A Second Glance Q&A: Debbie Kupfer

Hello my fabulous fellow adventurers,

First, I cannot believe it’s already December. It’s the hyper-fast slide into the holidays so good luck to us all! Today is another A Second Glance interview series, this time focusing on fantasy author Debbie Kupfer. As per always, my comments will be in {italics}. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in London and lived in Israel, New York and North Carolina before I somehow ended up in St. Louis, where I live with my husband and my two furry overlords, Whiskey Boop and Miri Billie Joe.

I divide my time between writing, editing, and constructing word and logic puzzles. I believe with enough tea and dark chocolate you can do anything. {Yes, yes, that is the perfect combination.}

What got you into writing?

I’ve been writing my whole life but only started taking my writing seriously back in 2012 after I came out of cancer treatment. Battling with breast cancer made me realize that if you really want to do something you need to do it because you never know how long you have left. {So true. Glad you’re doing okay now!}

What genres do you write in?

My main series, P.A.W.S. is a YA fantasy about an international institute of shapeshifters. Apart from that I write children’s books, short stories in many genres and puzzles.

Do you write standalones or series?

I’m currently book 10 of my P.A.W.S. saga. Plus I occasionally write short stories. Honestly though most of what I write ends up being part of my P.A.W.S. universe. {Book 10!! So awesome. I love that whatever you write usually ends up in P.A.W.S., your brain must be clicked onto that series and I love it.}

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!

I have 9 books in my P.A.W.S. Saga (YA fantasy), 6 children’s picture books, 4 short story collections, a short memoir about my battle with breast cancer, and a puzzle book (Paws 4 Logic) that I wrote with my son, Joey.

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?

The hardest was my memoir, The Big C. When I was going through cancer treatment I told very few people outside of my closest family and friends. I didn’t want the pity you get when folks know you have cancer. Having survived however I felt it was important to write about my experience in the hope that it helps other women going through treatment. {I love this. My dad went through a lot of cancer issues before he passed away so I completely understand how much of a toil it takes on the person, mentally and physically. I love that you were able to transform your experience into something meaningful.}

Why do you keep writing?

I have to. There are stories inside me bursting to come out and the only way I can read them is if I write them!

Which character of yours is your favorite?

My pair of wild Welsh warlocks, Gromer the Green and Caradog. I’ve adored watching their relationship blossom since I first introduced them in book 2. Whenever they turn up in my world they make me smile.

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?

I love writing morally grey characters. Life is like that. Rarely black and white, so a good anti-hero or a villain with a strong backstory that explains the why attracts a lot. Redemption arcs are also strong in my work.

I hate authors who glamorize abuse and bullying. That’s one of the few tropes that will make me put down a book especially if the abuse has a sexual overtone. {Ooo, I, too, love a good anti-hero!}

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?

I love all kinds of games: board games, card games, some video games and that’s my go-to to destress. I also read a lot and like to go for walks in my neighborhood each day.

What is your writing process like?

I try to get my words in first thing in the morning before I get distracted. I aim for between 500 and 2K words a day. Any more than that I tend to burn out. The rest of my time is divided between editing for myself and my clients and writing puzzles for Penny Press. {That’s a lot of words per day, awesome!!}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?

I mostly set my books in places I’ve lived or at least visited, and that includes London, Israel, New York and St. Louis. But I did locate part of book 2 of my series on a little island off Ireland called Inis Fraoigh. While I’ve never been there I am very grateful for the many tourists who have and posted wonderful videos on YouTube allowing me to visit the island virtually. I hope one day I can visit it for real.

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

Vomit out that first draft. It won’t be pretty, but that’s what editing is for. {Yup. 100% this.}

Find Debbie online!

Paws4Thought: http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/

Paws4Puzzles: http://paws4puzzles.wordpress.com/

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieManberKupferAuthor

Twitter: @CiciCat42

Amazon: http://author.to/DebbieManberKupfer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142164.Debbie_Manber_Kupfer

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cRhORP

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And that’s a wrap, friends! I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did. A warm thank you to Debbie for these fabulous answers. Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time!
Warm regards,
Kellie

A Second Glance Interview: Jamie Dalton

Hello my fellow adventurers,

I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday if you celebrate such days, or at least had a relaxing day off with friends and family. I had lovely dinner with my mom and my sister (along with a toast to my dad) and a relaxing time watching the parade. A lovely time all around. AND my job actually gives me Black Friday off, so I’m doing writing stuff and catching up on my ToDo list. But today I’m here celebrating my fellow authors in another A Second Glance interview; this time highlighting a fantasy author named Jamie Dalton. As per usual, my comments will be in {italics}. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
My name is Jamie Dalton. I grew up in Oregon and Idaho, but currently live outside Charlotte, NC with my husband and toddler. I love anything creative but always felt like my biggest talent was that I was mediocre at everything. At least that’s how I felt until I realized that all of those things I learned to do at least at a competent level allows me to write better characters. 

What got you into writing?
I always loved books. The first glimmer I ever had that I may want to write as more than a hobby was in high school. I was suppose to write a short story about a very traumatic experience I had. I had plenty of difficulties that I could have written about, but I really didn’t want to open up about them. At the time I was dealing with my mom having just collapsed from a brain tumor and my mind was in a very dark place. Instead, I made up a story about being in a relationship and losing my spouse and child. Flashbacks of how we met, fell in love and how we got together. I remember being pulled aside and sent to the school counselor because it was vivid enough they thought it had actually happened. At the time I didn’t have any option other than trying to go trad and I don’t have the patience for that so instead I kept moving on. 15 years later with a newborn that took 10 years to be blessed with I decided to dig out my old stories I had started writing and gut them. Turning them into one world that had what I really wanted to share with the world. {Wow, that sounds like a rough time but I’m so glad you turned your world around and also went back to writing.}

What genres do you write in?
I tend to do a mix of things. Sword and sorcery, fantasy romance, retellings, cozy fantasy, PNR… through them all I have one common thread. I love to write paranormal type beings. {Swords and sorcery, HYPE!}

Do you write standalones or series?
lol I keep trying to write stand alones but they turn into series. 

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
I have 2 anthologies and 3 books published currently with a 4th book releasing this Dec in a boxed set. My first thing was a short story, The Black-Backed Mirror in an anthology Oct 31 2021. It’s a teaser to a gender bender retelling series I am working on. Each book is a different retelling. That short story is now free on my website with no newsletter sign up required. The first full length book in that series, Throne of Slumber, is releasing in a boxed set Dec 13. It’s a sleeping beauty retelling but he is the one who is cursed. It’s a fun fae romance. My Banneret series I have 2 books and one short story in so far. I’m working on writing the final book in that series but am taking my time to make sure I get it right. Book 1, Worldwalker, is a sword and sorcery book with a touch of romance. When Adalyn’s magic awakens, the dead start talking to her and tell her that an enemy they thought they had defeated had returned and is back for revenge. Nov 19 I have the first in another series releasing. Goddess of the Broken will be a duology and I’ve started on the final book for that as well. Tempest is a goddess. Aiden is an emperor. She has hidden among the mortals for centuries but when fate forces her to save the emperor’s life, she must compete to become the next empress and try to keep both herself and Aiden alive. I also have a cozy fantasy, The Charming Four, that I am writing and publishing on Kindle Vella while I write co-write a dark and steamy dragon shifter PNR with a friend. I needed something light and fluffy to work on while I worked on that. {Phew, you have SO MANY BOOKS, that’s so awesome! All of them sound fascinating, especially the Goddess of the Broken. And I really love Throne of Slumber’s cover. Gorgeous!}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
Throne of Slumber was my hardest. Not because I didn’t love the story, but because I was on a hard deadline and for some reason that sucks the creativity right out of me. Once I got going though it went quickly. The easiest was Goddess of the Broken. I actually wrote that in 5 weeks. I used it to heal from the death of a close family member and just poured my heart into it. It’s given me some serious imposter syndrome for writing book 2 though. {Having gone through a death of a close family member in January of this year, I can attest to how healing writing can be. I’m glad it helped you work through your grief.} 

Why do you keep writing?
My books are my inheritance. My daughter and any future kids will inherit the copyright for them and I don’t have anything else I can currently leave them if something happened. I also love getting to bring a bit of light into others worlds. {I love this!}

Which character of yours is your favorite?
Oh that’s hard. Either Tempest from Goddess of the Broken or the golems from Worldwalker. 

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
I love most tropes. I’m a major mood reader/writer. I love reading enemies to lovers but feel like I always fail when I try writing it. Rape, children dying… that sort of thing are major triggers for me though so I avoid those. 

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
lol with a toddler I feel like I’ve lost most of my time for hobbies. I do love party planning, cooking, art, history… that sort of thing. 

What is your writing process like?
I’m definitely a plantser. I have massive google docs for every book I write with all of the characters, places and main plot things I want to hit. I then add a table in that google doc and put in the save the cat and/or romancing the beat outlines and add at least those points into the table so I have a rough outline. Then I let my characters sort of do their thing. I am a mood writer though. I don’t mean that I wait to write until I’m in the mood. I did that and it took forever to get anything done. Instead if I’m not in the mood I create it. Use music, food, smells, setting… to help me sink into the world. {That’s such a great idea, to put yourself in the mood and the world of your writing.}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
No but I would love it

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
To stop writing mid scene. It takes work to get the flow going but if you stop writing mid scene and even mid sentence you at least know what those next few words will be and it helps get the ball going again. {I do the SAME EXACT THING. Cliffhangers are the best at motiving me to write as well.}

Find Jamie online!
website

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And that’s a wrap, friends! I had a lovely time interviewing Jamie and I hope you enjoyed her answers as much as I did. As always, be sure to check out her website and purchase some of her books if they seem like your speed!

I hope you have a lovely weekend. As for me…it’s time for some pie. Until next time!
Warm regards,
Kellie

A Second Glance Interview: Rick Treon

Hello fellow adventurers! It’s officially winter here in Alaska with cold mornings and fluffy snow. The cold’s creeping inward, too, so I’ve been having lots of apple cider, warm soup, and even sitting under chunky blankets during work. It’s cozy! I hope your winter is equally as snug. We have another interview for A Second Glance, this one with editorial director and crime fiction author Rick Treon. As always, my comments will be in {italics.} Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!

In addition to being a novelist with four works published by small presses, I am the editorial director of yet another small press, Blue Handle Publishing. So much of my days now are taken up by reading submissions and editing the books we’re going to publish that my pleasure reading has really dropped off. I need to start stepping it up over the holidays!

What got you into writing?

I’ve loved stringing words together since middle school, and in high school I was encouraged by some great teachers. I went to journalism school because it used to be a way to write every day and get paid a decent wage. (I graduated from UT-Austin in 2008, so … yeah, haha.) But after I got my debut book deal I decided that I’d rather do that and work other jobs to help pay the bills, so I took the leap and left journalism for fiction!

What genres do you write in?

I write under the umbrella of crime fiction. The awards committees label most of my work as suspense. But my favorite subgenre that others have used, and that I now use too, is Rural Texas Noir. {love it!}

Do you write standalones or series?

I wrote one sequel, and that experience told me that I should probably stick to standalones for the most part. I realized that my characters are great for one story, but they’re usually not traditional heroes, and an anti-hero series, while totally a viable option, is something I may not be suited for. But we’ll see!

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!

I have four out there now. My debut, DEEP BACKGROUND, is about a reporter (surprise, surprise) who returns to his small Texas hometown after a scandal (his fault) and reconnects with an old, married flame to help investigate a murdered teen from his old high school. It won the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Suspense.

My second novel, LET THE GUILTY PAY, is the one that I love the most. They’re not actual children, so I can say it! Haha. It was published during the worst of the pandemic in 2020 and couldn’t have the kind of launch/in-person publicity it deserved. But it’s the one I point out to folks who ask which of my books they should start with.

LET THE GUILTY PAY is also the reason I am so grateful for this interview. It’s the one I really wanted to highlight! The novel follows Bartholomew Beck, a failed true crime writer now working on a Texas oil pipeline to make ends meet. He finds a body on the jobsite, and it’s staged to look like the case he first wrote about — the murder of his neighbor, who he watched die and about whom later testified about in court. But he lied about major parts of that book to cover up a secret.

But someone has discovered the decades-old secret and wants to expose Beck’s lies.

It was nominated for the Silver Falchion Award for Best Suspense Novel and the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Suspense.

The sequel to LET THE GUILTY PAY is THE PRICE OF SILENCE. It was written during the middle of the pandemic and released last fall. It picks up a year or so after LTGP, when Beck has finished his newest true crime book, based on the climactic events of LTGP, and is atop the bestseller lists. As you can imagine, Beck isn’t on top for long, haha.

Then my latest novel is DIVIDED STATES. It’s in a different genre: speculative political action thriller. But it still reads like me and has explosive character reveals in addition to literal explosions, haha. 

The novel follows Lori Young, a drug/alcohol-addicted former homicide detective who was forced to retire just before the U.S. was broken apart by a series of secessions. Then a group of former CIA officers kidnaps Lori. They want to use her as ransom to force her ex-husband into delivering an active warhead from the nuclear plant where the former member of SEAL Team Six leads a team of ex Tier One military operators who transport nukes across the new international borders.

But they didn’t do enough research and have no idea what Lori is capable of when pushed to the edge.

DIVIDED STATES actually just won the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Thrillers! It was previously nominated for the Silver Falchion Award for Best Thriller and the Best Thriller Book Awards in the political thriller category. So it’s now the most honored novel I’ve written. {HUGE congrats on the awards for your books, so awesome! LET THE GUILTY PAY sounds like a really fun read!}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?

By far the hardest was  THE PRICE OF SILENCE. Not only was it my first attempt at a sequel, but it was written during the very worst of the pandemic, so I was not in the right headspace to write anything. I’ll never be able to apologize enough to my editors and publisher for how much work they had to put into the novel to make it publishable.

The best time was probably DIVIDED STATES. Though I feel like LET THE GUILTY PAY is my best work from a literary standpoint, writing an action thriller was so much fun! I’ll probably write another one just for that fun feeling. Maybe even a sequel to DIVIDED STATES, but we’ll see, haha. {It’s important to follow write what you love, that fun feeling!}

Why do you keep writing?

I enjoy the novel more than any other form of writing. I also enjoyed writing personal essays for Gannet Media syndication, but those aren’t as natural for me. And I’ve started dabbling in screenwriting, but that’s a whole different universe than prose, haha. But the point is I’m always actively working on something, and I tend to always drift back to writing longform fiction!

Which character of yours is your favorite?

It’ll probably be the one from my current WIP, but it’s way to early to start talking about that, haha. Of the books that are out there, I think Lori from DIVIDED STATES. That’s not surprising to me since she’s the latest protagonist I created. My guess is that my favorite will always be the last one, since I’m always striving to make the newest novel the best! {I understand that feeling, my most recent MC is also normally my favorite. Ha!}

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?

My favorite is a character with a secret identity that gets revealed during or just before the climax! If it’s not obvious too early, that’s one of my favorites to read and write.

I hate a narrator who’s unreliable because they were drunk/high or had amnesia. But I love well-written unreliable narrators, and I’ve used one to pretty moderate success. The book didn’t sell to a bigger publisher because, while they loved the book, they didn’t think they could sell an unreliable narrator who didn’t follow that trope.

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?

I golf, though not very well, haha. I also enjoy going to the movies. Not just watching them (though I do stream way too many), but actually going to the theater. I’m so happy that they’ve opened back up down here in Texas. I go watch my most anticipated films safely and with much more enjoyment now!

What is your writing process like?

Right now it’s chaotic, which I know is bad and why I’ll go about two years without having a novel published. But I got my job last year that’s work-from-home. And it’s editing, which I really enjoy and am good at. But now it’s hard to turn that off and write without my internal editor over my shoulder. But a new coffee shop just opened in walking distance, so I think I’m going to make that my “writing office” for the mornings and see how that goes! {Chaos is hard to wrangle, but I hope the coffee shop writing goes well!}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?

Yes! My main research for the Bartholomew Beck books was working on pipelines with my best friend, Jesus Ramirez, in various locations across Texas and Oklahoma. We lived in a pull-behind camper for about eight months total. One of the things people often say about LET THE GUILTY PAY is that the setting felt so real. Then they ask how I did that, and the answer is that I lived it! {That sounds like an awesome experience!}

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

That your first draft is just you telling yourself the story. It’s not revelatory, but most people frame it as “Your first draft is supposed to be bad!” But I really like the other way much better! Because you’re always going to have to revise your first draft. But if you take the negative connotations away, I think it really helps set you up for a better experience with both the first draft and going into your first round of revisions! {Great advice!}

Find Rick online!
ricktreon.com
TikTok.com/@ricktreon
Facebook.com/RickTreonAuthor
Instagram.com/ricktreon
Twitter.com/RDT4

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Thanks so much to Rick for the lovely interview! I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did.

Until next time!
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. If you want to be interviewed on my Second Glance series, fill out this form! I’m always looking for more authors to boost!!

A Second Glance Interview: Sarah Ashwood

Hello there fellow adventurers! I cannot believe it’s September already. August went by in a haze of COVID for me but I’m slowly recovering and can’t wait to get back into the swing of things. (And also for my smell and taste to come back because it’s really weird.) Fall is officially upon us here in Alaska though, it’s rainy and windy and there’s a distinct chill in the air. I, for one, am excited about sweaters and hot tea…provided I can taste it, of course. ANYWAY, as a new month rolls around, so too a new A Second Glance Interview has arrived! This time I’m interviewing the fabulous fantasy and historical fiction author Sarah Ashwood. As usual my comments will be in {italics}. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
Hi, thanks for having me! I’m a wife and a mom of four. I live in the woods in Oklahoma with my family and our cats, dogs, and chickens…and hopefully goats next spring. I may be a country girl, but my heart’s always been captivated by dragons, fairytale, and fantasy, and that’s what I write. {I love that you have chickens, ha!}

What got you into writing?
I’ve loved fairytales since I was a toddler, watching Disney animated movies. As I got older, I read fairytales—thick volumes of them. I also enjoyed branching out into mythology and folklore. Finally, I discovered fantasy, which intertwines elements of all the things I’d always enjoyed reading. I fell in love with fantasy and, eventually, began to write my own.

What genres do you write in?
Fantasy is my first love, but I also write historical fiction—my other favorite genre. Under the fantasy umbrella, I write different sub-genres, including fairytale fantasy, urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and portal fantasy, all with romantic subplots. {Whoa, historical fiction has always been fascinating to me but I can’t bring myself to do all the research involved. Go you!}

Do you write standalones or series?
I’ve written one standalone, but I’ve mostly focused on writing series.

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
So far, I have nine books published, with another scheduled to release this Christmas.

I have one fairytale fantasy with a zombie twist, called Knight’s Rebirth.

I have a portal/epic fantasy trilogy, the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy, and a companion series, the Beyond the Sunset Lands series. Right now, the first book, Aerisian Refrain, is published, and its sequel, Aerisian Waning, will be my Christmas 2022 release.

Lastly, I have a four-book urban fantasy shifter series, where the shifters embody creatures from Greek and worldwide mythology. It’s called the Stones of Fire series.

Most of these books are also available on audiobook or will be soon! {I love the zombie twist fairytale and the portal fantasy idea. Urban fantasy shifters sounds like fun too; I do love some mythology.}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
I probably had the best time writing my Stones of Fire series, because I really enjoyed researching and incorporating creatures from worldwide folklore and mythology.

I suppose the hardest was Aerisian Refrain, only because it’s so long (over 600 pages!) with a rather complicated storyline. It was slippery to keep track of so many elements. {Wow, that is really long. Keeping things in line is always so important and so difficult as an author.}

Why do you keep writing?
As a homeschooling mom and a wife, most of my life is bound up in taking care of my family. Writing allows me to maintain a fun creative outlet that I’ve nurtured since I was in my teens. It’s a part of me that existed before marriage and kids and that I’ve managed to hold onto since.

Which character of yours is your favorite?
Oh goodness…either Carter, the lethal shifter leader from Stones of Fire or Ilgard, the immortal warrior-lord from my Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy. Or possibly his right-hand man, Lord Norband. I also really like my female MC, Hannah, from my Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy. Out of all the characters I’ve written, she has my sense of humor.

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
My favorite tropes are enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, arranged marriage, and slow-burn romance. I can read and write fantasy without romance, but I prefer there to be a strong romantic subplot!

I also like a reluctant Chosen One, because I feel that’s far more realistic than a Chosen One who jumps right in and can do anything and everything right off the bat.

As for most disliked, a Chosen One who’s supposedly totally normal then instantly a superhero…yeah, not a fan of that.

I also tend to strongly dislike instalove. Fated mates is not a favorite, either, nor love triangles.

Although, I will add the disclaimer that anything can work if the plot and characters are written well! {Ooo, enemies to lovers is awesome and romance is always lovely. I like how you take the reluctant Chosen One, too, that’s awesome. It’s great that you’d go for anything as long as the plot/characters are good – a true reader at heart!}

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I don’t have time for many hobbies. Fitness and running are about it. Occasionally I like to quilt by hand. I’ve made quilts for three of my four kids, and am planning to finish a quilt for child #4 by Christmas.

What is your writing process like?
Generally, I come up with an idea, jot down a brief outline, and then go for it. I’m very much a pantser. I usually know where the story will start and how it will end. But getting from Point A to Point B is all up in the air and I figure it out as I go along. {Love this!}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
I wish I could say that I have! The closest to it is placing my Stones of Fire urban fantasy series in the Fort Worth, TX area, where my sister lives. I’ve visited her there many times, and enjoyed writing a series that was set in an area I’m familiar with.

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Get beta readers!

I wish I’d known this before publishing my first book years ago. Because I didn’t, that particular book took a lot of heat that I feel it wouldn’t have if I’d had extra eyes on it. If I could recommend anything to new writers it would be to get beta readers and listen to their critiques and advice. Your story probably needs it. {SUCH GOOD ADVICE!}

Find more about Sarah on her website!

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And there you go. Thanks so much to Sarah A. for the wonderful words and honestly great advice. I had a great time with this interview and I hope you, my fellow adventurers, did as well!

Thank you!
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. If you want to be interviewed on my Second Glance series, fill out this form! I’m always looking for more authors to boost!!

A Second Glance: HeatherMichelle

Hello my lovely adventurers!

I cannot believe today is the last day of July. WHERE DID THE MONTH GO? It’s pretty crazy how fast this year is flying by. Today in this special A Second Glance interview, I’ll be chatting with fantasy author HeatherMichelle. I really adored her answer to my question of “Why do you keep writing?” and I bet you’ll like it, too. As always, my comments will be in {italics}. Happy reading!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
When I was young I hated books. I didn’t like the feel of paper and I didn’t think they had anything interesting in them when all the books they shared at school were boring. Then one day my friend insisted instead of renting a movie, we rent the first Harry Potter book on tape! I thought it was boring, but was overruled, and we stayed up all night listening to it. That was the first time I realized that the part of me who loved thunderstorms and windy days and desperately wanted more out of life could be satisfied by a book. The following Monday I checked out Chamber of Secrets from the school library, and that was the first book I ever finished. {Ahhhh, I love books on tape!!}

What got you into writing?
I’ve always loved telling stories, usually in the form of plays and skits I could talk my friends into putting on for whatever parent would watch. My greatest ambition was to be an actor, and I did lots of drama over the years. Writing to me is just another way for me to tell stories, only this way I have more control over the other characters and can reach a larger audience. The act of writing itself was not something I ever thought I could do. I was trash in school and couldn’t spell my way out of a box. But in my early twenties I started writing fanfiction, and 300,000 words later realized practice really could make me better at something. My spelling and grammar was rough in the beginning, but that’s what editors are for. Despite my errors, people loved my characters and the story I was telling, and that gave me the confidence that I really could do this writing thing. Writing is just another way to tell stories and that’s really what I love. {I love that you realized practice makes things easier after writing 300,000 words. It’s so true. And so many authors start their careers in the fanfiction world and I am ALL FOR IT. I, too, started writing fanfiction.}

What genres do you write in?
Fantasy. My current series is technically young adult portal fantasy, think Narnia meets Alice in Wonderland, but with therapy. I do have a series I’m planning that’s a little more new adult fantasy romance with shape shifting irish puca fairies, and another series that will be more solid fantasy. {YAS. I love fantasy as well.}

Do you write standalones or series?
Series. Always Series. I do have a few stand alone novellas that will come out this year, but they both take place in the same world as my Misplaced Children series, and will bridge the gap between Elodie’s story, and a second series in the same world I’m working on.

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
Three! With two novellas coming this year. The Misplaced Children series is a completed trilogy about Elodie. She was born in a magical world until an evil wizard trapped her in an “illusion” that we know of as Earth. So Elodie grows up on earth, but travels back and forth between the two worlds, and things don’t always go well. When she goes missing on earth people start worrying, police are called, ect. The first book features Elodie when she’s twelve, but she grows up through the series, the last one with her in her early 20’s. It’s a series about believing in yourself and others, found family, and adventure, with a really fun missed timing romance sprinkled in. {Oooo, this is fascinating. I live the idea of making Earth the illusion reality. So cool!}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
I had a hard time with book one, and that’s because what is now book two was where I started writing book one. I got about half way through my outline and realized I was doing too many flashbacks and was starting the book in the wrong place when Elodie is sixteen. Instead I realized I needed to table that draft and start instead when Elodie is twelve, and once I had finished book one, I could go back and rewrite book two, and it became a much better story. I had the most fun writing book three, everything came together and it was like all my planning paid off. I loved it.

Why do you keep writing?
I have plans for my characters, and I can’t stop till they are complete…. then along the way I come up with more characters, and, well, I guess I can never stop. {Mmhmm, I get this. Characters really are key in your stories, and you have so many to play with!}

Which character of yours is your favorite?
I have two, Vanessa, who’s Elodie’s best friend, and Silas, who’s…. Well he’s perfect, and does a lot of growing up in the series. 

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
My favorites are found family, friends to lovers, and don’t hate me, but I’m a sucker for a hidden princess story.
I hate love triangles, cheating, bully to lovers, time traveling and resetting the progress of the story, and lastly, everything would have been solved in ten min if someone had just been honest. 

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Besides a LOT of reading, I tumble rocks, and try and fail to propagate African Violets.

What is your writing process like?
I’m an outliner, but its a fluffy outline filled with little scenes or quotes I came up with long before starting the book. Once I start drafting I try to just get it done as fast as possible. When I have a hard time with a scene I will usually take a step back and go for a walk, and use voice to text to get through the hard parts till things start flowing again. Then comes the drafting. I usually end up with three or four drafts before I send things to my editor. {I love the idea of a fluffy outline; and then using voice to text while out walking to get through hard parts. Genius!}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
No, but I’ve done the reverse. I love traveling, though I don’t do it often, but everywhere I’ve gone I alway end up envisioning a book setting there, sometimes taking notes. Someday I will definitely have a book set in a city closely resembling Venice.

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Fake it till you make it. I have heavy imposter syndrome, but I try to ignore all the negative noise in my head and just keep going. I don’t feel like an “Author” but I keep writing, and I won’t stop, and hopefully someday it won’t feel like pretending anymore. {Mmhmm, fake it till you make it is super key. Great advice!}

Find HeatherMichelle Online!
Instagram
TikTok
Website

And that’s a wrap! Thank you so much to HeatherMichelle for her lovely words of wisdom and humor. I hope you, dear adventurers, enjoyed this Q&A as much as I did.

Happy Sunday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you have two or more books out and would like to be part of A Second Glance, fill out this form and I’ll contact you!

A Second Glance: Anabel Bright

Hello there, fabulous readers, and happy summer!

It’s bright and sunshiny here in Alaska, and I hope it’s gorgeous by you, too. Here’s another A Second Glance interview, this time with fantasy and crime thriller author Anabel Bright. As usual, my comments will be in italics and brackets. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
I enjoyed reading , watching movies, travelling, taking pictures/ photos. My favourite genres are fantasy and crime thriller stories since young. It has been my passion and dreams to be author one day to bring joys to readers and my stories in the movies one day. While taking a career break from highly stressful job, I thought of doing something different,  pursue my dreams and bring joys to others. {Whooot, fellow fantasy lover!}

What got you into writing?
Passion, to put into action on my dream to pursue in life and to bring joys to readers who enjoys reading my book. While taking a career break from highly stressful job, I thought of doing something different and pursue my dreams.

What genres do you write in?
3 genres: 1) Fantasy, 2) Sci Fi, 3) Crime Thrillers. Mainly 2 genres in fantasy and crime thrillers.

Do you write standalones or series?
Series

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
I have released more than 100 ebooks and hit my 100^th ebook release n Nov 2021. Boxset series are available for past ebooks released. {Wow, 100 ebooks!! That’s amazing, congratulations!!}

My best sellers series are:

Fantasy: 1) Guardians Series 1,2,3, 2) Totem Bearers Series

Sci Fi: 1) Over The Cliff Series

Crime Thrillers: 1) Best Crime Thriller Series, 2) Crime in Metro City Series 1, 2,3; 3) Taken Crime Thriller Series 1,2,3,4

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
Hardest time to write: Totem Bearers Series (fantasy Series). Getting inspiration, planning fantasy themes/ stories and stories flow, plots, characters and their names, brainstorming fantasy ideas and names. {So fascinating that brainstorming was the hardest time, only because I love to worldbuild. But building a whole world is so daunting and it’s amazing that you were able to push through and create your series.}

Best time to write: Taken Crime Thriller Series. Based on true story of my childhood best friend who went missing when young. She came back to the family who never wanted to shift their house as the parents are always in the hope that their lost child will be back one day.

Why do you keep writing?
I received sweet and encouraging messages from my lovely readers. {Readers!! Always tell your favorite authors you like them! A L W A Y S}

Which character of yours is your favorite?
1) Mona Chester in Totem Bearers Series ; 2) Courtney in Taken Crime Thriller Series

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
N/A

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Travelling, enjoying eating nice desserts, taking pictures, sports. {Eating nice desserts is also a favorite hobby of mine.}

What is your writing process like?
Planning the series title, story themes, characters, outline/ plots, places.

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
Yes. Sequence reversed where I have travelled to many countries previously prior COVD travel restrictions and I have taken pictures and noted down some interesting key historical places and stories. There will be upcoming fiction series to be released in year 2022 on such places that I have travelled previously. {That’s awesome that you were able to use real-world locations as inspiration! Love it!}

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Burning past midnights to get inspirations on stories and plots.

Find Anabel Online:
Amazon
TikTok: @author.anabelbright
Facebook: @author.anabel.bright 
Twitter: @AnabelBright3
Instagram: @anabel.bright

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I had a lovely time getting to know Anabel and I hope you did, too! Now go check out her books, and I hope you enjoy the adventure.

Until next time…
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you have two or more books out and would like to be part of A Second Glance, fill out this form and I’ll contact you!

A Second Glance Interview: M.R. Polish

Hello my wonderful readers!

I can’t believe that it’s already the LAST DAY OF APRIL. What the hell happened to April?? It went by faster than a Japanese bullet train. Anyway, I’m continuing my A Second Glance series with another fabulous fantasy and paranormal romance author M.R. Polish. As always, my comments will be in brackets and italicized. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
Well, where to start? I mostly grew up in Idaho, but call Nevada home as I moved here almost 20 years ago. I am married to a great guy and we have four kids. The oldest is an adult and moved out, and our youngest just turned eleven, with two teens in the middle. We have one cat named Dancer. I have been writing since I was ten, but my first published book was in 2012. {Sounds like a busy life thus far. Love it!}

What got you into writing?
I have always had a story in my mind. As far back as I can remember I told stories to anyone who would listen. But, in the 5th grade, I had a teacher who could see more and told me to enter a Halloween Short Story Contest. I was hesitant, but I won! She told me I would be a great writer one day. I didn’t know then, but she was right. It took many years before I truly understood I was a writer and pursued it as a career. {Yasss! That’s awesome. Shoutout to all the teachers who encourage their students to pursue their creative hobbies!!}

What genres do you write in?
My favorite is Fantasy Romance. I do write Paranormal Romance as well. {A fellow fantasy nerd, love it!}

Do you write standalones or series?
I have three standalones. Ash and Scale (Urban Fantasy Romance with dragons), Savage Vengeance (Paranormal Romance with shifter), and Change of Possession (My one and only Romantic Suspense with no paranormal or fantasy aspects lol).

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
Right now I have 21 published with the 22 released on April 29th, 2022!
My older series are mostly Paranormal Romance. The Wolf Series (Series has 4 books and has witches), Ageless Series (Series has 3 books and has mermaids and greek gods), Saddles and Spells Series (Series has 6 novellas and is a sweet romance each book is its own story with witches and cowboys), Sandman Saga (There are 3 books and it is a soulmate romance with the king of night and the queen of day), and… the new series getting ready to release is the Ash Kingdom Series (Fantasy Romance with vampires). {All of these sound amazing.}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
I think the hardest one for me personally was Savage Vengeance because it was my first shared world and the idea behind the world was already there and I had to create a story that fit in that world. 
The best? I have to say the one I’m working on right now. Crown of Blood and Wings, which is book one in the Ash Kingdom Series. But really, none of them have really been HARD. {Ooo, a shared world is a cool idea. Kind of like fanfiction but you know…not fanfiction, ha!}

Why do you keep writing?
Because I love it. I am so deep inside the worlds with my characters that they are family to me. I couldn’t imagine a world where I couldn’t write. 

Which character of yours is your favorite?
Hahahaha… those side characters get me every time! It’s hard to pick just one. But like I said before, I think I’d have to pick either Layke or Caitin from the Ash Kingdom. However Kade from Sandman Saga gets a close second. {Side characters can be the most fun to write.}

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
I’m a Fantasy Romance lover and have to say… the one bed trope. Gets me every time. LOVE IT.
However, I LOATHE the pregnancy trope. That’s a hard no from me. I’ll pass on every one.

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Oh! I love to crochet and cook. But not at the same time hahaha. {The “not at the same time” comment immediately brought to my mind crocheting spaghetti. It probably wouldn’t work but it was a fun thought.}

What is your writing process like?
Ideas that sit in my mind and marinate for months to years then… they take off running and I have no choice but to follow. I have found that plotting out and writing a rough draft, even if I need to use some bullet points, helps me write faster and more efficiently. While writing, I send to a few chosen readers to give me feedback as a reader how the story is flowing. After that is done, I do a self edit then it’s off to the editor. After edits, I send to ARC readers and the proof editors (I use 2). After it’s cleaned up, it is formatted and ready for publication. This of course doesn’t include all the behind the scenes things that happen to get this far, like marketing, covers, custom art work, etc… {DO ALL THE THINGS. I love this behind-the-scenes look at your process. So awesome.}

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
I have never traveled to research, but have researched WHILE I was traveling. 

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
To just do it. Go for it. (Mrs. Presely, 5th grade) {Such good advice!}

Find M.R. Polish Online!
https://poplme.co/mrpolish

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this author Q&A! Thanks to M.R. Polish for this wonderful conversation about wondrous worlds. I hope you enjoyed the interview as well, readers, and be sure to check out her work!

Until next time, Happy Saturday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you have two or more books out and would like to be part of A Second Glance, fill out this form and I’ll contact you!

A Second Glance: Interview with Elayna Gallea

Hello there my fabulous readers,

I hope you’re having a lovely Saturday. Today is sunny and warm-adjacent and I can finally see hints of spring around me. I hope it’s a sunny day for you as well, and if not, grab a cup of hot chocolate by a roaring fire instead and join me in welcoming my next A Second Glance interviewee, Young Adult and New Adult author Elayna Gallea. As always, I’ll sprinkle in my own thoughts in brackets and italics. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
I live in New Brunswick, Canada and I’m a born and raised Canadian. I’m bilingual and I actually teach French online as my “full-time” job. (I’m blessed and I only work about 20 online hours a week). This gives me lots of time for my family, reading and writing. {Being bilingual is so cool, and awesome that you teach French!!}

What got you into writing?
Like most authors, I’ve always been a voracious reader. I’m pretty introverted (let me put it this way. Between working from home and being an introvert, lockdown wasn’t much different from my regular life), so books have always been a companion of mine. It might sound cliché, but when I turned 30 I just decided I didn’t want to let my dreams slip through my fingers anymore. So I dove in and started to write. I haven’t stopped since. {Fellow introvert here, I relate so hard to the lockdown comment, ha! I love that you decided to capture your dreams; way to go.}

What genres do you write in?
I write in 2 genres. My books that I author myself are Young Adult dystopian romance (The Sequencing Chronicles). I also co-author New Adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance (Romancing Aranthium). 

Do you write standalones or series?
I have a YA trilogy (well, book 1 is out now, book 2 will be out on Feb. 22 and book 3 on April 12). Our New Adult series are standalone but set in the same world. 

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
At this moment (early February 2022), I have 2 full books out right now and one novella. 

Sequenced is the first book in The Sequencing Chronicles, which follows Nellie as she finds out that life in Tiarny is nothing like she was taught. It’s a dystopian romance with fantasy elements that really come into play in the second and third books. There is a companion novella to Sequenced that can be read before or after the main trilogy. The Runaway Healer follows Solange and Rafael, a pair of side characters we meet in Sequenced. 

My third book is Opposite Ends of the Sea. This is my NA book and is a Romeo and Juliet retelling with a better ending (read: happily ever after). It is a paranormal urban fantasy romance that follows Elva and Nathan, a Winter Fae and Summer Fae as they fight against all the odds to be together.  {These books sound fascinating; I love the fae retelling of Romeo and Juliet.}

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
Sequenced was the hardest to write because it was my first book. I essentially had to rewrite the entire thing from scratch after my first draft, and editing was a beast. Opposite Ends of the Sea basically wrote itself. My co-author and I wrote the initial draft in 3 weeks. {THREE WEEKS? I am both amazed and jealous.}

Why do you keep writing?
It gives me an outlet that I never knew I needed. Writing really has opened so many doors and the mental health benefits for me have been astounding. 

Which character of yours is your favorite?
Goodness. This is hard. Bronywyn is a character in Sequenced who was initially just meant to be a throwaway character. The problem was, she grew on me (and the readers too). I love her so much, she’s getting her own book (or trilogy?). I’m a hardcore pantser, so we will see what happens. I also really love the character I am writing in the second book of Romancing Aranthium with my co-author. But since we haven’t shared about that project yet, it’s still a secret. 

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
My most favourite trope is enemies-to-lovers. We have this one in our next collab book! I also am a fan of the one bed and chosen one tropes. I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope. {Yes! I like all three tropes as well, enemies-to-lovers is amaaaaazing.}

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I love to read, knit and crochet. True crime podcasts are my favourite things to listen to when I’m not writing. 

What is your writing process like?
I am 100% a pantser. I have been trying to at least map out my books, but they end up as basically a 12 point outline (for example, one says: battle). I’m not very strict, and I definitely follow the writing. If something flows, I just go with it. I admire plotters but don’t know that that would work for me. 

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
Not yet! My books are set in imaginary worlds, so they all take place in my head. 

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Write every day. Just get it out. I find that once the writing begins to flow, it gets easier. {Very good advice!}

Find Elayna online!
TikTok: @authorelaynargallea
Instagram: @authorelaynargallea
Facebook: @authorelaynargallea

Thanks so much to Elayna for sharing these wonderful thoughts about herself, her books, and her writing process. I had a grand time learning about her and I hope you did too!

Until next time, Happy Saturday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

A Second Glance: Interview with Ashley Scheller

Hello there and welcome to another A Second Glance interview. As you know this interview series is exclusively for authors with two or more published works. It’s a place to celebrate their books and the wonderful world of writing. For this interview, I spoke with high fantasy author Ashley Scheller. She had some fun answers; I especially like answer to “why do you keep writing.” I’ve inserted some thoughts as well, in italics and brackets. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
Ashley Scheller is an Iowa author who lives with her husband of 10 years and three cats. She graduated from Iowa State with a B.S. in Education. Her day job is working as a substitute in her school district. Furthermore, if she isn’t writing her next tale she is creating art. Her recent creative ventures include a sticker store on Ko-Fi and digital pieces featuring other authors and readers in the BookTok community on Tiktok called ‘Chibi Readers’. “There are a lot of talented people out there and this is my way of giving back to an awesome and supportive community.”

What got you into writing?
“School. The long and short of it, to be honest. I feel very blessed to have had inspiring teachers in my life.”

What genres do you write in?
Scheller primarily writes fantasy.

Do you write standalones or series?
She is currently working on her first series.

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
The Wielder Diaries ‘My Crystal’ and ‘Shattered’ are books one and two out right now as Scheller is writing her third as we speak. This series is a multi-POV high fantasy featuring strong female characters, found family, and shapeshifting animals. This story, also, includes a heavy dose of mystery and magic. An exciting read for those looking for a clean adventure with dragons. [Dragons are always fun!]

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
“Each book had come with its individual challenges, but out of the two books, so far, I feel the second was harder as major rewrites spurred a delay in publication.”

Why do you keep writing?
“Every story and reader deserves an ending.” [Yess, I love this!]

Which character of yours is your favorite?
“That’s hard as The Wielder Diaries has a sizeable cast. I’d have to say Lute Gibe is my favorite. He can come across as insensitive or stubborn at times, but I enjoyed writing a character who is ultimately caring and funny.”

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
“I’m up for pretty much any trope or genre that doesn’t involve trigger warnings, kink, or a ton of spice. I’m sort of a mood reader but a sucker for fairytales.”

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
“Art. Any art, crafty thing that can grab my attention I am *bam* there and present.” [This is an awesome outlook; give her all the crafty things!]

What is your writing process like?
Scheller shared her writing process includes brainstorming followed by organized chaos, rounds of edits, beta reading (taking their feedback to polish the manuscript) and finishing with a final run through before publishing via Draft2Digital.

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
“The closest thing to traveling to see what my character’s castle may look like is Google, hehe.” [Google is an excellent source of inspiration!]

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“The best advice I’ve been given, so far, also served as a reminder. ‘My book won’t be for everyone and that’s okay.’ I’d like to add to that and remind other authors their books will mean something to someone someday and all it takes is one person, so keep going.”

Find Ashley online!
Website: https://aschellerbooks.carrd.co 

Thank you to Ashley for this lovely interview! I had a blast learning more about her and her writing, and I hope you did as well.

Happy Saturday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

A Second Glance: Interview with Amy Campbell

Hello again! This week has flown by. FLOWN BY. I’m back again with another fabulous interview, this time with author Amy Campbell. As always, my comments are in brackets and italics. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!
I’m a mom, librarian, and author. I live in Texas with my husband, our two busy boys, and our dog. One of my passions as a librarian is to help bring more visibility to indie authors. [Shout-out to you and to all librarians! Such an integral part of the book business. So awesome.]

What got you into writing?
From the age of 7, I always wanted to be an author. One of the very first stories I wrote was a Black Stallion rip-off. I wrote all through my teen years, but I never had the knowledge to persevere with a story. And that was a time when self-publishing didn’t exist even as a dream, so I never thought I’d have a shot getting published. I stopped writing around 2005. Life got busy and I had other pursuits. But then when the pandemic hit in 2020, I needed something I could control. I dove back into writing in April 2020 and I haven’t stopped since.

What genres do you write in?
Fantasy. Will I ever write other genres? Maybe! But for now, fantasy. [Yasss, fellow fantasy author here. I LOVE fantasy!]

Do you write standalones or series?
I write in series. Once I get to know my characters, I enjoy them too much to leave them alone.

How many books do you have out right now? Tell me about them!
I currently have 2 out: Breaker and Effigest, with Dreamer coming out in June. 

Which book did you have the hardest time trying to write? The best time?
Breaker was the hardest because I was coming off that 15 year period of not writing. Getting my brain trained to write again has been a task. I’m also not a planner – at all – and I desperately wanted some sort of outline that I could use as guidance because I was relearning this skill. That ended up doing more harm than good as I learned that I am very much a discovery writer. I’m just as surprised by what happens in my books as my readers!

I’ve had the best time writing Dreamer. Once I learned to let myself go, write that chaotic, awful first draft and go from there, it’s been a smoother process. And now I’m at the point where most of these characters are like best friends to me, so it’s fun to write about them. [I love this chaotic writing; it must be so freeing to write whatever! ]

Why do you keep writing?
It’s fun! And because of the particular types of characters I wrote about, it’s incredibly gratifying. Blaise is asexual, and it’s pretty rare to see an ace character in fiction. Or if you do it tends to be something more literary, focused on their aceness. Being ace is just a fragment of who he is, and I’ve received a lot of emails from readers who are really touched to see someone like them not only in a book, but being normalized in literature. [A fragment of who he is, love that statement.]

Which character of yours is your favorite?
This is like asking which of my children I love more. I have a special place in my heart for Blaise, though. Of the characters in my series, he and Emrys (his pegasus) have been in my head the longest. I first began writing about him (in a very different iteration) around 2000 or so. I stopped writing for more than a decade, but he simply slept in my subconscious and I was really happy to breathe new life into him!

What are your favorite tropes? Hated tropes?
I have so many favorite tropes. Found family, reluctant hero, masquerade, fantastic creatures, morally grey, unlikely friends, heroic last stand, from zero to hero – probably more I’m forgetting!

I don’t know that I hate any tropes per se. I would dislike a trope that’s not done well, or that is done in such a cookie-cutter way that it’s indiscernible from other books.

What kind of hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I don’t have a ton of time for hobbies outside writing at the moment. I work full-time as a librarian and I have 2 young children, so I’m pretty busy! I collect model horses, so they’re something that brings me a lot of joy. I used to play World of Warcraft, but I haven’t lately since I don’t have as much time to devote to it. [Phew, sounds like a busy household indeed. Model horses are cool, I bet you used one as inspiration for Emrys.]

What is your writing process like?
Chaos! As I said, I’m a discovery writer and I’ve had to learn my own particular crazy method. I tried outlines for my first two books and that just doesn’t work for me. Now I write a messy first draft where I only have a general idea of the things I’d like to see happen. (Sometimes they don’t happen!) Then I do a read-through where I only take notes and think about what needs to be added or changed. After that, I head back into the draft and add the missing parts and remove the things that don’t work. Then I do an edit in ProWritingAid and another read-through before it goes to my betas.

Have you ever traveled as research for your writing?
Sort of! I went on a Momcation with some other moms from my online Moms group in September 2021. We went to Breckenridge, Colorado and some of the tours I went on were things I can incorporate into my writing. We went on a horseback ride, which was so amazing since I hadn’t ridden a horse in years (despite how much I write about equines). I also went on a tour that covered some of the spooky historical aspects of the town and a tour of the historic saloons. [That sounds like a lovely time! I do love a good walking ghost tour.]

Last question, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
To just keep writing. I was really rusty when I started writing Breaker, and by the time I got to Dreamer I felt much more in the swing of things! Writing is like anything else – you can only improve the more you do it.

Find Amy Campbell on social media:
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Bookbub

Tweets by rawrbear

Thanks to Amy for chatting with me; her books sound like such an adventure! I hope you all enjoyed learning about her and her work as well.

Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you have two or more books out and would like to be part of A Second Glance, fill out this form and I’ll contact you!