Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
About the author:
Alysha Kaye was born in San Marcos, TX, where she also received her BA in Creative Writing from Texas State University. She worked in marketing for a brief and terrible cubicle-soul-sucking time until she was accepted into Teach for America and promptly moved to Oahu. She taught 7th grade English in Aiea for two years and also received her Masters in Education from University of Hawaii. She now teaches in Austin, TX and tries to squeeze in as much writing as possible between lesson planning.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I dreamt about The Waiting Room once, and offhandedly wrote my boyfriend a love poem about waiting for him after death. Somehow, that became a novel.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
With The Waiting Room, I didn’t plan, brainstorm, pre-write, or edit…and I’m an English teacher! I know, terrible. But I get into ferocious fits of writing and I don’t like going back and changing anything. Thank God for my editor…
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Salinger for sure (his short stories). He’s the King. More recently, The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Book Thief. They captured love in such a raw way…I wanted to do the same.
What are you working on now?
I have a chapter written of a new novel, but I’m thinking of abandoning it for a new idea…haha ah, writer problems.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Wordpress and Twitter have been AMAZING avenues of networking and support.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
When other people say you’re crazy, use that as fuel. The only crazy people are the people without dreams.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Throw everything you’ve got at your writing- don’t hold back.
What are you reading now?
Mark Zusak’s new novel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Mucho marketing for the novel, since it just came out! Hopefully I’ll have time to get started on novel #2 soon…
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book of E.E. Cummings’ poetry, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Catcher in the Rye, and The Book Thief.
Author Websites and Profiles
Alysha Mendez Website
Alysha Mendez Amazon Profile
Alysha Mendez’s Social Media Links