Dorothy Dreyer has always believed in magic. She loves reading, writing, movies, take-out, chocolate, and spending time with her family and friends. Half-American and half-Filipino, Dorothy lives in Germany with her husband and two children. She also tends to sing, so keep her away from your karaoke bars.
Time to chat with Dorothy!
What is your latest book?
My Sister’s Reaper releases May 29th. It’s my debut novel and is in the genre young adult urban fantasy/paranormal.
Here’s the blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.
When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.
Is your recent book part of a series?
Yes! The second book in the series comes out in May, 2014.
How often do your characters surprise you by doing or saying something totally unexpected?
It’s funny, but when I start to write dialogue, my characters suddenly become snarky or witty. I don’t know where that comes from. Maybe I’ve been suppressing something, lol.
Is it important for you to know the ending of a book before you write it? The title?
The title usually comes to me at some point between starting the book and the first few chapters. But I don’t fixate myself on the title, because I know this could easily change at the hand of my editor or publisher. The ending is important for me to know, however. I need direction. And if I don’t know where I’m going, I can’t take the first step.
Some writers edit excessively as they write; others wait until a novel is finished to do the bulk of the editing. How about you?
This is something that has changed as I’ve gotten into the business. I used to just draft a novel and push forward, full steam ahead, without looking back until I got to the end. But now that I’ve been doing revisions with my editors and I know what they look for and have learned how to better formulate my prose, I tend to revise as I go along. The downside to this is it now takes me much longer to turn out a book.
Do you have any advice for first-time authors?
Read! That’s my number one advice. Know what’s out there and learn from it. My second piece of advice is: Never give up!
Do you allow others to read your work in progress, or do you keep it a secret until you’ve finished your first draft? Can you elaborate?
I have two people I trust with my work as I go along. The first is my crit partner, who is also my pub sister and co-blogger, Elizabeth Holloway. She’s a critique ninja and I’m so glad I have her drop-kicking my chapters into shape. The second is a very dear friend of mine, Sarah Howell, who never says no to reading my work. She works for an editor and has a degree in English Lit, so I really trust her judgment.
We all know the old saying; you can’t judge a book by its cover. This is true. However, how much importance do you place on your book cover design?
I have to admit, a book cover can make or break a purchase for me. I love gorgeous, inviting covers, and having that eye candy on my book shelf is a thrill. I am very pleased with my book cover. The designer who created it makes just beautiful art.
What are the most important traits you look for in a friend?
Honesty. A sense of humor. And someone who doesn’t judge other people or see the negative side of everything.
Care to brag about your family?
What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t brag about my kids?
My fourteen-year-old daughter is an up-and-coming talent. She’s been in theater school for almost seven years now, had a role in a musical, was cast in a Siemens ad campaign, and interned at the state opera house. Her performance group has put on shows all over Germany. She’s an amazing singer and has plans to start her own YouTube channel. She also writes on the side, which I’m pretty stoked about.
My twelve-year-old son, whose main hobby is playing video games, is an awesome guitarist. It gives me chills when he plays, and I think it’s awesome that he loves making music in this way. He wants to form a band one day and also give guitar lessons when he’s older.
If you could have one skill that you don’t currently have, what would it be?
Photography. I take blurry pictures. I don’t know why. I think my hands shake too much, lol. Or maybe I’m just cursed. I would love to be able to set up an awesome shot and make it turn out like art.
What’s your favorite film of all times?
I’m going to have to say Moulin Rouge, though many films come in close to this one. I love everything about Moulin Rouge, from the music, the comedy, and of course Ewan McGregor.
CONNECT WITH DOROTHY
Amazon.com link coming this spring!