Award winning author Monica Shaughnessy is a Houston native and current Katy resident that according to the buzz is the next big thing in children and adult literature. Recently I caught up with Monica between writing sessions to chat about her upcoming young adult novel, growing up in a tiny Hill Country town and techniques to chase down slippery ideas.

Where did you grow-up and where do you live now?

I’m both a country mouse and a city mouse, all rolled into one. I spent my elementary years in Houston, collecting bruises–my badges of honor–fighting boys on the playground and popping wheelies on my Mongoose bike. The summer before my eighth grade year, my family moved to Harper, a one-stop-light Hill Country town where kindergarteners and seniors attend the same school. There I lived on my family’s century ranch and got into as much trouble as I did in the city. (sorry, Mom) Now I’m back in Houston–Katy, to be exact–though the only boy I fight with these days is my husband. (sorry, dear)

What is a normal “writing” workday like for you?

Once my daughter goes to school, I have a good seven-hour stretch to write. I get the dreaded social networking stuff out of the way in the morning, then spend the rest of my day cranking out prose, knocking off when class is dismissed. If I’m in the middle of a project, I may not look up from the keyboard until two o’clock. That’s when I realize the following: one, I’m still in my pajamas, and two, I haven’t eaten lunch yet. Between projects, my life is a lot messier and I spend way too many hours either obsessively plotting my next book or scrutinizing my last.

You’ve written for all types of audiences. How does your writing process differ as your audience changes?

Beyond the usual, like language choice and subject matter, I’d say that a book’s scope (emotional and rational) changes greatly with the audience, growing wider with the age of the reader. Let’s say I want to write a thoughtful book about the zoo. For young kids, I’d probably stick to illuminating the wonder of the visit. When you’re four, the zoo is as mind-boggling as the universe itself. For middle-graders, I’d pull back a little and have my main character ponder the lives of the animals. Are they happy? Would they rather be free? What would it be like to care for them? For older readers, I’d open the lens even more, and send my main character backpacking in Borneo to rescue chimps for the zoo’s conservation program, while falling in love with her handsome native guide, of course. No novel for young adults is complete without romance!

Where do you get your inspiration?

In the last place I look. If I go hunting for ideas, they hide (slippery little critters). But if I’m minding my own business, be it in the park, the grocery story, the carwash, inspiration can strike, and often does, in the form of falling leaves, blow-ups between cranky children and tired parents, a song on the radio. I take that experience, grind it through my own unique viewpoint, and—voila!—a book is born.

Who are your favorite writers and why?

Gary Paulsen, author of the middle-grade book Hatchet, is a descriptive genius that brings emotion to the page. Every one of his stories has broken my heart. For picture books, it’s Nick Bruel, author of the Bad Kitty series. He proves it’s possible to entertain both parents and kids with his ridiculous, sarcastic humor. I know it’s cliché, but for adult books, nobody beats Hemingway with his get-to-the-point prose and Fitzgerald, who takes the long way around, but does it so gracefully that it leaves you breathless.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Learn the rules for writing, practice them, internalize them, then FORGET THEM. Otherwise you’ll kill your natural voice. If you “write like they tell you,” your prose will sound stilted and unnatural. Or beige, which is worse.

What are you working on now?

I just finished writing my latest YA novel, Universal Forces, in a marathon stretch. It’s a romantic thriller set in West Texas—black sky country—that features plenty of astronomy. So to give myself a mental break, I’m starting a chapter book series about two knuckleheads who travel the country and…wait, it’s top secret. Anyway, an 8,000-word romp with fart jokes is just the thing I need to loosen my brain until I can dive into another complex thriller, my preferred novel genre.

How can we learn more about you and your writing?

Visit me at www.monicashaughnessy.com. There, you’ll find links to my Twitter, Facebook, and blog. Hope you’ll stop by!

Author Nikki Loftin is everywhere these days. As a writer of poems, essays and novels, you can find her work scattered through-out your local bookstore or newsstand. In addition, locals will be able to see Ms. Loftin this spring when she will be the keynote speaker at the annual Houston Writer’s Guild conference. Recently I caught up with Nikki and we chatted about her daily schedule, working in pajamas, and the healing properties of chocolate.

Where did you grow-up and where do you live now?

I have lived my whole life in the heart of Texas. I was born in Austin, grew up in Round Rock, and moved to Wimberley after high school. I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees from UT Austin. Now I live in between Dripping Springs and Oak Hill, southwest of Austin, with my Scottish husband, two sons, two dogs, and three chickens. I have a great view of the Texas Hill Country from my writing window!

What is a normal “writing” workday like for you?

First, I check email, Twitter, and Facebook for important overnight developments. Also, funny pictures of cats. Then, if it’s on one of the days I don’t work at my other job – where I teach dance aerobics (Zumba) at the Austin YMCA – I stay in my pajamas. This is very important. Getting out of the pajamas would free me up to do all sorts of non-writerly things: grocery shopping, errands, lunches out with friends. If I keep the pajamas on until the boys get home on the bus, it’s been a very good writing day indeed.

Then, I brew a pot of cinnamon tea – or coffee if I’m still bleary-eyed. I break down the number of words I want to get through if I’m working on a novel – usually between 1,000 and 3,000 per day. I take breaks every couple of pages, to keep my brain from overheating. (Many of these breaks involve chocolate, the reason for my other job as a fitness instructor.)

Of course, if I’m writing a shorter piece or a poem, it’s a much different process – fewer words, more staring out the window and thinking deep, black-turtleneck-worthy thoughts. 

I frequently check Twitter, Facebook, and the Internet in general for any further, vitally important developments involving hilarious cat antics.

You’ve written for all types of audiences. How does your writing process differ as your audience changes?

Great question! I write for children, young adults, and adults. I’m not sure my process changes for the audience, though. It does, however, differ fairly radically for the type of project I’m working on.

For a novel, it begins with a “what if?” I’ll be walking along, living my life, not hurting anyone, when a scenario will come rushing at me and throw me completely off course.  The idea for my forthcoming novel, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, attacked me in a fish-and-chips restaurant a year and a half ago: What if Hansel and Gretel were alive today, in America, and they went to a charter school where the teachers were witches? When an idea happens, I have to talk about it to whoever happens to be nearby. (You should feel very sorry for my husband and hairdresser). Then I mull for a few days, even weeks. I take a lot of walks, listening to instrumental music. Usually on one of these walks, the first lines will come to me and I will run home and start writing. (Cue pajamas, tea, cute cats.) It may seem like an odd process, but I finish about three or four novel-length manuscripts a year this way.

In between novels, I like to write short stories and essays. The change of pace, and the immediate gratification of starting and finishing a piece in the same day, is like a reward after the months of longer-horizon work drafting and revising a novel. 

Poems are different. They’re like butterflies – they come into my mind when they want to. I have to drop everything to capture a poem. If I’m fast enough with a pen or pencil, and write it down when it flutters past, I get to keep it. If I ignore a poem, it goes away, and (I assume) finds a more attentive poet to bless.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere. The world is full of fascinating things, people and places and events worth telling stories about. We know that when we’re kids, but somehow we lose our sense of wonder as we grow up. I try to remember how I saw things, how I really looked at the world, when I was a child. I let my mind play.

Sometimes, though, I get ideas through obstinacy. For instance, when I finished my first novel (a malformed, grammatically twisted creature that lives in the dark recesses of my hard drive), I read on a well-respected agent’s website that books about that particular topic were overdone. They indicated that middle grade novelists should write sports books. I knew nothing about sports, and that fact annoyed me. So I did just enough research on soccer to write my next novel, which won the Writer’s League of Texas manuscript contest (and, in a circuitous way, the attention of my future literary agent).

Who are your favorite writers and why?

I love Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking books. She created characters that stayed with me my whole life, and books I couldn’t wait to read aloud to my own children. I still remember sleeping upside down in my bed like Pippi – and laughing when, thirty years later, I caught my son doing the same thing. 

I love so many present-day writers who mix magic and humor into their work: Roald Dahl, Ingrid Law, Neil Gaiman, Rebecca Stead, Kate DiCamillo, and Jane Yolen.

But I’m obsessed with older stories, too. I compulsively buy and read fairy tales from all over the world, and re-read the Odyssey and Dante’s Inferno every few years.   

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

We’re all faking it. We’re all using the Think Method and blowing on imaginary trombones. Don’t be fooled by the way authors on the other side of the publication fence seem to read every book, write thousands of words a day, know everything, and have excellent skin, teeth, and hair. They don’t have all the answers. Don’t look to an author for the magic bullet, the secret elixir. The only thing you have to do to be published is write, read, study, and stay in the pajamas.  I didn’t have any connections in the industry when I began writing, and most of the published authors I know didn’t either. What they all have – and what I hope to cultivate in my own life – is the burning desire to write, to create, and to share what they’ve written with the world. It helps to have the ability to withstand a thousand No’s on your way to the Big Yes. Chocolate helps dull the pain of rejection.

Write fast, if you can. The more words, the better. You will get better the more you practice, just like with any instrument or sport. Write whatever comes to you: short stories, essays, poems, plays, novels, picture books. They will not all be published. It doesn’t matter; they are practice. Keep writing. Never stop.

What are you working on now?

I am about to send my second novel to my editor! This one, currently titled Chloe Green and the Grimoire Garden, is the story of a girl named Chloe who has a peculiar sort of Midas Touch: the ultimate green thumb. I can’t reveal much more about it, since not even my editor has seen it yet. But there’s magic, poison, witches, and evil camp counselors in this one!

Do you have any upcoming appearances or events?

I’m thrilled to serve on the faculty of the Austin Regional SCBWI Conference, “Something for Everyone,” February 17-19. This conference is always amazing, with talks on craft, publishing, and tons of opportunities to meet agents, editors, and other children’s lit writers.

http://www.austinscbwi.com/conference2012/

On April 13-14, I’ll be the keynote speaker at the Houston Writer’s Guild annual conference. http://www.houstonwritersguild.org/welcome.html

You can purchase Nikki’s books online or at your favorite local bookstore. If you’d like to learn more about Nikki please check out her website at www.nikkiloftin.com.

Santa Knows by Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
Every younger brother or sister will enjoy this original tale of a nasty older brother who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus and is proven wrong in the end. Sibling revenge fantasies aside, parents will also be relieved to discover a few “scientific” facts to support the existence of Santa Claus. Three Bears’ Christmas by Kathy Duval, illustrated by Paul Meisel
In this twist on the Goldilocks tale, Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear go on a walk at Christmastime through the snowy woods in order to pass the time until their gingerbread has cooled off enough to eat. When the Bear family returns, they are surprised to find the gingerbread eaten, chairs broken and bed covers rumbled. Kids will love discovering the clues the Bears’ mysterious guest leaves behind.

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Jon Goodell
Celebrate the holidays with an industrious crow as it flies through a small town gathering bits and pieces to decorate its own outdoor Christmas tree.

Gingerbread Man Superhero! by Dotti Enderle, illustrated by Joe Kulka
Another traditional tale with a holiday twist! As the oven door opens, Gingerbread Man leaps out, shouting “Flour Power”! Then the cookie crusader takes off to save the world and sweet adventures commence!

A Christmas Carol Pop Up, by Chuck Fischer, paper engineering by Bruce Foster
Charles Dickens’s timeless fable, A Christmas Carol: A Pop-Up Book features artist Chuck Fischer’s richly painted depictions of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, brought to life in intricate pop-up scenes by paper engineer Bruce Foster.

Rocky Mountain Night Before Christmas by Joe Gribnau and Salima Alikham                When Santa loses his voice and all the reindeer get sick it is up to the tiny calf Sugar Lump and his cow friends to pull the sleigh and save Christmas.

Librarian’s Night Before Christmas by David R. Davis and Jim Harris                                      A hard working librarian is surprised by Santa who with the help of his elves cleans up the library and puts away the books in a blink of an eye.

Christmas Kitten, Home at Last by Robin Pulver and Layne Johnson                                Santa and Mrs. Claus worry about what do with Cookie, a homeless kitten. Unable to keep the kitten themselves (Santa is allergic!), they luckily find a perfect home for a very special kitty.

Happy Holiday’s everyone! Wishing you and your family the most peaceful of new years!

But recently I found hope for my general writing malaise in a book by Malcolm Gladwell entitled OUTLIERS. The book is about successful people and what makes them so. It’s not a self-help book or a Horatio Alger-esque non-fiction tome. It’s a study of what has made people leap to the top of their professions – like Bill Gates, Oprah or Madonna.

Unfortunately Mr. Gladwell didn’t provide any short cuts or magic elixirs to such success. But I did learn one thing that changed the way I think about my writing. Mr. Gladwell determined the amount of practice time that it takes for one to become a master in their field – be it sports, music or even (gulp) writing is 10,000 hours. That’s right, 10, 000 hours of butt-on-chair typing. If you are writing eight hours a day, forty hours a week that’s about five YEARS of working on your craft.

At first I didn’t believe it. Who has that amount of time? After all, I have a Facebook profile to maintain. But then I thought about the blockbuster writers in YA and Children’s Literature and the number of hours they must have spent writing before their big break. For example, I’ve heard that J. K. Rowling wrote eight adult novels before submitting her first manuscript of Harry Potter. And if you follow Jane Yolen’s blog you know that she writes relentlessly STILL. 10,000 hours for these ladies was achieved years ago – and their subsequent success proves it.

So what does this have to do with you, me and the rest of the pre-published writers of the world?

I can’t speak for you or anyone else, but it gives me hope – because every day, week and month I spend pounding away on some word document I get closer to my goal.

So off goes the Internet, my iPhone is sequestered in the next room and I’ve put on some comfy pants. I’ve set the timer for 600,000 minutes.

Ready, steady go!

                                                                                 

Few women wear as many hats as Cherie Colburn. Landscape artist, singer and published author are just a few roles Cherie maintains. Cherie’s first book, Our Shadow Garden was published last year with its profits benefitting M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. This year Cherie’s book, Heirloom Bulbs, hit the stores to rave reviews. Recently I spoke with Cherie about her passion for books, gardening tips and the difficulty in picking a favorite plant.
 
Where did you grow-up and where do you live now?
 
I was born in Houston while my dad was in dental school, but spent all my growing-up years in Athens, Texas, otherwise known as Black-eye Pea Capital of the World.  I'm the oldest of five kids and married my college sweetheart. We have two daughters who were drug all over the Texas oilfield until we were transferred back to the Houston area in 1994.  Guess I've sort of come full circle, haven't I? 
 
What is a normal “writing” workday like for you?
 
 Normal?  I dare anyone to show me "NORMAL" when it comes to writers in general!  But my normal "writing" workday is much like it was as a landscape designer for the past 20 years, except I don't have to sweat as much in the summer.  I'm up at 5:30, with quiet time with my coffee and Bible after my husband leaves at 6.  I exercise after that – either the elliptical trainer with an eBook or head out to my garden or ride my bike – depending on the weather and the time of year because the sun's as lazy as I am in the wintertime.  I get busy on whatever my project du-jour is, usually by about 10 a.m.  I whip back and forth during the day at intervals to do some things for the business part of being a writer, which I sometimes enjoy way too much, especially when I'm having a hard time deciding which way to go with a story. I try to tie things up by about 5 so I can get dinner going, but some days if I'm on a roll, my wonderful husband eats cereal or leftovers and never even complains about it.  I do quit for a few hours of family time at night, even when I've got an impending deadline.  By 9 p.m., I'm usually getting ready for bed and read for an hour or so.  But often it's hard turning my brain off long enough to sleep.  When the muse can't be silenced, my office light comes back on at about 2 a.m.  Some of my best work is done then.  Or at least it seems that way when I'm writing it.  When I look at it again after I've had some sleep, I often realize I'm not as clever as I thought I was.  On days my husband travels – which he does quite often – I rarely know what time it is and may never get out of my pajamas!
 
You’ve written both a picture book and a non-fiction book. How does your writing approach change for these different types of writing?
 
I believe good writing always tells a good story, no matter if it is fiction or non-fiction.  I juggle a couple of magazine articles, a blog post and at least two book projects on any given day.  On top of that, I'm working on either promotions or speaking engagements for my books that are already out or upcoming release.  I often have a fiction piece I'm either actively writing or pondering, both for children and adults. (I've had poetry and short stories published, too.)  
 
Your love for gardens is a huge theme in your books. Do you have a favorite plant that no garden should go without?
 
I had a professor that said asking a plant person what their favorite plant is akin to asking a mother who her favorite child is.  I'll dodge the question like a politician by saying I like the right plant for the right place at the right time.  In early summer, I love Turk's cap so I can watch the hummingbirds fight over the blooms.  Just before fall comes, I love my fig tree just as the fruit ripens, especially when I beat the blue jays to it!  In winter I love my river birch that is settled into the low spot in the backyard because of the unique bark. I just have to touch it!  In spring, the fragrance of the 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' rose reminds me of the rose water my grandmother sprayed in her hair.  What plant should no garden go without?  The one that brings you joy. 
 
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
 
1) Make sure you tell the story.  I read articles or books that, when I'm done I think, "what a waste of a great story."  Many people are decent writers.  I am a DECENT writer.  A few are great writers, although not many.  But a decent writer can LEARN to tell a story in a way that does it justice that does not waste it.  
2) Tell the story because you love it.  There are two sides to this coin.  You are going to RE-tell the story a zillion times if the book becomes popular, so you BETTER love it! Also, when I speak at schools, it never fails that a kid will ask "how much money do you make?"  After their teacher turns every shade of red, I answer them honestly.  "I'm very thankful my husband supports me so that I can be here with you today."  I can make a living from writing, but it's increasingly difficult.  My income was much better as a landscape designer.  Unfortunately for my husband, I am not motivated by money either.  And I think the advent of new technology has more people are writing, which probably makes my writing less valuable monetarily since there is a glut in the market.  Yes, I might become the next JK Rowling.  But that won't matter after I've won the lottery, which I actually have a better shot at doing. 
3) Don't give up. Not only do you have to keep trying to sell it, you have to keep trying to make it better.   Get involved with organizations or groups that challenge your writing and give you opportunities to learn from others.  And for heaven's sake, READ!  It's funny to me how many people who say they want to be writers also tell me they don't have time to read.  That's like saying, "I'm NBA basketball material, but don't have time to watch any games."  They are missing the point, in my opinion and I question if they are on the right path.  We have to read to know what good literature looks like.  Otherwise, how will we know if OURS is good enough for anyone else to read?
 
Do you have any advice for first time gardeners?
 
Read my blog!  Seriously, one of the greatest things in my life was having a father and two grandmothers who were gardeners.  If you can find someone to mentor you as a gardener, you'll enjoy it forever. 
 
 
What are you working on now?
 
I've finished a project I've been working on for two years called 50 FAVORITE TEXAS ROADSIDE WILDFLOWERS. It's not specifically for students, but University of Texas is doing a website with companion curriculum to follow the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for 4th – 9th grade.  My illustrator and I have come up with a pretty innovative identification system and I'm planning to do an environmental series for all 50 states with the method. I also want to develop a phone app with geo-tracking to go along with the books.  Then those two new books in the HEIRLOOM series which I hope will come out in 2013 and 2014.  Also, I did a short story several years ago that I'm thinking would make a nice one-act play……
 
Do you have any upcoming appearances or events?
 
I'll be signing HEIRLOOM BULBS FOR TODAY at the Houston Bulb Mart October 15th,  at Arbor Gate Nursery in Tomball October 22nd, and at Christmas Open House at Cornelius Nursery November 4^th.
 
You can find Cherie at her website www.cheriecolburn.com. Her books are available at bookstores locally and online booksellers
worldwide.

This article also appeared in The Houston Banner newspaper.
 
 

            Three speakers made a huge impression on me at the SCBWI Los Angeles conference. First there was Ann Angel, non fiction writer extraordinaire who spoke about finding the narrative voice within nonfiction. Ann suggested telling your nonfiction “story” as if you are on the character’s shoulder and to show the reader how the story is relevant to their life.

         
             Her newest book, Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing, recently won a Crystal Kite award.

            I also had the pleasure of sitting in on a workshop by Diane Muldrow about the Pacing of a Picture Book. Diane is not only the editor for Golden Books; she is also an author as well!

            The best piece of advice she gave was to include art directions in a picture book manuscript. This goes against the conventional wisdom of leaving it up to the illustrator, but with the word counts of picture books getting smaller and smaller by the day, the new format for manuscripts makes sense.

            And finally, the highlight of the conference for me was Richard Peck. He is not only a legend in young adult and children’s literature; he is also one of the most kind and generous of men. His speech was inspiring, funny and poignant. Here are a few sound bites.

On the important of reading widely:

            “We must be able to recognize the past as it will come around again.”

On writing:

            “A writer must banish herself from the page.”

On the importance of literature for young people:

            “Unless you find yourself on the page, you will go looking for yourself in all the wrong places.”

            Richard has a new book coming out this October titled Secrets at Sea and will be visiting Houston at the end of October 2011. Don’t miss him!

Yesterday I got back from the SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles. I returned with a pile of laundry, a pile of books and a pile of inspiration. Don’t worry; I’m only going to share the inspiration.

The conference kicked off with the always entertaining Bruce Coville. I love listening to Bruce as he is a master of the craft of writing. Here are a few of his great ideas.

-Take your art seriously.

-Learn to read your royalty statements.

-Learn to negotiate.

-Give yourself daily goals.

-The only thing that will make your work better is repetition – write, write, write!

-Don’t be afraid to show your heart on the page.

Erzsi Deak head of Hen and Ink Literary Agency

Erzsi burst onto the publishing scene only a few months ago but already she’s got a pocket full of deals and a hen house full of talented authors and illustrators.

Erzsi ran a super workshop on how to pitch your material. After a few warm-up exercises, we all tried pitching our projects to the workshop participants. It was a great exercise and a wonderful help for running into editors in the elevator!

Here are a few of her guidelines:

-The pitch should be a one or two sentence description of your book that tells us what it is.

-The pitch must contain:

            >the hero

            >the antagonist

            >the hero’s primary goal

            >core conflict

            >what sets your book apart

By the end of Bruce’s keynote and Erzsi’s workshop by brain was mush – and it was time for lunch!

A big kiss goes out to the Houston RA Vicki Sansum for nominating me for a SCBWI Conference Scholarship. There is no way I would have been able to attend without her and the help of the SCBWI head office. You are all wonderlicious – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Andrea White, author of the award-winning novel Surviving Antarctica is publishing the first of of her new series, the UpCity trilogy this summer. Part fantasy, part science-fiction, Windows on the World, is the story of thirteen-year-old orphan Shama Katooee who lives in Low City, DC in 2093. When Shama is mysterious selected to attend an elite private school, she learns that she has the ability to travel in time. Recently I visited with Andrea about her book, her life in Houston and her advice for aspiring writers.

Where did you grow-up and where do you live now?

I grew up in Memorial in Houston. We hardly ever went downtown. We had a drainage ditch in the back yard which we called our bayou. We caught crawdads there. I got to ride in the Salt Grass Trail twice. The trail ride was an unexcused absence from school but it was worth it. I loved Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Lord of the Rings, Pippi Longstocking, Elouise, Madeleine…I liked reading, then jumping on the trampoline, in that order.

What is a normal “writing” workday like for you?

I love to write so much that it doesn’t take discipline to write. I usually get to write two to three hours a day. A great day of writing for me is four hours. Until recently, I wrote in a comfortable chair in my bedroom. Lately, I’ve moved to our garage apartment. But since our son is going to live with us this summer I’m heading back to the bedroom.

You’ve written both for middle grade and young adult audiences. How does your writing process differ as your audience changes?

All of my previous books have had an historical core: Robert F. Scott, Winston Churchill and Chernobyl. Although my latest book is set in the Twin Towers, the substantive core of this book is a philosophical question: is the amount of suffering in the world hardwired? In the world of the book, a group, named the Time Designers, think that they should use their time machine to go back and change time to reduce human suffering. Another group, the Time Fundamentalists, think that the amount of suffering in the world cannot be reduced or changed.

Who are your favorite writers and why?

I read so much that it is always the last great book that I read that is my favorite. I just finished Doc, A Novel by Mary Doria Russell, about Doc Holiday and the Earp Brothers. I loved it.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

As to advice to aspiring writers: write! Ignore the negative voices and get what you have to say down on paper. Then, join a writing group and share it with others. No matter what the outcome, writing will enrich your life.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on books two and three of the Upcity Chronicles Trilogy.

To discover more about Andrea you can visit her website and blog at http://andreawhiteauthor.com. Her novels are available at your local, independent bookstore or your favorite online bookseller

This interview also appeared in the August 2011 edition of the Houston Banner.