Today I have another Brain to Books Cyber Convention author
feature. Remember, this great event for authors and readers alike is coming to
Goodreads this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th.
Be sure to check out
all the details and pertinent links for the event here:
Now on with the main event, our Brain
to Books author feature.
Today I have a great interview with YA fantasy Debbie Manber Kupfer.
Interview With Debbie Manber Kupfer
Why don’t
you begin by sharing a little about yourself?
I’m
Debbie Manber Kupfer. I’m an author and puzzle writer originally from London who somehow ended up in St. Louis, MO. I live with my husband, 2 kids, and my “mews” Miri Billie Joe.
I
divide my time between writing fiction (my fantasy series, P.A.W.S. and short stories in different genres for anthologies) and
writing puzzles for Penny Publications and my website Paws 4 Puzzles. I get through my days by drinking gallons of hot tea with milk and sampling the
occasional piece of dark chocolate.
How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date?I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid, but only started taking myself seriously as a writer in recent years. So far I’ve published the first two books in my series, P.A.W.S. and Argentum, a puzzle book, Paws 4 Logic, and two books of short stories, Will There Be Watermelons on Mars? and my newest release, Tales from P.A.W.S.
What do you enjoy most
about writing in the fantasy genre?
I
love to read and write fantasy because I love to dream and in fantasy anything
is possible. I can’t imagine writing something that didn’t have some aspect of
magic hidden within it.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always wanted to
write a book, but felt I had all the time in the world to make that happen,
then in 2011 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through treatment and
I’m happy to say that today I’m cancer free, but the experience made me realize
that if really wanted to write I couldn’t delay it any longer. We never know
how longer we have.
So in November 2012 I sat down during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and started writing P.A.W.S.
So in November 2012 I sat down during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and started writing P.A.W.S.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
Distraction,
particularly from the Internet. In order to get any writing done I pretty much
need to turn off my modem and write. Then if I get a chapter or two done I’ll
reward myself with some time on Facebook and maybe a few dark chocolate mint
M&Ms!
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
I have several including
Douglas Adams, JK Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Cornelia Funke.
What advice would you give beginning writers?
What advice would you give beginning writers?
Try NaNoWriMo. Every November writers
around world gather to attempt to write 50K words in a month. It’s wonderful to
have a local NaNo group to cheer you on and for me setting myself a daily goal
of around 2K during NaNo months (There’s also Camp NaNo in April and July)
really helps me keep on track.
Plus it encourages you to keep going. No, you want have a polished novel in a month, you’ll have a hot mess that will take months of editing, but it’s a start and I’m pretty sure that without NaNo I wouldn’t be published today.
Plus it encourages you to keep going. No, you want have a polished novel in a month, you’ll have a hot mess that will take months of editing, but it’s a start and I’m pretty sure that without NaNo I wouldn’t be published today.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing
fiction I write puzzles, mainly for magazines and my website Paws 4 Puzzles. I
also put together with my son Joey, a puzzle book, Paws 4 Logic, that’s fun for anyone who enjoys logic problems.
How did you become interested in puzzles?
How did you become interested in puzzles?
Well, I’ve been solving
puzzles ever since I was at school and there’s a funny story attached to this.
My careers teacher at school once asked me what I liked to do – I answered “puzzles”.
He turned to me and said “Crossword puzzles are only useful for solving other
crosswords.” I would love to tell him that actually I made a career out of
puzzles.
For those of you who read P.A.W.S. look for a similar scene in P.A.W.S. – a kind of Easter Egg and shout out to that teacher of long ago.
For those of you who read P.A.W.S. look for a similar scene in P.A.W.S. – a kind of Easter Egg and shout out to that teacher of long ago.
What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal?
Well, I’m currently
working on book 3 of P.A.W.S., Labyrinth
of Umbrae, and hope to release it before the end of the year.
I’ve also written a children’s picture book, Adana the Earth Dragon and am working with a wonderful artist who is bringing my little Adana to life.
Also look for Tea and Dark Chocolate, a collection of flash fiction stories and poems, coming out soon.
Keep in touch with me
through my website, Paws 4 Thought, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon or Goodreads. I love hearing from my
readers!I’ve also written a children’s picture book, Adana the Earth Dragon and am working with a wonderful artist who is bringing my little Adana to life.
Also look for Tea and Dark Chocolate, a collection of flash fiction stories and poems, coming out soon.
P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer
When Miri receives a silver cat charm from her omama, Celia, on the night before Celia dies she has no idea that the charm holds a secret, a powerful magic that saved her omama’s life and is about to make Miri’s a whole lot more interesting.
Debbie Manber Kupfer grew up in London and today lives in St. Louis. She is a writer of puzzles and fiction and the author of the fantasy series, P.A.W.S. She believes that with enough tea and dark chocolate you can achieve anything!
I'd like to thank Debbie Manber Kupfer for stopping by today, and be sure to check out her virtual booth at the convention this April.
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