Featured Friends - November Author Q&A
How long have you been writing or when did you start? I started writing in Spring 2019 when I was going through one of the most difficult times of my life. I was separated from my husband and rapidly heading for divorce. I was stuck in a reality I didn't want to be in, without anybody I felt I could turn to. So I wrote a world I could escape to, with characters I wanted to spend hours with. Detour was only supposed to be for me, just my own little slice of literary heaven, but after I finished it, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone else might need it as much as I did. So I decided to publish it in Summer 2020. 7 books and a reconciliation later, I'm still creating fictional escapes everyone finds themselves in need of from time to time!
How many books have you written and which is your favorite? 7 and I could never ever choose!! Just like my children, each one is legitimately my favorite.
What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why? Hmm that's a good question. Usually I'll think of some meet-cute and the characters will quickly follow. The ending will sometimes come next, then once I have about 6-7 scenes to give me a vague outline, I've got myself a story idea. My characters generally change so much throughout the writing process that the plot makes for a better starting point.
What is the most difficult part of your writing process? Editing! Because I rewrite the entire book from beginning to end. A book will typically take me 3-7 months to write, then I rewrite/edit it in about 1-2 months. It's a lot of work in a condensed time!
Which character(s) of yours do you relate to the most and why? Surprisingly all of them. I put little pieces of myself in every character. I definitely think Bentlee from Blind Spot is one I relate to the most. As sad as it it, a lot the stuff she went through hit really close to home for me. And Beckett from Changing Lanes because of his dirty mind, bad mouth, and hilarious quips.
Would you and your main character(s) get along? I guess it depends which ones we're talking about. I'd be way too intimidated to even introduce myself to Lex and Reece from Nothing Above. The Creekwood series crew I'd fit right in with. Julian and Collette from The Comedown I'd internally fangirl over while trying desperately to play it cool because, hello, celebrities. And Roz and Gia from Let The Light Shine Through I'd want to get along with soooo bad but would probably just be stunned into silence by Gia the whole time. And Roz. All those Olympic medals? That guy is so talented.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused? Not always but usually music, preferably the book's playlist. Water. My legs crossed with my feet safely tucked under my legs because I am terrified of something touching my toes. That's it really. I write anywhere I need to so I'm pretty flexible (as long as my toes are safe).
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink? Water. I swear to God I was a sponge in a past life because I LOVE water, absolutely cannot be without it. I almost always have a KIND granola bar in the morning because it's distracting trying to write while my belly is growling. Sometimes I'll have a mug of chai on my mug warmer too because I'm a huge sipper. I will sip off those 8 ounces of tea for 7 hours straight.
Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite? I used to always want music to write but I'm finding I don't need it as much anymore. If I do listen to music though, it's the playlist for that book. I can't listen to other books' playlists while writing another. Those songs belong to that story and those characters in my mind, so if I even hear one of them that's all I'll think of, not my current characters/story.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find? Oh, ummm. I think I might've looked up my pen name several months ago to make sure my website came up. My real name though? I don't know that I ever have. I'm pretty private so I don't think much would come up anyway. immediately Googles self while praying to God nothing from those wild teen years in the early 2000s comes up
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