LRW: There hasn’t been much in my life that has been formal, but there has been a lot of training. During my time in home school I learned how to study independently, and it has been a priceless skill. When I decide I want to learn something, I research the topic, assemble a curriculum, attend lectures, and interview people in the field until I have exhausted all forms of learning. Then I go do all the cool stuff I learned. It isn’t formal, but it is training.
I had Chasing Tales edited like crazy. I am the world’s worst speller, and I’m dyslexic as hell, so I hired an awesome team of editors known as Verve Editing. They did an amazing job, and I can’t wait to work with them again.
The way I see it, editing is one of the most important parts of publishing any book. You need great editors, and you need to be able to communicate with them. You must put your ego aside and listen to the cold, hard facts if you want your book to be the best it can be.
Asking how many drafts is like asking how many stars there are in the sky. I can’t keep track. I reworked Chasing Tales for a year and a half. I worked on it almost every day, and I’m sure I could have kept going forever. Eventually I just had to be done so I could start the next book.
LA: What's next for you, personally and professionally?
LRW: I have already started the second book in the Chasing Tales trilogy, entitled, Borrowed Dreams. La Familia Publishing will also begin accepting manuscript submissions this winter, and I have hired Lauren Barnhart to oversee the small press.
When I’m not writing I will still be working as the Director of Fine Art and Gallery development at La Familia. I love working with our artists, and I would be an awful author without them.
In short, it’s going to be a busy life, and I’m looking forward to every minute of it.
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