About the Author
She may be a nurse by profession but she's an author by heart. Dormaine has been writing stories for many years, both in her head and on paper because she's always had a love for books ever since spending Saturdays at the library as a young child.
Within a book, the mind can travel to worlds of the imagination and the beyond. She finally took the plunge and published her first novel last year, a young adult urban fantasy titled Connor and an adult horror short story titled Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess. Both are the first editions of many to come as she stays locked up in her office in Colorado spinning more tales.
Dormaine's sampler contribution
The story involves a Native American male, Micco, who wakes up in the middle of a murderous scene and being the lead cop in his small town, he caught the case. Not able to remember a thing, his behavior starts to drastically change causing others to take notice especially the love of his life, Nara.
Q&A with Dormaine G.
1. When was your first novel published and what made you decided to venture into the literary world?
I have always written tales but never took the plunge until last year in 2013 when I published my first novel titled "Connor". As a child growing up I often wondered what it would be like to be off on an adventure. When you’re young, your creative fantasies are limitless and there is nothing more a child desires than wanting to feel special or different. So now in a book I get to write the escapades for my readers to take on a journey where the ride never ends.
2. Where do your ideas come from and how does your writing process work?
My ideas come from a thought or a situation. When I think of a character, I simply sit down and write the story out. I don’t plot anything, but instead let the tale come to me as I imagine it. I allow the words to flow without the restriction of an outline limiting my creativity, although at times, I will chart a timeline for accuracy purposes. If research is needed, I delve in gathering all required material then plot my story even more. I will research before and during my writing process to make sure what I’m giving you is accurate as possible. Eventually, the time, place and characters take on a life themselves until a story is born.
3. What compels you to write horror?
To me horror is drama at its best. The characters can be utterly twisted, riddled with madness or simply removed from reality. The story can be a roller coaster ride of disarray or a steady drop in the end. Being able to write fiction is a powerful tool but when you add insanity into the mix that makes for a powerful plot. It’s fulfilling, breathtaking and insanely engrossing. In my historical fiction horror series, "Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess", my main character Odara (Madame Lilly) was driven mad by cruelty. In the late 1800’s of New Orleans, we watch how a naïve girl turns into a scorned woman by her husband and seeks revenge through the old way, Voodoo. History and tradition is explored but with an element of darkness applied as she loses herself along the way. In saying that I still love to write young adult fantasy novels as well but even then the main character is a different from the norm.
4. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to explore the world of writing?
Stay true to yourself. When you set out to write a novel make sure that you write a story that you will enjoy. Have a beta reader to give you great direction then edit, reedit and edit some more until you can no longer read another word of that story. Hire a professional editor to read over your work. Not everyone will care for you work but that is all right because that’s normal. Learn to take rejection in stride but keep writing.
5. What stories can we expect from you next?
I am presently working on another "Madame Lilly" short story titled "Madame Lilly, The Time of Sanura". It will be volume 3 in the series. We travel further back in time and visit Lilly’s great grandmother. We learn how history has a way of repeating itself and what toll it takes on others. Also, another Micco tale is set to be released early next year in 2015. It picks up where the story ends as we observe the struggles the main character has to endure.
