What was life like for you growing up?
I grew up the second of 4 childrens to two awesome parents. My father is the senior pastor of our church and my mother stayed home to care for us. I had a very good childhood surrounded by lots of family and love.
Were you an avid reader as a child? Do you still read books?
Oh yes! I have photos of my mother taking my siblings and I as toddlers to the library. Reading has always been a huge part of my life, growing up and to this day. I was a loyal participant of the BookIt! program and always earned my personal pie lol
As a teenager, what were you obsessed with?
I wasn't really obsessed with anything per se. My parents were on the stricter side of things so we didn't go to parties (outside of family functions) or sleepovers or anything like that.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote and where you wrote it (in an old notebook, crumpled piece of paper, on a laptop, etc)?
I didn't begin to write actual stories until 2020. I started writing poetry in my early teens and continue to do that. I would write it on whatever I had handy, a receipt or brown paper bag. I have several notebooks filled with cringe worthy poetry lol
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I've always been a writer, but I never set out to be an Author. December 2019 into January 2020 turned out to be the right timing for me to make that pivot and take a step in faith on what I felt God leading me to do and become.
When you create characters, do you tend to model them more after yourself, the people around you, or just start from scratch?
Mainly from scratch but the emotions I try to pull for humanity as a whole and my own experiences. If I am heartbroken, or have been, I can pull those emotions and plant them into a scene. I have witnessed the devastation a loss of a loved one causes, lived through it, so I can also pull from that and other feelings or emotions we all go through and make them part of a character.
How did you come up with the plot of your novel, Tales of Elhaanai?
Like I mentioned, at the end of 2019 I found myself in a difficult place in my life. I was unfulfilled, unhappy and basically dissatisfied with where I was professionally and emotionally. I am a Christian and try to follow the calling of God in my life so I prayed for direction and He gave it. He woke me at 3am one morning in January of 2020 with the opening scene of Tales of Elhaanai playing in my mind. Queen Alanna running for her life through a mist laden forest, wounded and pregnant. I woke up and wrote it down, and I didn't stop until it was finished.
Where does the inspiration for your character, Elainea come from?
Elainea could be your sister or mine. She is fiercely loyal but unaware of her own potential. There isn't any one person she was modeled after.
Why is poetry often hard to understand?
I think poetry is subjective, I put how I feel into words. It makes sense to me but might not to you because you aren't feeling what I am. Then other poems are more universal and everyone can relate. So I don't think poetry is necessarily hard to understand, it just isn't understood by everyone.
How can one understand that he/she is a poet by heart?
I think if poetry speaks to you, to your heart or soul, then you have a poet's heart. Whether you write it yourself or not.
What are some rookie mistakes you made as a new author and that a lot of other authors make as well? What are some ways one can avoid these mistakes or correct them?
I rushed publishing my first book. It wasn't edited to industry standards and the negative reviews are a permanent reminder of that. I alway made my own covers initially, and while they were very nice and readers liked them, they too were not industry standard and needed to be redone. There are so many things I have learned along the way, some lessons were hard while others were learned from watching others. I would say stay teachable, you will never know it all. Invest in yourself and your brand/books, whether that be editors or professional covers or marketing services if you need help. Input output, what you put in is what you will get out. And remember, failure is not only inevitable, it is necessary. Learn from your mistakes and move on from them.
What are your techniques to improve writing?
Reading. Keep reading books in the genre you write in and learn from authors who are doing it better than you.
Which is the best compliment or fan-mail you have received for your work?
There isn't just one review that stands out as the best, all positive responses light up my heart! To have my readers say they couldn't put the books down or that they told their friends about the stories or said I was a natural, is just amazing and exciting and humbling and terrifying! Even better is when they see the message of faith woven throughout the chapters, then I know they not only read and enjoyed the adventure, but they saw truth between the lines. That is when I know my story is a success.
How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?
I am working on 3 books right now, 2 are for children and one is women's fiction. The adult story does not have a title yet but is about a single mom just trying to make it. It was inspired by a writing prompt from Instagram last year and will hopefully be ready for release in summer of 2022. I wanted to write a story of a woman, a woman of color who is not involved in drugs, gangs or promiscuity, who does not need to be rescued. She is a hard working woman who has loved and lossed and is doing her absolute best to keep the pieces of her life together when all around her the world is falling apart. I think she is underrepresented in the books available today so I'm taking my time writing it. I want to do her justice.
How did you first come across the AllAuthor website and what do you think of it? Is this a platform you would recommend to other authors?
I found AllAuthor through other authors on Instagram and twitter, primarily the cover contests. And then I did my own research and set up my profile. I think it is a great resource for self published authors, like myself, to build our platform. It helps connect us to more readers all over the world, that is what we want!
