Welcome, tell the readers a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a ninja disguised as a homeschooling mom, former literary publicist, craft-aholic and all around reading diva. Really, I kick down doors –no, wait, that was my husband when I locked us out of the house . . . Well, I engage in combat on a regular basis –online when I play MMORPGs with my children . . . OK, maybe I’m not a real ninja but my husband says I stole his heart. Does that count?
No? Shoot. Well, I love reading and I love writing. I think imagination is the biggest advantage a child can get in life and I try to allow my children many opportunities to expand theirs every day.
I love teaching authors how to avoid publishing traps and scams as well as how to market themselves and their works. There is nothing better in life than giving someone information that helps them become successful. I get a high off speaking to large groups of people –especially when I see the ah-ha moment in their face.
I also take a few hours each week and create jewelry, make lotions or paint something. I have little creation stations scattered through the house. My daughter gets into it a lot and scatters things which drives my husband crazy but remember how I mentioned that he says I stole his heart? Yeah. I’m not giving it back. He’s stuck with me forever. Bwah ha ha ha!
What do you do when you aren’t writing?
A: When I’m not writing, I’m teaching my children or reading. Sometimes cooking or baking. I also like to make little craft projects. People ask me how I find time for everything, but a big factor is we don’t have cable so I don’t feel like I have to watch a lot of TV to justify the expense. That frees up so much more time. There’s also the small issue of ADD or something similar. I don’t see it, but my husband thinks I should finish putting up shelves before I tear down a new wall. I think he’s a bit extreme. Finish a project before you start a new one? That’s just crazy talk, but maybe it’s me.
If you had to choose a favorite book, what would it be?
A: This question I put up there with “what’s your favorite ice cream”. How do you choose? It is creamy, sugary and there’s so many different combinations of flavors there’s no way to have a set favorite. There’s a different flavor for each situation for why you buy the ice cream. With books, I get sucked into so many different worlds and minds and each one has a place. For example, when I worked in Human Resources, I was a Dilbert junkie. I kept searching the offices looking for Scott Adams because surely he must have been hiding out in our company taking notes. Back when I was 10 (we won’t discuss how long ago that was), I had read almost all the books in our house and I decided that I would take on The Lord of the Rings. That was my gateway drug into fantasy and science fiction. It will always hold a special place in my heart. I went through a Dragon Lance phase and read everything by Tracey Hickman and Margaret Weiss. Now, I eagerly anticipate anything Brandon Sanderson releases while systematically devouring (literarily) our local library’s cozy mystery section.
What inspired you to start writing?
A: I didn’t intend to be an author. I was very happy as a reader until I had the opportunity to work as a literary publicist. While helping authors get on television, radio and newspaper coverage, I came across many authors who were scammed out of thousands of dollars by predatory publishing companies. It saddened me to hear about thousands of dollars in debt and even people losing their homes! I began my first book, Produce, Publish, Publicize as a white paper to help aspiring authors avoid traps in the publishing industry. It evolved into a book which I sold at events where I spoke about marketing, branding, publicity and other topics. Then, people started talking about the new fangled digital publishing platform on Amazon. I put Produce, Publish, Publicize on there to see what would happen. I wanted to play with the tools more, so I wrote the first Aliens Are Real book as another product to play with. Unexpectedly, I enjoyed the process. A lot. Then people started asking where the next book in that series was. Now I’m completely hooked on writing.
Do you have a set writing schedule, or do you do it when the fancy strikes?
A: The goal is to write every morning for an hour before the kids wake up. That’s getting harder now that I’m pregnant, but that’s what I work for every day. There are some times that a scene will click in my head and I have to write it immediately and that is sometimes in the middle of the day. Thank goodness for amazing kids and a very tolerant husband!
Do you outline or write as you go (describe your writing process)?
A: I’m an outlining seat of the pants-er. Tee hee hee. My process is I get an idea and let it mull over for a while. It’s usually the climax scene that pops into my head in vivid detail. Then I play the game of figuring out what needs to happen to get my characters there. Along the way, scenes will pop in my head. I’ll get those down on paper then figure out the organization later. It’s like a big jig saw puzzle for me. I get all the parts and piece them together. Along the way, the characters will tell me some of the pieces are wrong and then I have to go back and fix things. One of the best things I’ve started doing is grabbing note cards and write down the scenes as they come. I then go back and figure out a semblance of order and that helps me stay on track. Another amazing tool is the program Scriviner. I can add all my scenes and drag them into the correct order easily.
Do you have a certain vice that helps you write?
A: No vices per se, but I find I writer better with instrumental music in the background. Most of Saving the Hero was written while listening to Capo Productions’ You Tube play lists.
Describe your muse.
A: My muse is life. Produce, Publish, Publicize was inspired by the people with whom I communicated. Aliens Are Real was inspired by a dream. Saving the Hero was inspired by reading a study on parasites. I have the concept for a mystery series inspired by a woman for whom I care take.
Are the people in your life supportive of your writing?
A: I am blessed to have many people that support my writing. My husband is extremely tolerant of my quirks and taking off to do presentation and book events. My mother is also an author so we talk shop all the time as well as beta read for each other. I have a writers group where we have forged not only professional relationships, but also friendships. I adore them and couldn’t do this without everyone in my life.
Tell us about your current work in progress.
A: I just launched Saving the Hero which is about a vampire hunter trying to find a person who can resist the parasite that causes vampirism. The constant call from those who have read it is for the sequel. I have about 5,000 words on the sequel and most of the outline completed. However, I put Aliens Are Real: Part 4 on pause while I finished Saving the Hero. That’s around 18,000 words complete and I need to finish that before I finish Saving the Hero 2. I’ll get there… eventually.
If you could have one super power, what would it be and why
A: I would love the power to have my ideas instantly appear in writing on my computer. I have around 10 novels started and outlined, but not enough time to give all of them attention. If I could just open a little hatch in my brain and download all my thoughts, the process would go so much faster!
Where can you find Sabrina?
www.twitter.com/sabrinasumsion
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSabrinaSumsion
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4847683.Sabrina_Sumsion
Saving the Hero
Book One
Sabrina Sumsion
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Sanguine Publishing
Date of Publication: 8-8-2014
ISBN: 9781500569693
ASIN: B00LWTO9K0
Number of pages: 248
Word Count: 67,000
Cover Artist: Victorine Lieske
Book Description:
Two and a half weeks. That’s all the time he has left.
When loner vampire hunter Kassy is interrupted by nosy veteran, Mike, he ends up bitten, and infected with the vampire parasite. The warrior becomes her prey as she fights to find him before powerful vamps. A couple kidnappings later, she’s hiding in a cabin with him chained to the floor, and an eight-year-old girl in her care.
Death? Inevitable. When the parasite takes control, he’ll do or say anything to get non-infected blood—including seducing her. But, as they spend time together, she finds her resolve weakening. A kiss won’t fix him, but it might mend a deep hole in her heart.
Kassy is too practical to believe in miracles, but if he survives eighteen days without ingesting human blood, there is a chance he could be the hero she’s been looking for.
Odds are he’s a dead man.
Author Kim Mullican 