FAQ

What is your e-reading device of choice?

I like using Adobe's Digital Editions for e-books. It works wonderful with the e-books from my local library and Books-a-Million's (my favorite bookstore) webstore.

What do you read for pleasure?

Romance. Mostly historical romance.

Who are your favorite authors?

A lot of historical romance authors: Lisa Kleypas, Beverly Jenkins, Teresa Medeiros, Kerrigan Byrne, Meredith Duran, and etc.

What are your five favorite books, and why?

Wow. This is hard. I'll just pick the first five notable books from my memory.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne

Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Castle of the Wolf by Sandra Schwab

I love humor. I love adventure. I love romance. Redwall has adventure with anthropomorphic animals. Devil in Winter was one of the first romances I read which introduced me to the historical romance genre. It has a beautiful sizzle between St. Vincent and Evie (hero and heroine). The Hunter - I love awkward tough guys. The hero has been through a lot so when it comes to being a killing machine, he's got it down pat. But when it comes to love? Hilarity ensues. There's this one scene where I giggle every time. Without spoiling too much, there's this scene between the hero and his friend where the hero just goes on about his awkward encounter with the heroine and the friend is like (paraphrasing in modern language) "Dude, stop!" I love, love, love Medeiros. She makes memorable stories. Goodnight Tweetheart is all about trust and witty conversation through the Internet. Excellent references to popular culture (although I don't understand them all). Castle of the Wolf - I actually can't explain it. The best way to understand is to read the book yourself and enjoy yourself. I would say it is also an influencer on my writing. I was fascinated how Schwab incorporated interludes into her story.

How do you discover the books you read?

It's all experimentation. I just read a summary and I'm like "Hmm, this looks good" if it catches my attention. I know there is this thing about book covers but people like me tend to be more interested in the words on the back of the book. It also helps that I know what my reading niche is. Reading Lisa Kleypas' books, for example, introduced me to authors such as Julia Quinn or Teresa Medeiros. Years later, I see these lesser known or new names popping up in the romance genre and I'm like "Hey, let's give these people a try."

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

Morning. I'm a natural early bird which is a blessing when it's 7:30 am. But there are times I wake up earlier - 5:30 am or 6:30 am - which I then fall back to sleep. Any time after 7:30, I'm awake. Sleep is not an option until I can nap in the afternoon.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

I remember a few stories I wrote. I can't remember "the first" but I remember the first stories I completed as a hobby. They're terrible as they are now. One story I completed had an Ancient Egyptian theme. It really didn't have a plot. The second story was similar but went the "Alice and Wonderland" route. This story is actually what eventually led to The Zarellians. It's a middle school rough draft version of characters who would be the Zarell's previous matriarch and patriarch. It was a romantic story where this girl named Lily (I think that was her name) fell into Elric's world and they fell in love.

When did you first start writing?

Elementary school. Serious authorship and publishing didn't start until 2020. I'm regretful I wasn't on the course for writing since I was a kid. Authorship isn't considered a serious source of income which is funny because it is passive income. Meaning when your work is out there, it gives people a chance to buy it. And in the case of authorship taking a while to hit off, that's why encouraging children in writing and/or authorship is necessary. If you have a 10 year old creating works and practicing being an author, they have something to work with when they're 20. It's different when you're already 20 and starting from scratch. Or 30.

What is your writing process?

I've discovered the best method for me is writing on the computer. Just free-writing. But I also like to take walks while listening to music which allows my mind to wander. This helps me to get to know my characters more. However, I have a lot of journals so I force myself to write as much as I can in them then transfer that information onto the computer.

Writing in journal max. time: 1 hour

Writing on computer max. time: 2 hours

How do you approach cover design?

I'm still exploring since I am a new author. As of now, I can't hire cover designers so I have to manipulate public domain pictures myself. I actually had a different design for The Zarellians but I couldn't find the artist who created it (I like to give credit of the art creators in the books) so I went onto pixabay.com. I typed in color swirls and the current image you see on the first book is what stood out to me. Microsoft Word is a wonderful tool for book cover creation. Although, not as good as Adobe.

I won't talk about the second cover as I'll be spoiling my stories. But with the third cover, I wanted a good werewolf picture in association with one of my characters. I found it on pixabay.com and I was punching the sky excited. Dedicated artists like to get paid for their work (as they should). So it's difficult to find good pictures like that.

Essentially, I'm looking for something that captures the spirit of my book. Or maybe it's an idea. Something that I'm proud to look at and say "Yes, I'm proud of this picture!" I noticed how much attention my cover for Snowflower: The Swift and Unmerciful received. Especially from torrent sites. I checked my SEO and several of them popped up in the search.

What motivated you to become an indie author?

What motivated me to become an author is the desire to share my story. What motivated me to become an indie author was the knowledge that mainstream publishers want to get paid which tends to affect how a story is written. I want it to be in the readers' hands of what they like or don't like. This doesn't mean I'll up and change my writing style but it lets me know what people expect to read. What they're excited for. What they hate. Where they hope the story is going.

Describe your desk

It's nothing incredible. It's a plastic black stand. It can be adjusted to tilt and become taller for sketching or writing. Right now, I'm using it as a "desk" for my laptop while I sit on the couch. It would be nice to have a formal sitting area but authors have to make do with what they've got.

PS I refuse to have my laptop by my bed because it promotes laziness in me. If I want to write, I have to get up.

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. From the things I observe when I was a kid and in the present, it makes me realize how much we are in a "Wonderland." You see, a good section of the east side (where I was growing up) was what I called the sub-ghetto. It was suburban enough to not be a true ghetto (and I've seen a true ghetto). But it was downtrodden enough to be a ghetto. As you travel closer to downtown from the east side, you go through Bexley. Bexley is supposed to be a primarily Jewish township. It tends to be more presentable in appearance. Yet, on its other side, closer to downtown, is the ghetto. So we have a slowly dying collection of communities on one side and the ghetto on the other with a nice township smack dab in the center.

As an adult, I finally understood things such as gentrification and the disbursement of wealth. This wove its way into The Zarellians because I wanted to capture just how odd everything is. You can't really see it until you get a new pair of eyes. Which the Zarell's are in the first book. They can already see the restrictions the Travers have to live with from their first day in the fictional version of our world.

What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?

Making my free book free and publishing The Zarellian Glossary, also free. What's important is establishing a readership base. Now my first book is still too new but I've been seeing an uptick in people downloading it. People love free stuff. And future books maintain readers' interest.

What's the story behind your latest book?

Mischief is a continuation of The Zarellians. In it, I wanted to establish the characters to begin establishing their limitations as well as foreshadow their strength and power in future stories. As of right now, their cohabitation is new to them. They have to learn how to cooperate and how to communicate. To support each other through their ups and downs. Imogen and Rodrick, the main characters, especially learn how to come together as friends and future parents.

Do people have to read your books in order?

Yes and no. Yes because it is better to "see" events and know what's going on as the series unfolds. No because books in a series should be standalone enough that readers can jump around if they want. This series is also going to be a long, long, long one. I'll let it be a surprise of how long this series will be. But I wouldn't want my readers to look at the length and be like "I have to read all of THAT?!" I would want them to be able to read which books stand out to them even though it is recommended to start from the beginning.

Would you have your books adapted into film or television?

No. Absolutely not. Keep in mind, I do love film and television. They're a different medium in telling stories. However, not everything is meant to be turned into a movie or tv show. When something becomes visual, it takes away the imagination. As much as people like seeing what's in front of them, it's also beneficial to have your imagining of a character. Everyone has a different idea of the color red. Everyone has a different idea of "tall." Making any of my books visual takes away the magic of imagination.

One other thing - books are better at producing critical thinking and sympathy than movies and television. When people watch the screen, they want to be entertained. When people read books, they want to get lost. Meaning they want to feel like they're right there with the characters. They want to know how the characters think and feel. They want to fight beside them. They want to argue with them. They want to cry with them. To get lost in a book, readers have to understand what they're reading. And they have to do to this without a picture in front of them.

What do your readers mean to you?

I'm still tentative to say if I have a readership base yet. I do notice that there are a few people who are very much interested in my work. But to address any in the present and in the future, I tell them I appreciate them. I intend these books to hit too close to home. To get up and personal when it comes to human interactions, social injustices, and morality questions. But I also intend to convey hope. Faith. Perseverance. Community. And love. For every sunny day, there is a rainy one to come. But for every rainy day, there is a sunny one on the horizon. Basically, anyone who signs themselves up with this series is going to go through emotional upheavals. 

I also like to say thank you to my readers for having patience with me. Mischief was meant to come out in March but I had underestimated which angles to consider in the story. However, the final release date is April 25th, 2021. The book is already available to read on Amazon. So once again, I appreciate each and every one of my readers.

What are you working on next?

Like Mischief, Lycan is the aftermath of its predecessor. However, this one intends to be more honest and difficult to read. The Zarellians are put to the test to help Derrick with his lycan transformation. This means confronting their pasts, their joy, their sorrow, their anger, their hatred, and etc. I intend Lycan to be honest and spiritual.

Meanwhile, I will also be working on two novellas (we'll see if they turn out to be novellas). The wedding scene in Mischief is through Rodrick's perspective. I feel since Kayli and Rom getting married was part of the plot in The Zarellians, it would make sense for the wedding to be in their perspective. This first novella is called "A Zarellian Wedding." Hopefully, I can have it published and ready for release when Mischief becomes available everywhere.

The second novella is exploring the Zarell's world as well as understanding Zarek as a character. This story reveals how he met Gaveen and Nemony. It will also show his interactions with his twins, Kayli and Taiyung, when they were toddlers. This novella is called "Zarek's Journey." It should be published alongside Lycan.