Carmen DeSousa
Online Links:
Website: https://www.carmendesousabooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_Carmen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarmenDeSousa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmen_desousa/
Biography
Carmen DeSousa currently lives in "The Heart of Arizona" with her husband of thirty-plus years and a very spoiled rescued calico they lovingly refer to as "Baby Kitty," even though she's fourteen years old, and a new rescue, a Russian Blue named Tonto after the national forest, which is now their backyard. Carmen and her husband are always looking for their next adventure, so they travel every chance they get. If you've read about a place in one of Carmen's stories, she's been there!
Her stories overflow with romance, suspense, a hint of humor and, of course, a few Kleenex moments. After all, what would a great story be without an emotional event setting the stage? All of her novels are sensual but not erotic, gripping but not graphic, and will make you cry, laugh, love, and hope. Although some of her books include supernatural elements, her stories dance on the edge of make believe.
Taking Time With The Author
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? What/who inspired you to publish your first book?
I’ve always loved reading. From the time I could read, I knocked out a book or two a week. And…I’ve been writing since I was a child. I actually bounded a little book when I was eight years old. However, it wasn’t until 2009…when the Fortune 500 company I was working for was rearranging and wanted me to go back into full-time management that I realized I needed a change. I literally said to myself: “If you could do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do?” That was easy! Read! So I started editing for other authors. Then…a tragedy hit, and I thought life was over. I was so distraught, I started typing out an outline of everything that had happened to me, then I thought… I have enough to fill ten books. So…I sat down and started writing She Belongs to Me, my first book, which released two years later.
How much of your books are realistic? Are the experiences based on someone you know, or are they events in your real life?
Oops… I think I answered that in the last question. Yes, I write books based on my own experiences, but – and this is a big BUT – I DO take artistic license. I knew someone who mistakenly shot themselves, for example, so I saw all that entailed. My husband is a retired police detective, so I have tons of stories to pull from there. I also see injustices in life… Like a man whom I worked for who I thought was wonderful, then he cheated on his wife and kids. I had two shoulder surgeries, and the first PT was a tyrant, so when my doctor sent in the new (best there was), another story was born. One book, I literally took one line I overheard, and created an entire story of the one line. At the end of the book, I realized: I never used the line. :)
What is your current project? Will you share a little of it with us – kind of a sneak peek?
I actually just agreed to my first ever group project. A Christmas boxed set. I will have the pre-order dates shortly. Of course, they may not invite me back. If you’ve read my books, you’ll know I have a strong sense of justice, but I also know that circumstances don’t always turn out well. While I always have a “happily ever after,” I do put my characters through tough times, which isn’t always expected in a Christmas story. BUT…I write where the muse takes me.
The story is set in downtown Chicago, and our heroine is a bit down and out, but she feels a social responsibility for the children in the inner-city, so she comes up with a Dear Santa project. That’s all I can say for now.
What do you do in the ‘real world’ when you’re not writing?
Mostly… I people watch, hike, kayak, and read, which all goes back into my stories, so really, I never take time off.
What are the challenges in writing your books? (Ex: logistical, research, literary, psychological, etc)
Hmmm… Research is easy. Google makes the technical part easy. But I also move around a lot, so I write about places I’ve been. The only difficult part about writing is finding time to write! What with editing, graphic design, formatting, marketing…not to mention doing author interviews, The hardest part about writing is finding time to write!
Are there any quotes or verses you find inspiring? What are they and why?
I have a ton of favorite quotes I can spill off my tongue to motivate other writers, but my all-time favorite quote is by Robert Frost:
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
It’s so true. If I write a scene that’s supposed to make readers cry, and then I go back and I don’t cry, there’s a problem. In fact, just last night I was re-reading a novel I published three years ago, and sure enough, when I got to the sad part, I was bawling. And I literally thought to myself: “How can you be crying? You’ve read this a hundred times!”
Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something that a lot of people do not know?
My mother doesn’t know I’m a writer. In fact, other than a few select people, very few people know I’m an author. In fact, not one person other than my husband knows in the current city where I live.
Are you a planner or a pantser when it comes to writing? (Planner – outline; Pantser – sit down and write)
Well, that has changed…slightly. I was always a pantser. As I said above, I literally sat down and started typing my first book. Then there were books that one line set off a sequence of events. But…then something happened. I realized that I could outline a book, and still leave room for my muse. Since I’ve started writing out a book arc, I’ve found that while I leave myself wide open for change, I now finish my books faster, and they’re better. I don’t get lost in la-la land, writing “filler” because I don’t know where I’m going.
If there was anything you could change regarding your publishing experience, what would it be and why? Also, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would have waited for a larger publisher. I’ve learned a lot on my journey, but I’ve become very “I can do it” minded. In other words, I rarely hand over the reins. If I’d found a large publisher from minute one, I believe I would have been able to write a lot more books, as I wouldn’t be worried about all the other stuff.
10) Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you to the readers who understand that I cannot do this alone! The readers who understand that talking about books and sharing reviews is what feeds me. Typically, only one percent of readers leave reviews, and even fewer share on social media sites, so when a reader takes the time to let me and other readers know they enjoyed a book, it’s an amazing thing!