Author Interview: Anita Valle

I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Anita Valle, author of the Nine Princesses and Sinful Cinderella - which I recently reviewed, and several others. She is also an artist and seems like such a kind and adorable lady. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to work with her! :D If you'd like to learn more, check out her website HERE.

What is it like being an artist and author? Did you design all your covers?

I designed the covers for Sinful Cinderella and Sneaky Snow White myself, using photo manipulation. For The Nine Princesses series I went to an artist because I wanted a quality of artwork that I'm not quite capable of. I also design the back covers and the spines. Being an artist has made it possible for me to format my own book interiors attractively, design my website, create ads for marketing, as well as aid my writing. When I'm planning a character or scene, I sometimes draw out what I'm thinking so I can "see" it better.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote stories as a child sometimes, but after I got married at age 20 I began to seriously think about writing and publishing. It seemed like a good career to have while raising a family. Turned out to be a lot harder than I thought!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

In my earliest years, I wanted to be a princess! Later I thought about being an interior decorator or a math teacher (yes, math)! And I always planned to keep art in my life.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Both last year and this year I released 2 books and I was happy with that. So let's say 6 months. I could be faster but my dumb day job interferes. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Not at all consistent, which frustrates me. On days when I have to work outside my home, I try to write for an hour, either before or after work. On days when I don't work, I try to write 2-4 hours. I'm really hoping to quit my day job so I can write longer and more regularly.

What would you say is an interesting writing quirk that you have?

I don't write a first draft straight through. I write one chapter, polish and make it pretty, then write the next chapter. Then I have a clean book when I reach the end, instead of a long mess. It still needs edits and rewrites, but I work much better with a semi-finished draft.

Where do you get the ideas for your books?

The idea for Sinful Cinderella came from noticing some dark fairy tales on Amazon and wanting to write one of my own. It sounded like fun! For The Nine Princesses, I have always loved stories with multiple princesses, like The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but in that you don't get to know each princess individually. I wanted to create a large family of princesses where you get to know each one.

How old were you when you wrote your first book?

At age 12 I wrote a story called The Clumsy Knight, which was like a short book. In my twenties, I began writing seriously and read lots of books about novel writing. I worked my way up form short stories, to chapter books, to novellas, to full-length novels. I was about 28 when I had my first completed book, which was a novel for kids.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

When I'm not writing, I like to sit and play video games with my kids, or read, or learn something new. Right now I'm trying to learn Spanish.

Are there any other interesting tidbits you'd like to share?

I'm extremely insecure about my books. I can market them with confidence online, but to family and friends I almost never speak of it. And if they ask me about it I feel embarrassed. I won't even let my husband read my books. Not quite sure why, I love my books and I love my work! Maybe I'm afraid of criticism, after all, they're the people whose opinions matter to me. But don't worry, I'm working on it!