Smashwords Author Interview

Originally published January 6, 2016 on Smashwords.

What motivated you to become an indie author?

Honestly, I was terrified to show my work to anyone. I could talk about to random strangers online, but actually handing my story over to anyone, no way. So I guess I have to thank my boyfriend for my leap into becoming an author. A few months into dating I told him I wrote. He was interested. After getting comfortable and telling him more of the story, I swallowed my fear, shut my eyes, and shared my work with him. He liked it, a lot. Then I told him I had considered publishing, but never really made a move forward. Lots of encouragement later, here I am. Without him, I'd probably still be hiding under a rock.

When did you first start writing?

Never planned to write. It's actually a funny story how I stumbled into it. Back in college, an old roommate of mine decided to start a club, "Graphic Novel Club". It was about comic books and superheroes and the like. She asked me to go to help bump up awareness of this new "awesome" club. One day, we decided to have an activity, a character creation contest. Draw a few words then let the creative juices flow. My words were "evil", "light", and "squirrel". Considering the other combinations, I got off easy. The character I created was a vampire named Kali who had a pet squirrel. Creative, I know. Knowing that there would be bonus points for a backstory, I threw one together. Come time to reveal characters, we wanted to have a little fun and pretend that our characters were fighting each other. I made it to the final round, but lost to a narcissistic guy with a stomach that ate you, sending you to a gazebo world. Weird, but it was hilarious! After all that, I couldn't get Kali out of my head and started writing her story. That was when it first began. So, I guess I have to give a shout-out to Kate for getting me started. Thanks girl!

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

Technically, I didn't read this book, but there is this one story my mother used to read to me and my sister when we were little girls. I can't for the life of me remember the title, not even the words. What I do remember the mental picture that came to mind whenever she read it. It was nature, trees and lights, little fairies, shades of blue, and sunshine. It made me happy. Again, no clue what the book was, but the mental image has stuck with me. That may have helped build my mental picture skills.

Describe your desk

What desk? Haha. I like to write in a coffee shop, like Starbucks, or Panera. Have a cup of coffee or tea on my right, my notebook on the left, a pen somewhere inbetween. If I can't get out of the house, I plant myself on my bed or outside and just write. But no matter where I go, my pen and notebook are always by my side. Never know when an idea will strike!

Do you have any favorite series?

Let's see, I bounce around alot, so when I find a series, I'll hold onto it. First is Cinda Williams Chima and her Heir series; she's the author who got me back into reading. Lauren Kate, her Fallen series is amazing! Randomly picked up Fallen at a bookstore closing and now I can't stop with her books! Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush, Hush was alongside Fallen for what I would read to destress between classes. Amanda Hocking was my first ebook author that I followed, almost religiously, and I read her My Blood Approves series first, then the Trylle series. Same with Ally Condie when I discovered her Matched Trilogy, loved it!

What is your e-reading device of choice?

Personally, I love my Nook Color. It's one of the first generation Nook Color's Barnes and Noble made. It was my 20th birthday present from my dad. At some point in time, I had lost all interest in reading, but during college, I slowly began picking it up again. My dad saw this and was smart in giving me my Nook. I'm surprised I haven't destroyed yet with all the reading I've done!

How do you discover the ebooks you read?

Other than the ads I see when scrolling through Facebook? Sometimes I scroll through the ebooks section at my go-to retailer and see what's new and what's growing in popularity. Or I slip into the genres and find a little book that may not have caught on yet. I'm big on supporting new authors.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

I've always had an active imagination. But the first story I wrote down I titled Blood from Another. Was created from a character creation contest in a club during college. It follows Kali and her transformation from human to vampire to fighter. I look back on it now and I can't help but giggle. I was all over the place when I wrote it! It's almost embarrassing. But aren't all first stories like that?

Did where you grow up influence your writing?

I'm Texan, born and raised! I say "y'all" and "Howdy" and joke about riding a horse to high school. There is some of a Texan influence to my writing, but not very much. "Y'all" is a popular word of mine, probably because "yous guys", "you all", and "youse" make me cringe on the inside.

What inspires you as you write?

Music mostly. I hate to write in silence so I always have something playing. Be it the radio, Pandora, Spotify, or my iTunes playlists. Rock and Alternative are my go-to genres. But when I need to have complete focus while rereading or editing, Instumentals are the way to go. But as for writing the story, music and pictures. Sometimes I'll go online to find images of character traits or character interactions. My favorite images to find are drawn. Anime, DeviantArt, etc. Those just add a little bit extra wonder. Sounds and images really make my mind work. I'll hear a phrase and come up with an idea that I just have to write down in my handy dandy notebook.

What's the story behind your latest book?

Ghost has been my baby since he popped into my head. Was a product of a short story challenge I did through a Google+ community. Write a new story every day kind of thing. Day seven, Ghost appeared. A hitman who was given a job. Kill a girl, Anna White. But when he put the gun to her head, he couldn't pull the trigger because something felt off. So he took Anna hostage instead. That was supposed to be it, but I kept thinking about him for days after and when a more detailed story began to form, I put pen to paper. I thought it would be interesting to tell the story from his point of view instead of Anna's. Must be a bit of my studies coming through, but seeing how Ghost's mind works and how he fights against himself was fascinating. Plus, I've read so many stories from her point of view that I wanted something different. Then a year later, Ghost was completed so I started book two, Phantom. Well, when I get a story stuck in my head, I keep writing!

What are you working on next?

I'm working on Ghost's second and third books, Phantom and Specter. Phantom is almost done, just needs more editing and a cover. Specter is currently open on my laptop begging to be written.

What is your writing process?

Notebooks. Never leave home without them! I'm pretty sporatic and won't hesitate to bounce around in my story. Sometimes even write a chapter long before it'll be used. I always jot down little notes, ideas, songs, whatever brings inspiration. Not just on paper, using a dry-erase marker, my bathroom mirror has been covered with nonsense more than a few times before I transferred them to paper. But once I get those ideas, I think about how, or if, they'll fit into my story. I'll write into the early hours of morning, considering I get my best work done at night. Then reread a thousand times. Rereading and talking to certain people helps me a lot when it comes to seeing if it flows well.

How do you approach cover design?

Since Ghost is the only cover I've made for the world to see, the process for it was a little all over the place. I came up with an idea, wrote it down, then sat on it for a while. That first idea didn't sit well with me so I kept thinking. Idea after idea popped up, but nothing felt right. While writing my story, I had gone online to Google Image and search for pictures that remind me of my story. I'm an extrememly visual person and this helps me build those ever important visuals for my characters. Then one night in the shower, it hit me, the perfect cover. It was so simple that I actually laughed. Called up an artsy friend of mine, asked if he'd be able to draw up a cover. He's a wonderful artist, but I was being super picky and wasn't feeling his work. Then I got my hands on Photoshop and put together a cover. Picking at every little detail sucks when you're as detail oriented as me. But after all the blood, sweat, and tears, a cover design I can be proud of was born.