Interview with Daniele Lanzarotta

www.danielelanzarotta.com

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I always loved writing, but never thought of it as a career, I mean, who is actually that lucky, right? One day about two years ago, I started writing fan-fictions, just for fun, then I moved on to my own stories and characters and that was it! It just became my addiction! The best part is that I’d always been one of those college students who couldn’t decide on a major because I like just about every subject, but through my characters I get to be a little of everything!

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

My road to publishing was a short and lucky one. One day I put something on my Facebook status about finishing up a novel that I had been working on. At that point I had just started to write my query letter. Who would have thought that among my Facebook friends, there was an agent! I ended up sending her a couple of chapters and from then on, things just started to happen, and happen fast! I ended up deciding on publishing through Rocket Science Productions and that was the best decision I could have made. I was able to participate in many decisions that I wasn’t expecting to, such as book cover ideas and just about the whole process really. The entire process was fun.

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

My latest novel is Imprinted Souls. Imprinted Souls is the first installment of the Imprinted Souls Series, which will be followed by Bloodlust, being released this November.

In Imprinted Souls, Alexis is a high school student who struggles in dealing with her soul mate’s death, and the constant dreams about him makes it even more difficult for her to let go. She meets the one who has a chance of pulling her out of that state of grief, but with that, comes the danger of being involved with a vampire and knowing way more about his world than any human should ever know.

I always get carried away when talking about it, but what I will say is that Imprinted Souls has a little bit of everything, drama, romance, comedy… and you will truly become attached to the characters.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

Other YA authors and their stories.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

I couldn’t have asked for a better family. My husband is not a very big fan of contemporary vampires. So when he read Imprinted Souls, liked it and asked to read the manuscript for the next one, I was thrilled! I’m not sure my daughter understands what is going on, she is only six years old, but she does tell me that she wants to read Imprinted Souls when she turns twelve (apparently that is the age when she thinks she will be able to do a lot of things…)

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

Chocolate!

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

Drink Mountain Dew (that is where my caffeine intake comes from), e-mail, and Facebook.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

You would be surprised to know that I won’t go into my attic. Never went in there, and don’t plan to. Attics and basements really freak me out!

From my closet you would be surprised to see how organized I am when it comes to clothes. Shoes in same size clear boxes, hangers about a half-inch apart from each other… Nuts, right?

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

It would definitely be black. It’s mysterious, elegant…

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Stewie, from Family Guy. He is hilarious!

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I honestly can’t think of any, but if you can come up with a sarcastic character, that speaks its mind… Oh, wait! Maybe a female version of Stewie!

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

I kind of like the here and now. Choosing a time in history would probably take me somewhere with no cell phones and no Internet access…. I just don’t think I could make it!

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

Music always takes my mind right where it needs to be when I’m writing. I select the type of music based on the character’s personalities. Some of my favorites while working on the Imprinted Souls Series include Flyleaf, Evenacence, and Linkin Park.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

I do have a few favorite T.V. shows, although I can never just sit and watch T.V. Usually I have my laptop, and I get completely sidetracked from whatever I’m watching, but a few of my favorite T.V. shows are Vampire Diaries and True Blood (see the trend?). There are a few movies that I can watch over, and over and over! Taken, Law Abiding Citizen, Eclipse, and Hangover. Last movie seen at the theater was Despicable Me.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

As cliché as it may sound; you can really be anything that you set your mind to.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

I’ve been working on the remaining installments of the Imprinted Souls Series: Bloodlust, which is the second installment of the series, is coming out this November. I just can’t wait to share it with everyone. Bloodlust is very intense, full of twists, and you may just come across a very unique kind of paranormal introduced to the series.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!