...read all about her !!
Please help me welcome Author Zoe Archer, Zoe can you tell us a little about yourself?
My mom taught me to read when I was four, and I haven’t stopped since. A friend of mine in high school introduced me to the world of romance, and while I loved the genre, I didn’t love how the power dynamic between the couple was always weighted toward the hero. They say to write the book you want to read, so I started writing romances with heroines just as kick-ass as the heroes.
On a more personal note, I was born in New York but grew up in Southern California, then went to undergrad and graduate school both in California and Iowa. Now I’m back in Southern California, where I live with my husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso. He and I created the world of the Ether Chronicles together and switched off writing the books in the series.
What did you want to be when you were growing up or did you always want to be a writer?
Pretty much from the get-go I wrote, but I was also really into visual arts, and toyed with a career as a book illustrator for a while, as well as costume designer. I’d also kicked around the idea of being a dramaturg or an academic specializing in the 18th century, but it always came back to writing.
When did you first start writing?
About 10 minutes after I learned to read. Typical writer’s ego to hear a story and think, “I can do that!”
What is a typical writing day like for you?
I’m lucky enough to write full time, so I set my alarm, get up, have coffee, and get to work. Then it’s a break for lunch and errands, then back to work. If I’m feeling virtuous, I work out somewhere in all that. But I’m not always virtuous.
Do you have any specific routine you follow or specific items you need with you when you write?
I like to have headphones and music to help me block out the leaf blowers and other distractions.
What is your favorite part of writing? Is there anything you don’t like about being a writer?
I like telling stories and traveling to places and doing things that I could never do in real life. But writing is a lonely and precarious business. If you want job security, look elsewhere.
What is your favorite length of book to write? (Short story, novella, full length novel) Why?
At my MFA program, they kept pushing us to write short stories, but it was only afterward that I realized I liked writing novel length pieces best. I get to really dig in and create mood, setting, as well as develop character. Shorter lengths can be fun, too, though I find them a little more challenging.
How does your family feel about your writing and you being an author?
They’re very proud. I’m really lucky to have so much support.
Is there a to-be-read waiting on your bedside table?
Too many to count!
Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite 5
- Favorite Holiday: I used to love dressing up for Halloween. It’s been a while since then, though. Now a holiday is any day I can eat chocolate.
- Favorite Drink: Root beer
- Favorite Author: Non romance: Michael Ondaatje. Romance: Julie Anne Long.
- Favorite Book: Non romance: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. Romance: Bliss, by Judy Cuevas (Judith Ivory)
- Favorite Animal: Given that, as I type this, one of my cats is on my lap and pinning my arm to my leg, I’m going to go with cats.
And for a bonus: What is a typical mood for you? And is your mood different when you’re writing?
Pensive, which is fairly consistent.
Where can our readers find you??
Email: zoe@zoearcherbooks.com
Twitter: @Zoe_Archer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoe.archer1
Website/blog: http://zoearcherbooks.com
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Zoe-Archer/e/B001KI6ETM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90866
Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
I’m very excited about my latest release, a steampunk romance SKIES OF GOLD: THE ETHER CHRONICLES. You can find it at any digital book retailer and also as a POD through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, &c.
Skies of Fire: The Ether Chronicles
Two Lonely Hearts…
Kalindi MacNeil survived the devastating enemy airship attack that obliterated Liverpool, but even her engineering skills can’t seem to repair her broken heart. Seeking to put her life back together, Kali retreats to a desolate, deserted island—only to discover she’s not alone. Captain Fletcher Adams, an elite man/machine hybrid, a Man O’ War, crashed his battle-damaged airship into this deserted island after Liverpool, never expecting to survive the wreck. But survive he did.
One Desire…
Believing he is nothing but a living weapon, Fletcher is wary of his new-found companion—a pretty, damaged, but determined young woman. Together they are stranded on the deserted island, and it is only a matter of time until desire gets the best of both of them. Soon Kali and Fletcher find they may be just what the other needed. But a danger from beyond the island puts them to the test. Will it rip them apart or bond their hearts forever?
******
One last thing before you leave us today. Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)
- 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups chocolate chips; or a combination of different flavored chips, or chips and nuts
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2) Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar. Add the salt and vanilla, stirring until well combined.
3) Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl midway through this process.
4) Add the baking powder and flour, stirring to combine.
5) Stir in the chips or other additions of your choice. [I like to add toffee chips-Z.]
6) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges with a wet spatula (or your wet fingers). Smooth the top as best you can.
7) Bake the bars for 30 to 32 minutes, until they've risen, and their top is shiny and golden. A cake tester inserted into the center won't come out clean; in fact, the center of the very middle of the pan may look quite molten when you dig into it. But so long as no wet batter is showing farther out towards the edges, the bars are done. As they cool, the center will solidify.
8) Remove the bars from the oven. Let the bars cool before cutting. Once bars are cool, wrap airtight. Store wrapped bars at room temperature for a couple of days.
Yield: 2 dozen bars.*****
Zoe it was a great pleasure for you to share a little bit of yourself and Skies of Gold with us :) I'm also excited for the great cookie bars recipe. My kids will love you!
Readers, make sure you take the time to go search out this book !
Until next time, Happy Reading
Krista
Thank you for hosting today! And those CC Cookie Bars sound YUMMY!!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. I love your stories, Zoe. Must go order S of G. I'm ignoring the recipe...will not look! : )
ReplyDeleteDoooo it, Robena!
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