Name: CLLeMay, also answer to Cathy, Cat, Cath, Catherine, and Mom
Book Title: Rivercreek Crossing
Fav Authors: Heather Graham, Pat Conroy, Barbara Delinsky, Stephen King, Steve Thayer (and many more but these are my go-to authors)
Bio: Born and raised in South Carolina but now a long time resident of Massachusetts. Mother to a wonderful 15-year old daughter and a funny 23-year old stepson. Very much in love with my supportive hubby even if he doesn't believe in ghosts and "all that nonsense." Life coach and author.
RIVERCREEK CROSSING
https://www.wattpad.com/story/5922621-rivercreek-crossing
Can you explain what your book is all about?
In 1984, the twelve-year old Caldwell twins, Reese and Luke, are living the typical middle-class American childhood, until Luke is brutally murdered. In present day, Reese is a forty-two year old life coach in the public's eye but a vigilante in private, never believing the system was adequate in finding her brother's killer. Her secret identity is partnered with the ghost of her twin, and together they hunt the criminal scum of the earth, child killers and rapists. Although their relationship is unorthodox, they are closer now than ever and together they manage to dig up past demons that won't stay dead.
Who is your target audience - and why?
Although I thought my audience would be adults (mid 30's-50's) who could suspend the typical belief that ghosts are not real, it turns out I have quite the YA following. Perhaps because society seems to be evolving to accept the unseen as a possibility.
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
My setting is paranormal because one of the main characters is a ghost who communicates with his twin sister who still walks on this side of life and death.
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
Suspense - definitely suspense. I love writing suspense because the mystery unfolds in my head as I write. Even though I can see the whole story from the beginning, it's often a surprise to me how the story develops. And then there is just a touch of romance. Aaaahhhh.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
My writing process? I have so many books and story ideas in my head and until WP entered my life, I wrote when I could snag a few minutes - usually early in the morning.
My most important tool in my bag of writing process tricks is to trust my intuition. My first draft is a non stop flow of whatever comes to mind. I can always fix the mistakes later. With WP, I found myself publishing the first draft of each scene as they occurred to me. Kept me motivated. And then of course, I received plenty of advice of what worked and what didn't. I don't necessarily recommend this method, but for me it works - of course I've been writing novels for decades.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
There are always challenges in writing, just like with anything you love to do. It's part of the fun though. My biggest challenge is making sure that the meandering, twisting, sometimes loop-da-loop thoughts in my head actually make sense to the reader once on paper. That's where WP has been a huge blessing. When a few people all get confused on one thing, I know it's time to look at it and rewrite it so it makes sense. But I always keep going. Even when I'm not HERE writing, I am always writing. Another challenge is the fact that I am usually writing several novels at the same time. This can create quite the traffic jam, causing all work to stop. I keep notebooks of all stories I want to write handy. As images, thoughts, characters, etc. pop up, I make notes, but try like heck to stay focused on one book at a time.
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
If "writing well" is the baseline for success, then I would say it means using your authentic voice and honoring your reader. We can all learn the skills to write better, but we each have our own individual voice and writing your story through your own voice is the baseline for writing well. All the other stuff (grammar, etc.) can be fixed later.
