question, because even though I may not be sitting and typing on my computer, my mind is always working with the characters. My co-workers tell me I have multiple personality disorders because I am always thinking like a different person, trying to figure out what they would do in a situation.

I would have to say that what takes up most of my time when I am not “writing” is working a very stressful job, spending time with my family. I enjoy taking my daughter to her Tae Kwon Do classes. I like throwing a ball with my two dogs and I love photography.

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

I’m not sure I am right person to answer this. Some days I wonder if I am sane, lol…

I think the hardest part about being a writer is understanding that not everyone will like what you write. You have to have a thick skin. There are some people out there that will be blatant with their dislike of something. You have to take the good with bad and move on. Listen to what they have to say and then let it go. But some days that can be hard.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?

Wow… that was a long time ago. I don’t know that I can pinpoint anything from way back then, but I know that one thing I have learned through life, is if you start something – finish it.

Did you have a moment when you realised you were meant to be a writer

Lol… No, I’m still waiting for that moment!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I mentioned above about having a thick skin. That has got to be one of the hardest things for a new author, to accept the negative comments about their books. But they have to remember this – If you were to walk into your supermarket and go to the soda isle or cracker isle – there will be tons of choices! Why is that? It’s because everyone likes something different. So just because someone doesn’t like your book, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it.

Take the good with the bad and move on.

After this book, what is next?

Right now I am working on a new novel, “Garda ~ Welcome to The Realm” that I am hoping to have out early next year. It is a story about police officer, Corey who falls in love and is then killed in the line of duty. She enters The Realm, the place with guardian angels or Gardias are trained to protect the earthbound people and she must come back to earth to protect Mitch, the man she fell in love with.  The problem is, he’s married and her Garda, Brock is not too happy about this.   There are a few good twists in there. But this is one of the lightest books I’ve written.

When I finish that one, I am on to the third book of the “My Blood Runs Blue series” which is about a third of the way written and then I will complete the contemporary romance novel I have about three quarters finished. When that one is finished, the final story in the series will be completed.

After that, I already have 4 more plot lines jotted down. We’ll see what else we can come up with.

Keep an eye out for this one folks. She's a wonderful person and a great author! Go check out her website and blog! Please thank her for spending time with us and take a look at her new book, Whether I'll Live or Die!

Keep Reading All!

Jodie Pierce