Authors In The Limelight: Natalie Star

I want to thank and welcome author, Natalie Star for sharing her personal writing journey with us on my blog today. Her featured book, The Keeper, can be purchased from Amazon, and other on-line bookstores.

 How long have you been writing, Natalie?

Not as long as most, I started writing two years ago. Writing was never something I aspired to do. I wrote my debut story, The Keeper just to see if I could. It was a personal challenge. As the story came to me I remember thinking “Hey, this is pretty good, I would buy this.” And so my journey began.

Two years ago? Wow, you’ve come a long way in such a short period of time! Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write The Keeper?
It all started with a dream. I woke up really freaked out, and it stuck with me for days. I couldn’t shake it. I kept thinking about it, and decided to write it down.I’ve heard people say, if you write down what’s on your mind, you can deal with it better. After writing it out and reading it back, I decided to keep on going with what might have happened next. The dream is what fueled my idea for the story, and is part of the prologue in The Keeper.

What sets The Keeper apart from other books in the same genre?
The Keeper is a young adult paranormal romance, and there are a lot of those around.
I kept that in mind while writing, because I wanted it to be different. One key point in
feedback from the story, states how different and welcoming it is in a world of typical
paranormal creatures such as, vampires, were’s, angels, and ghosts. There are none of
those in The Keeper.

As an author, Natalie, what is your writing process?
Some may refer to me as a Panster. I get an idea in my head, and I write by the seat of my pants. I did stop half way through The Keeper and wrote a very brief outline to keep me on track. The Keeper is a complex story with a lot of twists and turns, and I wantedo be sure and give them all closure by the end of the story.

My writer’s cave consists of; a big comfy chair, total silence and dim lighting. This way I can hear the voices in my head better.

How long did it take for you to start and finish The Keeper?
From the first typed word days after my dream, to the last word, it took me
approximately six months.

Do you have any advice for other writers, Natalie?
Sure, first I would say, read, read, read, and read, and then read some more. Write
every day, no matter what the topic, or how long. Remember, no one has to see it, so
write anything. And who knows? This simple exercise may turn out to be something
wonderful.

What’s next for Natalie Star the author?
Before I finished The Keeper, my characters let me know that I wasn’t finished with
them yet. They kept nagging at me until I started the next story. There will also be a
third and final Keeper story if it all works out.

I also have a novella that I started writing in November for NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month) I plan on finishing that up when I am done with The Keeper stories.

Sounds like a great plan! Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series – If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?
Egypt! Back when Cleopatra was alive. I LOVE all things Egyptian. I even took a
weeklong vacation in Egypt and that didn’t squelch that. If anything it fueled my
fascination more. It is a beautiful, fascinating place. Seeing it in person was far more
than I could have ever imagined – The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Nile River, the
Sphinx, and Luxor. There are so many grand things there that can never compare to
anywhere else in the world.

Sharon, thanks so much for having me! Your questions were a lot of fun!

Book blurb:
The Keeper, by Natalie Star

The morning of her sixteenth birthday, Billie feels blessed despite the reoccurring nightmare that wakes her. Loving parents, a caring boyfriend, and great friends surround her until an heirloom necklace throws her into a world she never imagined.
“Gifted” with supernatural powers and an unexpected destiny as the Keeper, Billie and a mysterious boy from her past must work together to find answers. But, as they begin to discover feelings for one another, he disappears leaving her to fight evil alone. Her life spirals out of control. She breaks up with her boyfriend, Tony, and alienates her best friends Arianna and Jocelyn to protect them from the truth.

As dark forces pursue her, Billie longs to run away from it all, yet a need to do what’s right compels her to face the future as the keeper of more than her own fortune.

Check out my blog for online purchase sites:

http://authornataliestar.blogspot.com/2012/01/keeper-where-can-you-find-it.html

The Keeper is currently only available in eBook format.

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8x0K05MHWA

http://www.authornataliestar.com

http://authornataliestar.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/#!/iamjustnatalie

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5424878.Natalie_Star

 Three years ago if you told me one day I would love to read and write, I would have told you, you were crazy-out-of-your-mind. Since then I have read 150+ books and written two complete novels (one being The Keeper), and I have 3 more in the works. When I'm not reading or writing, I can be found with my husband supporting my two children on the soccer fields. Or maybe running around with my camera taking photos while camping and/or hiking. Or lastly, and most probable I'm watching movies on Netflix while simultaneously perusing Facebook.

Our family resides in the state of Virginia along with our old-unintelligent-diabetic cat named Lucky.