Hello Camper's here is our Author in the Spotlight Q&A featuring- Counselor
She has kindly answered the majority of the questions that were submitted and since she was very thoughtful with her responses, her interview will be divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of Getting to Know Her and questions on Twilight FanFiction. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow and consists of her writing process, has she published, tips to writers, and her inspiration.
I've invited Counselor to join our ADF Community and sent her this Interview link to view your comments. So without further ado ~
1. What is the first Twilight fan fiction story you read and what inspired you to write Twi Fanfic.
Counselor- First story? One of them was Volition by Rochelle Allison. Wide Awake.
I was just blown away by how good the stories were. I jumped in and jumped right back out. I didn't know if I had the guts. Then I tried again and just committed. I had struggled for so many years with the middle men. To get to jump right into the hands of readers, it was worth the risk. The middlemen had taught me all I needed to know about rejection. And weathering rejection is the only way to get better. So I just dug in.
2. What was it about Twilight that motivated you to write fan fiction? Favorite Twilight Book?
Counselor- What SM (Stephanie Meyer) achieved in my opinion was the ability to make women feel first love. She went into the ache. She succeeded. Like the writing, don't, this, that or the other. That woman took us into the ache.
Like the first book the best.
3. I am curious if she herself has/had an Edward in her life? (If so, she is sooooo lucky).
Counselor- Um...yes. Love of my life. Just one since I've been sixteen. Love at first sight. For him and the ten before him. (He loves when I say that).
4. a) This may sound silly, but where did her moniker "Counselor" come from.? Is/was she an attorney or did she attend law school?
Counselor- Ahhhh....
b.) Will you write under your own name or under a pseudo pen to keep identity secret knowing as you have said that no one knows that you write?
Counselor- Pseudo most likely so I can avoid
c.) If ready to come out of the writing closet how far do I need to drive for the first book signing because I will be there!"
Counselor- You're very kind.
5. How do you relax? Music or Film favorites?
Counselor- I'm very good at relaxing. I schedule in relaxation time. I say, "I can't. I'm busy." I'm busy relaxing. I had to learn this. I don't require do nothing time I require alone time. Feed sanity, starve crazy.
Writing relaxes me.
I am a movie fanatic. Good TV, yeah. Music oh yeah. Write to music half the time. Listen to music from the period I'm writing about so I go all over.
Like off the wall movies and commercial. Currently binging on The Good Wife. I'm in season two. Hooked. The Knick is great.
6. I have always wondered what her background is. Does she write as a profession? Where is she located?
Counselor - Thanks for the interest. It's a normal question you should be able to ask a normal person. I'm just not ready to say. But I'm touched by your interest. Humbled.
7. My questions are a bit more personal. I wonder how many siblings she has, where she grew up, what her religious background is, what university she attended, what her highest level of education is. There is so much to ask. Counselor is such a gifted and wonderful writer.
Counselor- Oh thanks. So kind.
I am able to write in spite of my education. They tried to suck the creativity out of me by making me write reports and research and thesisssssses precious. But I managed to hang onto some little spark of the writing bug and fan it to life.
Actually I had some fantastic teachers who did their part and I'm forever grateful. I still don't know why they made me do math though.
Wrote my first novel length manuscript in study hall, geometry and religion class. It was about a girl, and a boy, and the ocean (which I hadn't seen at that point) and a surf board, and she loved him, and he took her to the dance. And he was cute.
I had to write a continuation of To Kill a Mockingbird in freshman year of high school and the teacher thought it could be right out of the book. (there's a possibility she was lying) I still have that paper with a big red A. I had been working all through grade school to be a writer, writing lots of depressing poems I would force my friends to listen to or at least my mom. That teacher freshman year was the first one to tell me I was a good writer.
Of course many people after her told me why my writing was not good, and sometimes they were right, and sometimes they weren't. I have frustrated a good number of readers, editors, agents and contest judges and fellow writers. "You can't do that. That wouldn't happen. I don't like you. I don't get you."
I just kept going.
My religious background: you show me your faith without works and I'll show you my faith by my works. I love that. Less preaching more doing. Writing from a rich spirit is the key, I think. To acknowledge that you have a spirit is to wrestle with the deeper things. To wrestle with the deeper things is to find the deeper answers, to pierce through the surface and investigate the subsoil. You can go deeper now because you've done the work. There's more to offer.
Layers of discovery. Something to think about and learn from because you've acknowledged wounds and looked for answers and perhaps found a good measure of healing...and hope, and hope makes you unafraid...to talk about...where you've been. And in doing that, giving yourself away like that...you touch someone else who needs what you're giving, the match you've struck in a dark.
8. Please ask her if she'll ever give us another adult B/E (or even original story) set in our times? I loved MEC so hard, but I have serious trouble getting into period stories ( I live in another country and I'm not really familiar with the history and culture of those times).
Counselor- I don't know what I'm going to do one story to the next. I'm open. If it hits me and there's time it's very possible. Glad MEC (My Ex-Con) meant something to you like that. Thanks.
9. In “Bringing Bella Home” did Edward have a wooden stump leg? It was described at times as such, but I didn't read anything definitive.
Counselor- No. A bad leg that he stumped around on. So to look at him, at the way he moved, you'd think he had a wooden leg.
10. When I was reading "Look How You Turned Out " (which I could have kept reading for years btw..) it felt like she was responding to reader reviews and adding chapters for us. Or was I just happily having my mind read?
Counselor- I may have connected a couple of times, I mean many of you were taking that trip with me as I remember. It's on that trip the lovely Sunflower Fran emerged as my FF mentor. I try to not be swayed. sometimes you figure me out though and I just have to go through with it. I get such a kick out of your guesses. But sometimes I think you're going to really love something and you're meh and other times I think they will hate this and you are all hoo-ray. You're complicated! Get out of my head!
11. I remember when she was writing "Love Like a Hurricane" her research/passion brought her to Texas. Have any of her other stories gotten into her bones and compelled her to go and see where they are set?
Counselor- Yes. Getting a feeling for a place is key. But then again I've made some of them up. Like Europe? Heh.
But that story LLaH (Love Like A Hurricane) I wrote as I traveled through Texas. One chapter I wrote down the road from where Jefferson Davis wrote his memoir after the Civil War looking out at the Gulf waters just like he did. That was cool. Wrote much of Hard Hearted in the hospital at my 'Eddie's,' bedside--the man who inspired that character and story (not my husband!).
I envisioned Cade's Cove for Bringing Bella Home, saw Edward taking Bella into that cove. Yes a place is everything cause I have to go there in my mind.
Kentucky inspired Roar Like a Lion. But Tennessee I use often. Sometimes I never decide where I am, I just am.
12. Do you have a favorite character from any of your stories? Was there a character that was hard to leave? Any thoughts of writing a sequel or outtakes?
Counselor - Hard Hearted just breaks my heart. I had felt desperation from that generation first hand and it breaks me. Eddie wrecks me pretty much, the way he puts himself out there. He wants so fiercely.
This is like when my children accuse me of loving one more than another and I always agree. "You're right. I love him more, but if you'll get me that cup of coffee, I'll love you more." That's my brand of parenting.
But favorite character, Bella in Finding My Thunder.
Um, Ex-Con is up there. He had it really rough and required a lot of me. What a mouth that man had!
Bella in Darnay Road.
Edward in MWS (My Wounded Soldier). Ma got me.
Juney in LHYTO (Look How You Turned Out).
No plans for sequels at this time...or possibly any other time. Hah.