And one of my best friends...
Caterina Torres, author of Zombie Whisperer, and fan of the undead :P Her book is great, book two is great (not published yet), and she's got an awesome book she's querying and one in the works. She writes like a madwoman and is awesome at it. Oh, and she writes a short story segment on her blog (usually about once a month give or take).
Cat is also my critique partner and I'd be lost without her. She picks me up when I'm down, talks sense into me when I need it, and is there for me for everything in between. She sweet and caring, giving, smart, and full of tons of awesomeness.
Like my Monday mention (JeanO), Cat is into social media. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and her website. And if you're on AQC, you can find her there too. I did a TAG! with her too.
For anyone who hasn't read Zombie Whisperer, or hasn't heard about it-go check it out. It's not your typical gory braaaaiiiiiins kind of zombie book, it's a unique take and very cool.
Hope everyone has a fantastic day. :)
Showing posts with label Zombie Whisperer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zombie Whisperer. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Thoughtful Tuesday - I'm Curious...
I wasn't going to post anything today just because of the craziness and the fact that I haven't been able to get around to commenting on everyone's blogs. But, I hate that I'm straying from my schedule. I'm too OCD about things like schedules-it makes me crazy that I'm not sticking to mine.
However, since I didn't plan to post anything, I haven't thought of a topic for today.
So, I'm just going to toss out something I've been thinking of doing on my blog.
There is a wonderful person I know-she's an awesome chick, great writer, fabulous CP, and one of the best friends I have. I've mentioned her before-Caterina Torres. She's the author of Zombie Whisperer, a zombie book that is unique in its genre. Her zombies aren't your typical decaying and grotesque undead. And I'm mentioning her because she is great with working on branding. She talks about zombies, tweets things about them, blogs topics about them...and just in general if you know her you know she writes zombies. You also know she writes undead in general. (If you don't know, know you do. :P )
This brings me to a question I'd like to pose to my followers. I know I have some who follow my blog and don't normally comment-that's fine, I'm just happy to have you reading. However, I'm going to ask a question today and I will post my reason for this question on Saturday.
So I ask you awesome people one thing...
What do I write about? Genre and topic. Answer with one or both of these, depending on what you know about my writing. (BTW-If you do not know one or both of these, feel free to guess based on what you think ;) )
Happy Thinking :)
However, since I didn't plan to post anything, I haven't thought of a topic for today.
So, I'm just going to toss out something I've been thinking of doing on my blog.
There is a wonderful person I know-she's an awesome chick, great writer, fabulous CP, and one of the best friends I have. I've mentioned her before-Caterina Torres. She's the author of Zombie Whisperer, a zombie book that is unique in its genre. Her zombies aren't your typical decaying and grotesque undead. And I'm mentioning her because she is great with working on branding. She talks about zombies, tweets things about them, blogs topics about them...and just in general if you know her you know she writes zombies. You also know she writes undead in general. (If you don't know, know you do. :P )
This brings me to a question I'd like to pose to my followers. I know I have some who follow my blog and don't normally comment-that's fine, I'm just happy to have you reading. However, I'm going to ask a question today and I will post my reason for this question on Saturday.
So I ask you awesome people one thing...
What do I write about? Genre and topic. Answer with one or both of these, depending on what you know about my writing. (BTW-If you do not know one or both of these, feel free to guess based on what you think ;) )
Happy Thinking :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Mention Monday - Awesome Peeps
So, there are some people who deserve a shout out just because. These people comment on my blog all the time-regardless if I can make it to theirs or not, tweet about my blog and retweet my tweets, and they #FollowFriday me quite often. They are awesome peeps who deserve to be mentioned, they deserve recognition.
First up, because I suppose it's possible that someone does not know this awesome guy, Alex J Cavanaugh. Blogger, author of CassaStar and CassaFire, and all around great person.
Next up is an awesome woman who is making a name for herself not only in the parenting world, but the writer world also. Jean Oram is the wonderful woman behind the awesome Kid's Play site, she's got a story coming out in an anthology soon, and she's super mod over at AQC. Jean can be found in so many places so, click here for the links.
E.M. LaBonte is a writer, blogger, and such an awesome chick. She mentions people all the time, does shout outs constantly, and she's just so sweet and too kind.
Jacqueline Gardner is the author of a few awesome books (links: here, here, and here) and she's just released her latest along with a GIVEAWAY-Woot! Go check her out and look her books up, I'm a big fan and I definitely recommend them.
Caterina Torres is a blogger (and she's finally enabled comments on her blog-woot!), author of Zombie Whisperer-a book that puts a bit of a spin on your average zombies and all without the major gore, and she's an overall genuinely sweet and awesome lady.
I want to wrap this up so, I'm going to make a list of a few more awesome peeps, there's just so many...
Kendra (she also gave me an award that I need to post about.)
Utsav - Blog
Brighton - Same as Utsav's and he's also got the kickstarter project happening until August 8.
SC
CharleeVale
DL Hammons
(And one more thing I wanted to mention: There is an open submissions going on for an anthology. Check out the details at The Elephant's Bookshelf. Writers, check it out-deadline is Aug 17.)
Okay, I know that's a lot of links, but these people are so worth the mentions. Please check 'em out if you haven't already.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you have a wonderful week. :)
Happy Monday Everyone! :D
First up, because I suppose it's possible that someone does not know this awesome guy, Alex J Cavanaugh. Blogger, author of CassaStar and CassaFire, and all around great person.
Next up is an awesome woman who is making a name for herself not only in the parenting world, but the writer world also. Jean Oram is the wonderful woman behind the awesome Kid's Play site, she's got a story coming out in an anthology soon, and she's super mod over at AQC. Jean can be found in so many places so, click here for the links.
E.M. LaBonte is a writer, blogger, and such an awesome chick. She mentions people all the time, does shout outs constantly, and she's just so sweet and too kind.
Jacqueline Gardner is the author of a few awesome books (links: here, here, and here) and she's just released her latest along with a GIVEAWAY-Woot! Go check her out and look her books up, I'm a big fan and I definitely recommend them.
Caterina Torres is a blogger (and she's finally enabled comments on her blog-woot!), author of Zombie Whisperer-a book that puts a bit of a spin on your average zombies and all without the major gore, and she's an overall genuinely sweet and awesome lady.
I want to wrap this up so, I'm going to make a list of a few more awesome peeps, there's just so many...
Kendra (she also gave me an award that I need to post about.)
Utsav - Blog
Brighton - Same as Utsav's and he's also got the kickstarter project happening until August 8.
SC
CharleeVale
DL Hammons
(And one more thing I wanted to mention: There is an open submissions going on for an anthology. Check out the details at The Elephant's Bookshelf. Writers, check it out-deadline is Aug 17.)
Okay, I know that's a lot of links, but these people are so worth the mentions. Please check 'em out if you haven't already.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you have a wonderful week. :)
Happy Monday Everyone! :D
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Awesomeness
Well, I skipped a Saturday wrap up last week, sorry about that. However, this week's is full of awesome!
First off, I'd like to talk about my Mention Monday post. I listed some awesome writers on that one, please if you missed it, go check it out now. Plus, my friend, Caterina Torres, is giving away several eBooks of her book, Zombie Whisperer. (Giveaway link is on my Mention Monday post).
Next I'd like to mention (lol) the amazing and famous Ninja Captain, Alex J Cavanaugh. He's so far beyond awesome and I want to say another thank you for the interview.
Also a big thank you to all of Alex's followers who came by my blog, I really appreciate it.
That pretty much sums it up I think. I've been stalled on writing for a couple of days while I work on critiques. I've also been reading a little. I'm starting to work on my query letter again. (Oh boy). And I'm revising here and there. Plus I've been chatting on AQC a lot lately, and love it. Of course, I love the site so, it makes sense. :D
That's my week all wrapped up. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have an awesome weekend.
Happy Saturday. :)
First off, I'd like to talk about my Mention Monday post. I listed some awesome writers on that one, please if you missed it, go check it out now. Plus, my friend, Caterina Torres, is giving away several eBooks of her book, Zombie Whisperer. (Giveaway link is on my Mention Monday post).
Next I'd like to mention (lol) the amazing and famous Ninja Captain, Alex J Cavanaugh. He's so far beyond awesome and I want to say another thank you for the interview.
Also a big thank you to all of Alex's followers who came by my blog, I really appreciate it.
That pretty much sums it up I think. I've been stalled on writing for a couple of days while I work on critiques. I've also been reading a little. I'm starting to work on my query letter again. (Oh boy). And I'm revising here and there. Plus I've been chatting on AQC a lot lately, and love it. Of course, I love the site so, it makes sense. :D
That's my week all wrapped up. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have an awesome weekend.
Happy Saturday. :)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Mention Monday
It's time to mention a few people. I wasn't planning on so many, but there's just so much awesomeness! :D
So first up:
Caterina Torres
She's an awesome author and person. She was my first TAG!-read it here, and she's also my friend. Follow her Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Visit her website and blog. (She's got a short story segment and I love it :) ). Right now, you can find her book, Zombie Whisperer, for .99 cents on Amazon. BUT she's also having a giveaway on her blog-HERE. Check it out. Enter the giveaway (20 eBook copies of her book up for grabs). And if nothing else, please spread the word. AND make sure to check her out. SHE'S AWESOME!
Next up is:
Stephen Tremp
He's an awesome author and person as well. I have yet to do a TAG! on him, though I have him on my list of people to contact (if you see the Stephen, I'd like to email you ;) ). Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Visit his website and blog(seriously, do it!) Right now, today(June 18) and tomorrow(June 19), his book, Breakthrough is FREE! on Amazon. (Must say, I really like the cover.) Go to his blog for more info about the Breakthrough Breakout! And make sure you check him out, get the book, and please spread the word. HE'S AWESOME!
Now I have a list of some FABULOUSLY AWESOME people who are new to the social media scene. (Some of them aren't new new, but they're just now really getting into it.):
SC_Author: He's an awesome writer, who currently writes about an underwater world full of awesome sea creatures. Check him out at his blog and on Twitter.
Kendra C: She's a young writer who currently writes about people with elemental powers. Check out her blog and Twitter.
Utsav M: He's a writer of Sci-Fi, currently writing, well, I can't really sum it up short enough-but the book sounds awesome. :p Check out his blog (that is a group blog with the next person on my list) and on Twitter.
Brighton L: He's a novel and screenplay writer. Check out his blog (the group one) and follow him on Twitter.
Krysten Hill: She's an awesome writer who's current MS is about half-dragons. It's awesome and she's fantastic at world building. Find her on her blog and on Twitter.
Stephanie Adele: She's an awesome writer, but not sure what her book is about (*blush* sorry, Steph). She blogs and Tweets.
Please check out all the people I mentioned in this post. I know that's a lot of links, but each one of these people are FABULOUSLY, FANTASTICALLY, AWESOME!
(SIDE NOTE: Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres is not your 'typical' zombie story full of gore and decaying bodies. It's got nano technology and pretty zombies (along with a few icky ones). I'm saying this for the people who shy away from zombie books because of the gory bits. Take a chance on this one, it's different and I love it. Besides-enter the giveaway and it's free so if you don't like it, nothing lost ;) )
Happy Mentioning :D
So first up:
Caterina Torres
She's an awesome author and person. She was my first TAG!-read it here, and she's also my friend. Follow her Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Visit her website and blog. (She's got a short story segment and I love it :) ). Right now, you can find her book, Zombie Whisperer, for .99 cents on Amazon. BUT she's also having a giveaway on her blog-HERE. Check it out. Enter the giveaway (20 eBook copies of her book up for grabs). And if nothing else, please spread the word. AND make sure to check her out. SHE'S AWESOME!
Next up is:
Stephen Tremp
He's an awesome author and person as well. I have yet to do a TAG! on him, though I have him on my list of people to contact (if you see the Stephen, I'd like to email you ;) ). Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Visit his website and blog(seriously, do it!) Right now, today(June 18) and tomorrow(June 19), his book, Breakthrough is FREE! on Amazon. (Must say, I really like the cover.) Go to his blog for more info about the Breakthrough Breakout! And make sure you check him out, get the book, and please spread the word. HE'S AWESOME!
Now I have a list of some FABULOUSLY AWESOME people who are new to the social media scene. (Some of them aren't new new, but they're just now really getting into it.):
SC_Author: He's an awesome writer, who currently writes about an underwater world full of awesome sea creatures. Check him out at his blog and on Twitter.
Kendra C: She's a young writer who currently writes about people with elemental powers. Check out her blog and Twitter.
Utsav M: He's a writer of Sci-Fi, currently writing, well, I can't really sum it up short enough-but the book sounds awesome. :p Check out his blog (that is a group blog with the next person on my list) and on Twitter.
Brighton L: He's a novel and screenplay writer. Check out his blog (the group one) and follow him on Twitter.
Krysten Hill: She's an awesome writer who's current MS is about half-dragons. It's awesome and she's fantastic at world building. Find her on her blog and on Twitter.
Stephanie Adele: She's an awesome writer, but not sure what her book is about (*blush* sorry, Steph). She blogs and Tweets.
Please check out all the people I mentioned in this post. I know that's a lot of links, but each one of these people are FABULOUSLY, FANTASTICALLY, AWESOME!
(SIDE NOTE: Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres is not your 'typical' zombie story full of gore and decaying bodies. It's got nano technology and pretty zombies (along with a few icky ones). I'm saying this for the people who shy away from zombie books because of the gory bits. Take a chance on this one, it's different and I love it. Besides-enter the giveaway and it's free so if you don't like it, nothing lost ;) )
Happy Mentioning :D
Monday, May 21, 2012
Mention Monday - WINNERS!
So, today my shout out is for the winners of my first giveaway!!!
Congrats to E.M. LaBonte! She was my top enterer (yes, sure that is a word :D ). And so she wins: Grasping At Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper, Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres, AND a critique from me. WOOT! :D
Second winner is Sweety. She wins both books as well. Congrats Sweety! :D
Thank you for all your entries, Em and Sweety. Y'all are awesome! :)
And there's a SURPRISE BONUS for the other six critique winners. Not only have they been offered the critique from me, but also an ebook of Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres. WOOT! (What can I say, I love to give. Who knows what surprises may happen with my next giveaway ;) )
Congratulations to:
Tia Bach
Jen
Jean Oram
Angel
Nicola
E.F. Jace
A huge thank you to Karen Amanda Hooper for offering her book as a prize. You're so awesome!
And a huge thank you to everyone who entered, tweeted, mentioned, etc the giveaway: You are all awesome!
Stay tuned because there will be another giveaway coming up soon and it's going to be AWESOME! Yes, I realize I'm saying that word a lot. But it's because I'm feeling like it's an awesome day and besides you all ARE awesome! :D
Happy Monday Everyone!!! :)
Congrats to E.M. LaBonte! She was my top enterer (yes, sure that is a word :D ). And so she wins: Grasping At Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper, Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres, AND a critique from me. WOOT! :D
Second winner is Sweety. She wins both books as well. Congrats Sweety! :D
Thank you for all your entries, Em and Sweety. Y'all are awesome! :)
And there's a SURPRISE BONUS for the other six critique winners. Not only have they been offered the critique from me, but also an ebook of Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres. WOOT! (What can I say, I love to give. Who knows what surprises may happen with my next giveaway ;) )
Congratulations to:
Tia Bach
Jen
Jean Oram
Angel
Nicola
E.F. Jace
A huge thank you to Karen Amanda Hooper for offering her book as a prize. You're so awesome!
And a huge thank you to everyone who entered, tweeted, mentioned, etc the giveaway: You are all awesome!
Stay tuned because there will be another giveaway coming up soon and it's going to be AWESOME! Yes, I realize I'm saying that word a lot. But it's because I'm feeling like it's an awesome day and besides you all ARE awesome! :D
Happy Monday Everyone!!! :)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
And The Moment...
...we've all been waiting for...because my followers are AWESOME!!!
I bring you the first ever....GIVEAWAY!
Okay, so maybe I'm the one who is EXTRA excited, but hey-oh well. It is exciting. :D
Yesterday's TAG! featured the super nice, super awesome, Karen Amanda Hooper. Along with being an awesome person, she's an awesome author.
EDIT: The awesome publisher of TANGLED TIDES (Rhemalda Publishing), has just put this book on Amazon for FREE! So, go to THIS LINK to download your FREE copy.
SO, now what can you win?
The amazingly awesome Karen Hooper is offering her newest book (out on May 25, 2012) in place of Tangled Tides.
An ebook of GRASPING AT ETERNITY by Karen Amanda Hooper!!!
So, remember, go to the link I provided above and download Tangled Tides for FREE and when you enter the Rafflecopter, the first prize is Grasping At Eternity instead of Tangled Tides.
And of course, there's still more...
and five people will win a query critique or story critique (up to 20K words). I felt like only awarding one follower wasn't good enough. Those are some pretty awesome prizes too. Well, Zombie Whisperer is awesome, I'm not going to say how awesome my critiques are :p but I can say I know they're beneficial. :)
All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter entry form at the end of this post. This giveaway is open beginning now, Friday, May 11, 2012 @ 1201 AM Eastern Time and it will end Saturday, May 19, 2012 @ 1201 AM Eastern Time. There are several ways to earn entries, so have at it.
(Small sidenote because I want to make sure there's full disclosure....If you win Grasping At Eternity, your copy will not be sent until after it's published (May 25, 2012) since it isn't available yet. The winner will have to wait a very small amount of time, but they're getting first dibs on it and for free, so YAY ;) )
I apologize for the last minute change and thanks again to all of my followers and anyone else stopping by :)
Happy Entering :D
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I bring you the first ever....GIVEAWAY!
Okay, so maybe I'm the one who is EXTRA excited, but hey-oh well. It is exciting. :D
Yesterday's TAG! featured the super nice, super awesome, Karen Amanda Hooper. Along with being an awesome person, she's an awesome author.
EDIT: The awesome publisher of TANGLED TIDES (Rhemalda Publishing), has just put this book on Amazon for FREE! So, go to THIS LINK to download your FREE copy.
SO, now what can you win?
The amazingly awesome Karen Hooper is offering her newest book (out on May 25, 2012) in place of Tangled Tides.
An ebook of GRASPING AT ETERNITY by Karen Amanda Hooper!!!
(Here's a description from Karen's website)
Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she’s supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.
X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen’s latest young adult release.
So, remember, go to the link I provided above and download Tangled Tides for FREE and when you enter the Rafflecopter, the first prize is Grasping At Eternity instead of Tangled Tides.
And of course, there's still more...
BONUS:
I'm also giving away an ebook of Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres
and five people will win a query critique or story critique (up to 20K words). I felt like only awarding one follower wasn't good enough. Those are some pretty awesome prizes too. Well, Zombie Whisperer is awesome, I'm not going to say how awesome my critiques are :p but I can say I know they're beneficial. :)
All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter entry form at the end of this post. This giveaway is open beginning now, Friday, May 11, 2012 @ 1201 AM Eastern Time and it will end Saturday, May 19, 2012 @ 1201 AM Eastern Time. There are several ways to earn entries, so have at it.
(Small sidenote because I want to make sure there's full disclosure....If you win Grasping At Eternity, your copy will not be sent until after it's published (May 25, 2012) since it isn't available yet. The winner will have to wait a very small amount of time, but they're getting first dibs on it and for free, so YAY ;) )
I apologize for the last minute change and thanks again to all of my followers and anyone else stopping by :)
Happy Entering :D
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Review: Zombie Whisperer by Caterina Torres
I've been reading the short stories on Caterina Torres' blog and I like them, so I expected to like this story. Aside from some typos here and there, it was a good read. There were times when the details bored me, but that's personal preference. (Anyone who knows me, knows I don't care for details at all.) It held my interest throughout and made me want to read and read. I hated when I had to stop reading to do other stuff. And that is what earned Zombie Whisperer four stars from me, it pulled me through to the end and I liked it.
Jane Smith wakes from a week of being sick with the flu to a world full of zombies. She finds her boyfriend and they start to travel from the West coast to the East-heading for Jane's mother's house. As they drive, Jane realizes she can hear zombies in her head. As if that's not messed up enough, Jane and her boyfriend stop at a gas station and are captured by people who appear to be military. Things go from weird to weirder and plans begin to unfold.
Like usual, if you'd like spoilers (though I think you should just read it), click the read more button. And I really mean SPOILERS!!! So please, make sure that's really what you want before clicking to read more.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Thursday TAG! - Caterina Torres
From the inspiration of last weeks little game of TAG, I've decided each week I will post a Q&A from various people.
First up is Caterina Torres (AKA Cat). She is the author of Zombie Whisperer and a friend of mine I met on my favorite website Agent Query Connect. You can find her on there as well as on Twitter @CaterinaTorres and Facebook here. She has a short story segment on her site as well.
1. When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was 13 years old. I started Zombie Whisperer last year and through hard work and perseverance, finally published it yesterday. But I hope to one day revisit the book I wrote at 13 and rewrite it.
2. What made you want to write?
Nothing really made me want to write, I think it had more to do with having a large imagination that was fueled by reading fiction. Finally one day I wanted to put my imagination down on paper and thus my dreams began.
3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published (as opposed to writing just to write)?
It was actually the same time as I started writing; at 13 years old. I always knew I just wanted to share my crazy ideas and see others enjoy them or help make them better. I love to make people smile.
4. What genre(s) do you write?
I write Science Fiction as of this moment. I hope to stick to it, but I also want to see if I can do a bit of Fantasy or Science Fiction Romance. Who knows until I try, right?
5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
I'm not sure. I guess I really love trying to logically quantify the moment and make it as realistic as possible, as if it could really happen in our lifetime. Otherwise I feel like I'm not doing my readers justice.
6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Hmmm, I'm not sure if I could call what I do a "process." Usually when I start writing, I have no clue where I'm going or how the story is going to end. I let my characters talk to me and tell me where they want to go, and what sounds most exciting. Then I just write, write, write until it's finished and send it off to someone to tell me if they liked it. Then it's off to a ton of revising and editing of my own before giving it to a professional editor. With some final spot checks, I send it off to publishing.
7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
There is absolutely no outline whatsoever, except maybe a general timeline to keep track of the days. I literally do not know how my story is going to end, or what characters will pop up until I write into the story.
8. Is there anything you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-laptop, pen, paper, etc)
Confidence. I need to feel comfortable with where my story is going and if it makes me happy, otherwise I get major writer's block.
9. Do you write out your story on paper then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
It goes straight onto a computer. No hand written notes whatsoever, unless I need to calculate something to gain some perspective (such as a timeline).
10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those that you wrote and then thought, what the hell is this?)
Well, counting the one I wrote when I was 13, two books total plus the half written book #2 of the Zombie Trilogy. I have one short story that is continuous on my website and I might have written several one-off short stories that never saw the light of day.
11. Is there, or has there been anyone in your life (real or online) who thought being a writer is/was just another hobby, or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
In the beginning, several people close to me thought nothing of it when I began to write. My mom thought it was cute and my husband didn't understand my obsession, but now that it is published it's almost as if a light clicked on in their brains. My close family/friends actually see what I've been doing as a real business and not just a hobby.
12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones and if not, why don't you?
I use twitter - @caterinatorres
And Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003333249962&sk=wall
And AgentQueryConnect, although I don't use it to market my book but to gain perspective on my projects.
I also use Goodreads.com which is an excellent way to see reader reviews.
13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (Obviously there is some cringe worthy advice that you still follow, so, only some you don't)
Cringe Worthy Advice? "Try not to pay attention to everyone's opinions." I completely understand there will always be nay-sayers out there that hate what I wrote, but I can't help but hang on to their every word. Especially since I have such thin skin when it comes to hurtful words. BUT there is something good out of those nay-sayers - it gives me some insight on what is not liked in my story and what I might or might not change later. If 2 out of 100 people don't like one part, who cares. But if 80 out of 100 people didn't like something, I better listen up.
14. Why do you write about zombies?
I write about zombies because they are one of my greatest fears: a world where the apocalypse has struck the nation and those around me are turned into the undead. My main character might kick butt, but I am just your average american girl. I can't shoot a gun more than I can lift an elephant.
15. What would you do (how would you react) if an apocalypse happened and everyone around you started turning into the undead?
Freak out! I would gather my family and barricade ourselves in someone's house. I guess I would try to be logical about it and treat it like a natural disaster: gather enough supplies for weeks, try to make sure we had outside contact, make sure we had enough water for months; etc. But ultimately, I would be really scared.
16. Do you think you would be one of those people who got infected, or would you be able to survive?
Hmm I can't give an honest answer because I have never been put in a life threatening situation before. I would love to say I'd survive, but considering I don't know how to shoot a gun who knows.
17. If you survived, who is the ONE person in your life you would want to survive with you?
Apologies to families and friends I don't mention, but my husband of course.
18. What would you have in your survival pack (no bigger than an average backpack) is a zombie-filled apocalyspe struck?
Wow, just like a page out of my recent blog post: Would You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?
In a situation I had no shelter and a simple backpack filled with the tools I needed to survive, it would be filled with - Weapons (like a knife or handgun); Food/Water (plastic bottle of H2O and food bars); Rechargeable Crank Radio (to keep up with what's going on in the rest of the world); One extra pair of clothes; Paper Towel (for obvious reasons, but could also be used as toilet paper); First Aid Kit (which should have been listed first, but it's on the list none-the-less); One Blanket; and a small water purifier that fits on water bottles. I'm sure I could fit more, but those are the most obvious things I would need.
19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
Working, LOL. I'm a full time worker and wife. I do my general 40 hours per week and then come home to cook for my family. I also try to spend time with my family because they mean the world to me.
20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Do what you love, and love what you do. Plain and simple. Who cares if others tell you it's a waste of time or if rude people say you suck. If you love to write, write.
First up is Caterina Torres (AKA Cat). She is the author of Zombie Whisperer and a friend of mine I met on my favorite website Agent Query Connect. You can find her on there as well as on Twitter @CaterinaTorres and Facebook here. She has a short story segment on her site as well.
1. When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was 13 years old. I started Zombie Whisperer last year and through hard work and perseverance, finally published it yesterday. But I hope to one day revisit the book I wrote at 13 and rewrite it.
2. What made you want to write?
Nothing really made me want to write, I think it had more to do with having a large imagination that was fueled by reading fiction. Finally one day I wanted to put my imagination down on paper and thus my dreams began.
3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published (as opposed to writing just to write)?
It was actually the same time as I started writing; at 13 years old. I always knew I just wanted to share my crazy ideas and see others enjoy them or help make them better. I love to make people smile.
4. What genre(s) do you write?
I write Science Fiction as of this moment. I hope to stick to it, but I also want to see if I can do a bit of Fantasy or Science Fiction Romance. Who knows until I try, right?
5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
I'm not sure. I guess I really love trying to logically quantify the moment and make it as realistic as possible, as if it could really happen in our lifetime. Otherwise I feel like I'm not doing my readers justice.
6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Hmmm, I'm not sure if I could call what I do a "process." Usually when I start writing, I have no clue where I'm going or how the story is going to end. I let my characters talk to me and tell me where they want to go, and what sounds most exciting. Then I just write, write, write until it's finished and send it off to someone to tell me if they liked it. Then it's off to a ton of revising and editing of my own before giving it to a professional editor. With some final spot checks, I send it off to publishing.
7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
There is absolutely no outline whatsoever, except maybe a general timeline to keep track of the days. I literally do not know how my story is going to end, or what characters will pop up until I write into the story.
8. Is there anything you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-laptop, pen, paper, etc)
Confidence. I need to feel comfortable with where my story is going and if it makes me happy, otherwise I get major writer's block.
9. Do you write out your story on paper then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
It goes straight onto a computer. No hand written notes whatsoever, unless I need to calculate something to gain some perspective (such as a timeline).
10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those that you wrote and then thought, what the hell is this?)
Well, counting the one I wrote when I was 13, two books total plus the half written book #2 of the Zombie Trilogy. I have one short story that is continuous on my website and I might have written several one-off short stories that never saw the light of day.
11. Is there, or has there been anyone in your life (real or online) who thought being a writer is/was just another hobby, or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
In the beginning, several people close to me thought nothing of it when I began to write. My mom thought it was cute and my husband didn't understand my obsession, but now that it is published it's almost as if a light clicked on in their brains. My close family/friends actually see what I've been doing as a real business and not just a hobby.
12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones and if not, why don't you?
I use twitter - @caterinatorres
And Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003333249962&sk=wall
And AgentQueryConnect, although I don't use it to market my book but to gain perspective on my projects.
I also use Goodreads.com which is an excellent way to see reader reviews.
13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (Obviously there is some cringe worthy advice that you still follow, so, only some you don't)
Cringe Worthy Advice? "Try not to pay attention to everyone's opinions." I completely understand there will always be nay-sayers out there that hate what I wrote, but I can't help but hang on to their every word. Especially since I have such thin skin when it comes to hurtful words. BUT there is something good out of those nay-sayers - it gives me some insight on what is not liked in my story and what I might or might not change later. If 2 out of 100 people don't like one part, who cares. But if 80 out of 100 people didn't like something, I better listen up.
14. Why do you write about zombies?
I write about zombies because they are one of my greatest fears: a world where the apocalypse has struck the nation and those around me are turned into the undead. My main character might kick butt, but I am just your average american girl. I can't shoot a gun more than I can lift an elephant.
15. What would you do (how would you react) if an apocalypse happened and everyone around you started turning into the undead?
Freak out! I would gather my family and barricade ourselves in someone's house. I guess I would try to be logical about it and treat it like a natural disaster: gather enough supplies for weeks, try to make sure we had outside contact, make sure we had enough water for months; etc. But ultimately, I would be really scared.
16. Do you think you would be one of those people who got infected, or would you be able to survive?
Hmm I can't give an honest answer because I have never been put in a life threatening situation before. I would love to say I'd survive, but considering I don't know how to shoot a gun who knows.
17. If you survived, who is the ONE person in your life you would want to survive with you?
Apologies to families and friends I don't mention, but my husband of course.
18. What would you have in your survival pack (no bigger than an average backpack) is a zombie-filled apocalyspe struck?
Wow, just like a page out of my recent blog post: Would You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?
In a situation I had no shelter and a simple backpack filled with the tools I needed to survive, it would be filled with - Weapons (like a knife or handgun); Food/Water (plastic bottle of H2O and food bars); Rechargeable Crank Radio (to keep up with what's going on in the rest of the world); One extra pair of clothes; Paper Towel (for obvious reasons, but could also be used as toilet paper); First Aid Kit (which should have been listed first, but it's on the list none-the-less); One Blanket; and a small water purifier that fits on water bottles. I'm sure I could fit more, but those are the most obvious things I would need.
19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
Working, LOL. I'm a full time worker and wife. I do my general 40 hours per week and then come home to cook for my family. I also try to spend time with my family because they mean the world to me.
20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Do what you love, and love what you do. Plain and simple. Who cares if others tell you it's a waste of time or if rude people say you suck. If you love to write, write.
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