Interview with A.J. Myers, author of Something Witchy

A.J. Myers, author of Something Witchy, agreed to allow me to annoy her with questions.. I mean interview her about her upcoming release, future books and.. well.. writing in general. Check out the awesome Giveaway celebrating the release of Something Witchy: $100 Amazon Giftcard, a black Something Witchy ceramic Norwegian-style mug and a purple stainless steel Mystics & Mayhem thermal mug! 7 winners in all! Click HERE to enter to win and enjoy the interview below!

Make sure to check out Something Witchy on it's official release date November 15th!


Me: Something Witchy ended on a spectacular note and alludes to another book in the works, how many books are planned for this cast of characters? And when is the next book planned for release?
A.J.: There are currently five books planned in the Mystics & Mayhem series, the second of which Something Wicked, we hope to release in the next month or so.

Me: Ember is a fiery character.. Was she based off of anyone you know?
A.J.: Yes, and no. Ember is a combination of every teenage girl I've ever known.  And, my friends would say, me. Her personality has made her one of my favorite characters ever!

Me: Out of all the characters in the book who was hardest to write? Easiest?
A.J.: The easiest to write was Ember, because I have so much inspiration for her character.  The hardest was Grams. Not because her character was more complex than any of the others, but hard for me on a personal level. She reminds me a great deal of someone who was very special to me. 

Me: How did you come up with the idea for Something Witchy? What inspired you?
A.J.: A poem, actually, written by a friend of mine. It had the perfect combination of funny and sweet. The day after I read it, I sat down at my computer to work on a book I had in progress and found myself typing, All my problems started with a dead guy instead. I've been messing with our heroine ever since.

Me: How long did it take for you to write Something Witchy?
A.J.: It only took me two months to write the first draft, but it's gone through quite a few rewrites since then. I'd say, all in all, about seven months, maybe a little longer.

Me: Were there any scenes that you wished survived the editing phase? If so, can you share a little of what we missed?
A.J.: I would, but I have plans for a lot of those little snippets and I'd hate the spoil the fun! :)

Me: Are there any other projects you are working on or ideas currently brewing that you can share with us?
A.J.: Other than the Mystics & Mayhem Series, I've kind-of-sort-of started work on a series I call Death, Inc. I just love the idea of death as a business :)

Me: The book industry has changed so much in the last 5 years for readers and authors alike.. If you could spare some advice to potential authors what would it be? Anything you would tell book lovers out there of what it's like to be an author in this changing industry?
A.J.: The publishing industry has never been an easy club to break into, but in recent years it's become almost impossible for a new author to get any recognition. My best advice, though, would be to polish and polish and polish your book some more. Then, throw it in a drawer and forget about it for six months and go back and start reading it again. That's when you find the uh-ohs that can make or break you. Post on sites like writing.com and let other writers tell you what you're doing wrong. They will be the best teachers you will ever have.

As for that discerning reader out there, if you want to read something by an awesome new author, check out what the smaller fish in the pond are putting out. Sure, you may get a few nose-wrinkling bad novels--just remember, you get those with novels published by the big fish, too--but you might also find a diamond amongst the rocks.

Thank you again A.J. for stopping by and allowing me to pick your brain. Something Witchy is released on November 15th and I'll be reviewing it here on the blog on November 20th. In the meantime take a look at the cover, stalk A.J. on Facebook and her website.