Friday, October 28, 2011

Interview with Author Stacy Lynn Carroll

Tell us a little about yourself.

I met my husband in high school, where we were good friends. Then used my talent with the written word to steal him away from his girlfriend. (It all worked out though, she got married before we did.) I graduated from the University of Utah in Creative Writing, after first attending USU. I’ve worked as an editor and writer for years, but finally decided to go for it and publish my own book after opening an encouraging fortune cookie. Seriously. I now stay home with my two beautiful daughters, and write as much as possible─it is my Zen.

At what point did you decide to become a writer? Was there someone or something that specifically inspired you?

English was always my favorite subject, but I didn’t seriously think about being a writer until my 9th grade teacher. She showed me I have an actual talent for writing, and inspired me to pursue it. I wrote mostly for myself and my family, with dreams of publishing an actual book some day. Then after opening a fortune cookie that said “The world will soon be ready to receive your talents” I decided to go for it and really worked to finish and publish my book. That fortune is still taped to my computer and I use it for inspiration when I have a frustrating day.

Where are you when you are writing, and what implements/addictions do you have with you when you’re writing?

I have to have it completely quiet when I am writing. My computer is in my bedroom (no, I don’t have a laptop) so I have to wait until everyone in the house is asleep before I can focus on writing. Then once I get started, I completely get sucked into the world of my book and don’t usually emerge for several hours. I write best without distractions of music, food, anything really! But occasionally I will sip on a Coke to keep me going if I plan on writing late into the night.

Tell us about your inspiration for The Princess Sisters:

My husband and I were driving in the car, discussing baby names. I mentioned when I was younger I had wanted to name my daughter Aurora, after my favorite princess- Sleeping Beauty. Then when I got older, I thought the name Belle would be really pretty. Those two thoughts together made the wheels start turning and I wondered what would happen to a group of girls who were named after fairy tale princesses? What would that do to them socially? I went home that night and wrote the prologue.

How would you describe your book in 13 words or less?

Five friends discover their self-worth and kiss a few frogs along the way

What are you working on now?

I’m actually working on something completely different from my normal style (much to the disappointment of my fans who are waiting for the sequel).  It’s a non-fiction book about my father-in-law, who is a quadriplegic. He broke his neck at 18 and since then has gotten married, had two kids, graduated college, and works a full-time job helping others with disabilities. His story is amazing!

How do you write: outline or seat of your pants, and why?

I completely write by the seat of my pants! I don’t bother with outlines, because I never follow them. I have a general idea of where I want a story to go, but I don’t like restricting myself with an outline. Once I get into a book, I let the characters tell the story, and it rarely ends up where I thought it would.

Tell us about your publishing experience.

I tried getting a couple books published before The Princess Sisters, with no luck. I have several friends who went through big publishing houses and all of them had really bad experiences. So when I finished The Princess Sisters, I was trying to decide what to do when someone came and spoke to my writing group about self-publishing. It was like an answer to my prayers! After talking to her, I knew that was the right option for me.

What are your hobbies outside of writing?

I love to paint! I enjoy making decorations for my house, and would love to paint almost every room in my house if I had the money to do it. I also love to cook and bake.

State a random fact about yourself that could surprise your readers.

I didn’t get my drivers license until I was 18. I took all the classes and tests at 16, but I hated driving and was terrified of being behind the wheel!

Where can you find Stacy and her book?









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