Meet E.D.Bowman, she is the author of two book series, and three stand alone novels (Read below to find out more about those). I got to interview E.D.Bowman, and here's the results -
Start off, tell us a little bit about your background:
Heather: How Long Have You Been Writing?
E.D.: I have been writing for over thirty years. I started writing endings to movies I went to. If I didn't like the way it ended and decided I'd rather it ended differently than the way it was written, I'd rewrite the ending when I got home. I especially didn't like sad endings or ones that gave me nightmares.
Heather: what started you writing for publication?
E.D.: I suppose I have been from the beginning without really thinking about it, but the more I submerged myself into my writing, the more my co-workers thought I should write for publication. There came a moment in time when I agreed with them.
Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?
E.D.: I generally wrote after dinner, when the dishes were done, the kids were in bed, and my husband was busy reading or studying. And I would write until the wee hours of the morning, and at work during lunch or whenever I found a few moments to put my thoughts down on paper. Now, since I am no longer working I write every day, at any and all times.
Heather: Who is your favorite author?
E.D.: I have several favorite authors, I can't begin to name them all, but to mention a few there are: Thomas B. Costain, Nelson DeMille, Catherine Coulter, Trisha Fitzgerald-Petri, Nikki Leigh and many others.
Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?
E.D.: So far, I can honestly answer no to that question. But I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?
E.D.: Never give up. Believe in yourself. Don't take rejection to heart. Not everyone likes the same stories. Persistence and talent will win out…eventually.
Heather: How do you invent your characters?
E.D.: My characters are a composite of a lot of people I've known and met. And even strangers I might see in a train, on the beach or in a shopping mall.
Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your cahracters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?
E.D.: Yes, as a matter of fact I have a character chart that I fill in before I create a character depending on the story I am writing. I also note what I think my characters would like, dislike, or how they would act, and it seems that as I continue to write, the characters take on a life of their own.
Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?
E.D.: Actually, I would have to agree with that. As I have said, characters take on a life of their own, and in time, write the story themselves. They become as real as any human you can touch. Once you've written the last chapter to your book, your characters stay with you. And you may discover that you start talking about them as if they are your children…which in a way they are.
Heather: Do you have anything in the works?
E.D.: I just completed a non-fiction book for my brother that is a private biography of what he went through in World War II. Before that, it was a project my husband had been working on that I finally convinced him to publish. As of now, I have a few thoughts about a mystery novel…at least I think that's what it will be…but who knows for sure.
Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?
E.D.: That I never stop learning new things.
Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?
E.D.: Watching the words come alive as I wrote them and the way the characters react to a given situation.
Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?
E.D.: Not really, I like listening to music when I write as long as it is background music and not intrusive.
Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?
E.D.: It doesn't really matter, when I am writing, I don't hear or see anything but what is being written on the screen. I am completely involved in what I am doing, and as my husband says, nothing gets through except a knock on the head. (Just kidding).
Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?
E.D.: It would have to be the story. You can't just put characters in places they don't belong. When I'm writing about space, naturally my characters have to be astronauts or aliens and other worlds. However, in a paranormal or mystery story, if it had nothing to do with space it wouldn't be practical to put an astronaut or an alien in the story if they were not involved in it. That's not to say that an alien couldn't be in a mystery novel…now could it? Hmmm might be something in that.
Heather: Keyboard or pen?
E.D.: I started writing with a pencil because it was easier to erase when the story seemed to be going the wrong way. I took me a long time to even consider a computer. But once I did, I couldn't believe how wonderful it was. It seemed as if the story was writing itself. So I'd have to say now…keyboard.
Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?
E.D.: Getting someone to believe in you and in your work…and marketing your work once your book is published.
Heather: What do you usually do while writing?
E.D.: Concentrate on my writing and usually have a glass of water beside me.
Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?
E.D.: I believe I mentioned why before. But there were other reasons. I loved to read, still do. As a child stricken with Rheumatic Fever, books were my only escape from my world of isolation. Then, too, when we were growing up my Father used to read to us every night from books he took from his bookshelf. The more he read, the more interested I became in the written word. So, if anyone was an influence in my becoming an author, it would have to be my Father, who loved the written word as much as I do.
Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it’s experience that writes a book or imagination?
E.D.: Both. Imagination plays a bigger part in writing fiction. Experience seems to work more with non-fiction books than with fiction. When writing non-fiction you have to be careful that what you right is true. On the other hand, with fiction you can let your imagination run free and conjure up all sorts of strange and wonderful places and subjects that come to mind.
I like the colors of:
skiesThe sky is most beautiful when it’s:
setting My favorite feature of a computer is:
keyboardI think inventors should invent a/an:
cure-allThing I love most in the world is:
husband
Things I hate most in the world is:
tyrants
My favorite type of electronic device is:
computer
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900:
books My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960:
books
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is a:
rock
Elena's books are available on Amazon.com in both Kindle, and Print editions and on Barnes and Noble in E-book format. Included in her published novels are two series: The Sarah's Landing Series, comprising of four books: Contact, The Telepaths of Theon, The Barbarians and Genesis. The Legacy Series comprising of three novels: The House on the Bluff, The Gatekeeper's, Realm and Adams Point. Time-Rift, The Odyssey and The Imposter are all stand alone novels.
For Reviews and excerpts of Elena's books visit her website at:
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net/
