Author Interview!

[Monica]

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Well Twice Lost started out as a dream, literally. All be it a completely different dream than the actual plot line of Twice Lost. In fact the entire first 20k words were taken out and rewritten. Tim one of the good guys in the final book was originally written as the main bad guy who would steal the souls of people and their soul would create a tattoo likeness on his arms. And as the story evolved it completely changed.


Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

I didn’t find it easy nor did I find it overly difficult, if that makes any sense at all. The most difficult part for me was when I would write myself into a corner so to speak. In one scene in Twice Lost I wrote two characters escaping a fight scene in a pickup truck. Well one was wounded so badly he passed out. Leaving no conversation, and no plot. They stayed in that truck for a month before I was able to come up with a way out for them both. As far as advice, the best advice I got was to keep writing no matter what and invest in a good editor. My editor Monica is worth every penny.

Oh and back-up your work. Back it up on the cloud, a thumb drive, email, something. Twice Lost got its name from me having not one but two hard drives fry themselves. The first time I lost about seventy-five pages and the second only what I hadn’t already backed up. So back it up.

Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

I am currently under contract with Forever Red Publishing. They are a small startup company founded by some amazing women who just loved books. I had submitted my first book Twice Lost to several larger publishing companies. After several no’s I received two yes’s. One from Forever Red and one from a larger company. For me it was an easy decision, I was going to be a regular fish is a very small pond instead of a tiny fish in a big pond.

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

Things that no one tells you, like some of your “friends” aren’t going to be over the moon happy for you. Unlike your mom who is crazy happy for you and actually yelled out “My daughter is getting published” while I was on the phone telling her and she was at work. Then you realize that her and her friends are going to read it, and the graphic sex scenes you wrote. Should make holidays interesting at my house.


Q: What other books (if any) are you working on and when will they be published?

Currently I am writing four books, pretty much at the same time. I am writing the second book in the Harbinger Series called Twice Visited it should be out in fall of 2015. In addition to the full length novel in the Harbinger Series I am writing three novella length books that are going to be released in-between the two main books. Each will focus on one main character and is placed time wise before Twice Lost. The first Novella will be Tye out winter of 2014 then Alastor out spring 2015 and Gabe out summer 2015

I also have two other WIP, DC Wylder and Renewable both are stand-alone books not related to the Harbinger Series nor are they in the same genre.


Q: What’s your favorite place to hang out online?

I’m guilty of being on Facebook more that I should be, especially when I’m writing.


Q: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to get across with your book?

You know, I didn’t think I had a message when writing Twice Lost and I still really don’t. But someone pointed out that every one of my female characters feels that she is flawed or weak in some way yet finds the strength deep within to overcome the obstacles that lay ahead of her. So maybe my message is, just that, dig deep and you’ll get through anything or maybe it’s if you ever find out you’re not human go kick some butt. Either way be strong.


Q: Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

I try to live by the phrase: don’t have a bucket list, have a to do list. Which means if you want to do something don’t put it off, tomorrow might be too late.

Link: http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.co...