FAQ
1. Are you from Texas?
2. Are your characters like you?
3. One of the main characters in the Southern Witch series is lawyer/wizard, Bryn Lyons. How do you pronounce his first name?
4. How many books will there be in the Southern Witch Series?
5. How long does it take you to write a book?
6. When will your next book come out?
7. How many books will there be in your new series?
8. Do you have any advice for writers who want to be published?
No, I was actually born and raised in Michigan. I grew up on the east side of the state in a suburb of Detroit, but also lived briefly in the middle and western sides of the state. Michigan is wonderful, and I love it. I usually travel there a couple of times per year. But the winters are very cold, which is why I had to run away from home.
2. Are your characters like you?
No, my characters are much more adventurous than I am! For me, writing fiction, like reading it, is an escape from the every day.
“Bryn” rhymes with sin.
4. How many books will there be in the Southern Witch series?
At the moment, only three books are scheduled. I would love to write more Tammy Jo books in the future, but for the moment I’m working on books in my new series.
5. How long does it take you to write a book?
I usually brainstorm for quite awhile. (I jot down story ideas and think about them on and off while I’m working on other projects.) Once I begin writing, it takes about three months to complete a first draft. Then I take several weeks to edit what I’ve written before I turn the book in.
6. When will your next book come out?
HALFWAY HEXED, the third book in the Southern Witch series, will be released February 1, 2011.
7. How many books will there be in you new series?
So far, I know there will be at least three stories. A Xmas novella and two novels. I’ll keep you posted!
8. Do you have any advice for writers who want to be published?
There are lots of extensive online resources for writers already, so I’ll just share some basic advice:
- Read a lot of novels
- The type of book you most like to read is the type of book you should write.
- Extensive reading helps you to understand the structure of the books in the genre and to learn what ideas have already been used too frequently.
- Write a lot!
- Polish your work
- Get a second opinion on your writing
- Join a critique group and/or find a critique partner by joining local chapters of Mystery Writers of America or Romance Writers of America or online science fiction & fantasy writing groups
- Go to writers’ conferences or retreats where you can get feedback on your writing
- Find an agent who represents books like yours and submit your manuscript
- www.agentquery.com is a good resource for finding agencies by genre
- Going to conferences to network and pitch to agents is another good way to get your work in front of them
- Once you have an agent, let her do her job while you go back to yours, which is to read a lot, write a lot, and polish a lot!
