Monday, June 30, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Lehua Parker

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

Growing up, my mother always told us stories. We lived in Hawaii near my father’s family, but her family was thousands of miles away. Her stories helped us to connect with people she missed and we seldom saw. Reading was another love she passed on to me. I realized very early on that stories had power and I could create my own.


How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or do you prefer writing freehand?

Most of my writing is done on a computer, usually at my desk with the display font set to something ridiculously large so I don’t have to wear my glasses. When I travel, I use a laptop. Writing by hand is too slow for me and I break the cardinal rule of editing as I write, so my handwritten pieces look like badly drawn maps with all the arrows, circles, and crossed out sections. My best creative writing happens very late at night from about 10 pm to 4 am. When I’m pushing a first draft deadline on a book, I go into that mode. Editing or revising is usually done in the early to late afternoon.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

Even with complicated novels, I seldom outline. I sit down with a general idea of what should happen next, but the characters always take over and surprise me. They are much smarter than I am, and I love discovering the story as they tell it. My least favorite things about being an author are all the bookkeeping and legal aspects like taxes and contracts.

How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want to get to know them?

I've worked as a theater and television director, so I see the action, characters, setting, and story roll out like a movie in my head. I just transcribe into book form what I see and hear. My characters arrive on the scene fully-formed. While some authors base characters on people they know, mine are all aspects of me. For example, in the Niuhi Shark Saga, a speculative fiction series set in Hawaii for MG/YA readers, the kid who was teased, the busy mom, the wise uncle, the superstar athlete, the girl who wants to be one of the guys but also wants the option to wear a little make-up, the smart-aleck dog who figures out how to get her way, and even the scary man with too many teeth are all roles I imagine myself playing.

Book One
People care about these characters because they demonstrate what life is like in a supportive, loving, and typical Hawaiian family—as opposed to the Hollywood version where the kids are uber smart, the adults dreadfully dull, and the locals all wear coconut bras and warn about tiki curses. My characters are often ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations who make choices for both noble and self-serving reasons.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I do a lot of appearances at writers’ conferences and bookstore signings, speak at schools, hold drama workshops for teens, and participate in interviews like this one. To keep in touch with readers between publications I've developed a strong social media platform that includes a blog, several websites, a Facebook author fan page, and Twitter account.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

Fortunately, I can write full-time. My kids are all teens who are fairly self-sufficient with laundry, feeding, and getting themselves to soccer practice, which frees me to write when the muse strikes. Unfortunately, I can write full-time. This has gotten me into the habit of writing, reading, editing, researching, marketing, and critiquing my work and the work of other authors anytime there’s something boring like housework to be done. I tend to binge with long hours in the afternoons and then again late at night for four or five days, then take a day or two off, rinse, repeat.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

Book 3 in the Niuhi Shark Saga, One Truth, No Lie is nearing completion and almost ready to turn over to the editorial team at Jolly Fish Press. I anticipate it hitting store shelves in late 2015. Meanwhile, I've several short stories slated for anthologies and a one-act play I’m writing for a spring 2015 high school drama competition. For the past 10 months or so, much of my writing time has been taken up with editing books and short stories for other authors. I also write articles for various blogs including a travel series about my adventures in the Caribbean, Greece, Turkey, and Spain in 2014.

Book Two
Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

Like most authors, I have to work a couple of years ahead of publication. I have a lot of ideas, but I've learned to write what you sell, not sell what you write. This means that I work with publishers to develop ideas and sell the work before it’s written. I have many ideas for stories that I’d like to explore, but I’m not ready to invest a lot of time in something that doesn't have a clear path to publication and market.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

The beauty about publishing today is that it is easier than ever to make your work available to readers. Learn your craft. Join a critique group. Query and submit if you want to go the traditional publishing route—you can’t get a yes if you don’t ask. Listen to reader feedback. If you love to write for writing’s sake, then self-publish your stories and send them out into the world to find their audience. But above all, ask yourself why you are writing. That answer will set you on the publishing path that’s right for you.

Connect with Lehua Parker
Blog & Free Short Stories: http://www.lehuaparker.com/   
All things Niuhi Shark Saga: http://www.niuhisharksaga.com/
Twitter: @LehuaParker

One Boy, No Water               

One Shark, No Swim
Barnes & Noble : http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-shark-no-swim-lehua-parker/1114940697?ean=9781939967107

Friday, June 27, 2014

How Your Dating Past Can Help You in Your Future Romance Book


Dating. We love it. We hate it. 

Hopefully, because of it, we find that special someone to spend the rest of our life with. 

Still, take it from me, dating isn't always the cat's meow; it may even be the dog's bark, but there is something blissfully enchanting about writing a romance where pieces of your own dating fit it, whether these experiences be good or bad.

Years ago I published a short story on the dating experience I'd had with what was to be my future husband. The story? Some Day My Kiss Will Come

I have also written books with a bit of romance in them, though honestly, romance (the truest of the true romance) has never been my cup of tea.

But when I've needed the first kiss or the first touch of the hand, or even, the dance where the date leaves me high and dry on the middle of the dance floor to pursue some other girl, you can be assured these fine events can and do make their way into my various novels.

Perhaps your dating past can do the same. And why not?

Here's one author's view of using her own personal experiences with dating to her romance's best good. Clara is currently a part of the Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour, and you know what blog tours give you. An opportunity to find new authors AND win some books:

Here's the link to the tour: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html

And here's the question I asked her about dating:

On the path to meeting your prince, what was your greatest dating dilemma?


I have not met my prince yet, and I actually have never dated anyone, but a dating dilemma that has presented itself to me is when a friend has wanted me to be more than a friend to him. It was a dilemma, to be sure, but one that found its way into my story. While my Cinderella-like character is nothing like me she finds herself in a situation similar to my real-life experience – her friend falls for her. So that little dilemma found its way into my story, and made for a fun plot point!

The best stuff out there has already been written, especially when it comes to your own life, so why not use the time you were stood up, forgotten, or romanced in your next book?


"The Moon Master's Ball" by Clara Diane Thompson
After her terrifying experience there several years ago, the one place young housemaid Tilly longs to avoid is Bromley’s Circus. But when kindly Lord Hollingberry begs her to deliver a message to the mysterious Moon Master hidden away among the circus dwellers, Tilly can’t refuse . . . and finds herself ensnared in a web of enchantment cast by the loathsome Mrs. Carlisle and her beautiful goddaughter.




         

Thursday, June 26, 2014

A Blog Tour Gone Romance




Sorry, this post will be VERY short today. Got home at 1 a.m. this morning from Texas and I'm still dealing with jet lag and some weird cough I developed in the "humid" state.

Tomorrow, plan for another blog tour: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html.

If you're into reading and/or writing romance and wonder how your personal dating life can be used in yours or someone else's great novel, check back!


Monday, June 23, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Teri Harman

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

Hi. I’m Teri Harman – author, book columnist and blogger, book TV segment host, mom of three and book addict. I’ve written my whole life. At four I dictated a story about a cow to my mom who typed it up on her electric typewriter. I’ve been fascinated by the creation of stories ever since. I took writing and English classes all through school and college, but didn’t seriously begin pursuit of authorhood until about seven years ago after our first child was born.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or do you prefer writing freehand?


I write at a small wooden desk, handmade by my husband, in our bedroom. I write on a MacBook Air hooked up to a monitor and keyboard. I need the clack of keys to get my writing blood flowing.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part is finally solving a plot or character problem that I've wrestled with for a while. Finding just the right thing to do in the story is such a feeling of triumph. Least favorite – pushing through that middle part. Most writers will say the same thing. Stories flow really well in the beginning and the end, but those pesky middles . . .

How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want to get to know them?

Some stories start with characters for me, others start with an idea and I build the necessary characters. I want my characters to be real and authentic, even if they live in a magical world. 
Purchase Blood Moon

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I have a blog, a regular book column on ksl.com, and do regular book related segments for KSL’s popular lifestyle show, “Studio 5 with Brooke Walker.” I’m also active on the big social networks – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. But I find the best marketing is the face-to-face stuff – conferences, book signings, book events. Connecting with readers is the best way to build loyalty.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I have three young kids – 8, 6, 4. So I write when I can. Some days are easier than others. But my kids have gotten really good at playing and staying busy while I work, so I’m usually able to get in 4-6 hours of work a day. And my husband is really great at stepping in when I need more time.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I’m working on the third book of the Moonlight Trilogy, STORM MOON, which comes out next fall. Book 2, BLACK MOON, comes out September 16, 2014. I also have a stand alone upmarket romantic fantasy, A PAINTED LIFE, coming out late spring/summer 2015.


Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have lots of ideas ready to go! As soon as I’m done with my trilogy I think I’ll explore one that involves a set of antique typewriters.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Getting published requires three things: Persistence, Patience, Hard Work. This is not an easy business. Even after you’re published there are difficulties, disappointments, and struggles. If it’s not your true passion those things will defeat you. Talent can be improved, found, learned, but discipline is what really counts.  

* * *
Learn more about Teri at:  teriharman.com

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Rain Means More Time to Write!

I don't know about you, but I love the rain. I love the smell. I love how everything looks greener. I even love that I don't have to water the lawn.

And I love the time the rain gives me to write.

If you're also dealing with sporadic rain today, take a load off, and get writing!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Maggie Porter

1.      Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)
I’ve been called “the dog lady” but most people call me Maggie. Maggie Porter.  I’m named for my mother, and I’m the spitting image of her, or so people say. I wouldn’t know; I haven’t seen my mother since I was a child. I was angry with her for a long time, but after what happened this summer I’m rethinking my attitude.


When I was five, my dad moved us to Florida. I might still be there if my grandmother hadn’t passed away and I inherited the family property and came back to Eagle Cove, Arkansas to renovate and reopen Waterside Kennels. (You might say dogs run in the family: my grandfather was a legendary dog trainer, my father is a veterinarian, and I run a boarding and training kennel.)

If I look in the mirror, I’ll see light brown hair, shoulder length but usually pulled back to keep it out of the way. About 5’6” with hazel eyes, fair skin that’s prone to burn without copious amounts of sunscreen, and more muscle than fat thanks to working with dogs all day. Most days you’ll find me in boots, jeans and a tee shirt, although I’ve been known to wear a dress on special occasions.

Eagle Cove is in the high Ozarks, with more wildlife than people. I have a couple of neighbors, not enough staff, and (thankfully) customers who are willing to make the drive out to the kennels.

2.      What do you like to do in your spare time?
Oh, spare time—that’s on my wish list! Any downtime I do get is spent fixing up the house, catching up on paperwork, and playing with my dogs. I wish I had the energy of my young Labrador Retriever, Sam—he’s always ready for a new adventure. By the end of the day, my energy level is  as low as that of my Cocker Spaniel Sweet Pea, who spends her days napping. She has that in common with Mr. B, the Beagle I adopted. He’s still recuperating from a serious injury that ended his K-9 career, and likes to take things slow.

3.      What is your favorite color and why?
Yellow. It’s cheerful and soothing, and keeps the shadows at bay.

4.      What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?
I eat a lot of spaghetti and sometimes I’ll toss a piece of chicken in the skillet. If it’s quick and easy, it’s my favorite.

5.     What would you say is your biggest quirk?
Hmmm…not sure you’d call it a quirk, but I’ll confess I’m more comfortable talking to dogs than people. With dogs, you always know where you stand.

6.      What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why?
My writer says I can’t tell you about the antagonist in book #1, but I’m pretty sure everybody will soon know how I feel about Simon Tate (you’ll meet him in book #2 of the series). Simon’s the one who’s pushing the county to enact a “dangerous dog” ordinance. Never mind that the real problem is poor training and owners who won’t take responsibility for their pets—Simon refuses to listen to reason, and he’s charging ahead no matter what I say. And the worst part? He’s doing this for personal gain, and that seriously irks me.

7.      What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?
The “What” is easy—that’s Waterside Kennels. It’s my whole life.
As for “Who” that’s a bit more challenging, but I think my neighbor Zak has become an important part of my life. In fact, I’m having a hard time imagining life without him, or his adorable daughter Claire. We shared a scary experience this past summer which made me realize how much I cared for them both.

8.      What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?
Contrary to what some people say, I really do know there’s life beyond dogs. (There are cats, too!)

9.      If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?
I really would like a little romance in my life, please!

10.  Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.
Kathryn, keep in mind that I run a kennel…I’ve noticed you don’t have any animals in your stories. Would you consider adopting a pet?

(Let's try the picture this way):
 Our new cat sweety pie.
Actually I have adopted a pet. Her name is Sweetie Pie and she's truly the cat's meow. Let's see, she waits for us at the door when we come home, investigates every inch of our house on a daily basis (keep in mind that we are constantly in renovation) and likes to wake everyone up at about 5 a.m. with her meowing.

Thanks for asking!

***
               
Links:
Facebook Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/ozk3uja
Follow me on Twitter: @dogmysteries https://twitter.com/dogmysteries

Monday, June 16, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cheri Vause



For those who aren't familiar with your work, can you tell us a little about yourself?

My vocation has always been wife and mother first, but my avocation has been teacher of theology. It's been around twenty-five years that I've taught classes on the scripture. I began studying the Talmud when I first converted to Christianity, which is a compilation of commentaries by the best and the brightest in Judaism, and the Aggadah, which is the Oral stories of the Old Testament, in order to enhance my understanding of the Old Testament, and because I have some Jewish ancestry. What surprised me is that it helped me understand Jesus better, the history and times in which he lived, and helped explain some of the thornier aspects of the New Testament. I began to teach scripture classes and used the Catholic Ladder as the structure for my lessons. It's a wonderful time line designed by a Jesuit priest to help the American Indian understand scripture. They called it the sahale stick, which means stick of heaven.

My study of the Talmud is what catapulted me into writing novels. I happened on a passage that caused me to ask the question, "What if . . ." Tolkien believed that myth could be a better way of teaching Christianity, primarily because people remember stories better than they remember doctrinal or scriptural meanings. Jesus taught in parables and those are remembered better than the rest of scripture. How many people have actually read the Exodus account in the Old Testament compared to the number of people who have seen The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston? I'm not advocating not reading the scripture, but what I am saying is that the message can reach those who are not believers and woo them into the fold.

All my stories have a moral issue at their heart because I'm always coming at a story from a scriptural view, and I explore that moral in real, human terms that everyone can relate to, rather than a scriptural verse. I also believe that every story should have a mystery within it, that the reader should have to plumb the depths of it in order to understand the story fully. God is a mystery. We are a mystery. The universe is a mystery. Most spend a lifetime just trying to understand who they are, and their place in this world. And, those of us who are Christians focus on trying to understand our relationship with God, what He expects of us, and how to use the gifts He's given to us. We have the rule book, but most people don't.

Can you tell us about your new book?

I just signed with a small, independent traditional publishing house. Around late spring or early summer I have an explosive and controversial novel coming out, The Truth and Nothing but Lies. The story centers on an FBI agent who doesn't like the direction the FBI is heading and is thinking about leaving. He is drawn by his father, who is the Governor of Oregon, into investigating a series of abortion clinic explosions in the sleepy little village of Astoria, Oregon. Once upon a time, I was a crisis pregnancy counselor and director. I used many facts from my personal experiences and ripped several ideas from the headlines to put in the story. I tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about abortion, sexual adventuring, and the dirty secrets surrounding the billion dollar industry of butchering babies and women's insides. Although, I believe every teenage girl and boy should read the story, I do recommend the parents read it first. After reading it, parents and teens should sit down and discuss it thoroughly. They should not shrink from talking about the repercussions of sex outside of marriage, how the feminists have hidden the truth from the public, and how it has affected our society. I also reveal the kinds of people attracted to the abortion industry and what their motives are.

I built the story like a mystery thriller with a strong moral structure coming from the lead character. He is grooming a first year FBI agent and teaches him to think thoroughly about his moral and political positions, and not to just fall for rhetoric that may sound good but has implications that may run deeper than he could find on the surface of sound bytes, like a woman's right to choose. I also did something I've never seen in any novel before. I wrote about women on every side of the issue, their character flaws, their illogical positions, and how they were shaped by the men and the progressive society around them. These are not cartoon women, but people who have prominent positions, or they are women who help others, or they are just victims of our promiscuous society. It doesn't matter if you have a degree, or you're religious, or if you're advocating the progressive political positions because you feel they help people, you find yourselves to be just as vulnerable as the rest of us women. We must learn this lesson well, and teach it to our children.

What are your current projects?

I've begun a mystery series with two private investigators. The first is The Night Shadow. I didn't intentionally want to write a mystery series, but I liked the characters so much after I wrote the first novel, I decided they needed to come back. I was in love with them and how far they had come. The series is based on a husband and wife private investigating team, who were former partners on the New York City Police force. The wife is a brilliant behavioral science expert, and a survivor of breast cancer. The husband escaped as a child from the war torn city of Dublin during the revolution, and he served in the US Navy during World War II. He is the perfect counterpoint to his wife's academic mind because he has instincts born and fertilized on the streets. I set the series in the sixties because that was the era in which I grew up. It was a time that was very confusing, conflicting, and we have suffered immensely because of the repercussions from that era. We lost a president, his brother, an activist, and our innocence during that time. We fought a meaningless war, and we learned how to lie. However, the second novel is a flashback to a case they worked on in 1959 when they were still on the police force in New York. This is the time when the sixties were actually born. The third in the series is already plotted, and many of the characters are already defined. It takes place about six months after the first novel, it's 1965, and my protagonists run into a college seething with communist activists like the Weathermen who have intentions of overthrowing the government.

I also have an adult fairy tale I've written that's about a vineyard, and I have a couple of novellas, all with a moral at their heart. On the back burner are two historical novels. One is about Saint Patrick's abduction and his conversion, and the other is about the daughter and the second in command of a British general during the Revolutionary War. The daughter is on the side of the Americans and the man who loves her is British. I'm still researching that one. I'm thinking of putting all my short stories together into one volume or perhaps publishing them on Amazon's new short story ezine. I haven't decided yet.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I'm going to give advice here that most writers would never give. First, last, and always you must know why you write. If you write for yourself, that's fine, but please don't publish. If you write because you want people to know something about yourself, then keep it to yourself. This includes blogs and videos. The same advice goes for those who write to be famous. Stop it. The notion that everyone has one book in them is completely false. Most people's lives are not that interesting. And, not everyone has the ability to write well.

If you write because you discovered something that will help people, then by all means write and publish. If you write to share something wonderful that happened to you, question your motives. Will it truly help others? Is it something significant or life changing, then it might be worthwhile. If you write to teach, that is an admirable motive, but what will that knowledge do for others? If your answer is that it will improve lives, bring people closer to God, or to understand themselves then publish. If it will help people cook better meals, do their job better, help improve their relationships, describes a disease or a cure or how to cope with it, share a scientific fact, or teach us how to make something, or teach us about our history, etc., then it is worth pursuing the publishing route. These are the ideas that inform and help us ferret through all the nonsense out there. These are the types of books that make our society great.

If you write because you must, because you feel compelled to write, because you can't imagine life without writing, if you sneak out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to write, if you write and forget to eat, then you are a writer. That is your gift from God. That is your vocation. If you fall into this category of write or die, then start off writing short stories. Nothing hones the writing skills like short stories. Begin with 650 words. This is just long enough to formulate a plot. You have to excise everything that keeps you from relaying the plot. Keep the adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. Use active verbs. Once you've mastered that then move on to 1,200 words, to 5,000, to 10,000 and to 15,000. Suddenly, you are writing novellas and on your way toward a novel.


Friday, June 13, 2014

Book Club Presentations that Rock


As an author, it's easy to take the casual approach to book club meetings, after all, you're probably sitting around in a circle in the living room or kitchen. You may or may not be standing, and those sitting around you know one another and because of that it might be hard to gain the attention you need.

You've probably heard of book club presentations; what you may not have heard of is book club presentations that others will remember.

Book

This is what I've discovered works for me at book club presentations:

1. Smile. There is nothing worse than a too serious writer.
2. Introduce yourself briefly. I bring along my published books and speak about my writing as I pass each book around the circle to give readers a closer view of what I've done.
3. Begin with a question. It can be related to the book that has been read by the group or a question that has to do with reading your particular genre.
4. Keep the presentation light and open to questions. Use a hand-out, so the group can follow along. Since I expect that all those attending have already read my book, I delve into questions that relate to the book's characters, setting, and plot and take the readers beyond the actual story to deeper values such as symbolism.
5. Sometime during your presentation, give away a free gift. This might be a postcard with the information about your book on it, it may be a book mark, it might even be a small gift that you've purchased that goes along with the theme of your book. (For Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones, I give away a cellophane bag of 5 labelled stones).
6. Be ready for some sales! Most of those attending will have already purchased your book beforehand, but there will always be readers in attendance who will be excited to read your new book now that they've heard a little about it.

In the end, book club presentations are a great way to now only share what you have accomplished, but allow for some great discussion and the development of new friendships!



Thursday, June 12, 2014

Author's Marketing Timetable

Schedule Your Marketing

I was with a client today discussing the timetable of his upcoming book, and I was reminded again how quickly the marketing jumps up and grabs you. Here you are, writing your little heart and soul out, when suddenly the marketing is right behind you, taking a-hold of your shirt-tail.

Here is some help:

1. Six months before your book is out in print and eBook formats, you need to begin marketing your book. You may or may not have a cover for your book yet, but a cover is preferred. (This one always strikes me in the behind because I'm forever getting my cover done at the last minute. That doesn't mean I haven't been working on it through the previous six month period, only that it hasn't been finalized yet).

Without a cover you can still do some blog posts, some interviews, some sneak peaks about your book (such as the first chapter reveal and so forth), what you'll not be able to do is much of the visual marketing that you need so people can see early what they'll be investing their money on. So get your cover ready as soon as you can.

Schedule all of your marketing, as much as possible, before you even see your book in print. Make sure you give time to what you'll want to be doing the week before and the day of your book's release.

2. Once your manuscript is finished with the last edit, and before you actually publish your book, get some feedback on it. You'll need at least 5 readers, writers and/or editors, to look over, make changes, and give you suggestions on your book. Give your readers a month to get the manuscript back to you.

3. After you see the return of your manuscript from various readers, take some time going over the comments and changes. Don't make ANY CHANGES until after you've seen all of the manuscripts and can make a judgement call as to what should be taken out and what should be added. Some of the comments will be valid, others will be merely opinion. Lay the manuscripts out. Page one matching page one, etc. Go through them, spending some time and making sure the changes you make are the changes you feel good about. This may take you a month or so.

4. With your finished copy, go over the manuscript one more time. It's amazing what you'll find.

5. Get Reviews, as many reviews as you can, before and after the publishing of your book.

6. Publish. After you've published, focus on your book heavily for at least six months following its release. Make sure you continue with your marketing agenda.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it is. But be assured, the more you do to get the word out about your new book before it's released, the more success you will have after it's taken flight.

Any questions I haven't tackled here? Feel free to ask me.

Kathryn

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Terry Treetop

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

My name is Terry but everyone call me Terry Treetop because I love climbing trees, although I am a little chubby,  I am very light when it comes to climbing trees. I have red hair and freckles, and I am almost 6 years old.

I leave in a small city in North Carolina, where the grass is high and the woods are all over. We have a small house with a big backyard, where my father built me a tree-house.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to sit in my tree-house and look out with my binoculars. I look at the wonders of nature, and many times I go out there to learn more about animals and their habitats.

What is your favorite color and why?

My favorite color is green because this is the color of fresh leaves, grass and high woods.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

My favorite food is apple pie, because my mom makes it so tasty, yummm.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

My biggest quirk is my extraordinary ability to climb trees. When I climb, I use every branch and tree bump to go higher and higher, and I love to climb all the way to the top and find a safe place to sit there and look around.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why?

I hate when people hurt animals for no reason, because I think that animals deserve to be well treated, just because they are creatures of nature.

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

Of course I love my mom and dad the most, but after them, I really like my tree-house. In this house I can day dream about adventures around the world. When I am all grown-up, I want to live in a wooden house just like that.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I will tell you a secret: When I grow-up, I want to be a scientist that explores the beauty of nature and helps animals and trees to prosper and flourish.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

Can you please make me also a good swimmer? I would love to meet some amazing sea animals.

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

When you were a child, did you ever day dream about the things you will do when you are grown-up?

Oh, yes! Let's see, I wanted to be an airline stewardess first (now they're called flight attendants). I also wanted to be a model, but I quickly learned some of the things I would have to model, so that was out for me. Now, many years later, I can see why I wanted to be those things. I love to travel and I love all things beautiful! Especially beautiful clothes! Thanks for asking.

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A big thank you to Terry Treetop. Learn more about him at the links below: