I have been following the amazing Vicki Green. She has a growing collection of books. It is time to call attention to all her hard work and give her the credit she deserves. It was nice for her to agree to our weekly author spotlight. Thank you for that Vicki.
Here is a Q & A session we had. Get to know this amazing author better.
RB: You are one very accomplished writer. Where do you get your motivation to write?
VG: I’ve been fortunate to get motivation from pictures that photographer’s post, or sometimes stories will hit me at the oddest moments. Brushing my teeth, while taking a shower or a song that comes on the radio. A story idea hit me once when I pulled into the hair salon’s parking lot and that became Touched and I was brushing my teeth, one morning, and Finding My Way Home’s story popped in my head. Weird, I know.
RB: How long did it take you to write book number one?
VG: I came home from work one day in May 2013 and decided to pull up a word document and began writing My Savior Forever. This story was a dream I’d been having for several months. I published it on June 28, 2013.
RB: What were you doing before you started writing?
VG: I worked for over 35 years at a desk job, one that I loved, but was severed last December due to cost cutting. I was actually able to retire, officially.
RB: With two handsome teenager boys, how do you manage writing and motherhood?
VG: Well, sometimes it’s a struggle but my boys have our entire downstairs and only come upstairs for food or money. Just kidding, sort of. We make the time to do family stuff and hang out. But, when their in school and late at night, I mostly get my writing in.
RB: What does your family say about your success in Romance Book world?
VG: They are so supportive! My hubby just says, “Show me the money,” kiddingly, and my boys, being boys, just roll their eyes. Ha!
RB: What do you consider the hardest thing about writing a book?
VG: For me, it’s getting all my idea’s that are swarming in my head, down. I normally do not do an outline but for my current WIP, idea’s are hitting me constantly so I finally had to write them down as I can’t keep up.
RB: What would you say is the easiest?
VG: Getting caught up in the story as I write. As a reader, I love feeling the characters, being in the moment with them and the story, and I find I can do that even more when I write. But, knowing these are my words, my characters, it’s so much more fulfilling, so much more rewarding.
RB: Was there a book or a scene that was difficult to write?
VG: Have you read Trusted (Touched series #3) yet? That has to be the most difficult books I’ve written, so far. I don’t want to give it away for those who haven’t read it yet, but, it’s an ugly cry story. I do not cry easily, not even while watching a movie, but, I bawled while writing parts of it. It’s the first book my Editor ever bawled while editing.
RB: What have you learned about yourself as a person during the writing process or in general?
VG: That’s a tough one. I don’t feel like I’ve learned much, if anything at all. I guess I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I realized, maybe a little tender too.
RB: How has being a published author changed your life?
VG: Oh, wow! So much, really. I’ve been honored to meet so many other Author’s, some that I’ve fangirled over, some that I reunited with at different signings I’ve attended. I’ve gotten to also meet and hang out with some amazing model’s, some I now call friends. I’m humbled by the readers who love my stories and love interacting with them. I just love getting more of my books out, seeing the reviews that people who love them, learn from the ones who don’t but the good always out weighing the bad. It’s something that I never dreamed would happen and I’m just so fortunate.
RB: Your covers all show beautiful faces. How do you decide what models to use and what is the process of picking a cover like?
VG: Sometimes, I pick due to a picture that a photographer posts on facebook. Sometimes, I will go to a specific photographer and tell them what I’m looking for and which model but then there have been a couple of times that while attending a signing the official photographer at that signing will offer to do photo shoots while there. I’ve gotten a few that way, lately. It’s extremely difficult choosing the right picture from a photo shoot. But, I’ve been luckily that pictures will stand out, capturing exactly what I have envisioned for a specific cover.
RB: Author events. I see you have attended many. How do you decide which ones you are going to and who will accompany you?
VG: I try to keep them within driving distance as it’s easier for me to be able to haul all my books and swag in my car. I haven’t had to fly to one yet but I may be in the near future. I hate flying. Lol. So far, I’ve tried to take two of the models that are either on my covers already or will be in soon. I love when Justin Keeton and Faith Godard can attend with me. Faith is also a friend that doesn’t live that far from me so we’ve been driving together, most of the time.
RB: Author events. What are they like to attend? How does it feel to have a loyal fan base?
VG: Honestly, they are amazing! I’d never been to one as a reader but, I’m sure it’s different attending as an Author. I’m still so new but, I’m literally bowled over when readers approach my table, tell me how much they love my books. It’s very surreal and humbling. I love not only the people that have read my books but am ecstatic when those come to me and ask me about my books. I’m not shy, if you haven’t guess yet, and love interacting with people.
RB: When you are at author events are you also a fan girl?
VG: Oh, my! Embarrassingly so. I about tackled Abbi Glines as she was about to leave the event room, in St Louis, Missouri. I’ve had the honor to meet Colleen Hoover in Oklahoma City, OK, and then again in St. Louis. I loved meeting and hanging out with C J Roberts in St. Louis too and so many more over time and different events. I had breakfast with Sandi Lynn and Adriane Leigh before leaving St. Louis and am proud to call them and so many others friends. There’s so many others, I could go on and on.
RB: What author(s) have you enjoyed meeting at these events?
VG: Too many to name, I’ve listed a bunch above but there’s so many more. I also loved meeting Kelly Elliott and Kristin Mayer and will be seeing them again next year. I would still love to meet Teresa Mummert, Kelly Robinson, JM Darhower and there’s quite a few more.
RB: Starbucks!! I see you like your coffee what is your favorite Starbucks drink?
VG: I love me some mocha but also have been getting their café express lately. Yum!
RB: When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
VG: Ha! I don’t even remember! I’m not sure what I wanted to be but, I know a writer wasn’t in my head. lol
RB: What was your favorite book as a child?
VG: Well, more as a teeanager, one of my favorite books was and still is, The Outsiders by S E Hinton.
RB: Do you have a favorite “Classic Novel” if so what is it?
VG: Not really. I really only became a ‘reader’ in the last few years. But, even though it’s not ‘Classic’, one of my favorite books is Sempre and Sempre Redemption by JM Darhower. If you haven’t read them, you should.
RB: If you could go back in time to meet and author, who would it be and what would you ask?
VG: Another tough one. I think J R R Tolkin. I would love to know how he came up with the idea’s for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His imagination astounds me.
RB: As a writer I imagine that you love all your books equally. I must ask, can one of them be called your favorite? If so which one and why?
VG: Yes, I love them all. I guess My Savior Forever, being my first book, will always have a special place in my heart. Finding My Way Home because the story hit home to me (another one I got pretty teary eyed while writing), but right now? Trusted (Touches series #3) because it touched my heart so much, still does and my newest release, The Loss, is another one of my favorites. It’s just a little different than the others I’ve written and yet, so is my current WIP, Country Heaven. I guess I have quite a few that I call my favorites…lol.
RB: What is the last book you read that you have to recommend?
VG: Sadly, I don’t get to read very much anymore but, I try to read when I can. Sometimes I need to read a book to get the one I just finished writing out of my head so I can go on to my next WIP. The last book I read was ‘Then You Happened’, by Sandi Lynn. I wanted a little bit of a lighter book and Sandi and I were talking about it during breakfast at the St. Louis signing. She gifted it to me, right before it released, and right after I finished writing The Loss, I dove in. I loved it and totally recommend it!
RB: Where do you see yourself in five years?
VG: Still writing and probably having so many more books out. I think a lot of Authors hope to hit the NY Times Best Seller list as well as the USA Today list. It is a dream of mine as well, but just to be able to keep writing, knowing readers love my books and keep attending more book signings, will make me very happy. I love what I do and can’t imagine not doing it anymore.
RB: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?
VG: Spending time with my family, whether we’re watching a movie, going to the Renaissance Festival, hanging out at home, but, I love reading a good book too, being taken away to another place and time and of course, gaining an new book boyfriend.
RB: What would you like to say to your loyal fans?
VG: Thank you so much for the love, support, and I hope you love my books as much as I love writing them. I truly hope they take you away, if only for a few hours, and give you something that you can hold on to and remember. I hope to meet you all, one day, at a signing!
FOLLOW VICKI GREEN HERE:
Website: http://www.vickigreenauthor.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VickiGreenAuthor
Twitter: @rileyks3
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/vicki-green/80/991/6a5/PUBLISHED WORK:
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