K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in California, moved to Alaska at 21 as a single mother and after nearly 20 years, have settled in Nevada. I have my BA in Anthropology from UAA and I am a full-time writer.
I am also the grandmother of 2 grandsons, and happily married for 16 years now.
K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
When I write, I have to be in my PJ’s…not like most writers. I mean, until the project is done. No kidding, I live in them. If I‘m not comfortable, I cannot concentrate. Luckily, my family supports my habit and I have more PJ’s than a teenage slumber party.
When I check the mail, the neighbors are used to me now. It’s when I forget and dash to the store, that I get the looks~
K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
When I was young, I read Nancy Drew novels, Stephen King and comics. I always wrote in a diary or journal (wish I still had them all) and I loved making up stories.
Oddly, writers are good liars, in a way. I learned early on, I was only good at it on paper.
So, after winning the Golden Poet award in California at 20 years old, I began writing more seriously.
I joined RWA in 1997 and became a PRO member in 2008 after completing my first novel.
Then, I joined FF&P, too.
I’ve never looked back.
K.S. What genre do you write?
I write Paranormal Romances, and I am venturing into YA Steampunk this summer.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
The person who’s inspired me most for my own personal goals has been the author, Barbara Michaels. I became an archaeologist in Alaska, because she had her PhD in Egyptology and I felt it gave her the edge on writing about what she loves.
I’ve read all her books, numerous times, and I find her voice and her characters extremely
loveable and authentic.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
My family is supportive. My son has always pushed me to do it, and now that he’s grown, he was one of the first to buy my new release on Ebooks.
My Husband, however, is the best support. He published my first book for me, and is doing the second one. He felt, after seeing my work and Golden Heart scores and such, that it was time. And, he’s getting more men to buy my book at his workplace than I am getting women in my social circles.
But, I have to say my older sister is a great supporter, too. She and I joined RWA together, have gone to writer’s conferences and shared all our stories with one another. She pushes me, and I push her right back.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
I learned that I was in control of characters and the outcomes of their lives. That is a type of fascinating power to wield, even if it’s only on paper.
K.S. What inspires you?
Places and items inspired me more than anything else. I can think up a creative story off of a Sobe bottle cap in minutes. Or, I can visit a place and soak it in, until the atmosphere tells me what to write about it.
K.S. Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?
My debut novel was released on April 21st: Goddess Cottage. It’s a Paranormal Romance, about a woman turning 30 years old, hiding from powers she has but cannot control, and finding out that her life has been a lie her mother created to hide her from her fate as a powerful Witch. She is destined to travel back to her birthplace in Alaska and to meet a werewolf she’s been promised to in marriage and to accept her role in a larger destiny that will keep an enchanted world in balance. It’s a healing story of love and finding one’s self.
My second novel is: The Witch Ball, and will be released at the end of June.
K.S. Where can we buy your novel?
My books are only available in Ebook formats on Kindle, Nook, Sony and iBooks.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
I have a contest for different prizes, on the last day of every month. If you sign the (Contact Me) form at my website, you will be entered for the rest of the year.
I am also on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads as, Sheropatra.
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
Learn your craft. Go to conferences and meet other authors. Join a group that mirrors your writing genre and goals. Be active, this is your career, and it’s up to you to make it work.