I recently read and reviewed Talented by Sophie Davis and really enjoyed it, you can read my review HERE. So I was pretty excited when Sophie offered to do an interview, who doesn't like getting a chance to ask authors questions?! I hope you enjoy learning more about the person behind Talented, who is truely talented!
Tell
us a little bit about yourself.
By
day, I am a Federal Government employee who reviews patent applications.
By night, I write and read! I went to school for a variety of different
things: Science, Forensics, and Law. I live in DC now with my two
dogs. When I am not writing or working at my day job, I try and hit up
the museums and take advantage of all of the free things DC has to offer.
I love to travel and try to cross off as many places in 1,000 Places To See
Before You Die as possible!
When
did you decide that you wanted to write a book?
I
have wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember. But I didn't
actually get the idea to share my writing with anyone until last year. I
asked a friend if she would be interested in helping me if I attempted
self-publishing. She said yes, and we went from there!
Are any of the characters based of of people you know?
None
of the personalities are based on people I know, but several of the
physical descriptions are. Also, several of the scenes in the book
are loosely based on things that really happened to me. Talia
and Donavon's relationship is inspired by my own high school
boyfriend.
If you had a “talent” what would it be?
If
I had a talent it would definitely be Electrical Manipulation. Why?
Honestly, I'm not sure, but for some reason I find that one pretty interesting
:-)
Where did the idea for Talented come from?
The
idea for Talented was a long time in the making. Originally I had
envisioned the characters being a lot older and more of undercover
spies. But while I was studying for the Bar Exam, I had a strong desire
to escape from every day life and decided to delve into the paranormal. I
went back and forth for a very long time on how to set up Talia's
world. In the beginning it was a very different world with all made
up names and a government structure that was closer to a monarchy. But
over time (and suggestions from Beta readers), I decided to use
places that readers could identify with.
Who was your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
My
favorite character to write is Penny. She is the most fun and the most
laid back. In general, I would say the minor characters
that only appear once or twice are my least favorite to write. I
find it hard to vary their personalities and give them any sort of depth while
at the same time not overloading the reader with a bunch
of unimportant details.
If you could sit down and talk to any author, who would it be?
If
I could sit down and talk to any author I think it would be Stephen
King. I have been a huge fan of his books since before I could really
grasp the concepts in them. I would just love to know where he comes
up with so many varied ideas!
What is your favorite genre?
My favorite genre is a tough
one. I love paranormal books. But I am also addicted
to mystery/thrillers. I actually wanted to be a Medical
Examiner for most of college and grad school because I loved Patricia
Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta books.
What's one thing that no one really knows about you?
One thing no one really knows about
me . . . hmmmm. Well, I would say not many people know that I am a closet
bad horror movie lover. The cheesier the better! I even have a
secret desire to be the person who writes the descriptions for the horror
movies on Fearnet :-)
Have you read any good
books lately? What’s your favorite so far this year? Any that you are looking
forward to?
Lately I have read a couple of good
books: The Golden Lily, Sweet Evil, Insurgent, Cinder. But my
favorite book this year so far has been Catch Me by Lisa Gardner.
What
was your favorite childhood book?
My
favorite childhood book is probably a toss-up between The Bridge to Terabithia
and Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Any advice for the aspiring author?
The advice I have for aspiring
authors is probably just keep writing, and be very open to constructive
criticism. Talented is actually the third full length novel I have
written, but the first to actually make any sense! The first two sounded
great in my head, but didn't translate so well when I tried to write them
down.
With Talented, I asked my closest,
most honest friends to help out with beta reading. They didn't hold
back when they, nicely, ripped the first couple drafts apart. I have even
found myself out voted on a plot point that I thought was great, but the
general consensus is a NO! I would also suggest joining writing groups in
your area. It is a great was to network and gain insight from both
published authors and other aspiring ones. I belong to several, and they
have been invaluable resources!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions Sophie! I know you're a busy person, so I really appreciate the time! I always enjoy getting to know authors better!
Electrical Manipulation? Ohh, that's so cool and different! Most people choose the obvious ones like teleportation and mind-reading, and that's why I love your amazingly original answer best! :) And since I've loved every single one of the books you've mentioned (which shows that we have similarly awesome taste, I think LOL <3), I just have to add Catch Me too if that's your fave, Sophie! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this interview, Jenn! <3
Thanks, I really liked Sophie's answers and had a lot of fun interviewing her! Thanks for stopping by Mimi!
DeleteElectrical manipulation is just fun to say. lol
ReplyDeleteGreat interview you two!
Thanks! It really is fun to say! lol
DeleteThanks for visiting!