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Author Tessa Stockton is a veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, having come from a long line of musical arts professionals. She loved seeing the world and absorbing the beauty of other cultures . . . an enriching life full of dance, music, faith, and interesting cuisine. Over the years, she also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today, she writes romance and intrigue novels in a variety of genres.
It's our pleasure to interview her today.
1) Have you always wanted to be an author? If not, what made
you decide to write, and how long have you been at it?
I think I’ve always wanted to be an author, yes. I worked in
the performing arts world as a choreographer, dancer, and musician for over two
decades. Although my schedule was demanding with rehearsals, touring, and such,
I managed to freelance here and there as a writer. It was always my intention
to become a novelist after a good run in the musical arts, at least strive for
that. It took about ten years to progress to a published status. What was an
eye-opener for me was how difficult it is to get your foot in the writing
industry door. For some reason, I expected it to be easier than in the world of
dance. Boy, was I naïve!
2) Are you a plotter, a pantser, or a combination?
A pantser. I may have a rough outline in my head, or a
general idea or direction in which to take a story. But I’m somebody who really
likes to ride the wave of creative flow. I do find it strange that I’m
ultra-organized with everything else in life, but in-depth story plotting seems
to stifle me. Hum.
3) What do your kids think about your being a writer?
I have one young son, and he thinks it’s grand. He’s such an
over-the-top social bug, whereas I’m an introvert. Whenever we bump into
people, it always flies out of his mouth, “My mommy makes books!” I find it
endearing that he’s proud of his mama, but the heat of embarrassment fills my
cheeks. We’ve had “talks” about trying to remedy this uncomfortable (for me) predicament.
He’s also strong-willed. Sigh.
Incidentally, he also loves to read and write and has
already created his own book of poems. He has quite a philosophical mind for
such a little guy, and an extroverted one at that. I’m proud of him, too.
4) Do you have any rituals you like to go through before you
start writing, such as make yourself a cup of coffee or tea? Do calisthenics to
get the blood flowing? Lock yourself in a room and warn your family not to
disturb you upon pain of death? Read something inspiring? Pray?
I drink my first cup of coffee in my special chair, which is
in the quietest tucked-away corner of the house next to a window where I can
watch nature, which inspires me, and I muse. Then, when I can gather myself
enough to gravitate into my office with a second cup (my quota), I begin the
day.
5) Writing is a sedentary occupation. What do you do for
exercise?
I’m bored easily with routines, so I change them up quite a
bit. One day, it might be dance related warm-ups at barre (I still have one
mounted in my work space), another day it might be kickboxing or Zumba. Lately,
I’ve been enjoying Hula, or just taking walks to breathe the fresh air which is
sometimes the most invigorating experience.
If I’m on a tight deadline, I’ll take a periodic ten-minute
break to rest my eyes from the computer screen and at the same time jump on the
elliptical machine—just to feel the blood pumping through my legs again. I tend
to sit with legs tightly crossed while I write. Not a good habit, it cuts circulation.
Exercise is vital for me to feel balanced.
6) Do you have any pets? Do you own them, or they you?
I used to have horses, goats, guinea pigs, mice, dogs and
cats—all at the same time. Now I just have a small dog and two cats. Oh, and a
large Black Rat Snake that seems to have adopted my garage as a den. I don’t
mind. He keeps the rats away, since my Rat Terrier and cats are worthless as
hunters.
I miss the horses and goats.
At all times, with every creature, they have always owned
me. I don’t mind. They’re therapeutic. Apparently, I need them!
7) What fun fact would you like your readers to know about
you?
I used to play in a paintball league.
Wind's Aria, a fantasy romance, is Tessa's latest release. You can find it at
Want to connect with Tessa? Look her up on her website, meet her on Facebook, sent her a tweet, link up on LinkedIn, or find her on Goodreads.
