The Interview - EnchantingAuthor

My daughter gave me a mother daughter journal. We are supposed to share back and forth filling it with memories. When I started to write in it, I had an overwhelming urge to write Force of Corruption which sparked Haunted Hunting Camp. I got the journal for Mother's Day, 2023. I wrote and published HHC by September and wrote and published FOC on November 28, 2023. 

I've wanted to write a book my whole life, I am an avid reader. I've written many short stories, poems, and song lyrics, never publishing any of them. I don't know why I suddenly decided to do it. I'm really glad I did. The indie author journey has been exciting, fun, interesting, difficult, rewarding, and I wouldn't change a thing, despite all of my fumbles while I learn about everything as I go. 

I think it's best to finish one before you go to the next, but as I say that, I'm guilty of working on multiple projects at once. I wrote Haunted Hunting Camp while I was writing Force of Corruption. I also started VioleNt while writing Force Majeure. Once I got into the editing process for FOC it was overwhelming to continue FM and VioleNt, so I shelved VioleNt temporarily. I can work on two at a time, but three is too many. I do like to enter writing competitions though, so I will write stories for those in the midst of my larger projects. Editing can be all consuming so it limits my ability to write multiple things at once. Force Majeure is twice as long as Force of Corruption, it took considerably longer to write and I am in the editing process now. I will work on VioleNt simultaneously, but nothing else unless I take a break from one of the others. I also write weekly blog about my Indie Author Journey.

I'm a total "Pantser" meaning I write by the seat of my pants without much of a plan or outline. I do write down facts about characters so I don't forget what color eyes they have or what their exact job is, that sort of thing. I also will write down any plot ideas that pop into my head during the writing process, whether I use them or not is another story. 

I don't have any plan before I begin writing. I just start writing and it's like the characters tell me what's going to happen as I write it. So until I sit down and write I have no idea who will come along, what their name will be, or what role they'll play in the story. For example in book 2 of my Forces of Nature Series, Force Majeure, there is a gay male character. He decided he was gay, I didn't consciously write him that way. The characters do what they want and I just write it down. I know that sounds crazy, but it's my process. I just type and then sometimes when I read what I wrote, I'm completely surprised. 

I had no idea where my Force of Corruption story was going to lead. I initially thought the main male character, Rhett Baker, was going to be much more violent and almost like a dark hero. He's still a grumbly tough guy, but he's a great partner to Paige, he has a soft side he shares with the people he loves on occasion.  He's a fierce friend, loyal, and caring. Though if you cross him or harm someone he loves, all bets are off. I didn't foresee his gentle side.

There are so many, I read a lot. I absolutely love C.M. Stunich and J. Bree. C.M. Stunich has many books I enjoy but my favorites are the HAVOC series, and the Scarlett Force series. J. Bree has many I love as well, but my favorite is the Hannaford Prep series. These are Reverse Harem/why choose darker romance series. I also love Rina Kent, Laurel K. Hamilton, Tate James, I.T. Lucas, Elizabeth Knight, Shantel Tessier, Siobhan Davis, L.J. Shen, Jane Austen, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, and Eric Larsen. 

It's funny you ask that. My mother is reading Force of Corruption and she said, "You must have done so much research to write this book." I was almost embarrassed to admit that I really didn't do much research at all. I asked a few firearm questions of an expert I know personally and I asked my husband a couple questions about what a man would think in a specific situation. The book is written in a dual point of view, so I had to write the voice of my female main character, Paige Patterson, as well as her male counterpart, Rhett Baker. Other than that, I just wrote what I know. I've read A LOT of books and I know a lot of things. I would call it life experience mostly.

Paige Patterson is the person I wish I could be. She's tiny but mighty. She is physically capable in ways I can only dream about, I am somewhat disabled by an autoimmune disease. She's extremely smart, kind, loves animals, a computer wiz, sharp-shooter, and a mixed martial arts expert. Another character calls her a unicorn mix of Wonder Woman and Jason Bourne. 

Force of Corruption is a dual POV spicy romantic suspense with a strong FMC that can be read as a standalone (no cliffhanger) and a guaranteed HEA.

My first novel, Force of Corruption was released 11/28/23 the second book, Force Majeure, in the romantic suspense Forces of Nature Series will be released in the spring/summer 2024. I am working on Book three in the series and hope to release it before the end of 2024. I will also be releasing my first horror novel in 2024, VioleNt. I have a horror short story, Haunted Hunting Camp already available on Kindle Unlimited. I'm also planning a biker romance series, Southern Suns MC, the first book in this series, Ax, will hopefully be finished before the end of 2024 and released by early 2025. I also have various short stories planned. As you can see, I'm very busy.

This question made me laugh as I'm sitting here blasting my writing music. I love extremely heavy metal, classic rock, and 80's music. I'm currently obsessed with Volbeat, Shinedown, and The Pretty Reckless. I included a song list for Paige Patterson and Rhett Baker, the main characters in Force of Corruption. I did this because there's a scene where they have a silly argument about their tastes in music. Paige has similar tastes to me and Rhett has similar tastes to my husband. Have we had this argument? Definitely! 

I sometimes enjoy very weird songs like Killdozer by Kim Dracula and Bundy by Animal Alpha. My husband loves old country music like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. We both like classic rock and 80's rock. We've been together since we were 17 so we have a long musical history and our tastes have varied and often opposed each other over the years. My husband is a musician and was in an 80's rock band, in the late 80's and early 90's. (my husband is on the right in the band photo)