Review and Interview: Save my Soul by Zoe Winters

Save My Soul by Zoe Winters
 
All he’s asking for is her soul.


After buying the antebellum home she’s fantasized about since childhood, Anna Worthington discovers Luc, a dangerously seductive incubus who has been trapped in the house by a fifty-year-old curse. To rid herself of her problem house guest she’ll call on a priest, gypsies, ghost hunters, and the coven of witches from lust bunny hell. All she has to do is resist him long enough to break the spell so they can go their separate ways. If she doesn’t, she could die. And that would be the best case scenario.


Where do I start with this one?  I could gush for days about the pristine editing and lovely writing, but I'll refrain.  Suffice it to say this was a great book comparable to any romance you might pick up from a publisher (or better!).

I don't ordinarily read romance novels, but good writing is good writing.  Something about Save My Soul refused to be put down.  The heroine was cute and sassy without being too obnoxious and the hero actually had an evil past, which the writer didn't gloss over at all.  All the attempts to exorcise Luc from the house got me chuckling.  Zoe Winters is building an original world wherein we're all dwelling in Hell and can only aspire to reach Heaven, and I loved her milieu.

With a climax that was sweet and surprising, Save My Soul is a definite must-read.  My only complaint was the lack of urgency at the end (although I'll avoid spoilers here).  When that kind of thing is happening, I wouldn't expect much time for lengthy relationship discussions and decision-making processes.

I didn't realize this was a "book two" when I picked it up, but I don't feel I missed anything by skipping the first, so feel free to jump in wherever you want.  Save My Soul is available in multiple ebook formats and will soon also be available as an audiobook.  You can find all avenues of purchase here.

Zoe Winters awesomely agreed to an interview when I bugged her about it on Twitter.


Thanks so much for joining us!  Who are you? (Tell us a little about yourself!)
When I figure it out, I'll let you know. LOL.

What are your current projects?
Right now I'm finishing up worldbuilding so I can continue with the Preternaturals series (Of which Save My Soul is book 2). Book 3 in the series will introduce two new characters for the lead romantic story: Z, a panther therian, and Fiona, an agoraphobic witch. I'll also be introducing my heaven dimension and the angels. Also Cain, Cole, and Jane will all be back and play a pretty big role. Book 4 is Cain and Tam's book which I'm REALLY excited about. I can't wait to share it! I've got some really cool stuff coming up.

I took a series-writing course and have been working through the steps to figure out the overarching background story that will be playing out in these books, the threads that help tie them all together. I knew some of it in a vague kind of way, but the farther I go in the series, the more risk that I'll screw something up.

I created a series bible to track everything, and I've just basically been getting my ducks in a row and making sure my foundation is solid so I can take this series where I want it to go. In May I plan to be writing like a ninja. (Ninjas are fast, right?)

The front story in each book will, of course, be the romance and the events and circumstances surrounding the love story, but it all happens against a particular backdrop with a larger over-arching story unfolding in the background which will take many books to fully unfold.

Also, my narrator recently finished recording Save My Soul, which is now available in audio. It will still be a few more weeks before it's at Audible, though. Book 1 in the series, Blood Lust is currently at Audible. The goal is for everything to be in ebook, print, and audiobook.

Where do you see the future of indie publishing going?
I'm getting out of the prognosticating game. I used to be really indie rah rah, and now I just don't have the energy or patience for it. There are others like Joe Konrath and Dean Wesley Smith who are FAR more equipped to take on that teaching and prediction role. I just want to write and build my readership.

In writing/publishing circles there seems to be this insane clawing for attention and validation among one's peers. Everybody wants to have this or that "position" or "status", and it just wears me out, honestly. When I was being a loud mouth I wasn't creating, and I wasn't nearly as happy as I am now backing away from it. I prefer to spend more time in the bat cave writing and responding to the things that directly affect my own business than speculating anymore publicly about "where it's all going".

Which authors and books are your greatest influences?
I would actually say my greatest influence wasn't an author at all in the sense of books. I'm a big Joss Whedon fan, I've seen Buffy, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. Joss really influenced me in the sense of making things "cinematic" and how to do character arc. I was absolutely fascinated by how you never know where a Whedon character is going to end up. They can start good and go evil or start evil and go good, or make several loops around that track. Spike's character arc from villain and slayer killer to hero and slayer lover was pretty awesome. And Marsters, of course, brought the character to life with his acting. If it wasn't for "Spike", I don't think I would be writing paranormal romance now. Because it was my absolute obsession with Buffy which led me to paranormal romance in the first place. And if it wasn't for the Buffy/Spike thing, I don't think I would have gotten that obsessed, lol.

To continue that question, which indie authors do you most admire?
Kait Nolan, Moriah Jovan, R.J. Keller, Evelyn LaFont, Susan Bischoff, M.T. Murphy, Michelle Davidson Argyle (and I'm sure I'm leaving several out).

What's the deepest, darkest secret you're willing to share?
LOL. I'm not really a deep, dark secret sharing type.

Thanks again!

Don't forget to pick up Save My Soul and her other books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and more.