I was sincerely blessed to be able to interview the chart topping author Autumn_Breeze ! It was an absolutely amazing experience, and she is such a lovely lady, I am truly blessed to be able to talk to a inspirational woman like herself.
Me: Thank you so much for this chance, it means a whole lot.
Autumn: No problem, thank you for interviewing me.
Me: I'll have to start this off with a pretty personal question, if you don't mind. All your books are lesbian love stories, so it has me thinking, are you a lesbian? Or is just a flicker of imagination?
Autumn: In my opinion, lesbian is a very broad title a lot of people can fall under. In the simplest since of the word, I am not a lesbian. Have I been with women before? Yes, certainly but I enjoy the company of men, as well. My lesbian stories are some experience with a dash of imagination tossed in.
Me: You have 3 published books that are all chart toppers, you must be very proud! Did you ever expect that your books would get this popular?
Autumn: Honestly, it never occurred to me that any of my work might do anything. Four years after putting LOVING ANNA on wattpad, I have 3.2 million reads, 16 thousand fans, and whole host of amazing opportunities just because of that book.
When LOVING ANNA and GRIM LIFE were published on amazon, both of them were on the best seller list. LOVING ANNA at #9 and GRIM LIFE at #38.
It has been an amazing experience all around. If you count the success I have had on my @HonestDying account with the gay stories I have co-authored with @A_Muse, than I have done my fair share of succeeding on Wattpad and off.
Me: How long did it take for your book LOVING ANNA and GRIM LIFE to get to 1 million reads?
Autumn: The rise of LOVING ANNA is actually very well documented on my Facebook Author page through screen shots and over excitement. LOVING ANNA, at the time called CHASING LOVE, got 1 million reads February 27, 2012 at 9:40PM! It also had 6 thousand votes and 15 hundred comments.
GRIM LIFE was not so well catalogued. I do know, I reached 1 million reads July 31, 2015. As for the time, I am unsure. By the time I noticed, I was about 6 thousand reads over the one million. It was another moment when I paused before jumping around and crying tears of happiness.
Me: Your most popular book is LOVING ANNA, which is a lesbian story; can you tell me your thoughts on how you came up with the idea and why you think it was the one to get the most reads?
Autumn: People ask me this question all the time and I can never give a solid good answers. Maybe because there isn't one. I don't know where I got the idea or why so many people read it. I know for a little over 3 years it was the most popular lesbian story on Wattpad. I no longer hold that title, which is kind of disappointing, but my success is still amazing. I am still proud of all my work.
Although, LOVING ANNA is not really my most popular story on Wattpad. That title goes to THE BILLIONAIRE'S BID which I co-authored with @A_Muse. It has 5.5 million reads, I believe upon my last look. You can check that out on the @HonestDying profile!
Me: Why are all your stories based on the love of same sex; is there a message you're trying to get across?
Autumn: Ben Berlin, an M.T.V. producer, asked me this same question when he was interviewing me for a possible spot on his web series OWNING IT. I tried to give him a clever, well thought out answer. Some of it was true. In reality, looking back our phone conversation, most of it was probably bullshit.
I write LGBT work because I love the relationships, character dynamics, and possibility of exploring new material. There is no real message behind my work. If you take anything away from it, take away that my characters are normal people who just happen to be a member of the LGBT community.
Me: Is there one of your books that you feel emotionally connected to?
Autumn: INDECENT DANCE is hands down the best book I have ever written. I was tied up in the book so bad. It took me a little over a month to write it. When I say a little over a month, I mean like 42 days from start to finish. I absolutely love my INDECENT series.
Even if you are not a lesbian, INDECENT DANCE would appeal to anyone who has been down on their luck, suffered, and just felt like an outcast.
The second book, INDECENT PROTECTION, is a straight romance and can stand alone. Meaning, you don't have to read the first book to enjoy the second. It is also on Wattpad. Finding it, is the trick. It's placed behind INDECENT DANCE.
Me: How would you describe your readers / fans? Are they supportive on you're writing?
Autumn: The people who read and support me in one word are magnificent. I would not be where I am today without all of their love, support, and encouragement. For everyone that buys my books, sends me a lovely messages, leaves a review on amazon, or tells their friends about my works, I am eternally grateful. Even those silent readers who simply cheer me on from their own corner deserve a special thank you.
Without them, I am nothing.
Me:. I have only just began reading Loving Anna and I'm already personally hooked! Have you always been so good at writing, and always loved it. Or was it just an accidental talent?
Autumn: I'm so pleased to hear you are reading LOVING ANNA. It's not all on Wattpad since it is a published manuscript, but because you're giving me such a lovely interview, I will send you an e-book copy!
As for being good at writing, somedays, I still doubt I am. In my experience, writing is not a talent. Writing is a skill that you have to practice, hone and never give up on. I have been writing since I was twelve, maybe younger. I am twenty-four now so there has been a lot of years to grow into this art. I'm far from the best, far from perfect, and far from considering myself a good writer. Even on my best days, I'm just . . . okay, in my opinion.
People seem to disagree with me though and who am I to contradict my readers?
Me: Grim Life is a very full on book; very sexual which is what most of the teenagers want these days, so tell me though, what gave you the idea for that book? Did you have a similar experience or was it just simply a spark of idea?
Autumn: GRIM LIFE came about in a very funny sort of way. My best friend and I were just laughing, talking about how Snow White was definitely a whore. No way was she just living in that house as a maid with seven old men. She was being porked.
Of course, that didn't necessarily vibe with that I typically write. Plus, the wicked step mother element was just to funny and perfect not to ignore. When I wrote GRIM LIFE, it was supposed to be a smutty joke book. That is exactly what it is too. People happen to love how naughty it is. The twist on the classics seems to really appeal to people.
Snow White, Little Red, and Cinderella have forever been ruined. Anyone who reads GRIM LIFE will never look at their childhood favorites the same way again, which is my intention. There may be a sequel one day. You never know. In the world of fairy tails, Things Are Grim, always, right?
Me:. I'd thought I would stop the questions on the books and ask more about you, the author. Did you have a healthy childhood growing up?
Autumn: Did I have a healthy childhood? This is a question I am going to have to turn about and ask, what is a healthy childhood? Did I grow up in a home consisting of a mother, father, and adoring siblings? If that's all it takes to have a healthy childhood, than yes, I did. But, I don't feel like healthy childhoods are as cut and dry as the question would imply.
My mother worked a minimum wage job trying to support four children. My step-father was a good man who loved us endlessly, but he had his own troubles to deal with. Often times, I was left to baby-sit my little brother and sister, tend to their meals, baths, and homework. My older brother was your typical junkie juvenal delinquent who when angry knew how to use his fist better than his words.
We were your typical poor american family, in many ways. The thing about not having a lot growing up though is, I appreciate everything. And, I love my family all the more. Was my childhood healthy? Not by most standards, maybe none considering I would never raise my son how I was raised. I was loved, cared for, and never ended up homeless, beaten, hooked on drugs, in jail, or dead.
Instead, I married young, had a son, and became a published author. So, I suppose while my childhood wasn't the healthiest, it did keep me alive long enough for me to succeed. It taught me far more than I would have learned if I grew up in a white picket fence home, with Betty HomeMaker and all the trimmings. I'm proud of where I came from. Mostly, I'm proud of how far I've home.
Me:. Something more simple, what's your favorite food, animal, color and holiday and why?
Autumn: Favorite Food : Google Search - FOOD. I love to eat. Asking me to pick is purely wrong. You should be ashamed. Although, if wine is a food, go with that. I'm currently consuming copious amounts of wine. I have no reason for why, except it's wonderful.
Favorite Animal : Since I fucking hate people, whom are mammals, I'm going to have to say . . . cows. Especially when they are medium-well and paired with mashed potatoes and green beans. A dinner roll never hurt anyone either.
Favorite Color : Purple is my favorite color. Mostly because for centuries it's been tied to royalty, power, and wealth. Fact is, I'm a Queen. -LOL- I am kidding,sorta. But I do love the color purple, because I'm a Queen.
Favorite Holiday : This is Halloween, this is Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Is an explanation really required?
Me:. Are there any future books to be coming for your readers?
Autumn: I have a couple actually. One of them HONEYBEE & THE OUTCAST is in the works for some publishing stuff that I have to explain at a later date to all of my wonderful supporters. Secondly, I am working on another lesbian book I am not going to name yet because it's hush hush until I have a number of chapters wrote.
Me: Pet hates, do you have any small or large things that irritate you?
Autumn: This was a bad question to ask me. Mostly because I have lots of small and large things that drive me up the fucking wall.
First: People who chew their gum with an open mouth. I hate you. I just hate you.
Secondly: People who hold the door for me when I'm twenty yards away and than I have to run on my fat legs while my boobs bounce so they aren't left holding the door for an hour and a half.
Thirdly. People who never shut up. When a conversation is dead, let it be dead. No need to drag out horses and sticks.
Forth: People who complain about my foul mouth. Yes, I curse like a very well educated sailor. It's one of my better habits.
Fifth: That sound the ice maker makes when it makes ice. STOP!
Sixth: Books that start with dilouge. If you start your book with, "Something blah, blah, blah, nothing clever to see here," I'm not even going to read to the second sentence. I can't help it. I can't do it. I won't do it. It could be the next Harry Potter book and I'd turn away.Okay, maybe not if it was Harry Potter.
Seventh: Things out of order. I do have a small, very small, almost unnoticeable, (Shut up @A_Muse. I hear your laughter.) case of O.C.D. You wouldn't even notice I had it if not for my saying something.
I better stop here. Seven is to many and I have like four thousand more to go.
Me:. Your books are very different, very sexual and out there. Does it ever occur to you maybe its too wild for your readers?
Autumn: I leave it up to my readers and their parents to determine what they can or cannot read. There is a maturity rating on GRIM LIFE. If a younger person choose to ignore that, I can't really do anything about it.
It's the same with naughty websites. I agree I am 18 years of age or older is like the biggest lie 16 year old boys tell. It's out of my hands if they stumble across something naughty. I would adviser their parents to better monitor them though.
Me: Have you ever experienced hate, and how so? How did you deal with the narky comments?
Autumn: Hate is something every author has to deal with. I have had my fair share of it. Normally, I ignore them. If someone is attacking a friend, or someone personally and unfairly, I do inform them that it would be in their best interest to shut their cake holes. Then, I contact Wattpad. Like, I am a snitch. I tell people all the time you don't want to break the law around me. I'll sell you out faster than a pole dancer gives a lap dance to Bill Gates.
Me : Thank you so much for letting me have this opportunity to interview you!
Autumn : Thank you so much for giving me an interview. It was fun to answer some of your questions. I think the wine might have helped. I am definitely a more interesting person when I am consuming things of an alcoholic nature. Any time you want to have another conversation, feel free. I am going to plug in some of my information for you to pass on to your readers! I will be sure to send mine your way as well!
Website : http://www. authorautumnbreeze.com
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAutumnBreeze
Twitter : http://twitter.com/AutumnBr33z3
Buy LOVING ANNA : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P37KME4
Buy GRIM LIFE : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VO8YDPU
I am truly overwhelmed with this interview! Autumn was truly amazing and over all she is so far my favouirte author I have come across, she is so lovely and kind enough to go out of her way to give me a chance to interview her and im just so greatful!
Oh and if your reading this Autumn_Breeze Im still open for that free copy of LOVING ANNA !! (THANK YOU SO MUCH EEK)
This was truly an amazing and very amusing experience as Autumn was a very funny women to interview and Im just overwhelmed with delight!
Thank you so much for reading and Id love to hear your comments..?!
~CandyPopp