Will you write more stories set in this world that doesn't involve the main character?

When I first started writing the Tabitha Hale Saga it was solely meant to revolve around Tabitha, which is very evident in the first book. As I have gotten deeper into the story and become more involved in the character's lives I have had an inner pulling to tell their stories as well. Even now that I'm working on book four, I frequently have the desire to go back to book one (A Perception of Dreams) and indulge more on Emma's side of the story, but as my father says, "The important thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." In the end, I always end up listening to him and adding more to books two through four which you'll thank me for later. ;)

Once you switch from book one to book two you can definitely tell that I take a greater interest in telling Emma's side, but I also want to make sure that I keep the main focus on Tabitha as it is still her story. I have thought of several different ideas where I could branch out and do a separate book on specific characters- and I very well may- but my current priority is finishing the THS. 

I think one of the biggest things I love about the THS is that I have somehow managed to reveal everything as the character is figuring it out so that we learn everything as the character is. (I think part of that is because, for the longest time, I had no idea where I was going with it; rather, I just sat down and wrote so whatever the character was experiencing I was experiencing too.) I didn't want to put all the info on the table at once and overwhelm my reader, but I didn't want to leave out so much that I didn't grip them either. 

Somehow I think I've found the perfect balance and I really have to just thank my dad for listening to my lengthy ramblings and understanding what I mean through all the crazy thrown in. I also have to thank my agent for taking a chance on me and believing in the book and Tabitha's story enough to pick it up and promote it. I have some pretty great people in my life that really helped stitch all of this together.

-A


If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss the next question!

After a much needed break, I am working on getting back into the swing of not only writing, but also posting for all my lovely readers. I really appreciate the patience you have all had as well as the encouraging words from several of you that a break is sometimes needed to clear an authors mind. I hate these breaks because I know exactly where I'm going with the Tabitha Hale Saga, but for whatever reason the words just don't seem to appear as quickly as I would prefer them to. I am thankful for the many extra snuggles I got with my little one at night as I put him to bed rather than writing immediately after he went upstairs with daddy. =)

What influenced the world you have created?

My first thought when I read this question was David Eddings. (I swear, everything goes back to that brilliant man!) I was so in awe of the world he created for his characters that it made me want to create my own as well. Imagination is such a wonderful and amazing tool. One can literally use this tool to accomplish anything. Look across time at all the things people have dreamed up- Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter being the firsts to come to mind. In the creation of those stories, the authors literally reached an entire generation. The power that a properly told story has and its long-reaching affect astounds me, but is also a little scary because, when you think about it, that is a lot of power to wield. Speaking for myself, I really try to be careful what I write and how it comes across to my readers. Even if you aren't an author, I would really encourage you to be mindful of how you want others to remember you and think of the impressions you could end up leaving upon the earth after you are gone. You never know- you could be the one that affects an entire generation.

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss the next question!

I think I have had about enough traveling to last the rest of the year. What a long summer this has been! I'm pretty sure I've been gone more than I've been at home and, let me tell you, I have missed my own bed! Now that school has started again, things are finally starting to slow down. Also, the Olympics and Shark Week is behind me- FINALLY. Now I can begin writing again- after I catch up on all the emails and questions and such. :-)

Now that the Olympics and Shark Week are over, have you started writing again?

Ok, I remain skeptical that this is my agent emailing in in an attempt to light my inner fire again. ;) It's been a while since I have written, but as soon as I am finished with this blog post I am getting back to the grindstone. My husband bought me an amazing set of headphones which I have been drooling over for the past year and I'm itching to use them. For those that don't frequently follow my blog, I rarely write without listening to at least some kind of music, but mostly stick to dub step.

Regardless of if you're a writer or not, I think we all need breaks. They are healthy and give us a chance to cool down from whatever it is we are passionate about. For me, it gives me a chance to experience new things and catch up on my reading which actually fuels my writing once I begin again. It's interesting how, after taking a break and being frustrated by writer's block, can open your mind up to things you had not once considered before the break. I'm going into book four with fresh ideas and thoughts that I can't wait to get down. The several week long break, as frustrating as it really can be, is always a blessing in disguise because I gain more insight to my character's lives when I take a step back from the situation. 

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss tomorrow's question!

Thanks to all the wonderful people at Goodreads, I now have not only an author profile, but also one for my book! You can become a fan, follow my updates, and add A Perception of Dreams right to your reading list! Here is my author page and here is the page for APOD. Also, if you look on the right hand side of my blog, just under the about me, you'll see my fancy Goodreads button. I've already clicked it twice. I'm so excited =)

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Actually, it's a little of both. A good portion of the story has come from my imagination, but there are many places where I insert things from my own life. Whether it be in a conversation, a certain situation, or a minor detailing, there is a little bit of 'me' in all of it. For example, in chapter two there is a scene where Tabitha is knitting to relax after a long day. As she hears knocking at the door, she places the project into a 'multi-colored bag'. The bag I have in mind was actually my grandmother's. She always had that bag full of every color of yarn and an assortment of needles. After she passed away, I found out that she wanted me to have that bag, making it very special to me. We spent many hours in her seventies orange rocking chair as she taught me to knit.

In answer to the question though, it's little things like that which I throw in not because I expect the reader to focus on the minor details, but because it means something to me. It's pretty neat going back through all the books and picking out all of the hidden treasures I've snuck in over the years.

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss tomorrow's question!

You know how you have those weeks where you're so busy that you feel like you're running around and forgetting everything you were supposed to do? Yeah. That's been my entire summer. The last week was verging on miserable and my memory is so shot that I had to buy a planner a few days ago! ...Then I lost the planner...However, I did just find it in my computer bag so we'll see how long this lasts.  I'm pretty sure I'm becoming the type of person that will forget something even if it's stuck to my forehead. 

On top of the previous dilemmas, the last two weeks were Olympic weeks. My mother, being the gem she is, called and informed me that the Olympics are ending on Sunday- thank God!- but that Shark Week begins then. ...Are you kidding me?! It's got to be a conspiracy against writers everywhere. I was glued to the television more than I would care to admit watching all of the Olympic events and now I will be glued another week to tune into Shark Week. It's a good thing A Perception of Dreams is not yet published or I would have emails out the wazoo prodding me to continue working on book four. No one tell my agent. :P

I need a nap...and someone to pull the plug on my television. K thanks.

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss tomorrow's question!

What book are you reading right now and how often do you pick up a new novel?

Great question. If you take a look at the right hand side of my blog, you'll see a little box under my 'about me' titled 'currently reading'. I update this as soon as I finish a book. Currently, I'm reading Two Pins in a Fountain by Jane Arbor. It's one of those books that I picked up from a yard sale because it 'looked pretty'. [See previous post for that explanation ;)]

As for how often I pick up a new novel: I go back and forth all the time on this. I can easily go through a book a day, but the downside is that I get so absorbed in the story that I neglect my own writing of the Tabitha Hale Saga. I've gone from the former to a couple a week because I need a brain break from the THS. About a month later, usually when I see a new book coming out, I'll switch back to the former and do a book a day. After realizing, again, how much that took away from my writing, I always switch back to a couple a week. It's really a viscous cycle for me. Once I get into a story, I just have to know the ending which makes the book really hard to put down long enough to come up for air. As my husband says, 'You devour books.' No, but really. I do.

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss tomorrow's question!

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do to get past it?

Ugh. I get writer's block more often than I would like which usually ends up frustrating me to no end and causes me to walk away from writing for a while. As much as I would like to give you a definite answer that would cure the dreaded writer's disease, I don't have one. Every person is different and their thinking/writing process is entirely unique so what works for me may not work for you. That being said, I typically just have to turn my music up more loudly and push through the block. I force myself to sit down and write or I take a break and read a book to clear my head.

-A

If you have a question about the Tabitha Hale Saga, please feel free to shoot me a message here or leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will incorporate it into my daily schedule. (Once you're on the website, click 'contact' on the upper right hand side.) Make sure you subscribe either via email or blog so you don't miss tomorrow's question!