WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?
I always remember writing so I guess that means I’ve always been a writer. As a child I would keep journals about events going on in my life. Lists of things that happened to me and that I wanted to do. Important things like the boys I liked and why they never paid any attention to me. I would write short stories. I wrote an autobiography when I was nine. It was very short. Writing was always a way for me to gather my thoughts and focus. It was a form of catharsis during tough times. In many ways it still is.
In short, when I need to be heard… I write.
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
I wanted to be a teacher. Mostly because my parents were teachers. And I spent all of my days surrounded by teachers in school myself. It was almost as if I didn’t realize I had any other choice but to go into education. Let’s just say if I knew then what I know now, I may have chosen differently, although I thoroughly enjoyed my seven years in the classroom helping to shape the lives of some incredible kids.
HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?
The origin of the story is rooted in my observations of an actual pair of siblings confronting the same fate as the characters in the book. When Lauren, a close friend of my daughter, was diagnosed with leukemia at the tender age of six, doctors discovered the girl’s ten-year-old sister Hayley was a perfect bone marrow match. I watched as the sisters rallied around each other throughout the treatment, strengthening one another with their obvious love and friendship.
When Laruen went into remission I couldn’t help but think how painful it would have been for Hailey to have lost her sister. The seed for The Clay Lion was planted and I built the storyline around the enduring strength of sibling love.
Tragically, not long after The Clay Lion’s release, Lauren’s cancer returned, and like Branson, the fictional younger sibling in the story, she lost her battle with disease in October of 2013 – a tragic ending to a beautiful and very short life. Since that time, the novel has served as a source of comfort not only to Lauren’s family but to many others who have found solace within its pages.
It brings me joy to know Lauren and Hailey’s sibling bond can live on with readers through Brooke and Branson’s story, and that they will forever serve as a testament to the tremendous power of love.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:
One Sunday afternoon, I was seated at the kitchen counter working feverously on a particularly difficult chapter of The Clay Lion. I was so absorbed by the story line that I was unaware of my husband’s presence in the room. Moved by the emotion of the passage and angered by what I’d just written, I began to cry, and my husband inquired about my outburst.
“What in the world are you crying about?” he asked.
The shock of his arrival combined with the chapter’s unexpected turn of events left me not fully in control of my emotions. Without thinking I blurted out, “Brooke just did something horrible. I had no idea she was going to do what she did.”
He looked up from his nachos and considered me, dumbfounded, from across the kitchen. “This might come as a surprise, but Brooke’s not a real person and you’re the one writing the book. How could you not know what she was going to do?”
It was in that moment that I realized I was no longer in control of my writing. The story and its characters had officially taken over and I was helpless to stop them. I had my ideas about where I wanted the story to go, but Brooke had her own ideas about the course of her life. She chose that afternoon to take the story in a new direction and I willingly let her do it. It seems silly to think of her as a real person with real thoughts and emotions, but in that moment, she was. I’ve never regretted my decision to let her take the helm, and although I continue to outline my stories, that afternoon in the kitchen convinced me I should never hesitate to allow my characters to have their own input.
WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
I read a ridiculous amount of young adult fiction, mostly because I am captivated by how a good YA author can stir long-dormant emotions and remind you just how truly amazing it is to be alive. I believe that I’ve been influenced not so much by the specific style of their writing, but by their themes and ability to connect with young adults. With that being said, I don’t know if I can narrow my choice down to a single influence. Some of my recent guilty pleasures include Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children), John Green (An Abundance of Katherines), and Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures). Some of my long-time favorites have always been Jerry Spinelli (Stargirl), Judy Blume (Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret), and Lois Lowry (Number the Stars).
WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?:
I would have to say Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson has been the most influential book in my life. I was a reluctant reader early on, and because I tended to read quite slowly, I had trouble keeping up with the other children in my elementary school classes. Over the years I began to resent having to read. There was no joy in it for me.
Then, in sixth grade, our class read Bridge To Terabithia and it was the first book to ever make me cry. I suddenly realized books had the ability to reach inside and stir up emotions I didn’t know I had. It shocked me, and so I began searching for other books which would have the same effect. I became a voracious reader at that point, reading library shelves clean. That was the beginning of my life as a reader.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
My first inclination in answering this question was to mention something about awards or sales figures, but the truth is, I was lucky enough to achieve my greatest literary accomplishment long before garnering any critical acclaim or financial success.
Several months after The Clay Lion was released, I received an email from a woman I hadn’t spoken with in over twenty years. She wrote to let me know that she’d spent many years struggling to come to terms with the death of her own brother, but that after reading about Brooke’s journey in The Clay Lion, she’d found peace and slept soundly for the for the first time since he’d passed away. Knowing my words created such powerful emotion in someone was the most humbling experience, and I will carry the joy of that moment with me forever. As it turns out, connecting with other people is, without a doubt, my greatest literary accomplishment.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Over the years I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many wonderful authors, and based on what I’ve learned from them I feel confident in saying there is no one “right” way to become a published author. I know people who have published traditionally through agents with Big Five publishers. I know independent and self-published authors who sell thousands of books and are respected for the quality of their work. And I know authors who have dipped their toes in both publication pools with great success.
What I would say to an aspiring author is that there has never been a better time to attempt publication with so many wonderful options at your disposal. And the best way to choose which option is right for you is to follow your heart. Consider those things that are most important to you and follow the path that feels the most authentic. Do you value the esteem, full-service production, and marketing benefits that may accompany a large publishing house? Then perhaps querying agents for a traditional purchase is right for you. Do you like the idea of maintaining your own rights and setting your own schedule and pricing? Maybe you’re better suited for self-publishing. Perhaps, if you build a body of work that is large enough, you could try both. Of course, as with any decision making process, you should thoroughly research and weigh the pros and cons of each before heading down one path or the other. But regardless of which you choose, you are in for an exciting journey.
CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?
I am by no means an expert in this arena. What I know I’ve learned by listening to other writers who were kind enough to share their own experiences and through my own trial and error over the past three years. I believe some of the most poignant advice is this – focus on building your brand, not selling books. Put your best foot forward in the marketplace so as to give potential readers a comprehensive view of who you are and what you have to offer. If they connect with you they will most likely connect to your work.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?:
Only that I feel beyond blessed to be able to spend my days creating stories for people to read. I can only hope that others enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?:
Yes! I’m currently working on the manuscript for the second book in the Sevens Prophecy Series, Gather the Sentient.
Gather the Sentient picks up where Among the Shrouded left off, tracing the interconnecting lives of the Mia and Thomas, as well as a few new characters on both the good and bad sides of the Sevens Prophecy. In book two of the series, readers will be introduced to several more of the “good” characters, including Jose, who has the power to heal. Meanwhile, Henry has been searching for others on the “bad” side of the prophecy in his attempt to usher in the age of the Seven Deadly Sins.
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews
International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval
http://www.clcawards.org
