Rachel Vincent

In case anyone didn’t see my super-excited, I-finished-it post, I finished the rough draft of MY SOUL TO SAVE yesterday. Up for today are the copy edit questions my editor sent for Pride.

And last night, revisions for Prey came in. Yes, my editor works late. And yes, the revisions are… many. But I expected that. Prey was very difficult to write, and I’m really looking forward to digging back into it with such strong guidance. That’s the best part about having an editor. She gives me confidence that by the time the book comes out, it will shine. ;-)

I'm taking the weekend off, and will start the revisions on Monday.

Now, I have something special here today! I interviewed my friend Jocelynn Drake, just for you guys, so you can get to know her before her debut novel, Nightwalker, hits the shelf at the end of this month. And if you haven’t entered to win her very last ARC, click here for details…!

Rachel: Jocelynn, how did you decide to write about vampires? Was it a conscious decision, or are you just drawn to them?

Jocelynn: I’ve always loved vampires. There are so many wonderfully dark directions you can take them in both physically and psychologically. For me, it wasn’t so much about making a conscious decision to write about vampires, but waiting until I was sure that I had something different to say in an already crowded genre.

Rachel: Is your family excited about your upcoming debut? Do they support your career? Have they been following the process?

Jocelynn: My family has been very supportive of my writing career and is absolutely ecstatic about the upcoming release. They have closely followed the process of getting the book to the shelves and are anxiously awaiting their chance to read the second book in the series now that I have it nearly completed. What’s more, my brother has been the driving force behind designing and updating my website. I don’t think I would have stayed sane through the whole process if my family weren’t right behind me.

Rachel: What’s been your favorite part of the path toward publication? Any “squee!” moments so far?

Jocelynn: Definite “squee” moments include when I saw my cover for the first time and when I received my ARCs. There’s something about holding a bound copy of your work for the first time that makes it all seem real at long last. However, the ultimate moment and my favorite was when I got the call that I got a contract offer from the editor I had been hoping for. I had been at work at the time. My knees turned to jelly and I started crying. It had been a long road to finally getting that offer and I will never forget that wonderful moment.

Rachel: Tell us about your day job? What is your average day like? Is it true you’ve been on TV? ;-)

Jocelynn: I am a stock market analyst and editor for an investment research firm. My average day includes researching various stocks and sectors, writing articles, editing other articles that are posted to the website, handling media interviews, and shooting videos. I have been on TV a few times in the past and I average at least 2 radio interviews each month.

Rachel: What’s your writing schedule like?

Jocelynn: Because of my day job, my writing schedule during the week is limited to 2-3 hours each night after I get home from work. This also includes catching up on emails, requests from my publisher, and blogging. Over the weekend, I average a total of about 8-16 hours. This is mostly editing and working on the next book.

Rachel: What do you do to relax? When you hit a creative brick wall?

Jocelynn: Relax? It’s been a long time since I got to do something like that. Sleep. Sleep is a really nice thing. I am also an avid video game player. I love the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. I am also addicted to the Final Fantasy and the Kingdom Hearts series.

Rachel: Let’s talk about your fabulous hair! Are you a natural redhead? And those curls? They’re real too?

Jocelynn: Thanks! Yes, I am a natural redhead and all the curls are real. I get the color and the curl from my father and his side of the family.

Rachel: And the most important question of all… What’s the best way to have chocolate? ;-)

Jocelynn: Is there a best way to have chocolate? I’ll take chocolate in any form at any time. I love hot chocolate, cold chocolate, bricks of chocolate, and little morsels of chocolate. One of my favorites and greatest weaknesses would be chocolate mixed with peanut butter. Mmmmm… heaven.

Thanks, Jocelynn!

Don't forget to check back in tomorrow to see if you won the ARC of Nightwalker!