Part I Interview with Fiona Paul and Giveaway of Signed Hard back Copy of Venom

Welcome back, everyone! I'm very excited to introduce another Missourian author, Fiona Paul, who is coming out with her first novel, which I'm sure will be a blockbuster hit, Venom!

Goodreads Book Description:
Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads review: Venom Review

Blurb about Fiona:  Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, Missouri where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)

In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.

 
 Author Interview Part I.
1. Tell us a little bit about how you were inspired to write YA.

One reason I write YA because it is the genre I most enjoy reading. That's because ANYTHING can happen in a YA book: deaf girls manage rock bands, fat kids threaten to eat themselves to death on the internet, boys with mad cow disease go on mind-bending road trips with hypochondriac dwarves and garden gnomes. You never know what you're getting into when you crack open a YA novel and that is exciting! Also, it's about the stories. The ideas I have just usually happen to be YA concepts (probably because I refuse to grow up and act my age). I have a couple ideas that I started writing as YA books that once I got into them I realized they were adult books. For me it's not a good idea to force a story to be something it's not. Will I write an adult book someday? Almost definitely. Will it be published? I have no idea :) 

2. How has your job as a nurse affected your writing style and content?

 I definitely called on my nursing background to write the chapter epigraphs for Venom (which medical professionals all seem to really like so far) and certain scenes involving corpses and assorted body parts. I have to be careful though, because my tendency is to make things a little too complex or factual in places and sometimes that doesn't make for the best story. If that sounds weird to people reading this, think about hospital shows like House. My understanding of MDs--and please correct me if I am wrong, Dr. Blogger :)--is that they spend more than 50% of their time in front of computers entering orders and reviewing exam results. That's a reality that probably wouldn't make for a very gripping story. 

3. After reading your book, I must visit Venice. From your descriptions, you must have taken a trip. Tell us a little more about your experiences in Venice and your journey in writing about this gorgeous backdrop.

I went to Venice a couple of years ago as part of a package tour that included Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. I only got to spend a couple of days there, but I was blown away by the fairytale otherworldliness of it all--the twisting alleyways, the tangled network of canals, the gorgeous architecture. Aside from the updated fashions, a visit to Venice really does feel like traveling back in time.

Don't forget to enter to win this awesome book! Tune in tomorrow for the rest of this great interview.

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Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose)

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