Dishing it up with Saffina Desforges

I have the pleasure of having Saffina Desforges on my blog today. Saffina is a crime fiction and thriller writer who lives in England and has been writing since school.


First, it was stories about ‘what she did in her summer holidays’, then it was a “rather too imaginative” Halloween short story in Primary School that scared her classmates! She once got grounded when her mum received a call from a neighbor, complaining that the story she had told their son had given him nightmares; he still talks about it today!

Teachers described her as “talented, but easily distracted, with a vivid imagination!” There really was no other path for her.

It went from there…

JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book, Sugar & Spice?

Saffina: Well, it is not an easy read, that’s for sure! It is a hard-hitting, crime thriller that delves into one of THE taboo subjects; Paedophillia and explores the inner-workings of a paedophile’s mind, whilst also following the race to catch a serial killer.

JET: What drew you to the thriller genre?

Saffina: I have always read crime/forensic thrillers and so it seemed only right that I should write in that genre. Having said that, we are also working on many other projects that cross genres.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Saffina: Hmmn, it hasn’t been too bad a process to get it onto Amazon and Smashwords, the hard part is getting people to read it!

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Saffina: It is pretty cool when you see your book on Amazon and on Kindle for the first time and the nicest part is getting a great review, you know that you have written something that someone has enjoyed reading then.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Saffina: Well, my co-author will say Enid Blyton and I have a hard time arguing with that. Her Magic faraway tree and the Wishing Chair series really do stick in my head from my youth. I mentioned before in a blog also that one of the first ‘proper’ mystery books I ever read was The Mystery of the crimson ghost by Phyllis A Whitney and that will stay with me always too.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Saffina: I have always written, right from being a child, but it was only really in the last two or three years that I believed I might actually be able to make a living out of it.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Saffina: That’s really a question for Mark, my co-writer, he did most of the research for Sugar & Spice, but the research for the third book in the series; Cold Blood, which is going to be about necrophilia should be interesting!

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Saffina: That’s easy. Equilibrium: First blood, which is due out in the autumn is ‘my baby’ and is something that I have worked on for some time. Although it is a million miles away from the original draft, it has been in my head and my heart for many years. I just love the characters, even though some of them are very dark, they have lived with me for so long now, that I know them inside out.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Saffina: Hey, I am still a novice myself! All I will say is, man up! It is a cut-throat, tough business and the competition is over-whelming. Do not expect an easy ride. Read, read some more and learn the basics of IT and social networking. Writing is very little to do with writing these days!

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Saffina: Plastic. And that may surprise you from a writer, but presently, I am a H&S manager in a plastics manufacturing facility, so I have to say that! ;-)

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Saffina: Steak!

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Saffina: Beach

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Saffina: Country

JET: Leather or Lace?

Saffina: Leather

JET: Angels or Demons?

Saffina: Demons!

JET: Paper or Digital?

Saffina: Digital – it’s the future

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Saffina: Cheesy all the way!

JET: Classic werewolf or Modern werewolf?

Saffina: Modern

JET: Dark chocolate or White chocolate?

Saffina: White

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Saffina: Well, we have just released the US edition of Sugar & Spice, so we have been working on that:

http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Spice-US-Thriller-ebook/dp/B004W0IJCU/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sugar-Spice-US-Thriller-ebook/dp/B004W0IJCU

The first book of the Rose Red crime series, Snow White is due out this summer and then Equilibrium should be coming to a Kindle/Nook near you in the Autumn. After that, a sequel to Sugar & Spice; Puppy Dogs’ tails and then who knows?

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Saffina Desforges and her work at the following places:

http://sugarandspicethenovel.com/ (all editions can be bought from Amazon & B&N here)

http://saffinadesforges.wordpress.com/

http://sapphicscribe.wordpress.com/

http://roseredtheinsidestory.com/

http://www.saffinadesforges.com/

Thanks for swinging in and reading a little about Saffina and her books. Next week I’ve got Manic Monday with Misty Parker on the 16th and then I am dishing it up with Tracey Alley on Friday the 20th. Don’t forget to comment on these as well as the places I’m visiting for a chance at the Hunting Season Blog Tour Giveaway!

Until next time,

Ciao.

JET

Welcome 2011

Welcome to the first Friday blog of 2011. I usually reserve the first Friday of the month to showcase my Backspace brethren releases, however, January seems to be quite a light month – well, non-existent actually – at least as far as the release dates on our internal forum calendar.


So, with the absence of information, I thought I’d showcase one of the authors I am having on my blog this month after a brief commentary on self-publishing.

Self publishing – taking the leap.

I’ve been reading Joe Konrath’s blog lately on self-publishing and I want to take a second to give my own voice to this debate. The one thing I want to stress to those thinking of taking this leap – get a decent editor, not just a proofreader – because, while occasional grammatical mistakes are annoying, they can be forgiven, but sloppy writing, inconsistent point of view, head hopping and the telling of a story cannot.

A good editor can point out excessive amount of back-story, or annoying head hopping or the fact that the pace is stunted by detailed descriptions riddled with clichés.  A good editor helps turn passive voice into an active, engaging voice.    

A good editor will point out the holes in your story, the places that need ironing out, things that work, things that don’t. They help you build a stronger, more solid foundation and push you to reach further, to capture the reader. Without this influence, the book doesn’t stand a chance.

If you can't afford a decent editor, find a good critique partner that isn't afraid of telling you like it is or a writers group that will offer both critiques and support.  This step in the process is essential to your growth as a writer and a chance to hone your craft. 

And on that note – speaking of critique partners… I’d like to take a moment to showcase a new writer whose first book – an urban fantasy - is coming out on January 25, 2011. Allison Pang and her book - A BRUSH OF DARKNESS.

I hooked up with Allison in one of Margie Lawson’s deep editing classes and I knew from the first assignment we swapped that this girl was going places. I had the pleasure of reading and offering feedback on A BRUSH OF DARKNESS before it had that title and let me tell you, even the rough draft kicked ass. Talk about god given talent. Allison will be swinging in on January 28th to talk a little more about her journey to publication, but in the meantime, here’s the description of A BRUSH OF DARKNESS:

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.


Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Thanks for swinging by today. Next week I have David Nelson Bradhser dishing it up about his unique book Vampire Sonnets and on the 21st I have award winning romance novelist Annette Blair dishing it up about some of her new projects as well as her Works Like Magick series.

Until next week,
Ciao
JET