Interview – Author, Elisabeth Wheatley
As part of author Nancy Chase’s, “The Seventh Magpie” book launch extravaganza, I’ll be interviewing a series of participating authors. Check out all the interviews here.
Today I’m happy to have author, Elisabeth Wheatley!
Q: How long have you been writing either as a hobby or professionally?
A: That depends whether or not you count all the times I stole copy paper and duct tape to make “books” out of my crayon drawings. I started working on what would be my first novel around eight/nine years ago, so let’s go with that.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I’m reediting my debut novel, The Key of Amatahns, for re-release along with the other five written books in the series and drafting the last two. I’m also working on the third in my Fanged Princess vampire novellas as well as a new quintet of epics set to debut in 2016. Sleep is for the weak.
Q: Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?
A: I cannot choose a favorite author, you can’t make me! But I am huge fan of Intisar Khanani, Tad Williams, T.L. Shreffler, Brandon Sanderson, and Rhiannon Paille. My favorite genre to read (and write) is what they all have in common—epic Fantasy—though I also dabble in Paranormal/Paranormal Romance with a preference for Young Adult.
Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?
A: Fanged Princess takes place in Central Texas, where I was born, so that one’s kind of obvious. The entire series probably draws the most from my personal experiences, both with the setting and some of the characters. I grew up around men in John Deere caps who drove trucks with sisters perpetually wearing camo and that played a large role in my creation of the Huntsmen.
Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?
A: Eat and sleep and pretend to go to school. I tell people that books are my life and I don’t think they understand everything I do can usually be traced back (even if in a roundabout way) to books. What can I say? Reality sucks.
Aside from that, I hope to one day infuse the internet with my consciousness via social media and thereby achieve immortality. My brother has agreed to make me his general when he rises to power, and then I shall force that one kid in my Japanese class to fix his asymmetrical haircut. (Does he have no compassion for the OCD among us?) Also, American football will be outlawed in favor of jousting and archery—just a heads up.
I’m good with those changes! 
I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.
A: It was a blast and thank you so much for having me!
Elisabeth Wheatley began what would be her first novel at eleven and hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not daydreaming of elves, vampires, and/or hot guys in armor, she can be found wasting time on the internet, fangirling over her latest obsession, and pretending to be a functional citizen.
