Author Grea Alexander Shares Their Story
Q: Why should someone buy your work?
Because it’s awesome. (laugh) I also donate a portion of the profit to charity.
Q: Why the name SeaMonkey Ink?
Why not? (grin) What’s not to love? I mean it’s Ink squirting out of a Seamonkey. I mean sure no one has ever witnessed such a phenomenon but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. (laugh)
Q: Seriously?
No. When I was in school (high school and beyond) I used to play pranks under various code names – one of which was Seamonkey. I also have always enjoyed writing and back when I started to do so, I used to write everything by hand (which requires either lead or Ink) even long after I got my first word processor and computer. After I finally started typing directly, it still took ink to print.
Hence SeaMonkey Ink.
Q: Have you ever actually owned Seamonkeys?
Actually I have and I’m pretty well convinced that there is a wanted poster with my name and likeness up somewhere in the SIA (Seamonkey Intelligence Agency) headquarters for mass genocide. (laugh) I try but I fail.
Q: Are any of your characters based on people you know/knew in real life?
Not really. Most are composites. However, I will say that more than a little of my own personality/thoughts/expressions pop up in my stories and among my characters.
For instance, in Rebellion Book I: Book of Quay, Phong Quay makes a statement that one day he is changing his name and not telling anyone what he changed it to. I’ve said that to people since I was like 5 – particularly when I get agitated at being disturbed.
So if any real life person is used as a template for some of my dialogue and character behaviors it would be myself.
Q: You write some historical novels. How accurate are they?
Accurate enough. (laugh) I always say I do just enough research to be dangerous.
I enjoy history and find some of the portraits of these figures, times and places to be fascinating. I actually do put in quite a nice chunk of time trying to make the story as historically accurate as possible though I would like to think my work is more character driven then driven by the time, places and figures that inspired it.
Q: Why don’t you include your photo?
Because I’m incredibly homely. (laugh)
Q: You don’t look homely to me.
For my personal safety. (laugh) I’m always raising someone’s hackles for some reason or another whether it’s intentional or not. I’m also very private person and I would prefer to gain readers/admirers based on my work rather than my appearance. My appearance is just a bonus. (wink)
Q: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?
Yes! Buy my books. (laugh)
By contributing to my income through a purchase, you make it possible for me to spend more time writing new novels for you to enjoy. As a portion of the profits of my sales do go to charity, you are also placing yourself 2 degrees of separation from being a philanthropist!
About the Author
Q: Why should someone buy your work?
Because it’s awesome. (laugh) I also donate a portion of the profit to charity.
Q: Why the name SeaMonkey Ink?
Why not? (grin) What’s not to love? I mean it’s Ink squirting out of a Seamonkey. I mean sure no one has ever witnessed such a phenomenon but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. (laugh)
Q: Seriously?
No. When I was in school (high school and beyond) I used to play pranks under various code names – one of which was Seamonkey. I also have always enjoyed writing and back when I started to do so, I used to write everything by hand (which requires either lead or Ink) even long after I got my first word processor and computer. After I finally started typing directly, it still took ink to print.
Hence SeaMonkey Ink.
Q: Have you ever actually owned Seamonkeys?
Actually I have and I’m pretty well convinced that there is a wanted poster with my name and likeness up somewhere in the SIA (Seamonkey Intelligence Agency) headquarters for mass genocide. (laugh) I try but I fail.
Q: Are any of your characters based on people you know/knew in real life?
Not really. Most are composites. However, I will say that more than a little of my own personality/thoughts/expressions pop up in my stories and among my characters.
For instance, in Rebellion Book I: Book of Quay, Phong Quay makes a statement that one day he is changing his name and not telling anyone what he changed it to. I’ve said that to people since I was like 5 – particularly when I get agitated at being disturbed.
So if any real life person is used as a template for some of my dialogue and character behaviors it would be myself.
Q: You write some historical novels. How accurate are they?
Accurate enough. (laugh) I always say I do just enough research to be dangerous.
I enjoy history and find some of the portraits of these figures, times and places to be fascinating. I actually do put in quite a nice chunk of time trying to make the story as historically accurate as possible though I would like to think my work is more character driven then driven by the time, places and figures that inspired it.
Q: Why don’t you include your photo?
Because I’m incredibly homely. (laugh)
Q: You don’t look homely to me.
For my personal safety. (laugh) I’m always raising someone’s hackles for some reason or another whether it’s intentional or not. I’m also very private person and I would prefer to gain readers/admirers based on my work rather than my appearance. My appearance is just a bonus. (wink)
Q: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?
Yes! Buy my books. (laugh)
By contributing to my income through a purchase, you make it possible for me to spend more time writing new novels for you to enjoy. As a portion of the profits of my sales do go to charity, you are also placing yourself 2 degrees of separation from being a philanthropist!
What inspires you to write romance books?
It’s better than real life romance. (laugh) I think that love and sex are a big part of the human experience, that lots of great and horrendous things have been done in the name of both. That’s what makes it so fascinating.
Tell us about how you write:
I just let whatever wants to come out come out. Afterwards, I tweek and tweek and tweek….and tweek. (grin) Sometimes I will write down key events or key conversations that I 100% want to happen at some point with no real idea of where or how in the story it’s going to happen.
Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don’t do any real character sketches. I’m weird I guess, but for me the characters just kind of evolve naturally as events unfold. It’s almost as if they are real people and I just say, oh no he/she would never do that in that situation or they would totally do that as I go. So I guess the events in the story tend to create the characters for me. As for the character’s personalities, it’s almost as if these are real people acting out their lives for me and I’m just writing down. Weird huh? (laugh)
What advice would you give other writers?
I think as much as the sex and the love, there needs to be a good plot and story there as well – one that could survive completely without the sex. Just don’t take out the sex love…that’s the most delicious part. (Laugh)
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I think technology kind of decided for me. I was offered an opportunity to be published by a company almost a decade ago; however, I really didn’t want to give up my copyright/artistic control over my work to some large, faceless organization. I wanted my work to truly be mine.
With the advent of all of these new self publishing mediums such as Create Space and Smashwords, it’s actually possible for individuals to get their work out there in the way they envision it. I think that’s awesome.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it will evolve much in the way of internet streaming and digital copy has today. Eventually, ebooks will drive out traditional publishing although there will still be hold outs like myself who really just love physical books and refuse to give them up.
What genres do you write?
Historical Romance & Horror (though I won’t post the horror here unless it fits (grin))
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Link To Author Page On Smashwords
Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6604619.Grea_Alexander
