What
genre do you write and why?
I dabble in all genres, but I
mainly write young adult/new adult fantasy and paranormal romance. I’ve always
had an interest in magic and make-believe, and I try to express that in my
writing. The reason I aim towards young adults and teenagers is because I’m not
that far into my own adult years. I feel I don’t have enough adult experience
myself, so I write what I do have experience in, and then add a little bit of
magic and a couple paranormal instances.
My latest book, called Short Story Smash, is a collection of short stories. In 2010, I
created a writing challenge for myself. I would write one short story a week
for a year. Short Story Smash happens
to be the result. It contains fifty-one short stories and one lullaby.
What marketing methods
are you using to promote your book?
At the moment, I am not actively promoting it
as I work on another project I meant to have published long before this one. I
am in the process of having bookmarks made. In another month I will possibly
set up a blog tour for Short Story Smash,
but beyond that I am not marketing it. I know. Bad me.
What formats is the
book available in?
Short Story Smash is available as a paperback and
kindle e-book.
Who are your favourite
authors?
My favorite authors are Walter Farley, author
of the Black Stallion series; Mercedes Lackey, author of the Valdemar books; and
Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson books.
What advice do you
have for other writers?
Never stop writing. Also, write for yourself
before you write for your audience. If you want to continue to love writing,
you need to stop worry about what people think of your work and write because
you enjoy it. If you start to think only of what others’ think of your writing,
you will no longer enjoy writing the way you used to. Close the door to what
others think and write because you want to, writing what you would like to
read. The way I imagine it is this way: I write what I would like to read if
all books were destroyed and mine were all that’s left in the world. Bad way to
think, but it makes the story truer in my opinion.
What's your favourite
quote about writing/for writers?
Creativity: having a pencil
in one hand and the paper below it. All that’s left is the writing. –Me
“I write for the same
reason I breathe—because if I didn’t, I would die.” –Isaac Asimov
What's the best thing about being a writer?
The best thing about writing is
creating a whole new world. There are no boundaries. You can do anything you
want. The possibilities are infinitely endless – a real neverending story.
Where can people find
out more about you and your writing?
Anyone curious about what I’m working on can
find out more from my website: www.skyehegyes.com.
You can also find me on Facebook
and Goodreads.
Who
is you favorite character in your book and why?
In Short Story Smash there are many different characters, but my two
favorite are probably Tara and Garrett because they are based on me and my
husband. ;)
Why
do you think readers are going to enjoy your book?
Some will. Some won’t. I
don’t pretend that my work is for everyone. I know it’s not. The short stories
in Short Story Smash were meant to be
a challenge to test my own limits and thinking. The stories cover a wide range
of genres and topics. I hope those who read it find at least one of the stories
to their liking, but it doesn’t bother me if they don’t.
How long did it take
you to write your book?
Writing the first draft of Short Story Smash took a year, since I
was only writing a short story a week, and then I didn’t touch it again until
about four months before I published it. During that time, I edited it,
formatted it, had a couple people beta read/edit it, and worked on a cover
design.
Who designed
the cover?
While I did the initial design of the
cover, I did ask for help from Kat Mellon of KM Writing and Design for help with
the front cover and spine font. She did a remarkable job, and I will probably
be using her for any future cover design plans.
Did you learn
anything from writing your book that was unexpected?
While I didn’t learn anything from
writing the book itself beyond the fact that I could in fact write a short
story a week, I learned a lot from editing the piece. I learned about my state
of mind that year, every fear and worry that I had during the course of the
year, and going back and reading over everything, I re-discovered all my best
dreams and worse nightmares because that’s where I draw most of my writing
from.
Where
can a reader purchase your book?
Anyone interested in
purchasing a copy of Short Story Smash can
find it at Amazon here.
What are you
doing to market the book?
I am having bookmarks printed with my
book cover on it as well as a little bit of information on them. I also plan to
do a couple of blog tours in the future.
Who inspires
you?
Other authors inspire me. Those who
have the courage to write and publish their work are among the bravest people
in the world. They have the power in them to stand against any negative
feedback they may receive when they publish their work.
How do you
research your books?
I spend a lot of time on Google. When I
cannot find what I’m looking for on Google, I tend to make library runs. I have
a library card for two different libraries am working on getting a third. If I
can find an expert to question, I try to email and ask questions of experts in
different fields.
What is your
work in progress? Tell us about it.
Currently, I am working on a novel I
had hoped to have out before Short Story
Smash. It’s called Puck’s Choice,
the first in the Shifters & Mages series. I am currently working on another
edit now that I have re-written it. The sequel is already written, and once I
do at least two edits, hopefully, this is the last edit before I can start
really aiming to publish it.
What are your
thoughts on self-publishing verses traditional publishing?
Both self-publishing and traditional
publishing have their place in the world. I like self-publishing because it gives
you the freedom to make the choices of editing, formatting, and cover design.
However, self-publishing has a bad reputation because a lot of people have
self-published for those reasons, releasing works that have never been in the
hands of an editor. Traditional publishers have the added bonus of in-house
editors and marketing programs, but some final decisions are out of your hands.
I have only self-published so far, but I am hoping to one day have my work
traditionally published because some people find it more reputable than
self-publishing.
Who or what inspired
you to become a writer?
When I
was in fifth grade, I wrote a novel. It was a re-telling of A Horse Called Wonder by Joanne
Campbell, and it really was horrible to read, but when my fifth grade teacher
read it and told me to work towards publication, it was as if the light bulb
had been turned on. I’ve been writing ever since.
Does your
family support you in your writing career? How?
My husband has been my biggest support.
Every day he asks me what I’ve gotten done and what my current goals are for
the week (sometimes they change based on what I’ve done that day). He
encourages my writing when I’m down and ready to give it all up and throw all
my writing away for the rest of my life.
The rest of my family supports me as
well, my sister for being one of my first beta readers, and my parents in their
unwavering support in my publishing career.
What are you
currently reading?
I am always reading several works at once.
Currently, I am reading The Forever Watch
by David Ramirez and The Edge of Hope
by Alina Popescu. Both are for blog tours. Other works I have set on the back
burner at the moment are Game of Thrones by
George R.R. Martin and The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawethorne. While I just started the first two, I am halfway
through the other two.
What books or
authors have most influenced your life?
Patricia Briggs’ werewolf books have
had a large influence on my own thoughts towards werewolves, while my horses
are a lot like those found in Walter Farley’s works. I try to draw inspiration
from all the writers and authors whose books I read. All of the books I have
read, especially those I like reading over and over again have made an
impression in my life and hopefully in my own writing.
When
you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I’m not writing, I spend time
playing with my kids and dancing (however badly) to music. If I can find time,
I watch movies (Disney’s Frozen is
currently my favorite although I love all animated movies) or play video games
with my husband.
