Since how long have you been living in the desert southwest of the United States in Tucson, Arizona?
I’ve lived in Tucson since 1994. Before that I lived in Ohio (with brief periods of living in New Jersey and Kentucky). I love traveling and have been to nearly every state in the US and several countries. As much as I love visiting other places, I always want to come back to the plentiful sunshine, wide open spaces and mountains in my Tucson home. The desert suits me, and it finds its way into my writing. The H.A.L.F. series is set (mostly) in Arizona and New Mexico. And my current work-in-progress (WIP) is set on another planet but the story starts in a desert setting. Whipping sands, hot suns and dry air—it’s what I know best!
Do you remember the first book you ever wrote?
The first book I ever wrote was Emily’s House, my first published novel. While I wrote short stories when I was younger, I’d never written a novel before.
At what age did you begin writing your first story? What was it about?
I wrote my first story at age seven. It was about a white rabbit named Peter and his tea party with other animals. I had a pet rabbit named Peter, so my real life rabbit was an inspiration for the story I suppose. I don’t remember much about the story, but I do remember that my teacher entered it into a local competition and it won a blue ribbon at the fair. :-)
What is the possibility of a zombie apocalypse occurring on our planet?
Zero! I write and read tons of speculative fiction, but zombies just aren’t my thing. I have zero fear of a zombie apocalypse! Now an alien invasion—that’s completely believable. ;-)
What challenges did you face while writing your first novel, Emily’s House?
Many challenges! When I began writing Emily’s House, I had not written fiction in a long time. I was very rusty! I also was the mother to a young child, worked full time, and had to squeeze writing time in wherever I could. Though it was a challenge to write, it was the most fun book to write so far.
Which book took the longest to write in The Akasha Chronicles series?
Emily’s House, the first book, definitely took the longest. I was a new writer and had no clue what I was doing! There were times when I had to put it aside and learn more about the craft of writing, then go back to it.
Did you expect HALF to become an award-winning science fiction series?
During the writing process, I don’t think about awards and such. I’m just focused on writing the best story that I can. When I entered the book into some competitions, I hoped to win, of course. But I didn’t think I would. I was shocked when it began winning awards in book competitions. That story, H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath, has been my bestselling story so far and I think the one that my readers love the most.
How was The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy started?
I was not actively writing when the idea for Emily’s House, book one in that series, came to me. I first began toying with the idea of the last Celtic Priestess in an ancient order. Then the character Emily came to me. She was modern, while the Priestess was early medieval period. How did these two characters and their stories fit together? I had to write the story to find out!
Is any other story writing site is better than wattpad?
While I used Wattpad when I first began writing (around 2009-2012), I don’t post stories there much anymore (though Emily’s House is still there, in its entirety, as well as beginning chapters of some of my other novels. Once books are published, generally the writer is contractually prohibited from posting the work elsewhere, so that limits what I can post and where.
Can a dystopian novel be set in the present day?
Of course and both of my series are set int he present day and both have a 3rd book that is dystopian. While many dystopian novels have an event that has taken place before the story begins, in my novels I want to bring the reader into the makings of the dystopia—to show how it got there. In my stories, the characters are experiencing the fall of their society and their world turning upside down. As a writer, it has been fun exploring how that can happen. My stories then are also explorations of how the characters can right the ship again. Can they turn it around and make the world better? Repair the damage? And if so, how? I think these questions are very relevant to our times.
Are you working on anything new?
I’ve been working on a new epic fantasy novel (first in a series of five) for three years now! I’m building a whole new world complete with multiple continents, cultures, religions, creatures, etc. It is a massive undertaking! But I’m nearing the end of completing book one and will be submitting to agents/editorrs soon. Hopefully it will soon be under contract and have a publication date to look forward to.
I love this story!! I’ve been building the world/developing it for quite some time—a magical world in which dragons are making a comeback. At the center of the story is the main character, Quen, a young woman harboring a big secret. When tragedy strikes, her world is turned upside down. Sharing the ride on her epic journey is a motley band of characters that I think readers are really going to enjoy.
I can’t say much more about it right now as it’s still in development. But for any readers familiar with my work, this one will have more magic, more original creatures and places never seen before, my most kick-ass main character I’ve ever written, the best romantic subplot I’ve ever written, and the best crew of misfit heroes too! I can’t wait for readers to meet the characters I’ve spent most of my waking hours with for over three years!
What are your thoughts on AllAuthor and its services?
AllAuthor provides a valuable service to busy authors. I want to spend my time writing, not marketing. I appreciate having an affordable service that can take on some of the marketing duties so I can spend more time writing.
