Where are you from?
I was born in Chesapeake, VA
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing poems when I was around 6 or 7 and then I began writing
2000 page hand written novels when I was around 12. They were hideous,
of course, but you gotta start somewhere!
What books have most influenced your life most?
Twilight and the Host. I know, I know, they aren’t that great of an example,
but because of their mediocrity, I decided I could write better than
Stephanie and send a deeper, more important message to teens. I wanted
to leave out the shy, awkward and codependent Bella and replace her with
someone more intuitive and emotional. Yes, Onyx has many characteristics
that are similar to Edward as far as angst and inward turmoil, but at
least you get in to Onyx’s head! I hate that nothing was ever written from
Edward’s POV, except for Midnight Sun, which was shelved. And the
deeper concept is of course, the earth and what we are doing to it. I wanted
to make teens and adults think about what the consequences could be.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephen King, John Saul, Dean Koontz and James Patterson. These
guys are who I grew up reading. I was able to learn metaphors and
creative writing form Stephen, horror from Koontz and Saul and then good
storytelling from Patterson.
What book are you reading now?
City of Lost Souls Mortal Instruments #5
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Define new. I really tend not to focus on the authors as much as I do the
cover of the book and storyline. Is that bad to admit? I know I like to read
series of books and that Twilight got me hooked on the idea that 2500
pages of a book is good when you love the characters enough.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their
work?
I guess my all-time favorite has to be Stephen King. He is the one that
can take me through the spectrum of emotions the fastest and most
consistently. Fear, anger, sadness, he can hit them all. He really expands
my imagination as well and the pictures he can paint in my mind are so
vivid!
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Believe it or not, it was creating the 2-3 paragraph synopsis and then
condensing that down to one blurb for the back of the book to suck people
in.
Have you been an avid reader your entire life? (since you could read)
Nope. I did not start seriously reading until I was 12. Before that I hated
books because they took my parent’s attention away from me.
Ok now some fun questions:
What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?
Play- Bad Mitten Watch-
None
Favorite Movie?
Twilight
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla
Puppy's or Kittens?
Kittens
Beach or Mountains?
Mountains
If you could be a color, what color would you be?
Green
Favorite Dessert?
Tres Leches Cake
If you could be a book character, what character would you be?
Bella Swan, but only so I could be with Edward Cullen… he he
Gemini Rising:
Goodreads
Angry at the human race and its methodical destruction of her resources, Mother Earth recruits souls who have just left their bodies to serve Her, and turns them against humanity. Gemini, a clan of paranormal beings, picked from these possessed humans, emerges. A powerful, rising force proceeds to carry out Mother Nature’s plan to systematically destroy towns, cities, states… and eventually, the world. Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between a human girl, Violette, and Onyx, a lead Gemini, begins. They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.
