Author Interview:

What initially got you interested in writing?

The excitement I felt reading the books I enjoyed, fueled my interest in writing. I wanted to be able to create that intrigue for other people. I wanted to imagine my own worlds and characters. It’s proven far more challenging than I even imagined, but I love what I do.

How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?

Fledgling was my first book, and I wrote it following my daughter’s second open-heart surgery. It was a way for me to escape the stress. It was a challenge for me and a lesson in follow-through. I committed to completing the story, which I finished in three months. I wasn’t sure if it was good or not, so I submitted it to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Contest and was surprised to learn I was a finalist. That confirmation was what I needed to push me forward to pursue my dreams of writing.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I try to give readers a place where they can forget about their own lives for even just a little bit. If you forget about your bills, how you’re going to deal with the latest phase your kids’ are going through, what you’re going to make for dinner—anything, be it small or large, I feel I’ve done my job. I want to build worlds you can get lost in and characters readers can relate to.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

It’s exciting knowing readers are enjoying what you’ve written. In many ways, I write for myself. I write what I find interesting or exciting, and it’s an outlet for me. It’s fun retreating into my fantasy worlds. But the other half of that is providing an escape for readers as well.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

The hardest part for me is the marketing end of things. I would rather just write my books and not have to do anything else. I also happen to be a book cover designer, and I design my own covers. I am my most challenging client because I easily get into a tailspin over my cover choices when it’s my own book.

What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?

Write what you love. Write what makes you happy, and you should find an audience who will appreciate it. If you’re doing what you love and what makes you happy, that will carry you far. Once it twists into the stress of selling more copies or what you think readers want, you can lose the joy of what brought you to writing in the first place.

What ways can readers connect with you?

I send out a monthly newsletter which includes short stories I write in my ‘spare’ time. Readers often respond to my newsletters through email, and I have a contact form on my website (www.natashasbrown.com ). I love hearing from readers. There’s nothing better than getting a note from someone who enjoyed what you wrote.