[Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Bonnie’s newest book, “Storm.” Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Tandy for winning Sandra Orchard’s book, “Another Day, Another Dali.” Please email suzanne {at} suzannewoodsfisher {dot} com to claim your prize.]

Welcome, Bonnie!

Your new book has been out about a week now and no doubt you’re busy on the promotion train. Before we learn about “Storm,” fill us in on your life behind your books.

I live in upstate New York, in a log home on 15 acres with an old apple orchard and a pond full of bass but I prefer to buy haddock at the grocery store under plastic wrap! The household consists of two cats and a Yorkie/Bijon puppy who has crowned herself queen of the house.

After you started writing seriously, how long was it before you were published?

Well I had a slight hiccup when I started but the first book I completed was sold before I finished it hot off the press. I’ve had a very blessed career and am thankful that all the characters residing in my head are getting a chance to be heard and seen by the world!

 

 

Tell us about your new release: What inspired this particular story?

This particular story is the epic conclusion of the Stone Braide Chronicles series. The inspiration comes from thoughts of end times, and how we are going to get to where God wants up to go, and what is entailed in getting there.

 

 

 

 

Do you prefer reading physical books or e-readers?

I’m an e-reader convert hands down! As we age…and I’ve recently found my problem is cataracts…reading printed books becomes increasingly difficult. But with an e-reader I can make the type any size that makes reading more comfortable, and I can turn up the brightness for my particular lighting conditions. The only drawback, and action not doable, is throwing books at the wall when a writer expects me to suspend disbelief too many times.

 

Why do you write?

That is the 24,000 Question. LOL…I bet most authors get to that question at least once in every book they’re writing. Anxiety, unfulfilling scenes, and anything that proves to be a writer distraction make this question bubble to the surface. But there is always a basic answer…because I have all these stories and characters taking up space in my head and they need to be released into the wild to roam free!

 

Best author moment? Worst author moment?

Best author moment would be writing “The End” on a manuscript and the worst moment would be when you discover you have a plot hole halfway thru the story that is going to take a major re-write to fix.

 

If you weren’t able to write, what would you do?

LOL…live at being retired! I’ve had many careers over the years and my longest and most lasting career has been being a seamstress and clothing designer. I’ve done that literally since I was seven (7) years old. My mom was a master pattern maker so I lived in her sewing room….learning. I was making and selling Betsy Wetsie doll clothes in our back yard on Saturdays as a kid!

 

Right this moment, what does your office look like?

ROFLOL…you don’t want to know. The house is in the middle of a remodel and my office has become a catch-all! I’ve been doing my writing at the coffee table in the living room.

 

Ever had a bad review? How did you handle it?

Oh yes! Bad reviews are the nature of the beast. Sometimes they are totally off base like blaming me for the way an ebook loads onto their reader but most of the time it’s someone who doesn’t like what or how I wrote something. How do I handle it? Well if it’s a writer mechanic like editing then I take their comments into consideration. If it’s on my content and they don’t like it then they are not part of the reading audience that I wrote it for. Everyone has a right to their opinion and I’m looking for the audience that likes my style, storyline, and characters. Oh…and as a general rule I never respond to bad reviews. It just propels the disgruntled person into more arguing.

 

What are your biggest distractions?

“Oh look…a shiny thing over there!” Literally anything could distract me. Dust in the corner of the hardwood floor, a cobweb up in the corner of a bookshelf…even the puppy with her squeaky duckling. It’s a perk of being an author. We get away with being distracted to allow our swiftly whirling brain cells to take a break for a few minutes and recharge! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

 

If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save?

Hands down…my two cats and my puppy Jasmine!

 

Thanks for dropping by during your busy release week, Bonnie. How can readers connect with you?

Readers can join my mailing list at http://bonniescalhoun.com. All of my social media connections are available on any of my website pages and readers can readily find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bscalhoun.   

    

Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment to win a copy of Bonnie’s newest book, “Storm.” And check back next week to see if you are a winner!