Beautiful People: The Author

I was going to post this tomorrow, but I think it would be better today, as tomorrow I will be out and about far too much! It's been a while since I participated in a Beautiful People post, but I thought this one might be fun, since it's a little different. Instead of answering questions about a particular character, this month's post is questions about the author!

Visit Sky @ Further Up and Further In or Cait @ Paperfury to join the BP linkup!

How do you decide which project to work on?So many story ideas... so little timeRight now, that's simple. I decide which project to work on based on my publishing schedule. I am working around the clock these days to get Minstrel's Call polished and ready to release into the wild. There are a few steps left in the process, but we are nearing the home stretch! When I send this manuscript off for the final proof-read, I will probably take a quick break and work on a short story for the next Fellowship of Fantasy anthology. I have not been able to participate in the first two, but would really like to get in on the next one... especially as I love the theme and have a few ideas for the story. Don't want to give too much away just yet, but I am pretty certain it will be a short story that takes place in the world of The Minstrel's Song! So, Minstrel's Call isn't the FINAL story in that world, it seems!How long does it usually take you to finish a project?Oh gracious! Seriously? I have no idea. What do you mean by "finish," exactly? First sentence of the rough draft to polished and published novel? About a decade, apparently. Though it does appear that I am getting faster the more I do this. If you just mean, "How long does it take you to write a rough draft" the answer is a bit easier: 4 - 12 months, depending on what else I have going on in my life.Do you have any routines to put you in the writing mood?Not really. I just sit down and write. If I had to go through an entire warm-up routine, I wouldn't have time to write anything! I barely have time to write as it is!What time of day do you write best?In the afternoon when the kids are down for quiet time, or in the evenings after the kids are in bed. Sometimes I can get going early in the morning before anyone else gets up... but I'm not a morning person. Like, at all. So that doesn't happen very often.Are there any authors you think you have a similar style to?Um... I really don't know how to answer this question. Style is a hard thing to really put my finger on. I would guess that my style is similar to any author I enjoy reading, as I aspire to write novels I would want to read. But... I don't know. Maybe this is one I should just throw back to you, dear Reader! Does my style resemble any other authors you can think of?Why did you start writing, and why do you keep writing?I've always been a story-teller. Make-believe was my favorite thing to play when I was growing up. I wanted to create vast adventures and then go on them... I think it was just natural that I started writing some of those adventures down. I always thought that if I tried to write for more than just myself, however, it would become odious to me. But when I was given the incentive to try, I found that I loved it. It's not easy, but I think that's part of why I love it. I love that with every single thing I write, I learn something about my craft and I improve. I hope that every story I write is better than the last one.What’s the hardest thing you’ve written?Hm. Probably Stone Curse. That was very difficult, partially because I had to write it in such a short period of time, and partially because I wrote it out of a very tough place I was in at the time. It had been an extremely rough year, and I poured a lot of that into the rough draft. Not all of those emotions made it into the final, but it was definitely a story I wrestled with constantly while writing the first couple of drafts.Is there a project you want to tackle someday but you don’t feel ready yet?Yes. My sci-fi/mystery novel is one I am super excited to write. But it's on the back-burner for now, partially because I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle quite such a big genre-switch, and partially because I have other books waiting in line before it. But once Turrim Archive is finished, I am going to head straight to that one. I've written a few snippets for it, already, and I am very eager to work on it some more. Letting it simmer is good, though.What writing goals did you make for 2017 and how are they going?Well, looking back at the post I did for Beautiful People in January, apparently my goals were:

• Finish editing and publish Minstrel’s Call.
• Finish the rough draft of Turrim Archive book #2.
• Begin rough draft of Turrim Archive book #3.
• Perhaps… MAYBE… polish up my Cinderella retelling and try to get it ready for publication. This is the long shot. We shall see.

So far, I have finished the rough draft of Turrim 2: Mantles of Oak and Iron.

I am in the midst of editing Minstrel's Call, but I do not think I will be able to hit a 2017 release date. I will know more in a couple of weeks.

I probably will begin the rough draft of Turrim 3 before the year is out.

Probably not going to get to the Cinderella retelling until next year... especially since this Fellowship of Fantasy opportunity has arisen.

But all in all, I'd say I'm doing pretty well on those goals I set... hopefully I can continue working towards achieving them in the second half of the year.

Describe your writing process in 3 words or a gif!I can't pick just one... and these both kind of just sum it up so perfectly... the complexity of taking an idea and putting it down on paper, then polishing it to perfection... versus the intriguing nature of a brand-new idea that isn't fully fleshed out yet... but that I want to sit down and start brainstorming for... and Daniel Jackson. I mean... he's my favorite. If you need me, I'll be.... over there... *runs off to rewatch all ten seasons of Stargate: SG-1* And that's all for Beautiful People this month! Hope you enjoyed it!In other news...The Silmarillion Awards continue! Check out the graphic below to see where each presentation is being hosted! So far this week we've attended the Most Epic Heroine ceremony. Today you can check out the hilarious Most Mischievous Imp ceremony. And tomorrow we will see who has won the MOST MAGNIFICENT DRAGON Silmaril... which seems appropriate for the middle of #DragonWeek! There is a dragon-related giveaway going on, as well, so make sure you check that out.Don't forget to check back later this week to find out who will win this year's Most Loyal Friend and Most Nefarious Villain Silmarils! And then, Saturday we will announce the winner of the One Grand Prize To Rule Them All and celebrate the 63rd birthday of Lord of the Rings!