Interview with Author Pura Preis

I am pleased to welcome author Pura Preis to my blog!

Pura Preis has been professionally writing since 2009. Born and mostly raised in California, she has grown up in a single parent home and is currently living in the Central Valley. Pura has lived a hard life and learned some hard lessons. She chooses to focus on the positive things life brings and finds much of that in her three teenage children and husband. Writing most of her life for fun, she was finally was able to enter college in 2007. She received her B.A. in English Literature. She transferred to Grand Canyon University in 2009 where she has been able to focus completely on working towards her degree.  In 2010, Pura self- published the first book in a YA paranormal series titled, Wanted Nightmares: Battle for Love. She now hopes to publish the entire series and obtain a Masters degree in English Lit.

~THE WANTED NIGHTMARES SERIES~

BOOK ONE

Living among vampires all her life, the life that she remembers, Amaya is shocked that her boyfriend has decided to make the change to a full-fledged vampire. Her father agrees with Thomas’ decision and he refuses to help Amaya in her plight to change Thomas' mind. Amaya does not want to face the pain and bloodlust that goes along with Thomas' change. But, most of all, the ending on their relationship. 

As Amaya runs from her home, all she can think of is being with the man she loves and why her father is betraying his only daughter. Soon she realizes that everything she knows is a lie. She is much more than just a girl. Amaya now believes,

SHE HAS CREATED VAMPIRES... 

BOOK TWO

Amaya has no choice but to do as she is told, 

KILL THEM ALL.

Amaya is Autumn Rose reincarnated, someone she is not certain she wants to be. Autumn is a powerful Immortal that has created the vampire race. Vincent is after her blood, Autumn is after her life, Matt is after her heart, and she can’t stop anyone. What can she do but take on Autumn’s identity.

Thomas is on a hunt for the real Autumn. He wants her dead. He can't let Amaya pay for what Autumn has done. Can he find a balance between his love for Amaya and his hate for Autumn? Can he handle the truth?  Most importantly, 

CAN THOMAS SAVE AMAYA?

~INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR~

Q. What gave you your start as a writer?
A. I have always loved writing, when I was young I loved to listen to rock music, 80's rock. I would write songs and then it turned into poems, short, stories and now novels.

Q. Were you a reader growing up? If so, what was your favorite character?
A. I love to read. As social as I was, if I found a book I wanted to read, I could not be found until the book was done. I started reading romance novels when I was nine. My auntie always read them so when she visited she brought them to me. I still have my first romance novel today, Raptures Rainbow by Toni Gardner. I loved both lead characters but both of them have always affected me. Travis, a too sexy to be a captain, was bold, forward and perfect, and then there is Jenny, totally innocent until the right time.

Q. Do your life experiences influence your writing style?
A. Very much so, I do believe that any writer should say yes to this question. Wanted Nightmares is based on my daughter, who is anti social and scared of life, but allows to be lead. Wanted is based on her struggles to break free from her insecurities and become the awesome person I know she can be. My next up and coming novel is called Heartache of Friendship, which is based on my other daughter's bout with bullying.

Q. Why have you chosen to write YA?
A. I feel it chose me. I was never into YA when I was a young. When I started writing I had heard a out a new book, Twilight and that it was about vampires. I was already writing Wanted then. When I finally did go see the movie I had to delete almost all my book because it was too close to Meyers. My husband said it was creepy that two people could write the same thing and never talked about it. Mostly it was my kids that turned me into a YA fan.

Q. Do you feel partial to any of the novels you have or are writing?
A. Wanted is my baby. My daughter is a part of my world and I need her to know that every teen goes through this cycle. heartache is dear to me because bullying is just not right. My other two books Last Breath is dealing with family who is just not up to law status. Chosen is a deep dark book that deals with right and wrong, heaven and hell. I don't write about anything that does not have special meaning, I don't know if it would come across the same way.

Q. What was your greatest inspiration behind the Wanted Nightmares series?
A. My daughter was my inspiration behind Wanted. Even the title fits her. Her life is totally a oxymoron. With her father and I divorced, I remarried so she has two worlds to live in. Wanted is what she really wants, peace, love, happiness but the nightmare is how she is getting what she wants. She makes it works, somehow.

Q. Where do your characters come from? Are they based off people you know?
A. Amaya is based off my daughter. No one likes her. I wanted her to be disliked because that is the way my daughter sees everyone else. She tells me, thanks for making strangers hate me too, but I laugh and tell her, when I wrote that, that was where you were in life. Thomas is based off the lead character in Raptures Rainbow, Travis. I never do mind the hunky strong but loving lead. The main characters, Vincent, Matt, Zack, Hallie, Pattie, Lilith, Amanda have qualities of people I know. Lilith, actually is a mythical character. She is supposed to be Adams first wife who turned into a demon.

Q. What message are you sending to your readers?
A. I want YA or any reader to know that life can be hard but once you have overcome your mountains then it does get easier so when the next one comes they are prepared for it. The Bible says if you have faith as tiny as a muster seed you can move mountains. Wanted is not meant to be a general vampire book, the vampires are meant to be problems for Amaya.

Q. What had been your biggest challenge as a writer?
A. Hmm, there is a list. My challenge has been in every step of writing. Deciding to write about my daughter personal life and exposing her to the world was not easy to say yes too. Her and I talked about it and when she was as comfortable as she could be with it, I went forward. I have kept her involved in the writing. I don't use any specific situations in her life. I feel that is going too far.

Q. As an author, what is the best advice can you give to an aspiring writer?
A. Don't do it, is my first response, but I know where i was a few months ago. Though I do still consider myself as an aspiring writer I'm not so new. I have had my laughs, tears. To anyone that wants to write, think big, write well and do the steps are my thoughts to new writers. I have an 8 year old that published his book six months ago. It's a cute picture book that he drew himself and he wanted it published so his mom did it for him.

Q. Where is your favorite place to write?
A. Anywhere it is quite. I keep telling my self that one day I will have have an office where I can shut my door to have the peace I need, but knowing my kids, they will find reasons to be in the room with me. Right now i write in my living room. After six books completed they only hover here and there. My sons always asking if I'm writing an erotic or zombie book. That's what his friends are into.

Q. What can you tell us about your upcoming novels?
A. I still have two, maybe three books left with the Wanted series, if my friend has her way I'll never be done writing about Thomas. Heartache of Friendship will be out soon. The book is about bullying with a shocking twist. The book was too short for me,100 pages so I'm adding to the storyline. Chosen, is a deep book and one day it will be out. This book is based on right and wrong. Stephan is a demon that has one last chance at finding true love. He found the girl that could love with so he can be returned to earth as a human, but she, Chelsea comes from a strict family who has been watched over by the angel Gabriel. Now love is not the issue, true love never is, but the trials you have to go though to have it is. Last Breath is a vampire based book that deals with the Russian mafia. Coleania, the daughter is thrown into a world she didn't want. Luke wants Coleania and if he has to force her hand he will. I have a few more idea that I'm working on right now. I enjoy a romance that could happen, and even a horror one.

If you would like to know more about the author

Please visit her on:

GOODREADS

HER WEBSITE

Her website also has links to her other networking sites!

If you wish to purchase your own copy of Wanted Nightmares Battle for Love

It is available in Kindle format from AMAZON

And also in multiple formats from SMASHWORDS