Why did you start writing and when did you decide to go
professional?
I’ve always written – whether it be journaling, writing
poems, or just throwing up on a piece of paper and trashing it; however the
decision to write a novel was surprising…even to me. I thought I was only good
at writing in spurts. I had no idea I’d be able to pull off a 90K word novel!!
In 2012 I was devouring any and every book I could find in the YA paranormal
romance genre only to be left feeling unfulfilled. The books and series were
good and I enjoyed all of them I found, but something was still missing. When I
realized the story that I was searching for was in my head – I had one of those
‘ah-ha’ moments that smacks you in the face so hard you’re left drowning in
your own disbelief. I opened up my laptop and started writing. I did research,
I created characters, and built an entire world that I wanted to live in
myself. 90K words later, I had finished an entire book with a plot complex
enough to create an entire series! When I began doing research on how to query
publishers and agents, I found the self-pub option and almost fell out of my
chair. So I taught myself how to make covers, hired my best friend and grammar
genius to do the editing/supporting/counseling/talking-me-down-from-a-ledge
duties and neither of our lives were the same. I jumped into it feet first and
churned out another 3 books in a year and a half. I still felt like I needed
that extra support system and boost, so after meeting Cameo Renae at UtopYAcon
last summer, I queried her publisher, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly
Publishing and they signed me in December 2013!
Do you write in more than one genre? Which ones and which do
you like the best? My favorite genre is anything magical – paranormal, fantasy,
dark fantasy, paranormal romance – whatever you may want to call it which is
also what I enjoy writing. I’d like to dabble in the dystopian genre at some
point, but the next series forming in my head also fits into the paranormal
genre, so I might be here a while! Although I admire authors who write romance,
new adult, and even erotica, I’m not sure how well I’d be able to pull it off
without that little extra paranormal aspect.
When it comes to reading I’ll read anything and everything
as long as it has a meaningful plot and well-developed characters.
What is the most difficult part of the entire writing
process for you? Queries, pitches, editing..etc. The most difficult part of the writing
process for me is to STOP WRITING. Thankfully there is such a thing as ‘series’
in our bookish universe because if there weren’t, my book would be
approximately 800K words long. Me and Homer could be besties. The Daughters of
the Sea series will include 5 five books and 1 novella when finished. Because
each book starts off where the last one ends, I have to consciously say to
myself “wrap this thing up and save all the ideas for the next book!” When I
start writing, it can be compared to jumping off a cliff. Once I begin, there’s
no going back. The characters will render me unable to function unless I get
their story out. It can be quite the inner-battle.
Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…
Seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until finally being adopted by a wealthy family from Georgia. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah… or the strange events that plague her. After being sent to a boarding school off the coast of North Carolina for kids ‘like’ her, she finds that things are never what they seem. Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.
When the ghost from her dreams appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love. She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the daughters of the sea will forever depend upon it.
Seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until finally being adopted by a wealthy family from Georgia. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah… or the strange events that plague her. After being sent to a boarding school off the coast of North Carolina for kids ‘like’ her, she finds that things are never what they seem. Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.
When the ghost from her dreams appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love. She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the daughters of the sea will forever depend upon it.
Author Bio: I am a southern belle at
heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every
opportunity. I love all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. I've been told I
see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I prefer to think of them as
kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something I can
digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry
jelly beans?).
I am the author of the
DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA series, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN, CHOSEN, and
HEARKEN, EVENTIDE (a Novella) 2014, and PROVEN 2014. I love all books, but
really enjoy writing young adult, paranormal romances. I've loved to write for
as long as I can remember. My first published work was my poem RED in second
grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, I
know) that won me 5 gold stars and a spot in my elementary school's poetry
book. That's when my addiction to the written word officially began. I was the
only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead
and laugh – it’s okay.
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