Bio

Dana Davis is an award-winning and bestselling SynergEbooks author. She’s also a geek, a nerd, and a ghost buster with a paranormal investigative team. Dana comes from an entertainment background in Hollywood and stage productions. She had the good fortune to study with Nebula Award-winner Sheila Finch and received her creative writing degree from California State University, Long Beach.

When she's not writing, she loves to read, swim, hike, travel, peruse graveyards and ruins, and investigate purportedly haunted locations. Dana lives in the west with her husband and insane birds, where she is currently writing another book.

How long have you been a member of EPIC?

Hi, and thanks so much for having me! I’m going on my second year as an EPIC member.

What do you think the next big thing in the industry is?

Hmm, I think multi-media books are on the rise and will eventually become more interactive. There are already Vooks out there, which are books that incorporate videos into them. Some people are very visual and need that. eReaders have features that allow for direct downloads, bookmarks, word look-ups, and surfing the net - I have a Nook and I love it – and I think they will grow even more user-friendly in the future. Remember holodeck novels in Star Trek: The Next Generation? I think it would be awesome to step into my favorite novel and directly interact with characters and become part of the story. But I think that technology is a bit farther in the future.

How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher?

Once I began writing novels, it took about ten years for my first book to land a traditional publisher. I had published my first two novels using a print-on-demand (POD) publisher, and after both won awards, SynergEbooks Publishing picked them up. I currently have nine books with SynergE and am under contract for two more.

What genres do you write?

I write fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal fantasy, sometimes with horror and mystery elements. I love to play and challenge myself by crossing genres now and again.

What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.)

I love writing on my computer and it’s my preferred method of working. My penmanship is really bad so I try not to write that way, except to make notes for myself. As for the process, I usually have characters come to me first, whether in writing exercises or as I’m pondering a new book/series, and tell me their stories. If I need to, I do some research before I begin, then I write and research along the way. Once I have the first draft finished, I go back and read it from the beginning to flesh out scenes, look for inconsistencies, and do some line editing. Next, I send it to readers for comments and critiques. After that, I do another re-write/edit. Then it goes to my editor/s for final comments and another edit on my end before I send it to my publisher.

What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors?

My list of favorite authors grows each year. But I have to say my most inspirational author is Sheila Finch. She taught writing classes at my college and won a Nebula award the same year I graduated. I’m grateful for all her advice and proud of her accomplishments. Several of her students went on to work as writers, so I think that says a lot about her. We still keep in touch, which is fabulous.

As for authors I love to read – Sheila Finch, Anne Rice, David Eddings, Mary Gentle, Terry Goodkind, Jasper Fforde, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Anne McCaffery, Alastair Reynolds, Anne Bishop, Kim Harrison, Robert Charles Wilson and many more.

What is the funniest or strangest editor/crit request/comment you've encountered? (This one always has funny answers. DON'T name the editor or company, please!)

I had an editor at a conference once ask me if I knew the difference between a sun and a moon. At first, I thought it was a joke but she was totally serious. I think my former NASA-working grandpa would turn over in his grave if I didn’t know the answer to that.

Another time in a college critique class, someone said the equivalent of, “I don’t know why you even wrote that because I didn’t like it.” I still chuckle about that one.

What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there?

In a cottage on some cliffs overlooking the ocean and surrounded by flowers, birds, and a nearby lighthouse. Did I mention I write fantasy? I love New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland, so if I could have my dream house in any one of those locations, that would be great. Unfortunately, no one would ever see me again, so it’s probably a good thing I don’t live there.

If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be?

Hmm, that’s a tough one because I love writing so much. But I could definitely see myself as an archaeologist. I’m addicted to ancient cultures and mysteries. If we’re talking fantasy here, I would love to be the one to find Boudica’s grave. She was a Celtic warrior in Briton’s ancient times, who fought back the Romans when they invaded. Talk about a kick-butt woman.

Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Did anyone who knows you notice it?

Yes, I have. My husband recognized scenery from our travels in Ireland in my Teadai Prophecies trilogy. I was thrilled when he caught that. I’m also a paranormal investigator so I’ve used several personal experiences in my Desert Magick series. But I tend to change them up a bit to fit the scenes, so no one has recognized those. Yet, anyway.

Give us your backlist... with all publishers...Bold things that are currently available. Note the publishers they are with!

Desert Magick: Dream Catcher (Bk 2) – SynergEbooks Publishing

Desert Magick: Superstitions (Bk1) – SynergEbooks Publishing

City of Gods: Book Three of the Teadai Prophecies– SynergEbooks Publishing

Sage Truth: Book Two of the Teadai Prophecies– SynergEbooks Publishing

Deadly Fate: Book One of the Teadai Prophecies– SynergEbooks Publishing

Quest for Freedom (tween/teen) – SynergEbooks Publishing

The Mask of Tamirella (tween/teen) – SynergEbooks Publishing

Breach of Worlds (tween/teen) – SynergEbooks Publishing

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year... Remember to say which publishers they are with!

Desert Magick: Phoenix Lights (Bk 4) - SynergEbooks Publishing

Tell us about the awards you've won...

Eric Hoffer Finalist Award

Indie Excellence Finalist Award

Hollywood Book Festival Honorable Mention Award

Next Generation Indie Book Finalist Award

Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!

Desert Magick: Day of the Dead (Bk 3)

After struggling with ghostly visits and several paranormal nasties the past few months, Daisy Hammel-Kavanaugh wants nothing more than a normal life with her husband, Noah. But the Day of the Dead is more than just a holiday for this Arizona witch. Disturbing things are going on in the afterlife and Daisy is the focus.

As she helps her cousin hunt for a mysterious person who can control the dead, Bridgette grapples with guilt over a secret that’s haunted her for twenty-two years. A secret that could be related to Daisy’s current problem. But Daisy has a secret of her own. One that just might send her to an early grave.

Purchase link - http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Magick-Day-Dead-ebook/dp/B004VGVNU0/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_8

Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)

Website: www.danadaviswriting.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/danadaviswriting 

Blog: http://danadaviswriting.blogspot.com 

Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Dana-Davis/e/B0033HDLVC/ 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AZnovelist 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DanaDavis 

SynergEbooks: http://www.synergebooks.com/bio_davis.html