Meet and Greet Monday: Caprice Hokstad

Book Giveaway Drawing!!!

Details Below...

Caprice Hokstad was born in San Diego, California and has lived in southern California for most of her life. She attended Baylor University in Texas. Caprice is married with four children ranging in age from 7 to 23. She shares a mobile home with her family of five people, a dog, a cat, two big pet rats, a tankful of fish, and a leopard gecko.

BRC: How would you describe your book?

It's sword opera fantasy. It's set in a place where our societal rules don't apply, but most of our physical laws do. I didn't use magic and sorcery very much, nor did I employ one of the genre's favorite tropes, the quest. The heroine is a peasant girl, the hero, a duke. It's adventure and mystery with a dash of romance.

BRC: What message do you hope it conveys?

I just hope it is entertaining. Any "messages" should be inferred by the readers, not imposed by the author.

BRC: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed escaping to another world, conjuring all the details I needed to see even if I didn't include them in the plot.

BRC: What did you dislike most about writing this book?

The conflicting messages I got from critiquers. One would say to change something one way and the next person would say the exact opposite. It took me a very long time to trust my own voice and my own vision.

BRC: What inspired you to become a writer?

Hmm. Did I actually *become* a writer? I guess so, but I didn't set out to become something. I set out to DO something and that was to tell a story. I've told a few more since finishing The Duke's Handmaid and I hope I'll get more ideas for new stories when those are finished.

BRC: Tell us about your writing process.

I plan a lot in my head, but I don't outline much on paper. I edit as I go. I love the polishing stage more than the "get it out" stage, which is mostly a necessary evil, only done in order to get to the good part.

BRC: What are you working on now?

I had an idea for an undersea science fiction novel, and I started it during NaNo of 2008, but my characters are simply not working for me. I still am very much drawn to that setting but I recognize that I cannot move forward until I solve the character problem.

In the meantime, I am indulging my obsession with underwater settings by reading widely in the genre (everything from The Abyss to Hunt for Red October) and studying a lot of related non-fiction (oceanography, submarines, marine biology, ocean mammals). And I am indulging my muse by writing SeaQuest fanfiction. I have written two full seaQuest novels in the last year. They can't be published, of course, but they are getting very high marks with the readers and giving me a LOT of satisfaction. They are available free at UnderseaAdventure.net .

BRC: What books do you enjoy reading?

This is really hard to answer in a generic way. I'm rather picky about what I like and there's no good blanket statement that covers it. I like adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy. I like escape. I need to admire or identify with the main character or several minor characters. I get frustrated if they constantly do dumb things or act in a way that makes me want to slap them. I can put up with a little of that, assuming that the character is going to change, but if it continues, I usually set the book aside and never pick it up again.

I loved the Harry Potter series. Spent the two months before book seven came out re-reading Books 1-6 OUT LOUD to my kids, then read Deathly Hallows out loud in under three days. Talk about the Summer of No Voice. But I do read those books over and over.

BRC: Where can readers buy your book?

http://latoph.com/buy.html has a list of retailers selling my book

BRC: Where can readers find you online?

http://www.latoph.com/

http://www.facebook.com/capricehokstad

Free eBook: http://www.lulu.com/product/book-download/the-dukes-handmaid---ebook/11594327

Kindle "Special" 99 cents: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00102936Y?ie=UTF8&tag=welctolato-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00102936Y



Book Giveaway Drawing: Leave a comment to this post to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of THE DUKE'S HANDMAID. Please include a way to reach you online or your entry will be ineligible. Entries will be accepted until this Wednesday at midnight (Pacific Coast time/United States). The winner will be posted Friday. A link to detailed giveaway rules is located in this blog's footer.