Guest Author: Briana Vedsted

My guest today is Briana Vedsted, young author of over 25 YA and Western books! Please join me in reading about the lovely Miss Briana and all of her projects.

If you are interested in participating in the program, you can submit here.

Briana Vedsted

1.Tell us your name, and a link to where we can find you (blog, Facebook, etc).

My name is Briana Vedsted and my blog is: http://whenibecameanauthor.wordpress.com/ and I am also on Facebook.

2. How many books have you written? This can include both published and unpublished works. Describe each of them in 1-2 sentences apiece (if published, feel free to include the links as well).

I’ve written around twenty-five or more books, most of which will remained unpublished because they’re just too short and/or it would take too long to edit to re-write them. As for the ones I’ve published, here is how I would describe them:

The Untold Story of Margaret Hearts alias Maugrim Valletta– Rick, sheltered young Margaret falls in love with a boy her parents label a thief and runs away with him, only to be pursued by a man who’s loves her more than anyone knows, but she refuses to see his love and continues to run from him, until her boyfriend casts her out of his life, but when he returns, will Margaret dig deeply enough into her heart to realize she doesn’t love him anymore or will she leave him again? (Self-published)

The Night I walked off of Boot Hill– Barbados Tom woke up in a cemetery with no memory of who or where he is, but after careful thinking, decides he must be a ghost, after being sentenced to the gallows to pay for his life of crime. Then Tom stumbles upon young Jim and takes him in, hoping to redeem himself and get a shot at going to Heaven to be with his late wife. (Self-published)

Me and Billy the Kid– Angels Garther is Billy the Kid’s girlfriend, but when Pat Garrett shoots and nearly kills her, Billy is forced to leave her behind, and to Angel’s horror, it is Garrett that comes to her rescue. But Angel is not happy living with him in the city and longs to be back with Billy and their gang, but will Billy take her back after she lied to him? (This one is being published right now)

Here with the Wolves-A modern werewolf story about a Slayer named Ness who must one day take over her pack, but there’s a problem: she doesn’t want to be a Slayer. Her alpha, Kenneth, is doing everything he can to help her along, but until the day her newfound friend is killed by her rival, Ness considers spurning her birthright and fleeing for the city. (Not yet published)

The Kid– Three children are alone in this world with no one to turn to for help: they were kicked off their land after their parents were killed and are now forced to make a living for themselves with nothing but a gun and a lot of faith. (Not yet published)

Box Canyon-Noel McMasters and her brothers are forced to track down the men who shot their pa and stole their cattle, but the thing is, Ryker is one of the men responsible for the wicked deeds, and Noel is in love with him! But if she must choose between her family and her heart, what will she do? (Not yet published)    

3. Tell me a little bit about your current WIP.

 Right now I’m working on the second book in the modern day werewolf series. It follows Ness, as well as her little sister and best friend, as they go through all the trials and tribulations of being werewolf hunters (Slayers)

4. What does writing preparation look like for you? Do you do full outlines and character profiles, or do you just start with a general idea and write?

Most of the time I just sit down and start writing after being inspired by a dream or a song, and I just keep writing until more ideas come to me or I hit a dead end.

 

5. Editing is a challenge for many writers. Give us some of your tips for editing efficiently and well.

Um, give a copy of the manuscript to your mom or sister and tell them to have at it with a red pen?

6. Research is another challenge writer’s face, but is an important part of the writing process. What are some of your research tips?

 For the most part, Wikipedia is a big help for me. Since I write a lot of westerns, I always have to look up dates or wars or gold strikes or find pictures of women’s fashions in the 1800s.  

 

7. If you have been published (self or traditionally), what type of marketing did you find worked the best for you? What was the least helpful?

Right now I really can’t say. I recently self-published two novellas and have one novel being published thought a Vanity Press, so I really haven’t got into the marketing part yet, other than blogging, which so far has seemed to be fairly helpful.

8. What genre do you write in? What are some of the challenges to writing this particular genre well?

 I write all YA literature, and mostly westerns. The hardest part about writing westerns is there isn’t a very strong market for them.  

9. What advice would you give to a writer who is starting out?

Do a lot of research. Being an author isn’t as easy as it sounds. Look up the guidelines for submitting a manuscript to an agent, the odds of getting accepted by an agent, and the pros and cons of self-publishing. Writing is not something most people are going to be able to get rich doing (especially not if you’re just starting out). It is a labor of love. Follow your heart, but always have a fallback, just in case.

10. What are your writing, editing, marketing, and research goals for 2013?

 My goals for 2013 are: finish up Me and Billy the Kid and start promoting it to everyone I can think of, as well as doing some local book signings. My other goal is to find an agent to represent Here with the Wolves. So far this year I’ve queried five agencies and am just waiting to hear back from them.  

11. Pretend I am from a publishing house and you are looking for me to take on one of your books. Pitch it to me in 1-2 paragraphs.

 Here with the Wolves is a completed 73,000 word fictional novel set in the year 2016.

 Ness Vancouver is an alpha-to-be. But she hates the very idea of hunting wolves, even if they are vile creatures. Kenneth, her only friend and the pack’s brave leader, is trying to make Ness see her destiny is an honor; not a curse. Her alpha brothers struggle to reach their full potential, but cannot unless Ness embraces her birthright and joins them. And if Ness doesn’t hurry up and decide, one way or the other, the pack may fall to ruin on account of the looming battle between Ness’s pack and the enemy wolf pack. There is also the small matter of the hostage Ness rescued. He’s from a friendly, neighboring pack, but was captured and experimented on by the enemy. And to make maters worse, Ness’s little sister, Viv, has fallen in love with a wolf from the enemy tribe! Their love is strictly forbidden, and the young boy might be killed if Ness is unable to sway the pack favorably. So much responsibility and Ness is only nineteen. What is a girl to do? Why couldn’t she just have been born a human?

12. Finally, is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

 If you decide that writing is the career for you, start building your platform right away. Get an author page on Facebook, start a blog, and maybe write for a local paper. This will help people know that you are a writer and that you will have a book coming out sometimes in the near future.