FAQs

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was 6 years old. I loved to tell stories, and I couldn't wait to learn to write. It's something I've always seen myself doing.

2. Why did you self-publish instead of going through an agent?

Trust me, I tried that route. And I'm still trying it. I'm looking for an agent all the time. But I've seen other authors who do well with self-publishing. It's harder than it looks. And it takes a LOT of time, but this is my dream, so I'm willing to do it. I'd love to get an agent and get some real distribution and power behind my novels, but I can be patient. :)

3. Where do you get your ideas?

Sometimes it's from other books that I've read. For example, the idea for The Elemental Royals came from seeing the cover of Phillippa Gregory's The Lady of Rivers. Just the cover. Others come from lines of songs, poetry, dreams, or just random thoughts. I have a whole file on my computer of strange ideas for novels or anthologies of short stories.

4. How long does it take to write a novel?

Well, for The Forest's Heir it took me about a year and a half. That included the first draft, time I spent letting the novel "settle" and time I went back to edit and rewrite. The second novel looks to be taking about the same thing. 

5. When is the next Elemental Royals novel coming out?

Right now, the release is set for June 2014.

6. What will you do after the trilogy is over?

Like I said, I've got TONS of other ideas to work with. I've actually got another completed novel that I'd like to go back and work with. It's a more modern paranormal novel, but still a young adult. Plus I have several others that I'd like to work on as well.

7. Who is that on the cover of The Forest's Heir?

No idea. It was a stock image. But it looked a lot like my image of Rose, so it worked well.

8. What's your best piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Write a lot. Write often. Don't worry about whether it's good or not. Just put words on paper. Give your brain a workout. Have fun with it. Because if writing isn't fun, if you don't need to do it, then maybe it isn't for you.

9. What's the one book you can't live without?

I'm going to cheat. My Tolkien series. I can't live without those. Everything else is replaceable. Even my really old copy of Jane Eyre.

10. What do you do while you're writing? Do you have any rituals?

I tend to listen to music. It depends on what kind of scene I'm writing as to what I listen to. And I have to have everything on my desk exactly right or else I feel distracted. I'm a bit OCD that way.