1)
Tell us about your latest book.
My first published
novel was How to Date Dead Guys (released
last July). The second book in the Under
the Blood Moon New Adult, Urban Fantasy series (entitled How to Ditch Dead Guys) is due June
2015.
Blurb:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s
sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell
anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the
campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma
turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him
back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the
campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her,
but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger
drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she
stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a
desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t
stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma
delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow,
but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and
the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO
DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
2)
How did you get your start writing?
My day job as a
veterinarian brought me back to writing. I'd dabbled as a child and in college,
but then set it aside. My frustration with cat owners' confusion over how to
properly maintain a litter box caused me to contact the local Post Bulletin
newspaper and begin the Pet Vet column (written as Dr. Ann M. Anderson, my
maiden name).
Then I joined the
Rochester Writing Group to get feedback, broke off into a smaller group of CPs,
and keep building from there.
3)
What publishing credits do you have under your
belt?
Besides How to Date Dead Guys, I’ve penned pet-related articles for the Post
Bulletin newspaper, RunMinnesota magazine, the DVM360 journal,
and The Wagazine.
4)
What is your writing process?
Catch as
catch can, I guess. I grab minutes, or hours if I'm lucky, here or there. I
just snatch the laptop, sit down, and type. The more books I write, the more I
attempt to work out a "fluid outline" ahead of time—at least in my
head and a few notes on an open, somewhat messy, folder. If I have troubles, or
don't know where to go next after I've written myself into a corner, walking
the dogs helps my mind calm down enough to undo the knots and twists—very
therapeutic, on many levels.
5)
What has been your most rewarding writing
experience?
There have
been several. Holding my book in my hands for the first time was pretty
cool. Having teachers and friends that I haven't seen in years show up
unexpectedly at book signings has undoubtedly been my favorite.
6)
What writing projects are you working on now?
Just finished a YA
dystopian which is under consideration, entitled Dead Girl Running. (Yes, it appears that all my titles will have
the word "dead" in them.)
Working on the final
book in the Under the Blood Moon series
(entitled How to Destroy Dead Guys)
at the moment, but it's going a bit slower than the others since I've promised
to do a lot of beta reading for other authors, and January seems to be the
month that everyone else "just finished" a book—except for me, that
is (gotta get a move on). I spent this fall writing articles, starting a few
projects that got stalled for one reason or another, and working on marketing
(writing is infinitely more fun, I tell you). J
Thanks for the interview! Cheers!
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