Alessandra Vu
Hello!
A quick bio about me: I'm one of four children (the third child!). I have two young children, two cats, and am happily married. I played volleyball quite seriously in high school, but now only play for fun. I prefer cold weather to hot weather. I'm a tea drinker (London Fog's are my go-to at specialty cafes). Lastly, one day I plan on having a cozy reading nook to burrow away in, but who doesn't want that?
Questions
How long did it take you to write Bargain with the Devil?
The very first draft I wrote was during National Novel Writing month in November 2020. It was originally written as a young adult novel where the main character willingly sells her soul to Balthazar due to low self-esteem. During edits in early 2021, I felt that Balthazar was too nice for someone who grew up in Hell. He needed to be meaner, more jaded, less moral, etc. That was when I also decided to age up my characters. During those edits, Bargain with the Devil (BWTD) changed completely. The only similarities the old manuscript had with the new one was Balthazar's name and the concept of selling your soul. Everything else changed.
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BWTD was then put on the backburner. Life became hectic, work hated me, and my first child was born late 2021. It wasn't until late 2022 that I dove back into the manuscript again. I hired beta readers in early 2023 and received great feedback. Then BWTD ended up on the back burner again until in 2024 when I decided I wanted to self-publish and here we are.
Was Chad Dunner based on a real person?
Yes! But not based on someone I know personally. Chad Dunner was heavily influenced by Andrew Tate and his many followers. I know some people will read Chad as a caricature/over exaggeration of a real person, but I am of the viewpoint that Chad is a very realistic depiction of some real-life men. Since the Trump presidency, many men have told on themselves and many more women have come forward, highlighting their experiences in dealing with men like Andrew Tate. Honestly, there are too many to count, and the sad truth is, their posts are not satirical. That's why I don't view Chad Dunner as a caricature or over exaggeration. He may be fictional, but sadly, he is a very real man.
Cats or Dogs?
I am 10000000% a cat owner but I do love dogs! However, I don't have the mental capacity or bandwidth to be a dog owner. My lifestyle and personality are ideal for cats and not so great for dogs. But! My sister owns a dog and he's the best boi, the goodest boi there ever was. I cannot rave enough about him!
Favorite TV shows?
Supernatural (my cats are named Castiel and Crowley), Resident Alien, Our Flag Means Death, Bones, New Girl, Solo Leveling, JuJutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu!, Avatar the Last Airbender, Spy Family, The Last of Us, Invincible
Favorite Food?
I can't say confidently that I have a favorite food. Instead, I'll tell you what my go-to orders are for take-out!
Thai - my local Thai place has a specialty called Thon Khao Noodles - beef. We frequent their place so much they recognize my voice whenever I call to place my order
Vietnamese - my mother-in-law spoils me with pho and Vietnamese beef stew, as well as many other delicacies, so I typically order vermicelli with grilled pork and egg roll
Indian - chana masala or aloo gobi
Mexican - tacos or carne asada
Italian - chicken picatta
Why self-publishing over traditional publishing?
For the longest time, I was scared to fail, which is why I was desperate to go the traditional route. I believed if I had the backing of a publishing house then it meant I was worth something and wouldn't fail. However, over time, I came to realize the amount of work a traditionally published author puts in is no different than a self-published author. Publishing houses very rarely put money into promoting a trad author unless they're a best seller. Most debut authors have to market themselves and do their best to get exposure the same way indie authors have to. They also struggle the same way indie authors struggle. The only difference is someone out there read their work and said "I want to buy it to sell it." So, I asked myself: why are you so hung up on being traditionally published?
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The bottom line was simple. I was just afraid of failing as an indie author and then "screwing up" my chances to get traditionally published. I'm currently a stay-at-home parent and have another small one on the way. I'll be a stay-at-home parent for the foreseeable future (unless we come across hard times). I thought to myself "If I hunker down for the next five years and really work hard to get my name out there and build my reputation as an author, I'm positive I'll achieve my dream of being a financially stable author."
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At the end of the day, I didn't see a true difference between self-publishing and traditionally publishing. I decided I wanted more control over my product and business and I'm in an excellent position to take this kind of risk. I'm very fortunate that my husband can afford to have me stay at home with our children and that I can concentrate on building a career. So here's hoping that I achieve my dreams!