Of course, I must start off with the most basic of questions, especially to readers new to you and your books. When and/or how did you know you wanted to be a writer? I always loved writing, but really got started about ten years ago. I had an idea for a fantasy novel and started writing the book just to see if I could. I was working as a researcher at the University in Arizona and after working with data all day, writing was a nice escape.
When your first book got published, where were you and what were you doing and/or what was your reaction? When my first book was published, I had moved to the Oregon coast. It was exciting and I learned a lot of lessons about the publishing industry.
What was the inspiration behind writing Constellations of Stars? I love fairy tales, and the tale that inspired Constellations of Scars was the Goose that Laid Golden Eggs. In the story, a couple becomes wealthy when they acquire a magic goose that lays golden eggs. But they become greedy and want to have all the gold at once. They kill the goose to get to the gold, only to discover the goose is just a regular bird—there’s nothing special about it. By giving in to greed, they lose their greatest treasure. I also live near the ocean, and love learning about marine creatures. One day I was thinking about oysters, and thought about what it would be like if it was a human being who was growing pearls. I think a person with that kind of gift would be in danger of being exploited, just like the goose in the fairy tale.
What are you working on now? I am currently working on a book about a monster hunter who gets roped into serving as a bridesmaid. With supernatural creatures added to the mix, let’s just say the wedding does not go well. The book is called The Bridesmaid’s Guide to Etiquette and Exorcism.
Do you have a favorite author(s) that inspires you? Why? My favorite author is Stephen King. I love horror. I read The Talisman as a kid, and it’s still one of my favorite books. His book, On Writing, has been incredibly helpful as I learned how to write.
If you could do a writing collaboration with any author (living or dead), who would it be? I adore Holly Black. She does an amazing job of combining fantasy with contemporary life, creating these amazing worlds filled with romance and horror. I really love her Cruel Prince series.
What is your most memorable/best writing experience? I love it when I’m working on a story and the writing flows and I get lost in the story. It’s a magical feeling.
What/who is your source of inspiration when writing? I usually start with characters in a situation and see where they want to go with the story. They’re often feral, and I’m just following them around, writing up the incident report.
Favorite place to visit. Why? I’m lucky because I live near my favorite place in the world, Short Sands Beach. It is the most perfect beach—a beautiful crescent nestled between tree-covered cliffs, with a cave, tidepools, and a waterfall.
What would your advice be to aspiring writers/future authors? My advice is to learn as much as you can about writing and about the publishing industry. There are a lot of options for writers beyond traditional publishing, but you have to be okay with rejection and you have to watch out for people who may be predatory and take advantage of authors. It helps to have a supportive author group to guide you. It’s a tough field and it can be difficult to find success.
Thanks for hosting today, Jasmine!
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to help and share!
Delete