Roll up, roll up, roll up! Sorry, I promise I won’t do that again. I was just looking for a good introduction for the very first Q&A here on my good-as-new author blog. This one is with a fellow indie author (as will all the future Q&As be, unless I can get a multi-million celebrity interested)… Debbie Brown, author of Amethyst Eyes (which also happens to be featured on Clean Indie Reads, a great site if you want flinch-free fiction!).
Without further ado (yes, it’s “ado”, not “adieu”, pay attention here!), let’s head straight to introductions, because I know you’re asking yourself just who this Debbie Brown person is. Well, in her own words:
I would have to say that I am the ultimate multi-tasker, a non-stop whirlwind of activity.
Debbie lives in Canada, a place she describes as “COLD”, even though it’s summer.
This past winter broke all sorts of cold records, and I have yet to thaw out. Aside from that, I live in the Laurentian Mountains, surrounded by trees, near rivers and lakes. There are deer, racoons, and even bears nearby.
But back to that multitasking… what exactly is keeping her so busy? Well…
Right now I am breastfeeding Savannah, my 10 month old baby girl who has yet to sleep through the night. Zoey is my 6 year old whom I homeschool. I work part time for the military as a CIC Officer (which is very time consuming), and I cook organic meals from scratch. Oh, and I am a writer! So how do I manage…? First of all, I do not have a schedule, aside from meals and bedtime. My military side would go crazy if I had “scheduled” something and could not do it on time, as planned. The girls rule the timing of events and my writing is done outside the everyday activities, (which basically means whenever I can squeeze in).
I had hoped to have already released the sequel to Amethyst Eyes, but the pregnancy and baby pushed it back. If all goes well, we will see it shortly!
Sounds like a pretty busy, although fulfilling life… but as in every life, Debbie’s hasn’t always been smooth sailing. When asked about the most important thing in her life that impacted her writing, she says:
It would have to be the loss of my daughter.
From as far back as I can remember, I have always created stories in my mind. As an adult, I had taken a creative writing course, but until my loss, I never had or took the time to write. I found myself home, barely able to walk, even with a cane, and having to care for my 20 month old daughter. I needed something to channel my grief. I needed to create a place where people cared for one another, a place where family mattered, so I signed up for an online writing course, and wrote Amethyst Eyes alongside my studies.
See, it goes to show, writing really can be therapeutic. But whatever feelings you’re looking to put onto paper, be they sad or happy, it’s never a bad idea to pursue a writing career. Yes, it’s hard, but it can also be very fulfilling, both to yourself and others. If you want to be a writer too, but find yourself scratching your head, wondering how exactly you should proceed, Debbie has a few tips for both new and seasoned authors:
There are no secrets… it all comes down to this: WRITE. I understand that not everyone has an innate talent for writing, but there are so many topics to cover, and so many genres to write in, that it is safe to say that there is something for everyone.
I think that if you are serious about writing, then you should learn all you can about it, either from a class, a seminar, webinar, writing group or any type of setting that will give you feedback and guidance. I am a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, and I have gone on to complete the advanced course for select graduates. Today it is possible to take distance learning courses, online courses and even sign up for local classes in creative writing. Time well spent!
The last thing, and by far one of the most important ones, make sure to have your work edited! I use my Kindle’s “text-to-speech” option to listen to my work, making it easy to pick out mistakes and missing words (you know, the ones your brain automatically inserts, even though it’s just not there). Once you have gone over it and think it is ready to be released, send it off to be edited, because you will be surprised what comes out of a fresh set of eyes, a fresh mind and a red pen.
About Amethyst Eyes
Waking up in the hospital from the car accident that claimed his mother’s life, 15-year-old Tommy is told his father is on his way. Unaware of his father’s true identity or the reason he left so long ago, the teen is unprepared for the reality of the life he must now lead. In the blink of an eye Tommy finds himself on an alien vessel… his father is not from Earth!
The challenges Tommy face go beyond adapting to a new home and school. But first, he has to survive Jayden…the reluctant, unsympathetic tutor, tasked to help him fit in. When he finally thinks things are getting better, it all comes crashing down as he learns that being born with amethyst eyes has made him the target of some very unfriendly beings.
You can buy Amethyst Eyes from Amazon
Finally, what can we expect from Debbie Brown in the future?
I am working on the final edit to the Amethyst Eyes sequel. This story takes place three years after Tommy’s arrival onboard. I am looking forward to finally sending it off to my publisher, the amazing Kitty Honeycutt from GMTA Publishing. I am going to have to move on at some point and accept that the story is ready to be published, but I have issues with the fact that it is shorter than the first one.
In any case, I am brewing the final installment in the AE trilogy, and hope to dive in soon enough. I will also be taking an editing course.
So, there you have it… I hope you enjoyed getting to know one of my fellow indie authors, and I hope to feature many more of these talented individuals in the future! If you’d like me to Q you so you can A me, just say the word.