1.
What is the first book that made you
cry? I don't really remember. There have been so many books that have made me cry.
2.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you? Personally, I think it does both. I write for a living. Journalism writing, as in articles, exhaust me. Fiction writing, as in the book that I am working on, energizes me because there is so much freedom about the information to put in them.
3.
What are common traps for aspiring
writers? Trying to be just like their favorite writer. You will not write like them. You will never write like them. You will always write like you and it will be your style and it will be awesome. Just have faith in yourself.
4.
Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
I think it can do more harm than good but at the same time there is a little help to it.
5.
Have you ever gotten reader’s
block? I am currently in a reader's block right now. It is maddening as hell because I love to read and this is the first time that I have experienced this. Reading has always been a medicine thing for me. It has always managed to keep all my pain and all the "monsters" away from me at least for a little while.
6.
Did you ever consider writing under
a pseudonym? I did while I was in high school but I made the choice to make sure any other work will be published in my name. Even with the works that were published under my maiden name is now under the copyright of my married name.
7.
Do you try more to be original or to
deliver to readers what they want? I am just starting out and I want my readers to know my original style so I stay original. I write about what I know and what I want to learn.
8.
Do you think someone could be a
writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? This is a hard question. The reason is because the answer is yes and no. It's a yes because wither or not you can feel emotions strongly doesn't mean you can't describe it to the point that others can sense it. It is also no because how can you accurately describe something you can't feel.
9.
If you could tell your younger
writing self-anything, what would it be? Not to give up and to not throw out the book series that you wrote in 10th grade.
10. What authors did you dislike at first but grew into? I haven't really come across an author that I disliked. I have came across many many stories that I have strongly disliked but never an author.
11. What did you do with your first advance? Haven't gotten on yet. But would love to get one.
12. What was an early experience where you learned that language
had power? I was just a little kid. My papaw was telling my cousins and I a story about his younger days. My only thought was "WHOA! I can even feel and see what he is talking about" and that was when I knew that I wanted to write as a passion.
13. What are the most important magazines for writers to
subscribe to? I work for a magazine so of course I read that one. But other than that, I don't subscribe to any magazines.
14. How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking
care of the reader? The only "demand" I ask of the reader is to bare with me and get through the story before asking any questions. If the book is a part of a series, trust the answers you are looking for will come to light later in the series. If the book is by itself, then you will have all the questions answered.
15. As a writer, what would you choose as your
mascot/avatar/spirit animal? A dolphin
16. What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your
characters? My characters are very real people to me. That means that I don't base them off of anyone. I may take someone's first name or last name. But the character's personality will be unlike anyone I actually know.
17. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Too many to count
18. What does literary success look like to you? I think literary success is subjective. I am out here writing and doing something I love. Where it is something you like or dislike, it is not up to me. I am not here to change your mind about me. I am here to simply tell you a story. I just hope you happen to like the story.
19. What’s the best way to market your books? Right now, I am not into marketing my books. Because I am writing on the first one and there isn't anything to market just yet.
20. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend
researching before beginning a book? I have been researching this particular series of books for about a month now. I have character profiles of everyone involved with the entire series completed. I have information about moving and owning a business. I have laws and stuff for the two states that are involved.
