About D.L. Croisette
D. L. Croisette is an award-winning author of The Ruby Red Romances Collection available on Wattpad. She has a day job but would rather talk about her love of reading and writing because she only has one life-time to binge all those awesome stories out there and write a few of her own.
You can find the author at: dlcroisette
EP: Welcome dlcroisette! It’s a pleasure to have you with us today, and I’d like to thank you for taking time to join us at My Favorite Wattpad Authors.
D.L. Croisette: Thanks for having me. It’s an honour to be here and part of this book.
EP: Can you tell us about yourself for those who don’t know you yet?
D.L. Croisette: I like long walks on the beach…wait, that’s a different profile. I guess a good place to start is that I am Canadian, born and bred. That explains the oddly spelt words here and there. In Canada, we like the letter u in our colour and humour.
I have a very over-active imagination which is a blessing and a curse. Daydreams are sometimes frowned upon in real life. Particularly in boardrooms which I sometimes call boredrooms. But it helps with the writing.
Speaking of writing, I have been at it for quite a while, but only for myself. A friend introduced me to Wattpad and I could not believe there was a place where I could read so many great stories (and not so great stories) and get to interact with the authors. Then I got brave and started putting one of my stories on the site. It has been very rewarding so far.
EP: Your writing has certainly caught our attention. Can you tell us about your stories? What do you write about?
D.L. Croisette: Can I tell you about my stories? Try and stop me! A little over a year ago I started writing my new adult romance Ruby Red here on Wattpad. I like to play with conventual ideas and twist them or turn them on their head.
My heroines are bold, but not bitchy, go after what they want, but not at the cost of others, are kind and have good hearts, but are experienced and not afraid of getting their hands dirty.
My heroes play against the grain too. For example, Sam in Ruby Red is introduced as the hunky hunk pool boy to be a boy toy for Ali. Readers quickly learn not only is he a sweet, caring guy but he has a moral code guiding his life and interactions.
Ruby Red was supposed to be my first and only story. A super-fan asked for more and then my imagination took off. Now I have the Ruby Red Romances Collection. The story of Ali and Sam has bloomed into 3 books and their friends are getting their own stories.
My books are a surprise to many, having hidden depths and a sense of realism that readers often comment on. The evil villain doesn’t always get handcuffed and taken away to jail for their crimes. Somehow the story has found an audience, won over 25 writing contests, including a contest championship and been featured on a variety of Wattpad reading lists. I’m so proud of this little story.
EP: I’m proud of your story too! Congratulations and well done. ⭐️ When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Was there anyone or anything in particular that inspired you to write?
D.L. Croisette: I was always a storyteller. As a child, I would “dazzle” or “subject” my family with long tales, making up characters, running them through elaborate plots in unique worlds. I started writing them down when I was barely a teenager. I read a book called “Below the Salt” by Thomas B. Costain around that time and I was desperate to try my hand at writing something akin to it. The words, the writing, the epic story swept me away. I’ve always been a bit obsessed with the story of King Arthur and the concepts of knights and honour.
EP: What books do you like to read? Has any of these books inspired your writing?
D.L. Croisette: I love reading. I will read almost anything. As Dr. Suess says “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Got a recommendation – send it my way. But my first love was always fantasy stories, the epic tales of quests for truth, the quandaries solved and perils vanquished along the way.
Then I read this little know author, Jane Austen. Have you heard of her? I was in love. On so many levels. She has inspired so much of my writing. The delicious tension between all the characters, the slow-burning, smouldering plot, the witty banter, the happily ever after.
EP: Why did you choose the genre that you write?
D.L. Croisette: It’s a bit embarrassing, but I started writing a romance novel on a bet. My friend dared me to write one and Ruby Red was ignited. In the end, I won the bet and got a love of writing romance in the balance. Now I’m addicted to it.
But it is no surprise I ended up writing romance. I come from a long line of romantics. Elopements, love at first sight, life-long devotion. Plus, I was marinated in romance when I was a child spending afternoon watching soap operas with my grandmother. I learned two very important things that I think all my readers agree comes across in my writing. 1) the art of the slow burn and 2) the chapter-ending cliff-hanger.
EP: That’s true – your stories do have great cliffhangers! Where does the inspiration come from when you write the plot and characters?
D.L. Croisette: Usually, I come up with one scene first. Most likely a juicy, drama infused scene. Don’t laugh, but it’s often from a dream. The ballroom scene in Ruby Red was a dream. The whole book is built around it. But I’ve also had it happen standing in line for coffee or making dinner. Then I create characters out of those circumstances. Who would be there and why? What motivates them to act that way? Then it’s how did they get there or what happened afterwards. Soon enough I have enough for an outline.
EP: The ballroom scene in Ruby Red came to life when I read it – it must’ve been a vivid dream because the descriptions were perfect. What project are you working on at the moment?
D.L. Croisette: I’ve just started the third (and final!) book in the Ruby Red trilogy. But it won’t be the last of Ali and Sam. I’m halfway through the first spinoff story, True Blue which follows the story of Emily who was introduced in Ruby Red 2. Ali and Sam both make appearances in the book.
Oh, and you read that right. I said the first spinoff story. Let’s just say I’m working on a few others. Any characters you would like to see have their own story?
EP: I’m reading True Blue at the moment and I’m loving it so far. All your stories have an air of magic in them. Has being on Wattpad influenced or affected your writing?
D.L. Croisette: Being on Wattpad has been amazing for my writing. Not only am I doing it daily now, as opposed to here and there, but it’s also a part of my life. And my writing has vastly improved. I have met so many amazing people through this platform, readers and other authors, who have pushed me, encouraged me, enlightened me and inspired me. My Watty’s acceptance speech will take forever!
EP: What low points and high points have you faced as an author? And what kept you motivated with your writing?
D.L. Croisette: The lowest point was when I considered giving it up. Writing seemed impractical (which it is and that’s part of the fun) and I didn’t see the point in even trying as I was never going to be the next Suzanne Collins or E. L. James. But then a friend told me about this site called Wattpad where amateur writers could put their work up and get feedback from readers. I was in awe. I gobbled up stories and thought about hitting that orange publish button myself.
When I took the leap and pressed publish, it opened my perspective and provided me with the most amazing journey and new experiences. I spend more time writing now which makes me happier and I look at life from a different point of view.
The day I got a notification Ruby Red had come in 3rd place in the Honour Award here on Wattpad I was ecstatic. It was the first external recognition of my work. Someone other than my friends liked my story. One should not put too much emphasis on contests and awards, but that first one was and still is so sweet.
EP: I’m glad you didn’t give up because I believe your stories are going to take you to new heights.What are some of the greatest achievements you have accomplished in your writing career?
D.L. Croisette: Writing “The End” on my first book. No matter what anyone says, I wrote a book. Let me say that again – I wrote a book!
Les Brown said, “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written…” Not me buddy – I did it. And I’m going to do it again and again – until my imagination runs dry.
EP: I love Les Brown’s saying – there’s so much truth to it. What is your hope and aspiration as a Wattpad writer? Where would you like to be in a year from now?
D.L. Croisette: I hope to suck all the marrow out of what Wattpad has to offer. It is an amazing community that I feel I have barely scratched the surface of. I hope to continue to improve my writing and learn from my fellow authors.
A year from now, I aim to have a few more stories in the Ruby Red Romances collection completed, have met some more inspirational people, read 5 books I have to tell my friends about and get them to read and made a few readers smile, laugh, cry, swoon, happy or any combination of the above with my own writing.
EP: Who are your favorite authors of all time?
D.L. Croisette: Oh, this list should be so long. But I’ll try to be brief. Shakespeare is at the top of the list, Jane Austen, The Bronte Sisters, J. R. R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie, Isaac Asimov, Pierce Brown and I just read Nevernight by Jay Kristoff and he has about 10 other books I’m all set to binge so he might have to go on this list.
And then there are the emerging artists here on Wattpad. I’m a big fan of your work Estelle! And so many others including @GalaRu57 loiseaublanc DariaLamtsova Imperfetto_Tesoro @amelierhys and @anonymouss18 to name just a few.
EP: Do you have any advice for aspiring Wattpad writers?
D.L. Croisette: Just do it! Whatever your writing level, your idea, your interests.
What held me back for too long was a real fear my writing was not at the level it needed to be to really connect with an audience. I write for my own pleasure but putting it out there into the world, I wondered if anyone would want to read it. Guess what – some people did read it. And the second book. And the third. One of the best parts of being on Wattpad is the diversity of people and ideas. There is something out there for everyone and most likely a reader for your story.
The other thing I would say is use the other awesome aspect of Wattpad – comment. Talk to people about their stories, their writing, their likes, their dislikes, their perspective etc. etc. Some people may not be receptive to your ideas (it happens and it is a shame) but I promise they are few and far between. The good far outweighs the bad. The connections you make will open up your world. Funnily enough, unlike your IRL friends, writers want to talk about writing!
EP: I agree – comments and engagement can do wonders for writers and readers. If you could travel in time, where would you go, and why?
Growing up I was obsessed with Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), basically one of the coolest and most influential women of the Middle Ages. After divorcing (before the term existed) two Kings (Louis of France and Henry of England) and leading two crusades she took all life had to offer and my, ruling her own lands and establishing the Court of Love. She essentially created the values of chivalry, art and culture we read about today. I’d love to visit that court, have a glass of something with Eleanor and play voyeur. Perhaps I’d run into her son, King Richard of Robin Hood fame.
EP: Is there anything else you would like to say?
D.L. Croisette: I’d like to take a moment to thank all the readers of the Ruby Red Romances Collection, “Writing A Book – Advice from Famous Authors” or my one-shot stories. To try to express how much their support and words have meant to me, have inspired me to continue and have given me a sense of love that I truly didn’t expect when I started this process. Thank you is sometimes an over-used phrase but there is really nothing else that does the job of articulating how grateful to them I am for picking up my story and giving it a try. You have changed my life.
EP: Thank you D.L. Croisette for your time with us.
So there you have it – a wonderful interview with Wattpad author dlcroisette .
If you’d like to learn more about the author, you can find D.L. Croisette at:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/dlcroisette
Twitter: twitter.com/dlcroisette
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dlcroisette
Facebook: facebook.com/dlcroisette
Tumblr: dlcroisette.tumblr.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/19932120.D_L_Croisette
Reddit: reddit.com/user/dlcroisette
About Ruby Red characters
Book link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/185839555-ruby-red-a-story-of-love-and-romance
You can also find other works by D.L. Croisette on the author’s profile.