Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I am a 38 year old Business owner that works daily as a technical writer in the capacity of a grant writer. I also manage my company’s Marketing and social media. My career allows me to work with some amazing non-profits. My favorite clients are fire departments and first responders; they are our country’s unsung heroes. I’m married and have two amazing sons – Collin is 16 and Avery is 15. My personal daily companion is my rescued, adopted wonder-dog Shaggy. He is a poodle/Scottish terrier and loves long walks, hanging out with his best pet pals, and sitting on the porch swing on rainy days.
When and how did you discover that you love reading fiction? I’ve been reading since the age of two years old. I was the first reader in my class, and by 5 yrs old I was helping teach other kids to read. I have a voracious appetite for books. “A bad book is better than a good movie” – my personal quote. By the time I was 11 years old, I had read everything in the YA section in our library. From the age of 8-14 yrs old, my sister and I were the reigning top readers in our library’s summer reading program. After exhausting the YA books, I moved on to genres in the rest of the library – fiction, non-fiction, historical, romance, etc. Today, I am a 300+ book a year reader. I usually average almost one book (full-length) a day. Until getting my first e-reader (Kindle) in late January, I always read actual hard copy books. The e-reader allows me portability, faster reading, access to books anywhere, anytime…
What are some of your favorite books and who are some of your favorite authors? Authors: Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, James Patterson, Catherine Coulter, Ken McClure, David Morrell, John Hart, Agatha Christie, PD James, Maureen Johnson, Jenny Hilborne, Michael Prescott, Erin Nicholas, Linda Winfree, F.P. Lione, Carolyn Keene*, Kathryn Kenny*, Kate Douglas Wiggins, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott (*yes I know it’s a pseudonym)
– Books: The Help, Gone with the Wind, Clear Blue Sky, Civil Disobedience, Hearts of the South series, Irish Angel Series, Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success, Robert’s Rules of Order, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms, Little Women
What is your favorite thing about reading fiction? Fiction allows the reader to be transported to any location and any period in time. One day you maybe roaming the Irish hills, the next in 1850’s New Orleans, the next day on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a pirate ship bearing down on you. My favorite fiction is full of exciting plots and edge of the seat action. My favorite fiction writers are the ones who utilize the pen to literally create an entire world that is believable, and that the reader feels a vital part. Almost as if you are experiencing the adventure, sadness, drama, thrills yourself.
Do you have any “pet peeves” about authors, something they do that really annoys you? Talking down to readers in books; not being available online (Twitter, websites, etc) and grammatical errors (really see a lot of that on e-books)
Do you write fiction yourself? Yes, but I have not tried to seek a publisher or try any self-publishing. I write for myself mostly to vent.
What is your favorite Mike Wells book and why? Lust, Money & Murder – It was interesting reading it in three parts. It almost felt like a series. I loved the strong female lead. How Mike uses the twists and turns of the story where you never know what is coming. It was an amazing thriller. I absolutely love a book where I don’t know what will happen within the first few chapters. This is why I love Lust, Money & Murder. It is an exciting page-turner, a book you won’t be able to put down!
Thanks so much for your interview, Alana!
I applaud you for being a self-published author when it is a difficult (yet exciting) time for books, bookstores, readers and writers. The economy has made readers, bookstores and even authors re-think every purchase. Also enjoy following you on Twitter and appreciate the feedback, recommendations and exchanges.
Twitter – @NCSoccerMom
Alana Tomlin Denton
Linwood, NC
Linwood, NC
I have a dream: no book (and so no clutter) in my home, everything in my e-reader! It is hardly feasible but still, a dream is a dream! ^^
ReplyDeleteNice interview! Well done!