I've always loved to read. What
prompted me to write was the stories that were always churning in my head. Every
situation prompted a . . .what if? What if that nice man sitting on the park
bench is an alien, an angel, waiting to steal a child. Twelve years ago, I quit
putting it on hold and just did it.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
I am outliner. I've tried to write
without one, but it doesn't work for me. Of course the outline is never the
same by the time I've finished the book, but I have to have one to start the
journey.
Do you write best at a certain time of the day?
I write-in-the-morning person.
That is when I am the most creative. I can edit in the afternoon and later,
but creating works best for me bright and early.
What type of writing schedule do you have?
I write every morning, at least
two hours.
How do you handle life interruptions?
Not very well. I am a person who
likes routine. I find myself get very grumpy when something interferes. I even
write in the mornings when I am on vacation. It's just the way to start my day.
Do you get blocked? Any hints how to stave it off?
I've never had writer's block.
I think it is because I always have more then one book going at a time. if one
doesn't get me going, then another one will.
What authors do you look to as a role model and inspiration?
I love Nora Roberts' writing style,
as well as Terry Goodkind. I'm also a big fan of Nevada Barr. I would say they
are all three my role models.
What's the best advice you ever received?
Don't give up, and believe in yourself.
What sparks a story?
Just about anything. Something
someone says, a story in the local paper, a person I see on the street, or in
a car. The same question goes through my mind. What's their story? And what
if. . . ?
What was it about your genre that interested you enough to choose to write in it and not in another genre?
I love fantasy worlds. My favorite
thing to do is to take people from one world and plop them down in another.
My stories are everyday things that happen in a fantasy world. My characters
maybe be using magic and fighting ten feet long black vipers, but they still
have the problems we face each day within our own lives.
Have you seen an evolution in your writing? What steps did it take?
Oh yes. And I will continue to
see evolution. I think I have found my voice, but them sometimes it eludes me.
The steps? It took lost of words on paper. Feedback, some gentle, some not so
gentle, from other writers and a constant wish to make my writing better.
What have you always dreamed of writing, but haven't yet?
I am writing my dreams. They will
change, and then so will what I am writing. I plan to try my hand at suspense
and maybe some erotic romance, but fantasy will always be my first love.
What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love losing myself in my world
of Daradawn. It has become so real to me, as well as those who live there. I
can escape with my writing, for just a little while I don;t care about washing
the dishes, or getting the oil changed on my car.
The least? There are so many people who don't "get it." It
is a solitary commitment, and then there is the marketing and promoting. But
If I don't take the steps, my stories won't be read. And I want people to come
into my world and meet my friends.
What is your next project?
Another story set in Daradawn, The Silver Angel. I have characters
that want to tell of their lives, and how they've come to be where
they are now. I am also working on a story for an anthology and have signed contracts for romance novel.
What advice would you pass along at this point in your career?
If you want to write, then do it. What you do with your words is then
up to you. Don't give up, and don't let anyone rain on your parade.
Their is a lot of negativity in this world. Let your believe in
yourself be your umbrella to shield you from it.
Barbara M. Hodges lives on the central cost of California, and shares her
life with her husband Jeff, two basset hounds, Sydney and Opehlia and an orange
tabby cat, Wallce. Besides writing she is a huge fan of NASCAR and is a decorative
painter.
The
Blue Flame:
In a land where magic both heals and kills, two sister re-unite to battle
an ancient evil. The Blue Flame is available at Hard
Shell Word Factory and Amazon.com in e-book and trade paperback, and in
trade paperback at Barnes and Noble.com
The Sword and The Flame:
Daradawn and Vigrid - a battle of magic rips open a doorway between the
two worlds.
Evil draws evil, and good draws good. In Daradawn
the dark align with Dirkk, ex-baron of Cornith, and the good with those
of Raya. But will the forces of Raya be strong enough? For this is a battle
for Daradawn itself.
The Emerald Dagger:
The Power's chosen, marked by the Blue Flame, is all that stands between
dark magic and the tranquility of Daradawn. Regan Cafferty Canterville,
drawn from present-day San Francisco, bears such on her shoulder and once
again must pit her magic against the black mage, Dirkk, who will stop at
nothing to control Daradawn.
The Blue Flame:
