About Being an Author

Hi all!  I was contacted by Bob at Webucator to answer a few questions about being an author, and since I’m in blog mode right now with the blog tour and promo sweep for Marked, which releases on the 22^nd, I figured now would be a good time to answer these.  Here it goes:

What were your goals when you started writing?

You know, it’s funny.  I think that with any endeavor, your goals change.  At first, I just wanted to finish a book.  Then I wanted to get an agent and a contract, which I did.  Then, really, all I wanted was to see the book and hold it.  That was a very exciting day, and the book was Fated, which is the first book in the Dark Protector series.  The tenth and final book, Marked, will soon release.  After that, well…then I wanted to write another series, so I wrote the Sin Brothers and the Maverick Montana series.

Right around the time that the fourth Dark Proctor book released, one of the publicists at my publisher mentioned that it might hit a list.  Well, I have to be honest.  I’d never even considered hitting a list.  We hit the USA Today list.  At that point, of course, I reeeeaaaallly wanted to hit the New York Times Bestselling list by myself with a book (instead of in an anthology or group set).  We hit the Times last March.

What are your goals now?

Now?  Honestly, now it’s all about the writing.  I want to keep improving and making each book better than the last. That’s the key.  Also, I just signed with a film/tv agent for a new series called The Scorpius Syndrome, which will debut next year.   Going to film/tv is more of a dream than a goal, though.  Still…it’s nice to dream.

What pays the bills now?

I’m fortunate in that my husband works hard and can always cover the bills.  However, to be honest, writing is paying well and has been since almost the beginning.  My first book came out in 2011, and in 2012, I replaced my salary as a college professor.

Assuming writing doesn’t pay the bills, what motivates you to keep writing?

I’d keep writing even if it didn’t pay, because I don’t think I could stop.  Once you open those floodgates, you’re always thinking about the next story.  That’s just the way it works, I think.

And optionally, what advice would you give young authors hoping to make a career out of writing?

Don’t give up!  Seriously.  I know several fantastic authors who just gave up instead of powering through.  Power through and keep on going…it’ll all work out.

Thanks for the Webucator gang for the fun questions!  Just a quick reminder that the Marked blog tour is going on right now, and you can enter daily for a chance to win $50 at Amazon.  There’s also a fun interview of Zane Kyllwood over at BooksnKisses today, and he’s giving away a couple of books.  Under the Covers interviewed me, and the raffle copter to win the gift card is on their site right now.  Drop by and say hi!