New Author Interview. With Mirriam about her Book. "Monster."

So I'm not really sure how to introduce this. Mirriam became known to me through mutual friends, Abigail and  Jenny,whose blogs I follow. And Jenny, said that I ought to make friend her. "She's a Peach." Jenny, was right. She's simply lovely and fun and encouraging. Found out we have things in common.  Awesome, Awesome friend.

Anyway... onto the Good Stuff. Hope you enjoy reading

So tell us a little about yourself!

I grew up in Washington state, so I’m used to deep winters with drifts of snow that come up to my waist; and I can never get used to Georgia. I love Christmas more than any other time of the year, and I prefer doing things at night to doing them during the day.It’s hard to believe that next year I’ll be twenty – it seems only yesterday I was building stables for plastic horses out of cardboard boxes and paper towel tubes.

Did you grow up loving writing, or was it something you sorta grew into as you grew older?

I’ve always loved stories. When I was small, my parents would read to me – Narnia, mythology, history. I had the best literary upbringing a child can have, I think. I fiddled around with writing but never finished anything until I was thirteen. It was a short story titled The Pegasus on the Mantle, and it won first place in an online writer’s contest. That really spurred me on to write more, and as you can see, I haven’t quit.  

What inspired you to write “Monster”?

An odd mixture of things. A music video, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, North Brothers Island in New York, and Schindler’s List.

Are you working on other projects now? What are other writing influences on your works?

The one project demanding all my attention right now is my fantasy novel, Paper Crowns. The characters and mixture of worlds has snatched my heart and won’t give it back.

Do you have a favorite character or characters? If so, who was your favorite character to write?  

I have quite a few (aside from Mir *wink* ) Currently, I love Halcyon and Azrael from Paper Crowns. I love Angel, Skata, Rukiel, and Cassis from This Mortal Coil, Vey from Acceso, and Ezra from Daring Ezra. Honestly, I don’t have a current ‘favorite character’ – it depends on what I’m writing and spending the most time with.

Do you have any unusual habits when you write? (i.e. consuming inordinate amounts of tea and/or coffee, sitting in one position the whole time, etc.)

Well, I DO consume inordinate amounts of tea and coffee while writing; I also write better in the dark. Light seems to slow down my stream of inspiration. Also, I can’t write while listening to the wrong music.

Do you outline your books or do you prefer to begin writing and let the plot sort itself out?

I give them a vague outline; what I like to call a ‘skeleton with a heartbeat,’ and then I fill it in as I go along. I generally change a few things when I go back, edit and rewrite, but the story remains much the same.

Who would you say this novel is written for?

I would say it’s written for everyone, because I tried to incorporate so much into it: Adventure, romance, mystery, comedy, and the over-arching theme of sanctity of life.

What do you consider the best time of day for writing? Please explain your answer.

I prefer writing either early in the morning (particularly on a cloudy day) or late at night, when it’s dark. Light just isn’t conducive to my writing mood, and I like writing when the house is still and people aren’t walking around doing things.

Is there something you would like people to take away after reading your book?

I’d like them to come away with a refreshed sense of people’s worth.

 What is the best way you help you in the process of selling your book?

Buy it! *grin* Also, talk about it. Word-of-mouth, be it in person or through blogging/reviewing (especially on Amazon and Goodreads) is quite literally THE best thing.

You can find the book here on Amazon and find Mirriam's Website here http://mirriamneal.com/

*Pictures used with Permission