The Same Six Questions - Heather Jensen

Hi there! I missed out on mentioning my 100th blog post, so I'll just have to celebrate number 101 instead. Woo-hoo! ;) So, welcome to another edition of The Same Six Questions! Today's guest is Heather Jensen! Hi Heather!

Hello, Andy! I'm addicted to Oreos and White Knight drinks from Perks. My favorite color is green and the uglier the shade, the better. I get bored of my hairstyle easily which has resulted in numerous hair colors in the last ten years. My hair is currently red, but who knows how long that might last. I grew up in a small town and was the oldest of three girls. My family took in foster children and by the time I moved out we’d had over thirty in our home over the years. When I'm not writing, I enjoy traveling, killing zombies on the Xbox 360 with my hubby, playing guitar, going to concerts, and spending time with friends and family. I also love to decorate cakes. I now live in Southern Utah with my husband and five-year-old son where I enjoy the sunny weather and the palm trees.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes. Blood And Guitars, a paranormal fantasy read for teens and adults.

Summary: When Aurora meets Trey, a famous singer and musician, she’s only hoping to get her fill of human blood for the week. The last thing Aurora expects is for Trey to make her feel alive for the first time since she was, well, alive. It begins with a casual painting lesson at her art studio, The Waking Moon, and quickly turns into a forbidden romance. Aurora is forced to hide her true identity from Trey, while keeping her relationship with the human a secret from other vampires in her Brood.

Trey’s band is recording a new album and with Aurora as his muse, Trey is writing songs like never before. After being hired by their record label to paint the album cover, Aurora has a legitimate reason for spending so much time with Trey and his band mates. Aurora can’t deny the unexpected connection she has with Trey, which is fueled by glimpses into his emotions every time they share a kiss. Caught between two worlds, Aurora must attend celebrity award shows and vampire rituals, find time to feed, and protect Trey from the dangers of the night, all while preserving her secrets.

For print copies or e-book copies in any format, visit www.heatherjensen.info. The second book in the series, Immortals And Melodies, will be released Summer of 2012.


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

I’ve always known that I wanted to write. It’s not something you have as an option in front of you when you meet with guidance counselors in school to talk about your future, but I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment when I realized I should be a writer because I was constantly making up stories and putting them on paper. In a way, I guess I knew before I was ten for that reason. I started winning awards for my writing in elementary school, which eventually resulted in scholarships for college. Even then, writing was something I thought I just had to do as a hobby on the side. It wasn’t until after I was married that I realized I could do it full-time while being a stay-at-home mom. That’s when I started calling myself a writer, although it really happened long before that.


3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

I was writing at such a young age that I couldn’t tell you exactly which piece of work reached that length first. I do remember that my best friend and I were constantly making up stories when we were eight or nine years old. We would act them out when we were together, but when we were apart we would write them out. We’d stopped acting them out by the time we were twelve but I continued to write about what was happening. I remember going to junior high school with pages and pages to give her. She would read everything I had written and respond back. This is the part where I throw in an apology to my teachers for writing stories in the back of my notebook during the middle of class. The plots were nothing to brag about, but I learned a lot about writing and character development in those days. I have my friend to thank for sticking with me through my early work when my brain was moving faster than my hand could and my hand-writing left something to be desired. Also, I always wrote in first person point of view because the stories had started out as stuff we’d act out, so I think that’s why I love writing in that point of view still to this day. We still laugh about those early stories but, unfortunately, I didn’t save any of them. I’ve always been especially prolific, so they’d probably require an entire room in my house now if I had.


4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I remember stumbling across a writer named Amelia Atwater-Rhodes when I was a sophomore in high school. Oprah had named her as a teenager that would change the world or something like that. I saw an article about her in a teeny-bopper magazine and I was fascinated by the fact that she had been published at thirteen. Other than Dracula and Anne Rice novels, she wrote the first vampire fiction I had seen, which fascinated me. I realized then that if she could write a full-length novel at such a young age, then I could too. A trip to Europe the next summer inspired my first novel, The Rift. I still remember which parts of the story I was writing on the plane ride home after visiting all the historic castles and taking a boat down the Rhine. My family and friends were very supportive of me writing that book, and that definitely motivated me to finish it and self-publish it. I even have a sequel in the works.


5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Trey Decker, hands down. He’s one of the two main characters you follow in Blood And Guitars. Not only is Trey an incredible guy, he’s the culmination of the lead singers from my favorite bands all thrown together in one body. If I could meet Trey in person today, I’d hope he’d let me sit front and center at a Catalyst concert, or at least let me come to the studio and watch the band record. As long as it involved him singing and slamming on his guitar in some fashion, I’d be a happy girl. Actually, I might even try to talk him into jamming with me. I love to play guitar and since he’s my ideal rock star he’d play all my favorite songs with me, right? I could go on and on with this answer so I’ll just leave it at that.


6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Trey Decker ... hehe. (See above answer.)

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Thanks for sharing with us, Heather! I definitely had to Google "White Knight drinks from Perks". ;-D For more on Heather and her writing, be sure to check out her Web site, Facebook page, Twitter feed.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday, when my guest will be Tessa Stokes! See you!

The Same Six Questions - Ami Blackwelder

Hello there and welcome to this March 1st edition of The Same Six Questions! My guest today is

Hi Andy! My name is Ami Blackwelder. Yep, Ami with an i. So, google me with an i, or you won't find me. ;) I love cats and dogs and own one cat named Lotus. His name came from the Buddhist belief that life is like a Lotus flower. Some below the water not seeing the truth, some just at the surface about to see truth, and some flowering well above the surface of the water seeing truth more clearly. I lived in Thailand for six years and fell in love with it. I consider Thailand my second home and will return in a couple years. My cat is also a Siamese! Named after the Thailand country which used to be called Siam! Though no one really knows where Siamese cats came from. They are really loud and cry all the time just like a baby, so be prepared if you get one! LOL

Currently, I am studying the Montessori style of teaching and it takes two years! You can do it in one, but I have a life and need two. :) Once finished, I want to return to Thailand and teach there permanently, and also travel and teach in Tibet (which I've been to once and will blog about on my blog) and other Eastern countries.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes and no. I first published through an epublisher named ireadiwrite publishing. That was for The Gate of Lake Forest which was my first full length novel written in 2009. (I've been writing poetry and short stories all my life) . Then she also picked up the sequel Prisoners of Pride. Not sure if that counts, since that is epublishing, not print publishing.

Then, I wrote The Day the Flowers Died and sent it off to Whiskey Press which they accepted, but then I looked them over and realized they were pretty much like an epublisher or small press and my book would never see the inside of a brick and mortar store.

So, since 2010 rolled around and Amanda Hocking was making it big and other success self-publishing stories kept coming up as well as the Kindle and Nook, I decided to go my own way and not sign with them. I knew self-publishing would soon be seen as Indie Books, like Indie films are now seen.

Now, I self-publish everything. I love it. My sales have grown from a handful into 100 plus a month. (By the way, I sell just as much or more on my own as I did with my epublisher). I have a team of editors, graphic artists, cover designers, formatters, and a list of distributors which work well. And I work my butt off. I didn't really get serious about sharing my professional work and promoting it until mid 2010. So, I've been actively perfecting my craft and promotional efforts for about a year and a half now.

I realize most writers began writing full-length novels at 18 or 20 and took 5-10 years of hard work to be able to live off their work and so I am willing to put in my full ten years. Three years done and seven more to go. :) I hope to write enough to be able to live off my books come retirement (like social security) which I won't ever see...

I am looking into finding an agent, and have gotten my Shifters of 2040 written into a screenplay which has been circulated at Cannes, Hollywood, and locally in Florida. I am actively sending books or scripts to Hollywood types and am also searching for a GOOD epublisher/small press for some of my future novels. I'm aimed at Entangled Publishing currently. Just to give more 'oomph' behind my name and books.


Here's some info on my latest, The Mers, a YA Mermaid Dystopian (Mer Chronicles Book #1):

Mira always knew she was different. Growing up with Mers, she never quite fit in. When Mira breaks the rules and takes Niren across the border that divides Ellis Island and New Jersey, a border that divides two vastly different worlds, she thought the journey to find out who she really is would be an easy one.

But as the world in Jersey proves to be a convoluted mix of Aristocrats who hate the Mers, Pirates who want to sell them, and Magi who want to use them...finding her true identity will be a challenge, especially when her best friend Niren is a Mer willing to fight to the death.


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

I've always written since I could pick up a pen. But I stuck to short stories and poetry. My novels and full length nonfiction books began in Thailand. Nonfiction at 30 and fiction at 34.


3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

The best I can remember it was a piece about a paper bag come to life. I wrote it for English class in the third grade. Though I'd been telling stories before that time. I had it for awhile, but then it got lost. I tried to rewrite it as one of my children stories and can be found on my blog for sale. Written by a teacher for children.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

Well, I've always loved writing and wrote. But I didn't really consider full length novels until I turned 34. After I finished my spiritual journey and wrote three books on that, I wanted to continue writing. Loved it. Then the movie Twilight came out and I had heard of Stephanie Meyers for the first time while in Thailand and she inspired me honestly to just do it. Didn't matter if I made millions or not. Writing has always been a part of me and a forgotten part of me for too long, and so I decided to write full length novels. Self-publsihing also was starting (though not big until a year later in 2010) and so I thought I had everything I needed to get my words and stories out there. A temptation I could't resist.

Plus, many people don't realize this, but writers like Beatrix Potter and Virginia Woolf even self-published. Jane Austen's work took 14 years to see the light of day!

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Such a good question! I would love to meet either one of my shifters perhaps April or Brendan, OR a Mer, perhaps Nerin or Nerissa. They would have such interesting physical characteristics!

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Its Ed McMahon and I've just won a million dollars! LOL

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Thanks for sharing with us today, Ami! For more of Ami's work, be sure to check out her Web site, Facebook page, and Twitter account.

See you back here on Monday when my guest will be Sean Van Damme!

The Same Six Questions - Kate Ellison

Where is the time going? Another month is coming to a close and guess what? I've almost run out of interviewees! Yep, it's time to open the submissions back up! If you're an author and interested in taking part, please head over to the main Same Six Questions page. In the meantime, welcome this week's guest, Kate Ellison!

Thanks, Andy! I live in Atlanta, Georgia with my husband and our two bad cats. When I'm not writing, I enjoy playing strategy board games like Settlers of Catan, watching NBC comedies like Parks and Rec *fist pump* and gardening. I am a fan of the serial comma, but I couldn't figure out how to gracefully insert it into that sentence. Oh well. I'm not a perfectionist, you see.


The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have! Several, in fact. The first book I published was The Curse Girl, a YA paranormal fantasy. It's a modern, loose adaptation of Beauty and the Beast with a twist. In this version, Beauty and the Beast are trying to break the curse by figuring out a mysterious riddle and outsmarting the witch who cursed him, not by falling in love (although they MIGHT do that anyway). The book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.




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

Since I was six years old. I've always been scribbling stories down on paper, and I started saying I wanted to be an author when I grew up as soon as I knew what that was.


3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)?

My first lengthy piece of fiction was the mystery series I started writing at age eight. It probably sounds extremely precocious, but it wasn't really. Each "book" had three chapters and was three pages long. I styled them like Nancy Drew, and the adventures were set all over the world. I believe I wrote ten or twelve of them. I've still got them in a box somewhere.

The first one was called The Secret Room.


4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

When I was around ten or so, I wrote something for a class and my teacher went nuts over it. She even called another teacher over to read it too, and they got all wide-eyed and told me I was a good writer. Seeing an adult get that excited about my writing gave me a lot of confidence in myself.


5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Probably Bee, my main character in The Curse Girl. She's not a very girly girl, and she likes to be logical and smart about stuff. We could have some good conversations, I think.


6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A box from CreateSpace with the proof copy of my latest book!

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Thanks so much, Kate! For more of Kate's work and writing, be sure to check out her blog and find her over on Twitter.

See you back here on Thursday, when my guest will be Ami Blackwelder!

The Same Six Questions - Cheri Schmidt

Happy Monday everyone! Today's guest on The Same Six questions is Cheri Schmidt!

Thanks for this opportunity, Andy! First, let me introduce myself. I’m the mother of four beautiful girls, a wife to a loving computer geek, a writer, an artist, a photographer, a lover of words, and a lover of reading books. I grew up in Mapleton, Utah where it was green and rural and right up next to a pine tree-covered mountain. I used to spend my childhood afternoons strolling around the grounds, which consisted of 13 acres of land, singing—even though I can’t sing—and fantasizing about fairies dancing around the flowers and hiding in the shrubbery. As this is one of my most vivid childhood memories, those little winged creatures have managed to sneak their way into all of my books so far. It’s no wonder fantasy is my favorite genre to write and read.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

After trying the traditional route for 3-4 years with a positive response but no commitment from agents or publishers, I decided to go indie after reading Joe Konrath’s blog. I have three full-length novels published through Amazon, B&N, and Createspace with plans for several more in the works. I write YA fantasy romance with a paranormal twist. (Fateful pictured)


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

When the stories in my head just wouldn’t stop haunting my thoughts. I think I was thirty-something.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

The first lengthy peace of fiction I wrote was Fateful and part of its sequel, Fractured. These books are set in London, England, and are about vampire knights who wish to break the curse binding their kind. Well...some of them want to break it. Some of them like the supernatural advantages that come along with being cursed. I wrote these back in 2005, I think. Fateful is the first book I published after it underwent several rewrites. It was followed by Fractured. The series will be a trilogy. I’m working on the third book now.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this(write)"?

When I had written more than 200,000 words of text without experiencing any writer’s block.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Hmm, at first I would have said Ethan, my vampire, but as I think about that more, I think I’d like to meet Christian, my Victorian Earl.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Lucas, the villain in Fateful, as a werewolf.

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Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Cheri! For more of Cheri and her writing, be sure to check out her blog and give her a follow on Twitter.

Stop back in on Thursday, when my guest will be author Cecelia Gray. See you then!

The Same Six Questions - Alyssa Rose Ivy

Today, please welcome YA fantasy author Alyssa Rose Ivy to The Same Six Questions! Hi Alyssa!

Hi Andy! Although originally from the New York area, I fell in love the South while at college in New Orleans and now live in North Carolina with my husband and young daughter. My background is in law and library science and now that I am finally done with my years as a perpetual student, I’m using whatever free time I have to write.

The Same Six Questions


1. Have you published a book yet?

I published my first Novel, Beckoning Light (the Afterglow Trilogy) in July, and book two, Perilous Light, will be out this spring. It’s a YA fantasy novel told from the dual perspective of a brother and sister, available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Description:

As Charlotte steps through the gate, she has a strong feeling that nothing will ever be the same again.

Moving back to South Carolina after three years away, Charlotte knows she’s going to have to face people from her past and adjust to a new high school, but she’s completely unprepared for what else waits for her in Charleston.

Drawn through an old garden gate, Charlotte discovers a hidden world where she meets Calvin, a boy to whom she is inexplicably attracted. As Charlotte is pulled deeper into this hidden world, it’s up to her older brother Kevin to rescue her. No matter how hard Kevin tries, the rescue depends upon Charlotte fighting her intense feelings for Calvin while mastering a set of abilities that she has only just discovered she possesses.


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

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up I was always writing something whether it was a short story, poetry, a play or one of several attempts at writing a novel. The only real break I took from writing creatively was during law school, and I promised myself that as soon as I had the time I would get my creativity back.


3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say,>1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

I wrote a two-act play in seventh grade about a group of girlfriends that became rock stars while in middle school. I no longer have it, but I wish I did because I’m sure it would be a good laugh.


4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I had some very supportive creative writing teachers over the years that gave me the confidence to believe I could really write, but it wasn’t until I sat down and finally finished a novel that it felt real.


5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I would want to meet Charlotte, the female protagonist in Beckoning Light. She's strong and determined and if she had the time to baby-sit, she would be a great role model for my daughter.


6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

If I’m screaming, chances are it’s the police looking to arrest me for a crime I didn’t commit. I have this fear of being wrongfully accused of a crime (likely developed from reading too many crime and mystery novels) and which was only made worse by law school.

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So nice of you to stop by and share, Alyssa! Thanks! For more of Alyssa's work, check out her website and Facebook page.

Stop back in on Monday, when my guest will be Mike Meyer. Yeah baby! Oh, wait...wrong Mike. ;)

The Same Six Questions - Annette Lyon

Hello there and welcome to The Same Six Questions! Today, my guest is Annette Lyon. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy! I live in the Rocky Mountains with my husband, four kids, and a cross-eyed cat with an attitude. I'm a novelist, freelance editor, knitter, and avid reader. I'm claustrophobic, half Finnish, a cum laude English college grad and a word nerd. Oh, and a chocoholic. I read weird books (dead bodies, poisons, weapons) for fun and call it research.


The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I've traditionally published seven novels and a chocolate (yes, chocolate!) cookbook. I've indie published a punctuation and grammar guide (at the prodding of colleagues: "PLEEEASE! Help me understand how to use commas!!!"). There, Their, They're: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd. My newest release on Kindle is The Golden Cup of Kardak, a fantasy about two siblings who go on a quest to rescue their captured warrior father before his execution so he can save the kingdom. To do that, they must find the hidden prison and bring him a magical goblet. With the help of a wounded solider, they face near-capture by the ruthless enemy army, a maze of underground caverns, kidnapping by giant hairy creatures, and attacks by flying monsters with razor-sharp talons. Somehow they must find the courage to complete their mission.


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

I caught the bug right around age eight, when I piled pillows on a chair to reach my mother's typewriter. (Yes, a typewriter. I'm that old.) Beverly Cleary inspired me with The Mouse and the Motorcycle. As a result, my first attempts at writing revolved around rodents: Mean Marvin the Mouse was followed by Raymond's Runaways (about a group of mistreated hamsters).

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

For a creative writing class in high school, I co-wrote a screenplay with a friend based on our favorite novel, The Blue Castle (a lesser-known title by L. M. Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables fame). I made two copies for us and got them comb bound. Mine is still on a shelf in my office.


4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I had inklings along the way, but I didn't take the praise from my 3rd grade too seriously. It wasn't until I joined a critique group and got amazing feedback that I learned first, what I didn't know, and second, that I really can do this writing thing. And that I love it. Getting published with the company I wanted to be with took nearly 8 years, but I did it. Writer confidence levels swing between "I'm a total idiot to think I can do this" and "I'm awesome!" The pendulum never stops swinging. So even now that I'm published, it's validating to get recognized with awards (Utah's Best of State medal for fiction in 2007 and the 2010 Whitney Award for Best General novel) and, especially, to get emails from readers who love your work.


5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I'd love to spend a day talking to Markanus from my YA fantasy, The Golden Cup of Kardak. He's got some seriously cool stuff in his past, but I know only a bit of it. He'd probably want to talk about battle stories, and while that would be fascinating, eventually I'd get him to open up and spill the beans about his lost love.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

I find a package with a prepaid trip for a month in England, where I get to visit all of the literary spots of my dreams. (And then as I visit each site, I proceed to scream like a girl--and likely cry.)
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Thanks so much for sharing with us, Annette! For more of Annette and her writing, check out her blog, Web site, and Twitter profile.

On Thursday, my guest will be Jennifer Rainey. Stop on by!

The Same Six Questions - Sue Santore

Welcome to The Same Six Questions! If this is your fist visit, be sure to check out some of past visitors in the archive. If you're a returning guest, then let me introduce you to young adult fantasy author Sue Santore!

Thanks, Andy! I live in the great state of Maine with my husband of 37 years. I have been a factory worker, a waitress, a librarian, and a teacher. My biggest job was being a mother and I have three grown children. Now I am a grandmother, and I am enjoying that role immensely. I have many interests, including quilting and playing the mountain dulcimer, but writing is the most satisfying of all.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes. A Singular Gift, a young adult fantasy book (with magic, not elves and fairies) by Sue Santore is available for Kindle on Amazon. This is a stand-alone novel, but I am working on a related sequel which should be finished before the end of 2011.

Jean Ryan must learn to use her inherited magic gift before the opposing dark magic forces destroy her world. Jean and Wayne, her friend, work together to discover why her gift has attracted the attention of an evil circle of magic users and how to combat them.

As she learns to use her magic, Jean finds revenge bites backwards, friends are not always what they seem, and that magic is not a toy. In the end she has to stand alone against an evil worse than any she has ever imagined.

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

I’ve always written! Or so it seems. I have poems and short stories that I wrote while still in school, years and years ago. I began writing novels over twenty years ago.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction

My first novel was a contemporary romance sold and published over twenty years ago. Unfortunately, my editor left and the next editor was not satisfied with my next book or next five proposals. After that I was so discouraged that I gave up on writing for many years. I have requested the rights to that book back and intend to publish it with Amazon when I have the rights returned to me.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

A Singular Gift was started years ago and put aside. After a few months into retirement, I had the urge to write again. I pulled out the first three chapters that I had saved. I made myself a promise that I would finish it, then go on to continue writing more stories.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Since I like all my good-guy characters, I don’t know which one I’d like to meet, but I’d like to have been Jean when I was her age. Wouldn’t it be fabulous to have a gift of magic handed to you?

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A tiny baby is nestled in an old blanket. I can hear its sobs as it flails its little hands about. I bend over to pick up the child and an envelope falls out of the blanket at my feet. I snatch up the envelope and gaze out into the night. Is that a dark figure I see, running toward the trees? I call out, but no one answers. I take the baby inside and shut the door. I put the child on my shoulder and pat it, whispering soothing sounds. With a trembling hand, I open the envelope.

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Thanks for stopping by to share with us, Sue! For more of Sue and her writing, be sure to stop by her blog and give her a follow on Twitter.

Thursday's guest will be author Annette Lyon. Stop on by!