- The first draft is expected to be awful. Just finish the story. Definitely iron out the wrinkles, but finish the story. Trust me on that.
- I learned this the hard way, but some stories are meant to be handwritten and some are meant to be typed.
- Not every story you write is meant to be published, and that it totally okay!
When did you start writing?
- March 2014. I was a fresh college dropout and was tired of reading the same books over and over, so I kinda decided to write my own!
What made you decide to publish your first book?
- Everyone else was doing it. No, really. I joined a street team for a pretty successful indie author, and I learned that quite a few of the members on the team were indie authors, too. One of the, Sam Destiny, took me under her wing and gave me the push I needed to publish.
What motivates you to write? Do you ever feel frustrated with your work?
- The amazing characters and plots in my head motivate me. I feel like they deserve to be heard, even if only a handful hear them.
- I’m always frustrated with my work, especially once it’s published. I can hardly read my stories once they’re out there for the whole world to see.
What makes you keep writing when you get frustrated?
- Probably the fact that if I don’t, I’ll never know how the story ends. Totally making this up as I go for the most part.
How do you get over writer's block? How do you handle negative reviews of your books?
- I work on a different story, or I stop writing and read. Reading helps a lot more than you’d think.
- As far as negative reviews, I believe I’ve only gotten one. And I can’t say that I disagree with it. My first book wasn’t the greatest, but I’m proud that I can call myself a published author.
There's a lot of distractions around, especially with social media, how do you block it all out and write?
- I turn on a movie or listen to a CD or playlist and force myself to write. And I have lots of stories that I work on, so if I’m not inspired by a particular story, I can always shift to another one when I’m not inspired by another one.
What do you enjoy, outside of writing?
- Netflix and I are in a committed relationship. Other than that, I tend to hang out with my friends and read a whole lot.
What's something about you that most people don't know?
- Hmm… I can play the guitar? Does that count?
Have you ever had to rewrite portions of a book because the characters decided to be someone else than you intended?
- Absolutely! I actually took one of my books, split it in half, and added the middle portion of it. Writing is weird.
Where do you come up with the names for your stories?
- Titles are… difficult. Sometimes they come right to me before I even know the plot of the story and other times I have a hard time figuring them out way after they’re written. Fun fact: Walk in the Woods was originally supposed to be called Lost and Found, but my sister convinced me to change the title. Thank God!
Did you ever think you'd be a published author?
- No, not really. It wasn’t something I think I wanted for myself until I actually started sharing my stories with my friends.
What are you working on currently? -Title -Date of Release –
- I guess my next release is Fragments of the Woods. No release date in the near future.
Where did you get the idea for it?
- From the second book in the series.
When is the cover reveal?
- I’m not sure. Probably close to when the book is finished so I can drum up some buzz.
Do you ever write characters you hate?
- Um, plenty. At times, I hate all of my characters… am I allowed to say that?
Who is your favorite character that you've written?
- One that has yet to be introduced to the world, but currently my favorite character is William Francis Kinney.
What was your first published book?
- Walk in the Woods, Book 1 of The Woods Series
How do you feel about it now?
- Well, I can certainly understand the mixed reviews I got. It’s not my best work, but I can certainly learn from it.
Where did you get the idea for your books?
- Inspiration is a crazy thing. Sometimes it comes completely out of nowhere, and sometimes I get ideas when I’m writing. Totally depends on the story!
Were there any scenes in it that were difficult for you to write? Do you have a favorite genre to write?
- There was one scene in particular that was pretty difficult. It’s pretty hard for me to categorize some of my stories, so I’ll just say romance in general.
Is there a type of genre you refuse to write?
- Erotica. Not going there.
Do you prefer your books in print or e-book format?
- I’m currently working on the print versions of them, so I’m going to have to say print. I know the hard work will so be worth it.
What are you currently reading?
- Rereading The Duff by Kody Keplinger. Have you read it yet? It’s sooo good!
What is your favorite book?
- My favorite right now is probably Waiting on Normal by Sonja Myburgh. I’m obsessed! Go read it and be miserable with me!
Who is your favorite author?
- I don’t tend to have favorite writers, but if I had to pick, some of them would be JK Rowling, Jessica Florence, and Sonja Myburgh.
Do you have any excerpts from any of your books (published and WIPs) that you'd like to share with us?
- This excerpt comes from A New Tradition, a short story that I wrote for a Halloween anthology.
I look back at the Egyptian Cleopatra gown and wig that I’ve had my eye on since we walked into the store. “I already have my costume. We just need to focus on you.”
Izzie shrugs, seeming indifferent. “I don’t really care. I can just go through Twila’s closet and dress like a hipster.”
“Ha ha ha,” Twila says as she steps out, dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow.
“You have to wear that!” I cry. “Twila, you look fabulous!”
“Just missing the eyeliner,” Izzie agrees as she steps back into her dressing room.
Twila saunters towards me in the full glory as Jack. Underneath the triangular hat, tufts of her light brown hair stick out, falling into her navy blue eyes. In all my life, I’ve never seen a shade of blue eyes that color. She stops right in front of me, leaning forward so that the color blue is all that I can see.
“Tell your swanky sister that I don’t care about eyeliner. I just want rum. Savvy?”
The giggles just keep coming and coming. If Twila’s voice was just a hint lower, she would sound identical to him. “Please tell me you’re buying this. I’ll be so upset if you don’t.”
“Of course I’m buying this. I’m Captain Jack Sparrow, love.”
My hand flies to my mouth to hold in my hysteria. When I manage to more or less contain myself, I wipe the tears from under my eyes, being careful not to smudge my makeup. “You are my favorite person.”
Humor me, because this is my favorite (mythical) animal: Would you ever consider putting a platypire in one of your books?
- There’s a first time for everything I suppose, so why not?
Please include the links to your author page and where to find your books.
- Walk in the Woods, Book 1 of The Woods Series: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00X6EDJ9G
- A Trail in the Woods, Book 2 of the Woods Series: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B019DI1ITG