I'm participating in an Author to Author Blog Hop. From December 5th through December 20th, participating authors will be guest posting on each other's blogs. We've all banned together and donated at least one book, and at the end of the blog hop one lucky person will win a collection of 13 books. What a great Christmas present, right?
Today's post is from YA Paranormal Suspense/Romance author T.M. Franklin.
T.M. Franklin started out her career
writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in
Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked
for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two
regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time
freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE is now available. Book 2 in
the MORE Trilogy, The Guardians, will be released in 2013.
Contact Information
Website: TMFranklin.com
Facebook: TMFranklinAuthor
Twitter: @TM_Franklin
E-mail: TMFranklinAuthor@Gmail.com
1.
Who's your favorite author, and why?
Oh, that’s a tough one. It
depends on my mood, and honestly, I’m a bit fickle. My favorites change based
on what I’m reading at the moment, I think. I love authors that evoke
some kind of emotional response – those that make me laugh out loud or cry or
just think for hours or days after I finish reading.
I’d say my favorite comedic
writer is Janet Evanovich. She’s got such a talent for writing outrageous humor
that’s pee-your-pants funny. (No, I haven’t done that, but it’s been close!)
For historical fiction, I’d have to go with Diana Gabaldon, who wrote the Outlander series. She blends fantasy
with real historical events in such a compelling way. And the last thing I read
that really made me cry was actually a fan fiction contest entry. The contest
is anonymous, so I can’t say much about the story, but hit me up after the
winners are announced on December 15th and I’ll be glad to share the
wealth.
2.
If you could have a conversation with one of the characters in your
most-recently released novel, which one would it be and why?
Probably Tiernan. Caleb and
Ava are pretty much open books, but Tiernan is a man of mystery. It would be
fun to try and get inside that big shaved head of his.
3. Where
do you get the ideas and inspiration for your characters personalities?
Many places. Some are based
on people I’ve known in real life. Others’ personalities simply develop from
the part I want them to play in the plot. Generally, the characters I like get
personality traits I like and admire, while villains get the opposite.
4.
What is the best thing (in your opinion) about being a writer?
Telling stories and actually
having people read them. We all like
to say we write for ourselves, but the fact of the matter is, if there’s nobody
to read the stories, what’s the
point?
I’d say the best thing is when someone reads and gets what you’re trying to say. I recently
got a review for MORE that said, “That is exactly what this book is: a fun read. This is the
'sit down on a cool fall day, cuddle under a blanket, and get lost in another
world that might actually be our world' kinda book." – So You Think You Can
Write.
This is
exactly what I was trying to write –
not a Pulitzer Prize winner or some great piece of literary art (not that I
even could!) – just something fun to read. So this comment thrilled
me!
5.
How did you find your agent/publisher?
My publisher approached me
after learning from one of their authors (Thank you, Sydney Logan!) that I was
working on a manuscript they might be interested in. They asked for a synopsis
and the first three chapters of MORE, and then the full manuscript. They
offered me a contract for the trilogy and that was that.
6.
What's the best piece of writing advice you've been given?
It’s not really writing advice per se, but more about
dealing with negative reviews. It can be paralyzing when you’re trying to write
and see a negative comment or review of your story. You get to second guessing
every little thing and it can be very distracting, not to mention
disheartening.
I read a blog post recently
by Rachel Thompson, an author and social media expert. One of the things she
said about negative reviews is so simple but so true – not everybody likes
everything. It’s all subjective, to a certain extent.
Go check out the Amazon
reviews for some of your favorite books. Even Divergent and The Hunger
Games – huge commercial successes with broad fan bases – have one-star
reviews. Now, this is not to say that negative reviews should be ignored,
because the fact is, sometimes they’re right. I’ve had negative comments about
my book that I’ve had to admit were spot on, and I hope they will help me grow as
a writer and make the next book better. But I think the trick is to keep it all
in perspective. Take what is constructive, and let the rest go.
7.
Biggest mistake you've made as an author?
Oh, there have been many. The
biggest one recently was using the word “cellular” in MORE when I meant
“molecular.” My son was gracious enough to point it out. He’s also been
recruited to pre-read the next book so I don’t make a similar mistake again.
Holiday-themed
questions:
1.
What would the lead character of your latest novel want for Christmas?
Oh, Ava’s had a busy time of
it – running for her life and learning there’s another Race living in secret
among humans and all – so I think she’d just like to have a quiet Christmas at
home with her family and maybe Caleb. Some time with nobody trying to kill or
capture her, and no conspiracies she’s in the midst of. I have a feeling she
might get that, too. Guess we’ll see in Book 2. J
2.
Favorite Christmas music?
I love my Michael Bublé
Christmas album from last year. Don’t judge me. It’s catchy.
3.
What was the best gift you ever received?
Probably my laptop. I don’t
know what I’d do without it!
To purchase MORE, Book 1
in the MORE Trilogy
The
Author to Author Blog Hop is hosting a giveaway for a prize package of eBooks from our contributing authors. Enter below, and the winner will be notified by e-mail. You have a chance to enter every day on any of the participating author's blogs - so keep checking back. (Note: eBooks labeled 18+ will not be awarded to a winner under the age of 18.)
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Love this and can´t wait for my chance to read, =)
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
//Linda