Interview with DelSheree Gladden and My Thoughts on The Date Shark Series

I met DelSheree Gladden a while back, whilst reading and reviewing the first book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series.  I immediately fell in love with her style of writing and got sucked in by the storyline.  Very soon after I started reading along in the Date Shark Series, and could not believe that an author so talented in writing YA could also write such amazing contemporary romance. I loved the first book in the Date Shark Series!

delsheree gladden About DelSheree

I was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. I didn’t speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but I had already taught myself to read. My fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. I wrote my first novel when I was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

 

Native to New Mexico, my husband and I spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Our two children love having their seventeen cousins close by again. They also love having all the neighbor kids over to play, which has made our house the unofficial summer and after school hangout spot.

When not writing, you can find me out and about with my family or sneaking a few minutes for one of my many hobbies I never seem to have time for. I love reading (obviously), though I tend to stick to indie and small press authors more than mainstream books. I don’t do nearly enough painting and drawing, but I have a passion for art and I think kids really need a creative outlet to express themselves. I also enjoy sewing, though my dreams of becoming a fashion designer never really panned out. And for my day job… I spend my time trying not to get bitten by small children in my work as a dental hygienist.

 

Interview

1.       How long have you been writing?

I started writing as a teenager. I was mainly interested in fantasy and horses at the time, which is kind of funny to me now. The first book I actually finished wasn’t about either, and it was all kinds of awful! It will never see the light of day 🙂

2.       What is your favorite style to write?

I love writing in first person present because I feel like I can get inside my characters’ heads better and show them to my readers on a deeper level. A lot of adult readers don’t like first person, though, so I write the Date Shark series in third person past tense to fit in with the genre standards.

  3.       Do you generally plan to write 3 books in a series, or does that just automatically happen?

My mind has always seemed to work best in three part series in the past, but I’ve had a few series lately that just don’t seem to wrap up nicely in three books. I try to let the story itself dictate how many books there needs to be. If I can’t wrap everything up without rushing and info dumping, I’ll add another book. I’m still on the fence about the Date Shark series and how many books it will contain.

4.       Which book series do you feel the most connected to, and why?

I would probably have to say the Destroyer Series, mainly because of the many, many hours and rewrites and tears shed over that series, lol! I was determined to make that series as perfect as I possibly could and it seemed like it was never going to be ready, but the characters became so much a part of me I still miss writing about them at times.

5.       What inspired you to write contemp romance after writing so many YA, or is it something you have always done?

I’ve been writing contemporary romance for about nine years, but I didn’t have the confidence to branch out from YA until a friend of mine, Leah Brimhall, really encouraged me to put it out there. I have several other finished romance books that I’m waiting to decide what to do with. Moving into a new genre is tough, but the positive responses from readers on the Date Shark series has encouraged me to keep moving forward in contemporary romance.

6.       Which character in all of your books do you find you relate to the most and why?

I think I probably relate most to Mason in the Aerling Series and the struggles he faces on a personal level. Feeling invisible and like someone’s problem was something I dealt with quite a bit when I was young.

7.       What are you currently working on?

As usual, more projects than I should be! I’m getting close to finishing my first new adult novel, The Ghost Host. I’m also working on Date Shark 3, which I think will be titled “The Only Shark In The Sea.” I’ve also got a project I’m not quite ready to give details on, but it will examined the basis of what humanity really means. One of these days I’m going to find time to work on Wicked Revenge and Oracle Lost as well.

8.       What are you planning to release this year?

Well, that depends on whether or not I get any real writing done! We’re in the middle of moving, so I’ve done very little writing this year so far, but I’m hoping to have Date Shark 3, The Ghost Host, Wicked Revenge, and possibly Oracle Lost out this year. I’m debating what to do with two other contemporary romance books I have finished called Memory’s Edge and Torino Dreams.

9.       Any new projects you have you want to share with us?

The Ghost Host is my newest project readers will hopefully get to see this year. Echo Simmons has always had ghosts hanging about, and asking them questions on her weekly webshow helps her keeps them in line. The nightmares and screaming are a thing of the past until a rogue ghost begins tormenting her. Things only get worse when the FBI pops into her life and secrets from her past begin to surface and dredge up more problems than she can handle.

10.       What is a date shark?

A Date Shark is a little different than a typical dating coach. All three of the men who take over the role in this series are licensed psychiatrists. They don’t take on clients who simple want a new boyfriend. Their clients are a little more difficult to treat, many having serious social or psychological problems, but who are still in search of meaningful and lasting relationships.

11.       How did you come up with this concept? What inspired the series?

The idea for this series came from working with “The Query Shark” a blog that will take author’s queries and break them down in order to help fix what’s wrong with them. It can be a brutal process, but helpful! And it got me thinking…what if there was someone who did the same thing for women who were struggling to find their way in the dating world?

12.       What are we to expect in the third book?

The third book will follow Vance Sullivan. He’s been there to help Eli and Guy through some pretty series situations, but this time, he’s the one who’s in need of help. This will be a highly emotional journey dealing with sensitive subjects and deep feelings of guilt, regret, and hope.

 

 

date shark by delsheree gladdenMy Thougths on the Date Shark Series

The first book in this series is AMAZING!!! I loved it. I found myself relating to Leila, and rooting for her and Eli right from page 1. I loved the style, the flow, and the twists and turns this story took. This is one of my absolute favorites ever. I like to go back and reread it often, just to get that nice, warm feeling only a book such as this one can give you.I like how both of them grow throughout the story, and how they were friends first before they became more.
This story also gives you a glimpse into the main characters of book 2 and 3, but in no way reveals the angle book 2 will take.

 

 

shark out of water

Book 2 is dear to me as I had the opportunity to beta-read this book. When doing such a project, you automatically get attached to it. I loved the French phrases in it, as it added to the authenticity of Guy and his roots. I think all romance junkies love the classic story of the one woman who is finally able to tame the player, but this book adds a whole new level to it. I enjoyed going on the journey with Charlotte and Guy, and seeing them face the challenges of life together.
It evoked a lot of emotions and thoughts, a sure sign to me a book is worth my time.


I look forward to the third book, and am interested to see what spin DelSheree will put on it this time round.

 

DelSheree is a very gifted author. Whether she is writing about an invisible Aerling, or the wicked hunger that consumes you, or the adventures of a date shark, the words flow. The story is captivating! I seem to lose all sense of time, and get pulled into the story, only coming out of it once the last word is read. Every single book I have read is amazing, and she usually sends it to me in the “rough” draft. I have never really felt the need to give any opinions other than to praise her for the great book she once again sent me. If you have not read her books, START TODAY!!!

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