What inspired you to write False Memory?
I’d been writing a lot of the same stuff for a while. Really gritty adult crime novels. I was
getting rejections that said my stuff was too masculine, or that it wouldn’t appeal to female
readers. I started to get worried that I could only do one thing. Around that time I read
Twilight and The Hunger Games, and yes, I loved them both. They were fun.
I started reading more and more YA, and decided to challenge myself by switching gears
entirely. I grew as a writer because of it.
Once I decided to go this route, I just applied all the things I loved about books growing up.
Action, adventure, and yes, romance.
Did you base any of your characters identities/personalities on people you’ve met or
passed by?
All writers take their experiences with people and distill them into fiction, but I never
go “Okay this character is going to be just like so and so.” I think characters have to be more
interesting than real people. Let’s face it—a lot of us are pretty boring.
What is one of the wackiest things you’ve ever done?
I really can’t say without incriminating myself : )
What is one of your favourite things to do while not writing?
Watch movies. They are my favorite thing. Or certain TV series.
Anything you can reveal about the sequel?!?
Maybe after the first book is out! I can say that it is a bit scarier than the first one.
What’s it like to write from the POV of a girl? Is it difficult?
Extremely. I doubt I’ll do it again. It’s definitely a lot easier now that I know Miranda, but in
the beginning it was really frustrating. I couldn’t really base any of the character on myself,
which always makes things easier…but maybe that’s a good thing?
I was lucky enough to get a lot of female advice on Miranda’s voice though, something I’m
very grateful for.
Favourite snack while writing? Or just in general?
I’m not much of a snacker. Does ice cream count as a snack? I definitely don’t snack while
writing. I’m a little OCD about keeping my keyboard clean, so I wash my hands every time
before I sit down to write. Yeah. I really only keep coffee and water nearby.
Any words of advice to aspiring writers?
I’d say don’t give up, but if you’re really a writer, you’re not going to anyway. So I guess I
would say to get off the social media stuff, for now. You can come back. But for now, focus
100% on writing and reading. Every spare moment, you can be learning. Right now I waste
so much time on the internet (as you’ll see in the question below), and I’m trying to do a
slow rollback. It’s so easy to distract yourself when a scene gets tough, so avoid that now
before the habit becomes ingrained.
Do you have any pre-writing things you do to get into your -zone-?
Yes, but really I’m just procrastinating. I look at stuff on the internet, sometimes hours
before starting, just to put it off. I like to have a cup of coffee first to get in the zone.
What would you do if one day you woke up and had the superpower you have forever
been dreaming of having?
I would give up the writing gig and become a full time superhero. Seriously.