1 what's your advice to a newcomer?

Do your homework, listen to feedback/advice, and never give up. Do your homework means you should always be working on improving your writing, by reading books/articles, taking classes, or reading stories by accomplished authors. Listen to feedback/advice means you should be open to criticism. That doesn't mean you should just do what everyone says. Just try not to take it personally. It's up to you to decide which feedback is useful for your story and which isn't. Be grateful for the feedback (assuming it's offered kindly, and not in a demeaning way) because that person has spent their valuable time reading and thinking about your work. Lastly, breaking in as a writer can take many years, and that's why you need determination. Those who succeed are the ones who didn't give up.

2 what's your daily writing routine?

I'm a full-time writer and that's what I do all day (with the occasional unavoidable interruptions). I get up quite early, eat breakfast, go for an hourlong walk, then sit down in front of my computer and write. Aside from writing new novels and screenplays all the time, I also spend a fair amount of time responding to notifications (thanking people for their votes, follows, comments, and reading list adds, and responding to comments), and reading the stories of other Wattpad authors I admire.

3 how would you celebrate a publishing deal?

Oh, good question. At the least I would treat myself to dinner out with my family. If it was a really great deal, maybe a weekend of wine-tasting in Napa Valley, California, would be in order.

4 whose your favorite author outside Wattpad?

There are so many, it's hard to pick just one. Longtime favorites include Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Charles Dickens. Somewhat newer favorites include J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Isaac Asimov.

5 Are you still surprised when you gain a new vote, follower or piece of feedback?

Yes, and it makes me just as happy every time. The magic of Wattpad is finding out who's reading your book, and what they think of it.

6 what's your favorite holiday and why?

I guess Christmas because it provides the reason to spend time with family.

7 do you have any other creative outlets? 

I used to draw and paint, but now I have no time for anything but writing (and reading).

8 what inspired you to write?

I've been a voracious novel reader all my life. Loving stories so much eventually inspired me to write my own. I had always enjoyed writing essays for classes. I didn't know if I could write fiction, but decided to try it after a change in my job situation. I took classes on novel and screenplay writing and read a lot of books about it. Eventually I started to come up with my own story ideas, and then writing was all I wanted to do.

9 what's your favorite movie?

Oh boy, that's hard too. I love The Shawshank Redemption, Titanic, Raiders of the Lost Arc (just the first), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lawrence of Arabia, West Side Story, Toy Story, Airplane, Blazing Saddles (and all else by Mel Brooks), and The Lord of the Rings, among many, many other films.

10 what's your favorite snack?

Kettle cheddar cheese potato chips.

11 whose your favorite celeb?

I admire Neil deGrasse Tyson for the way he promotes science and rational inquiry. I admire Oprah Winfrey for her charitable work and promotion of reading and authors.

Request time!

The first novel I brought to Wattpad (at the beginning of 2018) is a fantasy called DREADMARROW THIEF. It was selected to be featured on Wattpad a few weeks after I began posting it and continues to draw enthusiastic readers. The novel is also published and won the Bronze in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards competition.

Review quotes it received: "...for those who enjoyed Harry Potter but who seek a feisty, determined female protagonist." -Midwest Book Review."Celebrates life and love the way only the best fantasy tales can." -Kirkus Reviews

Here's the description: Sixteen-year-old Tessa seeks to restore her father to life by stealing the most prized magical artifact of the wicked conjurer, Fellstone. She's joined by Calder, searching for his lost love, and Ash, whose growing attraction to Tessa distracts from his plan to avenge his murdered twin. A coming-of-age story about a girl who finds great power, only to learn it comes at a terrible price.