Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am married, and the mom of two beautiful teen daughters. I work full-time as a Day Program Coordinator for the Disabilities Board of my county; an agency that trains adults with Mental Retardation for Residential and Community living skills. I have a career diploma as a freelance writer from Penn Foster (www.pennfoster.com) and a Green Living Certificate from Expert Rating.
I am member and co-leader of a both the local spiritual group (Gatherers of the Sacred Circle) and the paranormal investigation group RPAS (Researchers of the Paranormal And Supernatural) and the local group SCAL (Sumter County Active Lifestyles). In my spare time, when there is any, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, gardening, hiking, reading, and spending time outdoors. I enjoy meeting all of my fans and look forward to the time when I can write full-time.
I write regularly for “Lakeside Magazine” (a local venue) and “Circle Sanctuary Magazine” (a national venue). I own the group “South Carolina Wildflowers” on Facebook and the group “South Carolina Pagans” and have several articles at Yahoo! Voices (http://voices.yahoo.com/) and Helium (www.helium.com).
~Email: seakla@yahoo.com
~Twitter: @deannanderson
~Good Reads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/3087113.Deanna_L_Anderson
~Amazon: amazon.com/author/deannaanderson
~Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ groups/DeannaAnderson
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“365 Tarot Activities.” I started studying how to use Tarot card a few years ago and since then they have become an invaluable tool for me to use for words of wisdom, advice, putting things in perspective and a source of comfort. I wanted to teach other the value of Tarot cards and to help them gain the confidence to read the cards. I had created a Tarot group offline several years ago and many of the activities or studying tips we did in the group were the inspiration for this book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of, I am pretty standard when I write and don’t have any special music, “lucky” clothes or anything of the sort and no superstitions about writing that I can think of.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
For fiction, VC Andrews, Stephen King, Poe, and O’Henry. For Metaphysical topics the authors are Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland, and Patricia Telesco.
What are you working on now?
Re-releasing a short story anthology titled “Of the Seven: Sinner or Saint.” It is a collection of short stories all written by me and each one involves a character who is ‘guilty’ of either sin or a virtue.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My regular website http://andersondeanna.weebly.com or my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ groups/DeannaAnderson
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep working on it, don’t ever give up…there are so many venues for authors these days with online publishing that there is no reason someone can’t see their book in print. However, edit, edit, edit, and edit again as these print-on-demand publishers don’t edit (some will for an exorbitant fee) and promote, promote, promote! If you don’t promote your own work, no one else will. As for trying to get with a commercial press, keep trying. Dr. Suess’s “The Cat in the Hat” was rejected 17 times before it was accepted.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If there is a book that you want to read, and it hasn’t been written then you must write it yourself (or something like that).
What are you reading now?
I am re-reading “Flowers in the Attic” by VC Andrews. Read it when I was 15, and with the new movie release on Lifetime I decided it was time to re-read it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Planning more signings, re-releasing my short story collection as well as my two non-fiction titles, and then working on new titles.
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?
The Secret (Highlands’ Lairds #1) by Julie Garwood
A book about wilderness survival
A blank journal to record my adventures on the island
Author Websites and Profiles
Deanna Anderson Amazon Profile
Deanna Anderson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile