Welcome to Victoria Roder

Hello and thank you for having me. I live in central Wisconsin with my husband, Ron and our house full of misfit pets. We have three grown sons each making their own way in the world that we are proud of. I am a camping, hiking, 3D bow shooting, snowshoeing, and motorcycle riding kind of woman. Going camping with my family is my favourite activity. Check me out on www.victoriaroder.com



So tell us Victoria, What drew you to write in your current genre?

A recurring dream I’ve had since I was a child.
How many novels have you written to date and are they all in the same genre?
I have written three novels. The Dream House Visions And Nightmares, July 2009 Asylett Press http://www.asylett.com/ is a paranormal romance. Bolt Action, Champagne Books www.champagnebooks.com April 2010 is an Action Thriller. The Haunting of Ingersull Penitentiary is horror and I am seeking publication for it.
How much time do you spent on plotting etc before you start writing?

An idea will formulate in my head and once a character starts talking to me I begin writing. So far, I don’t plot stories out. I do write a description of the characters down on paper, so that I don’t give them green eyes on page 4 and blue eyes on page 104. My characters take on a life of their own, I just tell their story.

There are so many places authors like to write. Where's your place?

In my den. I’ve been known to scribble notes on gum wrappers and restaurant napkins.

All writers look back in horror at some of their early writing pieces. What did you think is the worst thing you have ever written?

A children’s story that in hind site has two separate story lines going on that I didn’t make a good connection between. I started off wanting to write children’s mystery for age’s eight to twelve.

I'm sure all the readers would like to know about your latest release.

My first novel The Dream House Visions And Nightmares, was released by Asylett Press in June 2009. My second novel, Bolt Action from Champagne Books will be released April 2010. My short story Why I Believe In Angels was published in A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families in June 2009, and A Gift Among Sisters was published in Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul in 2007. REAL Canadian Kids Magazine will feature my article on Savannah Monitors, one on Sled Dogs, and one on Steam Engine Trains, and my short story, Snowday in 2010. I have had two articles published in Farm Life Magazine, one in Lifelines, one in One Way Street, and one in The Highground. I have six puzzles published in Guide Magazine, one in Pockets Magazine, and an article in The Little Lutheran, and The Little Christian

As I mentioned, I have experienced a recurring dream since childhood. The dream began to trouble me, so I discussed it with my sister Tammy. She suggested I write it down, in the hope that it wouldn’t bother me anymore. I began recording the details of the dream and then instead of it not bothering me, it consumed me.
Those dreams became the premise for my paranormal romance novel The Dream House Visions And Nightmares. It is a murder mystery wrapped in a paranormal ghost story. Apparitions and vivid dreams reveal clues of mystery, murder, and age-old revenge.
Recurring dreams of a house Hope Graham's family rented when she was a child, taunt her nights with images of a woman in a bloody nightgown pleading for help. Dream sequences of children metamorphosing into rats, blood spewing out of windows, and walking across decaying bones, foretell of sins of the past and forewarn of danger in the present. In an attempt to end the agony of her sleep deprivation, Hope travels to her hometown...only to discover that the truth can be more frightening than a nightmare.
A romance develops when Hope meets Brock, the business owner next door to her former home. He offers Hope all the things her ex-husband couldn’t: romance, friendship, support, encouragement, tenderness, understanding, and love. He’s her sounding board, her confidant, and her romance when she needs a break from the intense mystery surrounding the former home that is haunting her. Can the budding romance survive Hope’s scarred past?
The Dream House Visions And Nightmares is available on the publisher’s websit, www.asylettpress.com or Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dream-House-Visions-Nightmares/dp/1934337641/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2 and Barnes & Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Dream-House-Vicions-And-Nightmares/Victoria-Roder/e/9781934337646/?tm=1

Wow, how intersting. Do you still have the dream?

Since I completed The Dream House Visions And Nightmares I have not had the dream. If it returns I may have to write a sequel, so that I can get some sleep!

How can your readers keep up with your news?

Check out my website www.victoriaroder.com and join me on my facebook author’s group. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1674069248&ref=name

Rejection letters affect every writer in different ways. How do you deal with them?

I feel disappointed, but I check them for any glimmer of hope or suggestions on what might make the story better, I fix that and immediately send it out to another publisher. It doesn’t allow me time to wallow in self-pity.

What do you think about celebrities writing book?

They have a story to tell. I just wish I could have a little of their free publicity.

What do you advise about getting an agent?

It’s a personal choice. I was able to secure two contracts for my novels without an agent. I do think I would like to have an agent for The Haunting of Ingersull Penitentiary. If you’re looking for an agent do your homework. Don’t waste their time or yours.

What is your favourite part of writing?

When the characters take over the story. On the ego side of life I love it when a reader tells me they couldn’t put my book down.
How do you get past all the frustrations that come with trying to be a successful writer?

I try to take things with a grain of salt and sometimes a glass of wine. It is a frustrating career. The waiting just about kills me. You have to be determined and persistent.

What do you like to read?

Mystery, ghost stories, and true crime.

What actor/actress gets your pulses racing?

The Rock, but don’t tell my husband.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Victoria.