Author Interview: Casey Bond

This week, I was honored to sit down with Author Casey Bond. Let's get to know her!

BGP: Please introduce yourself to the readers.

CLB: I’m Casey Bond (not the actor). I’m a Taurus, live in West Virginia with my hubby, kids, dog and cat and I love the color teal.  I write a little bit of everything young adult and new adult and am an avid reader.

BGP: Do the things that your kids say/do or anything in your surroundings, make it into your books?

CLB: Absolutely! A few of my books are set in my home state of West Virginia, or in the region surrounding it. Life experiences and everyday things make it into my books.

BGP: What first inspired you to become a writer?

CLB: I’ve always loved to write. But when I started writing and considered making a career of it, I’d have to say my mother was a driving force. She encouraged me to craft a unique story. I read Twilight and enjoyed it so much, I thought that I could write something that people might like. The rest is history.

BGP: What was it about Twilight that inspired you?

CLB: I thought it was very imaginative and loved the romantic elements of the story.

BGP:  What do you do to prepare for a story?

CLB: I think about the characters and consider what positive and negative personality traits they might have, what they look like, what motivates them, etc. Setting is important. I write dystopian and fantasy so world-building is huge for me. I usually think for a long time about the entire story from beginning to end and then start writing.

BGP: What steps do you go through to build your worlds?

I just think about the setting, sensory details, everything I can imagine about it. I try to put myself in that world and think of what I can see and smell, etc.

BGP: How do you come up with your names (for worlds, people etc)?

CLB: Sometimes names just come to me. Sometimes I use baby name finders! LOL!

BGP: Do you use outlines or do you just write as your go along?

CLB: For the most part, I have a general idea of the plot but don’t worry about the details. Sometimes, your characters take you for a ride you didn’t expect.

BGP:   Who is/was your biggest support for your writing career?

CLB: My family supports me and I’m very blessed. My mom is probably my biggest cheerleader and fan, though! Love you, Mama!

BGP:  What genre do you write and what lead you there?

CLB: I write young adult fantasy and dystopian and new adult romance (though all my books have romantic elements).  I write what I like to read. So, you know what books are likely on my Kindle! LOL!

BGP: What books are on your Kindle? (Just give us a few titles to show us what you like to read)

CLB: I just read Kyland by Mia Sheridan, Breeder by Casey Hays and Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras.

BGP:  Tell us about your books.

CLB: Short version? LOL J

           

Young Adult Titles:

Winter Shadows (YA Christian/Dystopian)

Pariah (YA Fantasy)

The Harvest Saga (Reap/Resist/Reclaim-YA Dystopian)

Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)

Light in the Darkness (Anthology)

New Adult Titles:

The Sin Serial Series

Devil Creek

Shady Bay

Crazy Love (Dystopian)

Dark Bishop Serial Series (co-written with Rachael Brownell releases 4/29/2015)

On the Horizon:

Paradox (YA Fantasy)

The Temptation Serial Series

Water Witch (YA Fantasy)

And two super-secret projects! J

BGP: For the readers that might not know the difference, please explain what New Adult is and what the difference is between New Adult and Young Adult.

CLB: Most people assume that the labels Young Adult and New Adult refer to the reader, but it actually refers to the age of the main character(s). If the main character is 16-18, high school age, it’s considered a YA novel. If the character is college aged, regardless of whether they attend college or not, it is NA!

BGP: Which is easier for you write?

Honestly, I don’t know. If the story is right, I don’t seem to have trouble writing it. The rest depends on having the time to do so! J

BGP: I noticed that one of the books is Christian. Does your faith find its way into your books a lot?

CLB: It depends on the book. That is the only Christian book I have available and Winter Shadows isn’t what some would all “preachy.” The main character has grown up in a religious family. So, Christianity is a part of her, though she struggles with her faith due to life circumstances.

BGP: Since your Dark Bishop series is the next to come out, why don’t you tell us a bit about that?

Dark Bishop is a serial series, releasing in parts, or episodes that are around 15,000-20,000 words each. It’s sort of like television episodes. Each part builds upon the last. I’m writing from Jake Bishop’s perspective and my bestie, Rachael Brownell is writing from Sydney Coder’s perspective. It’s dark and dangerous: an NA romantic suspense with quite a twist.

BGP: What’s it like writing with a co-author since you’ve been doing it on your own for so long?

CLB: Teaming up with Rachael was easy. We click completely, not only as friends, but our writing styles complement one another’s as well. It’s been very fun! Love that girl!

BGP: How long does it take you to get a book done?

It depends. My fantasy books are very long and take forever! HAHA! Some of my romance novels didn’t take long. I think I finished the Sin serial series in two months last summer. It was rapid-fire, but I loved it!

BGP: Are you with a publishing house or self-published?

Winter Shadows and Pariah were with a traditional publisher to begin with. I entered the Facebook world and met so many wonderful self-published authors that I decided to try it on my own with Devil Creek. Then I kept going and I loved it. Ultimately, I pulled my books from the publisher and self-published them all.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to be traditionally published, but I do enjoy being indie and having control over pricing, covers, etc.

BGP: Would you/Do you allow your children to read your books and if they do – what do they think?

My kids are very young. So, at this point I would allow my oldest to read Winter Shadows and Fractured Glass with help. Anything else may be above her head at this point but not for much longer. When she’s old enough, she can read all of my YA titles. And when she gets MUCH older, she can read my NA works. I do not write graphic sexual scenes, but there is some steam and some language that I wouldn’t want her lil eyes to see. My youngest is just a toddler, so she isn’t there yet. LOL. J

BGP: What advice would you give other writers?

So many people are so pressured, in life and in their writing careers. Most people will tell you to write X number of words per day, not to ever skip a day, not to stop until you reach your word goal. Well…I do not agree. Life happens. I want to enjoy writing. I think you should enjoy writing. If writing a certain amount per day makes you happy, then by all means, go for it. But if you have a bad day, if you want to binge-write on weekends so that you can spend time with family during the week, if you only feel like writing a paragraph…do it. Do what makes you feel good about the craft. Do what you want to do. And don’t ever give up or give in.