Author August: An Interview with Terri Rowe

We have several more authors scheduled for interview this month.  This week, we are lucky to have author Terri Rowe join us.  For those who have emailed to check in on me, I will be posting an update on me this coming Tuesday.  I am still busy juggling the book, the freelance articles, and the family responsibilities, but I feel like things are all headed in the right direction (knock on wood!).  I am also going to be off work (from the day job) for a couple of days next week, and I am hoping to get a decent chunk of time to work more on the novel. 



The Talented Terri Rowe



One of the writers that I have met through my blog who has been incredibly supportive of my one year project is Terri Rowe.  Terri is incredibly talented and is dedicated to pursuing her dream of writing, and I am so grateful to have met her.

1.       What was your favorite book when you were young?  Do you still go back and re-read it?

I had so many favorite books as a child. I loved the All of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor-about a family of five Jewish sisters growing up on New York's upper east side-set just prior to, during, after WWI. I loved all the stories about the Melendy family-The Saturdays, The Four Story Mistake-by Elizabeth Enright The Prairie School by Lois Lenski. The bunny book was a favorite when I was a small child along with The Monster at the end of the Book. Every summer my mother read us Marion Holland's No Children, No Pets. I actually have a page devoted to Favorite Childhood Books and happiness on Pinterest. I often go back and re-read No Children, No Pets. It has become a family summer tradition. As a gift for my mother-I am writing her the sequel-I give her a chapter at each major holiday throughout the year.

2.       Do you think your early reading habits influenced what you write now?

I think it did influence me a lot. I love to write about families, kids, and mysteries. Those were all things I loved reading about. I was also a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock's the Three Investigators, the Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Beldon, and Nancy Drew.

3.       What character have you had a “book character crush” on?

I had a pretty large crush on each of the three investigators at one time or another-Pete Crenshaw, Bob Andrews, and especially Jupiter Jones.

4.       Which of your characters do you feel the most kinship with, and why?

I am working on a youth or tween novel. I really identify with Jenna, the protagonist in that story. I also have a screenplay that I have submitted to some contests and really identify with Petra. It seems to be a natural occurrence-to have some of my traits rub off on the characters I am writing about. The reverse is true as well. I want to try to be the type of person that they seem to be as well.

5.       How do you fit writing into your life?  Do you write early in the day? late? whenever you can squeeze it in?

I try to write whenever possible. I like to write early in the day when the rest of the world seems to be peacefully asleep. That is also why I like to write late at night. I am fortunate right now-I have been having layoff time for one week a month. This allows me to do some of my writing during the day. For one glorious week each month I get to pretend that my job and career is the one I have always dreamed of-being a full time writer.

6.       Do you plot out your stories or let your characters drag you on their adventure?

I develop characters and write out some plot points and ideas. I need to have a basic guide to get to where I want to be in telling the story, but I do like to try out different ideas and see where the characters take me.

7.       Where do you get your ideas for stories and characters?  Do your characters tend to come first or the plot line?

I get ideas from people that I meet, from situations I find myself in, from dreams, and from my interpretation of my memories. The characters tend to come as a result of the story ideas or from my need to tell a story about a subject. I am forever writing notes on bits of scrap paper. I did this often over the years while working in the factory on production lines. That type of work affords you time to think. sometimes too much time to think-just not enough time to write.

8.       Tell us a bit about your path to publication!

I happen to follow a page on Facebook that has to do with an NPR contest called Three Minute Fiction. Last year I saw a post on their page about another contest for the MeeGenius Author's Challenge-for storybook authors. I had not had any success writing a story in 600 words or less-but I love writing stories for kids-so I thought I would try the MeeGenius contest. I made it through the first round-which was where the editors decided if you had a viable story and could follow the formatting guidelines they wanted adhered to-then my story was put in with 400 other stories for a popular vote. You sort of had to market and promote yourself through Facebook and other media. I made it to the third round-and my story was paired with a talented artist/graphic designer-and then my story earned a publishing contract from that experience.  It is currently on the top ten list for MeeGenius through iTunes.

9.       What part of writing is hardest for you?

The hardest part of writing for me---is dedicating time to the process and being honest with how much editing I might really need to do on a piece-because that is so time consuming.

10.   What is your currently work in progress about?

I am currently working on three more storybooks that I submitted for consideration for publication, a youth novel, a new screenplay, and I have a screenplay I am trying to shop around. I also have a blog that I try to write for at least half a dozen times a month.

I appreciate Terri's encouragement.  I respect her dedication.  I am so thrilled she agreed to join us and share her experience an enthusiasm.  Check our her story Green Goo, and make a note of her name--I am certain that you will soon see more work by her as you wander through your local bookstore!

Author August: An Interview with Lauren Ritz

The lovely Lauren Ritz

This week I am fortunate to be interviewing fellow writer Lauren Ritz.  Lauren is a wonderfully supportive and talented writer with a knack for building worlds that readers will delight in getting lost in!   

1.       What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
By the time I was ten years old I was reading five to ten books per week (my max was 7 in one day, but I was pushing it, and I'll now admit that two of those were picture books), sometimes staying up all night reading.  I really don't remember many of them (quantity vs quality, you know?) but I think I was deep into Anne McCaffrey at that point.  I had also just discovered The Witches of Karres, which remains a favorite.

2.       Do you think your early reading habits influenced what you write now? 
Absolutely.  I was voracious, reading anything I could get my hands on as long as it was fiction.  I've never shaken my prejudice against non-fiction.  I eventually narrowed that down to mostly Sci-fi and fantasy (real life was just so BORING), so now I write both, and often in combination.  I have a difficult time with fiction set in this world because I have to follow someone else's rules.

3.       What character have you had a “book character crush” on? 
Hehehe.  Miles Vorkosigan (the VorKosigan books by Louis McMaster Bujold).  Aside from being short, he's smart, flawed and just all around fantastic.  Stubborn, deep and I just can't help it.  I'd probably hate him in real life.

4.       Which of your characters do you feel the most kinship with, and why? 
I think there are actually two.  The first is Merla.  Through her I'm trying to come to terms with history.  Because of what happened to her she doesn't think like other people, and I find working through that very interesting.  I hope the story can eventually show people what the result is when someone is consistently bullied over a long period of time.  It's been difficult to make her real because my brain does backflips to keep from going there.

The other is Enna, a semi-aquatic shape changer in a world where difference is not acceptable.  The rest of the people around her are human, mostly.  She has a hard time dealing with people, dealing with the problems that come up because of who and what she is.  She is stubborn, a non-conformist in a world that demands conformity, and has a difficult time taking orders that don't make sense.  She's in a semi-military position and is always arguing with her superiors.  :)  I've been writing about her for a couple years now so I think she's the character I know (and like) the best.

Merla is closest to who I used to be, and Enna is who I want to be.

5.       Do you listen to music when you write or do you need silence? 
It depends on the story.  I have a file of mood music, and if I'm stuck I might pull up the file that fits the mood I want, but for the most part I don't think about it.  If I'm deep into the story I won't notice, and if I'm not it's distracting.  Although come to think of it, that might be a way to get more emotion into my writing...

6.       Do you plot out your stories or let your characters drag you on their adventure? 
Oh, I am definitely a pantser.  It makes for more editing in the long run, but I find it very difficult to follow an outline.  I have tried.  Real life isn't plotted, it doesn't have foreshadowing, and plot holes are the norm rather than the exception.  In real life secondary characters snip in for a few hours or days and then disappear.  So I have to fix all that while editing.  My characters run the show, with periodic detours when they try to do something exceptionally stupid. 

7.       It can be hard to feel like a “legitimate” author when you first start writing. 
When did you first call yourself a “writer” and not feel like a fraud?  I remember once talking to a friend about my writing and I started to say "that's what I do."  It came out "that's what I am."  I've always been a writer.  I remember in 7th grade an English teacher gave me credit for an assignment even though I hadn't followed the instructions--we were supposed to write a half-page description and I handed in 24 pages.  :)  Being an author--I probably won't feel like a legitimate author even after I'm published. 

8.       Are you publishing traditionally or indie, and what nudged you in that direction? 
I'm actually thinking of going in both directions.  I have a series of six books, five of them complete (although editing will continue) that I want to do electronic and probably through Createspace or something like it.  Build myself a platform while I'm trying to get the others published traditional.  I read the information on the publishers websites and most of them don't take unagented submissions.  The rest seem to want exclusive for anywhere up to two years.  With four books completely edited and seven more finished, I can't have each book with a publisher for two years--I'd be eighty before I got through them all.

9.       What part of writing is hardest for you? 
I never thought it would be this way, but the hardest part of being a writer is being alone, working alone.  I never considered myself a social person, but I find myself retreating into my own little world and have to force myself to go out and meet other people.  Otherwise I retreat more and more, I start getting depressed and it's reflected in my writing.

The hardest part of the writing itself is having to cut characters I love.  I usually compensate by telling their stories in a separate novel.  Which is part of why I have so many incomplete novels floating around.

10.   What is your currently work in progress about? 
I usually work on more than one.  Right now it's a duo (is that the right word?)--working titles "Lord Bar" and "Lady Silva," about a husband and wife who have to go in different directions, working toward the same goal.  I haven't written the query yet, but here's a basic outline.  It's set on another planet, where a small human population carved out a safe zone from an alien wasteland. After 500 years, that space is shrinking and humans may find themselves extinct. 

Bar stays in his Keep, trying to protect his people, while his wife takes their children to her ancestral Keep, which was swallowed by the wasteland several generations past.  Both work against the superstitious violence of the humans, who have been killing the one thing that can save them.  Both find that truth and reality are two very different things.  Lord Bar is at 78 K at the moment, and Lady Silva is at 73k.  Lady Silva may actually have to split into two, so it may turn into a trilogy.  Not sure yet.

That's one problem with my writing--novels tend to divide, like an amoeba.

Here's a short excerpt from Lady Silva--a description of the natives of this world.  Part of the scene this was taken from is here, if your readers are interested.

Lady Silva had no words for the thing approaching through the trees, no words for the shape or the color, but it was well over two meters tall, and had claws. With that small familiarity, she was able to identify the things attached to the claws as limbs of some kind.

It was furred--she could see that much, and had a bump on one end that might or might not be a head. Perhaps those bulging protuberances ringing the base of the head were eyes. It helped, to find one more thing that she could identify, and if they weren’t eyes the thing had none.

It was a nightmare, a shape hidden and incomprehensible because her mind had nothing to compare it with. It stood silent, letting her look her fill. Others, smaller, appeared around it, scuttling on legs that bowed upward like a spider. The big one settled to the ground facing Lady Silva.

She turned her head, hoping not to see another, but was disappointed. The one behind was larger, and had its own attending band of large spider-shapes, each with a double-barbed tail arching over the back. The big ones had no such tail but walked on segmented, claw-tipped legs covered with a fur-like substance that wasn’t fur.

The claw-tipped arms moved aside from where they had been crossed in front of the...barrel, and Lady Silva knew that her assumptions were all wrong. The moving arms revealed a face, and it poked its head out of the body to look at her. What that swelling at the top might have been she had no idea, but because it was not swathed in fur she’d assumed it to be a head. 

If you would like to help Lauren with that dreaded writerly isolation, seek her out here:

Twitter:  LaurenRitz1
Facebook:  LaurenRitztheWriter
Blog:  Eclectic

Her website isn't up yet, but she is working on it!  You can also find additional samples of her writing here.  I appreciate Lauren taking the time to share some of her talent and wisdom!

Author August: An Interview with Jessica McKendry

One thing that I have humbly learned over the years (all FORTY of them!) is that talent and generosity transcends age.  Since embarking on this writing journey, I have met so many talented people from all walks of life and all ages, and I am amazed at how giving they are of their time and talent.  One of those people is Jessica McKendry.  Jessica is an old soul with a knack for creating worlds that draw the reader in and force them to stay up late to turn just one more page...then one more...and one more. 

Jessica was kind enough to allow me to pose some questions and her thoughtful answers are here:

1.       What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?When I was ten... well... that was quite a while ago.  But it was probably Star Wars Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore or Star Wars Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover.  (Yes, I admit to being a super Star Wars nut.)

2.       Do you think your early reading habits influenced what you write now?
Definitely.  Because of my early sci-fi and action/adventure habits, I honestly find it hard to write outside of those genres!  I guess that means I should read some different books!

3.       What character have you had a “book character crush” on?
Does Anakin Skywalker count?  I've always had a crush on him.

4.       Which of your characters do you feel the most kinship with, and why?
Definitely Jaina, my Main Character.  I mean, she's sixteen, so we'll be the same age in a few months.  How can I not feel a connection with her?  Although, she's less clumsy than I am, and not as awkward, either.

5.  You are a talented young writer, but do you feel like your youth is an asset or a hindrance as you pursue your goals?  Do you feel like you are taken seriously?
I guess it's a little bit of both.  It could be a hindrance, mostly because yes, some people won't take me seriously.  But it's also great because getting an early start on anything is great.  So I'd say it's more of an asset than hindrance.

6.       Do you plot out your stories or let your characters drag you on their adventure?
Well, I've written two full novels so far.  The first one I plotted it out completely before I wrote it.  The second, I mostly plotted before I wrote it.  But the last quarter I just sorta let it happen.

So, I'm not sure what my strategy is yet.  Maybe it depends on the story I'm telling.

7.       Where do you get your ideas for stories and characters?  Do your characters tend to come first or the plot line?
Ooh.  Tricky.  I get my ideas from just about everything.  I got the idea for my current story about four years ago.  It came as a mixture of Poptropica, Star Wars, 1984, The Hunger Games and a few other stories and life events.

And characters or plot line... again, it's hard to say.  I've only written two novels and they're part of a trilogy, so I count it as the same story.  Though for this story, I think the plot came first, then the characters.

8.       Are you publishing traditionally or indie, and what nudged you in that direction?
Indie.  For the plain and simple excuse of time.  I mean, I want my story to be as good as it can be, so I'm definitely not going to rush it.  But I want to still be a teen and a published author.  And finding a publisher or agent that's right for you could take a LONG TIME.  And I won't be a teen for much longer.  Besides, you have more freedom to do what you want and can keep it the story you want it to be.

9.       What part of writing is hardest for you?
Descriptions.  Imagery.  Yep, that's the hardest part for me.  I think I've got dialogue down pretty well, but there's only a number of times you can say "she smiled."  "he laughed."  Thinking of new ways to describe things is so difficult for me.

10.   What is your currently work in progress about?Thank goodness we're not doing this interview in person!  I always choke when someone asks me that. 

Okay so here's a brief summary:

They are chosen at birth.  The ones who are strong.  They are the gifted.

Trained to be highly skilled in both physical and mental abilities, they have potential to become a Superior.  They could live out their lives in the Crystal City, the richest, and by far the most beautiful city in the galaxy.  But becoming Superior has a deadly price to pay.

To gain the title, they must all survive the Trials.

Jaina Indera has been training at a Gifted School for sixteen years, waiting for her moment to prove herself worthy of competing in the Trials.  Those who choose not to compete or don’t make the competition will me marked as Inferior.

Yet being selected a competitor is only the beginning.  Each school sends a team of eight students to compete in a battle of both physical and mental challenges against other Gifted Schools around the galaxy.

Not all will survive.

In a world where mercy is a weakness, and only the ruthless prevail, Jaina must discover who she is and what she’s really fighting for.

I am grateful for Jessica to agree to this interview and to share some of her insight with us.  (I always like having a window into writers' creative process!  I am nosey like that.)  Take a moment to check out Jessica's blog and offer some encouragement to this up and coming author!