New Adult Book Club discussion
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A. Meredith Walters
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Author Q+A's
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Q&A with A. Meredith Walters *CLOSED*
Hi! what's the best thing being an author? :)
Hi Meredith! Which fictional character do you believe is the most like yourself? :)
Hi! What inspired you to write One Day Soon?
Hi Meredith, what's it like being a honorary Brit, things like signings and availability of books are different here in the UK
Hello A. Meredith Walters! Glad you're here answering our questions. What makes you more willing to write a book? Is it tragedy, dramatic situations or suspense filled situations? In your books I've read each and one along with more contemporary romance and hea. I must say The Contradiction Of Solitude, Butterfly Dreams, One Day Soon and your Find You series are my favorites!
Also if you say anything about Exploited I would be really happy!!
Thank you very much! !
Hi Meredith! Out of all the books you've written, which one is the most emotional for you and why?
Hi Meredith!!What are the hardest scenes to write and why?
Which is your favorite character that you've ever written?!
Hi, Meredith! Quick question: are you sponsored by Kleenex? Because every single one of your books that I've read made me go through a box of those :pNow for the real question: are any of your books inspired by your life or by people you know? The subjects they deal with are, of course, real - such as autism in Reclaiming the sand, or drug addiction in Lead Me Not - but I'd like to know if you picked them because they're sort of close to home or you just found they were interesting enough to create a story around.
Thank you so much!
Hey, when you get stuck in a rut with writing a new book how do you get out of it?!:) x
Who are some of your favorite authors to read?
Audrey wrote: "Hi! what's the best thing being an author? :)"I think probably the best thing about being an author is creating new characters. My favorite part of writing is that moment when an entirely new character springs to life and I get to mold it into whatever I want them to be. :-)
Geleen wrote: "Hi Meredith! Which fictional character do you believe is the most like yourself? :)"Hmm...I think when I was in my teens and twenties, I was definitely a Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. I was overly emotional, an utter romantic, and often highly unreasonable when it came to matters of the heart, lol. I think now that I'm older I've leveled out a bit and tend to see things more rationally. I think now I'm a bit more of a Jo March from Little Women- putting family first but love to write.
Greeva wrote: "Hi! What inspired you to write One Day Soon?"I was in London one day with my daughter and we were walking along the Thames and I saw a group of teens hanging out underneath a bridge. Some of them were riding skateboards. I don't think they were homeless, just goofing off on a Saturday afternoon, but it got me thinking about all the teens that ARE homeless and what life is like for them. I used to work with the homeless population at a previous job and it was a subject that struck a chord with me.
Micky wrote: "Hi Meredith, what's it like being a honorary Brit, things like signings and availability of books are different here in the UK"I wouldn't trade living in the UK for anything! I love it! I've always been a bit of an anglophile, so having the opportunity to live here is a dream come true. It does make for a bit of a challenge in that my books aren't in stores here, but are in the US and we don't have as many signings. But I think the book community here in the UK is amazing!
Maria wrote: "Hello A. Meredith Walters! Glad you're here answering our questions. What makes you more willing to write a book? Is it tragedy, dramatic situations or suspense filled situations? In your books I'..."
I tend to enjoy writing grittier stories more than most. In romances I find myself veering towards "real life" situations that impact people. I think it's my past work as a counselor that makes me want to focus on individuals and stories that maybe aren't otherwise written about. I will say that lately I've preferred writing thrillers. I love the complexities of dynamics you get in mysteries and thrillers. The process of piecing together a plot in those books is so much fun! As for Exploited, it's a total deviation for me in a lot of ways. It's a lot sexier than I normally write but it has an edge to it. It's suspenseful. It has elements that are like The Contradiction of Solitude in that you have a woman who is on the fringe's of society who is trying to navigate the sticky dealings of her own heart. But it's definitely hotter than anything I've written since my Bad Rep series.
Beatrice wrote: "Hi Meredith! Out of all the books you've written, which one is the most emotional for you and why?"Honestly, to this day Reclaiming the Sand was the hardest for me to write and the one I'm most proud of. Writing from the point of view of a young boy with Aspergers presented a major challenge for me in that I was desperate to do it right. To not make him a caricature. Flynn and Ellie's story was also deeply personal in that Ellie's back story was inspired by a client that I worked with for over five years. I know people had trouble understanding Ellie at times but I love her probably more than any other heroine I've written.
Betul wrote: "Hi Meredith!!What are the hardest scenes to write and why?"
There were a few that have been difficult for me. The first I remember having to step away from was the scene at the end of Find You in the Dark where Clay loses it. Everything is unravelling for him at that point and it was very emotional for me.
Also writing all of Flynn's chapters in Reclaiming the Sand were difficult in that it hurt to have him hurting. I connected with his character in a way that made it hard to write from his POV.
And most recently in writing One Day Soon, the scene where Yoss comes back after leaving for the night and he's full of shame and Imi hears him crying. That was difficult in that it's hard to think about the horrible things some people have to do in order to survive.
Katie wrote: "Which is your favorite character that you've ever written?!"That's honestly like telling someone to chose their favorite kid, lol. But if I HAD to chose, I think my favorite heroine is without a doubt Ellie McCallum from Reclaiming the Sand, with a runner up being Riley from Perfect Regret, because so much of her personality is me.
As for my guys, I think it would have to be a tie between Clay Reed from Find You in the Dark, Flynn Hendrick from Reclaiming the Sand, and Yossarian from One Day Soon. Each of them are vulnerable but strong in their own ways.
M wrote: "Hi, Meredith! Quick question: are you sponsored by Kleenex? Because every single one of your books that I've read made me go through a box of those :pNow for the real question: are any of your bo..."
LOL, I do love writing the tearjerkers!!!
As for whether my books are based on real life, absolutely! So many of my characters are inspired by either people I've known or the amazing clients I worked with during my time as a counselor. Ellie and Flynn were based on two boys I worked with for years. The story of Clay and Maggie from Find You in the Dark was based on very personal experience. As for Maxx and Aubrey from Lead Me Not, I have seen addiction first hand unfortunately, both professionally and personally, and had some insight on what it means to love someone who is an addict. Even Bad Rep was based in part on things that happened to me while I was in school. I need some sort of personal connection to a story in order to write it.
Victoria wrote: "Hey, when you get stuck in a rut with writing a new book how do you get out of it?!:) x"This is a very real problem for me. I have a very hard time getting out of writing ruts. The only thing I've found that works is stepping away from whatever it is I'm writing, maybe going and re-reading some stuff I've already written, and then come back to it.
A. wrote: "Micky wrote: "Hi Meredith, what's it like being a honorary Brit, things like signings and availability of books are different here in the UK"I wouldn't trade living in the UK for anything! I love..."
Thanks so much. I'm glad you like it here and I'm coming to meet you in Edinburgh!
Laurice Joy wrote: "What is your all-time favorite book?"My favorite book...hmmm...good question.
As a kid it was Witch Week by Diana Wynn Jones. As a teenager it was each and every book written by L.J. Smith. I literally devoured her books and re-read them until the spines fell apart. When I was in college- it was Wuthering Heights. I loved the sadistic love story between Catherine and Heathcliff so much. And now as an adult, I think my favorite books I've read in recent years is a tie between Thicker than Blood by Claire C. Riley and Madeline Sheehan and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Tanja wrote: "Who are some of your favorite authors to read?"I think the only author that I can label as "go to" wherein I will read anything they write is Phillipa Gregory. I LOVE her books!
Reclaiming The sand is one of my all time favourite books ever and every time I read it i find something new to cry about. Did you have to do a lot of research into Aspergers to get it right? Did you consult with anyone or any charities when writing this as I think you did the story beautiful and I have in the past worked with kids of varrying disabilities and Aspergers being one of them :)
Nicola wrote: "Reclaiming The sand is one of my all time favourite books ever and every time I read it i find something new to cry about. Did you have to do a lot of research into Aspergers to get it right? Did y..."I'm so glad you enjoyed Flynn and Ellie's story!!!
Working as a counselor for children and teens I had several clients with Aspergers but I also have a very good friend who runs a special education department. I spoke with her a lot while writing RtS. But when I wrote Flynn's chapters I would send them to fellow writer I know who has a son on the spectrum to make sure I got it right. I was very worried about doing his character justice.
Micky wrote: "A. wrote: "Micky wrote: "Hi Meredith, what's it like being a honorary Brit, things like signings and availability of books are different here in the UK"I wouldn't trade living in the UK for anyth..."
Yay! See you then!!!
I was wondering if you have any writing hard limits? (Maybe you steer clear of a certain genre or certain types of scenes etc.?) If so, why? Stemming from this question, is there a certain genre or trope you'd like to write and haven't yet? If so, could you tell us what the genre/trope is?Thanks for your time!
A. wrote: "Nicola wrote: "Reclaiming The sand is one of my all time favourite books ever and every time I read it i find something new to cry about. Did you have to do a lot of research into Aspergers to get ..."You definitely did his character justice. I also have a friend with a son on the spectrum. I will be getting you to sign my copy of this book in Edinburgh as I am also going to be there! :D
Mercedes wrote: "I was wondering if you have any writing hard limits? (Maybe you steer clear of a certain genre or certain types of scenes etc.?) If so, why? Stemming from this question, is there a certain genre or..."Such a GREAT question!!! I don't have "hard limits" per se when it comes to writing, but there are certain tropes I tend to steer clear of. I sincerely doubt that I'll ever write a billionaire book. Not that I have anything against them, I just can't seem to write that sort of story. Same with erotica. I tried to write an erotica story once and it was so incredibly cheesy I had to delete it immediately, lol. As for genres I'd like to dabble in, well I'm doing that now with thrillers. I LOVE writing them. I would also like to write more YA and my daughter is pressuring me to write a middle grade fiction book so she can read something I wrote.
Ive read Find You In The Dark/Light In The Shadows (Clay & Maggie are two of my most favorite chatacters), Lead Me Not/Follow Me Back (a story I see play out every day in the lives of some of my loved ones), One Day Soon (Imi & Yoss are unforgettable)!! I have almost all your other books and was wondering which you would suggest I read next?
Melissa wrote: "Ive read Find You In The Dark/Light In The Shadows (Clay & Maggie are two of my most favorite chatacters), Lead Me Not/Follow Me Back (a story I see play out every day in the lives of some of my lo..."If you loved those stories then definitely read Reclaiming the Sand and Chasing the Tide next. Flynn and Ellie are two of my all time favorites. Thank you so much for reading and loving these stories!!!
Sometimes authors derive inspirations for their characters from people they know in real life.Have you based any of your characters on people you know?
do you listen to songs when you're writing? what are your ultimate favorites?
◕ ◡ ◕ Zoey likes to read wrote: "Sometimes authors derive inspirations for their characters from people they know in real life.Have you based any of your characters on people you know?"
Absolutely. Most of my characters are in some way based on people I know. Ellie McCallum from Reclaiming the Sand was based on a boy I counseled for over four years. Clayton Reed from Find You in the Dark was based on a dear friend who suffered from Bipolar. Even story lines are rooted in my life. The basic premise of Bad Rep was derived from a situation I experienced in college.
◕ ◡ ◕ Zoey likes to read wrote: "do you listen to songs when you're writing? what are your ultimate favorites?"I always make a playlist when I start writing a book. I've been addicted to Gabrielle Aplin lately...her songs have inspired many scenes in my books.
What book would you recommend to read first?
Do you have a writing routine? Lock yourself in a room with snacks and music? :)I love your books! Thanks for sharing your talent!!!
Do you listen to music when you write? Do you have a playlist that goes with your books?
Hi Meredith!Love your books!My favorite would be Reclaiming The Sand..My question for you is who are your favorite authors?? :)
Shrimalya wrote: "Hi Meredith!Love your books!My favorite would be Reclaiming The Sand..My question for you is who are your favorite authors?? :)"
I love historical fiction and Phillipa Gregory is one of my all time favorites! I also love Kelley Armstrong and when I was a teenager I devoured any and all books by LJ Smith.
Now I read a lot of indie books and my favorite authors are Claire C. Riley, LH Cosway, and Penny Reid.
Anna wrote: "What book would you recommend to read first?"Wow...um, I'm not sure, lol!!! I guess it depends on what type of books you're in the mood to read. If you're wanting emotional reads, I'd say either Reclaiming the Sand or my newest, One Day Soon. If you're wanting light hearted and sexy, I'd try Bad Rep. If you want a thriller that's NOT a romance, then pick up The Contradiction of Solitude.
Irma wrote: "What genre is your most favourite?"Probably thrillers. I love reading and writing them! :-)
Ray wrote: "Favorite foooooods? Name 5 of them!"1- Bacon Cheeseburgers
2-Coronation Chicken sandwich
3-Watchamacallit chocolate bar
4-Fries with vinegar
5-Chicken enchiladas
Tina wrote: "Do you have a writing routine? Lock yourself in a room with snacks and music? :)I love your books! Thanks for sharing your talent!!!"
Thanks for reading!!!
As for my writing routine...it's very...well...routinized, lol. After I take my daughter to school I make myself a cup of tea, straighten up my desk ( I CAN NOT write when it's cluttered), put on the playlist I've made for the particular book I'm writing atm, and then write. I break mid day for lunch, then write again until I pick up my daughter from school. I have to keep this schedule or I get nothing done.
Nicole wrote: "Do you listen to music when you write? Do you have a playlist that goes with your books?"Absolutely! I have playlists I make for each and every one of my books. You can find them on Spotify!
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Welcome to another amazing Q&A! This week we have New York Times and USA Today bestselling author A. Meredith Walters joining us and answering questions! She is the author of the Find You In The Dark series, the Bad Rep series, One Day Soon, and many others! Please leave your questions below.