Saturday, January 28, 2023

Interview With YA Fantasy Novelist Annette "Annie" Rodriguez

 

 

 

1. What motivated you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and turning it into this book?

I have always wanted to publish a book, ever since elementary school (and I am grateful self-publishing did not exist back then as I wanted no feedback other than “this is perfect work!”.  I was at a crossroads in my life in 2009, which is when I started writing the book.  It worked because my self-confidence was at my lowest.  It was my saving grace and the only certainty I had at that time-I’m going to write this.

 

2. What is it about and who is it for?

It’s about learning to deal with loss and self-discovery, amid a world filled with supernatural creatures.  It’s dedicated to the man and the woman who rescued my self-confidence, but it’s for people like me-who, at times of crises (and life is full of those) need both someone to lean on, and the self-assurance to know that life has a work of working out.

 

3. What takeaways might the reader be left with after reading it?

There are several ways to love someone.

There is no one like you-embrace it

You are stronger than you think

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want to be loved, it doesn’t mean they do not love you with all they have.

Not everything is about you-when you learn that, life will become a more beautiful place. 

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

I love to let my title influence the book, so that is my first thought.  I love reflective titles-it will make you think-it will make you (hopefully) pick up the book to see what it’s about. Lifeforce is the root of the mortality vs immortality debacle-or at least we think it is. 


For the design-I had an idea of the color and concept-I asked friends and family to look at some pictures and the rest of the credit goes to Asha Hossain Design, LLC., -my designer, who did a wonderful job!  I’m not a visual person, so this is not me being modest!

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?

Finish your book before you think of publishing and be careful not to compromise your vision to follow a standard. 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

I often see the innocent girl and the sex-god-like- guy who wants her and ends up loving her, the girl who is all the promise the family has and does everything for them to her peril, the very talented but lazy main character who goes through self-discovery to get out of a problem, the MC who has a lot of problems, mostly dealing with family legacy, and the person he loves fixes or gives him the strength to fix it all, the reluctant hero….I could go on.

 

Although legal thrillers and world building books are popping up more often,  I think the book publishing industry is still invested on finding that unique spin to a done plot, but books with social justice issues are also becoming more prevalent. This generation is not shying away from difficult conversations. 

 

7. What challenges did you overcome to write this book?

Self-confidence woes when you just think you’re not good enough, coping with demands of a full time job and full time study, when the family accuses you of being constantly isolated,  and when finished, having your vision questioned. 

 

8. How would you describe your writing style?

I would say dialogue focused-I like exposition through dialogue rather than description and I love implying things.  Simply, this is a thinking journey, a journey of self-discovery with relatable characters. 

 

9. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

Because they might end up discovering something about themselves that they ere hiding from. It’s a self-discovery journey for not just the MC, but for readers too.

 

About The Author: Annette "Annie" Rodriguez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and started to write consistently when she was in tenth grade. As her writing and creative imagination progressed over the years, Annie became confident enough to share her work and create her own characters to go with these magical plots, and alas, the first draft of Lifeforce was born.  


Fast forward what felt like endless revisions and consultations, Annie's beloved writing project was picked up for publication by Green Writers Press and her first novel was published in February 2019! Lifeforce’s sequel, Immortality’s Peril, is already in the works!

Annie's writing is accompanied by her impressive background as a practicing attorney, holding 2 Bachelor degrees and 2 Masters! Lifeforce was actually published during her first year of law school! A minority woman who has worked with students, Annie's passion for writing keeps her sane in the sometimes-harsh reality of training to practice law and her many other endeavors.

 

Check her out on:

 

Twitter:@RodriguezAnniea

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YAauthor2018/

 

Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Lifeforce-Annie-Rodr%C3%ADguez/dp/099949953X?ref_=ast_sto_dp 

 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.2 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.   

 

 

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