Best of Family & Relationships
Best of Family & Relationships
"So Many Books, So Little Time!"
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Exclusive Interview with
When did you start writing?
I was always creative, but my first memorable writing moment was in the 5th grade when I entered a schoolwide writing contest. I worked for days with the promise of one day being published. When my story was complete at 25 typed pages, I gleefully handed it in to my librarian. She paged through the printout and said to me, "No one wants to read stuff like this." It happened to be a story about kids fighting to close the gate to hell that demons had crawled out of. The winning story was about a mouse in a cupboard. I've been writing stuff like that ever since.
What makes writing your passion?
I love creativity in any form, from drawing, to writing music, to cooking to writing. My favorite part of writing is starting with nothing and creating worlds and people.
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing on and off since 5th grade. I started submitting manuscripts in college and then took a break. I picked it up again when I was settled into my job and felt the need for a more creative outlet.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
It was so exciting. That's always been a dream of mine. But as someone who is extremely goal-oriented, my next question was, "Now What?"
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
I love characters who could be seen as villains from a different perspective. y characters are never innocent and never all good.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Marketing. That's it.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I plan too much to have writer's block. I always have multiple stories going, so if I'm struggling with one story, I jump to another. I also rely on books on craft and podcasts on writing to keep me inspired. There's always more to learn and that's what's so exciting about writing.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
I do read them at the beginning. For me, it's important to know what my readers think about my writing. I pay attention to what the bad reviews say but I'm not too precious about it. If it's about my writing style, I consider it and see if it's something I could improve on.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
All the time. There are a lot of moments and movements in my novels that are related to real life.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
Who is your favorite author? Why?
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
What would you say to your readers?
Thank you for all your support!
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
What is your day job if you have one?
I teach reading and writing!
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
I love to play guitar, volleyball, and basketball. I obviously love to read and write. I also enjoy attending sporting events, especially Milwaukee Brewers games.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
What is your favorite music?
Share a secret with us 🙂