Natalie Wright Comes Calling

Hi Natalie and thanks for visiting with me @ Penny’s Tales. 

1. Tell us about Natalie Wright

Vital Statistics: My day job is a divorce attorney/mediator. I live in the high desert in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve been married twenty-four years to the same guy and have a 9 year old daughter and a 14 year old dog.

I love big cities (though I’ve never managed to live in one), travel, and great food and wine. But I also love the outdoors, solitude and simple food. My perfect day would include touring big city, people watching, enjoying an elegant dinner, then retiring to a luxury hotel. Or my perfect day may be hiking in the mountains and eating stew on the porch of a cabin in the woods. Either option sounds blissful to me.

2. Tell us about your latest story.

Blurb for Emily’s House:

From Kirkus Reviews: With her two best friends by her side and her mother’s memory in her heart, a teenager undertakes a journey to save the world from an ancient evil.

Emily Adams has always known she’s special. Throughout her whole life she’s had visions of things that haven’t happened yet and she could always read her mother’s mind. At least, she could until her mother died. Emily thinks her abilities are just about gone, but the arrival of a strange creature in her backyard one night proves otherwise. Emily discovers she is the last of the Order of Brighid, an ancient society of women sworn to protect the portal to the Netherworld. Now, with the portal under attack, it’s up to Emily and her two loyal, wisecracking friends to stop a villainous man before his actions destroy the world.

3.  Are all your stories for MG or YA?

All of my stories are YA, though I think adults enjoy them as well. I have an “adult” story floating around in my head so I may attempt to write an adult book in the future. But right now I have two different 3-book series that I’m working on so it will be a while before I can start a wholly new project.

4.  Do you have a special go-to person you send your stories to, just to see what they think?

I did not have anyone special to read early drafts of Emily’s House and relied on paid project editors. Fortunately, I met a couple of writer friend that I can now go to with drafts. They “get” what I do but are not afraid to tell me what’s not working. I also use a paid “alpha reader” service which gives me a very unbiased opinion. This feedback early on is invaluable and can save a lot of wheel spinning. Once I’ve incorporated their suggestions and done what I can with the project, then I send it to a paid project editor.

5.  Can you give us a hint of what your next story is about?

I have two novels that are in draft right now that I’m working on. First is Emily’s Trial, which is the follow up to Emily’s House. In Emily’s Trial, Emily will have her first love (and perhaps a first kiss).  But loyalties and friendships will be tested when Emily once again goes through a portal to another world – this time with her friends. Emily’s Trial should be out late Fall, 2012.

Second, I’m working on the first book of my new science fiction series, H.A.L.F. This is an acronym for Human Alien Life Form and it is about – you guessed it – a human alien hybrid, codename H.A.L.F, who was created by a clandestine arm of our government as a weapon, and his quest for freedom. Three teens, out in the desert for some fun, get caught up in this secret world and their choice to help the hybrid may cost them their lives. I’m having so much fun with this project! I self-published Emily’s House but I’m going to hold off self-publishing H.A.L.F. and with the encouragement of my beta readers, I’ll be shopping for a publishing house for H.A.L.F. – so no publication date yet.

6.  With all the promoting that is just as important as writing the story, do you have a schedule you try to stick with when trying to get a story finished?

That’s a good question. When Emily’s House first came last November, I found myself spending more and more time on social media. The promotion time took over and I was writing less and less. Experienced writers give the advice that what is most important is writing good books. So I took that to heart and have scaled back on social media, choosing instead to spend more time writing. I think having a schedule would be a great strategy, but I’m a free-spirited person who hates schedules! This is an area that is still very much a work-in-progress – finding the balance of promotion vs. writing new material.

7.  Have you ever thought of just hanging it up because of rejections or a too demanding schedule?

Almost every day! My first novel came out last November and honestly, writing was much easier before it released. Staying in touch with people via Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads takes a considerable amount of time. And I have a day job too, so time management – well, sometimes I just want to cry!

But if you are a writer, you need to write. Period. So the lure of the dialogue happening inside my head and the visions of scenes playing out – that gets me back to the page.

8.  What is your favorite thing to do when not writing?

I enjoy traveling. This summer we’re going to the Bahamas, last summer it was the Mexican Riviera, next summer I’m going to France. Travel is adventure and that fuels my inspiration. I also enjoy being outdoors – hiking, taking my dog for a walk, gardening, swimming in the pool, or having a BBQ with friends. Just about anything outdoors I like. And of course, reading.

9.  And, of course, the most important question, where can we find you and your books?

You can “find” me here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/NatalieWright_

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NatalieWright.Author

Blog: http://NatalieWrightsYA.blogspot.com

Website: http://NatalieWright.net

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468945.Natalie_Wright

You can Purchase Emily’s House Here:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/A7jHsG

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/vlrnjp

iBooks: http://bit.ly/u4JCer

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/ttW6dl

 Well, it was fun having you on Penny's Tales, Natalie.  I do have a question.  After reading #8, I was wondering how I can get you to adopt me so I can travel with you during the summers?