Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: I'm an easily distracted, frequently obsessed individual.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: I don't think I should count anything written when I was a minor because those things will never see the light of day. I only have two unpublished finished works written since then (one of which will be published soon, the other of which I might publish someday with major edits). Published works (not counting a few short stories) is up to fourteen now.
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: I don't have a specific date, but the last book in my Nyssa Glass Steampunk series will come out in late November. It's called Nyssa Glass and the Electric Heart.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: Eclectic fantasy. I'm easily distracted. I do fairy tale fantasy, romantic fantasy, children's fantasy, epic fantasy … I like to flit about but I always include something fantastical.
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: It's a Christmas special in the Nyssa Glass series, Nyssa Glass's Clockwork Christmas. I put Nyssa and her boyfriend, Ellis, through a lot of dramatic, terrible situations throughout the series, and I really wanted to see how they'd interact while facing a less life and death but still stressful situation … like the pressures of the holidays. It's a cute little romantic interlude that I think fans of the series will really enjoy.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: I used to have a small home business crocheting toy animals. I could make just about anything (dinosaurs and dragons, mice, octopuses, rabbits, you name it). I still sometimes whip out the yarn and hooks, but normally I just make stuff for my two daughters.
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: J. R. R. Tolkien. I think he had the most influence on how I relate to words. The scope of the Lord of the Rings never fails to draw me in.
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: Are You My Mother? (I have a four-year-old) If we aren't talking picture books I read out loud, then I'm currently reading Puss Without Boots, a fairy tale retelling by Shari L. Tapscott. The Last book I actually finished was The River Girl's Christmas, a historical fiction by Angela Castillo … not my usual genre, but the author is talented and we're in a writers' group together so I picked it up.
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: Depends on my mood and the piece. Sometimes I write out detailed, step by step summaries. Sometimes I just have a general idea how it is going to go in my head but nothing written down … and sometimes I write a detailed summary then toss it off midway and go in another direction. I find flexibility is my friend.
Q: Why do you write?
A: Because I want to. I've always been a bit of a story teller. I like to talk. Writing is kind of like talking, as one of my characters once said. I tend to see stories in everything. They've got to go somewhere.
Q: Do you read your own work a lot? If so, what does it do for you?
A: Not a lot. I definitely tell the stories I want to read, but after a bit I become so familiar with my own work that I don't really need to read it. I can just think it … though sometimes I'll think about one of my older stories and think, “No how did that go again?” pick it up to check and then an hour later my husband will walk in and say, “Are you reading your own book?”
Q: What is your favorite type of music? Is there one genre (or song, band etc...) that brings out your creativeness more than others?
A: I mostly listen to instrumentals … I honestly like music from computer games like World of Warcraft. It's got a nice epic feel while still not distracting me. Things with lyrics can accidentally end up quoted in my work as my subconscious absorbs them.
Q: As an author, I find that the hardest thing to write (for me) is the synopsis that will be on the back cover or book’s description. When you write, what is the hardest line to write, the first line, the last line or the synopsis for the book?
A: Oh gosh, do royally hate blurbs … but while annoying, they are at least short. Anything that involves a lot of moving parts. Like a car crash or a multi-person fight … or like literal parts like some sort of complex device/trap. Trying to explain clearly how they work without the details becoming a boring “blow by blow” list of “this happened, then this happened ...” I'd rather just write another conversation.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: Be kind to cats, for one day they will rule the world!
More seriously, don't overthink things. There's so much to be gained by following the shinies.
