Let's all give a warm round of welcome applause to Author Ann Snizek:
What is your name? Do
you use a pen name (if so, why?)? My name is Ann
Snizek. Yes, it is a pen name. I use it in remembrance of my grandmother who
had been an actress in her time. She was
from Prague in what is now the Czech Republic.
My grandparents owned a theatre there before the war. After they fled, she worked with Radio Free
Europe for some time. When they came to the USA, they continued in the theatre
for several years.
Tell me a bit about
yourself: Well, what can I say? I have a blended
family, totaling seven kids (most of which have grown and moved out). We have always viewed literacy as a high
priority, and have nurtured the love and appreciation for books and learning in
our children as much as possible. Now,
we are continuing that joy with our grandchildren. I moved around a lot as a child, the youngest
of seven myself, and have volumes of experiences -- some good, some not so
good. All of this has made me who I am
today, and I hope it allows me to create characters and worlds that many can
relate to.
What type of genre do
you write? I write Young Adult Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I am experimenting in non-fiction, but my
passion is what comes out the most.
What genre to (do)
you personally read? Most of what I read is Fantasy/Sci-Fi. That covers many of the sub-genres too.
(paranormal, high fantasy, contemporary fantasy, dystopia, etc.)
Tell me about your
latest? (my latest book read or wrote?) Right now I'm
in the middle of reading two books (The Songmaster by Orson Scott Card
and Unraveled by Gena Showalter and nearly finished a third (editing for
a local author - Jamie Ruff, author of
) I am also working on both the Tunuftol series and my other series - The
Payton Chronicles: To Eris - Human and its sequel For: Giva De Vine (not
released yet) So, I keep fairly busy.
What sparked your
passion for books and the art of a good story? I have
grown up with a passion for reading. As
a child I was very shy. Reading allowed
me to escape from my world and take my friends with me wherever we moved to.
Is there a particular
book that changed or affected your life in a big way? I
think there are a couple that I recall as important to me. I learned to read with the old Dick and Jane
books and Dr. Seuss, but in elementary school I had a wonderful librarian that
was a gifted reader. She read Madeline
L'Engle's A Wind In The Door. She brought it to life for me and hooked
me. Then some time later my sister got
me hooked on Anne McCaffrey. I love all
of her books and I'm glad that her son has been able to continue the Pern
legacy.
Is there a message in
your book that you want readers to grasp? I try not to
be preachy in my stories, but I hope that it shows what the mind is capable
of. I want to encourage young people (in
age and at heart) to reach for their dreams and not accept limitations that
others put on you. Always push yourself
to improve past the negative things that life tends to throw at us. It is what we do about our trials that
defines us.
What challenges have you
faced in your writing career? I suppose it would be the
typical challenges: time to write, finding inspiration, query submission and
rejection letters, making the "right" connections, etc. I also have to work around my own personal
disabilities. I have Fibromyalgia, among
other things. This makes it physically
difficult to keep up with my projects.
What has been your best
moment as a writer? While I have written for years, I
would have to say that the best moment I have had as a writer - so far- is that
someone bought my book (Tunuftol's Fortress of Light - Tunuftol Book 1) on its
release date! That would be followed closely by you asking me to participate in
your blog.
Who is your author idol?
Wow! Ummm... I am impressed with so many wonderful
writers out there, both classics and modern.
I would have to say that Anne McCaffrey has to be the ultimate in my
opinion.
Do you see yourself in
any of your characters? I try to put a little of myself in each of my characters. It makes them "real" to me. As I write, I wonder to myself, "What
would this character do or say in this situation." I even find myself thinking of what is to
come in the story and wondering what the characters will be doing then, as if
they were friends that I will be visiting later. (LOL)
Do you feel like your
dream has come true or is there much more to do? Both!
I am finally a published, selling author.
There is still much to do though.
I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head that I try to write
down... I have several small and large projects going at the same time. I tend to bounce around in my mind (I guess
like ADD) and have had many nights where I couldn't go to sleep until I wrote
my thoughts down.
What does your workspace
look like? I do most of my writing in the quiet of my
room on my laptop. I cozy up with my
pillows and my dogs, a Toy Poodle/Chihuahua mix and a Pomeranian. I also have a plaque on the wall that my kids
gave to me for Christmas a couple years ago.
It says, "Family is the thread that holds it all together."
Have you ever had a day
when you just wanted to quit? YES! But I have more days when I am too busy to write and miss
it. Once I reach the frustration point,
I have to put my work away. Frustration
isn't conducive with productivity. If
I'm not enjoying what I'm writing it won't come out right... the quality
suffers. So, what is the point of taking
the time to write poorly when I can "quit" for a time and come back
to it later when the passion returns.
What do you do when you’re not writing? Running all over the place. I homeschool my kids. The youngest is fourteen now, so she is more
self directed at this point. I'm at the
beginning of the empty nest syndrome...LOL.
I enjoy movies, photography, and activities with my children and
grandchildren. Trust me, there is NEVER
a dull moment in our family.
What are the most
important attributes to remaining sane as a writer? LOL...
I think a bit of insanity is needed. I
haven't figured another way out yet. I
guess the best thing is to just breathe and remember what is really important
in life... don't stress over what you have no control of. (And no, I don't
always take my own advice.)
Did you have a moment
when you realized you were meant to be a writer? Surprisingly
I did. After an exceptionally difficult
year for our family, in 2010, I started writing a lot. Then in 2011, I wanted to do NaNoWrMo, but I
didn't get to it until December. I wrote
the first draft of Tunuftol's Fortress of Light in 11 days. The
"problem" was I couldn't stop writing. By the time I started the 4th book of the
series I decided to go back and look at what I had. My youngest read it also and decided it
didn't completely suck. So, I did some revisions and edits and decided that
this was something I could do, something I loved to do.
What advice would you
give to aspiring authors? If you don't ask or try, you
will never get anywhere in life. Enjoy
what you do or don't do it. And
something I'm just learning to fully appreciate now, the real work starts after
you publish.
After this book, what is
next? I have
some edits and revisions to make on the next three books of the Tunuftol
series. I plan to have the next one out
by late spring(fingers crossed) Plus, I
have another series I'm working on. The
first book is just waiting for cover art.
I have a few smaller projects going also. Not to mention the never-ending chaos that I
call my life. So, I have a lot going on
and things are finally starting to come together.
Your website? http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnSnizek
Your blog? I haven't started it yet, but I plan to give it a shot on
GoodReads.com
Other websites?
Where can your book be
found? Right now
it is on Smashwords.com. I only have a
little bit of reformatting to be on their premium catalog.(fingers still
crossed) So, it should be available in
many places soon.
Thanks Ann for dropping by and many great successes for you to come!
Keep Writing!
Jodie Pierce
Great interview Jodie, Ann! I'm so glad I stopped by! I wish you both the very best!
ReplyDeleteThanks Deborah and Jodie! I had so much fun.
DeleteHey I just followed you back under the name Kacii Epicness.
ReplyDeleteI love your blogs. And look at that, we have the same backgrounds! Tehee
Kacii