Author Spotlight--Angelia Almos

Angelia Almos

Angelia formed a lifelong passion for horses at the age of five when she first convinced her parents to let her take riding lessons. She often combines her two passions, writing and horses, which is why a lot of her writing projects have a horse angle to them.

Angelia has been writing off and on since her teens. In the early years, she often quit out of frustration or took a break. But the characters would always return demanding their stories be told.

She actively studies the craft of writing through self-study and courses. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Arts: Creative Writing from Charter Oak State College, and taking courses from the Institute of Children’s Literature, Long Ridge Writers Group, and the University of California, Los Angeles—Extension Screenwriter’s Certification Program.

Angelia lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her hubby, two daughters. two dogs, two cats, and one pony (thinking she needs another one to bump the number up to two).

~Hi, Angelia! Some writers set aside a special place to work, and others write
wherever they can prop their laptop or a piece of paper. Where do you
do your writing?

I do have an office space to write, but rarely write in there due to it being the coldest room in the house. I prefer the living/dining room. I'm usually writing at either the kitchen table or in one of the recliners. I can also take my laptop outside the house to kids' activities or other places should I need to.

~Who is your favorite character that you've created? Why?

I don't think I really have a favorite character. Every character is special in his or her own way. Usually, my favorite character is whoever I am writing at the moment. I will say some characters are more upfront with me and demand to tell their stories. That's always nice as it makes my job easier. Alexander from The Beast's Redemption and Herrick from Unicorn Keep (not out yet) are two heroes which demanded their stories be told and didn't hold anything back. Other characters are more difficult and reveal things to me slowly, but I adore them all otherwise I wouldn't want to tell their stories.

~Tell us about your muse.

She only comes when she feels I am being diligent with my writing. If I'm slacking she goes on vacation. So, the harder I work the more she helps me out.

~What have you had to learn/unlearn (about yourself or the way you
work) to become a good writer?

Wow, I think a lot on both learning and unlearning. Learning to trust in my voice has been a difficult journey, but is something I am actively working on this year. Figuring out what way I work best has also been a challenge. I tend to be a pantser for the first draft and when I trust in the process the books flow, but when I start to worry about where the story is going I start struggling more with the book. I refine and fill in plot holes with editing, but I also can't edit too much. It's a fine line I walk on the editing part as I will reach a point where I can not work on a project any longer and I have to trust that it is done and the way it is supposed to be. I'm better at trusting that gut instinct of being done than I used to be.

~What would you say is your biggest challenge as a writer?

Keeping the internal editor at bay. I have to be very conscious to not let the audience in when I'm writing as it stops me cold.

~What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Taking the initiative to indie publish my books. The first book was a leap of faith and pretty scary. But I love it now.  
***Note--Angelia is running a self-publishing tutorial called, Fun With Indie Publishing, on her blog.***

~Tell us where we can find your work.
My books are at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and many other e-retailers. You can find direct links at my websites http://www.angeliaalmos.com/ and http://www.angiederek.com/

~Thank you so much for sharing with us, Angelia!   

Thanks for having me visit, Denise. It's been fun.

I bet you're all thinking, "I'd like to read one of Angelia's books!" Well, today is your lucky day (for one of you, anyway!) Angelia has offered a selection of her e-books. One lucky commenter will get their choice of book to download to PC or e-reader. Here are the selections:

 

Please keep in mind that "The Beast's Redemption" is only available in pdf form, but the others are available in pdf, epub, mobi, lrf, or pdb.

All you have to do is post a quick comment and be sure to let us know which book title strikes your fancy. Next Monday, the 19th, I will announce a winner, and Angelia will contact you to claim your free e-book. Ooh! I love giveaways, don't you? Good luck!