Wednesday Writer's Spotlight: An Interview with Annabelle Blume

Annabelle Blume is the author of the heart-pounding futuristic tale Frozen Heart. Today we sit down with Annabelle and are excited to share with you, our readers, a little more about this wonderful author.

When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer?

I’ve always been an avid reader, completely obsessed with my Scholastics flier from elementary school onward. I cut my teeth at a young age on authors who wrote adult fiction. My first true love in literature was the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. I was only 13 when I read those books. Everyone thought I was so weird because I read vampire books that weren’t in the middle school library. The Vampire Chronicles were adult not only in their themes and content, but also in the complexity of the language and writing style. At the time there were only 3 books in the series (shut up, I’m not old) and I read and re-read them until I had them memorized. I toyed with writing my own fantasy stories at the time, but abandoned the idea quickly.

Fast forward about 10 years, I got married, had kids, and didn’t have time to think let alone read. I eventually got the hang of being a mom and figured out how to balance my time. A couple years ago, I resumed the voracious reading habits of my youth thanks to the resurgence of vampire themed books like the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and began writing as well. After playing around in some online writing communities, I decided I’d take the plunge and set my sights on writing a book. It all happened much faster than I expected and I’m still getting used to the idea that I have a book. Me. A book! Crazy. Did someone check Hades for snowballs?

What inspired you to write your book?

Honestly, I saw a call for scifi submissions at romance house and the setting for Frozen Heart immediately popped into my head. On a more serious note, I felt this was my opportunity to challenge readers to think about what it means to be strong, what it means to be free, and what it means to be vulnerable for the sake of true love.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I was a total pantser for Frozen Heart. The story came to me as I wrote it. I started with the first sentence and the pieces fell into place as the story unfolded. The down side to that process was how much had to be scrapped and rewritten. As for my current WIP, I plotted it before hand, and then revised the synopsis two more times before I started writing. So, I guess you could call me a switch.

Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write?

No, but I wish I did. I have three kids, and the interrupt my writing on a 20 minute rotating schedule. I write most often at night, once they’re in bed, and I’ve also claimed a spot at the table in my kids’ karate studio where I can work while they are in class.

What authors inspire you?

F. Scott Fitzgerald is a huge favorite of mine. Oscar Wilde is another classic author who I never tire of reading. Obviously, Anne Rice has inspired me a great deal. Then there are my dystopian idols; Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood. My goodness, Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale changed my life. Speculative fiction was completely new to me and when I read those books I felt like someone understood me, really got me and how my head worked. I’m also a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. His voice and unapologetic social and political commentary inspire me to be true and honest in my writing.

If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why?

Romance. Without a doubt. There is so much room the in romance genre to spin out stories in whatever direction you want. Contrary to the popular view that dismisses romance as a genre full of unrealistic ideals and fantasy relationships, I believe when you dig into romance you find a deep well of stories that portray the honest moments of love. The hard and heartbreaking experiences that we go through and the hope that lies behind it all.

Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?

Tonk. He’s one of Cressenda’s dogs. The subtleties of how Cressenda and Tonk interact are really amazing to me. They’ve been a team for a very long time and she doesn’t trust anyone the way she trusts Tonk.

Are any of your characters modeled after real people?  If so, which ones?

No, they aren’t. They are completely from my own crazy imagination, which, incidentally, made it tremendously difficult to find real people to be visual examples.

What music was on your playlist while writing your novel?

Frozen Heart was written almost exclusively to the Maroon 5 album Songs About Jane.

Morning person or grumpy bear?

Don’t talk to me before 10am or coffee. Or both.

Tell us one thing it would surprise us to know about you?

I have over 10 hours of tattoo work on my body. Is that surprising? I don’t know. I suppose that depends on who you ask. 

What is next for you?

I have another romance in the works right now. I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to establish myself as a romance author and have a nice long career writing sex scenes...and the stories that go with them, of course.

Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what?

I used to take aerial acrobatics. Tissue to be exact. You know, the stuff you see at Cirque du Soleil where they climb the long strips of fabric and tie themselves up and swing around? I really want to get back to it. Oh, and I’m afraid of heights.

If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?

Both. Like I said, I have three kids, and the youngest is 3, so I don’t spend much time in heels and lace, but when I do get dressed up, I don’t hold back. In summary, you’d find 2 pair of Converse, 2 pair of flipflops, 6 pair of jeans, and about 20 different vintage style dresses and heels. I wear red lipstick almost every day, though.

If you would like to find out more about Annabelle and her writing, please check out her blog at: http://www.annabelleblume.com/ 

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Frozen Heart is available now for purchase at the Inkspell store as well as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks and Kobo.  See for yourself why Frozen Heart has been receiving so many five star ratings!

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