Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Rebecca Ross!

Bio:

        Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor's degree in English from UGA. In the past she has worked at a Colorado dude ranch, as a school librarian, and as a live-time captionist for a college. 

         Rebecca writes fantasy for young adult readers. Her debut novel, THE QUEEN'S RISING, will be out February 6, 2018 from HarperTeen.
          THE QUEEN'S RISING is set to be translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Hebrew and will be available in the UK.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now On To The Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing?

       I honestly cannot remember a time when I wasn’t writing. Some of my earliest memories are taking printer paper, folding and stapling it into a booklet to write and illustrate my own books. I’ve always been drawn to storytelling. And I believe most of that desire stemmed from my love of reading. I was a voracious reader as a girl, and the more I read, the more I wanted to write my own tales.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

        I’m going to answer this with a Kate DiCamillo quote, (because I love and feel so much of what she says here, and I couldn’t say it better than her):
        “I hope that readers laugh. I hope that they think about their souls. I hope they think about how they are connected to the people around them. I hope that they story makes them feel less alone.”

3) What are your top three suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

1)   Write what you love. Write for yourself. Write what you want to read. This is so important and will give you a good foundation for your future writing, especially when pressure/worry/writer’s block strikes or when bad reviews trickle in. As much as I want everyone to enjoy my books, it simply is impossible. So to have this reminder—I wrote a book I love—will keep you steady in the storm.
2)   Persevere. So much of writing a book and getting it published comes down to how much perseverance you have. You cannot give up, even after receiving multiple rejections, even when you feel discouraged, even when you feel like it might never happen. Keep writing, keep querying, keep moving forward.
3)   Make time for your writing. I think one of the hardest things when you are an aspiring author is simply finding the time to write and work on your current manuscript. I was working a full time job when I began to draft The Queen’s Rising, and my husband had just broken his ankle and had a long recovery time, and I was stressed to the max. But I made time to write. I wrote early in the morning, I wrote on lunch breaks, I wrote late into the night, I wrote every weekend. And before I knew it, I had a completed manuscript at my fingertips. Learning how to guard your writing time, and to get into a habit of writing even when you don’t feel inspired, is extremely important and will help prepare you for life as an author.

4) What is your favourite novel, and why?

        Oh, this is a tough one. I have so many favorites, but I’m going to go with one of my most recent favorites, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Not only is this book beautifully told, but I felt like Arden transported me to medieval Rus’. I could feel the snow on my skin, smell the pine in the air. It is a whimsical, enchanting book and I love it so much.

5) Who is your favourite author, and why?

        One of my favorite authors is Melina Marchetta. She writes some of the most compelling characters I have ever encountered. In her Lumatere Chronicles, I was deeply invested in not just the main characters but the secondary characters as well. Like, I literally cried over them. That’s how much her characters mean to me.

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

         I love doing DIY projects. I also love to do calligraphy and to journal. I’ve just recently started keeping a junk journal, and it has been so much fun. I love to be outdoors in the woods, to spend time with my husband and my dog, and I, of course, spend a lot of time reading.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

         C.S. Lewis. His Chronicles of Narnia left such a deep impression on me as a child. I definitely tried to get to Narnia through a closet multiple times. I feel like Lewis opened my mind up to all of the possibilities a page can bring. I love his quote, “You can create anything by writing.”

*Editors note from TNSPL: OOOOOOOH MEEE TOO, C.S. Lewis for LIFE!*

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

1.    See the northern lights
2.    Visit an olive grove in Greece (I have a slight obsession with olive trees)
3.    Walk through a Scottish Castle
4.    Visit Chateau Gudanes in France
5.    Publish an Adult Fantasy book
        Most of my bucket list entails traveling and seeing beautiful places. But I also would love to write an Adult Fantasy book at some point, so time will tell if I manage to do it.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

          So a funny/slightly mortifying memory I can think of at the moment was when I was 19. I was the homecoming queen at my high school my senior year, so I returned for homecoming the following year to crown the next queen. And as I was standing in front of the crowd getting ready to crown the queen, I dropped the crown. On the floor. Really happy it didn’t break. There was a slight collective gasp from the crowd, and then some of my friends started cheering as I picked the crown back up. I just had to laugh about it and act as if it was completely normal to drop the crown.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

         You are amazing and brave and unique and strong. Anything you set your mind to, you can do.  And I'll close with one of my favorite quotes by Saint Catherine of Siena: "Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire."

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Emily Suvada!

Bio:

     Emily Suvada is the award-winning author of the Mortal Coil trilogy, a science fiction thriller series for young adults. The first book, This Mortal Coil, won the Oregon Spirit Book Award, and was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and the Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
      Emily was born in Australia, where she spent her childhood reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. In college, she studied math and astrophysics, and went on to a career in finance before finding her way back to her first love—books.
     Today, Emily lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, and still spends most of her free time reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. She also enjoys cooking, coding, powerlifting, hiking, and art. Her interests include AI, nanotech, virtual worlds, space travel, and genetic engineering. She is represented by DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing?

      I started writing stories as a young child - maybe seven or eight. I made a few serious attempts at short stories for competitions, but didn't try to write a novel until I was in my early twenties. It took me six years until my book was accepted for publication - publishing is a long, long road!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

      I hope that readers find themselves wondering about the future when they read my books, and questioning how they feel about widespread genetic engineering and other technological developments that we'll be seeing in the next few decades. I try not to say what's "right" or "wrong" in the future portrayed in these books, and instead want the reader to think about it and make up their own mind.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

      1 - Find a critique partner or group. You might be tempted to think that the most useful thing to come out of these relationships is other people's advice on your own work - but critiquing other people's writing is one of the best ways to learn and improve your own work.

      2 - Decide what you want out of writing. Do you want to be an award-winning writer? A bestseller? An inspiration to children? A page-turner who keeps people awake at night? A philosopher who makes them think? A romantic who makes them cry or swoon? A wordsmith who makes them gasp with the beauty of your prose? There are as many ways to be a "good" author as there are ways to have a "good" holiday, and the earlier a writer figures out who they really want to be, the better odds they'll have of achieving it. 

      3 - Develop a thick skin. This doesn't mean 'toughening up' - but rather facing the truth that many people will criticize, hate, or be utterly bored by your writing - and finding ways to deal with it. You don't love every book you read - so why should every reader love yours?

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

      I have three favourite novels - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and Neuromancer by William Gibson. Three very different books that I love in very different ways, and which have all equally influenced my writing.

5) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

      I really enjoy reading, obviously! I also love cooking, gardening, and getting outdoors - I love hiking and cycling especially.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Jeff Giles!

Bio:

      Jeff Giles is a writer based in Montana. He was previously the Deputy Editor of Entertainment Weekly, where he oversaw all coverage of movies and books. Prior to EW, Giles was an arts writer and editor at Newsweek, where, among other things, he served as a Rohan Army extra in “Lord of the Rings” while chronicling the trilogy from start to finish (Peter Jackson shot a close-up of him, then cut it, saying he “looked silly.”) Giles has freelanced for many outlets, including Rolling Stone and The New York Times Book Review.
      Jeff’s debut novel, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is a Young Adult Contemporary/Fantasy. A Montana girl, who’s grieving after the mysterious death of her dad, chases her little brother into a blizzard—and stumbles on a bounty hunter from the underworld who’s come to take a soul. She tries to help him escape his life before all hell breaks loose.

What has he written?

He has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

I remember taking a cool blank journal on a family vacation to Greece when I was 9 so I must have been thinking about it even then. (I ended writing about five words in it and that's it. I still have it somewhere, I think.) By 14 or so, I was probably sure that it's what I wanted to do for a living if I could. I wrote many, many bad stories and poems before I graduated from high school. I even put the date on all of them, because I thought they'd be important some day!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

My YA books, "The Edge or Everything" and "The Brink of Darkness," are fantasy novels but they've got a lot of stuff about family and grieving and shame and empathy. Those are the themes that mean the most to me personally.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

First, find a schedule you can stick to, even if it's only writing a couple hundred words a day or week. That way you won't wander away from a project because you haven't sat down to write in a while. Secondly, I always suggest writing at least a simple outline if you're thinking of a novel, so that you know where it's going and that the plot is interesting enough to carry a reader through a novel. Third, make sure you have snacks in the house, preferably chocolate.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

I have many favorites, depending on what genre. My favorite young adult novel is "Still Life with Tornado" by A.S. King. It's about a teenage girl going through a hard time with her family. She skips school to walk around her city and keeps magically meeting up with herself at older or younger ages-- and she tries to get advice from herself on how to handle her life.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

In YA world, it's A.S. King. In other genres, I love the Canadian short story writer Alice Munro and the Japanese novelist Huraki Murakami.  I also love the British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. His sci-fi novel "Never Let Me Go" is one I recommend to all kinds of readers.  I also recommend Ann Patchett's thrilling/romantic novel "Bel Canto" constantly.

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

I love music. I play a few instruments really badly and listen to all kinds of music.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

Cool question! I'm not sure. I had a great high school teacher, Mr. Emmons, who really encouraged me to write. But I think it was all the reading I did as a kid that inspired me the most. When I was in high school and college, I read a lot of John Irving's novels ("The Hotel New Hampshire" and "The World According to Garp" were my favorites) and I loved the funny, generous way he looked at people, especially messed-up families.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

I've never actually made a bucket list! But because I was a journalist I've already been really lucky in my life and gotten to meet many of my heroes and go to many places I dreamed about.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

Oh, I could write about a novel about being president of the high school marching band. We were the worst band ever.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

I'm sorry about what we've done to the earth and to people who are different and to politics, and I know your generation will fix everything.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Elizabeth Lim!

Bio:

      Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
      Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.
      Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the colour turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She grew up in Northern California, with a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, but now lives in New York City with her husband and their daughter.
​      Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with a degree in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and completed her graduate degrees at The Juilliard School.
 ​     She is represented by Gina Maccoby of the Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

         The first story I remember writing was in third grade. It was a mystery fanfic starring the twins from Sweet Valley. 

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

         I want readers to fall in love with a new world, and to see that heroes come from all backgrounds. Most of all, I want readers to feel emotionally invested in my stories and characters, enough that they remember it long after they've finished reading. 

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

        Read as much as you can, but listen too. A good ear can improve one’s writing immeasurably. 

Give yourself goals, not a timeline. 

Don’t let rejections get you down. Persistence is key. 

4) What is your favourite novel, why? 

         It's so tough for me to pick just one! I love most of the books I read, so I'm going to cheat a little and pick some favorites from the last month. As of December 2018, my favorites would be Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, Circe by Madeleine Miller, and The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth.

5) Who is your favourite author, why? 

         Same problem as the question above! Right now, I'd say Madeleine Miller and Laini Taylor because they both have a magical way of turning the most mundane action into something beautiful with their prose. 

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing? 

         I love writing music, reading, and traveling. Lately I’ve started to enjoy taking and editing photos. In typical neurotic-writer fashion, I also really like updating my calendar and making lists.  

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most? 

         My mother

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

         1. See a shooting star

         2. Visit the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (and see its pillar-mountains)

         3. Learn to lucid dream

         4. See the Northern Lights

         5. Learn how to cook Cantonese cuisine

9) What is your funniest childhood memory? 

         When I was around 4 or 5, I loved playing pranks on my family. Sometimes I’d use red marker and draw all over my hands and pretend I was bleeding to freak out my parents, or pour tons of sugar into my aunt’s hot chocolate. I also really loved reenacting shampoo commercials in the shower in my bathing suit. 

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be? 

         Chasing adventure, a successful career, a way to change the world for the better are all admirable goals, but don't forget to prioritize love and building relationships that will last.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Jane Washington!

Bio:

    I started writing when I was two years old. I’d concoct stories while my mother wrote them down for me, not even blinking an eye when I killed off the mother-dinosaur in my fictional dinosaur family, sending the baby dinosaurs off to live with their dinosaur grandparents. So, due to my mother’s lack of censorship every time I made up something borderline controversial, I’ve grown into an adult that mostly just writes borderline controversial things.
    And that, my friends, is how you shift blame.
     I live in Brisbane, Australia, with my Husband and our first-born son. He’s a dog, and he wasn’t born so much as bought, but he’s still our heir. We also have a couch, this one really nice lamp, and a few potted plants: Wally, Salvador, and Pinky. There was another, Alexander the Great, but he’s dead now. My writing process consists of a cycle of skipping. I skip sleep so that I can write, I skip meals so that I can write, I skip shopping so that I can write, and then I skip meals again because I didn’t go shopping. In the end, I skip writing because I’ve made myself sick.
It’s not a process I recommend.

What has she written?

She has written:

Giveaway!!!

   In collaboration with the amazing Jane Washington, we will be giving away a signed copy of her awesome novel Charcoal Tears INTERNATIONALLY! Whooo! Simply enter into the giveaway bellow for your chance to win this signed copy all for yourself!
Charcoal Tears
(Seraph Black #1) 
by Jane Washington
 blurb:
       “You see, there is safety in simplicity… in a life of simple peace, where the electricity doesn’t dance across the backs of my eyelids, and the sparks don’t slither over my consciousness. Only asinine peace, where my paintings don’t seem to paint themselves, leaving me with terrible feelings of premonition and a chill beneath my fingernails.”
       Seraph Black used to think that she was prepared for anything. She could last days without eating, and she always walked away from the violent altercations with her father relatively unharmed. She even survived working at the club, surrounded by the dregs of society, all staring into their bottles instead of noticing the unravelling lives that trailed behind them.
       She had thought that she could survive anything, but she wasn’t prepared for Noah and Cabe to come bulldozing into her life, careless of the precious secrets they picked apart in their quest to take over her world. She was even less prepared for the mysterious Miro and Silas, but most of all…
Most of all… it was the stalker that threatened her talent for surviving. She wasn’t ready for the photos, and the messages. The warnings. The threats.

       Seraph’s life of surviving in the shadows was over, because the searchlight had found her, and there was nowhere that she could hide.

      More info here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26569610-charcoal-tears
Please give the giveaway rafflecopter a moment to load :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

       I started lying when I was old enough to talk. I think that counts.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

       The experience of going through something terrible, and then overcoming it. The healing process. OR... maybe if they just have a giggle at something, that's fine too.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

1. Don't write to impress. Write what's real.

2. Being a good author isn't about having so much confidence that you don't feel fear, it's about being terrified ... and writing anyway.

3. Also, there's this awesome thing that Kurt Vonnegut said, and I agree with it 100%: “Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.”

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

         Catch-22, Joseph Heller. Because it's pure brilliance.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

          Samuel Beckett, or Joseph Heller. Beckett, because I've never encountered a person so optimistically miserable. Heller, because again, pure brilliance.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?

          I play the piano!

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

          My brother, Seb. He was the first person to encourage me to write, and he never stopped.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

          I have too many, I can't even answer this question! :')

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

          The day my ten-year-old self learnt how to fake-cry, and the looks on my brothers faces.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

         Read more.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring J.M. Miller!

Bio:

      J.M. Miller currently consumes her coffee in Florida. When she isn't busy being distracted by social media sites, she writes Young Adult and New Adult romance novels that vary in genre from contemporary to fantasy.
Aside from spending time with her family, she loves to travel and will jump at the chance to go anywhere, whenever life allows.
Social Media Links:
Website- http://www.jmmillerbooks.com
Newsletter- http://smarturl.it/uz4i1e
Amazon- http://amzn.to/1EeyYvV
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/j.m.miller.author
Instagram- https://instagram.com/authorjmmiller/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/jmmiller_author
Goodreads- http://smarturl.it/cr1soo
Pinterest-   http://www.pinterest.com/jmiller907/
Spotify- http://open.spotify.com/user/1298630229

What has she written?
She has written:

 
Excerpt of Fallen Flame:

        While the tingles in my red-orange skin slowly ascended into pain, the air biting as everything started to reform, a hard clanking noise outside the back door drew my attention. I slid into my thin underclothes, grabbed hold of my sword, then rushed toward the door. Knowing that sound was out of the ordinary, I was prepared to scour the garth and small area of trees behind the house, even search the neighbors’ land to find the cause. I hadn’t expected to open the door and find Xavyn standing a mere foot away, hood drawn and arms crossed as if I’d kept him waiting too long at the narrow back doorstep.

       I pointed my sword toward his chest and glanced around him, scanning the darkness. “What are you doing here?”

      “Following up.” The words were slow. As his hand reached up and removed the hood, his human eyes traversed my face, swallowing the details of my reforming skin in an intense, almost penetrating way.

       I realized then that I had no cloak, no mask. And for some reason, I wondered if I should take the time of throwing them on … before ending his life. He’d seen me in this state on Prince’s Night, but that was an instant, a moment amid darkness and chaos. Not this closely. I growled at him, digging the tip of my blade into the black leather at his chest, my regrowth pain dissolving as my anger took control.

      “Are you going to let me in or would you rather call attention to your treason?” he asked, his voice still holding a softness that grated me.

      “Quit staring at me that way and you can come in.”

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing?

      I wrote poetry in high school, but I didn't write my first novel until 29.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

      Entertainment. That's my main goal. If one of my books can get someone out of their own head for a few hours, make them think, feel, and connect with a character from another world, another life, then I'm happy. Anything more is a bonus!

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

     Write. Write. Write. There is no specific method, no real rules to start. Just write. When you determine what direction you want to take, you'll dig for more information. But the most important thing is to write. 

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

      This is always a tough question. But I do favor The Count of Monte Cristo. To me, it's just one of the best stories and the writing is amazing.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

      I don't think I can choose one. There are so many talented authors, and I'm always happy to find a new favorite.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?

      For the most part, I'm a homebody. I'm content to sit at home and spend time with my family, read a book, or work on my latest project. But I also love going to the movies and to the beach.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

      Hmm. I'm not really sure, actually. I think my parents are creative in their own way, but I don't believe either wrote creatively. I guess I'd just say myself. I've always been more of an introvert observer, watching everything around me. It usually leads to random thoughts and ideas.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

     Ooh! I love this question. There are things that I've randomly considered, but I've never really made a list, in my head or on paper. Right now, I'll have to go with:

1. Skydive

2. Revisit Europe

3. Visit Iceland

4. Smash some hefty writing goals

5. … There's so much more …

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

     I have some good ones but this is the first thing hitting me right now. I was maybe 10 years old (probably summer 1990 … yeah, I'm old), riding in my father's station wagon with three of my cousins. We had just gotten ice cream cones. MC Hammer's song "U Can't Touch This" came on the radio and my dad was swerving to the beat (on a back road with no real traffic). If you know the song, you know in the chorus he says "STOP! Hammertime." Well, my dad did a break-check on the "STOP!" and a cousin's ice cream cone smashed into his own face. It was pretty awesome. ;)

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

     Believe in yourself and fight for what you want in your life! But know that no one owes you anything. Work hard and you can make things happen.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Chani Lynn Feener!

Bio:

       Chani Lynn Feener has wanted to be a writer since the age of ten during fifth grade storytime. She majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. Chani is also the author of teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut, but lives on Goodreads.com.

Instagram: http://Instagram.com/TempestChani
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/TempestChani
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5171960.Chani_Lynn_Feener_aka_Tempest_C_Avery

 

What has she written?

She has written (for YA):

Now on to the Interview!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

     When I started seriously writing? Probably 15. I've known I wanted to become a writer since I was 10, but 15 is when I first tried my and at something other than fanfiction and decided to start taking learning and honing my skills seriously.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

     Honestly, I just want them to have a good time and forget about their troubles for a bit. I love classic literature, and Shakespeare. But when I was a teen, reading all of that assigned literature for school, there were many occasions I wanted to read something lighter, that I could immerse myself with and not have to pick apart. Being a teenager is stressful, and I really just want to provide a momentary escape from that with good characters, an interesting plot, and maybe a little magic (or aliens, as the case is for Amid Stars and Darkness).

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

     My first would be to just do it. Stop making excuses about how you're not good enough, or about how you're too busy, or how you'll never make it. The only way to get better is to practice, just like anything else. And now matter how busy you are, you can put aside five minutes a day. It doesn't sound like much, but even if you only get a couple of sentences down, that's still more than nothing. Most authors don't have connections to the business when they start, so they begin the same way you would: writing in their bedroom or their library or their kitchen. If they can get a book published (heck, if I can) you definitely can! You just have to want it badly enough, and do something about that.
     My second suggestion would be not to worry about what people will think, either about your genre choice, or the fact you're reaching for a pretty high goal. Write what you want to write, because if you don't love it, no one will. If you want to write about witches and vampires, do it. The next great American Novel? Go for it. Romance? Why not! You're not the only one who loves these genres, so even if your friends think writing paranormal books are lame, there's an entire community out there who does not!
      Lastly, find a process that works for you. There's no right way to write a book. Some writers like to plot the whole thing out, and some people like to just sit down with no idea what they're doing and go for it (I happen to be the latter). If you're not sure which works for you, try them both. You might even find the process is different for each book you write. Basically, don't think you can look up a "how to" with this. You aren't building furniture from Ikea. It's okay to be unsure how to start, or finish. Just trust your gut, and if later on you don't like something you wrote, that's what the backspace button is for.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

     I have five, and I cannot choose between them, so I'll list quickly! The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and Make You Mine by Jackie Ashenden. All of these books are really different, and aren't all from the same genre either, but I love them because I resonated with the characters in each of these books so deeply. All of these authors have the ability to put you into their characters heads, and surround you in a plot and setting super believable and easy to imagine. They all also make you think about who you are as a person, and I love books that force you to step back and wonder what you would do or how you feel about something.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

     Again, that's way too hard a question. I'll say I love Shakespeare, Maggie Stiefvater, Jackie Ashenden, and...actually, I'll stop there. The why would be that I've loved (or at least liked) most if not everything by these authors that I've read. If I see their name on something, I'll buy it without having to read the blurb.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?

     I draw a lot. I actually thought I was going to be an artist from the age of five until I really made the decision to just write at 15. I also love watching tv shows and going to the movies, and I'm a big fan of visiting aquariums and zoos. And, obviously, I read. A lot. I wish I could say I have more active pass times but....aside from roller blading, I really don't.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

     I don't think I can credit any one person. I get inspiration from everyone and from everywhere so...it's not like my mom or one of my favorite authors, or even my favorite show, can take more of the credit than another thing or person. Depending on the book or project I'm doing, my imagination will get sparked by different things.

 8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

 1. Go parasailing.

 2. Visit Cornwall.

 3. Visit Ireland.

 4. Make the NY Times best sellers list eventually.

 5. Attend Funko Fundays (and SDCC).

 9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

       Most of my funniest childhood memories are of my siblings doing stupid stuff so...I can't say without upsetting them.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

       Explore as much as you can. The sooner you figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life, the sooner you can start making that happen.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Katie McGarry!

Bio:

    KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

    Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Links:

https://twitter.com/katiemcgarry

http://katiemcgarryauthor.tumblr.com

https://www.pinterest.com/katielmcgarry/

https://www.amazon.com/Katie-McGarry/e/B008RFNSB8

She has written:

      Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1), Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2), Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3), Take Me On (Pushing the Limits, #4), Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, #1), Crossing the Line (Pushing the Limits, #1.1), Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, #1.5), Red at Night, Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, #2), Chasing Impossible (Pushing the Limits, #5), Untitled (Thunder Road, #4) and Long Way Home (Thunder Road, #3).

Now on to the mini-Interview! 

1) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

    I write books to show that no matter how dark the circumstances, there is always hope.

2) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

    My top suggestion is to study the craft of writing. My favorite book on the craft of writing is John Truby's Anatomy of Story and my favorite online class on writing is by Margie Lawson.

3) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

     To not give up on your dreams. I'm living proof that dreams do come true.