Interview of Cambria Hebert

Hey Lovelies!
So I've posted a few reviews lately, one being the great short story Before by Cambria Hebert!  Before again is the short story is the prequel to her debuting book Masquerade that is coming out next month!  Everyone should stay alert looking for this upcoming book!  Now I have an interview of the awsome Cambria, who is a writer, book reviewer, she is one of the hosts for Journal Jabber radio show, mother, mother of two, she is a superhero who I don't know when she sleeps!  You can check out her blog on the side of my screen over there which may I add you should totally start stalking!  Now for the interview!
~Ottilie

Interview Questions with Ottilie Weber
1. How did you come up with Masquerade?
I wanted to write a story about a girl who was disfigured. About a girl who was so self conscious about the way she looked and she hurt inside and out. Then I started to wonder how she got her scars…and that was how Masquerade was born.

2. Did you always plan on the prequel Before, or was that an idea after you wrote Masquerade?
I hadn’t planned on Before. My publisher actually approached me with that idea as a way to get people excited for Masquerade.

3. Do you use your dreams as ideas for your writings?
Absolutely. I have an unpublished series (its about werewolves, lol) and it all started because of a dream.

4. Did you always want to be a writer?
I think I always had an interest in writing. I wrote a lot as a teenager but I never really discovered that writing was it for me until about 6 years ago. Up until then I think it had just been a dream. Then one day I decided that maybe it didn’t have to be a dream if I worked hard enough to achieve it.

5. Heven is a different name, was there a particular reason you picked it?
My friend, Christy has a daughter named Heven so that’s where I heard the name. But I used it because it really fits the character and fits well into the story of the book.

6. Is there a sequel for Masquerade in the works?
Yes! Charade is book two in the Heven and Hell series. It is written already but needs some editing and polishing. I also have the third book written and am currently working on the fourth and final book.

7. Does your family read your manuscripts before they are published or you making them wait?
I have a group of friends that read everything I write. My husband reads some of what I have written (not all) but my other family members haven’t read my books yet.

8. Before and Masquerade were both done by the lovely Mae I Design, did you have a hand in designing the cover while it was being made? Did you have ideas of what you wanted the covers to look like?
Regina was very easy to work with. I did have an idea of what I wanted but nothing concrete. She basically found some photos of what she thought would be good and I really liked one that I saw. The copyright issues for that picture worried me, because I wanted to use the images for t-shirts and such so Regina decided to custom make the cover. She got a model and make up artist and then she took the photograph for Masquerade and then edited and did the art work with the title and the back cover. For the cover of Before Regina took that photo as well and I just told her the look I was after. The cover for Whiteout (which is fabulous) was a little different. I gave Regina the story to read and then told her to design whatever she wanted. All I said was I wanted some snow. She did that design on her own and its one of my favorites!

9. Were you a cheerleader like Heven was?
LOL! I actually was not. But almost all my friends were cheerleaders.

10. You have a thing for werewolves, where did the love for these furry beasts come from?
I really have no idea. Ha Ha! There’s just something about them that I really love. A few years ago when vampires burst onto the scene I just remember thinking to myself “whats the big deal about a vampire? I would so much rather read about a werewolf!” LOL. Now don’t get me wrong the vampire stories are cool too but a man that can completely transform his body into something so primal and powerful? Sign me up for some of that.

11. Do you make outlines when you write, or do you just dive in?
I dive in! If I wrote from an outline I would feel trapped by a plan that I told myself to stick to. My characters like to do crazy stuff without telling me about it so I just go along with it. I think I write better when I just kind of fly by the seat of my pants! I do write notes though. Of ideas I have and things I want to add in. I write them in notebooks, napkins, receipts…. Whatever is near me at the moment.  
      
12. You have a great love for Starbucks, what is your favorite drink there?
Oh, that’s a hard one!!! I get excited every year for the Pumpkin Spice Latte in the fall…. So good…. But my usual drink is either a skinny caramel latte or a skinny caramel macchiato. I don’t get whip on them either. I have to fit in my pants. Lol.


13. Out of all the books you have read over the years what character would you like to meet?
Wow! That’s a great one too. There are SO many that I could name but the first name that popped into my head when I read this was Nick from the Need Series (Carrie Jones). Yup, he’s a werewolf. I really loved reading him. He’s strong and protective, has a lot of values and is loyal to his friends. He drives a car that is cool but I never saw a werewolf driving – so I like the juxtaposition of that. And of course, he’s hot.

14. What is your favorite part about writing?
Creating characters and giving their stories life. I also like the feeling I get while I am writing and really into the story. It’s like everything around me falls away and I am in the story.

15. What was your response to getting the acceptance letter from your publisher?
Well, I had an idea I might be getting an offer because Lynn at Otherworld emailed and asked me if I was still interested in publishing. It had been about 6 months since I had submitted to them. I told her yes then hit refresh on my email every 5 seconds for like two days. LOL! When the offer came I burst into tears.

16. What is the hardest part about writing for you?
Right now its finding time to write! I have been busy promoting. When I am writing its just making sure I get everything in the story that I want to and making sure there isn’t a lot of “down time” I want to keep things interesting.

17. What is your favorite dessert?
Homemade cinnamon rolls.
Thanks for having me by today for an interview! It was fun!!