Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/UqxdmACMYqM
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Fly Away by Kristen Hannah, Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks, Misery by Stephen King, These Hidden Things, Before She was Found, and One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf, A Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
What book do you think everyone should read?
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
How long have you been writing?
Fifteen years
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
As I write.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I do lots of research, though it depends of the plot of the story. In Family Secrets ‘Secrets and Second Chances’ Book 1 was about breast cancer and the main character worked for NASA, so a lot of research was done to know her education and what she was about to go through with the cancer. Every book is different.
Do you see writing as a career?
I do and hope that one day I can make a living just writing. It’s like having coffee in the morning. I can’t function unless I write something each day.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
I wish there were more literary agents that could and would give us self-publishers a chance. Just because we self-publish our books doesn’t mean they are poorly written. I spend a great deal of money having all my books edited very well before I publish them. The book cover is very important to me as it is the first thing you see before picking up the book and reading the summary. I am one who based a book on its cover.
Do you read yourself and if so, what is your favorite genre?
I love to read books. I read every day. Mystery book and YA romance stories. Oh, and books based on real life events.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Write in silence because I get lost inside my head and I can’t think with interruptions.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
One, usually, but if an idea comes to me, I will write it down.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
Misery
Pen or typewriter or computer?
Computer
What made you want to become an author, and do you feel it was the right decision?
I love to write stories. Yes, I do believe it’s the right decision because only I can write the stories I’ve written.
A day in the life of the author?
I get up at 5 a.m., write until 7 a.m. get ready for work, leave the house at 7:20 a.m. Come home at 5 p.m. Shower, cook, watch some TV, read and go to bed around 9:30 p.m.
Advice you would give new authors?
Read and write as often as possible
What makes a good story?
The plot and characters
What are you currently reading?
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I have a plot that comes to me and then start writing and let the rest come to me.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Not having enough time to write in a day.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I’m an original writer
If you could tell your younger writing self-anything, what would it be?
Start writing in high school. Take more creative writing classes
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
If the words are coming out of me, 6 months
