Simone Snaith has a lot of books written and they are wonderful (I have written reviews on them all:
Faireville Woods Series,
The Indigo Stone, and
Into the Drawing).
All of the books can be found at
Amazon and I recommend buying them if you have not already.
**I was really happy and excited that Ms. Snaith had taken me up on answering a few questions for the blog. They are wonderful responses, and I want to thank her for taking time out to do so.
You have written a few
books, one being a companion series (From the Ashes and Through the Eyes:
Faireville Woods) and the rest standalones. Which are your favorites to do;
series or one book a piece?
I prefer both writing and reading
stand-alone books, most of the time. I like the idea of leaving the reader to
imagine his/her own version of what else might happen in that particular
fictional world. And I like having that freedom myself after finishing reading a
book. There are some exceptions though; I eagerly read all of A Song of Ice and
Fire and the Harry Potter books.
If I recall, there is not
many/if any love triangles in your books. Do you hate them/love them or
consider them unnecessary?
I absolutely hate love triangles! I
think they are widely overused as a plot device and also, they’re not even very
realistic. I’ve never been in love with two people at the same time, and
neither has any of my close friends or family members...
Do you have a favorite book
that you wrote?
I think
my favorite is “The Indigo Stone.” I love a good, fish-out-of-water adventure
story with a romantic subplot, and I feel like I achieved that with that novel.
“In The Drawing” is the most personal, however; Genevieve is loosely based on a
younger version of myself.
Do you have a favorite
character from your books? What made you love that character?
It might be a tie between Eine from
“The Indigo Stone” - because she is a tough survivor, but in a matter-of-fact,
unshowy way – and Lundy from “From The Ashes,” for her kind heart, and her love
of books and music.
How did you come up with
the idea for your books?
They often spring from
images that pop up in my head, or just scraps of ideas. “From The Ashes” was a
very old story idea of mine, but one of the first images I had was of Harlan in
Lundy’s window. I had a dream about the spinning contraption that Eine is
strapped into by Indigo, and “In The Drawing” definitely started out as just
the idea of vines growing over a building overnight.
Can you give us a hint to
what we should be expecting in your next book?
“Between The Water &
The Woods” is scheduled to be published by Holiday House in the spring! It’s a
YA Fantasy that involves monsters, magic, and machines. 😉
Where do you like to
write?
I usually write at my
desk at home, but I also write on my Kindle Fire when I’m out and about.
Do you decide character
traits before you sit down to write the book, or as you go along?
There are usually some
that I know beforehand, but others that develop as I go. That’s one of the
exciting parts for me.
If you could give a young
writer any tip, what would it be?
Keep going until you
finish the first draft, and THEN go back and edit. Don’t keep stopping and
second-guessing things. A lot of the writers I know have trouble finishing even
that first draft.
If you weren’t writing,
what would you want to be doing for a living? What are some of your other
passions in life?
My other
passion is music, so I would be focusing more on that if I wasn’t also a
writer. I currently sing and write songs in a band that plays locally in L.A.
What do you love about being
an indie author?
I love the fact that many indie
publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts! While literary agents are obviously
amazing, they are also gatekeepers, in a sense. If you can’t find one who is
excited about your current book, then you’re stuck, because the major
publishers will only accept submissions through them. With my self-published
books, I liked having control over the book cover and design, and also receiving
the sales notifications directly in my inbox.
What is the oddest thing
you’ve found yourself researching for your books (if any)?
The most recent (unpublished) novel
that I wrote is about a girl whose parents work in the space program, and who
starts dreaming that aliens are contacting her. So I went on a tour of the Jet
Propulsion Lab here in L.A., read about the Cassini spacecraft and Mars Rover
online, and talked to a family friend who works for NASA! I had to figure out
how my main character and her friend could do something technically minor that
would alter her parents’ spacecraft mission.
Any tidbits you wish to
share for inspiring or other indie authors?
If you truly love writing, then keep
pursuing it forever and ever. There are many routes to publishing now and you
can keep trying them all.
Which would you pick- (fame,
money, happiness, or easy inspiration)?
Happiness,
which would give me plenty of inspiration!
How many drafts from first
to final?
For myself, usually only 2 or 3,
but their have already been more than that for “Between The Water & The
Woods.” I’m still in the editing stage with Holiday House.
Do you fit any author
stereotypes (Cat owner? Coffee/tea Addict? Messy handwriting? Recluse? Late
night writer? OCD spelling/grammer (i.e. hate others who don’t use it properly
or even yourself)?
Haha, I fit all of those except for
“recluse” and “late night writer!” I prefer to write in the morning, although I
certainly don’t get up early, and I do like to get out often. I have a
21-year-old cat who is my true love, and I’m definitely a coffee addict and spelling/grammer
Nazi. My handwriting only gets worse as I get older...
What is your biggest pet
peeve?
Probably when people are
unjustifiably rude. I work in retail, so I see this often, unfortunately. I’m a
stickler for basic manners.
What is one thing you love
and could not live without?
Rock ‘n roll. <3
Those answers are wonderful, amazing and the tidbits for writers is a must read! Always helpful to add insight for others. I love the NASA information and I bet it was really cool to do. Manners are a
must for me as well, sad to think we are losing some of that. I don't know about you readers, but I'm going to be checking out Ms. Snaith's music now and reviewing it up. Love that she writes music as well!
