Guest Author: Sonya Clark

Welcome Sonya! Congratulations on your newest release and signing with Carina Press. Both exciting news!

As an author myself, I love to hear about other writers. I think each of us have a background that helps create our books. So, let's get on with the interview and learn a little about Sonya Clark.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I've tried all kinds of different character charts but none of them have been useful to me. Hair color, eye color, height, favorite movie - all of that can be changed. What difference does it make what a character's favorite movie is? Making a list of favorites is just a way to procrastinate. For me, the best way to develop a character is to write that character. Flash fiction and short stories are a great way to do that before getting into the main story. I did that with two of the main characters in Red House and it was a tremendous help. It taught me their voice, their essence, the things that make them unique and three dimensional. From there, I can figure out what they want, their strengths and weaknesses, what gets them out of bed in the morning, and if something like a favorite movie even matters. Then, once I start the book, I've got pretty good idea of who these people are that I'm writing about. It's a huge help.

That's an excellent idea. I think knowing a character from the inside out is important for an author, but you're right. Who cares what movie they like! Flash fiction is a wonderful way to "learn" who your character is. 

What main genre do you write in?

What I write tends to straddle the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. I love the noir aspects of urban fantasy, the focus on action and danger. But I also love romance. Some of what I write is more UF, some of it is definitely PNR. Paranormal is the common denominator, though. I love writing about magic and the supernatural.

We can see those elements in Red House. 

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I used to fly by the seat of my pants, plot-wise, and just rely on characters to propel the story forward. Red House is the book that broke me of that. I didn't have an outline so I wound up going back and forth on a lot of things, doing a lot of rewriting, a lot of second-guessing. Writing this book was very painful, to the point of being demoralizing. By the time I reached the end, I hated the book. That's not the best feeling, so I decided I needed to do something different. For the next book I wrote I created an outline and the entire process was much smoother. Quicker too, which was nice because it felt like it took forever to write Red House. So I'm a big fan of outlining now. J

I've experienced that, too. Some books just flow easier than others. We're glad Red House made it to the final stages!

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven't yet?

Science fiction. I'd love to write a sci-fi romance that explores artificial intelligence. Blame that on seeing Blade Runner at an impressionable age. J

I love reading Science Fiction, but never seem to find the time. Reading romance is what keeps me on my toes.

How can readers find out more about you and your books?

My blog/website can be found at www.sonyaclark.net. There's info about my books and links to various social networks where I can be found.

Thank you for being here, Sonya! Good luck on your journey and we look forward to seeing your newest Carina Press novel next year. 

Melinda