Lovely Reads Press: A Souls Kiss Interview

When did you realize that you wanted to become a writer?

In 2002 a teacher friend of mine was challenging his English students to write a novel during the school year. I decided to give it a try myself on summer break. I was amazed at how much fun it was.

Is being an Author all you dreamed of, or did it just happen? The best and worst thing about it?

It just happened and now 14 years after I started writing I’ve penned almost 20 works.

What was the very first thing you ever wrote?

My first novel was a chapter book for middle grade kids titled The Secret in the Hidden Cave. Of course, technically speaking, my master’s thesis should probably get the honors as “first thing” I ever wrote.

What made you create (your book)? How did it come to you?

I pull ideas out of thin air, just like everyone else. I suspect there’s an area in the brain, where dreams come from, which helps a lot. I get inspiration mostly from people I know. I recently did a couple of posts on my blog about inspiration. Former students are a wealth of novel ideas for me.

Who is your literary hero?

My literary hero changes constantly. The more I read, the more heroes I have. My favorites are John Grisham, Clive Cussler, Michael Connelly, Janet Evanovich, Stephenie Meyer, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, and Brad Meltzer, to name just a few – very eclectic mix, I know. I just read a novel by Deb Atwood and fell in love with her style.

How much of your characters are based on your traits or someone you know personally?

If you only knew … There’s a lot of me in the good characters and a little of me in the villains. Mwa ha ha. In Edge of Escape the psycho kid was totally one of my former students. In A Soul’s Kiss the hero is a mix of my high school crush and my imagination.

Describe your main character in six words.

In A Soul’s Kiss Jessica is spirited, uncertain, ghostly, charming, sweet, and likeable.

Describe the world you’ve created in six words.

Exciting, strange, wispy, scary, suspenseful, and moving.

What scene was your favorite to write?

The last scene is so satisfying that it’s naturally my favorite.

What scene was the hardest for you to write?

Also the last scene – what makes it hard is trying to get it just right, to tie up loose ends, and make the reader feel good.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a 2 (or maybe 3) book dystopian series.

Goals? Accomplishments? Improvements?

My goal is to continue writing daily.