1. What is your name and where do you
call home?
Hi Rachel! Thanks for having me. My name
is Paige Cuccaro, and I live near Columbus Ohio. Though at heart I think I’ll
always be a displaced Pittsburgher. I grew up near the city and spent most of
my life there.
2. What is the name of your most recent
book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My latest release is called HELLSBANE. A
twenty-something girl discovers her father’s an angel. Heaven wants her to hire
her and daddy dearest wants her dead.
3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is
this book part of a series?
Yes, and yes! HELLSBANE is the first
book in a three book series (as of now). The second book, HEAVEN AND HELLSBANE
will be out late next year, the third book will be out sometime after
that.
4. What or who inspired you to start
writing? And how long have you been writing?
I read a book years ago called Interview
With a Vampire, by Anne Rice and I was sold. I’d read lots of books before that
one, but something about the way she told the story, the way she pulled me in
and made me want to live there... I knew I wanted to do that too. I’ve been
writing since I was in high school, but I didn’t start writing seriously until
my first daughter was born. So I guess the answer is 21 years.
5. How did you come up with the cover?
Who designed the cover of your book?
Actually my publisher provided the
cover. I talked with the awesomely talented Heather Howland who designed the
cover and discussed what the story was about, what the main character, Emma
Jane, looked like and what her personality was like. She took what I told her
and brought it to life.
6. Which is your favorite cover of all
the books you have written?
I’ve been really lucky in that I’ve
always gotten really great covers. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I was
THRILLED when I saw the cover for HELLSBANE.
7. Is there anything you would change
about your book covers?
Nope! I think Heather really nailed it.
8. How did you come up with the title
for your book?
Hellsbane was actually the very first
thing that came to me. It came as too words originally, Hell’s bane, (i.e.
something that is a pain in the butt for everything & everyone in Hell) and
then I thought, that would make an awesome last name for somebody. And then I
thought, what if the name wasn’t just a name, but a reflection of the person.
And then, POOF, Emma Jane was born and with her, her story.
9. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks,
hardcovers or audiobooks?
I prefer which ever medium is convenient
at the time. I LOVE hard covers for my keeper books. They just look and feel
nicer. Paperbacks are great because I can shove them into my purse to take
anywhere, they’re cheaper than hard covers, and they come in handy as an
invisible barrier against random creepers who try to start awkward
conversations at the hair salon, or in line at the grocery store. But I love
audio books when I walk. I walk for exercise so anything that distracts me from
that fact is a winner. Lucky for me it
takes almost zero concentration to walk, so I can really focus on the book. And
I also have a Galaxy tab, (it’s like an iPad, but smaller and with way fewer
available apps. Yes, I have app envy.) Since I got it I’ve downloaded a TON of
e-books and I LOVE IT!!! So my preference in format depends on what I’m doing
at the time.
10. Are you a self-published / Indie
author?
I’m published with a few different small
publishers. They used to be called indie publishers—as in, independent of the
big seven New York publishers—but I think the term as morphed into something a
little different. I’m not self-published, but mainly because I haven’t had time
to format any of my manuscripts that aren’t already in contract the way they
need to be done in order to self-publish them. It seems very complicated and
every time I think about learning the process, my brain kind of fogs over until
the urge passes.
11. Have you ever read a book more than
once? And if so what was it?
Yep! Interview With a Vampire, Lestat,
Queen of the Damn. I also read Storm Front, and Summer Knight, both by Jim
Butcher, twice each. That’s a rare thing for me. As soon as I read the first few words of a
book I’ve already read, the whole book comes rushing back to me. Plus there are
so many new books I want to read.
12. Have you ever bought a specific
edition of a book because of it’s cover? (For example a UK, US or Canadian
version)
Not foreign versions, but I’ve bought
second copies of books that were re-released with a cool new cover.
13. Have you ever read a book just based
on it’s cover?
No. I’ve picked up books because of
their cover, but I need more than a pretty picture to make me buy.
14. Has the quality of the cover of a
book ever put you off of reading it?
Nope. That saying, you can’t judge a
book by its cover, is SOOO true.
15. What book are you reading at the
moment? And in what format?
I’m reading the e-book, Ghost Story by
Jim Butcher and listening to the audio book Counterfeit Magic, by Kelley
Armstrong.
16. Do you have any advice for other
writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to
writing?
My advice to other writers would be,
first learn the rules, learn how to write well, then figure out which rules you
can break and which rules you can only bend. It’s important to stay true to
your voice and your passions, but in the end its good writing that readers want
most. The best advice I was given is something I’m sure every writer has
already heard a million times. Write, write, write and read, read, read.
17. Where can your readers follow you?
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/PaigeCuccaro
Twitter: @paigecuccaro
Other: www.PaigeCuccaro.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to
do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
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