I recently had the chance to chat with a very talented and very funny author.  So, without further delay let’s hear from the talented

Dakota Cassidy

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or were there other aspirations… like the beauty queen trifecta?
LOL. Nope, I didn’t always want to be a writer. I wanted to move to Hollywood and sing duets with Barry Manilow. Seriously.  And then I got married and Barry and I didn’t cross paths until much later in my life J Just call me genius.

You write in several genres.  Do you have a favorite? Is there a genre you would like to try?
I love paranormal, urban fantasy. Love the idea of taking an already existing world and putting some crazy spin on it. But there’s a crazy contemporary in my future because I love that genre, too.

Tell us what makes Dakota tick?
Starbucks, Pepsi and very little sleep. LOL.

You incorporate humor into your stories, do you feel that humor is an important part of life?
OMG, absolutely! If I couldn’t laugh at some of the stuff that’s happened in my life, I’d just have to lay down and die. Even when you’re at our worst, when everything’s crumbling, you have to have an outlet—mine is to laugh. As for incorporating it into my writing, that’s not intentional. I never sit down and think, “OMG, I MUST be funny.” That’s uberpressure. I just write, and ask my crit partners if they laughed J

Writing in the romance genre, do you believe in happily ever after and have you found yours?
I believe in making your own happily ever after. And it’s a daily effort that surpasses laundry, and bills and carpooling. I’ve definitely found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I believe wholeheartedly in soul mates, but I also believe you can have a happily ever after without ever including a long term partner. Yet, the romantic in me will always root for two people to fall in love and do whatever it is that makes them happily ever after J

Tell us some of your favorites… foods, movies, music, books, authors, colors, and any others you would like.
Food—hmmm, lobster and French fries. Soooooo bad for me. And Pepsi J

Music—now that’s tough because I love so many diff genres from rap to oldies to country, classical etc. I think I’m most drawn to sappy love songs, though. Go fig.

Books and authors—anything Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Michele Bardsley, Nina Bangs, Sandra Hill, and most recently, Mark Henry, and Toni McGee causey.

Colors—pink. Yeah, I know—I’m such a girl, but I like black, too J

What is your guilty pleasure?
Ugh—smoking. I know, I know, but for the love of a good smoke while I’m writing, ya know? LOL

What was the best piece of advice you received when first starting out? Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Shut. Up. And write. Really. Just focus on your goal and do it until your fingers bleed. Choose crit partners who like your work, but who won’t hornswaggle you if something sucks. No one should pacify you—they should be honest with you.

Then listen, and learn. Don’t think you can’t be wrong, because you can. Take advice that’s given to you with humble thanks and discard whatever you can’t apply to your work, and then write some more J

And something else that’s very, very important. You’ll never please everyone—face it, and suck it up, princess. LOL. Not everyone’s gonna love you and your precious, and that’s okay. Much like beauty, the written word is in the eye of the beholder. Deal. And then, go write some more J

And that’s exactly what I’d pass on to aspiring writers, too J

If you could bring one of your characters to life… who would it be and why?
Oh, without a doubt, Nina from Accidentally Dead. I know it sounds like I’m pimping, but seriously—she has no filter from brain to mouth and I’d love to watch her go at it in real life.

Do you have a writing schedule that you follow daily… a certain number of hours or word count? What is our perfect writing environment?
I write from about ten at night until like four or five in the morning, and I try like hell to do at least 3k a day. Sometimes it’s more like five, and other days only two, but I always go in with the goal of 3k. In the morning, around ten or so, I get up, answer emails, and go over what I did the night before. I tweak during the morning and afternoon hours—break for dinner and household crap (those freakin’ kids and their need for food. LOL)—then I’m back at it again.

And a perfect writing environment would be a sound proof room with nothing but me and the computer and some Bach J But I think that’s not gonna happen, huh? LOL

Do you enjoy hearing from your readers, and what is the best way to contact you?
Oh, absolutely—good, bad, or indifferent, I love to hear from them. And they can call my mother at… LOL. I’m kidding. They can email me at Dakota@dakotacassidy.com

What is your greatest strength? Any weaknesses?
My greatest strength has to be my organizational skills. I rule at list writing and planning. I could make your eyeballs bleed with all my lists. And I have more weaknesses than I can count—I’m like newborn weak J

How would you spend a perfect day if you could do anything at all?
I’d read Dean Koontz and Stephen King simultaneously while dining on buttery lobster and listening to Barry Manilow sing to me poolside J

Do you have any pet peeves?
Sloppy eaters and gum chewers. I hate the sound of popping gum, slurping food, chewing with your mouth open. It makes my skin crawl. Pathetic, eh?

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? Current or upcoming releases?
Let’s see… There’s Accidentally Dead from Berkley Sensation July 1, 08, then The Accidental Human in the winter of 09, and Kiss and Hell in the summer of 09.

And for the love of God, isn’t that enough? LOLLOL

Oh, and mucho thanks for having me!