Aspiring Author Interview with Erica and Christy

Hello Friends!

In light of the Blogger Fiasco of 2011, I'm posting the link to the interview of Erica and Christy I put up on Thursday.  That way if you didn't get to read it, or if blogger swallowed you whole and spit you out, you can head on over.  I want to give those lovely ladies the same amount of face time my other interviewees got.

So please clicky on the linky- it would make me and two pretty ladies VERY happy :)  I'm disabling comments on this post so you can just go ahead and comment on the interview.  Thanks everyone!

Aspiring Author Interview with Erica and Christy

Aspiring Author Interview with Erica and Christy

Erica on the left and Christy on the right...
unless you are looking at their right and left, in which case
Erica is on the right and Christy on the left...

Today I have a special double dose of aspiring author interviews!  Two of my very good bloggy buddies Erica and Christy are answering my questions!  Here's the cool thing- they manage their blog together!  Both are teachers, moms, and writers!  And get this- they only just met at last years Writeoncon online, and decided to start the blog together.  They finally got to meet face to face at this years Writers Institute in Wisconsin.  What a sweet bestie friendie story!  I'm so happy to have gotten to know them over this year, and consider them great friends!






erica's blue

christy’s green

1. Tell us the scoop on how you got into writing novels. 

I wrote a few short stories during high school and read just about any book I could find. College got in the way and fun reading/writing was gone for several years. After my son was born, I had a few new ideas and started a couple, but never got past about 30 pages. After my niece started talking about all these fantastic books she'd read (yes, 4 of them were written by someone with the initials SM), I started thinking about it again and wrote my first complete book in about six months.

When I was little (middle school age) one of my best friends and I wanted to write a mystery series.  (We’d read Babysitter’s Club, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High…lots of series.)  I remember writing during sixth grade study hall.  I don’t think I wrote again until October 2009.  After reading the Twilight saga.

1. What genre do you write? 

So far, YA and MG. I have a complete YA contemporary and a half-done MG ghost story plus some other started YA and MG   contemporaries.

YA.  So far I have a 95% completed Paranormal Romance and a 60% completed Contemporary Romance.  I have a YA Sci Fi  brewing that I am super excited to get started on!!!!

1. What authors inspire you? 

I really enjoy character-driven novels, which is why I tend to talk about Sarah Dessen a lot. 

Before writing, I read a variety of adult novels.  Historical fiction, romance, legal thrillers, mystery. I blush when admitting this, but I got started reading YA only AFTER starting to write.  (Except for Twilight, of course.)  Even more embarrassing, I didn’t read much at all the first eight months of writing.  I didn’t make time for it.  At this point, I can say that I love characters with a strong voice.  My fave YA so far?  Kiersten White’s Evie.  But I have lots more reading to do.  

1. How often do you write? 

I used to write every day. Now, I edit more than I write, so my numbers are way down. I have a goal for this summer, though.

I started rewriting a novel in February.  For a while I wrote TONS just trying to make a contest deadline.  Whenever I needed a break, I took three days to read and relax. When I’m constantly editing/revising/rewriting I don’t feel like I’m really writing at all.  I’m ready to get back into writing writing again.  And soon!  Then, I hope every single day for at least an hour.

1. Are you a plotter or a pantser? 

I'm a pantser, although recently I've felt the need for a support group, because I hit a total dead-end on my WIP.

I’m here for you Erica!  A little of both.  BUT for my brand new shiny idea I am going to plot that thing out really well.  Then I’m hoping it will just write itself.  I’m sick of getting stuck ¾ of the way through.  I want to know exactly where I’m heading and why from the get-go.

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

 Next week, I'm making my own office area in an alcove behind our kitchen. It's a tiny space completely surrounded by windows overlooking our farm and woods. I hope that works for me. So far, I've been serenaded by SpongeBob and Big Time Rush (I work in the living room with two kids). 

In silence.  I don’t care where I am.  Silence is so rare though.  I suppose downstairs in the office—with the door locked.  I listen to music when I run and plot, but not so much when I’m actually typing away.

7.What is on your TBR pile? 

The Book Thief, The Hunger Games series

It’s huge!  Across the Universe, Gone series by Michael Grant, Wake series, Matched, Possession, Shatter Me, and like five more paranormal books that I can’t think of the name right now but I can picture their covers.

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

Mcgonagall (you said cat fight).

What she said.

9.What is your “day” job? 

I'm a center manager/teacher of a Head Start center for low-income and at-risk preschoolers.

I’m an elementary school teacher (part-time) and teach reading, writing and math.  Then I go home to my adorable five and three year olds. (And our eight year old dog.  He’s cute too.)

10.What can you not leave home without? (cell phones are off limits) 

Chapstick.

Car keys?

11.Mac or PC? 

PC 

PC

12.Favorite dessert? 

I don't eat many desserts...my mom makes these Mounds bars with coconut that are super yummy, so I'll pick that.  

Cold Stone:  sweet cream ice cream, oreos, yellow cake and a little bit of hot fudge in a plain waffle bowl

13.Favorite desert? 

I don't think I could name more than one, so I'll go with Sahara (if only because of the movie) 

 I don’t have a favorite.

14.Where is your dream vacation? 

I don't even have a passport, so anything out of the US seems exotic and dreamy. My husband's always wanted to go to New Zealand, so I'll pick that. 

 I visited Switzerland while in college.  Since I’ve had kids I’m afraid to fly, but I’d love to bring my husband back some day.  Option B is Las Vegas.  I’ve had the worst craving to go there lately.  Can you crave a place?

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

www.lynneawest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/ericaandchristy

Thanks so much Abby.  You are one of the coolest and I’m so glad you’re off of your April break!

Who Has Two Thumbs, is 45 and Thin as a Stick? This Girl.

So says Little Monster, anyway.

As you all know, yesterday was Mother's Day.

Little Monster made me some cards and such at school. I thought I'd post some for you.

In this one, apparently I'm 45, stick thin and bald with no face.  Which is way better than the 52 years old her friend's mother is.  And I'm super healthy- my favorite food is strawberries.  In the picture, I'm throwing grass.  Because I'm cool like that.

This next one is the envelope she decorated for my card.  At the top of the envelope, she has a booboo and is crying, and I'm putting a band aid on it.  If you look closely, you can see our super awesome Lady Gaga hair.  The next picture, it doesn't get better and she's still crying so I give her a hug.  The squiggly lines are her long flowing hair.  Lastly, she has two hearts- one for me and one for Daddy.  There are check marks after her sentences- she said it was her list she was checking off.  

I hope your Mother's Day was as special as mine- whether you are a mommy, son, daughter, grandma, pet owner (because you are a mommy to your pets), or thinking of a special woman in your life or remembering your own mother.  

Did you do anything special this weekend?

My Date With Meg Cabot

Hello Chummies!

Well, it's been a wonderful month off, filled with writing, critiquing, painting, and playing, and now I'm back and rearing to go with the blogging.  Although I must add a disclaimer: It's total crunch time, so my blogging may be sporadic in the next couple months.  I've got to get my WIP done, my query letter polished, and start researching agents.

But onto more fun and lovely things!

Like my date with Meg Cabot!

 Okay, so there were about 60 other people on the date as well, but we won't talk about that.

Seriously though, she came to my old stomping grounds to promote her new book Abandon, so my sister and I went to her signing.  (And I want to publicly thank my awesome sis for letting me drag her along so she could take pics of me and Meg)

Let me just say, meeting authors is like meeting celebrities for me, so I was all giddy and nervy and knew I had to keep my mouth shut or else something spazzy and uncool would squeak out of my mouth.

I have to tell you a little background on my first experience with a Meg Cabot book.  It was back in 2001 when I was in college, I started reading The Princess Diaries.  I remember my boyfriend (who later landed the role of the Hubs) had an internship at the state Capital with the Majority Leader of the House.

I would visit him occasionally, and on the last day of session, I came up so we could go to the Inaugural Ball of the new Governor.    Working with the Majority Leader gave Future Hubs the great opportunity of going on the floor of the House, and basically running around, passing out documents to all the representatives.  He would stand in this little deputy guy's office at the edge of the floor and then go out when he needed to.

 I came with him that day and sat in that little office while he worked.  I was bored, so I started reading the Princess Diaries.  That was a mistake.  I snorted and snickered so hard, trying not to laugh out loud, I think I blew snot all over the carpet.  The deputy guy probably called the Feds, telling them to keep an eye on the loony blonde with tears streaming down her face reading a pink teen book at the Capital.  (Now that I think about it, that's probably why my "free" HBO mysteriously got canceled after I told someone about it on the phone.)

I'm surprised future Hubs decided to marry me after that embarrassing display.

All that aside, I loved the books and they were a great distraction from homework and papers and she's been one of my favorite authors ever since.

On to the signing.  She was awesome of course, regaling us with funny childhood stories, cute (and awesome) drawings, and a little bit about the inspiration for Abandon.

She showed some old school notebooks with doodles and drawings all over her math problems, and it reminded me of my own old notebooks with drawings all over them. We're total twinkies in that department. (ooh and she had a mac, so more twinkie goodness)

She signed my copy of Abandon for me, and also a copy of an Allie Finkle book for Little Monster (and my super sis's ticket stub).  Of course I just stood there grinning like a loon.  I think I said hi.  Not sure.  I may have stuttered something about loving her books.  But I kinda blacked out for a second.  

I had a fabulous experience and am SO glad I got to go.  

Maybe someday, in my wildest dreams, I can sign MY book next to her while chatting about things like the Royal Wedding and what type of fascinator we'd wear.

Like this one:

photo credit

or maybe this one:

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But in all honesty, I think I'd go with this one:

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Haha, just kidding.  Probably this one, actually.

photo credit

I'd wear a smile with mine though.  Although, I'm pretty sure its physically impossible for Vbecks to smile (I totally just made that nickname up.  It kinda sounds like vbac...)

I'm glad to be back, and I really have truly missed you all!  

What have you all been up to this month?  I'm dying to know!

Taking a Break in April

Hello all my bloggy friends out there!

First thing's first.  I'm taking a break from blogging in April.  Many of you are participating in the A-Z challenge (okay, all of you- it's now up to 700 something bloggers?).  I just don't have the time to blog every day, so I've decided to take the month off to work on editing my WIP and writing my query letter.  I figured you all would be checking all the a-z people, so I might as well take a break!

But I promise I'll be back in May!  And I'll have something totally awesome to share when I get back.

So please stay with me, because you guys mean the world to me!  I'll periodically lurk around and maybe comment a time or two if I'm taking a break.  Don't want to miss the epic a-z blogfest completely!

Next: I've gotten a few awards I'd like to share.  Colene at The Journey gave me the Write Hard award.  Jenni Merritt gave me the Lovely Blog award, and Carol at Artzicarol Ramblings gave me the Best Blog award!  Thank you so much ladies!

Here are some fab people I'd like to give these awards to:

All my crit partners- you know who you are ;p

Alexia Chamberlynn

Jennifer Hillier

Emy Shin

Rachel Morgan

Donea Lee

Meredith Moore

Nahno Mclein

Nia Raie

Also: My very good friend Catherine Kohman is having a contest for her book Lembas for the Soul.  Her publisher is giving away 5 copies to celebrate the start of filming The Hobbit.  Go here to enter.  If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings, this book would make an awesome companion.  It's a collection of stories inspired by the the Lord of the Rings books.

I'm really going to miss you guys this month, but hopefully I'll be all done with edits by the time I come back all refreshed and rearing to go in May!  Tootle pip and a skip!  Love you all!

My Mates

Oy Mates!  Today is Michael Di Gesu's HP blogfest!  We have to list 2 Harry Potter characters that would be our mates at Hogwarts, and then say why we chose them.  This is bloody brilliant, if you ask me. (I'm trying to speak all british-y. How am I doing, eh?  Oh wait, no, the "eh" is Canadian).

So turn off the telly, come inside from your gardens, and flush the loo, because here is who I would pick for my besties:

I'm not going with the three main characters because obviously we'd all want them as our mates.  My choice for my two mates would be Tonks and Lupin hands down.  Tonks is a little younger than me and Lupin is a little older, (and I know they aren't kids) but this is my fantasy so don't get your panties in a tizzy.

photo credit

Tonks is bad ass because she's an Auror and a metamorphmagus.  She can change her appearance at will, so we'd have loads of fun playing with that.  Lupin is a bad ass because he's a werewolf and the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher around.  I'd want him at my back at all times.  Of course I'd be an animagi, most likely a unicorn or something like that (well obvs because I'm all graceful and stuff.  And who wouldn't want a pointy horn you can poke people with?)

And finally, I just love their story.  Their love for each other was strong and unconditional.  Even though I'd lose my best friends at an early age, I would still choose them.

Make sure to click on Michael's name above and visit the other blogfesters to see who their mates would be!

Ode to My Crit Gals

Oh, my lovely crit gals, you come from far and near,
To rip apart our precious books, of which we hold so dear.
Arkansas, California, and Canada are the places you call home,
And me in Missouri, too far for me to roam.

Every Saturday, the four of us meet on Skype,
Ready to talk YA books, Fantasy, our type.
Although our convos can lead to zombies and black rocks,
We always come back 'round, with grammar in our talks.

50 pages is what we crit, once every week,
Watch out for Lady M, her crits are not for the meek.
Miss Coco is the grammar Nazi, marking our pages with red,
While Ms J gushes, building up confidence in the head.

My crit gals make me stronger, more confident in my work,
Catching things I may not see, giving my brain a jerk.
We cheer each other on, wish the rewards come ten fold,
I hope we keep on doing this, even when we're wrinkled and old.

Love you gals!!