Guest Author Deanna Chase

I'm tucked away writing today, so I'm having a fabulous friend of mine, Deanna Chase, guest blog.  Take it away, Deanna...

 Hello Killer Fiction readers. I want to take just a moment to thank Gemma for having me fill in for her today. I’d heard of the Killer Fiction blog before, and I’m pretty sure I’ve happened upon it a time or two, but it’s been a while. So, when Gemma asked me to blog, I said of course…then I spent a couple of hours reacquainting myself with the authors over here.

Warning! Fan girl moment.

Oh my God! I cannot tell y’all how thrilled I am to be here. You see, I have quite a few books by most of the authors who regularly blog here sitting on my bookshelves. One of Jana Deleon’s is actually sitting on my desk right now. Squeal!

Okay moment over. As a purely self-published author, it’s sometimes surreal to be included with authors you’ve looked up to for a long time.

My name is Deanna Chase, and I write suspenseful paranormal romances. I started writing seriously in 2007. I studied, typed a lot of words, took classes. And by the time I had a manuscript I was proud of and ready to submit in 2010, it seemed it was harder than ever to find an agent or publishing house to take a chance on an unknown author. Of the few editors I did get face-time with, I was told my story was interesting, but ghost stories just don’t sell. Insert sad face here.

I did what every other writer does. I pouted and then put it away intending to work on something else. I tell you, the stress of tying to sell a manuscript put a damper on my creativity, making me second-guess all my story ideas. I actually put writing away for about six months and instead focused on my glass art business (my day job—I make glass beads for jewelry designers). After a while, I really started to miss writing and eventually started a new story.

That manuscript was half-written when I started hearing about the barriers being broken with self-publishing. I read the blog’s of a few brave authors who’d ventured into the self-pub world and most of what they were saying really hit home with me. Finally, writers had a way to connect with readers while having control over their careers. Yes!

I’ve been a small business owner, working for myself for over ten years. Taking over the publishing end did not scare me at all. In fact, I was excited. Terrified no one would like my book? Yes. Totally. But worried about the business end? Not at all.

Immediately, I pulled up Haunted on Bourbon Street, booked time with an editor, and went to work on getting that ghost story published. I’m pretty sure my critique partner had a bit of a nervous breakdown when I told her I was going for it. After all, we writers have been told for years that self-publishing is the kiss of death in the publishing world. But she supported me one hundred percent.

And in July of 2011, Haunted on Bourbon Street went live on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the rest of the usual outlets. I now have a bunch of readers who’ve proved those editors wrong. It seems people do buy ghost stories. And plenty of them liked it enough to go on and buy the sequel, Witches of Bourbon Street, just released this February.

Self-publishing has been amazing. It has made writing fun for me again. I’m no longer worried about if my manuscript is right for a particular house or line. Or if I write about angels, will an editor tell me those don’t sell either? Now the stories I want to write get written, knowing I have an outlet.

Currently I’m working on the third book in the series, Demons of Bourbon Street and that other manuscript that got put on the back burner when I decided to release Haunted into the world. It’s the first book in a new Urban Fantasy series, tentatively titled Influenced. You can find more information about me at www.Deannachase.com

~Deanna

Haunted on Bourbon Street

Jade loves her new apartment--until a ghost joins her in the shower.

When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord.

Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help--and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own--to do it. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?

Buy now at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords

Witches of Bourbon Street

Jade Calhoun was never fond of her empath abilities. Now she’s discovered she has another gift she’d rather not unwrap—magic. But when her mentor, Bea, becomes gravely ill and insists Jade’s the only one who can help, she’s forced to embrace her witchy side.

It’s too bad she spent a decade shunning the magical community and never learned to harness her powers. Because time’s run out. A trapped spirit has revealed a clue to Jade’s long-lost mother. The resident angel has gone rogue and disappeared with Jade’s boyfriend, Kane. And if that wasn’t enough, her ex appears to be possessed.

To save any of them, Jade will need to find a way to control her inner white witch—without succumbing to black magic. Otherwise, she’ll lose everything…including her soul.

Buy now at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords