October is upon us and that means it's the season for ghosts, goblins, and, of course, witches, to make an appearance. My guest today in My Writing Corner, is Chelsey M. Ortega who bring us her new book that's very appropriate to the season called Bondwitch. Before we learn more about her book, let's learn more about Chelsey.
Chelsey, what do you enjoy about being an author?
Writing what I want to read. I live by that advice, and it makes editing so enjoyable. My husband and I read together, and I can’t wait to finish the book we are on so that I can read Bondwitch with him.
What do you find is the most challenging part of being an author?
The dreaded marketing. A lot of recommended techniques are outside of my comfort zone, and once I feel like I get something down, a new thing is being recommended. But it’s okay. I’m learning a lot and am slowly finding what works for me.
Tell us about your road to publication.
If I hadn’t been willing to ask a simple question, I would not be here. I queried TWRP first, and received a partial request. After that, they said they couldn’t continue with me because my writing needed improvement. Luckily for me, they told me exactly where and how I needed to improve. I spent the next four months working on my craft and fixed my manuscript (and still querying other publishers, just in case). I emailed TWRP again and asked if they would be willing to accept a resubmission. They said that they normllally don’t, but made an exception and invited me to send over the first three chapters again. That turned into a full request, and that turned into an offer of contract! Moral of my story: always ask. The worst they can do is say no.
Tell us about your book and how you came up with the idea to write it?
Yesterday, my debut novel was released. Bondwitch follows teen-witch, Annamaria, as her powers are unlocked, her magical education begins, and she attempts to straddle both worlds. A friend drama, a budding romance, and battles against historic enemies will turn her world upside down.
Bondwitch came together from several different angles. The first being that I always wished that the Twilight series had witches in it. There’s a line in Eclipse where Bella and Edward are arguing about werewolves and Bella says something like, “And if Angela’s a witch, she can join the party, too.” My 17-year-old heart really wanted that to be a foreshadowing line, but sadly, it wasn’t. When I sat down to write Bondwitch, I wasn’t consciously trying to rewrite Twilight, but I do think that it subconsciously influenced my plot and world building.
The second big inspiration was a dream I had about a teenage girl coming home from a school function late at night, and her house had been taken over by vampires. I thought that made an intriguing scene and asked myself, “Why would they want her and her house in the first place?” Which led to an entire plot and world. Now, when you read the book, that scene is not there at all. I ended up making a ton of changes after my first draft, and the final product became a completely different story. But that one scene led to an entire world.
Let's get a blurb:
Forced to flee her childhood home without a proper goodbye to her human life and first love, Annamaria immerses herself in the magical world. New friends and a new suitor challenge her original dreams for the future, and when she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries-old conflict, Annamaria must decide to rise above it or give in to the darkness.
How about an excerpt:
“Annamaria… Prom Queen… Congratulations.”
“Uh…thanks.” Anna grunted as she tried to shove away from him.
“My Senior Prom was pretty amazing too.” His eyes darkened. “But my senior year didn’t end so well. Hopefully, yours is better.”
Anna stopped trying to push him away and looked up at him. He was older, which must be why Anna didn’t recognize him. Their eyes met, and Anna froze as his pupils expanded until they almost covered his brown irises. The surrounding volume lowered, and the music became fuzzy. Anna swayed, and her fear disappeared. Her surroundings were a blur save this handsome man. This man who held her desire in his hand. He was the only thing that mattered. Obeying him was the only thing she wanted.
“Let’s leave,” he whispered. Goosebumps erupted along Anna’s cheek and neck. “Come with me.” They stopped dancing, and he gripped Anna’s hand and led her toward the exit.
How do you come up with your plots?
So many different forms of inspiration find their way to me. Whatever I think is missing in a trope or genre that I love, I ask myself how would I put that missing piece into a story. Which swings back around to writing what I love to read. Or, like what happened with Bondwitch, a single scene comes to mind, and I build a plot and world around it. I have a lot of unfinished stories that I can’t wait to finish and get out there.
What’s your next project?
Right now I am in the process of editing the sequel, Bondwitch: Hybrid. My manuscript is currently in the hands of beta readers, so while I wait for feedback, I’m writing the first draft of the third book, Bondwitch: Liberation. I’m really excited for the continuation of Annamaria’s story.
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894193?ean=9781509251940
Thank you, Chelsey, for being my guest today. Any comments or questions for her?
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Thank you so much for hosting me! I enjoyed the interview.
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