Why do you write…
When I was a kid, a published author meant Random House, Double Day, Penguin, Harlequin and the like, and it still amazes me everyday that I am a published author lol.
I wrote my first play (because let’s face it I’m from Hollywood hahaha) at the age of 13, and it was based off a Shakespearean tragedy. When I look back now, my friends and I laugh constantly because it was a tragedy in writing. I can say, that it made them laugh, which at 13 was pretty much what I was aiming for anyway lol.
I went on for years in two different careers, but I knew something in me wanted to put pen to paper in that fashion, but life gets in the way sometimes; so we often place those hidden secret wants and desires on the back burner to marriage, kids, and just living.
Well I picked it up again after all this time, and although I loooove my paranormal’s, my A Lad’s Trouser’s was the first book I ever wrote. It went through years and years of re-writes. So many, that I assigned it a lower priority in life as well, and thought I’d try a paranormal. I started reading Laurell K Hamilton, and boy was I taken aback, traumatized, scandalized, astonished and blown away all at the same time. I had always been a vamp/were fan, but never anythin like this. I was clueless to this genre, and I became ravenous for paranormal. Then thought one day, “I can do this!”
I was doing some research in the library one day, and I came across this book on Egyptian myth. Now, of course I knew Egyptian myths, I’m a teacher, but I had for years done what most of us do. I knew of them, but I had never truly ever studied any of them.
As I sat reading a passage on Ast’, which is Isis’ real name. She was given Isis by the Romans; I saw this woman in my head walking down a corridor in some kind of tomb. It was like a filmstrip, I just had to write it down; and thus began the Teaching Between Midnight & Dawn Series.
I love the Paranormal, but I didn’t see myself reflected in the works that I read; and if I did it was a side character, a supporting character, or a villain; so I thought I’d write my own. Being multiracial (Puerto Rican, Cuban, Native American, Irish and African-American).
I wanted to see a character like me, and the fact that this is rare spurred me on. Authors like me tend to get pigeon holed into one specific genre like Minority literature, Latina, African-American, or Ethnic, who hardly ever move out of that; and I think that this is completely unfair. I hoped by writing what I believe the genre should encompass, people would see the book for the story and negate the race of the character; that being, anyone could place themselves in the shoes of the character, not just someone of a minority background.
I’m sure I’m prejudiced by plenty of things when writing my style of the paranormal, so I often use that to my advantage lol. I discover brainwaves in songs, movies, the world at large, or just simple phrases sometimes. I love to write at Starbucks, because the bustling people always inspire me.
The nasty woman impatiently yelling at the Starbucks` employee because she gave her a mocha coffee instead of a mocha latté becomes a villain. The Hugh Jackman look alike becomes the next wolf, the sexy emo guy ordering the Eggnog latté becomes the next Master of the city for my vamps, or the hot blonde ordering the Tazo berry tea becomes the next warlock. I can even go so far as to make the tiny brunette the next main female character.
I love to write at night, especially since I write paranormal. Rainy nights are good for scenes of action, but full moon nights always seem to give me the most creativity. People in general instigate me to create something new. I base both my Paranormal and Fae series on mythology, so I am constantly inspired by a new myth, new legends, or new facts about lost artifacts, church scandals, or just random things in the news; and I incorporate them into my books.
Why do you write?
Let me know, I’m totally interested in why other writer became authors J
