Well, I have a husband, two sons, one daughter-in-law, one dog, two granddogs, and two grandcats. I am a former first grade teacher and PTA mom. I'm currently writing a humorous mystery series, a chick lit book, and a thriller (when I'm not dealing with a crisis with my mother, who has dementia). I started writing about four years ago, and I have one published novel that is a cozy mystery.
Necessity. It was either start writing or go insane. I chose the former, but the latter might have chosen me. I started writing as therapy when I became a caretaker for my mother who had just been diagnosed with dementia—that's what I meant by necessity—but halfway into a memoir, I started writing a humorous southern mystery as an escape from real life. I found I really like living in imaginary worlds and talking to imaginary people, so that's what I do most days now. And nights.
My latest published book is Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction. As I said, it's based on real life and told in two different time periods—the 1930s and the present day. The 1930s are flashbacks to the murders—one unsolved—and my characters in the present day try to solve the cold case. My main character, Tess, is a Yankee, new to the town, and she's a little culture shocked as she gets to know the folks in town. That's where Jackson comes in—he helps translate the southern speak, helps her investigate the murder, and becomes a temptation Tess doesn't want.
My characters absolutely wrote the story. I knew the basic premise, and I kind of knew how I wanted it to end, but they did all the rest.
My characters whisper them to me. Sometimes they knock me upside the head with them.
My children's book is called That Would Taste Better In Your Mouth, and it's about Louie, who is a very picky eater. His mother tries everything to get him to try new foods. It's told with alliteration and repetition—two things my kids loved in books when they were little. This is going to sound redundant, but it's based on real life too. My oldest son was a very picky eater (hence, the storyline), and once when we tried to get my youngest son to eat something new, he said, "I think that would taste better in your mouth" (hence, the title). I'm working on the Guinness world record of rejections for that story, but I'm not giving up on it.
Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction was published by a small press. It would not be hyperbole to say my experience with them has been a nightmare. The highs? That's got to be when I was on Amazon.com's bestsellers lists for mystery authors, mysteries and women sleuths. I don't care how simple my little book is, it is absolutely thrilling when you see your book ranked in between James Patterson and Janet Evonavich.
No, I really didn't. In my mind, my characters are unique people. I find it hard to pair them with actors when I'm asked to do so in interviews.
It varies, but it almost always includes a big comfy chair. At home, I write either in my office or my bedroom, both of which have big comfy chairs. But I also like to go to a local dessert café that has big comfy chairs and couches. I love a lot of natural light, and the room is surrounded by floor to ceiling window. I love going there during the week when it's not very busy. Besides the bright, comfortable room, it has pie. My philosophy is life is always better with pie.
But I had the absolute best writing environment last July when I stayed in the Berkshires for a month. Every day, I went to the Stockbridge Library, up to the top floor, which was rarely occupied. And I had thousands of books, lots of history, and a big, beautiful room all to myself. It was wonderful. I worked on GPJ3 while I was there.
When I first started promoting my book, I contacted a lot of bloggers. Some were very kind and hosted me with an interview or agreed to review my book. Some said no, and some just plain ignored me. I learned that it's not easy for an Indie author to promote their work. I saw a need to help authors market their books. So I started A Blue Million Books, in a pay it forward spirit, and a desire to help Indie authors connect with readers.
Oh my goodness, how much time do you have? My first bit of advice would be to join a writers group—either online or locally—and get feedback on your work. Beta readers are essential in helping you strengthen your story. I also recommend reading your work out loud after you've edited the heck out of it. A final read through out loud will help you see/hear things you might otherwise miss. And if you think your work doesn't need to be edited—by you or anyone else—don't quit your day job. Editing can sometimes be painful, but it's part of the gig. If you can't edit or can't take constructive criticism, put your work in a folder for your family to read. Because they're the only ones who will.