A Misplaced Child
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Elodie ripped a small tab off the flyer with the competition’s web address and something glittering and shimmering caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw Jackson and a few of his gang rounding the corner toward her. They were joking and shoving each other, one of them dribbling a basketball, and didn’t seem to have noticed her.
The boys were not what had caught her attention. Her eyes refocused and all at once she saw the shimmer rise up, swirling in front of her, between her and the boys. She didn’t have a moment to do anything but inhale with a gasp, before the ruakh was around her.
There was a sharp rich odor of freshly tilled earth, and the skin over her whole body tingled. A wind picked up, and she felt a pressure on her bones like something held her tight. She was pulled hard to the left and tumbled through nothing. The nothing moved around her like a raging storm and a gentle breeze. After an extended moment of empty chaos Elodie landed hard on her back. Dirt kicked up around her and she choked on the dust.
With a cough, Elodie said a bad word.
The boys were not what had caught her attention. Her eyes refocused and all at once she saw the shimmer rise up, swirling in front of her, between her and the boys. She didn’t have a moment to do anything but inhale with a gasp, before the ruakh was around her.
There was a sharp rich odor of freshly tilled earth, and the skin over her whole body tingled. A wind picked up, and she felt a pressure on her bones like something held her tight. She was pulled hard to the left and tumbled through nothing. The nothing moved around her like a raging storm and a gentle breeze. After an extended moment of empty chaos Elodie landed hard on her back. Dirt kicked up around her and she choked on the dust.
With a cough, Elodie said a bad word.
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Heather Michelle is an emerging author of young adult fantasy. She lives in Acworth, GA with her cat Mister Bingley and a slew of unique roommates.
Growing up, Heather Michelle spent more time living in her imagination than outside of it. Small town life sandwiched between the redwood forests and the Pacific ocean provided a rich scope for the imagination. Before the age of twelve, Heather Michelle was not a reader, but a chance encounter with a rented audiobook launched her into the vast world of the printed word, and she never looked back.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
Growing up, Heather Michelle spent more time living in her imagination than outside of it. Small town life sandwiched between the redwood forests and the Pacific ocean provided a rich scope for the imagination. Before the age of twelve, Heather Michelle was not a reader, but a chance encounter with a rented audiobook launched her into the vast world of the printed word, and she never looked back.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an Author?
When I was in school, English was always my weakest subject. Give me math or science and I could rock it, but passing English was a struggle. I wasn’t a strong reader, I was terrible with spelling and grammar, and just the subject alone was enough to give me a stomach ache. Yes, I know what you’re probably thinking. Not typically the roots of someone who becomes an author.
When I was in seventh grade, I had never actually finished a book before. Every school book report was poorly done and if I even started the book, I never finished it. I had a third grade reading level, and I know this is lame, hated the feel of paper. I still do actually. In seventh grade is when it all shifted. I had a sleep over with a few friends, and as we figured out what movie to rent, my friend said she wanted to listen to the first Harry Potter audio book instead. We stayed up late listening and that was the first time I ever realized books actually had something of value to share. After I finished the audio book, I got number two from the library, and that was the first book I ever actually read. By the end of seventh grade my reading level had gone from third grade to ninth grade, although I still hated every book they assigned in English class.
Fast forward a few years, I still love to read, but all other skills are terrible. I was told most of my life that my spelling and grammar would hold me back, so it did. I was embarrassed to try and get better. Eventually I decided to start writing fan fiction. I was terrible. Well, that’s not entirely true. People loved my story but begged me to get a beta reader. And as I kept writing, something magical happened. I started to figure out where my mistakes were, and get better.
After figuring out that people really did like my writing, and my stories, I decided to work on my own worlds and characters and stories. If you have ever wanted to be a writer, you will know the first advice anyone gives you is to write every day. This is SO true. You don’t need to take it as law. We all have days or even a week here and there we need to do nothing for our own mental health. But it is a truth that the more you write the better you get at it.
For a long time I let my insecurities over my skills stop me from writing, but that was such a mistake, because it wasn’t until I just did it anyways that I started to get better and improve. I will always be a little self conscious on my skills, and I will always use an editor. But I have stories in me. Fun amazing stories that I can’t wait to share, and I will never let fear or self doubt hold me back again. In the same breath, I encourage anyone who wants to write to just start doing it. You will never regret starting, and you will only ever get better.
Where were you born/grew up at?I grew up in northern California, sandwiched between the ocean, the redwood forests, and the mountains. I deeply believe leaving your hometown, at least for a season is one of the healthiest things you can do to gain perspective. I left, and financially I don’t see myself returning, but I do love to visit. It’s such a beautiful part of the country, and serves as a backdrop for a lot of my imagination. In A Misplaced Child, Elodie also grows up in the same area, although we don’t see as many wonders of Earth as we do in the Twoshy.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I read, then I read some more, and when I have a headache or want a little variety I will play video games, or maybe to a craft project, and listen to an audiobook while my hands are busy.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Imposter syndrome is real, and I have it bad. Look up Neil Gamins quote on Imposter syndrome if you are unfamiliar. I still have a very hard time with calling myself a writer. I still say “I wanna be a writer someday” instead of “I am a writer.” I think it will be interesting to see how many published books I need to have before I am able to say it with confidence. Two? Three? Maybe I should just take my own advice and start claiming it, say it over and over again till it feels true.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I have a tendency to get obsessed with a movie, I will love it so much, force all my friends to watch it, and then watch it myself over and over again until I need to take a very very long break from it. I did this with the movie sweet home alabama in highschool (don’t judge me!) I did it with Inception a few years later, most recently I did it with Jupiter Ascending, the best worst movie EVER. The only movie I’ve never grown tired of is Pride and Prejudice(2005). When I get tired of it, I might switch to the 1995 series, or maybe watch a modern adaptation. But I love that movie, the music, and everything about it.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I can’t imagine A Misplaced Child ever becoming a good movie. Young actors who have to age up so quickly… I don’t see it working well, or ever having the budget it needed to really be great. I think it could probably become a good mini series, or a TV show. I have Elodie’s story all planned out, book two is in the editing phase, and book three is outlined, so I know how things will end. And spoiler alert. It’s gonna be good. Anyways, the characters age a bit between books, and I don’t think that usually translated well in movies.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Elodie’s story is a three book series, then we will have two novellas continuing the story in the Twoshy as we meet a few new characters, then there will be another three book series picking up where the novellas leave us off. After that I have a loos plan for another three books that take place before Elodies time, not quite a prequel because they finish off a story you first learn about in A Misplaced Child.
Outside of Elodie’s world of the Twosy, I have a few other series I want to work on, one focusing on irish folklore with a strong YA adventure plot, and another series about generational super powers. Those will probably not be seen for a few years, but I have plans, and am building the worlds and characters now.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Oh yes. So very many. It’s hard because the focus of a book needs to be intentionally narrow to keep things moving, but especially as the series progresses and you get to meet more of the Misplaced Children, I have backstories and adventures for all of them, but only a few make it into the final book. I do hope to post short stories or deleted scene bits on my website in the future.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Misplaced Child?
We have a large cast of characters in A Misplaced Child, but let's focus on the main children in the story.
Elodie Harper, our main character in A Misplaced Child. In this book, Elodie is twelve and struggling to figure out what is right and what is wrong when living between two different worlds.
On Earth Elodie is in junior high, struggling through therapy and dealing with adults who are convinced she’s lying about traveling to a magical world, and for once, Elodie is tired of telling the truth.
On Eres Elodie is princess and heir to the Kingdom of Aluna. She struggles with fitting the image of a princess and with the looming weight and responsibility of a kingdom she may someday have to lead.
Next up is Vanessa: bold, creative, confident and fiercely loyal. Vanessa and Elodie met on the first day of kindergarten and she was immediately captivated by the stories Elodie told about having traveled to a magical world and met a knight in a forest. Other kids may have made fun of Elodie and her stories, but not Vanessa. She loved the stories, believed every word Elodie told her, and drew a picture of the knight for Elodie that evening.
As a confidant free spirit gliding through junior high, Vanessa is a talented artist with a bright future ahead of herself, but sometimes she can't help the sorrow she feels knowing that Elodie travels to a world she can never see for herself apart from the drawings and paintings she makes from Elodie's descriptions.
Callie and Elodie first met one summer when they were both twelve years old. Callie grew up on the streets of Tross in the magical world of Elodie's birth. Being an orphan with no magic, no money, and absolutely no hope for a brighter future wasn't enough to keep Callie down. She meets life head on looking only for a way to make those around her smile.
Callie has a gift for mimicry. She can duplicate a person's expression and manner for hilarious results. She loves jokes and doing impressions, and while she may not be much yet, she is determined to never let life get her down.
Lastly Silas of Tate. Silas is a bright intelligent kid who wants nothing more than to become a knight and defend Aluna and serve Elodie some day when she's queen. We first meet Silas as a young page, confident and good natured, top of his class, and with a mind for strategy and leadership.
Sometimes Silas struggles with duty. Honor is a heavy weight on his shoulders that takes some adjusting as he grows older. No matter what he faces, Silas is determined to be the best he can be so that one day he can serve and defend his kingdom.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
My two favorite names, Elodie Harper and Silas of Tate I stole from friends naming their babies. Elodie Harper is the daughter of a friend from highschool, and Silas Tate is the son of some friends from college. Yes, I asked permission before using the names, and am sending both kids copies of the books, even though they are too young to really care right now. While the characters don’t reflect the real life people, their names lend spirit and life to the characters and I will be forever grateful.
For a few other names in the book, like Gediminas or Callie(short for Calendula), I picked their names carefully, looking for meaning that would fit will with the story.
There are also a lot of names, like Byron, and Jinis that I used random name generators for, because at some point creativity runs out and you just gotta make things work. Oburleck is a fun story though. This was originally a palace holder, just something random that gave the right feeling for the character when I typed it out, but didn’t totally plan to keep till it had grown on me, and nothing else fit after that.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I love the banter. Scenes where characters argue or exchange witty barbs. It makes me happy. Some of my favorites are between Gedas and other people, or between Silas and Elodie.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
I wanted to find a word that really expressed the emotion of Elodie’s life, and Misplaced was immediately it. She feels misplaced in a lot of ways, never quite fitting in her world. That's something that a lot of people can relate to I think. From there, I tried to think of a naming convention that I liked. Book one is A Misplaced Child, and book two will be A Misplaced Hope.
Who designed your book covers?
All three of my covers are being designed by the amazing and talented Rachel George (www.rachelgeorgeillustration.com) I have a little bit of design experience, but knew right away I would never be able to create something I would be happy with. I wanted the covers to be really illustration heavy with lots of hidden details, and Rachel George delivered. I’m excited to see what she does with the next two covers.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
As writers we are always growing and changing and getting better. I think there will always be things we aren’t satisfied with, but that’s ok as long as we don’t let it stop us from actually finishing. A Misplaced Child isn’t perfect. There will always be small things I want to change and improve, but for the most part I am happy with where it is at, and am so glad it’s completed. A lot of people I know who never get through their first draft run into issues with perfection. They focus so completely on making every line perfect that they never finish. My favorite quote about writing is by Shannon Hale and says “I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” Another one is by Jodi Picoult “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.” I’m happy with A Misplaced Child, and I’m so happy I pushed past trying to make it so perfect that I never tried to share it with anyone else.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I have learned SO much through the writing process. The best way to learn, I think, is to just stumble through it and be VERY open to feedback along the way. I’ve learned about writing craft, about story and how to shape it better, but my favorite things I’ve learned above all else are what words I have a tendency to swap and not realize it. I love to embrace the ridiculous and laugh at my own mistakes, so when a betta reader highlights a section like “He sits on the thrown” and then very politely asks me if I meant “Thone” I always laugh. Yes, I did mean Throne, thank you for catching my mistakes. I’ve switched aristocrats for aristocats, which I still think make the passage better, across for accost, minute for minuet, and so many more. Also, sometimes my word processor just won’t tell me when a word I’ve used is not a real word, so I won’t realize the abomination of a word I created is not in fact how you spell curtsy.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
NOPE. I would prefer for the movie to be actually good. Even if the main character was the same age and physical description of me, I would still say no. I would want to see someone else's vision of how the character is meant to be. I would prefer going the Stephanie Myer or Jo Rowling route and have a super random cameo, preferably in a bunch of makeup so I wasn’t even recognizable.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I think I have two. The first would be Elodie visiting the Variant forest with Gedas. It’s a moment when we get to see how they usually operate when away from the castle and politics, and nothing really seems more magical to me than being in a forest during a heavy snow.
My second would be a scene right near the end of the book that I won’t go into too much detail on for spoilers, but Elodie is alone, and Gedas, Silas and Sir Jesper show up. I like seeing the dynamics of those three men when they are taking care of business.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Most of my characters are made up. A lot of them I think carry traits from real people, but with the understanding that they are not those people. Vanessa for example is an amalgamation of all the best traits from my best friends, as well as a bit of who I wish I could have been growing up. She’s confident, and she loves her friends unconditionally. Elodie is a lot of my bad traits meshed together with the potential to be a strong hero/leader (which I don’t think I would be in her situation.
When you write, on some level you have to pull from what you know. Whether you think of a person you know, then do the opposite, or think of a teacher you loved, and pull out the core of who they were, and shove it into a character. Elodie’s mom is nothing like my mom or the relationship I had with her, but Vanessa’s mom is a little more like my mom.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Pine needles and the air right before it starts to rain.
What did you edit out of this book?
I didn’t remove a ton. You may notice the book is a bit longer than it needs to be. There was a scene I removed from the beginning with Elodie’s family dinner that slowed down the pacing a little, and in my original outline there would have been an additional adventure to the Twoshy. Most of what I removed was extra words or exposition that slowed things down.
Is there any writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
As an extreme introvert who has a terrible case of imposter syndrome, the idea of talking with an author I admire terrifies me. That being said, Tamora Pierce is a big influence for me, and I would love to be her friend and help her take care of stray cats.
How long have you been writing?
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?Most of the characters come to me as I outline. I look at the plot, what needs to happen, who we will meet, and then shape the character from need, throwing in some fun personality traits to make things interesting. My main characters I never really intentionally came up with. It felt more like, “Of course my story would have an old wizard mentor with an unknown past who dotes on the main character but hates everyone else. Of course there’s gonna be a boy with all the personality traits my main character is lacking and is always there when she needs them most.”
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I’ve purchased and read quite a few writing for dummies books and watched a lot of youtube videos talking about story and writing, just to make sure I knew all the important things. But honestly, that’s a bit of a joke. There are no true rules of writing. You do what works best for you, and if something isn't’t working, try something else. When I leaned about my weak skills with writing, like using filter words, ect. I researched more into them to make sure I really understood it, ect, but for the most part, you become a better writer by just writing, and getting feedback, then listening to some of the feedback, throwing out other feedback, and continuing to write.
For this specific book, I did do some research into topics I knew I needed for the story. Different forms of government, castle structure, things like that. Elodie loves plant magic. She loves knowing what a plant can do both medicinally and magically. I’ve done a lot of research for different plants, then used things like folklore to help give ideas for the magical side.
Do you see writing as a career?
I believe writing can be a career if you are willing to invest in it and work hard towards it. Right now this is not my full time career, it’s just an expensive hobby. But maybe one day in a few years I will get there.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
From what I’ve read and seen over the last few years, the publishing industry has changed SO much. Listening to publishing advice from authors who got started 10+ years ago, can be fun, but it’s not realistic anymore. Self publishing has changed so much, and made writing very accessible. For me I started out thinking traditional publishing was the way to go. So many people turn up their noses at self publishing, and I was one of those people who felt that way before I had really done some research. I have a full time job, I saved up for cover art and editing and my marketing budget. If you can do those things, and not skimp where it matters, you can be really successful with self publishing. I’m just getting started, but I have a lot of hope it will go well.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?I love to read. When I’m not writing, I’m probably reading. For me to be productive with my writing, I can’t be in the middle of a book or series I’m super into, so I try to be intentional with my reading, not starting a book towards the end of the week if I want to have a productive weekend for example. My favorite genre is young adult fantasy, and that is what I plan to write. I also enjoy all types of fantasy, middle grade, adult, some urban fantasy. I also like some sify, but I’m a little more picky with it. Give me magic, or horses or swords, and throw in some strong characters who get themselves in and out of trouble, or fight against all the odds, and I’m sold.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Noise isn’t a problem for me, as long as it’s steady, like music, or rain or a storm, or my roommates living their lives around me. I can’t work in the same room as a TV that’s on unless I have ear plugs, and it’s out of my line of sight, and if people are having a conversation close to me, I will usually put on music. But I do love to write around people and activity. Being alone in a silent empty room can just be sad, or make me feel like I’m missing out on other things. I atleast need a window or my cat.
That all being said, when I’m editing, I need a LOT less distraction, so people not talking at all, or very loud music.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I do work on one book at a time when I’m drafting a rough draft while also outlining and making notes for later books. When you’re working on a book that will be a series you run into a lot of plot ideas and thoughts that need to be included in later books. When I finish with one draft, I do leave it alone for a while, give it to betas, and work on another book outline or draft.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. I do like taking physical notes, but keeping all notes in one place and being able to organise them is so valuable. For writing, having a word processor is so helpful. I’ve hand written a few scenes before, and the time it takes to retype into a doc is so not productive.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
One of my favorite characters in A Misplaced Child is Gedas. He’s a wizard who looks to be in his 40’s although there are lots of jokes that he’s much older, but only looks young because of his magic, so we never really know how old he is. Wizard is a ranking among magical users in the Twoshy, it’s the highest ranking, and there aren’t many wizard class mages alive. This means Gedas could have quite a lot of political power if he chose, which he does not, because he doesn’t like the kind of people you have to interact with when you have political power. Gedas is dismissive and almost cruel to people he doesn't care for, but he dotes on Elodie and they have a very close relationship, more like family than a mentor and student.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
I’ve always loved stories, coming up with them, acting them out, doing whatever I needed to so I could share them with others. When I was younger, and a very poor reader this translated to me wanting to be an actor, and putting on skits and plays with my friends. As I’ve built my confidence with my own skill as a writer, I now see this is the perfect fit for me. I love writing. I love getting these ideas and characters and worlds out of my head and written out in a complete way. I hope these worlds and stories go on to touch other people and over an escape as fiction has for me for my life.
A day in the life of the author?
Weekdays:
I work a pretty early schedule of 5am to 2pm at my day job. I work from home, so with the lack of a commute when I’m off work I can take a short break, then spend some time writing or editing. If I’m in the middle of drafting a story, I try to do at least 250 words a day, knowing that is obtainable, so days when I don’t want to I can still push for it, and days when I’m feeling it, I can knock out a few thousand. After writing, I will work on my to do list things, like responding to emails, or setting up files for betas ect. I try to be kind to myself. If I need to take a break from writing, I do it. If I need to take a week from writing, that’s fine too. Because I know I will come back to it, recharged and ready to go. Working a full time job and writing means I have to be very intentional not to reach burnout, and I’ve worked hard to identify the differences between burnout and what other people call writers block, so I know when to push myself, and when to give myself a break.
Weekends:
On the weekends, I love to sleep in. During the week I get up at 5am, so sleeping in is still waking up early for most people. Once I’m up, I shower, and get ready for my day, eat breakfast, then set in on writing. I will usually try to write first, then work on to do list things I have to get done. On a weekend I can usually get in 2-9k words on a productive day. My most productive weekend day was 13k. I don’t always write or edit both days of a weekend. I may take Saturday or Sunday off depending on how rough my day job was that week, or what I need to get done. I try really hard to focus on small wins. I may not have gotten to any writing in a day, but I did take a bunch of pics for instagram next month. Productivity when trying to publish is so much more than just writing, so a word count isn’t always the best indication of success.
Advice they would give new authors?
Write. Write every day. Don’t feel guilty or give up when you don’t write every day. Get feedback on your writing. Don’t feel like it needs to be perfect before you get feedback. If something isn’t working, try something else. For example, if you are convinced you write better with no outline, but keep getting stuck, write an outline. And the opposite is true as well. Any advice you hear from another writer, if it doesn’t work for you, that’s ok. Try something else.
What makes a good story?
For me, a good story is all about the characters and their development, and good world building. I don’t really care what your plot is. Just make sure it moves forward at a good pace, and use it to grow your characters and introduce me to the world you created.
What are they currently reading?A new book just came out by one of my favorite authors, Ilona Andrews, so I re read the books in the series, then read through the new book. Emerald Blaze. I read it too fast and now I’m sad. :]
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
When I started my first book, I didn’t outline. I “knew” where the story was going, so I didn’t think it was necessary. Then I got really bogged down with writing, and started getting frustrated, so I tried outlining, and it made finishing the book SO much simpler. I am definitely an outliner now, although of my first three books, I’ve outlined each one differently, so I’m still fine tuning my process. Usually long before I outline, I come up with scenes or moments in the story that I know I’m gonna want. So when I get to the outline, I have all these short chapters or scenes or blocks of dialog that I fit into my outline. I usually write the draft in order, starting at chapter one, and moving on from there, but if a scene comes to me, I will write it out then and there. For example, while I was in the middle of drafting book 2 in The Misplaced Children series, a key scene at the very end of book 3 came to me, so I wrote it all out and saved it. Those scenes end up being my favorites too, like little waystations when I’m writing out the draft. And while I always end up editing them later, I love seeing how the story falls into place around them as I write.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Thinking your story has to be perfect before you can move on. I think a lot of writers are so focused on writing the perfect paragraph that they never finish the page. Just write it all out. Make it messy, put in place holders like NAME when you need to come up with something but don’t wanna break your momentum. Then go back and clean it up AFTER you finish. If you insist on making it perfect before you get to the end, you won’t finish it.
One other big trap is sharing your story too soon. This isn’t true for everyone, but for me, and for some other writers I’ve met, if you have a few chapters done, and just want people to read it now, once you get that, you may never go back and finish the rest. It’s like you have that story building in you, and once you start letting it out, you lose the deep burning need to write it, and it can kill your productivity. For some writers, this will also happen in the form of telling someone all about your story and the characters before ever putting it on paper. You think your idea is SO cool, your characters are awesome, your magic system is perfect, so you spend 45 minutes telling another writer all about how cool it will be when you write it, then when you’re done talking, that motivation to put words on a page starts to droop, and you never get around to actually doing it.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
A to do list. When I have things that need to get done in my real life, I have a hard time being productive. This means needing to get my oil changed, needing to clean the cat box, or take out the trash. If I’m gonna have a productive weekend writing, I need to get these things done during the week so I have the brain space to write. I also struggle a lot with stress. If there are things that are stressing me out, I have a hard time being creative, and I can spend 3 hours and barely write 250 words. This means I try really hard to keep a healthy personal life, and take care of my mental health whenever I can,
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I am very very aware there is nothing new under the sun. I want my writing to be fresh and feel new. A Misplaced Child does a lot of things ‘wrong’ when you talk about what is on market, but I don’t totally care, because this is a story really close to my heart. And ultimately if it’s not successful, I’m writing this one for me, and I hope that it reaches the right audience. I am also planning another series that is a little more in line to what I think most readers expect from YA fantasy, but it will still have a lot of me in it, and I don’t want to just rehash the exact same story you can find 50 copies of on a bookstore shelf.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Keep going. Don’t stop. Writing is what makes you good at writing.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I don’t believe in writer’s block as a condition or an all powerful force we have no control over. I think that first we need to realize writer’s block and burnout are two very different things. Writer’s block is something you need to push past, and burnout is something you need to give yourself grace and time to get past. To me, writer’s block means there’s something I need to do differently. If I’m stuck on a scene, there’s a few things I need to check:
* Is this scene really important for the story? If I hate writing it, maybe it needs to be cut.
* Did I outline what needs to happen here well enough? If I’m stuck, maybe I need to go back to planning.
* Am I just not in the mood to write? Try writing another scene, or do something else for a few hours like answering emails, or taking a walk. Or, alternatively, suck it up and make myself do it.
* Am I stressed about something? Get it taken care of. Call that person I keep rehashing my last conversation with and get what I need off my chest. Return that text I’m avoiding. End that friendship that is sucking out my soul.
Another great tip for me getting past writer’s block is to try writing a scene differently. Maybe I will start by just writing out the dialogue, and then going back and filling in any action that’s needed. Maybe I need to go lay on my bed and use voice to text on my phone and talk out the scene in a stream of consciousness.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
I don’t think I would make a great world ruler. But if I ever went evil, I think I would be a great evil ruler. My personality type is an advocate with a strong splash of mediator thrown in. Reading about my personality type, when they are really unhealthy, it takes a lot for us to go bad, but when we do we go REALLY bad, believing our ideals of the world are correct, and taking any action necessary to make them a reality for the good of all. I actually love these types of bad guys, and this is something I plan to explore, not in Elodie’s story, but in a follow up series I have planned after Elodie’s story.
When I was in school, English was always my weakest subject. Give me math or science and I could rock it, but passing English was a struggle. I wasn’t a strong reader, I was terrible with spelling and grammar, and just the subject alone was enough to give me a stomach ache. Yes, I know what you’re probably thinking. Not typically the roots of someone who becomes an author.
When I was in seventh grade, I had never actually finished a book before. Every school book report was poorly done and if I even started the book, I never finished it. I had a third grade reading level, and I know this is lame, hated the feel of paper. I still do actually. In seventh grade is when it all shifted. I had a sleep over with a few friends, and as we figured out what movie to rent, my friend said she wanted to listen to the first Harry Potter audio book instead. We stayed up late listening and that was the first time I ever realized books actually had something of value to share. After I finished the audio book, I got number two from the library, and that was the first book I ever actually read. By the end of seventh grade my reading level had gone from third grade to ninth grade, although I still hated every book they assigned in English class.
Fast forward a few years, I still love to read, but all other skills are terrible. I was told most of my life that my spelling and grammar would hold me back, so it did. I was embarrassed to try and get better. Eventually I decided to start writing fan fiction. I was terrible. Well, that’s not entirely true. People loved my story but begged me to get a beta reader. And as I kept writing, something magical happened. I started to figure out where my mistakes were, and get better.
After figuring out that people really did like my writing, and my stories, I decided to work on my own worlds and characters and stories. If you have ever wanted to be a writer, you will know the first advice anyone gives you is to write every day. This is SO true. You don’t need to take it as law. We all have days or even a week here and there we need to do nothing for our own mental health. But it is a truth that the more you write the better you get at it.
For a long time I let my insecurities over my skills stop me from writing, but that was such a mistake, because it wasn’t until I just did it anyways that I started to get better and improve. I will always be a little self conscious on my skills, and I will always use an editor. But I have stories in me. Fun amazing stories that I can’t wait to share, and I will never let fear or self doubt hold me back again. In the same breath, I encourage anyone who wants to write to just start doing it. You will never regret starting, and you will only ever get better.
Where were you born/grew up at?I grew up in northern California, sandwiched between the ocean, the redwood forests, and the mountains. I deeply believe leaving your hometown, at least for a season is one of the healthiest things you can do to gain perspective. I left, and financially I don’t see myself returning, but I do love to visit. It’s such a beautiful part of the country, and serves as a backdrop for a lot of my imagination. In A Misplaced Child, Elodie also grows up in the same area, although we don’t see as many wonders of Earth as we do in the Twoshy.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I read, then I read some more, and when I have a headache or want a little variety I will play video games, or maybe to a craft project, and listen to an audiobook while my hands are busy.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Imposter syndrome is real, and I have it bad. Look up Neil Gamins quote on Imposter syndrome if you are unfamiliar. I still have a very hard time with calling myself a writer. I still say “I wanna be a writer someday” instead of “I am a writer.” I think it will be interesting to see how many published books I need to have before I am able to say it with confidence. Two? Three? Maybe I should just take my own advice and start claiming it, say it over and over again till it feels true.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I have a tendency to get obsessed with a movie, I will love it so much, force all my friends to watch it, and then watch it myself over and over again until I need to take a very very long break from it. I did this with the movie sweet home alabama in highschool (don’t judge me!) I did it with Inception a few years later, most recently I did it with Jupiter Ascending, the best worst movie EVER. The only movie I’ve never grown tired of is Pride and Prejudice(2005). When I get tired of it, I might switch to the 1995 series, or maybe watch a modern adaptation. But I love that movie, the music, and everything about it.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I can’t imagine A Misplaced Child ever becoming a good movie. Young actors who have to age up so quickly… I don’t see it working well, or ever having the budget it needed to really be great. I think it could probably become a good mini series, or a TV show. I have Elodie’s story all planned out, book two is in the editing phase, and book three is outlined, so I know how things will end. And spoiler alert. It’s gonna be good. Anyways, the characters age a bit between books, and I don’t think that usually translated well in movies.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Elodie’s story is a three book series, then we will have two novellas continuing the story in the Twoshy as we meet a few new characters, then there will be another three book series picking up where the novellas leave us off. After that I have a loos plan for another three books that take place before Elodies time, not quite a prequel because they finish off a story you first learn about in A Misplaced Child.
Outside of Elodie’s world of the Twosy, I have a few other series I want to work on, one focusing on irish folklore with a strong YA adventure plot, and another series about generational super powers. Those will probably not be seen for a few years, but I have plans, and am building the worlds and characters now.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Oh yes. So very many. It’s hard because the focus of a book needs to be intentionally narrow to keep things moving, but especially as the series progresses and you get to meet more of the Misplaced Children, I have backstories and adventures for all of them, but only a few make it into the final book. I do hope to post short stories or deleted scene bits on my website in the future.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Misplaced Child?
We have a large cast of characters in A Misplaced Child, but let's focus on the main children in the story.
Elodie Harper, our main character in A Misplaced Child. In this book, Elodie is twelve and struggling to figure out what is right and what is wrong when living between two different worlds.
On Earth Elodie is in junior high, struggling through therapy and dealing with adults who are convinced she’s lying about traveling to a magical world, and for once, Elodie is tired of telling the truth.
On Eres Elodie is princess and heir to the Kingdom of Aluna. She struggles with fitting the image of a princess and with the looming weight and responsibility of a kingdom she may someday have to lead.
Next up is Vanessa: bold, creative, confident and fiercely loyal. Vanessa and Elodie met on the first day of kindergarten and she was immediately captivated by the stories Elodie told about having traveled to a magical world and met a knight in a forest. Other kids may have made fun of Elodie and her stories, but not Vanessa. She loved the stories, believed every word Elodie told her, and drew a picture of the knight for Elodie that evening.
As a confidant free spirit gliding through junior high, Vanessa is a talented artist with a bright future ahead of herself, but sometimes she can't help the sorrow she feels knowing that Elodie travels to a world she can never see for herself apart from the drawings and paintings she makes from Elodie's descriptions.
Callie and Elodie first met one summer when they were both twelve years old. Callie grew up on the streets of Tross in the magical world of Elodie's birth. Being an orphan with no magic, no money, and absolutely no hope for a brighter future wasn't enough to keep Callie down. She meets life head on looking only for a way to make those around her smile.
Callie has a gift for mimicry. She can duplicate a person's expression and manner for hilarious results. She loves jokes and doing impressions, and while she may not be much yet, she is determined to never let life get her down.
Lastly Silas of Tate. Silas is a bright intelligent kid who wants nothing more than to become a knight and defend Aluna and serve Elodie some day when she's queen. We first meet Silas as a young page, confident and good natured, top of his class, and with a mind for strategy and leadership.
Sometimes Silas struggles with duty. Honor is a heavy weight on his shoulders that takes some adjusting as he grows older. No matter what he faces, Silas is determined to be the best he can be so that one day he can serve and defend his kingdom.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
My two favorite names, Elodie Harper and Silas of Tate I stole from friends naming their babies. Elodie Harper is the daughter of a friend from highschool, and Silas Tate is the son of some friends from college. Yes, I asked permission before using the names, and am sending both kids copies of the books, even though they are too young to really care right now. While the characters don’t reflect the real life people, their names lend spirit and life to the characters and I will be forever grateful.
For a few other names in the book, like Gediminas or Callie(short for Calendula), I picked their names carefully, looking for meaning that would fit will with the story.
There are also a lot of names, like Byron, and Jinis that I used random name generators for, because at some point creativity runs out and you just gotta make things work. Oburleck is a fun story though. This was originally a palace holder, just something random that gave the right feeling for the character when I typed it out, but didn’t totally plan to keep till it had grown on me, and nothing else fit after that.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I love the banter. Scenes where characters argue or exchange witty barbs. It makes me happy. Some of my favorites are between Gedas and other people, or between Silas and Elodie.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
I wanted to find a word that really expressed the emotion of Elodie’s life, and Misplaced was immediately it. She feels misplaced in a lot of ways, never quite fitting in her world. That's something that a lot of people can relate to I think. From there, I tried to think of a naming convention that I liked. Book one is A Misplaced Child, and book two will be A Misplaced Hope.
Who designed your book covers?
All three of my covers are being designed by the amazing and talented Rachel George (www.rachelgeorgeillustration.com) I have a little bit of design experience, but knew right away I would never be able to create something I would be happy with. I wanted the covers to be really illustration heavy with lots of hidden details, and Rachel George delivered. I’m excited to see what she does with the next two covers.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
As writers we are always growing and changing and getting better. I think there will always be things we aren’t satisfied with, but that’s ok as long as we don’t let it stop us from actually finishing. A Misplaced Child isn’t perfect. There will always be small things I want to change and improve, but for the most part I am happy with where it is at, and am so glad it’s completed. A lot of people I know who never get through their first draft run into issues with perfection. They focus so completely on making every line perfect that they never finish. My favorite quote about writing is by Shannon Hale and says “I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” Another one is by Jodi Picoult “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.” I’m happy with A Misplaced Child, and I’m so happy I pushed past trying to make it so perfect that I never tried to share it with anyone else.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I have learned SO much through the writing process. The best way to learn, I think, is to just stumble through it and be VERY open to feedback along the way. I’ve learned about writing craft, about story and how to shape it better, but my favorite things I’ve learned above all else are what words I have a tendency to swap and not realize it. I love to embrace the ridiculous and laugh at my own mistakes, so when a betta reader highlights a section like “He sits on the thrown” and then very politely asks me if I meant “Thone” I always laugh. Yes, I did mean Throne, thank you for catching my mistakes. I’ve switched aristocrats for aristocats, which I still think make the passage better, across for accost, minute for minuet, and so many more. Also, sometimes my word processor just won’t tell me when a word I’ve used is not a real word, so I won’t realize the abomination of a word I created is not in fact how you spell curtsy.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
NOPE. I would prefer for the movie to be actually good. Even if the main character was the same age and physical description of me, I would still say no. I would want to see someone else's vision of how the character is meant to be. I would prefer going the Stephanie Myer or Jo Rowling route and have a super random cameo, preferably in a bunch of makeup so I wasn’t even recognizable.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I think I have two. The first would be Elodie visiting the Variant forest with Gedas. It’s a moment when we get to see how they usually operate when away from the castle and politics, and nothing really seems more magical to me than being in a forest during a heavy snow.
My second would be a scene right near the end of the book that I won’t go into too much detail on for spoilers, but Elodie is alone, and Gedas, Silas and Sir Jesper show up. I like seeing the dynamics of those three men when they are taking care of business.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Most of my characters are made up. A lot of them I think carry traits from real people, but with the understanding that they are not those people. Vanessa for example is an amalgamation of all the best traits from my best friends, as well as a bit of who I wish I could have been growing up. She’s confident, and she loves her friends unconditionally. Elodie is a lot of my bad traits meshed together with the potential to be a strong hero/leader (which I don’t think I would be in her situation.
When you write, on some level you have to pull from what you know. Whether you think of a person you know, then do the opposite, or think of a teacher you loved, and pull out the core of who they were, and shove it into a character. Elodie’s mom is nothing like my mom or the relationship I had with her, but Vanessa’s mom is a little more like my mom.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Pine needles and the air right before it starts to rain.
What did you edit out of this book?
I didn’t remove a ton. You may notice the book is a bit longer than it needs to be. There was a scene I removed from the beginning with Elodie’s family dinner that slowed down the pacing a little, and in my original outline there would have been an additional adventure to the Twoshy. Most of what I removed was extra words or exposition that slowed things down.
Is there any writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
As an extreme introvert who has a terrible case of imposter syndrome, the idea of talking with an author I admire terrifies me. That being said, Tamora Pierce is a big influence for me, and I would love to be her friend and help her take care of stray cats.
How long have you been writing?
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?Most of the characters come to me as I outline. I look at the plot, what needs to happen, who we will meet, and then shape the character from need, throwing in some fun personality traits to make things interesting. My main characters I never really intentionally came up with. It felt more like, “Of course my story would have an old wizard mentor with an unknown past who dotes on the main character but hates everyone else. Of course there’s gonna be a boy with all the personality traits my main character is lacking and is always there when she needs them most.”
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I’ve purchased and read quite a few writing for dummies books and watched a lot of youtube videos talking about story and writing, just to make sure I knew all the important things. But honestly, that’s a bit of a joke. There are no true rules of writing. You do what works best for you, and if something isn't’t working, try something else. When I leaned about my weak skills with writing, like using filter words, ect. I researched more into them to make sure I really understood it, ect, but for the most part, you become a better writer by just writing, and getting feedback, then listening to some of the feedback, throwing out other feedback, and continuing to write.
For this specific book, I did do some research into topics I knew I needed for the story. Different forms of government, castle structure, things like that. Elodie loves plant magic. She loves knowing what a plant can do both medicinally and magically. I’ve done a lot of research for different plants, then used things like folklore to help give ideas for the magical side.
Do you see writing as a career?
I believe writing can be a career if you are willing to invest in it and work hard towards it. Right now this is not my full time career, it’s just an expensive hobby. But maybe one day in a few years I will get there.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
From what I’ve read and seen over the last few years, the publishing industry has changed SO much. Listening to publishing advice from authors who got started 10+ years ago, can be fun, but it’s not realistic anymore. Self publishing has changed so much, and made writing very accessible. For me I started out thinking traditional publishing was the way to go. So many people turn up their noses at self publishing, and I was one of those people who felt that way before I had really done some research. I have a full time job, I saved up for cover art and editing and my marketing budget. If you can do those things, and not skimp where it matters, you can be really successful with self publishing. I’m just getting started, but I have a lot of hope it will go well.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?I love to read. When I’m not writing, I’m probably reading. For me to be productive with my writing, I can’t be in the middle of a book or series I’m super into, so I try to be intentional with my reading, not starting a book towards the end of the week if I want to have a productive weekend for example. My favorite genre is young adult fantasy, and that is what I plan to write. I also enjoy all types of fantasy, middle grade, adult, some urban fantasy. I also like some sify, but I’m a little more picky with it. Give me magic, or horses or swords, and throw in some strong characters who get themselves in and out of trouble, or fight against all the odds, and I’m sold.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Noise isn’t a problem for me, as long as it’s steady, like music, or rain or a storm, or my roommates living their lives around me. I can’t work in the same room as a TV that’s on unless I have ear plugs, and it’s out of my line of sight, and if people are having a conversation close to me, I will usually put on music. But I do love to write around people and activity. Being alone in a silent empty room can just be sad, or make me feel like I’m missing out on other things. I atleast need a window or my cat.
That all being said, when I’m editing, I need a LOT less distraction, so people not talking at all, or very loud music.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I do work on one book at a time when I’m drafting a rough draft while also outlining and making notes for later books. When you’re working on a book that will be a series you run into a lot of plot ideas and thoughts that need to be included in later books. When I finish with one draft, I do leave it alone for a while, give it to betas, and work on another book outline or draft.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. I do like taking physical notes, but keeping all notes in one place and being able to organise them is so valuable. For writing, having a word processor is so helpful. I’ve hand written a few scenes before, and the time it takes to retype into a doc is so not productive.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
One of my favorite characters in A Misplaced Child is Gedas. He’s a wizard who looks to be in his 40’s although there are lots of jokes that he’s much older, but only looks young because of his magic, so we never really know how old he is. Wizard is a ranking among magical users in the Twoshy, it’s the highest ranking, and there aren’t many wizard class mages alive. This means Gedas could have quite a lot of political power if he chose, which he does not, because he doesn’t like the kind of people you have to interact with when you have political power. Gedas is dismissive and almost cruel to people he doesn't care for, but he dotes on Elodie and they have a very close relationship, more like family than a mentor and student.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
I’ve always loved stories, coming up with them, acting them out, doing whatever I needed to so I could share them with others. When I was younger, and a very poor reader this translated to me wanting to be an actor, and putting on skits and plays with my friends. As I’ve built my confidence with my own skill as a writer, I now see this is the perfect fit for me. I love writing. I love getting these ideas and characters and worlds out of my head and written out in a complete way. I hope these worlds and stories go on to touch other people and over an escape as fiction has for me for my life.
A day in the life of the author?
Weekdays:
I work a pretty early schedule of 5am to 2pm at my day job. I work from home, so with the lack of a commute when I’m off work I can take a short break, then spend some time writing or editing. If I’m in the middle of drafting a story, I try to do at least 250 words a day, knowing that is obtainable, so days when I don’t want to I can still push for it, and days when I’m feeling it, I can knock out a few thousand. After writing, I will work on my to do list things, like responding to emails, or setting up files for betas ect. I try to be kind to myself. If I need to take a break from writing, I do it. If I need to take a week from writing, that’s fine too. Because I know I will come back to it, recharged and ready to go. Working a full time job and writing means I have to be very intentional not to reach burnout, and I’ve worked hard to identify the differences between burnout and what other people call writers block, so I know when to push myself, and when to give myself a break.
Weekends:
On the weekends, I love to sleep in. During the week I get up at 5am, so sleeping in is still waking up early for most people. Once I’m up, I shower, and get ready for my day, eat breakfast, then set in on writing. I will usually try to write first, then work on to do list things I have to get done. On a weekend I can usually get in 2-9k words on a productive day. My most productive weekend day was 13k. I don’t always write or edit both days of a weekend. I may take Saturday or Sunday off depending on how rough my day job was that week, or what I need to get done. I try really hard to focus on small wins. I may not have gotten to any writing in a day, but I did take a bunch of pics for instagram next month. Productivity when trying to publish is so much more than just writing, so a word count isn’t always the best indication of success.
Advice they would give new authors?
Write. Write every day. Don’t feel guilty or give up when you don’t write every day. Get feedback on your writing. Don’t feel like it needs to be perfect before you get feedback. If something isn’t working, try something else. For example, if you are convinced you write better with no outline, but keep getting stuck, write an outline. And the opposite is true as well. Any advice you hear from another writer, if it doesn’t work for you, that’s ok. Try something else.
What makes a good story?
For me, a good story is all about the characters and their development, and good world building. I don’t really care what your plot is. Just make sure it moves forward at a good pace, and use it to grow your characters and introduce me to the world you created.
What are they currently reading?A new book just came out by one of my favorite authors, Ilona Andrews, so I re read the books in the series, then read through the new book. Emerald Blaze. I read it too fast and now I’m sad. :]
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
When I started my first book, I didn’t outline. I “knew” where the story was going, so I didn’t think it was necessary. Then I got really bogged down with writing, and started getting frustrated, so I tried outlining, and it made finishing the book SO much simpler. I am definitely an outliner now, although of my first three books, I’ve outlined each one differently, so I’m still fine tuning my process. Usually long before I outline, I come up with scenes or moments in the story that I know I’m gonna want. So when I get to the outline, I have all these short chapters or scenes or blocks of dialog that I fit into my outline. I usually write the draft in order, starting at chapter one, and moving on from there, but if a scene comes to me, I will write it out then and there. For example, while I was in the middle of drafting book 2 in The Misplaced Children series, a key scene at the very end of book 3 came to me, so I wrote it all out and saved it. Those scenes end up being my favorites too, like little waystations when I’m writing out the draft. And while I always end up editing them later, I love seeing how the story falls into place around them as I write.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Thinking your story has to be perfect before you can move on. I think a lot of writers are so focused on writing the perfect paragraph that they never finish the page. Just write it all out. Make it messy, put in place holders like NAME when you need to come up with something but don’t wanna break your momentum. Then go back and clean it up AFTER you finish. If you insist on making it perfect before you get to the end, you won’t finish it.
One other big trap is sharing your story too soon. This isn’t true for everyone, but for me, and for some other writers I’ve met, if you have a few chapters done, and just want people to read it now, once you get that, you may never go back and finish the rest. It’s like you have that story building in you, and once you start letting it out, you lose the deep burning need to write it, and it can kill your productivity. For some writers, this will also happen in the form of telling someone all about your story and the characters before ever putting it on paper. You think your idea is SO cool, your characters are awesome, your magic system is perfect, so you spend 45 minutes telling another writer all about how cool it will be when you write it, then when you’re done talking, that motivation to put words on a page starts to droop, and you never get around to actually doing it.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
A to do list. When I have things that need to get done in my real life, I have a hard time being productive. This means needing to get my oil changed, needing to clean the cat box, or take out the trash. If I’m gonna have a productive weekend writing, I need to get these things done during the week so I have the brain space to write. I also struggle a lot with stress. If there are things that are stressing me out, I have a hard time being creative, and I can spend 3 hours and barely write 250 words. This means I try really hard to keep a healthy personal life, and take care of my mental health whenever I can,
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I am very very aware there is nothing new under the sun. I want my writing to be fresh and feel new. A Misplaced Child does a lot of things ‘wrong’ when you talk about what is on market, but I don’t totally care, because this is a story really close to my heart. And ultimately if it’s not successful, I’m writing this one for me, and I hope that it reaches the right audience. I am also planning another series that is a little more in line to what I think most readers expect from YA fantasy, but it will still have a lot of me in it, and I don’t want to just rehash the exact same story you can find 50 copies of on a bookstore shelf.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Keep going. Don’t stop. Writing is what makes you good at writing.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I don’t believe in writer’s block as a condition or an all powerful force we have no control over. I think that first we need to realize writer’s block and burnout are two very different things. Writer’s block is something you need to push past, and burnout is something you need to give yourself grace and time to get past. To me, writer’s block means there’s something I need to do differently. If I’m stuck on a scene, there’s a few things I need to check:
* Is this scene really important for the story? If I hate writing it, maybe it needs to be cut.
* Did I outline what needs to happen here well enough? If I’m stuck, maybe I need to go back to planning.
* Am I just not in the mood to write? Try writing another scene, or do something else for a few hours like answering emails, or taking a walk. Or, alternatively, suck it up and make myself do it.
* Am I stressed about something? Get it taken care of. Call that person I keep rehashing my last conversation with and get what I need off my chest. Return that text I’m avoiding. End that friendship that is sucking out my soul.
Another great tip for me getting past writer’s block is to try writing a scene differently. Maybe I will start by just writing out the dialogue, and then going back and filling in any action that’s needed. Maybe I need to go lay on my bed and use voice to text on my phone and talk out the scene in a stream of consciousness.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
I don’t think I would make a great world ruler. But if I ever went evil, I think I would be a great evil ruler. My personality type is an advocate with a strong splash of mediator thrown in. Reading about my personality type, when they are really unhealthy, it takes a lot for us to go bad, but when we do we go REALLY bad, believing our ideals of the world are correct, and taking any action necessary to make them a reality for the good of all. I actually love these types of bad guys, and this is something I plan to explore, not in Elodie’s story, but in a follow up series I have planned after Elodie’s story.
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41 Comments
Victoria Alexander
9/15/2020 10:53:31 am
Great post - thanks for sharing :)
Wendy Jensen
9/15/2020 11:19:15 am
Beautiful book cover.
Robert Young
9/15/2020 12:22:49 pm
Your cover looks good to me.
Sherry
9/15/2020 02:04:35 pm
Sounds like a very good book.
Kelly D
9/15/2020 02:18:49 pm
I like the cover. The character looks interesting.
wendy hutton
9/15/2020 02:36:13 pm
very nice cover
Rita Wray
9/15/2020 02:42:06 pm
Sounds like a good book.
Calvin
9/15/2020 03:05:41 pm
Interesting Q&A. I like this captivating, well written book!
Beyond Comps
9/15/2020 04:03:22 pm
Great cover!
Debbie P
9/15/2020 04:06:06 pm
This sounds like an amazing book.
Susan Smith
9/15/2020 04:21:43 pm
I like the cover! Sounds interesting
MARCY MEYER
9/16/2020 11:06:25 am
The cover is very creative and cute. Thanks for sharing.
Jon Heil
9/16/2020 11:21:12 am
The cover is looking cool!
Brandi Dawn
9/16/2020 04:07:46 pm
The cover is great!
Terri Quick
9/17/2020 07:44:49 pm
Unique looking cover
Heather Mahley
9/18/2020 01:07:21 pm
WHat a great cover
Julie Lundstrom
9/19/2020 05:11:30 pm
Sounds like an interesting book.
Judy Thomas
9/20/2020 05:53:26 am
It sounds magical!
Robin Abrams
9/21/2020 03:34:50 pm
The cover looks good I like it
Mary Cloud
9/21/2020 08:07:46 pm
The cover is nice - thanks for sharing
Victoria Scott
9/21/2020 09:57:29 pm
Looks great!
Francine Anchondo
9/24/2020 11:10:49 am
I like the cover
Shay
9/26/2020 05:39:12 pm
Nice job
athena graeme
9/30/2020 08:20:45 am
I really love the watermark background. So dreamy.
Erin Madigan
9/30/2020 02:31:41 pm
I really like the cover! The book looks great.
zarah
10/2/2020 11:39:56 am
that's an adorable cover
Mya Murphy
10/3/2020 11:29:05 am
Very unique cover, but eye-catching!
Kate F.
10/4/2020 01:52:43 am
I like the cover - nice artwork.
Nancy
10/4/2020 08:05:26 pm
I think that the cover of your book is colorful and has lots of detail.
Karin
10/6/2020 06:06:22 am
Great cover art
Daniel M
10/8/2020 06:13:34 pm
like the cover
Molli Taylor
10/11/2020 11:52:19 am
looks like a great read
latisha depoortere
10/11/2020 12:10:04 pm
Love the cover thanks for sharing!
Lisa
10/11/2020 02:01:33 pm
Beautiful cover!
Victoria K
10/11/2020 06:33:27 pm
I love this cover! Adding to my to be read list
Nikki b
10/11/2020 09:21:16 pm
Great cover! Sounds so good
Nina Lewis
10/14/2020 10:44:21 pm
Love that cover! :)
Laura Rubenstein
10/15/2020 11:37:49 am
i love this book cover. no questions
10/15/2020 12:12:34 pm
I like the colours of this book cover. Thanks for the chance.
Heather Kaufman
10/15/2020 07:11:09 pm
My favorite thing about this book is that the author's name is my 1st & middle...lol
Jerry Marquardt
10/15/2020 11:54:07 pm
I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including A Misplaced Child, and wishing the best in keeping up the good work in the future.
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