Repost of an Interview with Author - Regina Puckett

Today I'm re-posting the interview with Author, Regina Puckett.

When did you realize you should put your stories to paper?

I discovered in the seventh grade I loved telling romances more than I did tales of horror. My best friend and I wrote love stories until my mom discovered my collection. They were tame but I guess she thought I was too young to be thinking about romance yet so she stopped my writing for a while. I switched to poetry until my early twenties when I began writing again.

What is your favorite theme/genre to write?

I don’t know that I have a favorite genre. My reading is just as varied as my writing. I write the genre that best fits into my next daydream. Sometimes I think I'm going to write a romantic tale but then I think what if…? Before I know it, my sweet tale of romance turns into a horror story.

I enjoyed the book Crying through Plastic Eyes, where did you get the idea for this story?

On my lunch hour I was looking for a suitable book cover for my short horror story, Mine, and ran across several pictures with creepy dolls in them. My co-worker was watching over my shoulder while I was browsing and saw the pictures. She told me I needed to write a story based on scary dolls. My first thought was there was no way I was going to write about possessed dolls since that had been done to death already. At that time I didn’t see anyway to put a fresh spin on a story about them, but the longer I thought about it, the next thing I knew I had Crying through Plastic Eyes, planned and written.

You have authored quite a number of books. It appears you have conquered the writers’ two worst enemies, lack of time to write and writer’s block.

How do you carve out time to write and what are your secrets to eliminating writers’ block?

I write when I can. I work full-time like most people, so I plot during the day and write on nights and weekends. I don’t worry too much about writers block because I don’t run on a time schedule when I have to have something out or even if I have to have a certain book or story out. That sets me free. If something turns sour, I put it on the back-burner until the story captures my attention again.

How important is social media to your success as an author?

I depend heavily on social media. As an independent author the budget is small. I take the money I earn from selling books and use it to pay for editing and book covers. I have to do all of the promoting on my own. I would be lost without Twitter, Facebook and the kindness of others who are willing to feature me on their blogs. I do what I can with what I have at my disposal. I love writing, but I'm not going bankrupt just in the hopes of finally writing a best-seller. Keeping up with the social media part is a slow process and it takes up a lot of time. I have found it to be worth the effort I put into it though.

How do you find time to tweet and stay connected with cyber-world while living/existing in the real world?

Before work I have a couple of hours so I catch up on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads during that time. After work, dinner and the usual household chores, I go back to these sites for another hour or so before bedtime if I don’t have writing to do that night. It's harder on the weekends to find the time to do the social networking. I'm certain if I spent less time on Twitter and more time on my writing I would have loads more going up on Amazon, but I'm always afraid to totally disappear from the social scene.

What made you decide to be an Indie author and what advice do you have for newbies?

I tried going the traditional routine but it was such a hassle. It was almost like having to sign one of your children over to someone else and pray they did the right thing by them. I find there's so much more freedom in going indie. I love it! I don’t have to wait to see what someone else has decided to do for a book cover or question if they're doing their best to promote my book. I make those decisions now and its very liberating having all of that power back in my own hands.

I would never offer advice on what I think another author should do as far as going with a traditional publisher or going indie. I'm not against the traditional publishing industry. They have the ability to get books into the bookstores that indies don’t have. They also have deeper pockets for promotions that we don’t have. I'm all about weighing my options and then deciding what to do after all the facts are in.

What has been the greatest influence in your writing?

Everything and everyone influences me. I'm a people watcher. That’s where all of my ideas come from. I see people interacting and it sets me to thinking what would happen if…? The next thing I know, another book is born.

What is the most interesting thing people should know about you?

I don’t think most people would find me very interesting. I prefer being home than any other place in the world. I hate shopping, crowds and liars. That pretty much sums me up!

Regina Puckett Social Media Connection

 Amazon     Blog     Facebook     Goodreads     Google +       Twitter      Website

 The Magic of Snow

In our beloved fairy tales of old, Prince Charming always saves the damsel in distress. In our modern world, sometimes the damsel has to find a way to save her prince.

When Sarah White meets the ruggedly handsome Staff Sergeant Charlie Prince, she discovers a man with a pure heart hidden underneath his warrior façade. Before Charlie leaves with his unit for Afghanistan, he promises to stay in touch, but after nine months of exchanging letters and emails, he stops writing. When the letters stop coming, Sarah waits in agonized suspense, not knowing if the man she had fallen in love with has been killed in action or if he has just decided he is no longer interested in her.

Magic is real, but it’s not for the fainthearted or nonbelievers. It takes true love to release it and hard work and determination to keep it.

 

A room filled with creepy dolls. A messy divorce and a six year old come together to weave this short tale of horror!