Alexandrea Weis began writing at the age of eight. In college she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen again and began her first novel To My Senses. Since that time she has writen several novels and sold two screenplays (White River and Blood Will Tell). Blood Will Tell is currently in pre-production with Buyer Group International. Her work has been critically acclaimed and is continually growing in popularity.
Alexandrea Weis is also a permitted wildlife rehabber and works rescuing orphaned and injured animals. She recently has been working to aid oil soaked birds in the Gulf disaster .
Recovery follows Nicci Beauvoir’s life two years after the death of her love, the artist David Alexander. We see Nicci’s emotional healing mirrored in the resurrecting city of New Orleans. The ravages of hurricane Katrina provide the perfect backdrop to a story about healing and redemption. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to incorporate my own experiences from the aftermath of the storm.
What was one of your favorite and least favorite things about writing it?
Getting lost in the book as I write it. It consumes your life much to the chagrin of those around you. My friends, animals, and husband often feel abandoned when I am into a new book. I love being immersed in the story, but I also feel guilty about it. I wish I could be more balanced in my approach to writing, but as I delve deeper into this art, I find it is really a question of all or none with this kind of passion.
Which of the characters did you enjoy working with the most?
I loved writing all of them. Nicci, Dallas, Uncle Lance, Val, Aunt Hattie, all the secondary characters were a true delight to put down on paper. Perhaps the banter between Nicci’s father and Uncle Lance, along with the tension between Dallas and Nicci, were my favorites in this book. But in the first novel of the series, To My Senses, the interplay between David and Nicci was also a lot of fun to write.
If you had the chance to do it all over again would you change anything in Recovery?
I feel the book is where it needs to be. In addition, you have to realize as I wrote this novel, I had to keep book III in the series, Sacrifice, in my head. Tying book I, To My Senses, and Sacrifice together in Recovery was a tough job, but I was happy with the result.
What do you think of the cover?
I love my cover. When I sit down to write a book, I see the cover in my head. What I envisioned for Recovery is what you see in the final published version. It is very New Orleans and that is what I wanted to convey to the reader.
If the series were made into a movie who would be your ideal cast for the main characters?
The movie option for Recovery has already been sold to Buyer Group International, an independent production company out of Austin. As far as casting goes, I have no idea who I see as Nicci or Dallas. As we move farther along with pre-production, I hope to find people who I feel can best bring these characters to the big screen.
If you didn’t have a passion for writing books what do you think you’d be doing as a career?
I worked as an RN Clinical Specialist in Gerontology for years, but I would probably be a full-time Wildlife Rehabber if I could. I have my permit with the La. Wildlife and Fisheries and would love to be able to take in more orphaned and injured animals than I currently do now.
If you could write a book about absolutely anything with any other author (dead or alive) what would it be about and who would you choose?
Probably something about New Orleans history or its people with the iconic Tennessee Williams. He was a family friend growing up in the French Quarter and he taught me a great deal about writing. It would have been wonderful to be able to collaborate with him at this point in my career. He was a fun and interesting man who was always very kind to me.
I’m always looking for books to add to my ginormous TBR (to be read) pile. What books are you currently reading or have read recently? Any good recommendations?
Cleopatra: A life by Stacy Schiff. I am an ancient history nut. This is a well-written and thorough work about the life of the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt.
What are some of your favorite things to do when given a break from the writing life and other work-related things? 
Animal, animals, animals. I have a house filled with animals and get a lot in from concerned individuals who find orphaned and injured wildlife. When I am not writing, I am up to my elbows in all things furry. As I write this, I have an injured baby squirrel running around on me wanting to play. Needless to say, I am a big time multitasker. Are you currently working on any projects that we may see from you in the future?
Sacrifice, book III in the Nicci Beauvoir Series, is currently going through editing and I am hoping to get it out at the end of the year. I also have other books planned for the future with characters from this series.
Thank you so much for stopping by Alexandrea! Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
At my webpage: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/index.html
On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/To-My-Senses/113609858681394
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/alexandreaweis
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=alexandrea+weis&sprefix=alexandrea+weis
Be sure to stay tuned for my review of Recovery, the second book in Alexandrea's Nicci Beauvoir series, and a giveaway!
1 comments:
What a wonderful interview. Thank you for sharing.
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