How long have you been writing?
I loved to write as soon as I learned how. My dad wrote scholarly papers, and I would read them in elementary school and want to be able to sound as smart as him. ;) (This is how you know you're a giant dork). I always kept a journal, and I wrote some poetry that was published while I was in high school and college. I wrote for newspapers and magazines in college and afterward, and I got a degree in journalism. I started writing fiction in 2005 and haven't looked back. :)
What inspired you to write your first book?
I'd been working as a journalist - a newspaper reporter. I really loved it. I got a new job as a writer for another paper, but when I arrived in town to start work, they'd been bought out by a company that didn't like my driving record. I had a ticket going 93 in a 70 in the middle of the desert during a road trip that followed the same trek as Julia and Cayne's. ;) They wouldn't let me drive on the job, so I was stuck on the copy editing desk. I was so depressed by this, my then-boyfriend/now-husband suggested I start writing a book.
I did. I wrote it in 2006, right after I finished my "real" first book, which will never see the light of day. I planned for there to be three, I think, but I honestly can't remember. I was so clueless at the time, I only submitted Stained to five agents. When none of them wanted it, I thought it wasn't good and stuffed it in a drawer until Sept. 14, 2011, when I was, again, upset about having an agent pull out after having offered representation for an adult romance I wrote. My husband suggested I start putting some of my stuff on Amazon, and I was so fed up with the traditional process, I did. I was shocked that anyone bought it, but when I realized people liked it, I wrote the rest of the series. :)
What can you tell us about Exalted?
It's a lot darker than the other Stained Series books. That's about all I can say without giving things away. That, and it's the same fast-paced type of book that the others are.
Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
This one's hard, because I have so many books that are not yet released. I have a lot of characters. Of the books out right now, I'd say probably Milo in HERE. I really like her. :) What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
There are two things I swore I'd never do as an adult: own my own business (my parents did, and advised against it) and work while my children were under 3. I now own a thriving business and work a lot. My son is 1. =/ Sometimes things don't turn out how you think they will, but I feel so very blessed that people are buying my books.
If your real life as a teenager was a Young Adult book, what would you, the main character, be like?
Wow, this is a great question. :) I'm afraid to say. Lol! Probably very introverted, not confident enough... Very private, but pretty good at being "social" if necessary. Very, very boy-crazy. :D I used to love to chase after hard-to-get guys and gossip with my friends about their crushes. I also had a more serious side, though. I felt like I had to hide that some in high school.
What book have you read too many times to count?
The Only Alien on the Planet. It's the book that made me want to write YA, and I recommend it to everyone. I also regularly reread Harry Potter and my other great fave, Wuthering Heights.
What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
There are so many! I'll try to roll a few things into one, which is basically just that it's possible for anyone to write a book. If you're going to become really great, you probably ought to have some natural inclination toward writing, but I'm not even sure that's necessary. It's all about finishing a book, and then another one, and then another one... The best way to learn to write is to write! :) Also, plot isn't something most people know unless they study it some, so don't expect your book to be riveting unless you've put a good bit of work into it. That's basically it. All those things helped me a ton. That, and a book called The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White.
That I can write a book! Lol. It's been so amazing to be able to do something I always wanted to do.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love hanging out with my son and my husband. I love hiking and visiting rural places. Also, running. I've been able to get back into running recently for the first time since my son was born, and I forgot how much I love it. Other than that... good movies, good TV. I read a TON and it's my favorite pastime.
Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination? Mostly imagination, I'm sad to say. Small things are based on real experiences, like the kind of cars the Stained crew drives on their ventures are the same kinds I rented in Europe, and the road trip Julia and Cayne take is the same one I took with friends in college. I love Converse All-Stars and aliens and conspiracy theories. I think it would be amazing to have a boyfriend who had wings. I also really want to adopt a child one day, so that part of Julia's history is one that's important to me.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The big reveal in HERE. :) If you've read it, you know what I mean. As a big sci-fi geek, I thought that was the bee's knees.
Thank you so much for stopping by Ella! It's been fun!
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