Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 28 years old, I have a beautiful 18 month old daughter, and I’m engaged. I have written two and a half books so far, but have only published two. I also play the flute, crochet, and was a recruit on season 15 of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America”.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Think of Me”. It was inspired by a writing prompt in Stephen King’s “On Writing”. It originally started as a short story, and I decided it needed to be made into a full novel if I was going to give it justice.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am definitely a pantser — I don’t plan anything about my books before I write them except for character profile sheets. I also keep an updated timeline as I write the book to make sure I don’t lose track of time.
I would say the weirdest thing about how I write is how I deal with writer’s block. I watch the TV movie “Bag of Bones,” based on the book of the same title by Stephen King. The main character experiences writer’s block and when he overcomes it, he is so relieved and it makes me want to write more than anything.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Clearly, Stephen King is one of them. I love his character development and his twist endings. I also love Kresley Cole, a paranormal romance author. Her “Immortals After Dark” series is the reason I started writing romance.
Of course, my list of influences would be incomplete without the author of the first chapter book I’ve ever read – J.K Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series. It was after reading “Harry Potter” that I decided I wanted to be an author.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third book in my “Point of No Return” series. It doesn’t have a name yet, but I know it will be about a police officer who serves as a bodyguard for a former porn star to protect her from a stalker.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am truly terrible at promotion, which is probably why my first book didn’t get too many sales. For my second book, asked a fellow author for help and she sent me two pages of links for interviews and blogs. It’s saved my life and hopefully it will mean more sales.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be stubborn about editing. Finish the first draft without doing too much editing, then edit the hell out of it. I’m talking, four rounds of edits, then put the book aside for a couple of months, come back to it, and edit it two more times. You will be shocked how many typos you will miss. If you can afford a professional editor, I highly recommend it.
Another bit of advice I learned from (the hard way) is to search for the book title you want on Amazon and Google. You don’t want to be the hundredth “Think of Me” on the list, I promise. Do your research before you make anything official.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard was really basic; read your genre. A lot. Not only will it give you an idea of what people expect, it will also show you what NOT to do if you don’t like the way an author approached something, and it will show you what has already been done.
What are you reading now?
I am reading “Needful Things,” by Stephen King. As you can see, I have a mild obsession with SK.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I honestly don’t know. I’m bad at planning, both in writing and in life. Right now my plan is to work, take care of my little girl, and write when I have the chance. Maybe I’ll participate in NaNoWriMo in November, but that really depends on what’s happening at the time.
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?
“Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery, “It” by Stephen King, “Gone With the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell, and a survival guide.
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