Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 22 years old and originally from Pittsburgh, now living in Queen Creek, Arizona. I currently work as a live in nanny and devote all of my free time to writing. I’m in the process of self publishing my first novel, Bewilderments of the Eyes, which will be released this summer. As for future projects, I have three other novels in the works, all at various stages of completion, and new ideas are popping into my head every day! I write contemporary fiction, specifically of the New Adult genre.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel, Bewilderments of the Eyes, will have its cover reveal this coming week (February 3rd) and has a summer release date that has not yet been announced. Bewilderments is a story about a college-aged girl who struggles with depression and anxiety, and is fighting to take back control of her life. I was inspired to write this story because I am a firm believer in self care, and I avidly support the notion that the masses need to be more aware of the various forms mental illness come in. It is upsetting to me that self care is often viewed as selfish, self-indulgent, or egocentric. Losing sleep, not eating right, inner battles, and other forms of self neglect are often romanticized. The inability to understand mental illnesses, and the tendency to undermine their effect on its victims, is what spurred me to write this story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a lover of YA. I devour John Green, Sarah Dessen, Marie Rutkoski, Kiera Cass, and the like. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is always my answer to “What is your favorite book?”. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and How To Build A Girl by Caitlin Moran are both books that affected me to my core. I’m also a huge sucker for dystopians. Obviously Harry Potter is a given; they were the beginning of my love affair with reading. The Great Gatsby is one of my all-time favorites, and I’ve got a quote from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath tattooed on my arm. All in all, I’m looking for books that make me cry-tears of devastation, hope, laughter-and books that stay with me for years to follow.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m putting the majority of my energy into publishing Bewilderments. When I’m not working on that, I am writing and editing the second draft of the manuscript for my second novel that I completed during 2015’s NaNoWriMo.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that Twitter and creating a Facebook page have been the most effective at promoting my writing. I’m still fairly new to the world of publishing and book marketing, and I learn more every day. But, in general, I turn to Twitter to keep a dialogue going and remind everyone that I’m here. Also, I follow my favorite authors on Twitter and that helps not only to inspire me but I pick up a lot of tips from their tweets. Other than that, word of mouth really does the trick. Talking to people, starting conversation. That’s what really gets around.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Embrace yourself as a writer. My biggest struggle upon starting out was self-doubt. I wouldn’t call myself a writer, I undermined my work, and that’s no good. I also spent too much time thinking and analyzing. As soon as I learned to just let go and get the words down, everything else came so easily. So just write! Whenever you feel inspired, whenever you have something to say, write it down. Maybe you’ll end up deleting it later, maybe you won’t. It doesn’t matter. Sometimes the smallest thought or line can lead to something much bigger. Own your authorship, and engage your authorship.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was talking to my friend on the phone one day about how scatter-brained I can be and how I felt that I should be working on one project, but I was feeling inspiration for another. She said to me, “You’re a freakin’ artist, man. Go wherever the wind takes you.” I wrote it up on a post-it and stuck it to my mirror to remind me that you can’t manipulate the Muse. You’ve got to go where she leads, and struggling only leads to writer’s block and frustration!
What are you reading now?
I’m almost done with Kiera Cass’s latest release, The Siren, and will be moving on to Glass Sword (the second installment of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard) once it’s released Feb. 9th. I’m also in the middle of So We Read On by Maureen Corrigan.
What’s next for you as a writer?
First and foremost is the launch for Bewilderments. Coming up in the next couple of months I have the cover reveal, the launch of the revamp of my author website, and ARCs going out for review. Beyond that, I will be preparing my second novel for its first round of editing in an effort to get that story into readers’ hands as well!
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?
I would not last very long on a desert island. Therefore, I would want to spend my last days with my favorite characters. I would bring The Winner’s Curse because not only do the characters and the story have me addicted, but Rutkoski’s way with words soothes my soul. I would bring Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix because it is the longest book of the series, and I would bring The Perks Of Being A Wallflower because I feel further enriched every single time I read it. I would also bring Mockingjay because it hurts so good.
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