10 Reasons to Become a Murder Mystery Writer by Lauren Carr

You tried writing erotica, but things went really wrong during research and now your husband is in traction. Now, he refuses to help you do research for that genre anymore, so you need to find a genre that is less dangerous.

OR--

You have a really bad boss, but you can’t quit your job, so the only option you have is to kill him. But you don’t want to go to jail because— you’ll miss too much work, 
and then you’ll get fired, in which case you might as well have quit your job instead of killing your boss. 

Therefore, you need to kill your boss and know how to get away with it. You have come up with the perfect murder.

OR--

After having committed the perfect murder, you have to brag about it! But if you brag about it: everyone will know you killed your boss, and then you’ll go to jail, and then you’ll miss too much work, and get fired.

In which case, you might as well have quit your job instead of killing your boss. So, how do you brag about committing the perfect murder without getting caught? Become a mystery writer.

OR--

You want to be a detective, but your husband refuses to be married to a detective who will lure crazy revenge-seeking killers to your home because they will stain the carpet with blood and put bullet holes in the drywall. So, you’re murder mystery thinking is confined to your mind.

OR--

You’ve been hearing and seeing some strange things going on next door and you’ve been documenting it. Now that you’ve been going over your notes, you can see that this would make some really interesting reading!

OR--

You’re friend’s supposedly amicable divorce suddenly turned bad and you’re a really good friend. Really good friends don’t just help you move—they help you move the body. After all the research you’ve done to help her, why not publish it to help others?

OR--

You’re a psychopath, but the sight of blood and gore in real life makes you queasy. So you can only be a psychopath in your own mind.

OR--

You’re a psychopath, but you’re sane enough to know that if you act on it that you’ll go to jail & you don’t want to go to jail.

OR—

The economy is hurting everyone—even the mob—who has laid you off as a paid assassin. So, you might as well put what you know to work in another forum—murder mystery writing.

OR--

Just in case your husband suddenly turns up missing, you need to a reasonable explanation for why you have been visiting all these strange websites.

About Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Three Days to Forever is the ninth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s latest series.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

You can reach Lauren via: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

About Three Days To Forever

In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar!
With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

Taking Control: Being Both A Traditionally Published & Self Published Novelist by Miguel Lopez de Leon

Before I started writing fantasy novels, I wrote short stories. Over thirty of them were traditionally published in various literary magazines and anthologies. When I wrote the first novel of my fantasy trilogy, Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage, I was traditionally published as well. For the first edition of this novel, I went the usual route and sent a list of publishers a query letter. One publisher was interested, and after they read the whole manuscript, they offered me a contract and published the book.

Since the first edition of my first novel was published, a lot has happened. After the completion of the initial run of the first edition of Galadria: (Book 1) Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage, I then published the entire trilogy myself, including Galadria: (Book 2) Peter Huddleston & The Mists of the Three Lakes, and Galadria: (Book 3) Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf. 

My current book, Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf is the third and final book in the Galadria YA fantasy trilogy. The entire series is about the magical adventures of Peter Huddleston, a young boy who finds out that he is the heir to the throne of another realm! In Galadrian culture, each noble carries around their own enchanted weapon, drinking healing honey tea is very popular, dancing flowers and watermelon sized ladybugs are an everyday occurrence, and one could choose to be friends with serpent priestess, paper-thin tree nymph, political fairy, fierce werewolf, or screeching harpy alike!

Once I took over the handling of my fantasy trilogy, I really learned a lot about book design, promotion, pricing, eBooks, and all the details that come with publishing and marketing a book. In the last few years, the publishing industry has changed so much. These days, publishing your own books isn’t a cliche anymore, in a lot of ways, for a lot of writers, it’s more practical. For myself, I enjoyed the process of taking control of my own books, just as much as being traditionally published. One is not better or worse than the other, it just depends on what you want, and what you are able and willing to do.

What constantly surprises me about the publishing industry is the way it is constantly changing. With eBooks, POD, online retailing, the evolving of social media, and the way most people are completely dependent on technology (Their phones!) for everyday life, the way books are thought of has changed as well.

Books need to be just as convenient to find and buy online as any other product, which has led to a growing shift to eBooks, online editors, online book promoters, and every other online author service you could think of. The playing field between self published authors and traditionally published authors is evening out considerably.

About Miguel Lopez de Leon

Miguel Lopez de Leon is a prolific fiction writer with over 30 short stories published in a variety of international literary magazines and anthologies. De Leon, who prefers to write in the mornings, began working on his first novel as a hobby. That first book blossomed into the Galadria trilogy. “One part of the writing process I really enjoy is writing the first draft of a novel…For me, it’s the time when you can lose yourself in the story the most.” De Leon lives in Los Angeles and enjoys reading historical biographies and collecting vintage comic books.

You can connect with Miguel via: Website | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book

In book three of Miguel Lopez de Leon’s Galadria fantasy series, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON & THE KNIGHTS OF THE LEAF, Peter and his family command a mystical cast of powerful, exciting new characters in their war against the blood-thirsty tyrant, Knor Shadowray.

In book one of the trilogy, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON & THE RITES OF PASSAGE, 12-year-old Peter leaves his friendless, uneventful life in the suburbs and suddenly finds himself spending the summer chomping down magical chocolates and tossing around an enchanted boomerang at Hillside Manor, the 3000 room home of his aunt Gillian Willowbrook. While there, Peter learns he is the next in line to the throne of a magnificent realm called Galadria where his aunt is queen. His position is being challenged by a ruthless nobleman, Knor Shadowray.

Book two, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON & THE MISTS OF THE THREE LAKES shows Peter struggling to play the role of a prince. After being accepted as the heir of the Golden Realm, his new challenge is to gain command of Galadrian princely etiquette and survive dangerous adventures with his fearless white tiger, Rune. At a parade held in his honor, Peter and his aunt are violently ambushed by a band of screeching monstrosities and a merciless dark army led by the fiendish Knor Shadowray.

In the final book in the Galadria series, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON & THE KNIGHTS OF THE LEAF, the story continues where book two left off: Knor Shadowray’s relentless attack on the ruling Willowbrook family. In a desperate attempt to save her kingdom, Queen Gillian Willowbrook sends Peter and his grandfather to the Forests of Fernell to recruit a multitude of diverse warriors to defend the crown. Populated with serpent priestesses, nature-loving knights, magical weapons, paper-thin tree nymphs, and political fairies, the final installment of the Galadria trilogy shows the Galadrian populace at their breaking point as the realm explodes into a full-fledged civil war. A flurry of riotous battles are fought against the villainous Knor Shadowray’s ambitious attempt to capture the crown of Galadria.

De Leon developed the GALADRIA series out of a love of the fantasy genre and the thrill of creating “new worlds, creatures, and story lines…enhanced with magic and otherworldly mystery.” The trilogy also tells the coming-of-age story of a boy as he learns to accept himself and discovers the family he never believed he would have. “The Galadria trilogy is mainly about a lonely boy who, through overcoming obstacles, finds out who he really is. I think everyone has an element of the extraordinary in them, and I hope Peter’s story shows that,” de Leon says.

Q&A with B.J. Daniels author of WILD HORSES

WILD HORSES is part of your Beartooth, Montana series and the first book featuring the six Hamilton sisters as the main characters. Have you wanted to write about the Hamilton sisters for a while now or was this a new idea?

I mentioned the Hamilton sisters in earlier books. They were the young women that local men wanted to date, but were reluctant given that the sisters’ father is Senator Buckmaster Hamilton. Not to mention that the young women themselves are…particular when it comes to their men.

What is the significance of the title, WILD HORSES?

I like to believe there is some wild horse in each of us. With the Hamilton sisters, who were raised with the run of the huge ranch, they are definitely free spirits. That’s why I knew it would take a special man to get any of them to settle down.

The family structure of the Hamiltons has all the classic elements of a fairytale (i.e. mother dies young and father remarries a difficult woman). Do you often find yourself revisiting classic fairytale themes in your books?

Not purposely, but I think those themes are so universal that all writers tend to find them in their work. Also, I don’t think that everyone is built to be a stepmother. Angelina Broadwater Hamilton definitely wasn’t. 

Will Sarah Hamilton (their biological mother’s) story be explored at all?

The over-arcing mystery in all six books has to do with Sarah, the biological mother who’s been gone for the past twenty-two years. I’m fascinated with her character. She keeps surprising me, which is always good. So, yes, Sarah is in all six books.

Each sister has her own solid identity. Did you create a character sketch of each sister or was it a spur of the moment decision? 

Because I am one of those writes-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of writer, I get to know my characters as they show up on the page. It is great fun because the sisters are all different. 

Livie Hamilton is the most headstrong of her sisters. Was there a particular reason why Livie Hamilton’s story “spoke to you” first before her other sisters?

The only reason Livie’s story is first is that I saw her driving along a narrow two-lane in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a blizzard. I’ve done that before so I know how scary it can be. You can’t see a dozen yards in front of your vehicle. You often can’t tell where the road is. And if there is no other vehicles around, that often means that the road has been closed to all but emergency traffic. That means if you go off the road, no one will be coming along to help you. I’ve also made rash spur-of-the-moment decisions that I have regretted. Haven’t we all. But this decision is about to cost her everything.

Cooper Barnett is the resident horse whisperer and a determined cowboy – what made you choose horse handling as Cooper’s profession?

I believe men who are good with horses are also good with gentling women.  Livie needs to be gentled. She’s headstrong. She doesn’t think she needs a man. But she wants Cooper, who is equally headstrong and independent to a fault. Obviously, they are going to have to work some things out before they can really get together.

What is the dynamic between the Hamilton sisters and their father, Senator Buckmaster Hamilton?

The sisters are very loving toward their father. He has given them free run of the ranch – and anything they’ve ever asked for. He realizes that was probably a mistake, but he only wants them to be happy. He feels bad that they’ve never had a real mother since their biological mother died and their stepmother wants little to do with them. But father and daughters are very close in these books. He’s like all of us parents who look back and wish we had done a few things differently. 

The story centers around one small mistake and what it costs the main character. What inspired this theme?

Rash decisions can cost you. Especially if you get angry and take off to get caught in a blizzard on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. 

I’ve been on those roads, in those blizzards, and wished I hadn’t left home when I did. But there is no turning back often because the road behind you is possibly worse than the one you are on. You’re basically trapped because there are no towns to pull off in and often no ranch houses or anything else for miles. Also the snow is often deeper at the side of the road so you can’t even pull off and wait out the storm.

You just keep going and pray you don’t go in the ditch because you could be there for a very long time and if it is really cold out, you might not make it before someone comes along.
You can see why I love writing about Montana and what I know. 

You dedicated this book to your father and his love for Montana. How did growing up there influence your writing?

My father was the major influence in my life. He always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do when I grew up. He encouraged me always and got to see me published before he died, something I am very thankful for.

But he also gave me Montana. We moved here when I was five. He loved it and he passed that love on to me. It will always be home.

Here’s a cover art question. Which do you prefer: an illustration of a cowboy or the real thing?

As long as the cover conveys the feeling of the book, I would be happy either way. I have been very lucky to get some wonderful covers. The WILD HORSES cover is beautiful and it has that feel of being away from it all.

Without giving away too much, what is your favorite suspense scene in the book?

I would have to say the opening. What is worse than going off the road in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere, thinking you will freeze to death before morning, and then you see headlights through the falling snow. Someone is coming. But are they really going to save you?

Was this story inspired by any films you’ve watched or books you’ve read?

I don’t think so. As writers everything we see, hear, touch or smell – let alone imagine – can end up in our books and we have no idea where it came from.But my father loved old murder mystery movies and westerns so I’ve watched a lot of them. And I love Hitchcock.

Who would play Livie and Cooper in a movie?

I have to admit I’m not up on the younger actors. So I’d have to leave that up to my readers to decide. I watch a lot of old movies. 

What is the steamiest romance scene in the book?

Now if I told you, I’d have to kill you. No, seriously, you’d want to flip to that part of the book. Sorry, no spoilers.

How was the writing process different for this book than for past books you’ve written?

They all seem like they are going to be easy when I start a book. I’m excited and hopeful. But there is always a point where I think I will never finish the book. I swear it is like trying to walk through quicksand at times. I write and write, but the book doesn’t seem to get longer. This one was tough because it’s the first one. Once it is in print, there is no changing any of the setting, characters, past events. So especially with the other sisters, you have to be sure you didn’t say anything you will regret. 

How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines?

I treat writing like a real job. Except without weekends. I write every day. It keeps me in the story and makes it so much easier to pick up where I left off the day before. I also write myself little notes when I can see the next scene or two. Sometimes the deadlines get to me when a book is being difficult. But I’m pretty good at meeting them. I think the latest I’ve ever been is two weeks – and that’s after more than 70 books.

What is Flat Cowboy up to these days?

 Flat cowboys are the bookmarks to my Cardwell Ranch series for Harlequin Intrigue. One of the lovely editors at Harlequin saw a bookmark and thought I should have a cowboy one like it. That started something. A reader began calling the bookmarks Flat Cowboys and another reader began to take photographs of each Flat Cowboy wherever she went. The first reader put up a site for other readers to post where they’d been with their Flat Cowboys (The Adventures of Flat Cowboy on Facebook)

So yes it took off and it’s been a whole lot of fun!

When can we expect the next Montana Hamiltons story to come out?

LONE RIDER will be out the end of June followed by LUCKY SHOT the end of September. The next three, still untitled, will be out the end of February, June and September in 2016.

What are you working on next? 

Right now I am finishing up LUCKY SHOT. I am having great fun with the characters. As I said, the over-arcing mystery deals with Sarah Hamilton, the biological mother of the sisters who vanished from their lives twenty-two years ago. Is she the loving mother she pretends to be? And where has she been the past twenty-two years? 
It is all great fun.

B.J. DANIELS, a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of 37 published short stories. That first book, Odd Man Out, received a four and a half star review from Romantic Times magazine and went on to be nominated for Best Intrigue for that year. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense and numerous nominations and awards for best book. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two springer spaniels, Spot and Jem. When she isn’t writing, she snowboards, camps, boats and plays tennis. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death and Romance Writers of America.
 

About Wild Horses

It took only one impulsive moment on an empty two-lane highway to cost Livie Hamilton everything. In WILD HORSES, (Harlequin, $7.99) one fateful mistake isn’t the only secret Livie is keeping from her fiancée, Cooper Barnett—a headstrong cowboy with a talent for taming horses. Victimized during a treacherous blizzard by a man she thought she could trust, she’s pregnant—but unsure who the father is.
 
When Livie receives blackmail notes threatening to expose her, she must confess to Cooper and trust he’ll still protect her. What she doesn’t know is that Cooper has already made many sacrifices in the name of love. When a stranger’s twisted vendetta threatens the happy ending they should’ve had long ago, their relationship is put to the ultimate test.

Q & A with the authors from Small Town, Large Hearts

What can you tell us about the small town setting of your upcoming romance?

Samantha Chase (author of RETURN TO YOU): The south shore of Long Island had always been my heroine Selena’s home. Born and raised minutes from the beach, she always dreamed that it would be where she’d find love, raise a family and live happily ever after. The small coastal town really hadn’t been part of James Montgomery’s plan for his own life, after meeting Selena, it’s suddenly a very appealing part of his future.

Grace Burrowes (author of KISS ME HELLO): Damson Valley lies in rural Maryland, about an hour away from both Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The Appalachian Mountains give the town a protected, bucolic feel, despite the proximity of big city lights. My hero attorney MacKenzie Knightley loved growing up with his brothers on a farm right outside Damson Valley, and was all too happy to go into practice with both James and Trent. The Knightley farm is now owned by foster mom Sidonie Lindstrom, who has moved away from Baltimore to give her foster son a better start in life. Sid has no patience for small town life, though before too long, the scenery does catch her interest…

Andrea Laurence (author of FEEDING THE FIRE): If you’re willing to turn your car off the highway and venture from the beaten path, you might be lucky enough to run across a town like Rosewood, Alabama. Steeped in southern charm and the traditional values of God, Family and Football (although not always in that order), Rosewood is like a time capsule preserving everything modern cities have lost. Here, you’ll find homemade pies, perfectly brewed sweet tea, and beauty parlors filled with lively gossip. It’s the kind of town where everybody knows everybody – and everybody knows your business whether you like it or not! Thanks for stopping by. Sit a spell and tell us what you know.

Word can really get around in a small town. Do noisy neighbors and gossip cause any problems in your couple’s romance?

Grace Burrowes: Mac and Sid’s first shared meal is in a local pizza joint, and before he even sits down, Mac realizes he’s making a mistake. His old choir director is two tables over, his nemesis from high school wrestling tournaments is grinning at him from the bar, and the woman he took to the senior prom—many years and several dress sizes ago—is smirking at him from across the room.

No way will MacKenzie Knightley’s little brothers won’t learn of his outing with Sid. Oops!

What is the most romantic spot in town?

Samantha Chase: At the time of their meeting, Selena is a senior in high school and James – who is two years older – is working for a landscaping company.  For them, the most romantic spot in town is the beach.  They’re not far from the larger beaches – like Jones Beach or Smith’s Point – but it’s the smaller beaches that they love to frequent.

When they meet up again ten years later, the town is still the same but their time together there is very short and I believe Selena would have loved to revisit the shore and walk in the sand with James, but they never get the opportunity to. 

When your heroine and her friends go on a ‘girls night out’, where do they go?

Andrea Laurence: There’s really only one hot spot in Rosewood, so the ladies dress up and head to Woody’s Bar too. The only thing that will tear the guys’ attention away from football is a tight pair of jeans, so there’s always love connections happening at Woody’s. If they’re looking for something more sophisticated, the ladies will hop in the car and head to Birmingham in search of shopping, sushi and champagne.

About the Authors and Books

Samantha Chase

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well. 

When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

RETURN TO YOU releases March 3, 2015. You can preorder the title here

Grace Burrowes

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes' bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Eve's Indiscretion. The Heir was aPublishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PWBest Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews fromPublishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

KISS ME HELLO releases March 3, 2015. You can preorder the title here

Andrea Laurence

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody's business.

FEEDING THE FIRE releases March 16, 2015. You can preorder the title here

Q&A with Abby Green author of DELUCCA’S MARRIAGE CONTRACT

How have your years working in the film and TV industry helped to shape your writing?

I think they’ve helped because I’m used to working in an unconventional environment and largely for myself. Even though working on a film is with a lot more people, you’re still freelance. It’s also helped because I’m used to breaking down scripts into their various components, which comes in very handy for knowing how important the continuity of a story is.

I’m also used to working under pressure which helps coming up to deadlines!

What inspired you to make to the move to being a romance writer?

I’d wanted to get out of being an Assistant Director for a while, and at first I wanted to write a screenplay but then I thought about it and realized that perhaps writing fiction might be more practical in the long run. (The percentage of scripts that actually make it to the screen is tiny!). I had lived with a friend who had first talked about submitting a manuscript to Mills and Boon and that’s where the germ of the idea started, so it’s all thanks to her.

If you could make any literary hunk in history come to life, who would it be and why?

At the moment, it would have to be Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books because he’s just the most perfect hero. He starts out as this incredibly sweet and honourable guy, virginal to boot, yet very instinctively Alpha. He grows into this very complex and charismatic man who has the most amazing love of a lifetime with the heroine, Claire. He develops through the books into an incredibly rich and complex character. Brilliant, and very sexy. 

About Delucca's Marriage Contract

Giancarlo Delucca has one aim—to go global. Even if it means marrying the O'Connor heiress to secure the contract.

Keelin O'Connor wants a place on the board—and no part in thiws business "arrangement"! Gianni may have vowed to seduce his wayward bride, but Keelin is fighting him every step down the aisle.

Happily-ever-after was never part of the bargain, but Gianni finds himself intrigued by Keelin's feisty defiance. And suddenly he's determined to turn the beautiful Irish redhead's "I don't" into an "I do"!

Welcome to The Chatsfield, Rome!

Q&A with author Chelsea Fine

What author or book would you say has had the greatest impact on your career as a writer?

Oooh, that’s tricky. It’s hard to choose just one book or author, since so many have influenced me in significant ways, but there are certainly a few that stand out. The Harry Potter series is the reason I got really into reading as a young adult. Nicholas Sparks is the reason I fell in love with literary romance. And Twilight is the reason I started writing as a hobby (and then later turned that hobby into this amazing career). There are many, many more, but those are the most significant. Probably. 

All your books are awesome by the way. You write the kind of characters that make you want to fall in love with their story.  Who or what inspires them to paper?

Aw…thank you. Honestly, I usually base my characters (loosely) on my friends on real life. I have some seriously amazing friends who are witty, funny, fierce, and passionate—and I love using their personalities as a basic outline for my on-page characters. Except for villains. I don’t really have many villainous friends in real life so I usually create my bad guys from scratch. Haha. 

If you could give advice to any upcoming writer, what would it be?

Be FEARLESS! Fear is your worst enemy in this business. It will knock you down, paralyze you, and steal your passion and self-confidence—but only if you let it. There are plenty of things to be afraid of, in any profession, but writing is especially personal and, therefore, particularly terrifying. We writers pour our hearts into our books and then we let others read and criticize them. It’s a crazy exchange and it takes tremendous courage, but I promise it is absolutely worth the frayed nerves.

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be and why?

Ooh, this is a tricky question, too! Haha. I’d probably have to say Stephenie Meyer. She returned an email of mine just after I’d published my first YA fantasy book and it was so encouraging! She probably doesn’t realize how much her words meant to me, but really, they inspired me to keep writing, to keep trying, and to not give up. So I’d be beyond honored to write alongside her. That would be ah-mazing. 

Are you working on anything that you can share? 

Yes! Always. Haha. Right now, I’m mostly focusing on finishing the sequel to Sophie & Carter. I’ve been promising my readers this this sequel for years and I’m just now getting around to it. I’m lame. Haha. I’m also working on an MG fantasy series, which is super fun! It’s very colorful and wild. And I may or may not be finishing up a small horror novella. Although, honestly, it’s more of a twisted romance than anything else. Haha. I’m working on other stories as well: a YA fantasy series, a few NA contemporary stories about my Finding Fate characters Ellen and Zack, and a historical fantasy set in early America. Phew! That probably sounds like a lot, but I love it SO MUCH! I have the best job ever. 

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Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She's ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen. 

You can reach Chelsea via: Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads