Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

 

1. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

      It most defiantly energizes me. Even during those times when nothing else seems to be going right, as soon as I lose myself in a story, it all falls in line.

2. What is your writing Kryptonite?

       I would have to say the way I feel. If I have a headache or I’m tired, I just can’t bring myself to write. If I do, it usually shows up in my writing and I end up deleting and rewriting.

      3. Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

      I have written an erotica series that I write under the name Rick Pearson. But that was only because it was an erotica series and I wanted that separation from my other books.

4. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have made many author friends on Facebook, and I find that I am always learning from them and with them.

5. Do you want each book to stand alone, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

When I am writing a series, I am the cliff-hanger king. I love them. So usually books that follow will be leading from a cliff hanger. However, it has been said that each book in whatever series I write, can be read alone.

6. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

        I would have to say on my current computer (knock wood). It is just one of the best ones I’ve had, and I’ve gone through quite a lot.

7. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

It had to be during the initial release of my novel Luthor. It is one of my darkest novels that centers on a boy born with terrible deformities. I have had many people post reviews on how the novel effected them. Some have told me that they loved the book and story, but couldn’t continue because of the depth of sadness the tale touches on.

8. What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Of my own? I would say, Blue Moon. It was one of the first books I ever published (2000), and it is a story written by a werewolf on the night of a blue moon, the only night when he is able to take his own life. Before he does, he tells his story.

I’ve always loved writing werewolf tales, this book and the sequel, The Rise of the Son.

I enjoyed taking certain liberties with the lore and putting my own spin on it.

9. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I have only two. The final installment of my Genie series, that is in the final edit stages, and also a book called Reunion-the Children of Lauderdale Park, which is a book I wrote long ago but has never been quite finished.

10. What does literary success look like to you?

I would consider literary success to be able to make a living off of my writing. That may seem like an obvious goal, but it’s what I strive for.

11. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I love doing research. I enjoy looking up whatever I can about a subject and putting it in my stories. The most research I’ve done on a series would be for my other YA books, Serpenteens. The books center around five teenage siblings who are demigods. They can transform into various kinds of snakes and then control different aspect of weather. They travel around battle the increasingly dangerous weather scenarios that are plaguing the planet.

        Research was started the whole series for that. I had the idea to do a story about people who could turn into snakes, and while I was researching information about snakes I discovered their connection to the weather, and that took the story in a whole new environmental direction. After that I researched weather and various locations around the United States where the Serpenteens traveled, and even had to somewhat learn how to drive an airboat. 

12. How many hours a day/week do you write? I am still working a part-time day job, so on work days I don’t have a lot of time. But on my days off, I love to start as early as I can, and I could easily sit for three-to four hours.

13. How do you select the names of your characters?

Naming characters is always fun for me. I try to find names that directly fit the character. I have a children’s series called The Adventures of Johnny and Joey, where two brothers find a magic elevator buried in their backyard and they travel to magical lands like Imagination Land, or Wooden Land, or Aqua Land.

14. Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I started writing horror and suspense, and that is what I truly enjoy. But when I began writing YA series, I found I had to focus on not getting too scary.

15. How long have you been writing?  

I wrote my first story when I was ten years old.

16. What do your plans for future projects include?

I am currently working on the final installment of my Genie in a Bottle series-After the Wishes, which will be out in a few months.

17. Share a link to your author website. polmcshane.com