Meet Author Kirsty Dallas -

Slyce: Brothers and Sistah’s, please welcome our sistah, Author Kirsty Dallas to “The Interrogation Room”!! Welcome my sistah :-). Are you ready?

Slyce: What inspired you to become an author?

KD:I met a storyboard artist who worked on films such as Narnia, Avengers and Star Wars. He opened my mind to the possibilities of a career that might help nurture my creative side. I loved writing and sometimes found it easier than talking ;-), and had been writing as a hobby since I was 14. After a little guidance, a lot of mistakes and many, many hours in front of a computer, I published my first novel in 2013

Slyce: What is the name of your publishing company?

KD: I’m an independent author and publish as KD Publications. I do have a translation publishing contract with Adel Publishing in Israel and I’m currently in negotiations with an Italian publisher and another in Germany.

Slyce: In what genre do you write?

KD: I write romance, but spear off into the sub-genres of contemporary, comedy, dystopian and dark. I also like to dabble in horror and have been a ghost writer on a horror/slasher book.

Slyce: Have you penned under another name?

KD: I have not, and unless I delve into the world of children’s books, I doubt I ever well. Kirsty Dallas is actually my legal name. I like it 😉

Slyce: You wrote a book titled, “Beauty”. What was this book about?

KD: “Beauty” is a very dark and twisted novella written in Anita Gray’s dark mobster world from her bestselling novels, Blaire and Blai2e. It follows two characters, a girl simply known as “Beauty” and a mysterious and dangerous British man called Hart Cordell. Both of these characters have been, or are, victims of the horrific world of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. My novella follows the moment these two broken and flawed individuals come together and it is akin to a tumultuous once-in-a-lifetime storm. The world is going to drown in the blood of their vengeance. In this book I wanted to explore the mind of someone who is not necessarily ‘broken’ by their ordeal, but transformed into something new…a monster!

Slyce: Is this book a stand alone or a series?

KD: “Beauty” is part of a multi-author series set in Anita Gray’s “Blaire’s World” which releases on 26th February, 2019. Each book is a standalone and they can be read in any order. Beauty itself is a two part novella with the second part set for a tentative release date in April.

Slyce: Is this book an eBook or paperback?

KD: “Beauty” will be released in the Kindle Unlimited program, and will also be available in paperback.

Slyce: How important are interviews?

KD: Publicity and promotion is so very important for an author. Even if you only reach one new reader during a promotion, that’s one new reader who might just love your books, and they might just tell someone else about them. Every connection made in this industry is important.

Slyce: How important are reviews?

KD: Reviews make an author’s career. The number of reviews and stars on a book can impact that books visibility on sales platforms, and of course can determine whether a reader picks it up or not. Reviews can be a dream and make your confidence soar; they can also tear you down, hard. As an artist you need to have some thick skin and accept the good with the bad.

Slyce: What does the term, “Building a Brand” mean?

KD: To me it means so many things that it’s really hard to put it into words. It’s giving your business an identity or a voice, and creating consumer awareness. Having a brand is about communication, recognition, worth, definition. Some days it almost feels like a living breathing entity that’s completely separate to me, perhaps like my alter ego; confident and sassy, professional, edgy, engaging. A brand is hard work, it needs constant care, forethought and development.

Slyce: What steps are you taking to build your brand?

KD: I’m prone to being a little introverted, so for me, building my brand is putting myself outside my comfort zone and working hard at establishing myself on social media and attending signings, because readers these days are interested not just in your words, but they are interested in you. So I try to let people in, just a little. I also do all my own graphics, so I’ve designed my own logo and set up my own website. I try to keep graphics consistent like using one particular font for my author name and using my logo EVERYWHERE.

Slyce: What goals would you like to achieve as an author?

KD: Hmmm, quit my three-day-a-week day job and work as a full time author. That’s definitely a goal. Travel more which will ultimately give me more life experiences which can be very useful in writing. Work more on script writing to give me more exposure in that arena, that would be awesome!

Slyce: Is there anything else cooking in the lab for Author Kirsty Dallas?

KD: Plots are constantly tumbling around my mind as I piece them together to create new novels. A couple of years ago I co-wrote and edited a horror movie script which was released by UniversalPictures Australia in 2018. I’d really love to do something like that again in the near future. In the meantime I have Beauty Part 2 in editing phase, Zombie Playlist (a post-apocalyptic, road trip adventure based around two sisters and a mute former police officer) is also ready to go into editing, and I’ll be starting the sixth book in my contemporary series “Mercy’s Angels” soon. Mercy’s Angels is a series of standalone books that all deal with the subject of violence against women.

Slyce: What advice can you offer to those aspiring to become authors?

KD: To begin with, simply write. Ignore the noise around you and just write. Develop a good routine and good writing habits. Network! Talk to other authors, ask questions, chat with bloggers, join groups and interact. Research and find a good editor. Whatever cash you’ve set aside for your writing put the majority into editing and cover creation. Then when you’re ready to launch that book, investigate MARKETING. The awful ‘M’ word. Amazon marketing and Facebook marketing, the evil necessities of the literary world.

Slyce: Do you write for the passion or the profit?

KD: I’m definitely in this game for the passion. I just love creating new worlds and characters.

Slyce: Have you ever done blog talk radio?

KD: Eeeppp! No. Remember that previous comment about being a little introverted? I’m not sure I could. I’d also be nervous about not being able to edit myself. At least in a written interview, or even a group takeover, I can prepare beforehand. However, I really want to live by the philosophy of ‘never say never’, so maybe I could bolster my courage and do something like that one day.

Slyce: Name three authors you’d love to work with.

KD: I’d love to do a co-write with the Blaire’s World creator, Anita Gray. I think our dark minds could come up with a pretty wicked collaboration. KM Golland is a super sweet Aussie gal who writes contemporary and comedy romance, I’d LOVE to do a rom-com with her, I think it would be super fun. I’m also a lover of horror, so…Stephen King would be something special!

Slyce: Where can our viewers purchase your book?

KD: The ‘shop now’ button on my Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/KirstyDallasAuthor/ OR from my website which will direct you to a sales platform of your choice (www.kirstydallasauthor.com), Amazon, iBooks, Nook, Kobo and the Book Depository. Little Gnome bookstore in Brisbane, and Books In Style in Sydney, Australia.

Slyce: How can our viewers contact you?

KD: