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I am excited to welcome my next interviewee, the young novelist, Heather S. Ingemar, to my website.

Heather is an adventurous writer who likes to dabble in many different genres. Her latest novel from Echelon Press is Darkness Cornered and she also has an Echelon download available called A Slip of Wormwood. Coming soon from Echelon Press is Heather's novella, Prophet's Choice.

Check out Heather Ingemar at her website to find out all the latest on this wonderful author.
I am thrilled to welcome Heather to my website.

Check out our interview below:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, the genre you write, and about your latest project.

Answer: Well, I live with my husband on a working cattle ranch, and I work evenings at the local library. In my spare time, I write. I really don't know what else to say beyond that.... (laughs) As for my genre, I like to say that I write speculative fiction; it seems to fit the mish-mosh of genres I have stories in. Paranormal, mystery, suspense, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, a tiny bit of romance.... yeah. I don't think I've had two stories shelved the same. I guess I'm a non-conformist.

About my latest project.... well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. (laughs) Just kidding! I'm working on a series of short novels that are more urban fantasy in flavor, but have different religious mythology than the standard Christian one we all grew up with. When my husband finished the first one, he snickered and said I'd be shelved in the Christian Fiction section, but I think they're a bit too 'out there' for that. The first one is currently out to a couple publishers, and I'm nearing the end of the first draft on the second. I think there will be three total, but don't hold me to it. I may end up with more.....

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer: My genre chose me, definitely. No question. Contemporary, literary fiction bores me to death. For as far back as I can remember, I've been thinking up tales with unusual circumstances.

3. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer: A typical day? Is there any such thing as a typical day for a rancher's wife? (laughs) On average.... I guess I'd say my day consists of different farm duties from feeding the stock to fixing fence, to loading/unloading hay, to moving the animals until around 4.30 in the afternoon when I get ready for work at the library. Then, I'm at the library until 8pm, I come home and make dinner, write for an hour or two if I feel up to it, and then go to bed. It's a little less crazy on days when I stay in to do the household chores like laundry and dishes. When it comes to the writing end of things, I don't stress about it too much. If hubby's on the tractor and he doesn't need my help, I'm curled up in the pickup with a notepad and pen. I write when we're waiting at the parts store. I sometimes write when I'm at the library, if there's nothing else to do. I write when I get the chance.

4. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer: Yes. Have I always been able to, no. There were times I'd swear off writing because it wasn't going the way I wanted.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer: I really have no idea. (laughs)

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer: Not really. Well, let me clarify that. Most of my characters do have some random traits of the people around me, but as for basing an entire character off someone I know, I tend to avoid that like the plague. When you're writing about someone you know, you tend to leave out way too much, you leave your readers confused. All my characters are my own.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be and why?

Answer: Wow, um, let me think. I think I'd like to be Viola, from an unpublished story I wrote a while back titled "Opening Minds." She's a telekinetic, and I think it would be very cool to influence objects from a distance. Could catch things falling from clear across the room, or help herd the cows without having to run so much. It would be very cool.

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer: Sometimes. I read a lot as a kid, and I guess I'm one of those people who knows a little bit about a lot of things, so in most of the stories I write I haven't come across anything I needed to do a lot of research for. But, on occasion, there are things I do need to research. I've got another short I'm working on in addition to the series of short novels, that required I research steam boilers. That was fascinating.

9. Have you ever had writer’s block? And what do you do to overcome it?

Answer: I don't like the term writer's block. It implies something permanent, insurmountable. I believe there are times when your well of creativity runs a little low and the words are difficult to get onto the page, but it isn't the end of the world. You just need to let it ride for a while, then come back and work on it. That's what I do if I'm having difficulties, and it works.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer: Research! Research the industry, publishers, the craft itself. There are too many scammers out there to just blunder through without having some sense of direction, and the more you know the better off you'll be in the long run.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Answer: Actually, I haven't seen the movie yet....

Thanks for having me, KC! This was a fun interview!

Thank you so much for joining me, Heather!