Q&A With Yours Truly

There's a party going on!!!

That's right, a par-tay! Lot's of great swag to be given away by the talented Cassie Chavez, and a bunch of great authors to get to know, myself included. Join the fun here.

In the meantime, we are doing a little ask the authors giveaway and there have been lots of great questions posted. I thought I'd share my answers here for all of you to see, as well. Be warned, my mind can be a scary place sometimes.



Kendall: "Did you always plan to end Dissidence the way you did?"

No, I didn’t actually plan to end Dissidence on a cliffhanger. I originally planned it as a standalone novel, but I write like I read. I never know where the story is going to go until it gets there. Makes things flow more naturally that way. And at the end, things just started to happen that I hadn’t anticipated. Let’s just say, Kaleigh surprised even me ;)

Amanda: "What is your favorite part about writing?"

My favorite part of writing is most definitely the first draft. Discovering a new story and following the characters through to it’s conclusion. It’s like reading a book, but you can make the story go wherever you want it to go. Very exciting :)

Amy: "When you are writing your characters into your stories, do you see yourself in them?" 

I definitely see parts of myself in each of my main characters. Funny since Kaleigh and Mel and now Emerson are so entirely different, but it’s true. Kaleigh, from Dissidence, definitely got my sarcastic sense of cynical humor. 

Lauren: "Did any music inspire you while writing?"

I didn’t actually listen to anything while writing Dissidence, but my newest novel, Fight or Flight, has a whole playlist I’ve setup on youtube and had playing on repeat.

Natalie: "What was your inspiration to become a writer?"

I’ve always enjoyed writing as a hobby, but never dreamed of doing it as a career. My son actually inspired me to do that. After reading Harry Potter together, he asked me if there were any books that had a main character with his name. I looked and couldn’t find one, so I wrote him one. His story turned into 2 full length fantasy novels that I haven’t published yet, but hope to someday.

Sarah: "What made you decide to start writing?"

See above ;)

Rachael: "If your book became a movie, who would be your dream actors?"

I actually have a whole Dissidence Dream Cast posted on my blog with pics and all… check it out here

Samantha: "What is the one question in an interview you would like to be asked?"

There are a lot of great questions on this list already, but my favorite thing to be asked about are my characters. It makes me feel like people actually care about them as much as I do :)

Cassie: "Who was your muse if you had one?"

My muse for Dissidence was my daughter. Her name is Kaleigh just like my main character and I dedicated the book to her. She’s only 4 right now, but Kaleigh (from Dissidence) is a lot like I picture her to be in about 12 years. A strong, independent, loyal, sometimes sassy young lady.

Justine: "Do you follow a writing routine?"

I don’t have so much as a writing ‘routine’ as a lifestyle. Haha. I don’t follow any kind of outlines. I just write and see where the story takes me. And I definitely don’t have scheduled writing time, unless you count every spare moment. I LOVE writing. I would keep on doing it even if no one ever read a word of it. I have three kids, three pets, a hubby, and a house to take care of, but every free second I get between all of that is spent tapping away at a keyboard, or on my phone if I’m at the grocery store or the school. I really am OBSESSED. :)

Penelope: "What advice do you have for the next generation of writers to come, the teens of today?

The best advice I can give to become a stronger writer, is to read. Read A LOT. (I swear that's not a self serving answer.) It expends your mind and your vocabulary, introduces you to new ways to describe things, and gets the ideas flowing.

Stephanie: "Have you ever had trouble writing fora character you don't like?"

That’s a great question. I actually have. And it wasn’t even one of my villains. I actually really enjoy writing the ‘bad guys’ so what does that say about me? But sometimes a character has to start out weak so that by the end she can be strong. And, by the end, I very much enjoyed writing her.

Amanda: "What is your favorite genre that you like to write/read?" / "If you could help out the young/ new authors, would you and what advice would you give?"

My favorite genre to read and write is YA. Specifics alternate with what mood I’m in. I like everything from contemporary romances to urban fantasy. Which explains why my writing is a bit schizophrenic when it comes to genres, as well. :) But I think my all-time favorite would have to be dystopian. 

I would love to help new or young authors. As I said earlier, I absolutely love writing. I think everyone should do it. It doesn’t have to be novels. Even just keeping a journal can be therapeutic, but making up your own stories is pretty freaking awesome. As far as advice, I’ll repeat my earlier statement. Read. Read often. Read everything. And write. Just keep writing. Everything you write will be better than your last so just keep at it no matter what. Work hard enough, want it bad enough and anyone can do it.

Okay, that's it. That's all I've got for now, but I will be sure to update this list as more questions are asked. And if there's anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask away in the comments section and I'll be happy to answer. In the meantime, come join the party! See ya there! :)