10Q Tuesday with Casea Major!

 How did you start your writing career?

I started writing fiction last November.  I read Alison Croggon's Pellinor Series, which I adored, but I was unsatisfied with the ending and the lack of an answer to one particularly burning question.  So I wrote an answer and a supplemental ending and posted it to a fan fiction site.  The story has become the best liked fan fiction story for the Pellinor series, and the author herself even praised it.  The reception of that piece, and the encouragement from Alison inspired me and within two months, I'd completed my first full-length fantasy romance, The Implanting.

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

My favorite character is the divinely inspired Petra, a blonde-haired, brown-eyed nobleman in the mystical land of Jastain.  His Gift of Implanting includes diplomacy, animal speak, and the taming of wild beasts – which makes him the perfect match for the feral pirate, Charlee.  He's unassuming, lighthearted, and a man of exceptional quality and character.  I call him my Mary Poppins "practically perfect in every way", which oddly enough is what seems to get him into trouble.  He was rejected by the heroine in The Implanting but finds his Happily Ever After in The Pirate Princess.

Does travel play in the writing of your books?

Travel does play a big part in my stories, but not the kind you might think.  I love time-travel and travel to fantasy worlds.  Jastain is a world I created with mystical creatures and magic.  I have a map, a language based heavily on Latin, and various forms of art to round out culture.  Technologically, it’s a medieval world that's been dubbed the land of rainbows and renaissance.

Tell us about your current release.

I have a current release with New Dawning International Bookfair, Pinocchio Syndrome.  It's a humorous erotic take on the Italian fairytale, kind of like Pinocchio meets the Sopranos.  I've never laughed so hard as I did writing that story.

Tell us about your next release.

My next release is a 1NS story titled One Knight in Brooklyn.  It's loosely based on Robin Hood.  Sick of trying to find Mr. Right in a world of Mr. Right Now, Marianne seeks the services of Madame Eve to introduce her to a romantic knight who will sweep her off her feet.  But what she gets is Robert, a crass car salesman from Brooklyn and a zany adventure in Sherwood Forest.

How do you describe your writing style?

My writing style depends on the voice of the character I'm writing.  But my innate style is formal and elegant with an old world feel.  I have at times been described as 'purple' but I love epic, sweeping romantic scenes that make you sigh.

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

Since November, I write, critique, or read anywhere from 12-15 hours a day, seven days a week.  It's a compulsion I can't control.  I recently went to Disney World for five days and didn't touch a computer.  I enjoyed the time with my kids, but it almost killed me and that was the first time since Easter I'd spent a whole day off the computer.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

Finding a critique group and strong critique partners is the foremost reason for my dramatic growth as a writer in such a short time.  My crit group is the best in the world, and two (make that three as of last week) of my strongest crit partners are Decadent authors.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

Plotter? Hahahaha!  My husband thinks it's the funniest thing when I say, "Oh, I have to finish writing my story so I can see what happens."

Boxers or Briefs?

It depends on the man.

Thanks for sharing your time with me.  Please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by.

You can find out more about me and my books at Major Romance Blog Spot or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CaseaMajor.