THE AUTHOR INQUISITION

Welcome to the Author Inquisition. This is when I get to interview authors and kinda pick their author-brains for all the good stuff. Author Margaret Turley is in the hot seat today. Hello Margaret. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.

Margaret: Hello Tina 

So, what good stuff do you have for us? (Drums fingers on table.) How about writing advice—do you have advice for all of us aspiring authors out there?

Margaret: Write Everyday

Well Margaret, I can see that you’re a woman of few words. You must save them for your novels eh? What, then, is your favorite activity when you’re not writing?

Margaret: Reading

I like reading too. I take books to work and read during my lunch break. Of course I’m also eating at the same time.

If you write every day—do the words always flow smoothly? Or, are you like me and occasionally get stumped?

Margaret: When I’m experiencing writer’s block, I do something called, Four Sentence Exercises. It helps me every time.

Wow, that sounds interesting. You should share your tips on that sometime. How about snacks? Do you snack when you write?

Margaret: I snack on anything I don't have to cook.

Pepperoni?

Margaret: No.

Cumquats?

Margaret: No.

How about green eggs and ham?

Margaret: You have to cook the eggs.

Oh, that’s right. So, Cheetos, granola, chips and things like that?

Margaret: What I really like is fruit with granola, or sliced apples or celery sticks with peanut butter. Instead of soda, I drink about a gallon of water a day.

I like to drink water too, but I don’t get near a gallon a day. How many books do you have published?

Margaret: Four

Do you have any others coming out soon?

Margaret: I have two different manuscripts being evaluated by agents, and a revision of my novel, Save the Child, will be out with new cover the beginning of 2012.

That is so exciting!  Can you please share a short blurb about them?

Margaret: The first one is called, Legend of Circle Stone. It’s a Middle-Grade Fantasy set in the Superstition Mountains. The second manuscript is, The Light, and it’s a compilation of several short stories based on New Testament Scripture. Then in February I'll be pitching a middle-grade historical fiction series based on the Book of Mormon at the ANWA conference. First in the series is about the Stripling Warriors.

Historical fiction and fantasy are my two favorite genres—along with romance. Blend a little romance with the historical or the fantasy, and I’m in heaven—literarily-speaking, of course.
I just had an idea … you don’t need to cook ice cream. Do you like ice cream?

Margaret: My all-time favorite is vanilla with toppings!

Mmmmm! My favorite vanilla with toppings is Dairy Queen’s waffle bowl with strawberries drizzled with chocolate-shell sauce and topped with whipped cream … (eyes closing, picturing that yummy waffle bowl and dreaming of the last time I ate one.)

Margaret: Tina? Tina! Are you still there???

Oh, right. Back to the inquisition. Do you have a favorite writer’s memory?

Margaret: I love having someone tell me that what I wrote made a difference to them.

Yes, that is especially nice. I see you online a lot. Do you have a favorite way to get the word out about your books?

Margaret: I like to use social media. This includes blogs, twitter, Facebook, Linked-In and others.

When I was a kid, I used to watch that cartoon, Twitter and Sylvesty. It was about a canary and a cat, and as I remember, it was pretty funny.
Margaret: You mean Tweety and Sylvester.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Well, Margaret, it’s been nice talking to you, but I have a DQ strawberry waffle bowl calling my name.

Margaret: Thanks for having me. I think an ice cream sounds good right about now. I think I’ll have one too.

Before we head out the door to DQ, can you please give us your blogs and other ways to get a hold of you?
Margaret: Sure thing. I'm involved in several things as you can tell.

I

http://margaretlarsen.com/blog - author interviews, book reviews and articles on writing and writing events.

http://margaretturley.com/blog - cancer, alternative healthcare, children's welfare and health, and occasional book reviews on related topics.

I have two twitter accounts: @WritersCanFight and @MargaretLarsenT

Personal Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1214321721

WritersUnitetoFightCancer Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Writers-Unite-to-Fight-Cancer/108878272532346

Linked-In: personal http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top

Linked-In: Writers Unite to Fight Cancer Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Writers-Unite-Fight-Cancer-3102952?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr