Welcome Ashley Nemer to MCBF 2014Ashley participated in her high school debate team and it was there that she learned the importance of the written word. She firmly believes that the pen is mightier than the sword and Ashley has never been one to hold back her opinion, or change her beliefs. She is open and honest about how she feels and has learned the moment you write down a thought, you better be able to back it.
Over the course of 15 years Ashley’s skills as a writer have dramatically changed. During college she used to write poetry when she was sad or down, needing an outlet to safely express what was on her mind. Since then, her poetry has taken a dive into a dark undertone. She writes about the pain of love and paints them with dark pictures of expression. She isn’t afraid to show the thoughts we all have but are too timid and/or shy to say.
Ashley’s first novel, Blood Purple is based on Algula vampires who dwelled in the Middle East and were forced from their home. The idea for this series spurred from one evening of Ashley researching her nationality after talking with her Aunt Pam about where her family originated. She and one of her friends did research on the folklore of that part of the world and found there was very little information about the paranormal genre and how it tied into the Middle East. Ashley took this idea and ran with it.
Ashley is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony. They have two dogs named Toto and Doogie. They have been together for over 8 and a 1/2 years and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to read and has been hooked on the romance genre ever since her life long best friend Laura gave her "Ashes to Ashes' by Tami Hoag to read when they were younger.
Ashley finds her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support her in life, they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life 'Reach for the Stars' and that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the values Ashley has and display's came from. With her Parents always cheering her on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to conquer the world.
In Arabic, Nemer means Tiger. Ashley has always loved tigers well before she knew the meaning of her name.
For more information, visit http://www.ashleynemer.com/.
An interview with Ashley:
Do you outline before you write or
just dive in?
I love writing in the
organic method. Everything that I have written that wasn't planned ends up
pulling you in and being an emotionally charged read. The stories where I have
some idea of what I want to happen are not as engaging. I think it's because I
was forcing it out of me because I wanted the story to move in a certain path.
When I let the Characters write and I let the words flow out in an organic
fashion then the final product really is night and day compared to the stories
I plan. To date, of the 10+ titles I have out only two have been planned. And
you can most certainly tell which ones they are.
Why do you write for Young Adults or
Children or Adult (whichever is pertinent)?
I write for adults
because the things inside my head just aren't suitable for young people. haha.
Honestly, I don't even know how I would go about writing a book that is
targeted for young adults. My Maverick Touch series is completely clean and
very PG in most everything that is written. I do that because I want to have a
series that my family can read and not have to picture me doing all these
'adult' themed things or violence with. Keeping Maverick clean has been one of
my challenges through both books. I am hoping by the time I start book there
(Next November) I have a better hang of resisting the need to get detailed....
Who is your favorite character you
have written or
read about?
My favorite characters
that i have written would be Leigh Khaled. She is one of the 'bad guys' in my
Blood Series about Arabic Vampires in Colorado Springs, Co. She is the dark
side of my mind, the one that we don't let come out to play. She makes me
cringe and gives me relief from a hard day, week or month. She's vicious, and I
love her.
What books or authors have most influenced your writing most? Tami Hoag.
She was the very first mystery/romance writer that I read in high school,
specifically, Ashes to Ashes and I LOVED IT. I fell in love with her and with
story telling really then. My aunt gave me some Harlequin novels and that
opened my eyes to the 'romance' but mysteries and mystery writers is where my
heart lies. Catherine Coulter's FBI series has influenced me a lot too. Kay
Hooper's Bishop series. And then my friends who are authors. I take from
everyone bits and pieces of things that stand out and mesh it together to form
my own style.
Which
famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Will
Smith - because I love him - in everything that he does. I used to have my
walls plastered with his magazine photos when I was in junior high and high
school in the 90's.
And my personal favorite: It’s
the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when
you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??
Gun, Knife, Weatherproof Jacket
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