An Interview with Erin Sinclair

Help me in welcoming our second interview of the day, Erin Sinclair. I met Erin through a mutual friend and we started emailing in regards to her writing. I enticed her to come to a writing group and we’ve been friends ever since. Here’s her answers to some very interesting questions.

At what age did you realize you wanted to be a writer? I was very young, eight years old to be exact.

What has been your biggest influence on becoming a writer? Storytellers in general. Those incredibly entertaining, imaginative souls that transport us from the reality we live, to adventures we can scarce imagine.

How did you feel when you got your first publishing contract? My brain went into overload, excitement doesn’t begin to describe what I felt. There was a rush of sensation so energizing, so powerful I was in high revolution for weeks afterward.

Is writing a lonely career for you? Not at all. I lose myself in writing and enjoy every moment of it. It gives me a peace that sometimes is hard to find elsewhere.

How many novellas/novels have you published to date? When did you have your first sale? I have published one novel and two novellas to date, with a third novella coming out on Halloween via Devine Destinies Publishing, a division of eXtasy Books. My first sale occurred with my first batch of printed novels of Twilight’s Son, Book 1 of the Fallen Angel trilogy. When I received my first order of printed novels and my friend Dani bought the first one, I thought “Good Lord, this has been thirty-seven years in the making.” I couldn’t take the smile from my face for weeks.

How do you get your ideas for your stories? Do they come all at one or in bits and pieces over a period of time? My ideas are a total inspired moment. They hit me fast and hard. I have to write them down or I will forget them. I have a ton of stories in their first stages, now to write them.

If you could take the place with one character in your books, who would it be and why? I would take the place of Lt. Detective Brianna Carter in Twilight’s Son. She’s brilliant, beautiful, strong, independent and has the eternal love of an angel who has given up his angelic existence because he can’t be without her. It doesn’t hurt that he’s all man, all hers and gorgeous inside and out.

Tell me about your upcoming release. Please include if it is part of a series or a stand alone book. My next release is a novella entitled Witch One? scheduled for sale on October 31, 2009. It is about a beautiful witch living a perfect life in New England whose fiancé has just proposed. She joyfully accepts but she’s forgotten one small item, her first fiancé, a man to whom she’s been engaged since a child and, inconveniently, still is betrothed. It is a stand-alone novella.

What was your inspiration for this book? Several sources actually not the least of which Bewitched, Fantasy Island, my spiritual belief system and my passion for romantic comedy.

How do you categorize yourself: pantser or plotter? Basic plotter, but allow my characters to tell me their story. When that happens, pantser all the way.

How do you handle the editing/revision process? Methodical and one sentence at a time. I tend toward perfectionism, but fall short more often than not. A wise woman I know who is also a writer has subsequently advised me to devote more time to writing than to obsessing over every paragraph. I’ve taken her advice and have attempted to become less paranoid.

You’ve received some fantastic reviews...how do you feel about them and why? I’m flattered to say the least. My goal is to entertain, transport, maybe even teach my reader something along the way. When I receive a good review, I appreciate that reviewer’s opinion because knowing what they liked about the story means I’ve reached them in the way I wanted to, what they may have had issue with, I utilize to improve my style. What I truly enjoy is when several reviewers have the same positive reaction to something I’ve written because that means they understood what I was trying to convey in my story.

Did anything odd happen while you were researching this story? Not odd, more like intriguing. Witch One flowed so smoothly from my imagination to computer, I wrote it in a minimal amount of time. I felt like I was literally watching a Hallmark movie in my head. That’s my hope one day, that Witch One is translated to a film as a charming romantic comedy. Well, a girl can dream can’t she?

What is your favorite literary quote of all time? This is the last stanza of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets and definitely in my top five favorite literary quotes of all time. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” It has told me life is choice and your will is free. Life is done when you are and not before.

Where do you see your career in five years? Ten years? I see my writing career expanded and unlimited. I see myself exploring every artistic bone in my body. I see myself pursuing my first love writing via several different aspects of fiction and even a non-fiction book or two. I see myself illustrating young adult/children’s books. I see myself pursuing photography, finishing my Master’s Degree in Creative Fiction and in Art. Quite frankly I see myself pursuing whatever sings to me and calls me to explore its possibilities.

Erin Sinclair can be found all around the web and is looking forward to hearing from readers at:

erin_sinclair_writer@yahoo.com
http://www.erinsinclairauthor.com/
http://www.devinedestinies.com/
http://themanyshades.blogspot.com/

She posts here every Friday:

www.myspace.com/erin_sinclair_author
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/devinedestinies/

Erin is also on Facebook, Twitter (ESinclairWriter), Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction, Romance Book Junction and many more!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to chat with you today Lynn, this has been so enjoyable!

Erin's Bio:

I have been writing since I was eight years old. Writing is everything to me. It is my dream, my hope and now my reality. I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. As each role ebbs and flows in my life, the one that is constant is that of a writer. To me, storytelling is the original art form. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of such an ancient, noble tradition. My goal is to transport the reader to the worlds of my imagination. The greatest compliment I receive as an author is when a reader tells me I’ve “taken them there”. When I hear that, I know I’ve done what I am supposed to do with my career.


Thanks for taking part in my 2 for Thursday promotion, Erin.

Lynn

An Interview with C.R. Moss

The wonderful C.R. Moss has agreed to be the first author with our 2 for Thursday Promotion. We met at a local writer’s group meeting and I am proud to say I consider her one of my best writing buddies. I know I wouldn’t be here without her support and help. And now that I’ve warped her brain with lots of questions, please help me in welcoming C.R.! At what age did you realize you wanted to be a writer? Between the ages of three and five I had started creating stories, but it wasn’t until the sixth grade that writing truly became my calling. What has been your biggest influence on becoming a writer? My personality. I’m a solitary person and writing suits my lifestyle. Is writing a lonely career for you? Nope. Like I said I’m a solitary person so I enjoy being in my own little world and dealing with the worlds I create rather than the drama of others outside my cave. Granted, there are times when I need to connect to others, but it’s nothing an email or phone call or hubby can’t fix. How did you feel when you got your first publishing contract? Excited. How many novellas/novels have you published to date? When did you have your first sale? My first sale was in May of 2008 and since then I have published 16 stories ranging from 4k to 75k words. My 17th story will be out on 10/15/09 and I have 19 other stories in various stages from contracted to gems of ideas. Tell me about your upcoming release. Please include if it is part of a series or a standalone book. My upcoming release due out on 10/15/09 from eXtasy Books is titled In the Spirit. It’s about a woman who was betrayed by her lover. She ends up becoming a Grim Reaper. When she crosses paths with him again, she wants to exact revenge, but his love for her causes her problems. This book is part of an unofficial series, Immortal Spirits, and though it could be read as a standalone it’s better if you read Holiday Spirits first. Do your characters take over the story? Yep, most times they do. And though I don’t like when they do, they normally take the story in a much more interesting and better direction. What was your inspiration for this book? The Las Vegas Marathon (for Holiday Spirits) and In the Spirit was a spin-off. Plans for a third book in this ‘series’ is in the works and will most likely be another December holiday story. How do you categorize yourself: pantser or plotter? When I first get an idea in my head and the story formulates, I do an information dump. In this ‘dump’ I’ll put down whatever comes to mind – dialogue, brief scenes, one-liners, etc. From that I’ll work on my story, but I give myself leeway to allow for change. So in a way I’m both plotter and pantser. How do you handle the editing/revision process? I have the habit of editing as I go. This slows down my writing process, but that’s all right. After I’ve written a chapter and gone through it a time or two I send it to my wonderful critique partner. She gets a clean document to read and is able to catch ‘story stuff,’ which I’ll then tweak in the manuscript. At this point, revision requires little effort. By the time all the chapters are done and my editor and EIC get the complete story, they don’t have much to do or catch. By spending time in the beginning, it makes the final edits and galley work a breeze. You’re received some fantastic reviews...how do you feel about them and why? I like good reviews. They let me know people enjoy my work. Did anything odd happen while you were researching this story? Interesting question and I’m going to have to say ‘No.’ Who and what are you reading now? Galilee by Clive Barker. (As per amazon.com: Over many years and many books, Clive Barker has earned a reputation as the thinking person's horror writer. His novels have mixed fantasy, psychology, and sheer creepiness in almost equal quantities, and while the gore quotient remains relatively low, the tension always runs high. In Galilee, however, Barker soft-pedals the ghoulish in favor of the gothic. His novel (or as the author would have it, "romance") tells the tale of two warring families caught up in a disastrous web of corruption, illicit sexuality, and star-crossed love, with a soupçon of the supernatural thrown in as well.) It was the romance part of the book that caught my eye when I bought the book and so far I’m enjoying the story. It’s not the typical romance read, but it’s my kind of tale. Who is your biggest fan? I would have to say my husband… unless anyone else wants to step up to the plate? What does your significant other think about your writing? He thinks it’s fine that I write. We’re both very supportive of each other’s goals and dreams. Though, he did state once he wonders about the thoughts in my head – said after reading Dirty Little Secret, a horror/erotica story of mine. Where can people find you? http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cr_moss http://www.myspace.com/cr_moss http://themanyshades.blogspot.com/ http://twitter.com/CRMoss http://www.facebook.com/crmoss http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theexfactor/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/devinedestinies/ Thanks, C.R., it was great to have you here! C.R. Moss, resident of the hot, high desert in the southwest, knew she wanted to write at a young age, as early as she learned to read, cooking up stories to entertain herself in the rural, non-kid-laden area she had lived in. But she took a round about way to settle down as a fiction writer, having worked in the corporate pharmaceutical and real estate realms writing newspaper articles, press releases, corporate newsletters, etc. Now that she's settled into the alternative health care industry, she has returned to her first love: creative writing. When she isn't working at her practice or at her computer cooking up another tale, she can be found hanging out with her husband and cat, reading a book, chillin' in front of the TV, or working on a craft project. She has also been known to play WOW.

Thanks for taking part in my 2 for Thursday promotion, C.R. ! Lynn