If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
I would have wanted to have been the original author of the Harry Potter series. It’s been my favorite series since the first book came out almost 18 years ago. J.K. Rowling has an understanding of people and their nature, reactions, and actions that I have yet to see in any other author.
Writers are often associated with loner tendencies;is there any truth to that?
I can’t speak for all authors, but for me there is a lot of truth to that. Growing up I only had one or two close friends I would spend time with. I liked to spend most of my time in my room blowing off homework to read. Even today when my husband asks if I want to go to the bar with him and his friends, 9 times out of 10 I’ll say no thanks because I’d rather have the quiet house to myself to work on my book or read. (That’s not to say I can’t let my hair down and have fun every now and then, too).
Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?
Everyone always says not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what most readers do these days (whether they admit it or not). I strongly believe that the cover is what draws a reader in. The description on the back or on Amazon is what convinces them it’s worth reading or not. And the reviews and short preview inside the book are what convinces them to buy it. There’s been many times where I have bought a book based on the fact that I liked the cover.
Do you read and reply to the reviews and comments of your readers?
All the time! I love to hear what my readers think of my work. It helps me to grow as an author. The good ones make my day and the bad ones are usually followed by a spike in sales for some reason (don’t ask me why. I have no idea!). Getting to know your audience is important and reading their reviews is a perfect way to do that.
How much of yourself do you put into your books?
I put a lot of myself into my books. I first wrote Dead Soilbecause zombies are kind of mine and my dad’s thing. We used to watch The Walking Dead together every week and even now we’ll talk about the show after it airs. I wrote the book because of that bond we have together and it turns out that I really enjoy writing about zombies. They’re so fun for me. I’d have to say Girls Like Us, my first and currently only Women’s Fiction novel, has the most “me” in it. It reads like a collection of short stories that follow two best friends through their ups and downs. Some of the stories in there happened with me and one of my friends and some of them are completely made up (I’ll never say which is which, though!).
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