Interview with Maureen O. Betita

Tell me a little about yourself, where you are from, do you feel where you live influences how you write?

Well, I've been writing for most of my life, in one form or another. And when not writing, I was reading. I grew up reading fantasy and adventure stories, ala Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers and think my bent toward that genre comes naturally. I live in California, born and bred there. I've lived in the north, south, inland and coastal. Only place I haven't had a home is the far north and in the mountains. I love this state and hope to never find myself living anywhere else. I believe the freedom I find in the California lifestyle has a great deal to do with my writing. In the worlds I create, anything goes and little is seen as unnatural. It's a live-let-live state, I feel, and that makes its way into my writing, definitely.

What sort of expectations did you have when being published was on the horizon?

;-) Expectations...wow. I thought I'd set the world on fire, honestly. No, I didn't expect to hit the best seller lists or be on Oprah...but I thought the uniqueness of what I write would ignite more of a buzz. I figured I'd make back my investment in promotional items inside of a year, attract interest in more readers and find the entire process of being published more entertaining that it's proven. Don't get me wrong, I'm having fun, but it's also an exhausting process. I wish I heard from readers more, I wish I could reach more readers and am a bit lost at how to achieve my goals. I think I've adjusted my expectations and it will be easier with the next few books.

What is your biggest pet peeve ?

Hee, hee.People who don't pick up after their pets. I don't care if it's a dog or a cat. Dog walkers? Carry a baggie and tote it to the nearest trash can, period. I do it with my dog! Cat owners? If your kitty is an inside/outside cat, scout out where they are depositing their shit and make an effort to clean it up. (I have the only loose dirt between me and my neighbors and they recently got three cats. Sigh.) And yup, I clean up after my kitty.

Have you always been interested in pirates?

I've always loved the fighter for freedom, and I see pirates that way. I read all the Robin Hood adventures, and saw many early pirate movies. I can recall playing in a tree...pretending it was a mast of a ship. Pirates really are the romantic ideals of my youth!

Where? How did you come up with the idea for the Krakens Caribbean?

Credit where credit is due! I belong to a group blog called the Romance WritersRevenge. The crew is made up of budding writers of much more experience than I. And they discuss the how to's of writing and market a great deal. I was reading and finding myself disgusted at the constant barrage of the perfect, skinny, young woman and wanted to know why there were no books featuring more mature heroines. And why can't the heroine rescue the hero? Be the rich one that offers support, etc? They all patiently explained that the public wouldn't buy it. No publisher would touch it. Well, screw that! I had to prove them wrong... And I began to write Emily's story, The Kraken's Mirror was born and before I knew it, I had a series. And a publisher bought it. And I have faith that the public will buy it, when I figure out how to promote it better! And honestly, the crew of the Revenge are my biggest supporters.

Is there a genre you prefer to write? What about to read?

I write romantic adventure. Sometimes on the seas, sometimes in the stars. But adventure is always there. I'm a bit of the let's-go-save-the-world genre writer. Oddly enough, I tend to read a great deal of cozy mysteries...and every Dresden File that comes out, every Simon R. Green book, Kim Harrison and a few other fantastical authors. I'm not certain what they have in common...other than alternative fantasy adventure?

The Chameleon Goggles was recently released, care to give us a peek into your next writing endeavor?

Well...after The Chameleon Goggles comes The Pirate Circus. Where The Kraken's Mirror was Emily's adventure, and The Chameleon Goggles featured Captain Jezebel, The Pirate Circus is Bosun Janey's book, though I have a little scene stealer named Lee who will likely impress people. Lee gets an adventure in the fourth story, which I'm working on now. Not sure where I'm going with that one!

Halloween just passed, what where you? Got any pics?

*snort! What was I? What was I? 

A pirate, of course!

You can also find Maureen here:

Maureen O. Betita (her website)

Maureen O. Betita Author (her facebook page)

Twitter

The Kraken's Mirror is one of the prizes I'm giving away for the Giveaway Hop. So hurry on over and enter before the 11th!