WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND DO YOU LIKE IT THERE?
I'm from Lake Charles, Louisiana. It's an interesting place to live -- too small-time to be big city, too big city to consider itself adequate.
DOES THE BAYOU STATE INSPIRE YOU AS AN AUTHOR?
Of course it does! The people and places here have long memories, for both the good and the bad. Everywhere you turn, someone has a story. And if they don't, it's rather easy to make one up.
FAVORITE AUTHOR? AND DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM HIM/HER?
I have quite a few favorite authors, and honestly it depends on what I'm into at the moment: Neil Gaiman, Roald Dahl, Diana Wynne Jones, Gerald Morris, Douglas Adams, Rick Riordan, Kate Chopin. I like a lot of children's lit, so I'm really inspired by stories with strong main characters, or characters that don't start out all that strong but come into their own (Matilda, Coraline, Chrestomanci and Squire's Tales series, Ella Enchanted, Percy Jackson). I also love funny characters -- if a book makes me consistently laugh out loud as I read it (Dirk Gently, Good Omens, The Squire's Tales again), I'll usually pick up another book the author's written.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR FIRST POCKET NOVEL, "GHOST STORY"
I hate writing summaries, I generally suck at them, but here it goes. It's pretty much the main character, a psychic named Mia Richard, getting disgruntled at a spirit she takes on and being snarky at him. I know it doesn't sound completely thrilling, but if I tell you any more I'll have to charge you.
WHAT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS?
Finding the discipline to take the time to write! Between work and the rest of life, it keeps getting harder and harder to find the time.
DO YOU THINK THAT WRITING SHORT STORIES IS HARDER OR EASIER THAN WRITING NOVELS?
Short stories and novels both have their pros and cons: for short stories, it's harder to confine myself to the word count while novels let me ramble on and on. However, it's easier to write short stories because I get the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a story.
ANY PARTICULAR GENRES YOU LIKE WRITING MORE THAN OTHERS?
I love fantasy and sci-fi, I always have. I find myself lately writing -- and enjoying reading -- romance stories.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING WRITING QUIRKS?
I do like to say dialogue out loud as I write it. I read a lot of my stuff out loud when I write, actually, to make sure the words flow naturally. One quirk I do have is that when I write by hand, I can't use fancy writing journals. I love them, but they're always so beautiful and I hate messing that up! I like to write on yellow legal pads when I do hand write first drafts. And I never erase if I'm using a pencil. Slows me down.
FOR YOU, WHERE DO YOUR STORIES COME FROM?
The truly terrifying recesses of my mind, and from things my friends say in conversation. That is meant to be as ominous as it sounds.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WRITING "GHOST STORY"?
Honestly, it wasn't the writing part, although I did have a blast writing Mia and Bill's interactions. My absolute favorite thing about going through the experience of getting Ghost Story published was doing the photo shoot for the front cover with fellow writers Jason Foux and Tasha Gray. You know you have amazing friends when you can look at one and say, "I'd like to take a picture of your legs sticking out from under the trunk of my car for the cover of my Pocket Novel" and he replies with, "As long as you both stay away from the jack while I'm underneath it."
I am also rather proud of the back cover blurb. Like I said, I hate writing summaries.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? ADVICE? WARNINGS? ANYTHING?
I want to thank all of you for reading, writing, and supporting Pocket Novels! We couldn't do this without you.
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