So Now What, and Who Are You, by the Way?

I just got my first edits. I hope that, with the few changes there were, I won’t have to see it again before it heads to the next editor.

I know that sounds like a bad thing, but really, it’s not meant to be that way. It’s been a bit of a hectic three weeks at the Torrence household, and I’m looking forward to a little downtime this coming weekend.But with that said, I thought it might be nice to share a little about myself, à la interview style.

So, what persuaded you to write a short story?
Creative writing is something that I’ve dabbled in since high school, but, like many others, I am sure, life got in the way of me actually pursuing it outside of scribbling down some dialogue here and some narrative there when I was daydreaming or doodling (for which I am quite famous). I’ve always been “a reader,” so trying to write a story seemed kind of natural in a way.

That’s cool. But what made you decide to do it now?
Well, with the current economic situation, I have more time on my hands now that I'm only working three days a week. A quintessential multitasker who doesn't do well with too much downtime, I didn’t really think about it until I was surfing the e-pub sites one day. After mentioning to my husband that I had always wanted to try writing a story, he, the sweet guy that he is, suggested that I try it. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he said. “The publisher doesn’t accept it, and then you can try again.” He has such a way with words, doesn’t he?

That you’re not working full-time at the moment is horrible. What do you do?
In the real world, I am an office assistant, responsible for filing, maintaining order amid the chaos, and cleaning up the boss’s correspondences. I enjoy the part especially. English and communicating clearly have always fascinated me, so after I happened to catch several errors in an RFP (request for proposal) one time, I became the de facto proofreader/editor for management. They sent me to a couple of seminars, and now I cling to my Chicago Manual of Style as though it were my security blanket.

From your previous post, I know that your piece is titled Midsummer’s Eve Kiss. What’s it about?
MEK—yeah, I'm being a little lazy—is about the connection between a male fae and a female human who meet by accident on Midsummer’s Eve and the trials and tribulations that befall them. It is an erotic romance, which worked out well because Amira Press publishes mainly romance and erotic romance. Maybe next week, I'll post a tease for you. ; )

Erotic romance? With fairies? Why would you write that?
Because that is the way the story unfolded! (Oh, come on, you had to know that was too easy of an answer to pass up.) But, seriously, I enjoy the paranormal/supernatural, and with Midsummer’s Eve—the night before the longest day of the year—to go with a fae seemed perfect. Sprinkle in a little magic, a broken heart, an untamed heart, and wrap it all up with an irresistible attraction, and voilà, MEK was born. On a different day, the fae could easily have been a mazikeen, an angel, a vamp, a demon, or any other of those wonderful magical mystical creatures about which many of us wonder and dream.

Interesting. So you basically write urban fantasy/paranormal stuff, or will you write for any genre?
Not necessarily. Although I do love to read fantasy, paranormal, and supernatural stories, I really enjoy sci-fi (hard sci-fi, mainly). One concept I found jotted in the margin of an old day planner would be a futuristic piece, and another could be worked into a sci-fi. Trying a historical piece could be fun, but I’d have to go way, way, way back to ancient Greece or Persia. I just love mythology! Doing a story in those eras would require a far amount of research, but, hey, I have the time! If there were one genre I wouldn’t try to write, it would be straight contemporary. Life is bothersome enough as it is; why would I want to read about that? Throw in some ghouls, ghosts, fancy technology, or a mystery cult from before the common era, and I’m hooked.

That’s about all for now. :) Stop back next week for a teaser, and by then, hopefully, I’ll have an idea of a time frame for the anthology's release. ’Til then, enjoy!