The BSP Tour Guest/Giveaway Post with Katie Salidas Author of Vampire Bites

Here's a big warm welcome to Katie Salidas, Thank you Katie for stopping by BLH today.

Balancing the writer within you against being a mom and wife.

I am Super Mom!

Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, I can get the munchkin off to gymnastics,cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. I can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime... And, I still find time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). I can do all of this and still have time to write my novels.

Sorry… I can't even write that with a straight face.

Lies all lies.

Here’s the reality. I’m a sleep-deprived, overworked, mom who just doesn’t know the meaning of the word balance. I wish I were super mom. I wish I were super author. I try so hard to do it all, and at the end of the day I fall face forward into the couch.

Yes, you read that right, I tend to sleep on the couch. It’s a point of frustration for my hubby and a thing of comedy for my daughter. There are many mornings where I wake up to the sound of my 7 year old daughter yelling, “Mom slept on the couch again!!!”

Because being supermom (or trying to) means a lot of time devoted to family, writing is often done when said family is peacefully snoozing away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep with my laptop, on the couch. It just happens. Then, bright and early at 7am either my hubby (on his way to work) or my daughter (getting ready for school) wakes me up.

Writing is my passion. It’s a part of me. More than just a hobby, it’s a compulsion. I have to do it. If I don’t do at least one writing related thing each day I get cranky. But to be able to write, I need a certain type of quiet. Hence the dilemma.

For my family’s sake, it gives the illusion of balance. While the family is home, they have 100% of my attention. I’m there ready and willing to take care of the things they need. Once I have tucked them into bed or when hubby is at work and my daughter is at school, then I can start my “job.”

So, as you can see, while writing is something I take very seriously and look at as my job, it almost never happens during the “day.” I can often be found bleary-eyed, late at night, clicking away at the keys of my laptop. Even us “Housewives” have day jobs. I’m a write-at-home-mom! The house doesn’t clean itself (oh God how I wish it did though), the laundry won’t fold itself … okay, you know where I’m going with this. Seriously though, daytime is when I work on the household stuff, do my critiquing group critiques and posts, and take care of business related things for Rising Sign Books.

So let’s start with that. I work nights. My shift starts promptly at 8pm. Until recently (we just found out we are expecting baby #2) I would crack open a can of redbull (the 12 oz one), open up my current manuscript, and get started. Now that baby #2 is on the way, that can of redbull has been exchanged for a more pregnancy-friendly beverage, water. And let me tell you, my writing production had gone way down since caffeine was removed from my diet. But, alas, we must soldier on!

As many of you writers know, once you have the muse working, it can mean hours upon hours of writing time. Which is why I said that “balance” is illusion. Sometimes those bouts of inspiration and writing turn into an all-nighters. That leaves me so spent that if I don’t end up sleeping on the couch, I end up crashing shortly after I drop my daughter off at school.

We all have to sleep sometime.

Not every night goes this way, but many of them do while I’m feverously working on a project. So far, I’ve been able to write and publish 5 titles in the last few years. I write a mix of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Surprise, surprise, all of my titles involve vampires. There must be some connection there between writing about those creatures of the night and the time of day I use for writing.

If you’d like to check out any of my work, including Vampire Bites stop by www.katiesalidas.com and read a sample or two. If you like what you see, all of my novels and novellas are available in every ebook format!

Search for me on any of your favorite ebook retailer’s website.

Amazon.com

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

About the Author:

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write. And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter

http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

I almost forgot in my excitement, Katie has generously offered a ebook copy of Vampire Bites to one Lucky Winner, all you need to do is leave your email so I can contact you if you win and and leave some kind of comment, if you can't think of anything to say answer this question What is your favorite paranormal creature and why? The giveaway will run from July 24th to Aug 1st, The winner will be announced on Aug 2nd

Next Stop on the Vampire Bites Tour is Poisoned Rationality and be sure to continuing hopping on this tour for your chance at the end of tour giveaway.