Aspiring Author Interview with Jen Daiker

Okay guys, seriously...does she really need an introduction?  We all know who Jen Daiker is- she's one of blogger's royalty soaring to 1000 followers in just one year.  She's gotta be doing something right, right?  Not only does she write YA and adult novels, but she also has TWO blogs, a hubs, and a 40-hour a week day job (um, can you say crazy?).  When she's not writing as Jen Daiker at Unedited, she's writing as Jules Ausborn at Jules and the Stars.  If you like celebrity gossip (and stalking) you'll love Jules.  Oh, and did I mention she gets over 300 emails a week?  Yeah, so I'm pretty lucky to call this blogger queen a friend and interview her (plus she was one of my first followers!).  So, without further ado, here's the lovely and talented Jen Daiker:

1. When did you realize you wanted to be an author?

I started writing in January of this year and haven't been able to stop. When people ask me this question I always want to tell them -since I was a little girl- but I can't, because when I was little all I wanted to be was an architect. Throughout high school I realized I had a ton of ambition and wanted to do EVERYTHING, then one day I realized I can do it all, I can write, and since then I've written three novels.

2. What genre do you like to write?

I adore writing young adult novels. Something about reaching out teens is really powerful. I've also tried my hand at thrillers, one in particular my husband is dying for me to finish, titled The Collector, it's about a serial killer (told first person) who paints portraits of his victims before killing them, only to hang the portraits on trees where he'll eventually bury the bodies... yeah that came to me in a dream... pretty messed up.

3. What authors inspire you?

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the person who first inspired me to write. I know, it's strange considering she writes chick lit novels but I adore reading her novels. Next I'd have to say JK Rowling, her world building skills are phenomenal, and last but not least, all the bloggers I've met who've fought the world of writing/agenting/publishing and have their novels on the shelves, everyone of them inspires me.

4. How often do you write?

At least a little something every day. I'm not disciplined like I'd like to be, but my schedule gets nutty and with the full time job in the way the evenings is my only free time, which lately has been taken over by blogger. I'm slowly getting back on track.

5. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Umm this is tough. I'm going to say both. I'm a plotter in my head, I plan for weeks, the ideas, the characters, everything plays like a movie in my head, when I feel like it's marinated long enough that's where the pantsing comes in. I open up a word document and write my heart out. I'm fast... my life revolves around nothing except finishing that novel, luckily that is normally no longer than two weeks.

6. Where do you write best, and do you listen to music while you write?

Right now I'd say I work best on the couch with my laptop on a side table. Though ideally I'd like my own writing nook (less than a month away). As far as the music it depends on what I'm working on, for some stories I have a playlist, others I was never able to find the perfect music so I go with what I think I'd hear during that time. Mostly I watch television, bring on Bravo.

7. What is on your TBR pile?

Too many to list... however Fairytale of New York & Welcome to My World by Miranda Dickinson are at the top of my list. Also the white cover Twilight books (never read them), and several ARCs for 2011 that my lovely library sent me (that covers about 12 more)

8. If Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling got in a cat fight, who would win?

Now for the record I never see this happening. But if I did, in my mind Stephanie Meyer would be a Vampire and JK Rowling would be a witch, therefore JK Rowling would win because she can always fight of Stephanie Meyer with her wicked abilities.

9. What is your "day" job?

I'm a data analyst, I keep track of well over 100,000 items in my companies inventory. Means I have to have mad typing skills and with my 100+ wpm and 98% accuracy rate they love me.

10. What can you not leave home without? (cell phones are off limits- NO ONE can leave home without one of those).

This is tough... it's a battle between chapstick and my mini notebook.

11. Mac or PC?

PC, Mac won't come until I've sold my first book.

12. Favorite Dessert?

Ooo, tough. A tie between chocolate chip cookies and apple crisp (then again pumpkin pie has been on the brain lately, but that's purely for the holidays)

13. Favorite desert?

Ummm... Sahara? Only because it's the only one I know... or at least think of when I think desert (that and I'm too lazy to google)

14. Where is your dream vacation?

I'm such a cheater, it would be a fight between anywhere warm near a beach with cocktails, and back home, among the open fields, the perfect place to write a book.

15. Finally, link us to your website,  blog, fb, twitter, and anything else you might like to shamelessly plug for yourself.

Blog: http://jennifer-daiker.blogspot.com/ (Unedited)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jenunedited
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=569121012