I Want You To Meet....Darcia Helle

Hi everyone! Today I am featuring author Darcia Helle.

Darcía grew up in Massachusetts but has lived in the Tampa Bay area of Florida since 2002. She is married and has two sons. An animal lover, Darcía has two very spoiled dogs and two equally spoiled cats. She is a suspense author who has six books under her belt, Enemies and Playmates, Hit List, No Justice, Beyond Salvation, Miami Snow and The Cutting Edge.  Her latest, The Cutting Edge, is a suspense novel that mostly takes place in a salon. Darcia herself worked in a salon for 15 years. Alas, no murders there, so she had to make the killing part up :) But isn't that what authors do best anyway?

Here is a short snippet from the book:

My name is Skye Summers. I'm a hairstylist and I can't stop fantasizing about killing my clients. Not all of them, of course. I only want to kill the ones who irritate me, which, if I'm being honest, is most of them. My occasional fantasies have turned into chronic daydreams. They're bloody and vivid, like watching a slice-and-dice movie on IMAX.


I also want to kill my husband's ex-girlfriend. She's not a client but she tops my list. Eighteen years ago, she gave birth to his daughter and she has tormented him ever since. I should be troubled by this growing desire to use my surgically sharpened shears for more than a haircut. Instead, I wonder how I can get away with it.


Well, I don't know about you, but I certainly want to find out if she uses those shears! Doesn't that little sample make you wonder what influences Darcia's writing? Let's see what Darcia has to say about that.
 
Your writing style is unique and powerful. Who have been some of your chief literary influences?
 
Darcia: "I have always had a strong need to understand human nature. My characters are what drive the plot in my stories. Writing is a way for me to explore what a person would do in any given situation. That, more than anything else, is what influences my writing style.


As for author influence, every author I’ve ever read has inspired me in some way. I love authors who use unique phrasing and/or who have the ability to capture the essence of a character. As a writer, I read differently than I used to. Now I pay more attention to writing style, what I like, what I don’t like, and why. Even an author I don’t enjoy will inspire me by reminding me to avoid those same mistakes in my own writing."

How did you get into writing? Did you always want to become a writer?

Darcia:  "I always wrote, though, for some reason, I didn’t think of writing as a career option. When I was young, I would create elaborate fantasy worlds in my head, though I never thought of turning them into books. I actually wanted to be a psychologist but wound up going to cosmetology school and working in my mother’s hair salon. I would write short stories for my kids when they were young and lots of poetry. I eventually got my B.S. in natural health and wrote health-related articles for various websites. Then one day, I sat down with an idea in my head that wouldn’t go away and that idea turned into my first book."

 If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? Why?

Darcia: "I'd love to say that I'd be a singer. My music addiction rivals my book addiction. But my voice is truly horrible, so I don't see that as an option. Maybe I'd be a professional book reviewer. I can't imagine anything better than getting paid to do what I love!"

Well that's a tiny glimpse into Darcia and her writing. Thanks to Darcia for allowing me to feature her on my blog today! To find out more about her and to purchase her books, please visit the links below.

Darcia's Website:



http://www.DarciaHelle.com or http://www.QuietFuryBooks.com (same site)

Darcia's Blog:


http://www.QuietFuryBooks.com/blog


Twitter:


http://www.Twitter.com/darciahelle

Facebook:


http://www.Facebook.com/darcia.helle


Darcia's Amazon Author Page:


http://www.amazon.com/Darcia-Helle/e/B002LTMF7O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


Darcia's Smashwords Page:


https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DarciaHelle

If you want to learn more about another interesting writer, visit Kari Wolfe at  http://imperfectclarity.net  tomorrow (9/23). Kari will be spotlighting author Marvin Wilson, aka The Old Silly.