But to catch you up on the JLB Creatives news front we would like to let you know that our Silver Springs exhibit was a hit! We were introduced to so many aspiring writers. The JLB Creatives Executive Team wants to personally wish each one of them the best of success in their writing careers! It was great seeing all of you, and having the opportunity to share our knowledge when it comes to the literary world.
Now get ready for another outstanding interview. This time with Price McNaughton. Enjoy!
Let’s say you’re thinking about going on once in a
life time vacation…how exciting! What are some of the places you’d consider,
and what would you do while you’re there?
I would have to say that Ireland Scotland Giant’s Causeway in Ireland Island . I was a huge fan of Anne of Avonlea as a child
(still am!) and visiting her “birthplace” would be a real adventure.
A zealous fan approaches your book signing table
and wants to know everything there is to know about writing a book…right now!
There’s a long line of fans waiting, and you only have a few seconds…what one
thing would tell them to encourage them to become a writer?
Read! I can’t stress this
enough. As a child, I read voraciously and I feel that it has been so helpful
to me in every aspect of my life. In my opinion, it’s the best way to begin to
learn to write. Everything is there, style, wording, setting the scene,
dialogue and more. I also find that you begin to notice patterns in writing
without having to study and force them. They flow naturally.
What book or books are you currently working on?
Can we expect a new release soon?
Murder is Ugly is my
latest book, but was actually the first one I ever wrote. I put it to the side and worked on other
books and short stories, but my first story always stuck with me. It required
extensive rewriting, but I plan on making the main character, Jinx Delaney,
part of an ongoing series so it was definitely worth it. I’ll be introducing more horse related mysteries
and adventures involving Jinx and Ranger in the future.
I am also working on a
second Mrs. Dodd mystery for those of you who enjoyed A Vision of Murder. I’m
hoping to have it ready for release by Fall 2013, but we’ll see what happens.
Creativity. Where does yours come from? This is
something writers are asked about much of the time. Would you be so kind as to elaborate on where
you get your ideas and what sparks your creativity?
I’m not sure where my
ideas come from, except maybe an overactive imagination. I’ve been accused of
having one on several occasions! The sparks can come from something I’ve heard
or seen or just imagined, but I think my most creative time is probably when
doing the dishes. A mundane task that requires no thought really frees your
mind to wander and explore.
For the first time in your writing career someone
recognizes you as their favorite author, in public. Would you panic? Smile and
bask in the moment? Blush and walk away? Invite them for coffee and cupcakes?
Scream? Run? Faint?
I would be thrilled! I
love to talk and meet new people so it would be great fun to dive into a long
conversation about books, writing, anything really.
How much time do you devote to writing? Daily –
weekly – monthly – whenever the urge strikes?
I try to write daily, but
if I am not in the mood or will be rushed, I will put it off and work on
something else in my life that needs attention. A trick I’ve found that helps
with writing a lot and daily is to leave yourself hanging. What I mean by this
is that I already know what is going to happen next or at least have a general
idea when I finish for the day. That way, when I come back to my story, I’m
anxious to get down on paper what I’ve already imagined. I also tend to write
in scenes.
Who is your favorite character that you have
created? Tell us about him or her and why you are so fond of them.
Mrs. Dodd from A Vision of
Murder. I think she resembles what I might end up like as an older lady. I
don’t always agree with or would say the things she does, but that doesn’t mean
that I don’t sometimes think them!
I also really love Jinx
Delaney from Murder is Ugly. I tend to put a lot of myself in my main
characters, for good or bad.
Of all the professions in this world you opted to
be a writer. What brought you to it?
I was injured in a
horseback riding accident and put on bed rest. I’ve always had these stories
floating around in my head and, for once in my life, I had the time to
concentrate on them. I was in a lot of pain and restricted as to what I could
physically do so thinking about my story, Murder is Ugly, was really my only escape.
It helped me to take myself out of that situation and into another.
When I was finally cleared
to use a computer, I wrote down the story I had been thinking of for all those
months and Murder is Ugly was created.
After I wrote my first
book, I realized a few things. First, anyone can write a book as long as they
don’t give up. Eventually, it will be finished. Second, the story didn’t haunt
me anymore. Third, it’s fun!
Do you create and design your own book covers?
I work with a great cover
artist that I collaborate with on my book covers. I give him several ideas of
what I want and he tells me what does and doesn’t work and comes back with his
own creation and vision of what I have said. Being able to have input on your
cover is one of the best aspects of self-publishing, in my opinion. Contact me
if you would like to get in touch with him.
If you could spend a day with an author, who would
it be? And of course we’ve got to know why.
It would be hard to decide
between J.R.R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie, but I think I would have to go with
Tolkien. He was so intelligent and had created such a large and unique world in
his own mind. I find that fascinating. The Lord of the Rings was one of the few
books I have read that made me feel as if I had truly lost friends when I
finished the last page. They are both what I strive to be like as an author.
Where can we find you on the web?
WEBSITE: www.talebearers.com
FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl
TWITTER HANDLE: www.twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton
Fantastic! Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview.
The pleasure was all mine.
~ ~ ~
There you have it. . .another awesome interview with another fantastic author worthy of discovery. Be sure to share this post with your friends on FB, Pintrest, Twitter, and other great social media sites.
Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me.
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