6/9/12
Hm....the song of the day is ... One step at a time by Jordin sparks :D
Thankyou Heather :)
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What is your name?
My full name is Heather Maria’ (pronounced like Mariah) Johnson McGhee
How old are you?
I am 35 years old. My birthday is in August.
What inspired you to write your first book?
When I was a child and all through college, I loved to read and write, especially poetry, Shakespeare and classic novels, but for a few years afterward, I didn’t do as much. Then I read the Twilight novels, and found myself thirsting for more stories to read. I got a Nook as a present from my husband, and started buying books left and right, but the cost began to add up, so I started looking for free books to read on the internet. I found great ones, and I found not-so-great ones. So, I wondered if I could write a story...a full length novel, and at the time, I was re-reading all the Twilight books in my spare time, so I got the idea for a story that involved beings that were not human, but portrayed themselves as human, yet were actually the embodiments of every element in our souls. Henceforth, the first Essence book was written: The House of Bells. And I haven’t stopped writing since then.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I have several favorite authors. My all-time favorite classic writer is Jane Austin. I love Persuasion. Many people would argue that Pride and Prejudice was her best novel, but I wholly disagree. I could read Persuasion over and over again and never get tired of it. (I’ve only read through Pride and Prejudice once!)
My favorite romance writers are Catherine Anderson and Jennifer Crusie. My favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy writer is Robert Jordan. And my favorite erotica (yes, I read erotica, too!) is Lorelei James.
What is your favourite theme/genre to write about?
My favorite theme and genre to write about is Adult Contemporary Romances. I love a happy ending, and my husband can’t seem to understand why I read and write them. He says, “You know what’s going to happen at the end, so why read them?” And I reply, “It’s not how it ends, it’s the journey.” Most romances do follow a standard formula, but it’s the variations to that formula that make them so much fun to write about.
Do you see writing as a career?
Hopefully, one day, but for now, it’s a hobby, and an outlet for my mind. I have dreams about the stories I write, and if I don’t get them down on paper (or in the modern sense -- on the computer), then I’ll go crazy, replaying the scenes in my head!
If you could work with any author who would it be?
I’d like to transport Jane Austin into our time, and see what she thinks about romances nowadays, but that’s not likely to happen, is it? So, for now, I’d love to work with Nicholas Sparks, just to get one of those movie deals he’s so brilliant at acquiring. Until that fiery pit freezes over, I’ll stick to working with my dear friend, Anita (a.k.a. goldie68).
Do you use real-life facts based on true stories?
YES! And there is one story of mine -- Love Untold -- in which I am continually defending. I did not get the idea from the movie, The Vow. I heard about a news story back in September (http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/woman-wakes-to-find-strange-man-on-her-couch/article_801d54dc-e9f6-11e0-b50d-001cc4c002e0.html) and got the idea from that...a woman wakes to find a strange man asleep on her couch, and I wondered what would happen if she discovered that she was married to this man and had no memory of it, and the story took off from there. I had no idea that my story would be so similar to the movie, and I never even heard of The Vow until I was halfway done writing Love Untold. And yes, I’m ranting a little. I find the issue highly amusing, as well as frustrating.
And to further answer your question, I am always scouring the internet for facts for my stories, and I really try to cross-reference many of them. For the story I’m working on now (not posted yet, but here’s a small teaser), I searched several sites for diagrams of U.S. Navy submarines. I’ve looked at so many, I’m starting to wonder if the government has red-flagged me on their Watch List.
Did you ever think you'd be, where you are right now?
If it wasn’t for this digital age and the popularity of ebooks...no, I never thought I would be here, writing like I do.
What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?
Stop writing! I know that sounds crazy, but sometimes when I’m stuck, I stop writing. I go do something else...read a book, watch a movie, play a video game, listen to the radio...and I pay attention to the details to the stories in those things. Stories and characters are everywhere. I can sit outside in my backyard and watch the squirrels play in the trees, and I start giving them names and backgrounds, and soon, I have a scene in my head and another idea for my stories.
Or I go to sleep. I have the most vivid dreams, and even if I can only remember parts of them, I’m able to create a whole other story for what I do recall, and I’m back to another idea, another scene, another crazy love-match.
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hey, did u vote?? if u didn't then VOTE --->>> :)
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Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
Yes...if you take a look at my profile page on Wattpad, I have yet to finish Old Flames (though I’ve been working on it for over a year) and Ashley’s Voice has been on hold for a while. I still haven’t figured out how to start the next Essence novel, The Bell Tower, and I had to pull First Comes Love from the site because I just couldn’t get into the story. (I got a lot of complaints from that one.)
But usually when I’m suffering a block in those stories, it’s because I’ve got another idea in my head, and I started another book. (Currently, I have three unfinished stories -- not those I mentioned above -- on my computer, and ideas for about two more.) I think half my problem is that I was born with only one brain and two hands. I really could use an extra set of each.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
If you love to write, then write. Rejections are hard, but they’re just rejections. Jane Austen said, “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” You make your pen scratch on the paper and do what you love to do.
And for you younger writers, listen to your Language and Literature teachers! I hated mine in high school...despised the woman, but she knew what she was talking about, and because of her, I learned the basics of writing. The creativity comes from you, but if you can’t put a decent sentence together, then no one is going to read it!!!
Anything fun about yourself you want your fans to know?
That I’m a geek at heart? I love first-person-shooter video games -- killing bad guys and aliens and blowing up crap just because I can -- and I love science-fiction movies and shows, and can’t stand reality shows. I love the rush-hour traffic in the mornings because it’s fun to watch people in their cars and gives me a chance to listen to all my favorite songs on the radio, even though I might be late for work. There was a time when I ate corn dogs everyday for lunch for almost three months. I like the sound of the word, discombobulated (though I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a story), and my favorite curse word is jackass (sorry, you can edit that if you want). I wear knee-socks to bed, and sometimes, if I’m lucky, they match. I rarely take off my wedding rings, unless I’m mixing a batch of meatloaf for dinner, and I love to hang clothes out on the line to dry in the summer.
I could probably keep going, but I’m afraid I might start embarrassing myself.
How would you describe yourself?
Goofy, moody, unfocused, unorganized, sloppy, hate confrontations, still in love with my husband, and a glutton for a good chili-cheese dog and french fries.
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