1. Has writing been your hobby from childhood or did it just come to your mind recently?

 

Writing was a hobby for me from a young age. I started writing short stories at about ten years old—back when I thought it was cool to make all my characters’ names rhyme. As I got older, I started writing poetry and song lyrics, and I journaled almost every day. Even through the busy college years, I squeezed in creative writing courses wherever I could. The idea of writing a full-blown novel was intimidating to me for a long time, but a few years ago, I decided to give it a try. Shortly after making that decision, the inspiration for XODUS hit me. Fate? You decide.

 

2. What motivated you to start writing?

 

I honestly don't know exactly where the motivation to write began. I have always loved reading, and language is fascinating to me, so I would guess it stemmed from those two things. Wherever the motivation came from, once I started writing, I was hooked. I actually start to feel uneasy, almost anxious, if I go too long without writing. It's therapeutic for me.

 
3. And is there any inspiration from any person around you for writing?

 

I take a lot of inspiration from people around me, and it's pretty clear to anyone who has ever seen me with my siblings that the family dynamic between Lali (the protagonist in XODUS) and her brothers and sisters is largely based on how I interact with my own. None of my characters are just based on one person; I like to combine characteristics from people I've encountered and give my characters life experiences and motivations that I would imagine would lead to those personality traits—probably because I was a psychology minor in college. I am forever psychoanalyzing people in an effort to understand behavior and what makes people tick.

 

4. What is your book about? Any particular genre?

 

In short, XODUS is a Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy novel about a girl who discovers she can astral project and tries to use her new ability to find her mother. Along the way, she meets a somewhat questionable boy who has a similar ability, but a very different outlook on right and wrong. He is trying to find his sister, and the two team up to help each other. The story explores the idea of what is right versus what is necessary and what types of morally gray choices can be forgiven when it comes to rescuing someone you love.

 

5. Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

 

It wasn't so much a choice to write YA as what naturally comes out when I put pen to paper. That could be because YA Paranormal/Fantasy is my favorite genre to read, or it could be because I don't want to grow up, and I'm still a teenager in my head. Or it could be both. It's probably both.

 

6. How long have you been writing? And how many hours do you spend on writing in a day?

 

As I mentioned before, I've been writing since about fourth grade, but if we're talking specifically novels, then I've been writing for just over three years. (Yes, it took me nearly three years to write XODUS.) I try to make myself write for two chunks of three and a half hours every day. Sometimes it works out according to plan; sometimes I get blocked for a day or two or get inspired and go crazy writing for ten hours straight. 

 

7. Do you read a lot of books?

 

Yes! I love books! I have a really bad habit of reading too many books at once. It's kind of like Bright Shiny Object Syndrome. I can't be trusted to come out of bookstores or libraries with just a single book.

 

8. What was the hardest part of writing XODUS? 

 

The hardest part of writing XODUS was leaving the scenes alone once they were "done." I suffer from perfectionism, and it's nearly impossible for me to read something I've written and not want to make changes. I always think I can make it better. If I didn't have the wonderful people who make up my writing support system, I don't know if I ever would have published XODUS. I'd probably still be trying to change things.

 

9. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

 

For me, it was really fun to write the scenes with Lali and her siblings. I grew up the second of five children, and Lali is the oldest of five children. The way the siblings in the story banter back and forth is very similar to the way my siblings and I are when we are together. I loved creating that dynamic and revisiting what it was like growing up in such a busy house. 

 

10. What do you do in your free time?

 

I move around and travel a ton, so I like to explore the area highlights of wherever I am living. I'm also a huge fan of both board and video games. And, of course, I read. A lot.