Monday, December 7, 2009

Author Interview: Rhonda Stapleton

Hey there! Got another wonderful author interview for you today. My guest is Rhonda Stapleton author of Stupid Cupid. Check it out!





    Tell us a little about yourself.


Rhonda Stapleton started writing a few years ago to appease the voices in her head. She lives in northeast Ohio with her two kids, her manpanion, and their lazy dog. Visit her website at rhondastapleton.com.





    What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?


I started writing because I had this urge to try my hand at a novel. I expect a lot of people get into it for that reason! But I didn't try YA until one of my friends told me I had the voice for it and totally had to give it a whirl. I hadn't read contemporary YA in a long time--she gave me a book to read. And from there, I was hooked.



    Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?




    Here's the blurb about Stupid Cupid, the first in my trilogy: Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.) Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired...and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.




Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?


I do plot in advance. I'm totally a plotter. I like to actually create a list of scenes so I have a general road map...it helps the process be less intimidating. I can tackle the book one scene at a time, knowing I worked out the bulk of kinks beforehand. Takes a lot of pressure off!


Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?


Occasionally. My heroine is very, very overdramatic. I love to hear the crazy things that fly into my mind and beg to be put on paper. She's a lot of fun to listen to...haha.


Who is your favorite character (of your own)?


Ooooh, tough call.Absinthia. She's a fortuneteller. I hadn't planned on writing her at all--she just came to me, but I loved adding her.


What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?


I looove reading, singing, photography, and eating.


If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?


Probably a singer. I'd love to be one!


Where can readers find you online?


http://www.rhondastapleton.com/


Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?


Ooooh good question! Tough one...I want it to really count. Okay, how about this: what book is at the top of your re-read list, the book that's a total classic for you, and why?


Thanks so much for visiting with me today Rhonda! I love your answers. :) Hmm..classic re-read for me? Well, actually I'm currently re-reading The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Totally love that book! It's the first in the Thursday Next series; they're great books but so confusing to try to explain.

2 comments:

Rhonda Helms said...

Hey, thanks for having me! :D

HeatherMarie said...

I'm glad to have you here. :) I can't wait to check out your books, I'll be looking for them when I get to work today.