Get lost in Stella Deleuze's world and enter to win an e-book!

**Giveaway is now closed**

Stella Deleuze is a versatile writer. Having spent almost all her life in Germany, she now lives in beautiful London with her pet iguana Zorro. When she's not busily typing away on her laptop, she edits other people's work. She's here today to talk about how she became an author and she has five e-books of her latest novel, "No Wings Attached," to share with some lucky readers anywhere in the world!

To learn more about Stella, visit her on Facebook and Twitter!

An Accidental Author

I read the remaining few pages, my heart beating, my soul torn. Of course I wanted to know how it ends, but those two little words "The End" also came with the daunting awareness that I no longer would be able to be her, the main character of the very book I couldn't put down. The world I was in for the time being would spit me out into reality and I wasn't ready for it.

"What now?" I wondered when I couldn't avoid any longer what would have happened anyway. I fell into a black hole of nothing and that's when I decided to create another world that I, and later my readers, could get lost in. After phoning my friend to tell her the good news, I sat down and wrote.

Two years later, that very book is now published and has already given many readers the opportunity to escape from stress and concerns for a few hours or even days. The joy of writing is immense, the editing not so, but it needs to be done. Since it was my first book and I was naïve, I thought publishers would be happy to receive the first draft and make it beautiful for me. How wrong I was; the transformation from first draft to ready-to-be-published manuscript was a steep learning curve. And a useful one I will add. I've written another two books in the past year and am busy with writing the sequel to "No Wings Attached."

Somewhere along the way, it turned out I've got a hand for editing and started to help authors with their manuscripts and synopses. To guide authors, help them find their voices and turn their often raw books into something beautiful to read, is extremely rewarding. I like supporting people in general, why not share knowledge if it brings the other person forward? We all want to succeed in one way or another and I'm a firm believer in “what goes around comes around.” At the moment, I'm editing a friend's novel, which is great fun.

Since I published "Excuse Me, Where is the Exit?" back in March, and now "No Wings Attached" in June, I had to learn about marketing and promoting. I've been active on Twitter and Facebook, as well as other forums, to get the word out and I love it.

One of the many responsibilities of being an author is to be present, give interviews, write guest blogs and do book give-aways. Personally, I think it's a great way to connect with readers. I don't want to be the author who lives a hidden life and never appears anywhere; I like being approachable as I know many readers who also like to get their hands on writing. Who else is there to ask if not an author who's got the experience? On my blog I share a lot of my gained knowledge, my posts are on writing in general, tips and tricks. I discuss nuts and bolts as well as sharing opinions – not to patronise anyone, but to give a bit of guidance to the ones who are interested in writing. It is a craft after all. Talent alone won't get you anywhere, as with any other discipline, you have to practice. And you never stop learning, that's the beauty of writing, every new book is a challenge on its own, which I enjoy a lot.

The best thing though: while writing, I'm lost in the world I'm creating; it's like a movie in my head, I feel like my characters, I hear them and I'm in the scene. All what's left to do is to finish the book I'm writing at the moment, so that readers can do the same, because that's the reason I am doing it in the first place.

Special thanks to Stella for sharing her thoughts with us and sharing her book with you!

How to win "No Wings Attached":
Please comment below with your e-mail address.
(Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What gives you "wings?" (In other words, what uplifts or inspires you?)
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends August 9th at midnight EST.


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