Interview with Sierra Dafoe
Welcome, Sierra! How long have you been writing?
A long time! The first story I remember writing was in second grade, Tommy the Turtle. I don’t remember the story itself anymore, but I remember feeling quite certain it was brilliant at the time. I decorated it with crayon drawings of Tommy and his friends along the top of each page.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
As a reader, I’m omnivorous. I love romance, especially contemporary and paranormal (which, surprise surprise, are my two favorite genres to write). I also love mysteries, from the classics like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to the fun, breezy chick-lit style of Janet Evanovich. I grew up reading fantasy and science fiction and still occasionally find a new author to love in those genres, as well.
I also adore a lot of supposed “literary” authors who write cracking good stories. E. M. Foster, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain…
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
Read lots J. Play with my cats. Bake cheesecake. Walk along the James River. I’m a pretty boring person in person!
Do you have any particular writing habits?
I love writing at night, especially when I’m first-drafting. The quiet, no interruptions… I can just disappear into the story for hours on end. Usually I go until I’m nodding off at the keyboard.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
On first drafts definitely a pantser, as you probably guessed! Who was it that said it’s like driving at night – you can’t see beyond the reach of your headlights, but you can make the whole journey that way? I’m paraphrasing a bit, but I think it was E. L. Doctorow. And Stephen King has a wonderful bit in On Writing about that as well, pointing out that hey, every story’s got to come out somewhere. Why be such a control freak about the whole process?
(And one thing I love about romance, by the way, is that we know the ending – or at least, to my mind, we should. I’m definitely a happy-ever-after kind of girl. But it’s how the author gets us there that’s always the E-ticket ride. That’s where the surprises happen.)
When I’m into rewrites, then it’s a different story. Right now I’m reworking one of my earlier novellas into a longer piece, so a lot of the process isn’t necessarily about composing – it’s about shaping the narrative into its most compelling form. So I play around with it, in my head or scratching out quick storylines, really trying to push for what gives the most emotional punch.
When you’re writing, who is more in control, you or your characters?
This is why I free-flow on first drafts – if I’m in control, it’s because my characters haven’t really come alive yet. I have to sit back and let go of the reins to let them become who they really want to be. Sometimes I discover I’m completely wrong about what I thought a character was like! And that’s a ton of fun when it happens.
What makes the hero of your latest release, Immortal Lust, exciting?
One of the things I love about the story in general is that it’s a bit of a reverse, in some ways. Usually it’s the heroine trying desperately to rein in her attraction to the hero, and in Immortal Lust, it’s the opposite. Cytharea is the half-human daughter of Aphrodite, irresistible to mortal man – and Gerard d’Amiers, the knight ordered to escort the captive Cytharea from the Holy Land back to France, is a Templar. He’s sworn to chastity, and to break that vow is a mortal sin.
I love the struggle he goes through, between his desire for Cytharea, his commitment to his holy vows, and the growing tenderness he feels toward this woman he’s been commanded to essentially keep captive. For all the bitterness at an earlier love (which is what drove him into the order in the first place), Gerard is a deeply moral man, caught in an essentially unethical situation. And I absolutely love why he chooses, at last, to break his vows…
Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you or your work?
Well, one of my favorite-ever reviews I got said “Expect the unexpected when you read Dafoe” – and I hope to continue to live up to that! I love when a story surprises a reader, when it goes places she didn’t foresee. It’s one of the things I love most as a reader myself, and when I’m able to provide that, to tell a story that really captivates a reader and keeps her caught up in it right along with the characters, well, that’s just about the best thing there is. It’s what I strive for, and I hope folks will let me know when I succeed! You can always reach me through my website at sierradafoe.com, or on my Facebook or Bookbub pages, and I love hearing from my readers.
Thank you for stopping by!
Book Title: Immortal Lust
Author: Sierra Dafoe
Genre: paranormal erotic romance
Blurb: A Templar Knight, Gerard d’Amiers is sworn to chastity – a vow easy to keep in the bitterness of a broken heart. But when he is hired to protect a mysterious, alluring woman captured on Crusade, he finds himself facing a temptation deeper than he’s ever known.
If he surrenders to his desire for her, he shatters every vow he’s ever made. But without his love, she will die…
Purchase Links:
On Amazon
About Sierra
An award-winning author who received three CAPA nominations in her first year of publishing, Sierra Dafoe has gone on to receive numerous awards and recommended reads for her work. Visit her website at www.sierradafoe.com for all her latest news, a link to her readers’ group, sneak peeks, and excerpts from all her books. Sign up for her newsletter to be entered in her monthly contest, and reach out through the “contact” page — she loves hearing from her readers!
Sierra’s Links:
https://www.facebook.com/author.sierradafoe/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sierra-dafoe
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Great interview and looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for readers.
Thanks so much for having me today, Kate! It was lovely to visit with you.