Author Interview ~ Debra Chapoton

A huge thank you to Debra for being a guest on my blog, and for being such a great sport. I was supposed to spotlight her last month, but all excuses aside, I was unable to get her on until now.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out Debra's works!

What’s your favorite type of ice-cream? 
I absolutely go crazy for Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food. It’s a chocoholic’s delight.

What’s your favorite writing beverage? 
If I eat or drink while I’m writing I get distracted. I’m one of those rare people who has never had a cup of coffee or tea and I don’t care for wine. I gave up diet soda a couple of years ago so now I’m pretty much a water, milk, fruit juice (and smoothies) type of gal.

Do you have any favorite writing snacks you like to have on hand?
Nope, I start writing as soon as I get up in the morning and don’t even have breakfast for three or four hours. However, if I have chocolate in the house I will go through a couple pounds a week. Yeah, it’s an addiction.

How did you discover your love for writing?
I teacher friend of mine, Rick Farr (Hi Rick!), made writing a book a year-long assignment for his eleventh graders. I thought that if they could do it, so could I. I wrote my first novel on summer vacation and it was so much fun to do that I’ve been writing one or two novels a year ever since.

When did you begin writing and was your intention to become an author at that time?
I started in 2002 and it was a total shock that this obsession would take over all my time.

What was your inspiration for A Soul’s Kiss? 
I had read a novel years ago (I’ve forgotten the title) that was about a woman in a coma as told by all the people around her. I wondered what was going on in her head. What if she could leave her body? What if she could get into other people’s dreams? The idea expanded from there.

How many hours a day to you devote to writing? Do you write every day?
I try to write all morning with a goal of 1000 words a day. I usually write 5 days a week.

How did you come up with the title for your book?
Originally I called it Pocket of Uncertainty, then Kiss My Soul, but my publishers wanted A Soul’s Kiss and I agreed that it sounded best.

What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you and your writing?
I love the classics and I’ve read everything by the current biggies. Probably Dean Koontz had the biggest impact on me.

What are you reading now?
I am on the beach in Florida for 5 weeks and right now I’m reading John Grisham.

If you could adapt this book, or any of your writings, which one would it be and who would play your main characters?
For Edge of Escape I can see Alexander Kock (Junior in Under the Dome) as the psycho stalker. In A Soul’s Kiss I’d pick Josh Hutcherson for Tyler and a young Taylor Swift look-alike for Jessica.

Tell me more about A Soul’s Kiss. What was the hardest part of your book to write? Is there a message you want your readers to grasp?
The main character, Jessica, falls into a coma and her spirit splits away from her body. Dealing with love on a supernatural plane can be exciting, strange, wispy, scary, suspenseful, and moving. Actually it can be all those things when you’re healthy and awake, too. There are lots of messages (be self-aware, don’t judge, love is right under your nose), but mostly I want readers to enjoy and savor the adventure of reading for pleasure.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Learn grammar, edit a lot, read your work out loud, and don’t be in a rush to get published because a book takes a long time to develop and get all polished up for the public.

Last question: Flip flops or tennis shoes?
Tennis shoes, definitely, and a sweatshirt or t-shirt and jeans.

Thanks for having me. I enjoyed the interview. I hope your readers will check out all of my novels. By the way, I have two more that recently became available for pre-order on Amazon, so please take a look at Exodia and Out of Exodia.

Thanks you for stopping by!