Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I was born in a small town in Northeast Texas, where my journey with the written word began. In middle school, I discovered a love for writing short stories, a passion that blossomed despite the challenges I faced with dyslexia. To overcome my learning disability, I immersed myself in reading books that were adapted into movies, exploring the differences between the written and visual narratives. This practice not only improved my understanding of language but also enriched my appreciation for storytelling.
With a professional background in customer service and property management that spans over 24 years, my experiences bring depth and authenticity to my writing. My diverse career has given me a keen insight into human nature, which is reflected in my characters and storylines.
My first published work was The Multifamily Housing Guide – Leasing 101 in 2016, a guide aimed at assisting new leasing professionals in the multifamily housing industry. This guide provided practical tools and advice to help them succeed in their new career, making their transition easier and more efficient.
Building on my early success, I ventured into the world of fiction, writing the Saving History Series, a young adult historical fiction series. The five-book series has earned me the title of #1 best seller on Amazon, and the second book of the series debuted at #64 on Barnes & Noble’s top 100. My novels draw inspiration from the past, present, and future, offering readers captivating and thought-provoking narratives.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “A.N.D.R.E.”?
A2. My challenges while writing A.N.D.R.E. were mostly researching AI in general. There are so many types of AI in the world today, another challenge I ran across was how was I going to be able to make my AI different than others. I didn’t want my Artificial Intelligence Beings (A.I.B.) to be a typical bot or android being. I wanted them look human, while not having feelings or emotions in their programming. Then figuring out a way for one of the original A.I.B.s to have human feelings and emotions without a need for his creators programming, but to be more organic. Which I believe I have managed to achieve in A.N.D.R.E.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. I can tell you John Grisham is one of my favorite authors, though I also find inspiration in the works of Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer, Dan Brown, and Jobie Hughes. One of my all-time favorite books is ‘A Painted House’ by John Grisham. The way he was able to tell such a unique story and for me to be able to imagine each character fascinated me. I wanted to be that created in my writing, which is a working process to say. I was inspired for ‘Saving History Series’ from reading series by Stephenie Meyer for her ‘The Twilight Saga’, Suzanne Collins’ ‘Hunger Games’ collection, Dan Browns collection of ‘Robert Langdon’ books like ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Angels & Demons’, ‘Lost Symbol’, and ‘Inferno.’ Then I fell in love with Jobie Hughes collection of ‘Pittacus Lore’ books like ‘I am Number Four’ all the way through ‘United as One.’
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I love to travel, but one of my favorite spots to visit is the big island of Hawaii, Kona. It may be the big island; it really is a small place. The beaches are amazing, the people are friendly, food is excellent, and so many tourist spots like volcanos and waterfalls.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘A.N.D.R.E.’?
A5. My inspiration for writing ‘A.N.D.R.E.’ came from my mom actually. She works as a movie producer and has been working on several sci-fi movies, and shorts, with her best friend for the past few years. Seeing the films they create inspired me to see what I could do if I applied myself to try writing different genres. I have written business books and a YA Historical Fiction Series, so I figured my next stop was science fiction.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘A.N.D.R.E.’?
A6. I began writing ‘A.N.D.R.E.’ in May 2023 and finished it the end of March 2024, so almost a year to complete it.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. My books are sold on almost all platforms. You can find my books on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble online, Books-a-Million online, and my website for links. http://www.starnesbooksllc.com
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘A.N.D.R.E.’?
A8. The over art was a collaboration between my editor, Pat Carpenter with Carpenter Editing Services LLC, and myself. We spend a weekend in Florida brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other until we found a concept we both liked. From there we just continued to change one thing or another with the buildings above ground or how humans were living underground. We spent days on the cover art and after three days of work in Florida, we had a finished product. We wanted to incorporate as much of the story in the cover as we could without giving too much away. The cover becomes obvious once you read the book.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. To keep things fresh for me is to keep an eye out for anything new happening in the world to see if it my pertain to what I am currently writing at the time. I also like to post updates on my WIPs on my social media platforms, My Facebook pages, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. I like to let my followers and fans know when they can expect my upcoming projects.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. The most valuable piece of advice I have been given was to never stop writing. If you have a story in your head, write it. Every story has an audience, you must get out there and find the right audience for your story. If you have a book that you think is a failure, before writing the book off, try changing your audience. You may fail with one group of readers and excel when you find your true audience. Research categories you can place your book in. It could find into several markets. I sci-fi novel would find in Science Fiction and Romance at the same time, depending on the content. Find those different areas of your book and market it again with new audiences.
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