Guest Blog & Giveaway: Katie Salidas

UFI welcomes Katie Salidas Author of the Immortalis Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

You wouldn’t guess it from talking with me online, or seeing me on Facebook or Twitter, but I am an extremely shy person. It’s really easy to seem outgoing online, but the reality of it is, I am very awkward in social situations. I never know what to say and often end up being a wallflower. On the plus side, it makes me a very good people watcher and that turns into a good character artist. I take what I see, when I’m blending in with the scenery, and use that to help me in creating my characters.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

Down time for me is a foreign concept. Between family and writing, I don’t have much time for myself. I do love a good soak in the tub though, with a steamy novel to read. I admit that is one of my guilty pleasures.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

Writing is freedom. I can shape a scene in any way I want and that is fun. When you write a story, you are 100% in charge. You can kill off a character, make the hero fall in love, be as evil or as good as you would like. In a way it’s therapeutic. You can work out aggressions by writing a very detailed fight scene. And when it is all said and done, you have a product that others will be able to enjoy.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

I must have silence! Not total silence though. I tend to have a bit of ADD and when there are distractions around such as, hubby watching an interesting show on TV or my daughter asking 100 questions a minute, I can’t concentrate. I tend to do most of my writing when I’m alone. That often equates to long hours at night when the hubby and munchkin are sleeping.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

I’m a Patricia Briggs, Sherrlyn Kenyon, Anne Rice, Laura K. Hamilton, (the list could go on and on) fan. Basically, if there is a vampire, werewolf, or fae creature in your work, I want to read it. I’m addicted to anything paranormal, with only one exception… Zombies. I just can’t do zombies. They scare the crap out of me. LoL.

How would you pitch the Immortalis series to someone who has not heard of your books before?

My favorite line is actually the tag line to my first book. “Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition, that’s the hard part.”

You might have read books about vampires, but how many of them took you step by step through the emotional turmoil of what that change actually entails? In Immortalis you’ll see a normal, everyday girl lose everything as she becomes a creature of the night. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Sure, there’s a learning curve there, but if she can overcome it, both she and you, the reader, will find that it can be pretty sweet!

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the Immortalis series is set in?

The Immortalis series is set in modern times. Books one and two are set in Las Vegas Nevada, which, by the way, is the best city out there for creatures of the night. Book three, Pandora’s box takes you to Boston. There you will learn even more about the world of unnatural creatures and some of their origins in Ancient Greek Mythology. What I wanted, was to show you how easy it would be for these creatures of the night to actually exist and oftentimes co-exist within normal society.

Do you have a favorite scene in Pandora‘s Box?

Without giving too much away, I love it when Nicholas taunts the head of the Olde Town wolf pack, Connor, into a fight. Nicholas is one of my favorite characters and his attitude makes him so much fun to write.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Nicholas is my favorite to write about. He’s annoyingly antagonistic, but he’s always right and always on the side of good. He’s the guy you love to hate. Oddly enough, Alyssa, the main character, is very hard to write. Through the series she has a lot of growing up to do both in the vampire and human world. Sometimes I really have to play with her immaturity and even I get annoyed with her. But, feeling that deeply about  character (sometimes you just want to smack some sense into her) means I’m striking the
right chord. She’s real because of that flaw and as she grows up through the books, you’ll be able to see that and really connect with her.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

Book 4 is in the works right now and I hope to have it out by spring 2012. I can’t give too much away, but suffice to say the cliffhanger of book three will be resolved.

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Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

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Find Katie and her books

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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*Provided by Katie*