INTERVIEW WITH SHARON SALA

Interview with Sharon Sala, bestselling author of MY LUNATIC LIFE series. 

1.     What is the best part of writing a book?

Creating the world I already see in my head so that my readers can see it, as well, then tell their story with truth. Writing The End is pretty satisfying, too.

2.     What, actually, is the driving force behind your writing?

I always say I never get writer’s block because I have a mortgage and that’s a pretty powerful reason to stay busy. However, I love to tell the stories. There are so many in my head.

3.     Did you always want write?

Truthfully, I never once thought about being a writer when I was growing up. I was an avid reader and an even bigger daydreamer. I lived with stories always in my head. As I grew older, the two sort of meshed and I’ve never looked back.

4.     How has writing supported you?

When I first began writing, I was told by nearly everyone who’d been at it for a while not to quit my day job. It takes a long time, sometimes as much as five years before you build a readership strong enough to trust that it will support you wholly by writing, for which I am grateful.

5.     Who do you idolize as a writer?

I can’t say that I idolize any writer. But there are several who are my favorites and I always look for their books when they come out. John Hart, Robert Crais,  Iris Johansson,  Allison Brennan all come to mind.

6.     Would you like to tell your readers about any future projects you are working on?

I just finished Book 2 of my Prophecy series, written under my pen name, Dinah McCall. It’s a Native American paranormal trilogy. It’s called THE DOVE, which follows WINDWALKER, which is already out. My readers are most anxious for this book, and it has a special connection for me because on of my granddaughters is the cover model on the book. I think I am going to end up being the first romance writer to have a Native American romance series with Native American model/actors on the covers.

7.     What genre do you prefer to write in?

I don’t have a favorite genre; truly. I will say that I have written so many romances in my 23 years of published writing that I DO enjoy writing a book that is just straight fiction, or women’s fiction.

8.     What made you write under the pen name, Dinah McCall?

It began as a publisher’s idea to introduce a slightly different style of stories to my readers. Dinah was my younger sister’s nickname and although she died in 1985, it is a good feeling to still be taking her with me on this wonderful journey.

9.     Would you like to say anything to your readers?

I am so grateful for their years of faithfully reading my stories. I hope they enjoy reading them even half as much as I do writing them.

10. Any advice you’d like to give to the writers out there, struggling to make their name in the industry?

Two things. Join a good writers group; one that has several traditionally published writers to learn what you’re ‘really’ supposed to be doing, and if you are self-publishing, NEVER upload your books for free. You think you are going to build readership when in fact all you are doing is teaching people that your work is not worth buying. It is my biggest pet peeve ever in this digital industry.  

INTERVIEW WITH MIKE WILKS

INTERVIEW WITH MR. MIKE WILKS- author of THE MIRRORSCAPE!

1.     You are a great artist as well a fabulous writer. How is it that you took to both writing as well as art?

I am a great admirer of the work of Mervyn Peake, one of the few artists who was also a superb writer. His work shows that it is possible to flit from one mode of expression to the other.

2.     Which form of expression do you consider better- writing or art?

They are equal but different. With writing a narrative is unraveled over time but with images any narrative is presented all at once and it is for the viewer to discover it on their own.

3.     Who is your role model in the real world?

Role models are dangerous. There is always the temptation to try to imitate them.

4.     The ultimate alphabet is an extraordinary book. What was the driving force behind this creation?

It was simply that it had never been done before. Up until I created it all alphabet books were for children and contained only one or two things beginning with any letter. I thought it would be fun to see how far I could push the idea.

5.     What do you consider the best part of writing a book?

The best part of writing a book or painting a picture is the blank page or the blank canvas. At that stage it could be anything, a masterpiece or a disaster.

6.     How did the idea for Mirrorscape occur to you? Was it by accident or was it a result of imaginative thinking?

I always think of the start of any book or picture as peeling up a corner of my imagination and seeing what crawls out. The Mirrorscape books started in the same way.

7.     Which is your all-time favorite novel?

There are too many to mention. In the top twenty would be Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake.

8.     If you had to choose between writing and art for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

An impossible question to answer. When I have an idea I then select the best medium to express that idea. Some work best as pictures, others in words.

9.     Would you like to say anything to your readers?

Creating a work of art and experiencing a work of art should both be fun. Of course, how you define ‘fun’ is up to you.

10. Any advice you’d like to give to the struggling artists and writer out there?

Dare to be different. It is always better to try to create something original and fail than to imitate.

Visit MIKE WILK'S website!

INTERVIEW WITH CORNELIA FUNKE

INTERVIEW WITH MS. CORNELIA FUNKE – (bestselling author of the Inkheart trilogy)

·      Does writing hold a special place in your life?

I couldn’t live without itJ It is chocolate for me, what I was born to do, a never ending pleasure.

·      Have you always wanted to be a full time writer? Did have other ambitions when you were younger?

I wanted to be an astronaut at the age of 11 (they had just landed on the moon) then a pilot, I wanted to live with the Native Americans…in short, I wanted adventure, dreaming about it while I lived in a small town in Germany. My life became very adventurous, but in very unexpected ways – which is the magic of life: that it surprises us at every corner. We just have to dare to walk through the doors it opens for us. My first profession was as a social worker as I wanted to work with children and make the world a bit better, then I became an illustrator and only at the age of 32 did I realize that my greatest passion (and talent) is writing. Now I support many children’s charities in the world and the circle is closedJ

·      Could you please tell us about your visit to India?

My visit to India felt first of all (very surprising) like coming home. And at the same time like one of the greatest adventures I had ever had. I dreamt of visiting India since I was a child and to see India readers knowing my stories was the greatest possible magic. I also love dto meet all the traditional story tellers in your part of the world. I so admire their craft. I hope I”ll be back soon and many times!

·      What was the inspiration behind your bestselling novel, Inkheart?

That I wanted to show in a story what all passionate readers know- that characters in books are as real as we are…after all maybe we are all in a story?:) And I wanted to write a love song for books and all the people who love and need them as much as I do. And then of course I wanted to climb into a book myselfJ

·      Do you relate to the novel in any way?

I think my last answer shows that. Books always meant the doors and windows to the world to me, a chance to travel in other people’s head. I can’t live without books. And stories.

·      Do you consider someone as you idol?

My first idol was Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish children’s books writer.

·      Are there books that influence you or are powerful enough to grasp your attention for a longer time as compared to other books?

My all time favourite book is THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H.White. But there are many others I love very much: John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Saul Bellow’s Henderson, the rain king, R.L.Stevenson’s Treasure Island…and many many more.

·      When did you actually start writing?

·      At the late age of 28.

·      How did the process of turning ‘inkheart’ into a major movie initiate? Was it as exciting as it looks or is there more hard work involved?

It was very exciting ( I had offers from three movie studios) and at the same time it taught me that a novel cannot be squeezed into a two hour movie. I usually work for two years on a book – too much story to fit into a movie. I am glad George R.R. Martin allowed SONGS OF ICE AND FIRE only as tv series. I didn’t allow my new series, MirrorWorld to be adapted as a movie yet because of this experience. Although the shoot of Inkheart was magicalJ

·      What is the most ambitious dream you have ever had?

To write a better book than the last oneJ

·      You’re also a fantastic artist- we’ve seen the small, yet incredible illustrations in your novels. How is it that you manage to do both writing and art?

Sadly I don’t spend as much time on illustration as I should because I write so much. And sometimes I don’t know myself how I get it all doneJ I guess I love to do it all so much. Passion gives plenty of energy.

·      What form of expression do you consider better- writing or art?

I am a better writer, as I am more patient with the words than with the pen. But as an art form they are equal for me. And then there is of course music.

·      What led to your particular interest in books?

To be a bored child in a small town, where the world felt sooo narrow. The books were the promise that there is more!

·      Any message you would like to give to the aspiring authors and artists out there?

Follow your passion and make a living from it. Nothing can make you happier! Even if you can barely earn enough for the rent.  I worked like that for many many years and I never regretted my decision.


http://www.corneliafunke.com/

INTERVIEW WITH KAREN MCQUESTION

INTERVIEW WITH MS. KAREN MCQUESTION- author of LIFE ON HOLD AND FAVORITE!

1.    You have written books for adults, teens as well as for kids. What types of genres fascinate you in each of the three categories?

I love to write for different age groups, but find that most of my books, regardless of category, include elements of humor and fantasy.

2.    Who do you consider your real inspiration and why?

My inspiration began with a grade school teacher (I was about nine at the time) who saw that I had a knack for writing and encouraged me to do more of it. I’m also inspired whenever I read something truly amazing. Reading great stories makes me want to up my game.

3.    What place does writing hold in your life?

Besides my family, writing is truly what defines me. I’m a daughter, mom, wife, and writer. Writing is a full time job for me, one that I absolutely love and I feel grateful to be able to do this for a living. Even when I’m not writing, I’ve got books on the brain. Ideas for stories pop into my head all the time—in the shower, driving, as I’m drifting off to sleep.

4.    Are there any new projects you’d like to inform your readers about?

I’m really excited about the Edgewood books—a paranormal series I’ve written for young adults. It’s getting a lot of reader buzz, so much in fact, that I’m going to write an unplanned for fourth book. It was supposed to be a trilogy but readers want more, which makes me very happy.

5.    Any piece of advice for all the writers out there?

Do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. Write the book you’d love to read. Listen to critical advice, but only make the changes that make sense to you. Most importantly, just keep at it. The writers who succeed are the ones who don’t give up.  

visit KAREN MCQUESTION'S website!