Name of Author: Tess Owens

Title of Book: Blood Child

Favorite Authors: Anne Rice, Patricia Cornwell, Jeaniene Frost, JR Ward

Bio: I am full-time Active Duty Army, a wife, and a mother to four beautiful children, three boys and the youngest a girl. I love to read, draw, and write for fun, but would love to be a published author one day. As it is, I am currently working on improving my Army career and getting my Bachelors of Science in Business Administration in Health Care Management. I love animals, gardening, and spending time with my wonderful family, often telling stories to one another by a fire. =)

Blood Child

https://www.wattpad.com/story/44055829-blood-child-sytycw15-wattys2015

Can you explain what your book is all about? 

He is an animagus; she is a vampire. Together they discover love and unbridled passion. Breaking the rules to find happiness, Vincent and Remy must protect their unborn child from the One Council that rules their ancient world, Utera. In doing so, they uncover secrets that had been buried for over half a millennium. Finding out why her father and his fiancée were murdered puts their world at risk and changes everything. Now they face a difficult decision: leave their home forever or allow the One Council to fall, causing their world to be consumed by chaos and civil war.

Who is your target audience - and why?

My target audience is anyone and everyone who loves reading about the paranormal. There is a mix of everything in my book that I think will appeal to a large array of different readers, and I am confident enough to feel that they would continue reading, even if it isn't their normal favored genre.

What is 'paranormal' about your story?

My story takes place on a parallel world called Utera. The four main species of this planet are vampires, werewolves, merfolk, and animagi. There is also the all-important element of magic within each of the beings that inhabit this world. The ending, although yet to be published, will be nothing that the readers are expecting.

Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?

There is an element of mystery and thriller because my male main character, Vincent, is a detective. He becomes involved in a case involving a huge drug ring and winds up having to protect more than just his own life. The entire planet is at stake if he fails.

There is also a bit of fantasy involved because there are all kinds of creatures that are unique to Utera, such as the varlek, cralnin, and veshtin. What are these creatures? I guess you will have to read to find out. =)

Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?

I sat down and thought about what my story was going to be about. I then brainstormed the entire plot from beginning to end, trying to make sure that I asked questions that I could answer. When I was finished with the basic outline, I made a list of questions that I had to be able to answer before I started writing the first chapter. I had to make sure that the plot, plot twists, and subplots all tied together somehow and made sense for the reader. The small details happen as I write, but the bigger ideas had to be "plotted" out first.

Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?

I have hit a wall a couple of times when trying to decide how I should go from one scene to the other, or which scene should come next. I have had some times where I had to leave the story alone for a week or so before I could get back on track with it. Now, I have the problem of just finding time out of my busy day to dedicate to my work for it to be the quality that I know it deserves to be.

You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?

Writing well is not just grammar and spelling, although it definitely helps. It is the ability to take an idea and put it on paper so that when a reader is reading it, that same picture forms in their head. They feel what your characters feel and go through the experiences with them, and they are able to become an involved part of this new world that you have introduced them to.