To kick off 2023 I have a great interview with my dear friend Rose Wulf. We have become close friends this past year and I can’t for all of you to get to know her better!
What inspired you to start writing?
Reading! More specifically, I was raised by a mom who read all the time and I was encouraged to read as much as I wanted from a young age. So I did. This, and watching a variety of fantastic and fun shows on Saturday mornings, spawned an uncontainable imagination. For me it was a natural progression from there to think up my own plot lines and want to put them on paper!
What comes first, the plot or characters?
That depends on the story. I know, I know, it’s a terrible answer! But it’s true. For example, with my 2020 release “Hansel & Gretel,” it was the plot that hit first (and hit hard). I was overcome with this idea, and the idea was very quickly followed by a concept of what kinds of characters I needed to guide it, and the book was born. In contrast, my more recent release “Orchid’s Heart” was the opposite. The characters came to me first, and I understood their personalities and their basic drives and relations, and from that I was able to build the world in which they lived. Only then was I able to uncover the right plot for that story. So… it depends.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Oh, this is a good question! I’ve been writing in some form for as long as I can remember, but of course the early years were amateurish and I more considered myself an aspiring writer. I probably first considered myself a writer sometime after opening myself to public criticism by posting fanfictions online, when I was in my mid-teens. I definitely felt like a writer by the time I made the decision to pursue writing-related courses in college. So, my best estimate would be seventeen or eighteen.
What is the most difficult part about writing for you?
Every story poses its own challenge, of course, but overall the most difficult part is being able to focus. Currently I’m designated to writing in the only living space in my home, and things going on in the background can be quite distracting!
How do you deal with emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?
There have been times I’ve needed to take breaks! Sometimes the characters have to go through some unpleasant and draining things, and I need to put it down for a little while and refresh myself to regain the energy I need to push through. This might just mean detouring to YouTube for a short video, or it might mean calling it a day and picking up again the next day. All of that said, I do usually try to push through those scenes in one go and take my break after.
What was your favorite part, and your least favorite part, of the publishing journey?
Honestly? Being published is my favorite part of the journey! Some days it still feels a little surreal to think my stories are out there in the world for anyone to buy and hopefully enjoy, despite that I just recently celebrated my 10 year “authorversary!” As for my least favorite part, I suppose that would have to be the trouble I had with my first publisher – who is no longer in business. For most of my books I was told things like “your book is live now,” so I had no way to build up hype for an upcoming release because after the editing stage there was just silence until “here’s your cover, and it’s live.” But my relationship with them fell apart shortly before they folded, when I questioned the royalties I had been paid. They terminated my contracts without notice, suddenly pulling my books from the shelves (Amazon, etc) and reverting my rights. I was quite upset and put out by this, though it did ultimately work out in the long run! But that has definitely been the worst experience I’ve had on this journey.
How many books have you published? Which is your favourite?
I have 24 currently available titles, with 2 more under contract and expected soon! In addition to those, I have 3 other titles which were previously published but are no longer available. As for which is my favorite, wow. At this point I have to say it’s “Orchid’s Heart,” but there are two or three close contenders!
Where can readers purchase your books?
My books are available from many different ebook retailers, as well as directly from the publisher! They’re available through Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and many other places.
How many bookshelves are in your house?
By my quick, rough estimate, approximately 25.
Share something fun your readers wouldn’t know about you.
I was in a movie once! Technically. It was a made-for-TV movie being filmed in my area, and I was like 4 years old, so I was an extra. And I’m pretty sure my scenes were cut. But I do have a vague memory of the part where I talked to Laura Dern about Barbies between shoots.
Room full of spiders of a room full of snkes?
Snakes
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Jade Marshall 