In the Spotlight – Valerie Douglas

Welcome to Valerie Douglas’ The Coming Storm Blog tour. Check back at The Finishing Fairies daily to find out where she’ll appear next.

Valerie Douglas is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the delight of her fans. A fan of authors of almost every genre from Isaac Asimov to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, she writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and as V.J. Devereaux, erotic romance. Who knows what will pop up down the road!

Happily married, she’s companion to two dogs, four cats and an African clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.

You can find more information at Valerie Douglas Books or at Alexandria Publishing Group.

Read on for more about this exciting author!

Elon of Aerilann, Elven advisor to the High King of Men, helped negotiate the treaty between Elves, Dwarves and men. He suddenly finds that fragile truce threatened from without by an unknown enemy and from within by old hatreds and prejudice. With the aid of his true-friend Colath, the wizard Jareth and the Elven archer Jalila, he goes in search of the source of the threat.

Ailith, the Heir to Riverford, fights her own silent battle. Her father has changed, but her quest to discover what changed him puts her life and very soul in danger and leaves her only one direction in which to turn. Elon.

To preserve the alliance, though, Elon will have to choose between his honor, his duty and everything for which he fought.

And now let’s shine the spotlight on Valerie!

Maer: Thanks for joining us to tell us about your new book today. What is the funniest or oddest thing that has happened to you as an author?

Valerie: Not so much funny or odd, but the greatest compliment I’ve ever received is that I made the reader laugh and cry, or that they’ve read one of my books again and again. That’s the best thing for an author to hear.

Maer: Do you use beta readers and, if so, what qualities do you look for in a beta?

Valerie: Oh definitely. First I look for people who are intelligent, smart enough to catch the errors, and comfortable enough with me to point them out. Of course, they also have to read that genre.

Maer: What is a one line synopsis for your book?

Valerie: When you know the price of war, and sense that it’s coming, what will you in honor do to prevent it?

Maer: Is this a stand-alone or part of a series?

Valerie: It’s part of a series – currently a sequel and two novellas.

Maer: Awesome! Which character, other than Elon and Ailith, is one of your favorites to write and why?

Valerie: Either Colath or Jareth. Colath because he’s so steadfast a friend to both my MCs, and Jareth because he asks the hard questions, even knowing the risk. Both are the kind of people you could sit around a fire with.

Maer: If you had to pick a color to describe Elon and Ailith what would that be and why?

Valerie: Deep rich blue for Elon – the color of gloaming, when the stars are just beginning to appear. Rose-gold for Ailith, the color of sunrise. They’re the perfect contrasts to each other.

Maer: Who are your favorite authors to read?

Valerie: I loved Tolkien, and George R. R. Martin until his fourth book or so. Anne McCaffrey. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. C. J. Cherryh. Out of genre? Nora Roberts and Dick Francis.

Maer: Lots of my own faves on that list, so good choices. 🙂 Can you share a bit about the project you’re working on now?

Valerie: I’m kind of caught between two series – I was working on a novella in the Servant of the Gods universe, but I really want to write the prequel to The Coming Storm…and it’s calling to me – especially now that I’m no longer on the medication that was strangling my concentration. It’s going to be a very involved book.

Maer: So, what do you do when you’re not writing?

Valerie: Read, watch movies, visit with friends, play with the cats and dogs. My husband and I travel – great inspiration for world-building.

Maer: Indeed. busy schedule. What influenced you to write in your genre? Do you write in others?

Valerie: I write whatever strikes my fancy. I get bored easily, but never when writing. I don’t want to get trapped in a genre, though. I’ve seen too many writers who write the same story with different names, or who are clearly being pushed by a publisher to pump out the next book in their favored universe.

Maer: What music, if any, do you like to listen to while writing?

Valerie: I create whole soundtracks for my books, either from soundtracks to movies that have a similar sensibility, or that just fit the story. I have sound reducing headphones because you can’t tell the dogs not to bark in the middle of an intense scene, or as signal to my husband that I’m deep in the story.

Maer: Valerie, thanks a great interview. Do you have anything you’d like to add?

Valerie: I love writing characters my readers love. By the way, thanks for the interview!

You can find The Coming Storm at