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Sherrie Brown
When I think back on my long road to becoming a writer, sometimes, I wonder what I'd be doing if I didn't write. As you may well know, I home school my four children and I love every second of it, but without my writing to fill that tiny void that's left, I would probably shrivel up and become useless. LOL! Somehow, getting all that information down on paper, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, and allowing my imagination to soar, seems to make my small world a little more enjoyable.
But, I wasn't always this way. When I was in school, I hated to read, and I hated to write stories, mostly because I had no idea where to begin, plus I have the worst penmanship you can imagine. But, when I read a book one day and told my husband that even I could have ended it better, he challenged me to do just that. Thus began my journey into the wonderful world of writing.
Much like me, Sherrie Brown, an author I was fortunate enough to interview a while back, had some struggles in the beginning. Keep reading to find out what she said.
AJ: Tell us about and a little about your background that led you to be a writer.
SB: In school, I hated to read or write. English, Spelling, and Reading were my worst subjects. In 2003, a friend gave me a historical romance to read. I enjoyed the book and started to read the rest of the series. It was as if a door was opened and I couldn’t find enough books to read. I enjoyed reading.
As my sons grew up, they had report papers to write and I was sad that I couldn’t help them. I struggled to help them write a two-page paper. I did realize that the more I read the better I could spell and write.
After dealing with some health problems, I had more time to read. I found some free or discounted
eBooks and began reading as much as possible. I came across my first ARC group and was ecstatic because I could read the authors books sooner. This began to open my eyes to so much more.
I was reading an eBook when I noticed a lot of errors. I emailed the author to let her know that someone missed almost a whole chapter in proofreading it. Her manager answered my email explaining that she was just starting out and didn’t have money to hire an editor. This opened my eyes to the self-publishing world that I didn’t know existed. He offered me free books if I wanted to help him proofread. So, a friendship developed, even though I wasn’t good at proofreading.
He helped me develop many skills, that I draw on now as a writer. In fact, at the start of 2017, he dared me to write a book. With my personality, a dare can be dangerous, but I figured I had nothing to lose. If the books didn’t sell no one needed to know so, I didn’t tell my family or friends. I wanted to complete this dare.
AJ: How many books have you written? And, in what genre would you classify your works?
SB: My sixth book should be done before the end of November.
The first three books I wrote turned into a trilogy entitled The Dreams: They are historical romances in Jane Austen Fan-fiction under Sherrie Brown.
I am currently writing a clean, stand-alone, romance, Time Travel Series. The Eternal Knot Series by S. Brown has two books available currently. The third book is nearing completion; it should be in my editor’s hands before the end of November. I have ten stand-alone books scheduled for this series.
AJ: Is there one event in your life that led you in the direction of writing for your genre?
SB: I have always been fascinated with time travel. Wondering was real or what I would do, if I had the opportunity to travel back in time. Would I change anything in my life if I could? The answer to that is no because it would change who I have become.
AJ: What was your favorite book to write and why?
SB: I would have to say Raven the book I just released in October. Raven is a character I introduced in The Dreams: Will Hold You Tight. I knew that once I started writing about her in that book, she would
need to have her own story told. It was a challenge to write because I didn’t want it to be obvious she was a time traveler, but she knew enough about history to know that if you changed something, it would change the future. Also, what would you do if you were dropped in the middle of your favorite romance novel? Would you survive if something happened to you during the story? Some many unknowns it made for a fun story to write.
AJ: Do you have any interesting writing quirks? If so, how does it help your writing?
SB: I put my earphones in and turn up the music, while it tunes out the world. It helps me focus on the characters I am writing without distractions. My husband has to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention when I am writing. If I know, it will be a high action scene I make sure the music matches the emotion I want on the page.
AJ:What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
SB: I love to eat, travel, sight-see, spend time with my husband and our large lovable dog, and read when I find the time.
AJ: Do you enjoy reading, as well? If so, whose books do you read for inspiration?
SB: I still love to read but most of my time is taken up with writing or research now. I have several favorites, and most of those authors have become my friends so to say only a few would hurt someone’s feelings.
AJ: What has been the toughest criticism you’ve received as an author? And the best compliment?
SB: The toughest and worst criticism was from a reviewer I had before I re-edited my first book. She told me that her golden retriever could write better than I could and I should quit trying to write because I wasn’t any good at it.
The best came from a few authors I trust who told me that the more I write, the better my stories have become and that they loved my time travel series because it was in my own voice and heroines showed some of my traits.
AJ: Do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
SB: When I can’t think how to write a scene, I play games on my phone, take a nap, and spend time with my husband or dog. I read, and talk to family and friends, sometimes even ask for ideas from them. I have found most of the time the block moves while I am taking a long hot shower because I am nowhere near paper or my laptop.
AJ: How can readers discover more about you?
SB: You can find or follow me on any of these...
Click on any of the above links to follow Sherrie on social media, or tap her picture, or one of her books, to purchase one. C'mon, click the Facebook link and Like her page!
