Hello and Happy New Year everyone. It's officially 2010 and I wish you all the best in the coming year. This year is especially exciting for me because we today kick off the first of our author interviews. Joining me today is fellow Red Rose author Angela Kay Austin. And stick around because at the end she's going to help kick off the new year right by giving away a prize. So welcome Angela and Happy New Year. Thanks for being here and being my first guest.:-)
1: When did you first begin writing? When I purchased my first pink and white diary…maybe, 10, and immediately filled it with poems in ode to my secret crush at the time.
2: What inspired you to write? When I was in middle school, we’d have these R.I.F.—Reading is Fundamental, events. They’d line books up on tables in the library, and we’d get the chance to walk through, and pick out what we liked. I picked up Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?
The book spoke to me. Just as Margaret experienced confusion, so did I as a young African-American girl bused out her neighborhood to one so different from her for school.
By the time I’d finished the book, although, I still had to learn how to ‘fit’ in, I had a new passion, writing. I wanted to be able to tell stories that made people think, cry, or laugh. I wanted to make them feel.
3: What are you currently working on? I’m working on a few different Inter-racial Contemporary Romances, as well as, a mainstream fiction piece. I’m always writing poetry, but I haven’t decided what to do with it, yet. Maybe one day, you’ll see a book of poems, too.
4: What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing? Honestly, writing is my relaxation. Since the time of that first diary, I’ve written poetry as a form of self-expression. It has always allowed me to pour whatever is inside of me onto paper, and understand myself better.
Now, when I want to escape everything, I watch movies. I have to admit that my guilty pleasure is SyFy TV. The movies are so campy and fun, how can you not laugh and forget everything.
Music is another love. I’ve played the clarinet and saxophone forever.
5: Which authors do you like to read? You know it depends. Lately, I’ve been reading everything Jeanine Frost has. She simply can’t write fast enough for me. Charlaine Harris and the Sookie Stackhouse Novels are awesome. Karen Marie Moning’s books are scattered about my house, too.
Authors of other genres that line my bookshelves are: Toni Morrison, Wally Lamb, Barbara Kingsoliver, Jane Green, Zora Neale Hurston, and Terry McMillan among others.
6: What, if anything, are you currently reading? I just finished Jeanine Frost’s Destined for an Early Grave, and I look forward to First Drop of Crimson, her first spinoff.
7: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors? The only advice I think I could offer is just not to give up. Explore all opportunities. Tell everyone about your desire to write. I can’t tell you how many times my friends will come to me, and say, “Hey Angela, I heard about…” They have been one of my best resources.
8: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Venice, Italy. I loved Rome: food, countryside, shopping, and of course the men. But I didn’t get to visit Venice on my last trip. When I go back…it’ll be all Venice.
9: Promotion time. Tell us about your upcoming release. What is Love’s Chance about? I set Love’s Chance in PA, a place I lived for a few years. The quaint town reminded me of something from years past, but the people were quite progressive, an odd combination which provided for a great backdrop.
Blurb: To pay back her parents and prevent the loss of their family business, Sinclair Mosley leaves her family and friends behind. Pennsylvania doesn’t welcome her with open arms, but Chance O’Malley does. At the risk of losing everything that brought her to Pennsylvania, including her family’s restaurant, Sinclair must decide if she’s willing to take a chance on love.
2: What inspired you to write? When I was in middle school, we’d have these R.I.F.—Reading is Fundamental, events. They’d line books up on tables in the library, and we’d get the chance to walk through, and pick out what we liked. I picked up Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?
The book spoke to me. Just as Margaret experienced confusion, so did I as a young African-American girl bused out her neighborhood to one so different from her for school.
By the time I’d finished the book, although, I still had to learn how to ‘fit’ in, I had a new passion, writing. I wanted to be able to tell stories that made people think, cry, or laugh. I wanted to make them feel.
3: What are you currently working on? I’m working on a few different Inter-racial Contemporary Romances, as well as, a mainstream fiction piece. I’m always writing poetry, but I haven’t decided what to do with it, yet. Maybe one day, you’ll see a book of poems, too.
4: What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing? Honestly, writing is my relaxation. Since the time of that first diary, I’ve written poetry as a form of self-expression. It has always allowed me to pour whatever is inside of me onto paper, and understand myself better.
Now, when I want to escape everything, I watch movies. I have to admit that my guilty pleasure is SyFy TV. The movies are so campy and fun, how can you not laugh and forget everything.
Music is another love. I’ve played the clarinet and saxophone forever.
5: Which authors do you like to read? You know it depends. Lately, I’ve been reading everything Jeanine Frost has. She simply can’t write fast enough for me. Charlaine Harris and the Sookie Stackhouse Novels are awesome. Karen Marie Moning’s books are scattered about my house, too.
Authors of other genres that line my bookshelves are: Toni Morrison, Wally Lamb, Barbara Kingsoliver, Jane Green, Zora Neale Hurston, and Terry McMillan among others.
6: What, if anything, are you currently reading? I just finished Jeanine Frost’s Destined for an Early Grave, and I look forward to First Drop of Crimson, her first spinoff.
7: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors? The only advice I think I could offer is just not to give up. Explore all opportunities. Tell everyone about your desire to write. I can’t tell you how many times my friends will come to me, and say, “Hey Angela, I heard about…” They have been one of my best resources.
8: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Venice, Italy. I loved Rome: food, countryside, shopping, and of course the men. But I didn’t get to visit Venice on my last trip. When I go back…it’ll be all Venice.
9: Promotion time. Tell us about your upcoming release. What is Love’s Chance about? I set Love’s Chance in PA, a place I lived for a few years. The quaint town reminded me of something from years past, but the people were quite progressive, an odd combination which provided for a great backdrop.
Blurb: To pay back her parents and prevent the loss of their family business, Sinclair Mosley leaves her family and friends behind. Pennsylvania doesn’t welcome her with open arms, but Chance O’Malley does. At the risk of losing everything that brought her to Pennsylvania, including her family’s restaurant, Sinclair must decide if she’s willing to take a chance on love.
Ok it's prize time. Angela Kay Austin is giving away a free download copy of her upcoming release, Love's Chance. The winner will receive their free copy just before it's release date of February 11th. Here's how you can enter for your chance to win. To win Love's Chance be the first person to answer three questions correctly on Angela's website. The questions are: What Inspired Angela to write? What state is Love's Chance set in? And finally, what is Angela's guilty pleasure? Just click on this banner to go Angela's website and post your answers on her blog page. Good luck.:-)
14 comments:
Great interview!
Yeah I enjoyed it. And of course I have more coming. I'm booked through mid-April. I don't suppose I could hogtie you for an interview? Hint hint hint!
Hi Angela- Great interview. Glad you're with the RR family. Happy New Year and here's wishing you many sales.
Kat great job.
LaVerne
Thanks LaVerne.:-)
Kat, thank again! You are awesome! What a great way to begin the year.
Hey, LaVerne, thanks for popping over, and thank you for being such a great mentor!
Thanks Angela for being my guest. It's been a blast having you.:-)
Congrats on the new release Angela! Wishing you all the best in your writing.
Jaime
Thank you, Jaime. It's been a really wild experience, and meeting people like Kat along the way has made it even better.
Aww thanks Angela.:-)
wonderful interview.
Thanks Ivy:-)
You did a great interview, Kat! And Angela, good luck with your new book and all your writing!
Thanks Kaye.:-)
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