INTERVIEW
Welcome Beth! It's great to have you visit. Thank you for agreeing to answer some of my questions. So.... to begin. What are the most important attributes for remaining sane as a writer?
I had to answer this question because I laughed out loud when I read it. And my answer is, I’m not sure I am sane. Writing can be a very disheartening business and a rollercoaster ride at times, causing your emotions to be all over the place. But I suppose the number one attribute that has kept me from giving up is that I’ve developed thick skin over the course of my writing career. I’ve had hundreds of rejections. If I let every rejection or bad review get to me, I’d be a complete basket case.
Does travel play in the writing of your books?
Growing up, I always dreamed of traveling the world. I think many kids have this same dream, so I plan to set all of my YA books in different countries. I’ve always worked in the travel industry—right now I’m an event planner—so I’m lucky to have traveled extensively.I fell in love with Paris while studying at the Sorbonne for a semester in college and I’ve since visited there several times. Paris is the setting for, Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead, and I’m currently writing the sequel, set in Ireland.
Do you hear from your readers? What kinds of questions do they ask?
I love hearing from readers, but they rarely ask questions. If they did ask questions, I guarantee I would answer them. Several people who read, Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead, reached out to tell me they connected with the characters because of their own experiences with depression or grief. You always hope your book will touch a reader.
How do you describe your writing style?
Chaotic. I’m a pantser, meaning I don’t plot in advance. Sometimes I have a plot idea first, sometimes a character has a story to tell, which I don’t know until I start writing. A writer friend once mentioned that she had a set number of turning points in each book she wrote and that they occurred by a certain page number. I was like, huh? I don’t use any set formula when writing a book. The only preliminary work I do before I start a book is a goal, motivation, and conflict chart, so I have a basic idea of the character’s arc.
Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they?
Don’t give up. I see too many new writers quitting after only a few dozen rejections. As I mentioned previously, I had hundreds of rejections on five books. Talent is a small part of becoming published. Perseverance will play the biggest role in becoming a published writer and to continue publishing. So my words of advice would be to follow your dreams and never give up!
What is it that you like to do when you’re not reading/writing?
I’m obsessed with Ancestry.com. I’ve been researching my Irish ancestors since visiting Ireland in 2007 with my parents and cousin. I’ve traced several lines forward and I’ve gone to Ireland numerous times to visit me rellies. I’ve also been helping some Irish friends research their ancestors who came to America. I’ve often found myself so involved in my research that I look at the clock to discover it’s 2 A.M.
Great questions and thanks so much for having me here today!
ABOUT THE BOOK
If you died, could you live with your regrets?
When Kendra’s mother drags her to a creepy Paris cemetery for work, the last person Kendra expects to see is Amber, her best friend who moved away three years earlier. Amber helped Kendra through a dark time, and Amber’s departure was just one more loss for Kendra. Amber was Kendra’s confidante but it turns out Amber failed to share her biggest secret: she was dead.
Amber never planned to disclose her true identity to Kendra, but a boy’s life is at stake. Amber is suddenly unable to connect with troubled kids and she needs Kendra to console Pierrot, a despondent boy who holds the answers to the suspicious death of his brother, Loic. Although Loic needs closure to cross over, the truth about his death might impact everyone’s future, including Kendra’s, since she has fallen for Pierrot, the mysterious boy and murder suspect.
But dead or alive, there is no going back…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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