Vivi Dumas is an emerging author in the Paranormal Romance genre. Her first full length novel, Soul Catcher, was first released in 2010 by a small press. She re-released this title in June of 2012 in both e-book and paperback. Ms. Dumas is currently working on the second book in the Dueling with the Devil series, Sweet Revenge, for release later this year. She also has published works with Decadent Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and an upcoming release with Breathless Press.
Although Vivi grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but has endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Her analytical side has honed a career in the financial industry for almost twenty years. To balance her logical, numerical day job, she unleashes her creativity in her writing.
Her Dueling with the Devil series was a finalist in the Music City Melody of Love Contest.
ViVi’s titles include:
Soul Catcher
Her Black Knight - short story (pre-order with Breathless Press)
Salvation - short story
Red in the Hood - short story a part of Rumpled Silk Sheets: Lesbian Fairy Tales
About “Soul Catcher”
Top supermodel, Angel Dias, lives the life of the rich and fabulous, until a heinous car accident mars her face. After thirteen surgeries and losing everything she deemed important, she seeks out the dark forces to salvage her life and decides to conjure the Devil for help, making a deal to recover her beauty. In exchange for his help, Lucifer forces her to hunt supernatural renegades, which have eluded the pits of Hell. In her quest to find beauty and get out of her contract with Lucifer, Angel stumbles upon love in the arms of a demon.
Commander of the Legions and an Underworld Demon, Jacque Toussant, takes a field commission to escape the madness of a failed relationship and prove himself worthy of his demon heritage. Jacque is content with his existence as a field soldier until Lucifer gives him a special assignment to oversee a new trainee, a supermodel nonetheless. Humans hold low appeal for Jacque, especially the females. That is until he meets Angel. Jacque risks everything, including his life, to find a way to break Angel’s deal with Lucifer.
DP: When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?
ViVi: I've always loved writing. In high school, I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories. As I grew up, I turned in my pen and paper for a "real" job. About two years ago, I decided to attempt my hand at writing again. I picked up my laptop and started typing. Three months later I had my first completed manuscript. And quickly learned, it needed LOTS of work.
DP: How did you decide on the idea for your first book?
ViVi: I always had a love of the paranormal and all things that go bump in the night. Being from Louisiana, I thrived on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. I also read a huge amount of YA novels since I had two teenage girls. My first manuscript was a YA vampire story. That novel is still in a folder on my laptop needing work. Soul Catcher was my second full length novel I wrote. I decided I enjoyed writing adult novels much more than young adult.
DP: How long did it take you to write your first book?
ViVi: My first novel took three months to write. My second novel, which was my first published novel took about five months with revisions.
DP: Did you self-publish or are you signed to a publishing company?
ViVi: Originally, my first published novel was released through a small press. In June of last year, the rights reverted back to me and I re-released the novel as a self-published book.
DP: How did you decide on the cover for your most recent book?
ViVi: I have a great graphic art design company which works on my covers. I look through stock photos until I find a photo I like. Once I find something, I work with Hot Damn Designs to develop the cover. I provide them with information about the book, what I would like to see or not see on the cover, and they send me a proof to see if it meets my needs. They have been very good meeting my vision. It can be difficult at times to find stock photos with diverse characters with a paranormal feel.
DP: Tell us about your writing style. Do you write on a schedule?
ViVi: I was a complete {panser} when I began writing, actually up until the beginning of this year. For some reason, while I'm very structured in all other things in my life, I have to be very open in my writing and constraints seem to block my creativity.
I have a very busy life outside of writing. I try to write as much and as often as possible, but I don't keep a regular schedule. My goal is at least 1500 words per day.
DP: What makes your writing unique?
ViVi: There are a few emerging African American writers in the Paranormal Romance genre. We recently lost one of our most prolific writing in this genre when Ms. L.A. Banks passed away past year.
I write paranormal stories with diverse characters, but they may not have strong urban backgrounds. While my hero and heroine are African American or interracial, I don't usually make their race a focal point of the story. That's what they are because I connect with them.
DP: As a writer, what motivates you?
ViVi: I'm motivated by the love of writing and creating. It is an outlet to tell the story for the voices in my head. And yes...they talk to me and sometimes I talk back to them. It is also a joy when someone picks up my work and falls in love with my characters.
DP: How do you balance your writing and various responsibilities that come along with being an independent author?
ViVi: I'm not sure I can call what I do balance. I work a full time job, which takes about 60 hours out of my week. I'm a wife and mother. Those duties come first. I won't list the dozen other things I do, but they chunk out another large section of my time. I mostly write late at night or early morning depending on how one interprets the hours beyond midnight.
DP: When you’re not writing what are you doing?
ViVi: When I'm not writing, I work my day job and take care of my family. I also try to find as much time to read as possible. One cannot write without first being a reader.
DP: What’s a typical day like for you?
ViVi: Typical day, huh. I usually go to the day job from 7:30 AM to about 6:30 PM or 7:00 PM. I either pick up dinner or cook dinner (mostly pick up). I do my administrative functions relating to my writing or the book festival I'm sponsoring this year in Frederick. Usually, I try to write from about 10:00 PM until I get too tired to write.
DP: Tell us about your last book signing.
ViVi: My last book signing was in the Barnes and Noble in Frederick, MD. It was great to be able to get into one of the larger retail stores. I spent several months working with the manager in the local and people at the corporate office to make it happen.
DP: Do you have contests or giveaways?
ViVi: I have lots of giveaways and contests through the year. I do many blog hops or giveaway print versions on Goodreads. The best way to find out, is to follow my fan page on Facebook or follow my website and blog.
DP: Many independent authors find it hard to get readers to buy their books. How did you handle the challenges that come along with being a first-time author in a competitive and ever-changing market?
ViVi: I participate in a lot of online marketing. I'm a member of several reader sites where I advertise or blog. I stay active on social media. I participate in several blog hops and other events.
DP: What did you do on your 2nd book that you did not do in your first one?
VIVI: My biggest lesson was to be sure to carefully read all proof copies of my book. A lot of editing pieces were missed in my first book. It was embarrassing. This time I have hired a great editor and also the services of a proof reader.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to an up and coming author, what would it be?
ViVi: My best advice is to educate yourself. You must learn about the industry, the craft, and marketing your book.
DP: Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?
ViVi: Print: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0615662234/
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Catcher-Dueling-Devil-ebook/dp/B008GX44RI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341969579&sr=1-3&keywords=vivi+dumas
It can also be found on all retailer sites, including All About Romance and Smashwords.
Although Vivi grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but has endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Her analytical side has honed a career in the financial industry for almost twenty years. To balance her logical, numerical day job, she unleashes her creativity in her writing.
Her Dueling with the Devil series was a finalist in the Music City Melody of Love Contest.
ViVi’s titles include:
Soul Catcher
Her Black Knight - short story (pre-order with Breathless Press)
Salvation - short story
Red in the Hood - short story a part of Rumpled Silk Sheets: Lesbian Fairy Tales
About “Soul Catcher”
Top supermodel, Angel Dias, lives the life of the rich and fabulous, until a heinous car accident mars her face. After thirteen surgeries and losing everything she deemed important, she seeks out the dark forces to salvage her life and decides to conjure the Devil for help, making a deal to recover her beauty. In exchange for his help, Lucifer forces her to hunt supernatural renegades, which have eluded the pits of Hell. In her quest to find beauty and get out of her contract with Lucifer, Angel stumbles upon love in the arms of a demon.
Commander of the Legions and an Underworld Demon, Jacque Toussant, takes a field commission to escape the madness of a failed relationship and prove himself worthy of his demon heritage. Jacque is content with his existence as a field soldier until Lucifer gives him a special assignment to oversee a new trainee, a supermodel nonetheless. Humans hold low appeal for Jacque, especially the females. That is until he meets Angel. Jacque risks everything, including his life, to find a way to break Angel’s deal with Lucifer.
DP: When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?
ViVi: I've always loved writing. In high school, I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories. As I grew up, I turned in my pen and paper for a "real" job. About two years ago, I decided to attempt my hand at writing again. I picked up my laptop and started typing. Three months later I had my first completed manuscript. And quickly learned, it needed LOTS of work.
DP: How did you decide on the idea for your first book?
ViVi: I always had a love of the paranormal and all things that go bump in the night. Being from Louisiana, I thrived on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. I also read a huge amount of YA novels since I had two teenage girls. My first manuscript was a YA vampire story. That novel is still in a folder on my laptop needing work. Soul Catcher was my second full length novel I wrote. I decided I enjoyed writing adult novels much more than young adult.
DP: How long did it take you to write your first book?
ViVi: My first novel took three months to write. My second novel, which was my first published novel took about five months with revisions.
DP: Did you self-publish or are you signed to a publishing company?
ViVi: Originally, my first published novel was released through a small press. In June of last year, the rights reverted back to me and I re-released the novel as a self-published book.
DP: How did you decide on the cover for your most recent book?
ViVi: I have a great graphic art design company which works on my covers. I look through stock photos until I find a photo I like. Once I find something, I work with Hot Damn Designs to develop the cover. I provide them with information about the book, what I would like to see or not see on the cover, and they send me a proof to see if it meets my needs. They have been very good meeting my vision. It can be difficult at times to find stock photos with diverse characters with a paranormal feel.
DP: Tell us about your writing style. Do you write on a schedule?
ViVi: I was a complete {panser} when I began writing, actually up until the beginning of this year. For some reason, while I'm very structured in all other things in my life, I have to be very open in my writing and constraints seem to block my creativity.
I have a very busy life outside of writing. I try to write as much and as often as possible, but I don't keep a regular schedule. My goal is at least 1500 words per day.
DP: What makes your writing unique?
ViVi: There are a few emerging African American writers in the Paranormal Romance genre. We recently lost one of our most prolific writing in this genre when Ms. L.A. Banks passed away past year.
I write paranormal stories with diverse characters, but they may not have strong urban backgrounds. While my hero and heroine are African American or interracial, I don't usually make their race a focal point of the story. That's what they are because I connect with them.
DP: As a writer, what motivates you?
ViVi: I'm motivated by the love of writing and creating. It is an outlet to tell the story for the voices in my head. And yes...they talk to me and sometimes I talk back to them. It is also a joy when someone picks up my work and falls in love with my characters.
DP: How do you balance your writing and various responsibilities that come along with being an independent author?
ViVi: I'm not sure I can call what I do balance. I work a full time job, which takes about 60 hours out of my week. I'm a wife and mother. Those duties come first. I won't list the dozen other things I do, but they chunk out another large section of my time. I mostly write late at night or early morning depending on how one interprets the hours beyond midnight.
DP: When you’re not writing what are you doing?
ViVi: When I'm not writing, I work my day job and take care of my family. I also try to find as much time to read as possible. One cannot write without first being a reader.
DP: What’s a typical day like for you?
ViVi: Typical day, huh. I usually go to the day job from 7:30 AM to about 6:30 PM or 7:00 PM. I either pick up dinner or cook dinner (mostly pick up). I do my administrative functions relating to my writing or the book festival I'm sponsoring this year in Frederick. Usually, I try to write from about 10:00 PM until I get too tired to write.
DP: Tell us about your last book signing.
ViVi: My last book signing was in the Barnes and Noble in Frederick, MD. It was great to be able to get into one of the larger retail stores. I spent several months working with the manager in the local and people at the corporate office to make it happen.
DP: Do you have contests or giveaways?
ViVi: I have lots of giveaways and contests through the year. I do many blog hops or giveaway print versions on Goodreads. The best way to find out, is to follow my fan page on Facebook or follow my website and blog.
DP: Many independent authors find it hard to get readers to buy their books. How did you handle the challenges that come along with being a first-time author in a competitive and ever-changing market?
ViVi: I participate in a lot of online marketing. I'm a member of several reader sites where I advertise or blog. I stay active on social media. I participate in several blog hops and other events.
DP: What did you do on your 2nd book that you did not do in your first one?
VIVI: My biggest lesson was to be sure to carefully read all proof copies of my book. A lot of editing pieces were missed in my first book. It was embarrassing. This time I have hired a great editor and also the services of a proof reader.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to an up and coming author, what would it be?
ViVi: My best advice is to educate yourself. You must learn about the industry, the craft, and marketing your book.
DP: Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?
ViVi: Print: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0615662234/
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Catcher-Dueling-Devil-ebook/dp/B008GX44RI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341969579&sr=1-3&keywords=vivi+dumas
It can also be found on all retailer sites, including All About Romance and Smashwords.
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